Gettin' Grown – "Fighting Back" (feat. Janai Nelson)

Podcast: Gettin' Grown
Hosts: Jade and Keia (Takiya)
Guest: Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Release Date: April 8, 2025
Network: Loud Speakers Network

Episode Overview

In this vital episode of Gettin' Grown, Jade and Keia bring powerhouse guest Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), to the kitchen table. The conversation dives deep into fighting for civil rights, understanding the legal system in times of chaos, and what it looks like for everyday people—especially Black women and young people—to protect their rights and leverage their power amid rampant attacks on democracy, racial equity, and civil protections. The tone is warm, blunt, hopeful, and pragmatic, mixing laughter and cultural nods with the seriousness of the moment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The State of Civil Rights & the LDF’s Mission

• Janai Nelson’s Background

  • Passion for Black people and justice since childhood, early radicalization, influenced by readings (Malcolm X, Assata Shakur) and involvement in social clubs.
  • Found her calling in law after exposure to legal students at NYU discussing constitutional and human rights (12:02).
  • “I've always been very much in love with black people, warts and all.” – Janai Nelson [11:21]

• Independent Role of LDF

  • LDF is not directly part of the NAACP since 1957 but shares the mission of advancing civil rights, founded in 1940 by Thurgood Marshall (09:41).
  • LDF uses legal action and other tools—celebrated its 85th anniversary just weeks before this recording.

Why the Current Moment Feels Unique (and Unsettling)

• Historic Regression of Rights

  • The US had been progressing toward expanding rights, inclusivity, and protections for over 60 years, but has now hit a “brick wall” and faces deliberate backlash.

  • Roots of regression traced back to post-emancipation “redemption” eras, through civil rights advancements and targeted rollbacks, especially post-1980s and the election of a Black president (16:15 - 19:00).

    “...We've been able to somehow drag this country, you know, against its will, forward. Maybe not as quickly as we want, but we've been able to drag it forward, and I believe we will continue to be able to do that.” – Janai Nelson [16:37]

    “By the time we got to a Black president, they had had enough.” – Janai Nelson [18:55]

• Systemic Attacks Are Not New, but the Intensity Is

  • Every time Black America has advanced, a backlash has followed, but this moment is marked by the speed and breadth of erosion of rights and norms—especially under Trump administrations.

LDF’s Active Litigation and Executive Overreach

• Fighting Trump’s Unlawful Executive Orders

  • LDF has consistently litigated against both Trump administrations. Current efforts include:

    • Orders attacking birthright citizenship (a right established post-emancipation)
    • Attacks on diversity/equity/inclusion initiatives, including lawsuits over funding and program access
    • Orders threatening historical institutions like the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
    • Measures designed to undermine or restrict voting rights for millions (21:05 - 24:35)

    “He truly is trying to act like a king, like an oligarch, like someone who has no constraints on his power.” – Janai Nelson [23:00]

• How Emergency Relief Works in the Courts

  • LDF seeks emergency court intervention to pause these orders, explains that real-life impacts are immediate and severe when federal funding is cut for community organizations, housing, education, and health (25:47).

    “There are real harms happening right now... literal lives are on the line.” – Janai Nelson [25:47]

Everyday Power: What Ordinary People Can Do

• Local Power > Just Federal Attention

  • Know your local elected officials—city council, state senator, sheriff, coroner, school board—because local governance and budgets directly impact daily life (29:35 - 36:53).

    • Practical advice: After this episode, spend 15 minutes finding out who rep’s you locally; save their numbers.
    • Participate in school board meetings, budget hearings, and raise community concerns.

    “People feel that there's so much distance between themselves and their representatives, and there really isn't.” – Janai Nelson [30:00]

• Protecting Yourself & Each Other

  • Assert your rights (the right to remain silent, right to counsel) but recognize these are effective only if respected—so community intervention is often needed (33:05).

    • Encourage community to record police encounters, support each other in public, refuse to be passive witnesses.

    "If more of us are involved…they can't grab everybody up at once." – Takiya [34:11]

• Participatory Budgeting and Knowing the System

  • Engage in government budgeting processes (“participatory budgeting”) which can shift priorities from policing and incarceration to education and healthcare (42:11 - 44:56).

    • Janai promises resources on how to get involved.

    “A budget is the clearest reflection of your priorities.” – Janai Nelson [43:21]

Advice for Youth & Burned-Out Adults

• Messages to Young People

  • Young people have inherited a tough fight, but history shows Black communities have always made change against the odds.

    • Find your “frontlash”—get involved in organizations, bring new energy and ideas, run for office (45:56).
    • All gifts matter, from art to organizing.

    “Everybody has some gift to contribute, and you just need to figure out what yours is.” – Janai Nelson [59:00]

• To the Tired, Overwhelmed, or Disengaged

  • Everyone’s capacity is different—some may march, some may organize, some may boycott companies, some may sign petitions.

  • None are exempt: “Complacency is the last thing,” and “That’s what they count on.” – Janai Nelson [53:47]

  • Even small acts (calls, emails, consumer choices) matter.

    “Our ancestors didn’t say, you know what, I’m just gonna sit there and take the lash...We don’t have that luxury.” – Janai Nelson [51:21]

Building for the Future & Final Words of Encouragement

• Even in the darkest moments, Black organizers have transformed society.

• Now is a chance to "make it what it should have always been.”

  • Stay engaged, learn the history, join one relevant action or organization, and use your individual strengths.
  • “We are the authors of our future. We have got to keep writing it.” – Janai Nelson [55:14]

• Where to Start?

  • Read, watch documentaries (ex: "13th"), follow changemakers, or attach to one issue you care about (57:54 - 59:00).
  • Visit LDF’s website, follow on social for updates and resources.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Always Loving Black People

  "I've always been very much in love with black people, warts and all."
  – Janai Nelson [11:21]

• On Current Lawlessness

  “You said it appears like a lot of laws are being broken and norms and rules, because they are.”
  – Janai Nelson [14:07]

• On Complacency

  “Complacency is the last thing... That’s what they count on.”
  – Janai Nelson [53:47]

• On Contribution

  “Everybody has some gift to contribute, and you just need to figure out what yours is.”
  – Janai Nelson [59:00]

• On Hope

  “We have been able to transform the very worst conditions into something beyond imagination...Does this give us an opportunity to say, while this country is, is on its last leg, can we swoop in and make it what it should have always been?”
  – Janai Nelson [55:14, 56:49]

Key Timestamps

• 01:47 – 04:45: Opening banter, music, and Toni Braxton love
• 05:13 – 07:33: Commentary on global crises and community reminders (Sudan, Gaza, Yemen)
• 08:52 – 10:50: Introduction of Janai Nelson & LDF
• 11:08 – 12:46: Janai’s personal story and radicalization
• 14:07 – 19:10: Legal regression, systemic backlash, and historical context
• 21:05 – 24:35: LDF's current lawsuits against executive overreach
• 29:35 – 36:53: How local politics, school boards, and budgets impact us
• 45:56 – 48:52: Advice for young people and generational struggle
• 50:02 – 54:38: Finding balance between self-care and activism
• 57:54 – 59:34: How to start if you feel inexperienced or disconnected
• 61:17 – 62:44: How to support LDF and Janai, and encouragement to get involved

Community Resources Mentioned

• LDF Website: naacpldf.org
• Local official directories ("take 15 minutes and plug them into your phone")
• Participatory budgeting links (to be shared in show notes)
• Visual and print resources for those learning legal basics (“13th” documentary)
• Organizations to follow for global and US news (Sarah BS On Blast for Sudan)
• AbortionFinder.org (mentioned multiple times as resource for reproductive rights nationwide)

Tone, Approach & Unique Episode Elements

• Tone: Warm, unapologetically Black, honest, balancing humor and urgency.
• The hosts ground the hard topics in solidarity, history, and culture (singing “Unbreak My Heart,” referencing Toni Braxton, talking about fitness and self-care).
• Listeners are reminded some days will feel overwhelming, but Black women’s resilience and history are living proof survival isn’t just possible—Black communities can thrive and change the arc of history.
• Personal anecdotes, humor, and pop culture keep the episode real and relatable, never losing sight of joy and community.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, here’s what matters:

• Yes, things are hard, and attacks on rights are very real—but there is both a legacy and strategy for fighting back.
• You have more power than you think, especially locally.
• Find your lane—small actions, creative skills, calls, economic choices, or joining organizations—all matter.
• The Legal Defense Fund and others are fighting in the courts, but need communities awake, informed, and participating at every level.
• None of us are exempt from this fight, but self-care and capacity matter.
• History shows oppressed people have always bent the world toward justice—but only because they chose action over apathy.

Resources & Further Information

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: naacpldf.org
• LDF on social media (links in show notes)
• Community/local political involvement resources (participatory budgeting guides)
• Learn your rights & legal basics (“13th” documentary, state ACLU chapters)
• Abortion access: abortionfinder.org
• World news on Sudan, Gaza, Yemen: links in the show notes and at Sarah BS On Blast

"We are the authors of our future. We have got to keep writing it." – Janai Nelson [55:14]