“When people believe that more is possible, they are more likely to participate. And when they are aggrieved, when they know that someone is trying to take a right away from them, people are much more likely to use it. And my mission is to make certain that voters in Georgia know what their rights are — and they know that they have the absolute ability to exercise that. ” -Stacey Abrams, episode 264 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
This week, we’re in conversation with author, voting rights activist, and gubernatorial candidate for the state of Georgia: Stacey Abrams. To begin, we talk about the systemic challenges that small business owners face (5:32), the impact of Georgia’s new voting laws (10:20), the threat of election subversion (13:02), what a functional democracy could look like (15:48), the lessons learned from her 2018 bid for governor (18:31), and how she plans to win in 2022 (23:23).
On the back half, Abrams reflects on growing up in the south (28:50), her earliest political ambitions (34:10), and how literature has offered a human complexity not always granted to people in politics (39:18), especially Black women in positions of power (41:17). As we leave, Stacey shares a personal story about her first visit to the governor’s mansion (45:05), the need to move past tribalism (49:42), and why she still wants to be in this fight in 2022 and beyond (51:55).
Show-notes:
- Purchase Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back.
- To learn more about Stacey’s work visit her website and Fair Fight Action.
- Follow Stacey on Instagram and Twitter.
- For more, find recommended talks with Questlove, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Gloria Steinem, Beto O’Rourke, Roxane Gay, Julián Castro, Cornel West, and Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
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