Joel Elliott has a uniquely American story 👦🏾 He grew up in Miami’s Overtown Neighborhood, which he affectionately refers to as Swamp City and Rat Town. As a kid, he was known as Lil Smurf; he loved skateboarding—he idolized Tony Hawke—and he loved to go with his mom to catch mullets in Biscayne Bay. Then, at the age of 13, he was incarcerated. He …

What if we gave America a blood test? 🩸 When you go to the doctor, they give you your numbers for cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat percentage, the whole deal. If you’re regular about getting your checkups, you can track your numbers over time. This week, I read a book, and I think of it kind of like a blood test for America. Like...how much mo…

When we talk about politics, we tend to use the word “should.” Like, we should level the playing field. We should work to correct historical inequalities. But we don’t do as good a job thinking about how federal policies will impact individual people—people like Owen Williams. Owen is 66 years old. He's a retired exterminator and the quintessential…

Life can be confusing and difficult for a 24-year-old in America. Especially if you happen to be a queer black woman living in the South, and you’re working three jobs. But somehow, in the midst of everything, Kaya Lewis is finding time to build community with her neighbors and cook healthy, delicious food for people who are hungry. Kaya is the fou…

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a hundred years old? Or what America looks like to somebody who lived through the Second World War? Well, don’t wonder anymore. Peggy Jemison Bodine is turning a hundred this July. In a nation that is 248 years old, she's personally witnessed over 40% of American history. Over the course of her life, Peggy ha…

America's small farmers are a resilient bunch—but they're subject to powerful forces outside their control. In the words of Jim Sayle: "We can either do death by a thousand cuts of playing the game the way it was being played—or we can do something about it." Jim runs a small farm in Northwest Mississippi. He's growing cotton, corn, and soybeans on…

In our current political climate, it can feel like the middle is drying up. It’s more and more difficult to find common ground—or even communicate with people you disagree with. Dorcas Young Griffin is our first podcast guest; she's a senior administrator with Shelby County Government, a mother of two amazing children, and a PhD Candidate in Urban …

What is America? It's a big question. Maybe we used to be able to agree on the answer—but we can't take it for granted anymore. In this episode, meet host John Minervini and learn a bit about the podcast. Over the next year, we'll drive all around the country together and talk with people about their lives. The goal is to help rebuild our broken po…