Playing Offense for Democracy: Steve Phillips

May 28th, 2026

”We could do a lot more to ensure that every single person votes and participates.”

We discuss the case for SWAMP audits, how we can truly build a multiracial democracy, and why we’re going to have to fight for it.

Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics, and the multicultural progressive New American Majority. His new book is Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America.

Your civic action toolkit recommendations from Steve are:

  1. Find your Minimum Viable Community and engage

  2. Do a SWAMP audit

Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: 

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Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: 

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Follow Mila on X: 

https://x.com/milaatmos

Follow Steve on X: 

https://x.com/steveptweets

Read Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

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Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guest: Steve Phillips

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

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The People's Document: Melissa Murray