The Brown Political Review Podcasts

The Brown Political Review Podcasts

by The Brown Political Review

News Commentary Politics

Season 1

Bridging Differences: Introducing Brown China Summit

In this episode, Haotian Luo '25 has a conversation with Joey Qiu '24 about the purpose of the Brown China Summit, his work with the organization, and details of the upcoming summit from March 18-19.

Under Pressure: Media Polarization in 21st-Century America, ep. 1

In this episode, Michael Seoane speaks with David Kertzer, Professor of Anthropology and Italian Studies at Brown University, about the role of media in the creation of fascist Italy and the similarities between Trump's and Mussolini's relationship with the press.

The Renaissance Statesman: Remembering the Economic and Political Legacy of Fmr. Chinese Leader Jiang Zemin

In this episode, Haotian Luo ‘25 and Elijah Dahunsi ‘25 discuss the life and legacy of Jiang Zemin, the former President of China from 1989-2002. By carrying out the Reform and Opening policy, Jiang reshaped China’s economic prospects and brought millions out of poverty. Although his foreign policy is the subject of much controversy, Jiang remains one of the most influential leaders of contemporary China.

Shades of Power: Parliamentary vs. Congressional Governments

In this podcast, Julia Kostin discusses the differences between presidential and parliamentary governments with Brown students Carson, who is from Georgia, USA, and Ilektra, who is from Athens, Greece. They discuss their experiences in their home countries, personal opinions, as well as research on the outcomes of the two government styles.

BPRadio: Unpacking BPR's New Midterm Model with Asher Labovich

In this episode of BPRadio, Elijah Dahunsi and Asher Labovich discuss the Brown Political Review's first-ever Midterm Prediction Model. Labovich is a data associate at the magazine and the lead creator of this new model. Dahunsi is the Head of Multimedia at the magazine. Here is the link to the model: https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2022/10/senate-midterm-forecast-model/

Part 5: A Fall from Grace

One fall from grace sparks Wilmot James’s reinvention and rise as a global health leader. Wilmot James reflects on his one fall from grace. After Wilmot’s private letter about President Thabo Mbeki is leaked, Mbeki strikes back and derails Wilmot’s career. Mbeki, rejecting Mandela’s vision for nation building, sowed the seeds for a divided South Africa. One side rich and white, the other poor and black. Wilmot recounts an eye-opening story about the severe costs of speaking truth to power and the lessons he learned from his mistakes. With a courageous return to public life, he enters Parliament during Jacob Zuma’s presidency as the national stakes mount: he visits hospitals and laboratories on the front lines of public health, fights to contain corruption under South Africa’s president, and watches Ebola burn through West Africa. Wilmot discovers that the failure to lead is not a medical failure, but a moral one. Wanting to do more, Wilmot fights back and reinvents himself as a global health leader, dedicating his life to learning and public service. REELBLUE AND COCOON AUDIO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PANDEMIC CENTER AND THE BROWN POLITICAL REVIEW PRESENT LISTENING TO SHADOWS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BENTLEY HOLT, ALICE IM AND CLARA BAISINGER-ROSEN PRODUCTION SUPPORT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW ILLUSTRATION BY ROKIA WHITEHOUSE, LYDIA SMITHEY AND ORLA MAXWELL SOUND DESIGN AND AUDIO MIXING BY BART WARSHAW EDITED BY JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW WRITTEN BY WILMOT JAMES AND JENNIFER GALVIN NARRATED BY WILMOT JAMES DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JENNIFER GALVIN SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIFER NUZZO AND JESSIE GRAHAM MUSIC BY BLUEDOT AUDIO

Part 4: Disease and Denial

Just as South Africa becomes a new democracy with Nelson Mandela as president, the HIV/AIDS epidemic hits. The defiant activist Zackie Achmat rises, Thabo Mbeki spreads disinformation and pseudoscience, and Mandela confronts the disease ravaging his country. Nelson Mandela was leading a brand-new democracy in South Africa when the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit. The disease was devastating, with few tools to fight it, and Mandela didn’t do enough. His presidential successor, Thabo Mbeki, made it even worse: he was a denialist who perpetuated misinformation, promoted conspiracy theories, and blocked the rollout of lifesaving treatments, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and a million orphaned. A defiant activist living with HIV, Zackie Achmat, stepped up, inspired a citizens’ movement, and brought the government to court. Wilmot James shares the forgotten story of the legacy of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and the consequences of leaders turning their backs on science. REELBLUE AND COCOON AUDIO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PANDEMIC CENTER AND THE BROWN POLITICAL REVIEW PRESENT LISTENING TO SHADOWS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BENTLEY HOLT, ALICE IM AND CLARA BAISINGER-ROSEN PRODUCTION SUPPORT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW ILLUSTRATION BY ROKIA WHITEHOUSE, LYDIA SMITHEY AND ORLA MAXWELL SOUND DESIGN AND AUDIO MIXING BY BART WARSHAW EDITED BY JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW WRITTEN BY WILMOT JAMES AND JENNIFER GALVIN NARRATED BY WILMOT JAMES DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JENNIFER GALVIN SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIFER NUZZO AND JESSIE GRAHAM MUSIC BY BLUEDOT AUDIO

Part 3: Wrestling with the Truth

Wilmot James shares behind-the-scenes accounts of launching the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which confronted the heartbreaking and brutal stories of apartheid and sought to restore justice and promote healing for a new democratic nation. To move forward as a new democracy, South Africa must face horrific truths. Wilmot James, while director of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), supports a brave initiative called The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the TRC confronted decades of human rights violations from 1960 to 1990. Assassins and hit squads seek amnesty and witness protection. Mothers relive brutal stories. Grieving families demand answers. Questions loom about Wouter Basson (aka Dr. Death) and the fate of South Africa’s secret chemical and biological weapons program. Did the TRC smooth the transition from apartheid to democracy, or did powerful leaders escape accountability and punishment? Wilmot James exposes the successes and failures of the TRC as it redefines a model for restorative justice and gives the world a new way to reckon with the past. REELBLUE AND COCOON AUDIO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PANDEMIC CENTER AND THE BROWN POLITICAL REVIEW PRESENT LISTENING TO SHADOWS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BENTLEY HOLT, ALICE IM AND CLARA BAISINGER-ROSEN PRODUCTION SUPPORT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW ILLUSTRATION BY ROKIA WHITEHOUSE, LYDIA SMITHEY AND ORLA MAXWELL SOUND DESIGN AND AUDIO MIXING BY BART WARSHAW EDITED BY JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW WRITTEN BY WILMOT JAMES AND JENNIFER GALVIN NARRATED BY WILMOT JAMES DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JENNIFER GALVIN SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIFER NUZZO AND JESSIE GRAHAM MUSIC BY BLUEDOT AUDIO

Part 2: Dinner with Mandela

Deeply personal accounts reveal Nelson Mandela’s true magic as a leader finding common ground and bridging divides. What is it like to have dinner with Nelson Mandela when he wants to ask you something? Wilmot James knows and shares stories about working with the extraordinary Mandela: editing his speeches, running constitutional workshops, writing immigration policies, and bringing warring parties together to fulfill a vision for South Africa’s future. Wilmot’s deeply personal accounts reveal the magic of Mandela in a new way, deepening our understanding of his empathy and moral clarity as a global leader, qualities once revealed when Mandela served his opponent a cup of tea. Mandela aspired to set an example while building a new democratic nation. Time with Mandela reminds us of what it meant for him to go 27 years without hearing a child while imprisoned. For Wilmot, Mandela’s force was so strong that, even at his funeral, he bridged divides and brought peace. REELBLUE AND COCOON AUDIO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PANDEMIC CENTER AND THE BROWN POLITICAL REVIEW PRESENT LISTENING TO SHADOWS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BENTLEY HOLT, ALICE IM AND CLARA BAISINGER-ROSEN PRODUCTION SUPPORT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW ILLUSTRATION BY ROKIA WHITEHOUSE, LYDIA SMITHEY AND ORLA MAXWELL SOUND DESIGN AND AUDIO MIXING BY BART WARSHAW EDITED BY JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW WRITTEN BY WILMOT JAMES AND JENNIFER GALVIN NARRATED BY WILMOT JAMES DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JENNIFER GALVIN SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIFER NUZZO AND JESSIE GRAHAM MUSIC BY BLUEDOT AUDIO

Part 1: Child of Apartheid

A leader in the making comes of age under apartheid rule. Wilmot James is a child of apartheid. A descendant of Indian slaves, he grew up in a family of teachers who had an unrelenting drive for education despite forced removal from their home and political violence. At the age of eight, he lost his innocence as protests in his hometown of Paarl turned deadly. Playing the piano fed his soul. In college, he joined the black consciousness movement and when the 1976 Soweto Uprising spread to Cape Town, he used the Drama Society’s car to chauffeur activists. Soon after, he was taken from his home and imprisoned in the very place where Nelson Mandela would be released more than a decade later. His coming-of-age story reminds us of the power of education, the vulnerability of justice, and what it means to defend democracy and truth. REELBLUE AND COCOON AUDIO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PANDEMIC CENTER AND THE BROWN POLITICAL REVIEW PRESENT LISTENING TO SHADOWS PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE BENTLEY HOLT, ALICE IM AND CLARA BAISINGER-ROSEN PRODUCTION SUPPORT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW ILLUSTRATION BY ROKIA WHITEHOUSE, LYDIA SMITHEY AND ORLA MAXWELL SOUND DESIGN AND AUDIO MIXING BY BART WARSHAW EDITED BY JENNIFER GALVIN AND BART WARSHAW WRITTEN BY WILMOT JAMES AND JENNIFER GALVIN NARRATED BY WILMOT JAMES DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JENNIFER GALVIN SPECIAL THANKS TO JENNIFER NUZZO AND JESSIE GRAHAM MUSIC BY BLUEDOT AUDIO

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