What does it take to confront racism without falling into despair and instead transform our institutions for equity and justice? In this episode, Dr. Zeitz speaks with Professor Susan Sturm of Columbia Law School, a leading scholar and changemaker whose work bridges law, education, and community action. Drawing from her new book, What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions, Sturm unpacks the paradoxes at the heart of American democracy, the persistence of racial caste, and the urgent need for participatory democracy. Together, they explore:
- How personal history and contradictions can fuel a lifelong commitment to justice
- The Constitution’s paradox of freedom and slavery and why it still matters today
- Why movements, not laws, are the true drivers of change
- How “linked fate” reveals our interdependence across race, class, and identity
- The potential of citizens’ assemblies and local democracy to reimagine our future
At a time when progress is under attack, Sturm offers a hopeful call to action: despair is not a strategy.
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Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling the Promise of Democracy here!
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Revolutionary Optimism: Seven Steps for Living as a Love-Centered-Activist here.
What is Revolutionary Optimism Podcast?
To respond to the challenging times we are living through, physician, humanitarian and social justice advocate Dr. Paul Zeitz has identified “Revolutionary Optimism” as a new cure for hopelessness, despair, and cynicism. Revolutionary Optimism is itself an infectious, contagious, self-created way of living and connecting with others on the path of love. Once you commit yourself as a Revolutionary Optimist, you can bravely unleash your personal power, #unify with others, and accelerate action for our collective repair, justice, and peace, always keeping love at the center.