Gabfest Reads | The Radical Fund That Rewired American Progress

Gabfest Reads | The Radical Fund That Rewired American Progress

Author: Slate Podcasts October 18, 2025 Duration: 28:15

Emily Bazelon talks with Yale law professor John Witt about his new book The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America. They explore the remarkable story of the Garland Fund—a small 1920s foundation that bankrolled early work by A. Philip Randolph, and others who would go on to shape the civil rights and labor movements.


Witt traces how the fund connected race and class politics, supported the intellectual groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education, and anticipated today’s challenges around misinformation, inequality, and political disconnection. He and Bazelon also discuss what lessons progressives might take from this forgotten story of organizing during political exile.


Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


You're invited to pull up a chair for the kind of candid, inside conversation that happens when the microphones are off. Political Gabfest brings together the sharp minds and wit of Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, three seasoned journalists who dissect the week's biggest stories in politics and government without the usual formalities. It feels less like a lecture and more like eavesdropping on the insightful, often irreverent talk you'd hear from friends who really know their stuff after a long week in Washington. This Slate Podcasts production has earned a loyal following, even being called out by Stephen Colbert as essential listening and voted a favorite by Apple Podcasts listeners. Each episode breaks down complex issues into understandable, engaging discussions that are as entertaining as they are informative. For those who want to go deeper, a Slate Plus membership unlocks additional weekly content and an ad-free experience. Tune in for a refreshingly human take on the news cycle, where analysis is served with personality and the stakes of governance are explored through genuine dialogue.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Gabfest
Podcast Episodes
Trump’s Cabinet Keeps Getting Weirder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:24
(Note: The episode was recorded prior to the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz from consideration for Attorney General.) This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections and thei…
Gabfest Reads: How Two Rivals Shaped Birth Control in America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:42
Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with author Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & The Idealist.They discuss racism and prudishness in the early suffragist movement, how eugenics played a role in the…
Attorney General Matt Gaetz? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:45
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s problematic picks for his Cabinet; the lessons to be learned and way forward for Democrats; and the possibilities and difficulties of mass…
This IS Who We Are [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:54
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump presidency; and the electoral victories and possible setbacks for a…
Floating Island of Garbage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:35
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the final week of the presidential campaign; the threats to election integrity; and the consequences of not endorsing. Join us on December 4 for Political…
The Disinhibited Fascist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:16
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s fascism, disinhibition, and age; the state of young men in America with Rachel Simmons; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Univers…
Gabfest Reads: Finding Happiness During This Election Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:11
Political Gabfest host John Dickerson talks with author Dan Harris about his re-released book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works…
15 Percent of Black Voters Support Trump [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:28
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’s voter outreach to black and Hispanic men; the close races for Republican senators in Nebraska, Texas, and Florida; and the conspiracy theo…
Is The Blue Wall Cracking? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:48
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump; Why Legal Experts Are Worried About a Second Trump Presidency; and Hurricanes Helene and Milton and…

«1...678910