We Dissent

Alison, Liz, and Rebecca welcome Maya Henson, Senior Research Analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, for a deep dive into the impact of Christian supremacy and anti-student inclusion movements on public education. They discuss the many strategies used by Christian nationalists to influence our public schools—from curriculum control and book bans to release-time religious programs and the weaponization of "parental rights."    Show Notes Southern Poverty Law Center Resources Support Our Schools (public education defense group) Read Freely Alabama Stop Moms for Liberty Cases Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) Engel v. Vitale (1962) Illinois ex rel. McCollum v. Board of Ed. of School Dist. No. 71, Champaign County (1948) "American Library Association releases 2025 Most Challenged Books List as National Library Week Begins" Parents Defending Education v. Wellesley Public Schools (2022) AP - "District settles lawsuit over groups for students of color" Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025) NWLC - "Breaking Down the Supreme Court's Decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor: Why It is More Important Than Ever to Advocate for Inclusive Schools" Democracy Forward - "Back to School, and Back in Court: The Weaponization of Mahmoud v. Taylor" Episode 42 – High Unholy Season Continues: Mahmoud v. Taylor Maya's Bio Maya Henson is a senior research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, where she focuses on the antigovernment movement, which includes the anti-student inclusion movement.  Before joining the SPLC, Maya spent over 10 years in higher education, which along with her academic background provides a unique perspective to monitoring and exposing extremism in public education.  Since joining SPLC, she has provided expert analysis on topics such as the dangers of the newly revived Florida State Guard, the parallels in the current anti-student inclusion movement to anti-integration fights 70 years ago, students mobilizing to fight censorship, and the contradictions and potential threats of curriculum and book bans. In addition to SPLC outlets, Maya's analysis has been featured in the National Urban League's State of Black America, as well as in international, national, and local media.  Maya has a B.S. in business administration from Stillman College, an M.A. in psychology, an M.Ed. in higher education administration, and an MLS is Indigenous Peoples law. She also holds an Ed.D. with a concentration in diversity and equity education from the University of Illinois, where her primary research focus was the experiences of minority students in higher education. Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.

Alison, Liz, and Rebecca recap the recent Supreme Court term and its implications for religious liberty. They break down the Court's rulings on conversion therapy bans, religious rights for prisoners, and transgender sports bans in public schools. They also discuss the ever-expanding "shadow docket" and the Court's alarming preference for deciding cases with no public hearing, briefing, or transparency.  Cases Chiles v. Salazar SCOTUSblog Opinion Previous episode: "Conversion Therapy" at the Supreme Court Conversion "Therapy" Laws - Movement Advancement Project  Landor v. Louisiana SCOTUSblog Opinion Previous episode: Religion Behind Bars Reprise: Landor v. Louisiana Tanzin v. Tanvir (2020)  American Atheists Amicus City of Boerne v. Flores (1997) West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox SCOTUSblog Opinion Previous episode: The Supreme Court Tackles Trans Sports Bans with Shiwali Patel Mirabelli v. Bonta SCOTUSblog Opinion Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025) Danco Laboratories v. Louisiana Application SCOTUSblog Grant of stay St. Mary Catholic v. Roy 10th Circuit Opinion   Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.

America turns 250 and the Trump Administration is celebrating by rewriting the past and the present. Alison, Liz, and Rebecca discuss how the administration hijacked the nation's planned bipartisan 250th anniversary celebration and turned it into a tax-payer funded Christian nationalist prayer revival. Then they dig into the report issued by the "Taskforce to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias," one of several task forces created by the administration to manufacture a "Christian persecution" narrative in order to privilege conservative Christianity under the law.    Show Notes The report on "Biden Admin Weaponization of the FACE Act" (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Just Security - "Separating Fact from Fiction in FACE Act Enforcement" National Women's Law Center: "The President's Slush Fund: A Gift to the Anti-Abortion Movement and a Blow to Our Democracy" Federal Register: Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission    "Anti-Christian bias taskforce report" April 30, 2026  Executive Order 14291- Establishing the Religious Liberty Commission   Cases Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. U.S. Dept. of State Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Interfaith Alliance v. Trump   Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.

We Dissent co-host Rebecca Markert was recently featured on "In Progress," a part of the Progress Texas podcast network. Please enjoy this episode of In Progress while you wait for our next episode!  From Dan Patrick's declaration that the separation of church and state is dead, to Texas Republicans kicking Muslims out of their state convention in Houston, to the Ten Commandments and bible stories permeating our public schools, the takeover by Christian Nationalism of Republican politics is no longer a theory - it's real, and it's here, right now. How to resist is now one of the primary questions for progressive people - and we've brought on Rebecca Markert to discuss that question. She's the Vice President and Legal Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, a national organization dedicated solely to the protection of the foundational American principles of freedom of religion - and freedom from religion. Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support their ongoing work at progresstexas.org   Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.

Rebecca, Liz, and Alison speak with Rachel Levinson-Waldman from the Brennan Center for Justice about the Trump administration and current Congress weaponizing the government to attack nonprofits and punish speech and viewpoints they don't like. They explore how executive orders and anti-terrorism statutes are being abused to investigate, defund, and intimidate civil society, and how this strategy is essential to the broader project to transform America from a democracy to an autocracy.   Show Notes Rachel Levinson-Waldman's Bio Brennan Center for Justice  Trump Administration Documents Presidential Memo - "Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence" Bondi Memo - "Implementing National Security Presidential Memorandum-7: Countering Domestic Terrorism" "2026 Counterterrorism Strategy" 2027 FBI Budget Request to Congress Executive Order Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization Department of Justice - "The Biden Administration's Weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act" Executive Order - "Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans"   Articles and Reactions NPR - "'We're not afraid': George Soros' foundation on being Trump's next target" (Open Society Foundation) Lawfare - "The Politically Motivated Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center"  Civil Society Rights & Resiliency Resources - Charity & Security Network  "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism" Cato at Liberty Blog - "Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare in the United States" (right-wing extremists account for 11% of politically motivated killings, while left-wing extremists account for 2%) Brennan Center for Justice - "Trump's Orders Targeting Anti-Fascism Aim to Criminalize Opposition"  ACLU - "How NSPM-7 Seeks to Use "Domestic Terrorism" to Target Nonprofits and Activists" Just Security - "How Designating Antifa as a Foreign Terrorist Organization Could Threaten Civil Liberties" Lawfare - "The Bondi Memo's Quiet Rewriting of Domestic Terrorism Rules" Lawfare - "You Can't Designate 'Antifa.' Banks and Platforms Will Act Like You Did Anyway"   Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.