Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis

CQ Roll Call
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Award-winning journalist Mary C. Curtis tackles policies and politics through the lens of social justice, illuminating the issues that have been, and still are, dividing the country. After all, the world is not so black and white.

  1. JAN 21

    The state of voting rights in a critical midterm election year

    November 2026 is closer than it may seem, with candidates already campaigning for the midterms. But are enough Americans paying attention to current action in the courts that could affect the process – and the result? You need a lawyer to sort out all-important voting rights battles. Elisabeth Frost, the Litigation chair of the Elias Law Group, is in the middle of many of these battles. With Marc Elias as chair, the firm’s stated mission is to help Democrats win, citizens vote, and progressives make change. On Equal Time, Frost answers the question: How is that going? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    50 min

  2. 12/22/2025

    Advocacy and recognition lead to action for the disabled in sports -- and beyond

    As an aspiring equestrian facing obstacles, Jack Goldberg learned that even with good intentions and legislation, follow through can be uncertain. So, as a young teen, he leaned into leadership. While the dual American and Canadian citizen can appreciate progress -- the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- he is worried that what has been hard won may be dismantled unless advocacy and activism keep the pressure on. On Equal Time, the honored Para Equestrian explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  3. 11/21/2025

    Despite DEI pushback, a corporate culture of belonging is possible

    The Trump administration’s war on DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion policies, has left many companies that value a welcoming workplace more than a little confused. What is allowed — and legal? Barbara L. Johnson, the founder of BLJohnsonLaw and counsel with Potter & Murdock, is an accomplished employment lawyer and workplace consultant with a passion for creating safe, productive and thriving workplace cultures. She is a guest on this episode of Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min

  4. 10/03/2025

    College Leadership in Turbulent Times

    Being a college president has never been the easiest job. But today, it seems an impossible one. The campus may still be a place that encourages students to think critically and to cultivate a network of fellow creative problem-solvers. But those goals have been overshadowed by concerns over academic freedom and free speech, the challenges of building a welcoming community in the face of anti-DEI legislation and more. In her latest book, “Perils and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times,” Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, an award-winning psychologist, president emerita of Spelman College and best-selling author, sees room for hope -- and solutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  5. 09/11/2025

    A moral call-to-action on climate and energy policy

    There had been progress on the issue of environmental justice, with the contributions of citizen-activists, who spurred the government to protect historically marginalized communities. But in the past few months, the Trump administration has made staff, program, and budget cuts that leave rural, coastal, and frontline communities vulnerable. That’s one observation of Cameron Oglesby, internationally awarded environmental justice organizer and solutions journalist. But, Oglesby says, organizations, communities and grass-roots efforts aren’t giving up on their vision for a cleaner, greener country. She joins Equal Time to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    41 min

  6. 08/15/2025

    Closing the opportunity gap in education

    It’s back to school time, with excitement mixed with uncertainty and anxiety. News from the Department of Education is primarily about cutting its budget or eliminating the department altogether. How will these and other proposed changes affect students? Will the traditionally underserved be short-changed, and fall further behind? James E. Ford, a former teacher of the year in North Carolina, is founder/director of CREED: the Center for Racial Equity in Education, a stand-alone nonprofit that deals explicitly with race and education issues in the state. He is also Principal at Filling the Gap Educational Consultants. Ford and his organizations have been working on solutions to education challenges the nation faces, and he is a guest on Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min

  7. 07/14/2025

    ‘Accidental activists,’ the local heroes who expose government secrecy

    In “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back,” Miranda Spivack tells the stories of ordinary citizens who discovered that local and state governments they thought were there to protect them weren’t doing their jobs. Instead, these “accidental activists” found not only a lack of transparency but also often resistance when searching for information about how to resolve community issues. Does their work provide a roadmap – and hope – for others? Spivack, author and former Washington Post editor and reporter, is this episode’s guest on Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  8. 06/12/2025

    What is ‘the way forward’ after violence born of hatred?

    It’s been 10 years since a 21-year-old gunman murdered nine church members who welcomed him to Bible study. The attack on Charleston, S.C.’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015, killed nine good people. They were targeted for that reason and for their race. The brother of one of the nine, Malcolm Graham, reflects on the life and legacy of his sister Cynthia Graham Hurd, on the world that nurtured such hatred in someone so young, and perhaps the hardest part — on how to do the work needed to change that world. His book is “The Way Forward: Keeping the Faith and Doing the Work Amid Hatred and Violence.” Graham, a Charlotte, N.C., city councilman, entrepreneur and civic activist, offers a path that won’t be easy, but may be necessary. And he joins Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Award-winning journalist Mary C. Curtis tackles policies and politics through the lens of social justice, illuminating the issues that have been, and still are, dividing the country. After all, the world is not so black and white.

Information

  • Creator
    CQ Roll Call
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Clean