Ep. 60: Douglas McAdam Explains Why American Politics is So Deeply Divided

Sociologist Douglas McAdam is the guest on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show.

Dr. McAdam is the author or coauthor of some 85 articles and 18 books such as Freedom Summer and Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970. His new book, Deeply Divided: Racial Politics and Social Movements in Postwar America examines race, political polarization, and the rise of the Tea Party movement. Dr. McAdam is also a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences--what is one of the most prestigious honors in all of the Arts and Letters.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Chauncey and Dr. McAdam talk about the "Black Lives Matter" movement, social movements, resistance in the digital and social media age, the Black Freedom Struggle, the persistence of the color line in the Age of Obama, and the rise of Donald Trump. 

Douglas is a very kind, funny, disarming, and great conversation partner at the virtual bar known as The Chauncey DeVega Show. 

During this installment of the podcast, Chauncey DeVega shares a story about food poisoning, his subsequent suspicion that he was the target of a voodoo curse, preliminary thoughts on the most recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer, gives some advice "Dear Prudence" style about a woman who discovered that her beau practiced bestiality while a teenager, and then shares an online fundraising letter from professional black conservative grifter Ben Carson.