UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Jul 2 · 49m

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 Hannah-Jones); how reparations for Black Americans is different (and isn’t) from Germany’s reparations to Holocaust survivors; and why, most of all, our history shows that we have to have hope. Plus, in the group chat, Brittany hears from Liberation Ventures’ co-founder and CEO Aria Florant and author and activist Preston Mitchum, for a conversation about their own personal relationships to reparations, and how imagining a different future is itself an act of resistance. We want to thank Liberation Ventures for their support of this podcast. You can support their work by following @LiberationVenture, joining the #WeekOfRepair hashtag and/or signing up for their newsletter at: https://www.repair-is.org/take-action And we’d like to thank these key reparations activist groups for joining the live event audience: The Braxton Institute, The Black-Eyed Susans for Repair, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, Why We Can’t Wait Coalition, DC Justice Lab, Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center and Get Free. 

Jun 25 · 57m

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 athletes. They also unpack how the Men's World Cup is influencing America's global reputation (maybe…for the better?), and the political power of the soccer stadium. Plus, Dr. Brittney Cooper joins the group chat to talk about Michelle Obama’s speech, her sorta-friendship with George W. Bush—and the four-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v Wade.

Jun 18 · 50m

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 bestie Dr. David Johns joins Brittany for an Untrending News conversation on what reparations would look like—and the joy they would unlock. This episode launches a special Undistracted series on reparations in 2026. It was produced with support from Liberation Ventures and The Meteor Fund. You can support Liberation Ventures’ work by following their page, @LiberationVentures, joining the #WeekOfRepair hashtag, and signing up for their newsletter: https://www.repair-is.org/take-action

Jun 11 · 50m

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 retirement feels bigger than sports. Because when institutions are under pressure, culture tells us just as much as politics.   To learn more about Freedom Schools and find one near you: https://freedomschoolpartners.org/ 

Jun 4 · 52m

  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 UNtrending News for you, with group chat besties Dr. David Johns and Dr. Brittney Cooper joining Brittany to analyze what’s happening with Delaney Hall protests, voting-rights wins, and, wait for it, Jay-Z’s new Blue Ivy look. Mentioned in this episode: To join Kimberlé Crenshaw's Backtalkers Academy at https://www.aapf.org/backtalkers-academy You can donate to support the Delaney Hall detainees and affected families at https://linktr.ee/supportourfamilies To take action for voting rights this midterm election, visit FreedomSummer2026.com Follow Brittany: https://www.instagram.com/MsPackyetti https://www.tiktok.com/@mspackyetti https://www.youtube.com/@MsPackyetti https://www.threads.com/@mspackyetti Episode website: https://www.stayundistracted.com To subscribe to The Meteor: https://www.wearethemeteor.com/newsletters https://collective.media

May 21 · 35m

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 conversation: Together, they unpack the rise of AI-generated Black identities, nude deepfakes, the risks to child safety, and what to do about “girlboss AI.” It’s an episode that challenges us to think critically about the systems shaping our lives…because nothing about this future is inevitable.   Follow Brittany: https://www.instagram.com/MsPackyetti https://www.tiktok.com/@mspackyetti https://www.youtube.com/@MsPackyetti https://www.threads.com/@mspackyetti   Episode website: https://www.stayundistracted.com To subscribe to The Meteor: https://www.wearethemeteor.com/newsletters https://collective.media  

May 14 · 39m

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 about exactly where the South is. For more information on how to join this Saturday’s All Roads Lead to the South National Day of Action for Voting Rights: https://blackpowerwarroom.com/dayofaction/  

May 7 · 49m

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. Read LaTosha Brown’s article “We Are the Architects Now”: https://www.contrabandcamp.com/p/we-are-the-architects-now 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 To subscribe to The Meteor: wearethemeteor.com/newsletters Episode website: stayundistracted.com Follow The Meteor on Instagram and TikTok: @themeteor Follow Brittany on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube: @mspackyetti

Apr 30 · 43m

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. Brittney Cooper joining Brittany to break down everything from deed theft to why Megan Thee Stallion should definitely date our producer Doug.   To subscribe to The Meteor: wearethemeteor.com/newsletters Episode website: https://www.stayundistracted.com Follow The Meteor on Instagram and TikTok: @themeteor Follow Brittany on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @mspackyetti https://collective.media