What is democracy for? Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life takes up that question by turning to Atlanta—a city shaped by Black leadership and becoming ever more multiracial—where democracy is practiced in real time: debated, challenged, and remade. Hosted by PolicyLink Founder in Residence Angela Glover Blackwell, in conversation with voices rooted in Atlanta for generations and those newly arrived, this 6-part audio documentary explores radical imagination and innovative action, race and place, power and policy, and the city’s evolving relationship with Georgia.
At a time when faith in democracy feels fragile, Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life lifts up lived experiences and people-centered governance to demonstrate that a thriving, multiracial democracy in service of human flourishing, claimed by We the People, remains possible—and necessary for a good life for everyone
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other influential voices explore how the city's resilience offers inspiration for collective growth and a better future in this interview.
5 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
No Cities in the Constitution
Host Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life interviews Evan Matthews, Dr. Alex Camardelle-Floyd, Charles Blow, Hillary Holley, Helen Butler, Gigi Pedraza, Nsé Ufot, Grace Choi, and Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood about achieving policy goals in Georgia's state legislature.
29 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Race, Place, and Power | S2 E4
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other experts discuss how race, place, and power shape inclusive democracy and its potential threats in this interview.
22 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
The March Is Moral | S2 E3
Host Helen Butler interviews activists and leaders like Nsé Ufot and Mayor Andre Dickens about how moral conviction fuels the fight for justice and builds a more inclusive democracy.
15 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
They Call It A Mecca
Historian Dr. Maurice Hobson and journalist Charles Blow explore Atlanta's "Black Mecca" reputation, examining its legacy of Black leadership and hip-hop's role in amplifying marginalized voices in this interview.
8 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
A More Perfect Union
Host Dr. Carol Anderson interviews Tory Edwards, Ian Ford, Bem Joiner, Dr. Bernard Fraga, Nsé Ufot, Danté Stewart, Gigi Pedraza, Dr. Maurice Hobson, and Grace Choi about Atlanta's duality and its lessons for building a thriving multiracial democracy.
1 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Next Stop: Atlanta
Host Angela Glover Blackwell interviews Atlanta leaders and experts like Dr. Carol Anderson and Charles Blow to uncover lessons for a vibrant democratic future.
22 Nov 2024
Solidarity is Hard
Hillary Holley, Kent Wong, and Alberto Retana discuss the evolution and power of local action in the South and Los Angeles, revealing how community paths fuel a shared fight for justice and resilience in this interview.
6 Jun 2024
Hope is a Discipline
Host Dr. Danielle Allen explores how cultivating hope as a discipline empowers individuals to actively participate in building a more inclusive democracy.
30 May 2024
Shift Happens | 5
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, John Kim, Maria Elena Durazo, and Alberto Retana discuss how grassroots organizers leverage their experience to transform democracy into a tool for the people in this interview.
23 May 2024
Labor of Love | 4
There has been a surge in union organizing across the nation, including Los Angeles. In this chapter, we look at the role of labor in modern LA. Angela speaks with WGA strike captain, Helen Shang, Roxana Tynan, Executive Director of LAANE, USC Professor of Sociology and Ethnic studies, Manuel Pastor, California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, and Kent Wong Project Director of Labor and Community Partnerships at UCLA. Together they unpack how labor unions advance a more equitable economy and, in turn, a functioning democracy.
16 May 2024
The "We" in Power | 3
Multiracial organizing doesn’t mean that we always get along. Organizers and activists in Los Angeles know this. What it can mean is when intentions are right, multiracial coalitions can work together towards policies that benefit all. In this chapter, we hear from economist Manuel Pastor, environmental justice activist Denise Fairchild, and organizer Anthony Thigpenn.
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16 May 2024
The We in Po(we)r | 3
Multiracial organizing doesn’t mean that we always get along. Organizers and activists in Los Angeles know this. What it can mean is when intentions are right, multiracial coalitions can work together towards policies that benefit all. In this chapter, we hear from economist Manuel Pastor, environmental justice activist Denise Fairchild, and organizer Anthony Thigpenn.
9 May 2024
There’s No “I” in Leader | 2
Leadership is not a solo endeavor. Community organizers from multiple neighborhoods in Los Angeles learned this after two incendiary rebellions in the city’s history: Watts in 1965 and the 1992 uprising. Activists, neighbors, and organizers across the city came together to take stock of the needs of the people. They’d go on to influence community and civic leaders, setting the basis for transformative leadership on the ground and at the city level. Organizer Anthony Thigpenn, UCLA Project Director of Labor Kent Wong, and historian Robin D.G. Kelley join Angela.
2 May 2024
Ch 1 | Democracy Dreamin'
Join Angela Glover Blackwell, as she seeks to find the essential elements of a strong, inclusive multiracial democracy in, perhaps, one of the most unlikely places: Los Angeles.
2 May 2024
Democracy Dreamin' | 1
Join Angela Glover Blackwell, as she seeks to find the essential elements of a strong, inclusive multiracial democracy in, perhaps, one of the most unlikely places: Los Angeles.
25 Apr 2024
Introducing Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life
Los Angeles might be a city ripe for a multiracial democracy to thrive. Reimagining Democracy for a Good Life is a podcast from PolicyLink and hosted by Angela Glover Blackwell, which aims to infuse some hope into a foundational U.S. idea.
Inside a recent episode
The South Still Got Something To Say
Published 12 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] That takes many forms. Here's visual artist Miriam Moma. My work is centered around black joy. I feel like I have a responsibility to document that legacy, especially for my son, in terms of history and for those coming after me to see that we were happy, to see that we have moments of rest, to see that we jubilate and we dance and we laugh. And sometimes we sit and do nothing and that's okay. An activist, Nseu Fats. Black joy as a power source There's something about that that I think I inherently know and Atlantans inherently know or have experience with. And it's something that I think is really sort of seductive and attractive to folks. […]
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