Life On The Margins Jini Palmer, South Seattle Emerald, Marcus Harrison Green, Town Hall, Enrique Cerna

From Washington D.C. to Olympia, Washington, white nationalist groups such as the Proud Boys have been protesting, often violently, the election of Joe Biden as president. New York Times best-selling author Ijeoma Oluo says their actions have long been a part of America’s white male culture. In her new book Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, Oluo writes that “white manhood is on a suicide mission.” Oluo says “it is our job to pull these men and this country they are so willing to take with them, back from the precipice” We talk with Oluo about the history of white male dominance in America along with why and how it must change in this episode of Life on the Margins

We examine the results of Election 2020 from the extremely tight Presidential race, the divisions in America today as well as state races of note.

Two recent shootings in Seattle’s Rainier Beach community left two people dead and eight injured. Unfortunately, it reflects the growing gun violence problem in Seattle, King County and numerous other major cities in America. Too often, the victims are young men of color. At a time when police accountability has become a major issue, what can be done to curb the violence. Are community-based efforts where a difference can be made? What can be done to stop the gunfire?

The shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin sparked fear, anger, protests, and walkouts in the professional sports world. We talk with New York Times writer Kurt Streeter, a Seattle resident, whose Sports of the Times column examines how the walkouts set a new high bar for protests in professional sports as African American athletes and their allies are demanding racial justice.

In this bonus episode Erica C. Barnett shares how her journey through addiction led her to writing her new book Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery.

The killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed added momentum to a growing movement across the nation calling for police departments to be defunded. In our "LIVE" season 1 finale one of our guests, Ijeoma Oluo, author of the best-selling book, So You Want to Talk About Race, gave an excellent explanation of why she thinks the police department should be defunded. Shortly afterwards, we decided to put together a three-part series with the Seattle Chief of Police Carmen Best, TraeAnna Holiday a community organizer with the King County Equity Now Coalition, and Seattle City Council President Lorena Gonzalez, to hear all sides of this debate.

Part Three :

On this episode, Seattle City Council President Lorena Gonzalez reacts to the surprising retirement announcement of Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. Gonzalez also talks about the recent council vote to cut the police department budget, the chief’s opposition to the cuts, and the council’s move to re-imagine policing in Seattle