The 29% Problem: Steve Phillips on Race and Power

In this episode of Everyday Conversations on Race, Simma Lieberman sits down with Steve Phillips — national political leader, three-time author, Guardian and New York Times contributor, and founder of Democracy in Color. His latest book is

Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America (his latest)

Key concepts discussed:

SWAMP — Straight White American Male Preference: a framework to reframe the equality debate and expose overrepresentation of white men (29% of the population, yet dominant in every power structure)

SWAMP Audits — a practical tool anyone can use to assess their organization, city, or institution

Virtual Precinct Captains — building a personal list of 20 people, keeping them informed, and making sure they vote

The demographic transformation of America: from 88% white in the 1960s to 41% people of color today

Why mobilizing the existing diverse majority is more effective than chasing white swing voters

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