Meghan, Harry and the racism in our institutions

03/11/21 • 26 min

There’s still plenty to unpack following Sunday’s bombshell Oprah interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, which shed light on their departure from the same royal family that is intrinsically tied to Canada’s system of government. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the revelations of racism this week, and how they square with his own desire to address systemic racism and the legacy of colonialism in this country. Elamin and Rosie examine whether it’s enough to spur change in the monarchy, and other institutions grappling with systemic discrimination. The two also take a deep breath and remember where they were a year ago, when COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic. Things changed in a matter of news-packed days, but as Rosie and Elamin point out, even more has changed over the course of the last 12 months. Tell us what changes or experiences you’ll remember most from the past year by tweeting @RosieBarton and @elamin88 using the hashtag #PartyLines — they’ll share some of your reflections on next week’s episode.

Previous Episode

Party in the U.S.A: The fight for voting rights

South of the border, there’s a battle brewing for the most basic expression of democracy — voting. And there’s never been more at stake. Former President Donald Trump has repeated false allegations that the 2020 election results are fraudulent due to massive, widespread voter tampering. This has inspired a wave of voter restriction measures at the state level — 43 states in all — and if passed, could represent some of the most restrictive voting laws since the Jim Crow era. At the same time, the U.S. Senate is about to debate one of the most important civil rights bill in a generation, one that could bring substantial protections to voters and help stop the barrage of restrictions. But passing it will be extremely difficult. Elamin is joined by Michael Mark Cohen, a professor in American Studies at the University of California Berkeley, and Michael Barajas, a reporter for the Texas Observer.

Next Episode

Party in the U.S.A: COVID relief, plus the future of immigration

President Joe Biden has his biggest moment yet — the passage of his $1.9 trillion dollar COVID-19 relief bill. It’s one of the largest expansions of federal social support in the U.S. in decades, bringing aid to tens of millions of people. But another area where President Biden had promised to distinguish himself from his predecessor — the immigration file — is proving more difficult. He’s promised to usher in a new, more humane system and erase Trump’s controversial legacy on immigration policy. But with a burgeoning border crisis and no consensus even within the party, the reform he’s promised could be out of reach. Elamin is joined by Kadia Goba, a Congress reporter for Axios, and freelance journalist Tanvi Misra who covers immigration in Washington D.C.