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UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

The Meteor, Collective Media

Want a better world? And a group chat to help you get there? Brittany Packnett Cunningham is your woman. On UNDISTRACTED, a weekly show from The Meteor and Collective Media, she, her group chat and her guests decode and dissect the most pressing issues of our time and the cultural topics you care about most, from the latest headlines to deep dives with today’s most fascinating changemakers. UNDISTRACTED is your weekly guide to the revolution that’s happening in our politics, our pop culture, and our lives.

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22 episodes
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Avg 48 min
English

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#130
September 28 · 1 hr 11 min
What’s Still Worth Fighting For, with Kamala Harris
It’s our season-finale episode…and Brittany’s got a banger for you: former Vice President Kamala Harris sitting down once again at the UNDISTRACTED table to talk about what’s ahead, for her and for all of us. She talks about how she learned to fight (there were fists!), why AI guardrails can’t just be set by AI companies, and yes, how she’ll make that consequential decision everyone’s asking her about as our next presidential election approaches. And Brittany also has a question: “Will America e
#129
September 17 · 39 min
Stop Waiting for Permission, with Danielle Brooks
Danielle Brooks is booked, blessed, and building her own table! The Oscar-nominated actress joins Brittany for a heartfelt conversation about her latest film, If I Go, Will They Miss Me?, and why Black boys deserve softness, joy, and the freedom to be themselves. Danielle opens up about the challenges of knowing her worth in Hollywood, how The Color Purple helped her release years of self-doubt, and why she's stepping into a new era as an executive producer and filmmaker. Plus, Brittany and Dani
#128
September 10 · 51 min
We Tell Our Own Stories, with Jocelyn Bioh and Whitney White
What if the revolution starts on a stage? This week, former musical theater kid Brittany sits down with women-of-the-season Jocelyn Bioh, a Tony-nominated playwright, and Whitney White, Tony-nominated director, to talk about School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (and their previous collaboration Jaja’s African Hair Braiding They get into colorism across the Black diaspora, immigration, beauty standards, and why art can be one of the sharpest tools we have.Then, Dr. Brittney Cooper joins
#127
September 3 · 45 min
It’s Impossible Until It’s Not, with Angie Nixon
She’s the tenacious Florida state rep who pulled off a stunning upset in last month’s primary for the U.S. Senate—and now everyone’s talking about Angie Nixon. This week, Brittany sits down with the candidate on everyone’s lips (even Laura Loomer’s) to hear about how she won despite being outraised nearly 17 to 1, why she won’t let political labels (like “Democratic Socialist”) define her, the misogynoir facing Black women in public life, and why she wants everyone, even Laura Loomer, to have th
#126
August 13 · 1 hr
The Best and Worst Case of What Happens Next, with Angela Rye
In less than three months, the midterms will be upon us. Should we be panicked? Confident? Somewhere in between? Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with political strategist and Native Land Pod co-host Angela Rye to talk about all of it: the rise of progressive candidates, what Democrats would do if they had “nuts and ovaries,” and why Black voters continue to shape the future of American politics. (And don’t miss Angela’s words for people who keep telling Kamala Harris not to run…)
#125
August 6 · 59 min
How to be a Leader, with Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley and Bishop Vashti McKenzie
In a moment when Black-led institutions are facing unprecedented attacks, Brittany sits down with two visionary women who know what it takes to build, protect, and transform them from the inside. Reverend Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, and Bishop Vashti McKenzie, the first woman elected bishop in the AME Church, discuss why Black women's leadership has always been essential to movements for justice, the unseen work required to keep institutio
#124
July 30 · 54 min
"I'm Not here to Bend the Knee," with Governor and First Lady Moore
He’s the much-watched governor making political headlines—but long before Wes Moore was the governor of Maryland, his wife Dawn Moore was a political superstar there. In this rare joint sitdown, they join Brittany Packnett Cunningham for a wide-ranging conversation about public service, governing through one of America's most politically turbulent moments, and what it’s like to be the only Black First Family of a state right now.. They also tackle the Trump administration's impact on Maryland, a
#123
July 23 · 47 min
Time to Kiss Kumbaya Goodbye, with Brian Tyler Cohen
If everyone is against the Republican hatemongering, why can’t we, you know, get rid of them, for real this time? YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, author of the new book The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World, has the answer. He sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to explain. They get into Brian’s theory of why “wrong and strong” is beating “right and weak,” and they both dish out some free advice for Democrats about what real winning would look like, and how we can get
#122
July 2 · 49 min
Nikole Hannah-Jones Explains It All: Reparations, Rage, and How we Have Hope
What does reparations actually mean? And why is it important to talk about right now? In this special live episode of Undistracted, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with someone perfectly positioned to answer those questions: Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project creator and New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Together, they get into why the economic practice of slavery requires an economic solution (yes, reparations is broader, but “frankly, I’m most interested in cash,” says Ha
#121
June 25 · 57 min
The Power of “I Deserve This,” with Jemele Hill
It’s a magic moment for sports—and no, we’re not talking about the Knicks over in the MNBA, we’re talking the WNBA, where women just negotiated a huge, historic new collective bargaining agreement for themselves. What’s next, and what can the rest of us learn from this victory? Brittany Packnett Cunningham is joined by journalist, author, and media powerhouse Jemele Hill for a conversation about how these players fought for “dignity and respect,” and why they’re more activist than many male athl
#120
June 18 · 50 min
Juneteenth and the Debt We're Still Owed, with Adam Serwer
As we get ready to celebrate Juneteenth and the nation's 250th anniversary, Brittany Packnett Cunningham is asking: What would it actually take to repair the worst of America’s history, and build the future we deserve? To talk about the idea of reparations, Brittany sits down with The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer to unpack why this idea matters now, why “we’re not just talking about slavery,” and what we should learn from other countries that have done it (successfully and not). Then, group chat besti
#119
June 11 · 50 min
Serena’s Back, Slush Fund Is Dead and…They Tried to Ban Roots?
We’re talking Summer House and Freedom Summer in this episode! Because we love our reality TV and also we love our democracy. Our special guests? Attorney, activist, and Bravo alum Preston Mitchum, and group chat regular Dr. Brittney Cooper. Together with Brittany, they cover everything from Trump’s repeated tantrums before Black women reporters to why book bans continue to backfire. Plus, the group weighs in on Summer House reunion chaos, and why Serena Williams and Allyson Felix coming out of
#118
June 4 · 52 min
We Should All be Backtalkers, with Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw
She’s the scholar behind the idea of intersectional feminism—and but those words aren’t just political to her, they’re personal. In her new memoir Backtalker, Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw traces her own life from childhood in Ohio to work on Anita Hill’s legal team to helping popularize ideas like critical race theory. Now she sits down with Brittany to talk about all of it, and how she’s learned to challenge systems that were never built to see Black women clearly. Plus we’ve got a full and fearless
#117
May 21 · 35 min
Girl, AI Is Not Unstoppable
A lot of conversations about AI are either sales pitches (“the efficiency!”) or horror stories (“the extinction!”). This week, Bridget Todd, technologist and host of There Are No Girls on the Internet, joins us for something better—an informed, 100% human discussion of what it will take to make AI work for us, and whether there’s still time to do that. (Yes, but move fast.) She, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and group-chat regular Dr. David Johns break it down in a wide-ranging conversatio
#116
May 14 · 39 min
Don’t Mansplain to Us, with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
In a world of Epstein files, voter suppression and mansplaining lawmakers, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is a breath of fearless fresh air. She sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about everything from why the files matter to why some politicians still refuse to grasp the urgency of this political moment. Plus, Brittany links up with David Johns for a group chat on this Saturday’s historic voting rights rallies in Selma and Montgomery, as well as why some people are confused abou
#115
May 7 · 49 min
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
#114
April 30 · 43 min
Corporate America Is Not Your Homegirl, with Tiffany Cross
After her MSNBC show The Cross Connection was canceled back in 2022, Tiffany Cross “felt like it was just me.” But now she sees her experiences of loss (of a job, and of a relationship at the same time) as connected to the broader pattern of Black women being pushed out of the workplace and denied what they deserve. Now, she has a new book out—and she sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about what it takes to rebuild. Plus, we’ve got your UNTrending News—with group chat fave Dr.
#113
April 23 · 44 min
“It’s Worse Than We Know”: Maria Hinojosa on Cesar Chavez
It’s been a month of devastating violence against women and children—from femicide cases making headlines to the mass killing in Shreveport, Louisiana. To understand it, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa for a powerful conversation about the shocking allegations against farmworkers leader César Chávez, and Maria’s interview with Chávez’s co-leader (and victim) Dolores Huerta. Plus, they get into covering politics in the age of Trump, and
#112
April 16 · 46 min
How to Take Down the Creeps of Capitol Hill, with Mrs. Frazzled
Let’s be real: Capitol Hill has a creep crisis. In this episode, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with creator Arielle Fodor—better known as Mrs. Frazzled—to unpack how a small group of women publicized the alleged sexual misconduct of former congressman and California gubernatorial hopeful Eric Swalwell. They get into the power of the whisper network, and why Democrats stay quiet when The Accused is one of their own. Plus, group chat bestie Dr. David Johns joins Brittany to break down thi
#111
April 9 · 1 hr 15 min
The Manosphere Could Never, With Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach
UNDISTRACTED is back—and this is a fully loaded season premiere! First, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down the group chat of Dr. Brittney Cooper and Dr. David Johns to unpack what’s happened, from the rise of Ms. Rachel to the decline of democracy. Then she hits the mic with Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach to talk about raising boys in the age of the manosphere, navigating social-media backlash, and why Dawn Staley should never be messed with. This conversation gets real about the work of sho

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