The Laura Flanders Show Laura Flanders

The following is the full uncut interview with Dr. Olajide Williams. Portions of his interview were featured in our recent episode "Building Public Trust For Public Health". The episode is currently airing on Public Television or you can watch it at our website or on YouTube. Subscribe to this podcast if you've yet to do so to Download the episode.

The Covid-19 vaccine has emergency FDA approval, but how effective will it be if there is no public trust in our public health system? In this exclusive interview, Columbia University professor and neurologist Dr. Olajide Williams offers one solution to fill this gaping trust deficit — culturally adapted message science. He is the founder of Hip Hop Public Health, which employs music and culturally-tailored media to improve health literacy and transform health outcomes for vulnerable communities. He argues the only way to develop public trust is to bring the people to the table. Public health officials must fully recognize the harm done to Black and brown bodies, from forced sterilizations to the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, and the impact it’s had on collective memory.

"If we do not get this right, we are not going to defeat this ‘vaccine hesitancy’ surrounding this virus, and we will have great inequities persist because they don’t trust the process — and no one has tried to penetrate their minds in a way that they trust and in a way that they can embrace. That’s why it’s important to have a ‘rights based’ approach to vaccine distribution." — Dr. Olajide Williams

This week, The Laura Flanders Show premieres ‘Building Public Trust for Public Health’ on the challenges of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout across the country. While states have initiated vaccine distribution, many still are struggling to reach their targets. President Biden declared 100 million doses in 100 days but what of those who hesitate to get the vaccine? In this episode, Laura and her guests explore the roots of vaccine hesitancy, discover methods for rebuilding public trust in public health and how hip hop is a tool for outreach to vulnerable communities devastated by Covid-19. Music in the Middle: "Process (the truth)" by Samora Pinderhughes.

You can watch the premiere of this episode on Public Television on the World Channel, 11:30am ET and at our YouTube Channel => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ18FazQSU0

" Like or loathe memes, it’s time for Sanders, and more to the point, Sanders-ism, to take its mittens off."

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Downballot victories in the 2020 November elections gave a fresh class of movement organizers across the country a seat at the national level. Incoming Congress members Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman among others represent the rising trend of activists of color who intersect with elected office. In this extended interview, Laura speaks with longtime organizer and U.S. Representative Karen Bass to discuss this growing trend and shares her experience from the January 06 Capitol insurrection and what this means for the work ahead.

U.S. Representative Karen Bass serves California’s 37th Congressional district and was the first African American woman in U.S. history to serve as Speaker in a state legislative body.

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A new administration takes office in the midst of an ongoing public health catastrophe and an economic crisis, on the heels of one of the most polarizing presidencies in U.S. history. The day of the inauguration, Laura brings together reverend and community organizer Ronnie Galvin with author, activist and documentary filmmaker Astra Taylor for a lively conversation about what it’s going to take for the Biden Administration—and Americans in general—to address the challenges at hand. This episode also features excerpts from Laura’s interview with U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA). Music in the Middle: “Vida” by Kiko Navarro featuring Joan Bibiloni from his album Afroterraneo courtesy of Wonderwheel Recordings.

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In the aftermath of the January 6th siege of the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, Laura convenes a panel of pro-democracy activists to discuss the fate of the nation. What really led to the events of January 6th and how should we move forward? How do we go from insurrection to cooperation in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic democracy? Is building a healthy political ecosystem and humane economy even possible in the America we have today? And can the Biden/Harris administration solve what ails us? Panelists Scot Nakagawa, Senior Partner at Change Lab, Ash-Lee Henderson, Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Center, and Eric Ward, Executive Director at the Western States Center, discuss all this and more. Music in the Middle: “Dancefloor Democracy” by FSQ featuring George Clinton, Trey Lewd and Billy ‘Bass’ Nelson courtesy of Soul Clap Records.

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