Best The Meteor Pineapple Street Studios Podcasts (2024)

1
Exclusive: Vice President Kamala Harris On A Year Without Roe 30:58

1y ago30:58

30:58

One year ago this week, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—a momentous decision that has enabled 14 states to outlaw abortion so far. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham knew exactly who she wanted to talk to about that, and in this special episode, she sits down with Vice President Kamala Harris to talk about the chaos, the confusion, and what…

1
“Every Hashtag is a Human Being”: Honoring the Five-Year Anniversary of #MeToo 50:16

1+ y ago50:16

50:16

It’s been five years exactly since millions of people, most of them women, stepped forward to say #MeToo. What have we learned since then? In our season finale, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Tarana Burke, the woman who started the movement back in 2006, along with playwright/attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle, and organizer/attorney Mon…

1
The End of the World as We Know It? Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Rates our Climate Future 39:45

1+ y ago39:45

39:45

The floods, the hurricanes, the wildfires…if you feel like you’re living through a climate apocalypse, you’re not wrong. But it’s not all hellfire, says marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson—there are signs of progress if you know where to look. In this episode, the “climate futurist” sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to give …

1
“You Can’t Win if You Don’t Start”: Rep. Cori Bush on Running for Office—and Making a Difference 33:46

1+ y ago33:46

33:46

Congresswoman Cori Bush doesn’t have the usual political resume: no Ivy League alma mater, no law degree, no generational wealth––but she’s an organizer, a mother, a pastor and a survivor, and she’s brought all those pieces of herself with her to Washington. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Rep. Bush to talk about her brand-new memo…

1
Derecka Purnell On Living (and Loving) Outside the Police State 43:15

1+ y ago43:15

43:15

What do Stranger Things, social media and sexual violence all have in common? They all figure into Derecka Purnell’s brilliant world philosophy about abolition—the effort to move beyond police, and the violence too often associated with them. In this episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her friend, the writer and professor, to …

1
The Queen Died. Now What? Three Brilliant Women on Colonialism and the Future 52:43

1+ y ago52:43

52:43

The funeral is over. The pomp has died down. But the conversations—not just around the monarchy, but around the legacy of imperialism—continue around the world. So host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with three women with different perspectives on the empire: writer Luvvie Ajayi Jones, professor and scholar Caroline Elkins, and the Meteor’s…

1
The Hidden Latinx Stories We Don’t Hear, with Julissa Natzely Arce Raya 46:22

2y ago46:22

46:22

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! And Julissa Natzely Arce Raya has complicated feelings. The author of You Sound Like a White Girl sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about why some stories get told so much more than others—and what that costs us. You’ll hear about rebel cheerleaders, solidarity between activists, the pressure to …

1
The Kids Are All Right. The Adults Are F***ing Up! 45:02

2y ago45:02

45:02

It’s all about the young folk this week: We’ve got Gen Z protestors disrupting anti-abortion galas…a student reporter holding colleges to task…and clever TikTokers lobbying for debt relief. And that’s just in the first ten minutes! Then, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to school librarian Jennisen Lucas and author George M. Johnson about th…

1
Will We Be Smarter About the Next Epidemic? Two Experts Break it Down 47:13

2y ago47:13

47:13

COVID taught us a lot of lessons—or did it? With MPV (aka monkeypox) here in its wake, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Dr. Monica Gandhi and Dr. David Johns to talk about what we’re getting wrong, the rise of homophobic disinformation, and why it’s still so hard for us to care for our neighbors. But first, this week’s UNtrending ne…

1
A Future Without Police? Andrea Ritchie on Crime and Abolition 46:11

2y ago46:11

46:11

The headlines say crime is up. And our politicians say more police are the answer. What’s the truth? And what happened to all those abolitionist promises made in the summer of 2020? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down to answer those questions with two brilliant guests: Pulitzer-winning journalist Wesley Lowery, who explains what the media’…

1
“People’s Kids Are the Center of Their World”- Caitlin Dickerson on the Horrors of Family Separation 44:33

2y ago44:33

44:33

On this week’s episode, Undistracted host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to journalist Caitlin Dickerson about one of the darkest policy moments in American history: the “Zero Tolerance” family separation initiative. Caitlin spent 18 months investigating family separation for The Atlantic. She conducted over 150 interviews in order to unpack th…

1
Beyoncé’s Renaissance, According to Four Brilliant Black Women 50:10

2y ago50:10

50:10

“This started off as a conversation about Beyoncé,” says host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, “but like her music, it became about so many other things: the evolution of womanhood, our queer siblings, spiritual sexuality and giving Black women their things.” So settle in and listen to legendary music writer Danyel Smith, NPR reporter Ayesha Rascoe, a…

1
“The System Works For Those Who Occupy It”: Maria Teresa Kumar on Voting Rights 37:07

2y ago37:07

37:07

The majority of Americans didn’t want to see Roe v. Wade overturned—but it was. Most Americans want gun reform—but it doesn’t happen. So the big question is: What’s going on here? Maria Teresa Kumar, cofounder of Voto Latino, understands the answers, and she lays them out here, in conversation with correspondent Treasure Brooks. They talk gerrymand…

1
Phoebe Robinson is Writing Her Own Rules (on TV and in Life) 40:45

2y ago40:45

40:45

"The media has such a limited understanding about Black femaleness,” says Phoebe Robinson, the actress, comedian, writer, podcast host and producer. “But the complexity is always more interesting!” So she and Brittany Packnett Cunningham go complex (and hilarious) in this episode, talking about Robinson’s new show, “Everything’s Trash”; the prospec…

1
“Covering the End of the World”: A Reporter on Gun Violence 41:26

2y ago41:26

41:26

You know gun violence is an American epidemic. But…why? And how do we get out of this mess? Jennifer Mascia understands those answers better than almost anyone. As a reporter with The Trace, her entire beat is gun violence. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her to talk about the highs and lows of the last few weeks, the threat of civ…

1
Introducing History is US 4:04

2y ago4:04

4:04

Written and narrated by award-winning author and Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, “History is US” is a 6-part audio documentary produced and developed by C13Originals that asks questions about who we are as a nation, and what race might reveal about our current crisis. Through the voices of disting…

1
Tiffany Cross on Roe, Resistance and What Comes Next 47:53

2y ago47:53

47:53

“I would rather be a voice and an advocate for my people than sit and smile in the face of bullshit.” That’s host Tiffany Cross’ philosophy—and the reason she consistently centers BIPOC voices on her MSNBC show. In this episode, recorded live in Washington, D.C., she and Brittany (colleagues *and* friends) get real about everything from the Supreme…

1
Michelle Colón is Living Through The Last Days of Legal Abortion in Mississippi 42:10

2y ago42:10

42:10

It’s been six days since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. But activist and “abortion freedom fighter” Michelle Colón has been defending pregnant people and providers in Mississippi for years—and she’s not going to stop now. She tells host Brittany Packnett Cunningham exactly what a post-Roe future looks like, and why her only w…

1
The Roe v. Wade News—and Finding Hope 11:14

2y ago11:14

11:14

In the shadow of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, what do hope and faith mean? In this bonus episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham joins journalist Phillip Picardi, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, and Jamie L. Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, to talk about religion, and the revolution ahead. This conversation originally a…

1
Having a Baby While Black: Martina Abrahams Ilunga and Gabrielle Horton Know All The Stories 39:49

2y ago39:49

39:49

You probably know the data about what Black women face when they give birth. But do you know the stories? Martina Abrahams Ilunga and Gabrielle Horton are committed to telling them, through their podcast NATAL. Brittany Packnett Cunningham sat down with the journalists to talk about what they’ve learned, what they advise, and her own journey to mot…

1
You Can Be Successful Where You Are: Majora Carter on Reclaiming Communities 36:13

2y ago36:13

36:13

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy The Meteor, Pineapple Street Studios

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“God is Big Enough for Our Questions:” Candice Benbow on Faith, Feminism and Lipstick 41:40

2y ago41:40

41:40

What does having faith mean in 2022? Candice Benbow has become an icon for answering that question—especially for those of us who’ve fallen off the prayer wagon somewhere along the way. This week, the writer/theologian/educator and author of Red Lip Theology sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about her rituals (some of them ha…

1
During a Dark Time, A Little Light with Bevy Smith 34:10

2y ago34:10

34:10

In this week’s episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham honors the victims and the tragedy of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting. Then, the Undistracted team sits down with TV personality and business icon Bevy Smith to talk about women, aging and why she wants to be “one of the old dolls.” Plus, Smith IDs the factors that helped her navigate the predom…

1
“Tell the Truth to Set Us Free”: Kimberlé Crenshaw on White Supremacy, CRT and Lies 31:04

2y ago31:04

31:04

It’s been a long week, y’all—and we’ve been grieving the victims of the Buffalo shooting. On the heels of that violence, we’re bringing you an interview that host Brittany Packnett Cunningham did with Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw last summer, as the anti-CRT laws began to sweep the country. As always, the professor makes it all makes sense, and her …

1
WTF, TEXAS?! Cisneros, Crockett and O’Rourke on The Madness (and Promise) of The Lone Star State 55:58

2y ago55:58

55:58

What happens in Texas matters everywhere. As the state becomes a testing ground for extreme policies (abortion! immigration! CRT!) we hear from three people fighting for a better Texas. Congressional candidate Jessica Cisneros, State Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke talk about what's at stake, how we got here—and why…

1
What Happens Now? Gloria Steinem and Renee Bracey Sherman on the Future of Abortion 46:36

2y ago46:36

46:36

In the shadow of the leaked SCOTUS decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, we're re-airing this conversation between host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, legendary activist Gloria Steinem and the “Beyonce of Abortion storytelling,” Renee Bracey Sherman. Late last year, the trio sat down to talk about the future of Roe—and how to protect the people behind the p…

1
The Senator of TikTok: Morgan Harper’s Run for Office (and Our Hearts) 40:02

2y ago40:02

40:02

There are a lot of closely watched midterm races. But in Ohio, Morgan Harper is making news with her run for U.S. Senate—and her TikToks eviscerating her primary opponent. In this week’s episode, the dynamic attorney tells host Brittany Packnett Cunningham about what it means to run as a young woman of color, the nuances of mounting a second campai…

1
Motherhood, Love and the “Trayvon Generation,” with Elizabeth Alexander 44:06

2y ago44:06

44:06

How do you parent—lovingly and well—in the age of technology and police violence? That question is on host Brittany Packnett Cunningham’s mind as she settles into motherhood—and for this episode, she sits down with Elizabeth Alexander, the inaugural poet at Obama’s 2009 inauguration and now author of The Trayvon Generation. They talk about what it …

1
“I Want To Raise a Free Black Child”: Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Reginald Cunningham On Parenthood 54:01

2y ago54:01

54:01

It’s a different kind of episode this week—”our most personal, most gut-wrenching, most triumphant,” says host Brittany Packnett Cunningham. The reason? Four months ago, she became a mother, to a son born at just 24 weeks. Now she sits down to tell that story, with a guest who was there with her the whole time: her husband, Reginald Cunningham. The…

1
“I’ve Been Proud So Many Times”: A Texas Family Fights the Anti-Trans Laws 48:40

2y ago48:40

48:40

Willow Egerton is 13 years old, an aspiring filmmaker, and a trans girl in Texas in 2022—which means that “people in power want me gone,” she says. This week, Willow and her father Owen Egerton sit down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about how that feels, and about the joy and celebration of being trans. (Says Owen of parenting: “It…

1
"We See Who Pays the Price": Muzoon Almellehan on War and Refugees 42:42

2y ago42:42

42:42

Nearly four million Ukrainians have fled their homeland—and around the world, 21 times that number of people have been displaced from their homes because of war or other disasters. So: What has Ukraine taught us about what all refugees face, and how you can survive when your life changes in an instance? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down w…

1
“You Deserve to Be Safe”: Nicole Chung on Parenting in a Wave of Anti-AAPI Violence 46:31

2y ago46:31

46:31

Crimes against AAPI women are in the headlines—and for parents like writer Nicole Chung, the challenges of how to talk to kids about racism, violence and safety are very real. In this episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Chung, the author of All You Can Ever Know and a contributing writer at The Atlantic, for a thoughtful discu…

1
Kimberlé Crenshaw on the Origins of Critical Race Theory 29:28

2+ y ago29:28

29:28

This week, we’re sharing something special from our friends over at Pushkin. It’s an episode of a new podcast from Anita Hill called Getting Even. On the show, Professor Hill tackles the tough questions about equality; she talks with people on the frontlines of improving our imperfect world—and finding solutions. In this episode, she sits down with…

1
"Buckle Up": Sen. Elizabeth Warren Still Has a Plan for Change 34:33

2+ y ago34:33

34:33

This week, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham is joined by Elizabeth Warren - the senator from Massachusetts and the president we coulda had. They unpack the student debt crisis, the child care crisis, the filibuster crisis—all of it. Plus, Warren breaks down “what really chaps my fanny,” and why she is hopeful for the midterms. And, Brittany breaks…

1
“I Don't Believe In The Guilt”: Real Climate Talk, with Mary Annaïse Heglar 44:30

2+ y ago44:30

44:30

Last week, the IPCC released a report finding that the planet is getting “clobbered” by climate change. What does that mean? And what should we do? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Hot Take cohost Mary Annaïse Heglar—who sets the record straight on what’s so alarming, how climate change and white supremacy are connected, being Black…

1
Anita Hill on The Supreme Court’s Future—and its Past 40:31

2+ y ago40:31

40:31

It’s a historic moment: America has its first-ever Black woman Supreme Court nominee, and host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with a legend, Professor Anita Hill, to talk about the law, and why she’s “elated” at the possibilities ahead. Also on the table: Hill’s new podcast, Getting Even, and her memories of her mother. Plus, journalist Jos…

1
“We Are Here to Fight Disinformation”: Sara Lomax-Reese and Akoto Ofori-Atta Build the Future 47:40

2+ y ago47:40

47:40

“Mainstream media” (whatever that is) might be struggling, but you know who’s leading the revolution to do better? “Women, and especially women of color,” says host Brittany Packnett Cunningham. She sits down with Sara Lomax-Reese of URL Media and Akoto Ofori-Atta of Capital B, two media organizations run by Black and brown women. They talk about w…

1
Ai-jen Poo on Caregiving: “We Take for Granted That Women Will Just Figure It Out” 43:00

2+ y ago43:00

43:00

Do you have parents? Children? Someone who cares for you, or who you care for? With Build Back Better on the line, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance to talk about what it’ll take for the US to start treating caregiving like the crucial infrastructure it is. Plus, Brittany has thoug…

1
Jemele Hill and Cari Champion on Racism (and Liberation) in Sports 49:08

2+ y ago49:08

49:08

Sports are beautiful and transformative. Also racist and corrupt! This week, with the Olympics in full swing, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham is joined by journalists Jemele Hill and Cari Champion. They talk about what athletes are going through in China, what it means to represent “America”—and here at home, about discrimination in the NFL and t…

1
Dr. Uché Blackstock on Pandemic Fatigue—And the New COVID Normal 40:27

2+ y ago40:27

40:27

As the two-year anniversary of the pandemic looms, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Dr. Uché Blackstock to discuss all things COVID-19—from why “Omicron is a gift” (she’ll explain) to the “pandemic privilege” that perpetuates the risks Black and brown communities face. Plus, Brittany takes on this week's Un-Trending news…starting wi…

1
Elaine Welteroth on the Great Resignation and Rewriting Your Own Definition of Success 45:23

2+ y ago45:23

45:23

What does the Great Resignation mean for women of color? Elaine Welteroth—the best-selling author and former Teen Vogue editor who’s built a career out of charting her own path—has a lot of thoughts. She sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about why we’re leaving jobs (or being pushed out of them), and how “times of destruction…

1
“This Big Old Lie”: Heather McGhee on the Real Cost of Racism 49:05

2+ y ago49:05

49:05

Why doesn’t the US have universal health care, paid leave, or plenty of seemingly basic public services many other countries do? Heather McGhee has an answer: it’s racism, and it hurts all of us. The author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, McGhee sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to explai…

1
LaTosha Brown on our “Moment of Reckoning” 37:05

2+ y ago37:05

37:05

This week, President Biden and Vice President Harris traveled to Georgia to talk about voting rights—but LaTosha Brown was not celebrating. As co-founder of the Atlanta-based Black Voters Matter Fund, Brown explains to host Brittany Packnett Cunningham why she and other organizers sat out the event, arguing that these dangerous times demand bolder …

1
One Year Later: “The Next Coup is Already Happening” 27:19

2+ y ago27:19

27:19

It’s been one year since the invasion of the U.S. Capitol—so how are we doing at holding insurrectionists accountable? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham answers that question, revisiting archival interviews with Representatives Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley, who lived through the riots, and going deep into the next coup at hand. Plus, a January 6-t…

1
Nikole Hannah-Jones on America’s “400-Year Racial Pandemic” 31:23

2+ y ago31:23

31:23

Back in May, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sat down with New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones to talk about how The 1619 Project—which Hannah-Jones created—has both changed this country’s understanding of slavery, and withstood a brutal, ongoing assault from the right. Since then, The 1619 Project has been banned explicitly in s…

1
Beyond Roe: Gloria Steinem and Renee Bracey Sherman on How We Got Here and What Happens Next 42:37

2+ y ago42:37

42:37

As SCOTUS weighs overturning the legal right to abortion, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down for a moving conversation on what’s most important: the people behind the politics. Her guests are two leaders separated by a generation but determined to put the emphasis on the humanity of people who seek abortions: legendary activist Gloria Stei…

1
From SCOTUS to White Womanhood: Dr. Brittney Cooper Decodes Our World 39:22

2+ y ago39:22

39:22

UNDISTRACTED IS BACK! And so are abortion bans, the white women’s vote, and a whole Greek alphabet of viruses. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham knew exactly who she wanted to unpack it all with: Dr. Brittney Cooper, professor and truth-teller. Together they get into why white women keep upholding white patriarchy (hint: it’s about motherhood), the…

1
We’re Back! A Sneak Peek at Season Two 2:08

2+ y ago2:08

2:08

You heard it here first: UNDISTRACTED is back for Season Two on December 2nd. Here’s a sneak peek at what host Brittany Packnett Cunningham has up her sleeve—as she and her newsmaking, rule-breaking guests get ready to delve into everything that’s happening right now, from abortion access to supremacist juries to what each of us can do to make chan…

1
The Movement 46:18

2+ y ago46:18

46:18

The 1991 Thomas hearings felt like a catalyst for change: Harassment reports spiked. “The Year of the Woman” brought women to Congress. And...then what happened? In our final episode, hosts Dr. Salamishah Tillet and Cindi Leive hold our courts, newsrooms and culture up to the light to see how much progress we’ve actually made on issues like harassm…

1
The Conversation: Prof. Anita Hill and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford 54:49

2+ y ago54:49

54:49

In 2018, Christine Blasey Ford stood before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify in the Supreme Court nomination hearings of Brett Kavanaugh. Among the millions of people watching was perhaps the only person who could really relate: Professor Anita Hill, who’d appeared before the committee 27 years before. In this landmark episode, Professor H…

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