“Gen Z is the mass shooting generation. It’s a staple of our collective identity. Some of the most significant moments of our collective life—Parkland, Pulse, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd—some of the points that connect us the most are actually just very traumatic points of death in this country.”
-Congressman Maxwell Frost, episode 318 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Today, we sit with Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10). At the top, we discuss the five-year aftermath of the horrific shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida (2:29), his first two months in Congress (4:10), and the legislature he’s fighting for to reduce gun violence (9:14). Then, we walk through the Congressman’s response to the Sandy Hook shooting at fifteen (11:40), how it solidified his early commitment to politics (18:17), and how, as a child of adoption, he began to embrace his Afro-Cuban identity (22:15).
On the back half, the Congressman reflects on his campaign for Congress (25:58), how it inspired him to connect with his biological mother (29:00), the blend of grassroots organizing and policy-making he strives for today (37:22), and the progress he hopes to see in the next three years (49:30).
Show-notes:
- Learn more about Rep. Frost’s work on his website.
- Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
- For more conversations, hear our talks with Rep. Cori Bush, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Dr. Cornel West, Gloria Steinem, Stacey Abrams, Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro, and Anita Hill.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
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