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Listen To Black Women: Election Special w/Stacey Abrams & LaTosha Brown
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“Fascism is outside and it’s loud.” Welcome to Listen to Black Women: Election Special, where hosts Jessie Woo and Lore’l open Season 6 with a powerful conversation on the state of our democracy. With Election Day (November 4) right around the corner, this episode is essential viewing. From city halls to the halls of Congress, voters nationwide have the chance to make our voices heard at a critical moment in time.

In this must-see episode, voting rights activist, author, and former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams and award-winning community organizer, political strategist, and co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund LaTosha Brown pull up to the table for a timely, empowering discussion about power, politics, and what’s at stake this election season. Together, they break down the political schemes undermining our democracy—and how everyday people can push back.

Manufactured chaos

While unsettling headlines pop up on our feeds daily, fueling our anxiety, this chaos is by design, LaTosha Brown explained. “We have to recognize that this moment is being manufactured in a way to keep us divided, to keep us in a constant state of chaos and fear, so that we’re paralyzed and won’t respond to what is happening right now.”

Donald Trump is hardly the first wannabe autocrat to come for democracy. Not even a year into office, his administration has wasted no time rolling out a playbook of disruption, distraction, and control. “What I need people to understand is this ain’t the moment to not pay attention. You gotta wake up,” Brown urged.

Source: Group House Media

Like it or not, politics touches every part of our lives—governing access to everything from clean water and safe roads to affordable food and healthcare. “People may not be into politics, but politics is into you,” said Stacey Abrams. “We don’t all have to do the same thing, but in this moment, we all have to do something. And if we are willing to do something, we get the world we deserve.”

“If somebody is working this damn hard to take something from you, it has value.”LaTosha Brown

Blueprint of autocracy

The warning signs aren’t new—they’re part of a familiar pattern. As Abrams outlines in 10 Steps to Autocracy, we are witnessing this administration behave less like a presidency and more like an autocracy, working deliberately to gut and corrupt our democratic institutions. “With those 10 steps, once you’ve done them, you wash, rinse, repeat,” Abrams explained. “You never have to give up power because people are afraid, they are silenced, they are broken, and they believe there’s no point in fighting back. But I don’t actually believe that’s where it ends.”

Organized power

Against the threat of autocracy, Abrams offers her own blueprint: 10 Steps to Freedom and Power, emphasizing what’s possible when people move together. As Brown affirmed, “Organized people is organized power.”

Boycotting is one example of organized power. “We can change markets by organizing our money,” Brown said. By joining boycotts like Blackout Week this November, people have the power to use economic pressure to drive change. “We’re not gonna spend our dollars with folks who work against us.”

By organizing our votes, we decide who leads and who steps down. “We’ve got to see our vote as a part of resistance,” Brown said. “We have to use every single tool available to us to resist.” November 4th is a pivotal moment for voters across the country—a chance to exercise our voice and impact leadership at every level, from prosecutors and sheriffs to mayors, governors, and members of Congress. This Election Day, “we’ve got 53,000 elections across this country,” Abrams said—an opportunity to tell our leaders, “We see you and we refuse to be silent.”

Source: Group House Media

Our communities

“When we organize our time in our communities, we can create a frontline that can protect us,” Brown said. “The scripture says that perfect love drives out all fear. We have to love each other, our communities, and our institutions like we have never loved before.”

With vital support systems being dismantled, our survival depends on collective care, Abrams said. “(The administration) created food insecurity, slashed the money for SNAP and WIC. The reason they do that is to break our will. But they only break our will if we decide that they are the only ones who can help,” she said. “Our most important job in this moment is to ask: how can I help?” 

Legacy of resistance

Trump has been going after anybody who refuses to fall in line, like New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook—Black women who are standing their ground in the way of his authoritarian agenda. “I’m proud to be in a long legacy of Black women who resisted,” Brown said. “It’s in our veins, in our blood—we come from a legacy of resistance. Why? Because our survival depended on it. What else can I do but fight?” 

RELATED CONTENT: From Fani Willis To Letitia James: How Trump’s Allies Weaponize The Law Against Black Women [Op-Ed]

Radical self-care

Activism is heavy work. Knowing when to step back and recharge is just as important as showing up, the guests agree. “I feel no guilt about giving myself a respite, because that’s where you can renew,” Abrams said. “I watch television, movies, I read books that I love and listen to music that makes me happy.”

Earlier this year, Brown was forced to pause and reflect while managing a health issue—hard to do while the new administration sowed unrest outside. “Ultimately, I’ve got to love me first,” Brown said. “Many of us have been taught that we’re supposed to be the sacrificial lamb for everybody else. We’re supposed to take care of the partner, the children, the family, or the organization—especially as Black women.” Now, Brown is “taking time to slow down and be still. I spend time in nature. I get grounded, I’m surrounded by trees and water, and I surrender myself in this space. When I get clarity, I move differently.”

Vision for the future

Beyond simply surviving this administration, Abrams sees a brighter, more equitable future where asking for more is not only possible, but necessary. “We need to demand the government we deserve,” she reminds us. “We have spent so much time protecting the little we had, we forgot to ask for more.”

Abrams adds, “We’ve got to recognize, we’ve got to activate, and we’ve got to build. When we do those three things, that’s how we get the democracy and the futures we deserve.” 

There’s more to this conversation—watch the full episode of Listen to Black Women: Election Special above.

Tap in Thursdays for new episodes of Listen to Black Women

Season 6 of Listen to Black Women is officially here. This iOne Digital original series centers Black women as they explore life, love, culture, and community through candid, thought-provoking conversations—featuring guests who speak their truths and leave no topic off-limits. Catch new episodes every Thursday on MadameNoire.com.

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The post Watch ‘Listen To Black Women: Election Special’ — Stacey Abrams & LaTosha Brown Stacey Abrams On How Black Women Can Save Democracy (Again) appeared first on MadameNoire.



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