UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

It’s our season-finale episode…and Brittany’s got a banger for you: former Vice President Kamala Harris sitting down once again at the UNDISTRACTED table to talk about what’s ahead, for her and for all of us. She talks about how she learned to fight (there were fists!), why AI guardrails can’t just be set by AI companies, and yes, how she’ll make that consequential decision everyone’s asking her about as our next presidential election approaches. And Brittany also has a question: “Will America ever be ready for a Black woman president?” The VP answers that, and humors us for a lightning round about everything from A Different World to Pilates.Then it’s our last group chat of the season! The good Drs. (Brittney Cooper and David Johns) talk about Nikole Hannah-Jones’ viral essay, educating our kids, and everything else on their radar this week.It's the season finale, y'all—and a good time to get caught up on past episodes. Let's stay UNDISTRACTED. 

Danielle Brooks is booked, blessed, and building her own table! The Oscar-nominated actress joins Brittany for a heartfelt conversation about her latest film, If I Go, Will They Miss Me?, and why Black boys deserve softness, joy, and the freedom to be themselves. Danielle opens up about the challenges of knowing her worth in Hollywood, how The Color Purple helped her release years of self-doubt, and why she's stepping into a new era as an executive producer and filmmaker. Plus, Brittany and Danielle get personal about motherhood, the legacies they're building for their children, and what it means to raise free Black kids.Then, in Untrending News, Brittany breaks down the latest AI whistleblower warnings and asks why tech leaders are getting credit for sounding the alarm on dangers they helped create, while the Black women who warned us about AI's harms have been sidelined. Who's really accountable for the future we're building? 

What if the revolution starts on a stage? This week, former musical theater kid Brittany sits down with women-of-the-season Jocelyn Bioh, a Tony-nominated playwright, and Whitney White, Tony-nominated director, to talk about  School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (and their previous collaboration Jaja’s African Hair Braiding They get into colorism across the Black diaspora, immigration, beauty standards, and why art can be one of the sharpest tools we have.Then, Dr. Brittney Cooper joins the group chat to reckon with Gloria Steinem’s legacy and what it means to give our movement elders room to learn, evolve, and do better. Because whatever your gift is, the question remains: How will you use it to go get free? 

She’s the tenacious Florida state rep who pulled off a stunning upset in last month’s primary for the U.S. Senate—and now everyone’s talking about Angie Nixon. This week, Brittany sits down with the candidate on everyone’s lips (even Laura Loomer’s) to hear about how she won despite being outraised nearly 17 to 1, why she won’t let political labels (like “Democratic Socialist”) define her, the misogynoir facing Black women in public life, and why she wants everyone, even Laura Loomer, to have the healthcare they need. Then, it’s the Group Chat! Regular Dr. David J. Johns and new chatterJovian Zayne join Brittany to break down the threats facing mail-in voting and the concrete things we can all do to protect our ballots. Plus, they remember the incomparable Dolly Parton and, inspired by Jovian’s new book Soft Landings for Hard Days, get into the value of being just a little bit gentler. 

In less than three months, the midterms will be upon us. Should we be panicked? Confident? Somewhere in between? Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with political strategist and Native Land Pod co-host Angela Rye to talk about all of it: the rise of progressive candidates, what Democrats would do if they had “nuts and ovaries,” and why Black voters continue to shape the future of American politics. (And don’t miss Angela’s words for people who keep telling Kamala Harris not to run…)