Stacey Abrams

Former Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams discusses voter suppression and politics.

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, and seven as Minority Leader, Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. She won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history and was the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States. After the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight to promote fair elections across the country, encourage voter participation and educate voters about elections and their voting rights.

Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the 2012 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award. She has also written many romantic suspense novels under the pen name Salena Montgomery, in addition to “Lead from the Outside,” a guidebook on making real change.

Michael Beschloss

Presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss discusses his book “Presidents of War,” the state of U.S. democracy and writing history books that hold relevance in the modern era.

Michael Beschloss is a historian and author of numerous books on presidential history including The New York Times bestsellers “Presidential Courage” and “The Conquerors,” as well as two volumes on Lyndon Johnson’s White House tapes. His book “Presidents of War” chronicles the difficult decisions made by presidents from James Madison during the War of 1812 to present. Beschloss was also editor of the bestseller “Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.” He is the NBC News Presidential Historian, a “PBS NewsHour” contributor and has received an Emmy and six honorary degrees. Beschloss lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two sons.

DeRay Mckesson

Activist DeRay Mckesson talks about the 2016 presidential election, the origin and mission of the Black Lives Matter movement and issues America faces today.

DeRay Mckesson is a civil rights activist and educator. He is a predominant member of the Black Lives Matter movement and was named one of Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders in 2015. Mckesson is a co-founder of Campaign Zero, a platform to end police violence.

Overheard with Evan Smith made possible with generous support from these underwriters.