EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 33 MIN
Rooting in Place
from In the Making · host Baratunde Thurston, Ashleigh Gardere, Michael McAfee
When the federal government blocks progress, how can state and local communities advance a nation that serves all? Baratunde Thurston and PolicyLink CEO Michael McAfee and President Ashleigh Gardere explore how states and local communities can and must be the center of transformative change on Episode 5 of "In the Making." They discuss why localities and states must serve as safe harbors when the federal government stands against progress, and examine real-world examples, from New Orleans' post-Katrina rebuilding to Palm Springs reparations for displaced Black communities, to St. Paul, Minnesota winning tenant protections. They explore what it means for states to operationalize the Constitution's "general welfare" clause, and why moving beyond incremental reform requires us to abandon the winners-and-losers construct entirely.
What this episode covers
When the federal government blocks progress, how can state and local communities advance a nation that serves all? Baratunde Thurston and PolicyLink CEO Michael McAfee and President Ashleigh Gardere explore how states and local communities can and must be the center of transformative change on Episode 5 of "In the Making." They discuss why localities and states must serve as safe harbors when the federal government stands against progress, and examine real-world examples, from New Orleans' post-Katrina rebuilding to Palm Springs reparations for displaced Black communities, to St. Paul, Minnesota winning tenant protections. They explore what it means for states to operationalize the Constitution's "general welfare" clause, and why moving beyond incremental reform requires us to abandon the winners-and-losers construct entirely.
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Rooting in Place
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