Have They Even Read the Constitution?, with Melissa Murray
The Constitution: So revered! So important! So…really, who knows, because most of us haven’t read it. But law professor and Strict Scrutiny cohost Melissa Murray has, and she sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to discuss her new, essential book on the subject. They get into why the Constitution is a “trauma-informed document,” why SCOTUS’s new voting-rights ruling is so scary and “bonkers,” and why the real secret of the Constitution is that we, the people, have more power than we think. Plus, Brittany is joined by Dr. Brittney Cooper and political strategist Atima Omara for this week’s group chat—on everything from billionaire culture to Devil Wears Prada 2 to Black joy during prom season. 00:00 Opening Monologue: “We Are the New Architects” 02:25 Welcome to Undistracted + Melissa Murray Introduction 03:35 Supreme Court & Voting Rights Act Concerns 04:18 Melissa Murray: “Not Having It” 07:00 What the Supreme Court Did to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act 08:00 Allen v. Milligan Explained 10:00 Why Louisiana v. Callais Changed Everything 11:00 Shelby County v. Holder & the Slow Dismantling of Voting Rights 13:00 Race, Gerrymandering & White Voter Claims 14:00 Election Chaos, Purcell Principle & Redistricting Frenzy 15:19 How Voter Suppression Impacts Everyone 17:00 Race vs. Partisanship in Southern Redistricting 18:00 What Can We Actually Do About It? 19:09 Melissa Murray’s Constitutional Reform Vision 20:00 The Constitution’s Roots in Slavery 22:00 Reconstruction Amendments & America’s “Second Founding” 22:50 Populist Movements & Constitutional Amendments 24:00 Women’s Suffrage, DC Statehood & Electoral College Reform 25:10 Coalescing Power Against Authoritarianism 26:00 Abortion Rights & Telehealth Battles 26:30 Fifth Circuit Ruling on Mifepristone Explained 28:00 Why Medication Abortion Became the New Battleground 29:00 Miscarriage Care, Sepsis & Reproductive Health Risks 30:00 Trump Administration’s Role in Abortion Restrictions 31:00 Is the Constitution Still Worth Understanding? 32:00 Melissa Murray on Reading the Constitution 33:00 Limited Government & Fear of State Power 34:36 “We the People” & Reclaiming Democracy 35:00 Gregory Watson & the 27th Amendment Story 36:37 “We Don’t Have to Take This” 36:50 The Meteor Newsletter Shoutout 38:00 Group Chat Begins: Brittney Cooper & Atima Omara Join 39:00 The Devil Wears Prada 2 Discussion 40:00 Met Gala, Billionaires & Protesters 42:00 Beyoncé, Jeff Bezos & Fashion Politics 42:21 Prom Send-Offs & Black Joy 44:00 Why Celebrating Young Black People Matters 45:25 Atima Omara on Ketanji Brown Jackson 47:00 Black Women as Custodians of Democracy 47:40 Final Thoughts: Becoming the New Architects 48:00 Closing Remarks: “Let’s Go Get Free” Read LaTosha Brown’s article “We Are the Architects Now”: https://www.contrabandcamp.com/p/we-a... Melissa Murray’s The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader is out now: https://bit.ly/42g0KGW Atima Omara’s How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy (And What We Can Learn From Them) https://bit.ly/3Rqswy3 For abortion access visit: INeedAnA.com Episode website: stayundistracted.com Follow Brittany: / mspackyetti / mspackyetti / @mspackyetti https://www.threads.com/@mspackyetti To subscribe to The Meteor: https://www.wearethemeteor.com/newsle... #VotingRights #NewDemocracy #NewAmerica #SupremeCourt #MelissaMurray #BrittanyPacknettCunningham #Louisiana #LouisianavsCallais
