Standing Tall with Gloria Johnson

Gloria Johnson
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Politics

Standing Tall with Gloria Johnson is a bold and witty political podcast hosted by one of the South's most prolific civic leaders. Standing Tall is for people who want to understand what's happening and what they can do about it, told through Tennessee Representative Gloria Johnson’s characteristic no-holds-barred storytelling. Honest, unfiltered, and always entertaining, Representative Gloria Johnson cuts through the noise to break down the local, state, and national issues shaping listeners’ daily lives. Each episode offers an inside look at government, the people influencing policy, culture and how it informs civic life, and the decisions impacting our communities. Through candid conversations with elected officials, organizers, advocates, and everyday Tennesseans, Standing Tall explores the challenges facing our democracy while highlighting the people working to strengthen it. At a time when many feel disconnected from politics, Standing Tall aims to inform, inspire, and empower listeners to get involved, stay engaged, and help build a better future!

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Allison Russell: The Radical Act of Caring

    Gloria talks with musician and activist Allison Russell about the through-line connecting her art and her advocacy — from co-founding the Love Rising benefit concert in response to Tennessee's anti-drag legislation, to her gun violence advocacy following the Covenant School shooting, to the personal history that shapes her commitment to showing up for marginalized communities. They also dig into empathy, generational change, farmland loss and AI data center expansion in Black communities, and Allison's new record, "In the Hour of Chaos," out now. Topics Covered How Gloria and Allison met (Smithsonian's "Entertainment Nation" event honoring Taj Mahal) and reconnected at Love RisingLove Rising: the 2023 benefit concert organized in response to Tennessee's anti-drag legislation — over 11,000 attendees, nearly $600,000 raisedAllison's activism following the Covenant School shooting, including gun violence advocacy with Annie LennoxAllison's personal history: growing up in an abusive household with a father who held white supremacist views, and how she found "chosen family" through musicThe "empathy impairment" conversation, including Gloria's story about Rep. William Lamberth blocking a resolution for a shooting victimFarmland loss in Tennessee and AI data center expansion disproportionately affecting Black communitiesThe Haudenosaunee Confederation's "seven generations" principle as a model for leadershipAllison's new album "In the Hour of Chaos" (out now) and her upcoming tour with Sarah McLachlanAllison's daughter's school choir recording session, and the joy of intergenerational music-makingClosing thoughts on hope, youth engagement, and building "circles" of inclusionGuest Allison Russell - IG: @allisonrussellmusic · X/Threads: @outsidechild13 · allisonrussellmusic.comGloria Johnson - IG/X: @VoteGloriaJPeople Mentioned Annie Lennox (musician, mentioned re: gun violence advocacy collaboration)Sarah McLachlan (musician, mentioned re: upcoming tour)Mavis Staples (musician, mentioned)Hozier (musician, co-writer on a song for Mavis Staples)Rep. William Lamberth (TN State Rep, mentioned re: empathy impairment story)Justin Jones & Justin Pearson (TN State Reps, mentioned)Tressie McMillan Cottom (writer, referenced re: NYT piece on AI data centers)

    Allison Russell: The Radical Act of Caring

  2. 5d ago

    Rep. Gabby Salinas: A Fighter for Memphis

    Gloria talks with fellow State Rep. Gabby Salinas about her personal journey, arriving in Memphis as a seven-year-old cancer patient at St. Jude, her family gaining citizenship with help from then-Senator Fred Thompson, and how that history shapes her work in the legislature today. They cover the 2025 special session fight over Memphis redistricting, Gabby's bipartisan-sponsored cold case bill, the defeat of a bill Gabby says would have challenged Plyler v. Doe nationally, and close with a get-out-the-vote push ahead of the August 6th primary, including details on how to volunteer in Memphis this week. Topics Covered Gabby's personal story: arriving in Memphis at 7 for cancer treatment at St. Jude, her family's car accident, and gaining citizenship with the help of then-Senator Fred ThompsonThe 2025 special session fight over Memphis redistricting and Black voting powerIda B. Wells and Memphis's civil rights history as throughline for Gabby's approach to the legislature"Amend, delay, and defeat" — operating as the opposition in a legislative supermajority (referencing Stacey Abrams)Defeat of House Bill 793, which Gabby says was designed to challenge Plyler v. Doe (the Supreme Court case guaranteeing public education regardless of immigration status)Gabby's bipartisan cold case bill, sponsored with GOP Sen. Kerry Roberts, addressing an estimated 33,000 unsolved cases in TennesseeResponse to campaign attacks from her primary opponent about not yet passing standalone legislationGabby's status as the first Democratic Latina elected to the Tennessee legislatureRising anti-immigrant legislation (40+ bills in the last session) and Gabby's personal experience navigating the immigration systemGOTV closing segment: early voting deadlines, Election Day (August 6), and how to volunteer in MemphisGuests & People Mentioned Rep. Gabby Salinas IG/FB: @voteforgabby · VoteForGabby.com Gloria Johnson IG/X: @VoteGloriaJ Mentioned: Rep. Shaundelle Brooks, Rep. Jason Powell, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Justin Pearson (TN State Reps, mentioned re: canvassing together in Memphis this week)Sen. Kerry Roberts (TN State Senator-R, co-sponsor of Gabby's cold case bill)Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN, deceased 2015; mentioned re: helping Gabby's family gain citizenship)Ida B. Wells (referenced, civil rights/suffrage history)

    Rep. Gabby Salinas: A Fighter for Memphis

  3. Jul 28

    Bill & Chris Haley: Returning to Our Roots

    Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family, Gloria sits down with two of Haley's descendants, Chris Haley and Bill Haley Jr., to talk about the book and miniseries' cultural impact, the recent (and reversed) banning of Roots from Knox County Schools libraries, and the rise of book bans, "divisive concepts" laws, and historical whitewashing across the country. The conversation moves from personal family history into a broader discussion of racism, dehumanization, and the common humanity Haley's work was built to illuminate — closing with details on the upcoming Roots 50th anniversary commemorative tour. Topics Covered Chris and Bill's backgrounds and family connection to Alex Haley and Kunta KinteThe Inherited Roots Project and its mission to preserve and extend Haley's legacyThe cultural impact of the 1977 "Roots" miniseries (est. 130 million viewers)Life "before Roots and after Roots" — how the miniseries changed how Black history was discussed nationallyKnox County Schools' 2026 ban (and swift reversal) of "Roots" under Tennessee's Age-Appropriate Materials ActBipartisan pushback against the ban, including from former Senator Lamar AlexanderTennessee's "divisive concepts" laws and the chilling effect on K-12 and college educatorsThe Alex Haley statues in Knoxville, TN and Annapolis, MDRising racism, dehumanization, and the parallels to past eras of American historyThe upcoming Roots 50th Commemorative Experience (Aug 7-9, 2026: Annapolis → Fredericksburg → Spotsylvania)Common humanity as the throughline of Haley's work and messageGuests & People Mentioned Chris Haley:Maryland State Archives / Legacy of Slavery in Maryland: chrishaleyspeaks.comBill Haley Jr. / The Inherited Roots Project: inheritedroots.orgRoots 50th Commemorative Experience: roots50.orgKunta Kinte Celebrations Inc.: kuntakinte.orgGloria Johnson: IG/X: @VoteGloriaJJustin Jones (TN State Rep, mentioned re: visiting the Knoxville Alex Haley statue)Lamar Alexander (former U.S. Senator, TN, mentioned re: bipartisan pushback on the book ban)Rev. Harold Middlebrooks (civil rights movement, mentioned by Gloria), Malcolm X (referenced)

    Bill & Chris Haley: Returning to Our Roots

  4. Jul 21

    Civil Miller-Watkins: Always Be Civil

    Gloria Johnson talks with Civil Miller-Watkins, a middle school math teacher and former Fayette County school board vice-chair who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Bill Hagerty. The two ran against each other in the 2024 Senate Democratic primary and now sit down as allies. They cover Civil's roots in rural West Tennessee, the origin of her name (tied to her mother's civil rights activism), maternal health care and hospital closures in rural Tennessee, reproductive rights, voucher programs and public school funding, redistricting, and what it will take to turn out Democratic voters in a state that hasn't elected one to the Senate since 1990. Topics Covered - Civil's background: educator, mother of eight, former Fayette County Board of Education vice-chair, county Democratic Party chair - The story behind her name — her mother's civil rights-era activism in a factory hiring dispute - Rural health care: Fayette County Hospital's closure, long drives for OB-GYN care, Medicaid expansion - Reproductive rights and Civil's own experience with pregnancy loss - Running against Gloria Johnson in the 2024 Senate primary, and now backing each other - Redistricting ("packed and cracked" districts) and building coalition across counties - Turnout strategy for 2026: mobilizing non-voters rather than "flipping" persuadable voters - Education funding: Tennessee's drop to 51st in the nation in public school funding after voucher expansion; a personal story about a wealthy family qualifying for a school voucher - Voting rights: the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act - What Civil would prioritize as senator: rural infrastructure funding, protecting the Department of Education, voting rights

    Civil Miller-Watkins: Always Be Civil

  5. Jul 21

    Justin Kanew: Always Yell the Truth

    Gloria Johnson talks with Justin Kanew, founder of the progressive news outlet The Tennessee Holler, about the state of Tennessee media and politics. Kanew traces his path from a 2016 congressional run against Marsha Blackburn's seat to founding the Holler, and the two dig into press access at the Capitol, the 2023 expulsion of the "Tennessee Three," the erosion of floor debate under recent House speakers, corruption in the legislature (with a focus on school vouchers and a troubling judicial confirmation story), and what gives them hope, including youth political engagement and the rise of figures like Zohran Mamdani. Topics Covered - Kanew's 2018 congressional run in TN-7 against Marsha Blackburn's open seat, and the founding of The Tennessee Holler - How the Holler relies on tips from Tennesseans and has turned local stories (like the "McMinnville mouse") into national news - The 2023 expulsion of Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, and how the backlash elevated their profiles - Press corps access at the Capitol: why Speaker Cameron Sexton's press corps has voted to exclude the Holler - The erosion of floor debate under Speakers Glen Casada and Cameron Sexton, compared to former Speaker Beth Harwell - Gloria's own history: being the lone vote against Sexton for speaker, and being assigned a converted closet as an office in apparent retaliation - A judicial confirmation story: a judge who gave 12 years (of a requested 72) to a pastor convicted of child sexual abuse, and Republican colleagues who didn't know the details when they voted - School vouchers and predatory lending as examples of "corruption" politics, versus culture-war scapegoating - Youth political engagement, Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win, and Hasan Piker's influence - Kanew's perspective as a Jewish American on Gaza, antisemitism, and why he sees the issue as a "flashpoint" for who voters trust - What it means to be an effective legislator in the superminority: "amend, delay, and defeat" rather than pass bills Guest& People Mentioned Guest Justin Kanew Instagram: @justinkanew (https://www.instagram.com/justinkanew/) X: @Kanew (https://x.com/Kanew) The Tennessee Holler Instagram: @thetnholler (https://www.instagram.com/thetnholler/) X: @TheTNHoller Website: tnholler.com Host: Rep. Gloria Johnson Instagram: @votegloriaj https://www.instagram.com/votegloriaj/ X: @VoteGloriaJ https://x.com/VoteGloriaJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteGloriaJohnson/

    Justin Kanew: Always Yell the Truth

  6. Season 1 Trailer

    Welcome to Standing Tall with Gloria Johnson [Trailer]

    I've spent years fighting in the legislature, speaking out, and standing up for Tennessee. Now I'm bringing those conversations straight to you. Join me for candid conversations with the people shaping the future of Tennessee, the south, and our country. We'll cut through the noise, tell the truth, and of course have a lot of fun doing it. The first episode is dropping soon, so don’t miss it!

    Welcome to Standing Tall with Gloria Johnson [Trailer]

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Standing Tall with Gloria Johnson is a bold and witty political podcast hosted by one of the South's most prolific civic leaders. Standing Tall is for people who want to understand what's happening and what they can do about it, told through Tennessee Representative Gloria Johnson’s characteristic no-holds-barred storytelling. Honest, unfiltered, and always entertaining, Representative Gloria Johnson cuts through the noise to break down the local, state, and national issues shaping listeners’ daily lives. Each episode offers an inside look at government, the people influencing policy, culture and how it informs civic life, and the decisions impacting our communities. Through candid conversations with elected officials, organizers, advocates, and everyday Tennesseans, Standing Tall explores the challenges facing our democracy while highlighting the people working to strengthen it. At a time when many feel disconnected from politics, Standing Tall aims to inform, inspire, and empower listeners to get involved, stay engaged, and help build a better future!

Information