It's not just a matter of food. It's a matter of nutrition. If Nutrition is the most powerful determinant of health, then why do over 40 million Americans have trouble putting food on the table? If access to nutritious food is required for optimal growth and development, how do we safeguard our children’s future by addressing hidden hunger in our communities? The good news is that organizations are shifting focus, adopting new policies and programs to promote healthier, more balanced lifestyles, especially for those facing real hunger.

On the first Episode of Force Multiplier join Baratunde as he sits with two leaders working across disciplines and sectors to solve nutrition insecurity. Gita Rampersad, Vice President at Feeding America, shares how the country’s largest hunger relief organization is working to provide communities across the country with access to nutritious food. Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District describes how an unexpected partnership between an NBA All-Star family, a passionate Spanish Chef and a committed community delivered 15 million meals to families in need, creating a new model for how cross-sector partnerships can tackle our most pressing issues.

In the final episode, Baratunde recaps what he learned over the duration of the series, and details what comes next as the nation stares down a historic election and a growing movement.

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baratunde acknowledges the increased (and sometimes awkward) efforts of white Americans standing in solidarity with Black lives at this moment. Then he explores the global reach of this moment through an in-depth conversation with Diana Arce, a Black Lives Matter organizer in Berlin, Germany. Yep, you’re going to hear a Black person speak German! Combined, both the domestic and international solidarity have helped this moment feel far less lonely than similar moments in the past.

Show Notes and Extra Goodies:

Checkout Baratunde’s retweet of Taylor Swift explaining why Confederate loser monuments have got to go.

Find Black Lives Matter Berlin on the web or on Instagram (which isn’t really the web).

Find Diana Arce at visualosmosis.com or on Instagram @visualosmosis.

If you want some feels, watch New Zealanders perform the haka in front of the U.S. consulate for Black Lives Matter

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd" is more accurate and accountable than "George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin." If you've heard or said phrases like the latter or "Justice for Breonna" or "You're racist," you need to listen to this episode in which Baratunde talks with educator, writer, and editor Yahdon Israel about how we often and easily embed oppression right into our language.

Find Yahdon Israel and his classes on his website or Instagram @yahdon

Find Khadijat Oseni on Instagram under @jetsetterproblems or @hommetheseries

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baratunde explains what "defund the police" means to him then takes you to the room where it happens as the Los Angeles City Council hears directly from Black Lives Matter activists presenting their case to reimagine public safety and the city budget.

Find out more about the participatory budgeting effort at peoplesbudgetla.com 

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baratunde speaks about the stark difference between the protests again public health precautions and the Black Lives Matter protests. In discussion with actor and activist, Kendrick Sampson, and North Minneapolis resident, Gunnar Carlson, Baratunde explores the way two Americas have diverged under the dual pandemics. 

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Using his emotionally raw reaction to Amy Cooper calling the police on a birdwatcher and his powerful TED talk on diagramming sentences to better articulate abuse at the hands of police, Baratunde reveals how the rise of the COVID pandemic exposed the racial pandemic that’s stunted this country since it’s foundation. Derek Chauvin killing George Floyd was appalling, but it took a pandemic for the entire country to notice. 

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844. Music by Aloe Blacc.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's true. We all feel it in the United States. We are having some kind of moment. Where it goes, we can't say, but right here, right now, something significant is happening involving race and in particular, policing. In this limited run series, Baratunde Thurston explains and explores what feels like a defining moment in American history.

When Mitt Romney joins a Black Lives Matter march, when NASCAR bans the Confederate flag, when major cities actually contemplate defunding the police, and when Adidas retweets Nike in support of Black lives, something big is going on.

Visit Baratunde's website for his newsletter, TED talk, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.