In this powerful episode of Slingshot The Podcast, we break down the 2025 election results and what they reveal about the current political climate in Pennsylvania and the nation. From record-breaking voter turnout to historic wins led by Black voters, women, and marginalized communities, this episode explores what happens when people decide to show up and shift power.

Kadida Kenner and Charles Gregory unpack the Blue Wave, the rejection of extremist policies, and the renewed energy for affordable living, fair representation, and democratic accountability. We explore:

• Record-breaking turnout across Pennsylvania counties
• Mississippi flipping seats and breaking GOP supermajority
• New Jersey’s historic governor win
• California’s redistricting shift
• New York’s historic mayoral race
• The role of Black women voters and emerging coalitions
• Why voters mobilized in such unprecedented numbers
  
  

From Montgomery County’s highest-ever turnout to Philadelphia’s dramatic increase in participation, this episode examines why the 2025 elections mattered — and what they signal for the future of democracy.

This isn’t just a celebration of voters. It’s analysis, truth, and context for where we go next.

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🎥 Watch, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who cares about voter turnout, election outcomes, civic engagement, and the real power of the people at the polls. Catch all episodes of Slingshot The Podcast on YouTube or wherever you stream your podcasts — and don’t forget to subscribe to stay connected to the culture and the movement.

Slingshot The Podcast: The Misunderstood Voice, The Culture’s Power.

Slingshot The Podcast is a platform for voices that are too often overlooked, misrepresented, or unheard. Through bold conversations on culture, sports, entertainment, and the forces shaping our world, we challenge narratives and amplify perspectives that matter. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a movement to inform, inspire, and empower the culture from the inside out.

Media & booking: media@newpaproject.org

All I wanna say is that… they don’t really care about us.

In this episode of Slingshot The Podcast, Kadida Kenner is joined by co-host Charles Gregory and special guest Tisha Crippen, editor of Slingshot The Podcast, to unpack what happens when governmental power goes unchecked and everyday people become collateral damage.

Starting from the Michael Jackson 1996 classic “They Don’t Care About Us”, the crew digs into the shocking reality that more than 170 U.S. citizens have reportedly been picked up or detained by ICE in their own neighborhoods. No due process. No clear oversight. No real accountability.

They break down:

• How ICE is operating with weak checks and balances — and why that should scare all of us
  
  
• Everyday people and grassroots groups like Indivisible training volunteers to watch, document, and challenge ICE actions on the ground
  
  
• Voters who crossed party lines expecting economic relief — and are now “finding out” the hard way
  
  
• The role of Black women mayors in protecting their constituents
  
  
• National Guard deployments, public safety, and why “more police” doesn’t always translates as safer communities
  
  

If you’ve ever wondered “What would I have done in the 1960s?” — this episode challenges you to look at what you’re doing right now. Are you speaking up? Protecting your neighbors? Paying attention to who has power…and how they use it?

🗳️ Watch, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who cares about civil rights, immigration, policing, or voting in the upcoming elections. Watch all Slingshot The Podcast episodes on YouTube, or anywhere you watch/listen to podcasts & subscribe.

💬 Drop a comment: What are YOU willing to do when power is being abused in plain sight?

What does incarceration in America look like in 2025—and how do judges shape our future? In this episode, we unpack Angola’s plantation-style prison labor, over-incarceration, juvenile life-without-parole, and why courtrooms (and the people in them) impact our daily lives. Guest Robert Saleem Holbrook, Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center, joins host Kadida Kenner to connect policy, lived experience, and community power—plus what you can do next.

You’ll learn:

-Why PA is one of the most incarcerated states—and how that shifts rural demographics

-How landmark Supreme Court cases opened doors for incarcerated people sentenced as kids

-What Court Watch programs reveal about courtroom culture and outcomes

-Voting rights for people who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated in PA

-Why judicial elections and retentions matter on November 4th—and how to make a plan to vote

PA: Make a plan to vote on November 4th - Bring a friend. Talk to a returning citizen you know—if their feet are on the street in PA, they can vote (with limited exceptions).

Subscribe, like, and share to keep these conversations moving from talk to action.

About Slingshot The Podcast

Slingshot: The Misunderstood Voice, The Culture’s Power. Bold conversations on culture, sports, entertainment, and the forces shaping our world—amplifying voices too often overlooked. This isn’t just a podcast; it’s a movement to inform, inspire, and empower from the inside out.

Stay Connected:

For media/booking: media@newpaproject.org

Subscribe for new episodes and clips every week.

Listen in wherever you get your podcasts (Apply, Spotify, etc) or watch the episode at SlingshotThePodcast.org

This one’s for everyone who’s ever said, “my vote doesn’t count.” We break down how Pennsylvania’s courts shape your daily life, why judicial elections are on the ballot this November 4, and how youth turnout and registration can swing outcomes in real ways. If you marched at the No Kings Rally, this is the action step that follows: vote.

🎯 Why watch PA is one of only 7 states where voters elect all judges, from local benches to the PA Supreme Court.

In odd years, you’re voting for judges, mayors, DAs, school boards, and more. Youth registration is lagging: only 1 in 4 PA high schoolers of voting age are registered; in Philly/Pittsburgh it’s about 15%; at Chester High it’s 6%.

Retention votes this year include Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, David Wecht on the PA Supreme Court. Retention is a Yes/No box — no party labels.

💡 What you’ll learn
-How courts work in PA: minor courts → Courts of Common Pleas → Commonwealth & Superior Courts → PA Supreme Court
-Why retention matters, and what happens if seats go vacant
-Your rights in PA’s state constitution (clean air, pure water; thorough and efficient education) and the school funding decision
-Practical voting tips: provisional ballots, voting on campus, and planning your vote-by-mail or in-person plan

🗓️ Key dates (Pennsylvania) Election Day: Nov 4 (ballots must be received by 8pm)

Voting by mail? Seal, sign, date the envelope and use an official drop box if you don’t trust the mail.
If there’s a problem at the polls, request a provisional ballot — it’s your right.

Review your ballot before you go. Check nonpartisan resources like the PA Bar Association and your county election office.

If you want change after the rally, the ballot is where you make it stick.

Marvin Gaye asked the question, “What’s Going On” in 1971 - and we’re still asking it today. In this powerful episode (recorded in early September), Kadida sits down with guest co-host, Charles Gregory to unpack the headlines, the policies, and the real lives behind them. From civil unrest to due process to kitchen-table economics, we connect the dots and offer clear steps you can take right now.

🎶 Why this matters now

War is not the answer. We need some loving here today. That refrain anchors a conversation about rights, dignity, and how communities can push for change with both urgency and care.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

✅ Civil discourse, decorum, and why it’s disappearing

✅ Second Amendment debates and restoring rights for returning citizens

✅ Picket lines and picket signs, what’s inside massive federal bills, and who pays the price

✅ Union power, living wages, and the legacy of sanitation worker strikes

🗳️ Your Move

Listen, share, register, vote, and bring three friends along. Change is live, not televised.

📌 Stay Connected:

🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/

📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast

📩 Media: media@newpaproject.org

We dig into what kids are facing today, why youth engagement matters, and how we can teach them well then get out the way.

Joining host Kadida Kenner with co-host Charles Gregory is Cory B. Long, Sr. of Making a Change Group, sharing real stories from mentoring, diversion programs, and bringing joy back to childhood. From the school-to-prison pipeline to the youth vote, this episode is a call to listen, support, and let young people lead.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

✅ Gen X to Gen Alpha and how the internet reshaped childhood

✅ The school-to-prison pipeline and proven solutions like diversion and restorative practices

✅ The youth vote in Pennsylvania where only 1 in 4 eligible high school students are registered

✅ How to talk with young people about civic power and actually hear them

Ask the young people in your life: “Are you registered to vote?” Then listen. Help them register and make a plan to vote in every election.

Listen in wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, etc.) or watch it at SlingshotThePodcast.org

📌 Stay Connected

🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org

📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast

📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast

📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast

⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast

📩 Media Contact: media@newpaproject.org

This week, Slingshot The Podcast dives deep into the impact of defunding public education and public broadcasting — and how these decisions fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. Inspired by the iconic PBS series Reading Rainbow, we reflect on how stories, voices, and representation shape generations, and what happens when those resources are stripped away.

Joining us for this extended episode is Brent Johnstone, co-founder of FathersRead365, who is using the power of reading and mentorship to uplift Black and brown youth. Together, we explore how to keep young people engaged, motivated, and joyful even in turbulent political times.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

✅ The legacy of Reading Rainbow, PBS, and public broadcasting as tools for education and empowerment

✅ How harsh school policies push kids toward the criminal justice system

✅ How defunding public television and schools connects to the school-to-prison pipeline

✅ Brent Johnstone’s mission with Father’s Read 365 and the role of fathers in literacy and leadership

Whether you grew up with Reading Rainbow or are currently advocating for equitable education, this conversation will inspire you to take action on behalf of the next generation.

📌 Stay Connected:

🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/

📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast

📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast

📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast

⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast

📩 Contact: media@newpaproject.org

The revolution will not be televised, but it will be live. In Episode 11 of Slingshot The Podcast, we reflect on Gil Scott-Heron’s timeless words and why they matter just as much today.

Joining host Kadida Kenner is Charles Gregory, bringing a sharp perspective on what revolution really looks like in 2025 from redistricting battles in Texas to the fight for voting rights and the dangerous normalization of authoritarian tactics.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
✅ Why Gil Scott-Heron’s message still speaks to today’s democracy crisis
✅ How redistricting and gerrymandering strip power from Black and brown communities
✅ The role of performative politics — from Jasmine Crockett’s clapbacks to Cory Booker’s marathon speech
✅ Trump’s latest executive orders and what they mean for our rights, safety, and democracy

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a call to action. The revolution won’t be handed to us by TV pundits — it will be lived, organized, and fought for in real time by people like you.

📌 Stay Connected:
🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/
📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast
📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast
📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast
⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast
📩 Contact: media@newpaproject.org