Topic: Jimmy Carter

Dr. Westbrook recounts producing the first major fundraiser for the Black Caucus in Washington D.C., featuring Isaac Hayes. This established a pattern of record labels using artists to support political candidates, such as Jimmy Carter or later Hillary Clinton. The hosts note that major labels now own significant stakes in Spotify, creating a closed loop of financial and political influence.

Dr. Westbrook credits Clarence Avant, known as "The Black Godfather," with connecting Jimmy Carter to black power brokers in Los Angeles. The discussion explores the concept of the "Black Messiah" that J. Edgar Hoover feared. Moe applies Nellie Fuller's theory of "tacky, trashy, and terroristic" roles to how the system allows black figures to operate.

Loretta Ross, a feminist and educator, explains the 1977 origin of the term "women of color" during the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. The term was created as a solidarity definition when other minority groups asked to be included in the "Black Women's Agenda," leading to a shift from a biological identity to a political coalition.

Professor Carol Swain of Vanderbilt University presents a counter-narrative to the Southern Strategy via PragerU. She outlines three myths: that Republicans only became competitive in the South in the 60s, that Southern Democrats switched parties en masse after 1964, and that Republicans immediately dominated the region. Swain uses election data from Hoover, Nixon, and Carter to argue that the Republican shift in the South was a gradual process tied to economic growth rather than racial pandering.