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Van Lathan
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Van Lathan
We all have our reasons. If you know you, VRBO terms apply. See vrbo.com trust for details.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Wanna keep up with everything trendy from
Van Lathan
breaking news to shareable jokes, pop culture bites to viral food spots. It's all on TikTok T. Download TikTok now to explore, I prepared a five minute monologue about why I like the Oval Office decor. No. I'm gonna bring out my boy Van Lathan. What's up? Come on, Van. What's up? You all know Van Lathan. Stand up. Give him some love. See you. How's it going? Right? A lot of famous people out here in la. A lot of people want to get to a show. You want to invite Doug, you want to invite Kamala? First call I made was Dan Lathan. Because you know why? I was like, we're gonna do a little Louisiana shit over here. All right? For people that don't know, give them a little update on who the hell you are.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I do a podcast. I also have had one too many hennies and Cokes.
Van Lathan
Right?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
So I don't know how unhinged I want to be, but I'm the co host.
Van Lathan
Bar is open if anybody else wants to go.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
The Ringer Podcast Network. We talk about blue political stuff and black stuff.
Van Lathan
Political stuff and black stuff.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
So you guys look like.
Van Lathan
So we're gonna talk about. You can check out Higher Learning. We're talking about political stuff, black stuff, LA stuff, and a little bit of Lane Kiffin. And then we're gonna bring out the rest of the podcasters
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
and the rewatchable.
Van Lathan
And the rewatchable.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Appreciate that, my man. Look at that.
Van Lathan
What's the best and worst political movie to rewatch?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Oh, okay, so the best political movie is one called the American President, and it's this scandal. The president starts dating, which seems quaint now, but then it was a huge deal. He's having dates and all of this stuff. So that's the best one to rewatch. The worst one, unfortunately, is one called Distinguished Gentleman with Eddie Murphy, which was kind of a miss. You like it? You like it? It's not my cup of tea, but the American President is. Oh, and then Dave. Remember Dave?
Van Lathan
Dave is sick.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Dave.
Van Lathan
Dave is s. Yeah. All right. I want to start by getting your take. Sorry. We're going to bring you down for A second. We're going to bring you down and then bring you back up. That's what happens in the live shows. You know, it's an emotional roller coaster. You got to feel all the feelings. There's laughter, there's tears, there's anger, there's happiness. They gutted the Voting Rights Act. And it started on my adopted home state, your native home state of Louisiana. And the Calais ruling was. It's just a fucking disaster for the Deep South. I had Justin Jones on the pod this week. We talked about what's happening in Tennessee, But I just kind of want your take on the implications writ large.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
You know, I feel like, like a lot of you guys probably feel is you're absorbing so many body blows right now that everything kind of slides off of you. And you knew that this was coming for a while. You could read the tea leaves. This assault on voting rights started actually before the MAGA movement started with Shelby versus Holder, way back in the day. I think it was like 2013. And then I had a conversation that changed my perspective on it, and that conversation was with my grandmother. My grandmother is 88 years old. And if you guys have never been to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Van Lathan
Wow. Couple.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I'm glad you guys survived. So if you've never been to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, City Park, I'll give you an example of something real quick. Baton Rouge, City Park. There's City park, and it's like, right off of Highland or like, whatever down there. And everybody goes down there, hangs out, but there's a part of City park that's up at the top. And so when I was a kid, I asked my mother, I was like, why do we go up here to, like, barbecue and have a good time and go up there? My mom said, well, we're used to going up there because that's the only part of City park that we used to be able to go to. So up the hill at City park is where all of the black people used to go. I went to McKinley High. It used to be called the Colored High School of Louisiana. Right. One of the oldest. And what my grandmother thought, what she believed is over generations, she thought she had defeated that. And she was proud of that. Yeah, she was proud of the fact that she had sacrificed and she had marched, she had raised people, and she had, you know, been dedicated enough and focused enough to deliver to me a world that at least could recognize that was wrong. And it was tough watching her. And she's going to be with us for a long time. She's going to live to 250. But it was tough watching her come to terms with the fact that that battle wasn't over. And not only that, but she might have lost it. And that's hard.
Van Lathan
Yeah, man. Dude, I hear that. And it's one of those things where, like, they fucking cheated to do it, too.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Of course.
Van Lathan
You know what I mean? Like, it'd be one thing. Like, obviously it'd be bad, right? It'd be one thing if they lost the battle, because it was like, you know, the people just decided that they didn't want you to have rights anymore, and they voted. You know, that way. Like, what actually happened was, like, Trump wins with the minority of the vote, and then he wins, barely. And then they steal a Supreme Court seat, and then they fucking cheat, right? And, like, what happens is that they pass. They rule on Calais. And Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana, decides in the middle of an election when people are already fucking voting, 40,000 people have already voted. He goes, I'm going to cancel the election. Like, the election's already started. I'm going to fucking cancel it. And we're going to change the rules, and we're going to take away one of your seats. We're going to take away the Baton Rouge seat now. So the Baton Rouge doesn't have any fucking representation anymore, just like they did up in Memphis, right?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
And, you know, it's a Black city. It's 55% Black, and the power base of Louisiana. We're talking about people. And I really don't want to bring things down too much, but the issues of my home state, these are issues, capital I issues. We're talking about for me, growing up with people who got throat cancer at 15. We're talking about environmental justice. We're talking about violence. We're talking about mass incarceration. We're talking about people who need representation in order to move their society forward. Right? And so. And by the way, these are people, you know them, they're full of life. They love to have a good time. Nothing can get them down. They have a smile on their face. But they're struggling right now. They're struggling with a lot of black people in Louisiana, with how you can move forward or believe in this, because once again, they thought that they had one.
Van Lathan
Yeah. And the sickest part about it is that little fucking midget that took their representation away. Like our governor in Louisiana, this little fucking prick. So what he does is he signs an executive order, he cancels their votes. We had the election anyway. I went to vote like, last. Just whatever, a couple days ago. And it's on the ballot. Like, the congressional seat's on the ballot, but it doesn't count. Like, they're canceling that vote because they're gonna steal the seat. And right after he does that, he goes to fucking Greenland. Yeah, that little son of a bitch has been in Greenland all week after he canceled our vote. Walking around, talking his dumb ass fake accent and, like, getting. The funny part is he's been getting kind of yelled at by the little kids in Greenland. You see the video where he asked the kid, he was like, do you want to. Would you like to get a picture?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Right?
Van Lathan
And the kid goes, no, get the
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
fuck out of my face. You know, I'm glad you guys are getting to see Landry. Cause y' all getting to see bad Cajuns. Like, see, the version of Cajuns that y' all get are the Cajuns that we fuck with. And we love them, right? Like the water boy shit like that. And they're really cool. Like, you out hunting and you fishing, and you see the game warden, you're like, ah, shit, this is the end of the day. But you see some cool asses, they might come clean the fish for you and cook it right there on the bank. And you like, it's cool. But when you get a bad Cajun, that's like, Deliverance, motherfucker. You don't know how you gon escape the Atchafalaya Basin. And now we got a bad Cajun, kind of a fake Cajun in control of the state. And so now I want y' all to see how we felt. 85, 86, 87. When we saw somebody rolling up, we
Van Lathan
didn't know who it was. You know, he's coming from my field. You know, he's got a gay brother. You know that.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Oh, okay.
Van Lathan
Yeah. Jeff Landry's got a function.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I don't know what I'm supposed to make of that.
Van Lathan
Well, you're supposed to make of it is that he's a piece of shit. Like, bro's got a. Bro's got a gay brother. Like, he's out there. He's. I mean, he's coming at your people harder than my people, but he's coming at us. He's coming at us. It's not great.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Yeah. I mean, look, Landry, I personally wonder. And anybody who doubles and triples down on maga, My belief on MAGA is that the dismantling of MAGA has to be intentional. We think that American culture can win. But the denazification of Germany was this very intentional thing that we had to, like, re. Educate people on what a proper society was. I personally believe that that's what we're going to have to do with maga. I don't know if it's going to be possible. We might have to, you know, hold hands and kumbaya. I don't know how to. I'm not doing that. Y' all could do it.
Van Lathan
I'll do it, baby. Yeah.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
He said no. You like that type of shit?
Van Lathan
I do it. I do like that type of shit. Fuck them, you know, I'm of two minds about it, you know, like, when they're right in my face doing MAGA shit, my view is fuck them, you know? But my other view is, I don't know. I go to the LSU tailgate. You go to the LSU tailgate. You know, my buddy's tailgate is called Tiger Island. And there are a bunch of guys at Tiger island, man, that, like, they're nice people. Like, they're trying to live their life and they don't fucking know any better. You know, they're not reading the news. They don't know shit. Like, they're privileged. They're in their little bubble. Here's the thing, though. They are, though. They are. They are. They are. They are, man. They are. By the way, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. They're fucking dicks that voted for Kamala Harris and they're nice people that voted for Donald Trump. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's just true. That's just true.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Habits.
Van Lathan
Look, watch out. But here's the thing, man. We can win them over right now. Like, isn't this a moment to win them over? Like, isn't this right now the moment to win them over? Because they're waking up. They're like, wait, I didn't sign up for any of this shit. Shouldn't we be trying to right now?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Can I piss, by the way?
Van Lathan
That's good, love.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I love mad ass white people,
Van Lathan
You
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
know, I like white on white violence. I watch Braveheart every weekend. I like that type of. Look at y'. All. Y' all so righteous.
Van Lathan
So look, every single one of them is bad. They're all going to hell.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I vote for Obama again today. Okay, so look, so this is. So have a conversation. Let's do two different types of MAGA people. One is the people that are in that 35%, they gotta get fucked.
Van Lathan
I'm sorry, okay, I'm with you.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
But, but, but I'LL tell you something that happened at Equinox, the gym up here. Cause, you know.
Van Lathan
So you met a gay maggot.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Well, tell you. Cause, you know, I'm.
Van Lathan
You're in the sauna, so they gave you a long look.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Amen. Open to it. Okay, so look, I'm at. I'm at Equinox, and my trainer James. Shout out to James. James introduced me to someone, and he goes, van, you know this guy, right? A guy that is at our lives is from our home state. My home state. The state you adopted, is a guy by the name of Theo Vaughn. Okay, okay.
Van Lathan
So see, Theo's a dumbass. We can win him over.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
This is a true story. So James goes, hey, Van. Theo Vaughn. Theo goes, yeah, what's up? Theo used to do a podcast with the guy that I used to work with and all of this stuff. So I'm talking to Theo, and Theo's from Mandeville. We're the exact same age, and, you know, say, hey, man, what's a Mandyville? Blah, blah, blah. We're doing all of this stuff, and I start to feel like a ass, okay? You guys can laugh at it, but you can't think it, okay? So. So I start to feel like I'm cooking out. So after a while of me having pleasures, Theo, it's really happened. I pulled Theo to the side. I'm like, hey, man, I was really and have been really disappointed in you in some of the stuff that you've done with your podcast. I've been pissed off at you. We've been taking some shots at you on high alone. Had to do it. And Theo goes, man, I really didn't know he was gonna be like that. So this is what I'm saying. So then I asked Theo. So I'm like, okay, so what do I do here? There's two things I could do. I could snip his nuts, all right? But the other thing I can do is kind of welcome him in. No, fuck, not welcome him. Just push on that a little bit. Just be like, what do you mean? Talk to him for a little bit. And he starts telling me stuff and stuff like that. And it's clear that that is somebody who you could probably move, right? You could probably get somebody like that, with that type of platform, with that type of reach to come over. And if you can do it to that person, then you have to do it. But here's the thing.
Van Lathan
Wait a minute. You were booing me for saying the same thing. Why are you clapping for him?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
They like me but here's, but here's the thing though. This last thing I'll say about it. Everybody has different jobs, right? Everybody. That's your job.
Van Lathan
All right?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I'm not doing that. My job is to tell Theo, yo, I'm a fuck over you every chance I get, all right? You go out, use the fucking chin and the nice hair and you know all of that. You go get those people.
Van Lathan
Yeah. All right.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Everybody has to be okay with the bank. Everyone has different jobs.
Van Lathan
Go ahead.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Yeah, you can do it.
Van Lathan
All right, last topic. There have been some people that have been pissing me off about, about the South. Shit talk in the south. And there's a lot of northern libs, northern progressives right now that are saying, you know what, you know what we should do to get back in those southern states for Kalai? We should tell those 18 year old black boys that they shouldn't play for LSU or Alabama anymore. See, that's you guys. You're out there and I'm like, fuck you. You guys sacrifice your life for this country. Why are you telling, you know, why are you telling that 18 year old what he can do? He's got to go there. This is his moment to play in Tiger Stadium, to make money, to have his life. Why does that, why does he have to sacrifice for the country? What do you think about that?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Okay. I just want to make sure that you guys know that it was the NAACP that said that. So, but look, so this is why. This is why. This is what I'll say. I understand the sentiment. I understand the sentiment. I understand the sentiment that like, if you really want to piss Louisiana off, you can take a chuck out of LSU football. Here's the problem with it. I think a couple of things. Number one, it is doable. It wouldn't take a whole bunch of players. It take five, five stars in the south, five star recruits for people to be like, ah, there's a political contagion here that we need to contend with. But I do think that it is unfair to ask 17, 18, 19 year old kids to bear the brunt of that unless there is a robust economic movement.
Van Lathan
A slush fund, if you will.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Right?
Van Lathan
A $1.8 billion slush fund. Now we're talking. Now we're saying the same thing has to be a whole movement.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
And that has to be a part
Van Lathan
of the movement, all right?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Because like the, the culture and the financial benefit of going to LSU and making a whole bunch of nil money, you just can't put that all on those families and Those kids. But as part of a larger strategy, I'm not totally against it.
Van Lathan
All right, we're gonna bring out the rest of the crew. You got anything else on your mind? You got anything you're hot to trout on? You want these? You know, kind of Gen X white people to know about?
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
Nah, not at all. I'm with them, man. You're with me. The Gen X reality bites you guys want to talk about with Nona Rider?
Van Lathan
I'm talking about reality bites.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
I like that shit. Yeah.
Van Lathan
What's Lane Kiffin going to do? We going to. We going to go to the playoffs.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
What's Lane Kiffin going to do?
Van Lathan
Yeah, we going to go to the playoffs.
Co-host/Guest (likely a podcaster from Louisiana)
He's going to fuck us in the end is what he's going to do. But we going to ride the ride while we own it.
Van Lathan
All right, everybody, we're going to have some fun after this. Are you ready? This is your moment to go to the bar.
Commercial Voice
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Van Lathan
Really?
Commercial Voice
At a playground?
Van Lathan
Yeah, really. Look at these listings from dealers.
Commercial Voice
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Van Lathan
Really?
Commercial Voice
And you just put in your info and boom. Cars in your budget.
Van Lathan
Mom needs a second, honey.
Commercial Voice
You can really have it delivered.
Van Lathan
Really? Or I can pick it up at the dealership. One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car.
Commercial Voice
Mommy, I think your kid is walking up the slide.
Van Lathan
Kyle. Again? Really? Autotrader, Buy your car online? Really?
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Date: May 25, 2026
Host: The Bulwark (Van Lathan)
Guest: Unnamed Louisiana Podcaster (Ringer Podcast Network, co-host of Higher Learning)
In this lively episode, Van Lathan is joined by a fellow Louisiana-native podcaster for an unfiltered discussion blending southern culture, hard-hitting political realities, and pop culture, centered around the fallout from recent voting rights rollbacks in Louisiana and the viral moment when Van called out comedian and podcaster Theo Von. The conversation weaves through personal stories, frustrations over systemic injustice, strategies for outreach and activism (including tough talk on MAGA and the South), and iconic references from political movies to LSU football.
Time Stamp: 00:15–01:37
Introductions & Credentials:
Van Lathan introduces his guest—a co-host of the Higher Learning podcast and someone deeply rooted in Louisiana and Black politics, known for mixing serious topics with humor and candidness.
“We talk about blue political stuff and black stuff.” – Guest (01:18)
“Political stuff and black stuff.” – Van Lathan (01:22)
Pop Culture & Political Movies:
The pair riff on the most and least rewatchable political films:
Time Stamp: 02:21–07:50
Personal Impact:
Van shifts the tone, reflecting on how the gutting of the Voting Rights Act and the Calais ruling have devastated representation in Louisiana:
“They gutted the Voting Rights Act. And it started on my adopted home state, your native home state of Louisiana... a fucking disaster for the Deep South.” – Van Lathan (02:52)
Historical Context & Family Reflection:
The guest shares a deep personal anecdote about how segregation shaped even simple things like family barbecues, explaining the legacy to his grandmother, who believed her struggle had ended with progress:
“What my grandmother thought...She was proud of the fact that she had sacrificed and she had marched...to deliver to me a world that at least could recognize that was wrong...it was tough watching her come to terms with the fact that that battle wasn’t over... and not only that, but she might have lost it.” – Guest (04:07)
Mechanisms of Disenfranchisement:
Van describes how political actors manipulated the system, canceling a live election and stripping the predominantly Black city of Baton Rouge of representation:
“He goes, I’m going to cancel the election. Like, the election’s already started. I’m going to fucking cancel it. And we’re going to change the rules, and we’re going to take away one of your seats.” – Van Lathan (05:29)
Time Stamp: 06:09–08:47
Hard Realities:
The guest highlights how the lack of representation affects critical issues—environmental justice, mass incarceration, healthcare—especially for Black Louisianans:
“We’re talking about people...who got throat cancer at 15...violence...mass incarceration...they need representation to move their society forward.” – Guest (06:18)
Louisiana Political Culture:
Van and guest roast Governor Jeff Landry for canceling votes, traveling abroad amid the crisis, and being out of touch—a segment laced with raw local color and humor.
“That little son of a bitch has been in Greenland all week after he canceled our vote.” – Van Lathan (07:13)
“Now we got a bad Cajun, kind of a fake Cajun in control of the state.” – Guest (08:04)
Time Stamp: 08:47–14:31
MAGA Extremes and Denazification Analogy:
The guest draws historical analogies, arguing that dismantling MAGA requires the same intentionality as postwar Germany’s denazification:
“...the dismantling of MAGA has to be intentional...the denazification of Germany was very intentional...I personally believe that’s what we’re going to have to do with MAGA.” – Guest (09:07)
Winning Hearts vs. Drawing Lines:
Van and guest debate whether to keep dialoguing with those swept up in right-wing movements or to simply write off the “35%”:
“When they’re right in my face doing MAGA shit, my view is fuck them, you know? But...there are...nice people that voted for Donald Trump...” – Van Lathan (09:48)
“There are...fucking dicks that voted for Kamala Harris and there are nice people that voted for Donald Trump.” – Van Lathan (10:33)
Personal Anecdotes + Humor:
The Louisiana guest traces the spectrum of MAGA supporters, even sharing (jokingly) about odd encounters at his gym:
“I love mad ass white people...I like white on white violence. I watch Braveheart every weekend.” – Guest (10:54)
Time Stamp: 11:39–14:31
Face-to-Face with Theo Von:
The guest shares a candid, awkward, but ultimately hopeful exchange he had with comedian Theo Von at Equinox: he called Theo out for his platform’s dabbling with problematic content. Theo expressed surprise and regret, opening the possibility of “moving” someone with a major platform.
“I was really and have been really disappointed in you in some of the stuff that you’ve done with your podcast...And Theo goes, man, I really didn’t know he was gonna be like that.” – Guest (12:39–12:58)
Push vs. Welcome:
The duo playfully debate their roles—one being the carrot, one the stick when it comes to changing hearts and minds:
“There’s two things I could do. I could snip his nuts...But the other thing I can do is...talk to him...it’s clear that that is somebody who you could probably move...” – Guest (13:20)
“Wait a minute. You were booing me for saying the same thing. Why are you clapping for him?” – Van Lathan (13:54)
Division of Labor:
“Everybody has different jobs, right?...My job is to tell Theo, yo, I’m a fuck over you every chance I get...you go get those people.” – Guest (14:11)
Time Stamp: 14:31–16:23
Northern Liberal Backlash & Southern Football:
Van points out calls by some northern progressives to urge Black athletes to boycott southern colleges (LSU, Alabama) in protest over voting rights, a suggestion the hosts find dubious.
“Why does he have to sacrifice for the country? What do you think about that?” – Van Lathan (15:09)
The guest pushes back:
“It is doable...But I do think that it is unfair to ask 17, 18, 19 year old kids to bear the brunt of that unless there is a robust economic movement.” – Guest (15:36)
“The culture and financial benefit...you just can’t put that all on those families and those kids. But as part of a larger strategy, I’m not totally against it.” – Guest (16:10)
Time Stamp: 16:31–16:50
Reality Bites and LSU Football:
The duo joke about generational touchstones and get in some last jabs at Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss coach):
“He’s going to fuck us in the end is what he’s going to do. But we going to ride the ride while we own it.” – Guest (16:44)
On Justice Lost:
“It was tough watching her come to terms with the fact that that battle wasn’t over. And not only that, but she might have lost it. And that's hard.” – Guest (04:41)
On Political Manipulation:
“He goes, I'm going to cancel the election...And we're going to change the rules, and we're going to take away one of your seats.” – Van Lathan (05:29)
On MAGA and Dividing Lines:
“The denazification of Germany was this very intentional thing...that’s what we're going to have to do with MAGA.” – Guest (09:09)
On Reaching Out to Opponents:
“There are...nice people that voted for Donald Trump. I'm sorry, that's just true. That's just true.” – Van Lathan (10:33)
On Familial Pride and Pain:
“My grandmother thought...she was proud...it was tough watching her come to terms with the fact that that battle wasn't over.” – Guest (04:07)
On Confronting Theo Von:
“I pulled Theo to the side. I'm like, hey, man, I was really and have been really disappointed in you...it's clear that that is somebody who you could probably move, right?” – Guest (12:54–13:20)
| Time | Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:15 | Intro, podcast credentials, pop culture banter | | 01:40 | Best/worst rewatchable political movies | | 02:21 | Voting Rights Act gutting, Louisiana impact | | 03:36 | Baton Rouge family history & systemic injustice | | 05:09 | Manipulation of votes, Jeff Landry critique | | 06:09 | Social issues in Louisiana (health, environment) | | 08:47 | MAGA extremism & denazification metaphor | | 11:39 | Theo Von confrontation: Challenge & possibility | | 14:31 | Should athletes boycott over politics? | | 16:39 | Jokes about Lane Kiffin and football |
Conversational, deeply personal, irreverent, and sometimes raw—with moments of sharp anger, biting humor, and honest introspection. Banter and cultural references keep the tone relatable and engaging, even when discussing serious societal failures.
This episode is a powerful journey through the lived realities of southern Black Americans post-voting rights rollback, with a distinctive mix of hard truths, humor, and pop-culture color. Van Lathan and his guest explore not just what’s been lost in Louisiana, but where strategies and responsibilities lie for bridging political divides—or not. Their story about confronting Theo Von is emblematic of the episode’s challenge: Do you write people off, or meet them where they are? And who gets to make that call? For listeners, the conversation is both a window into the soul of the modern South and a challenge to rethink both outrage and outreach in the fight for justice.