While the fight for social justice is ongoing, SPLC and communities in the South continue to make progress on the most pressing issues facing our country. Every month, we go behind the headlines to bring you relevant stories that center around social justice in the South. From eradicating poverty to voting rights, and dismantling White Nationalism, we actively reshape the narrative of what’s happening in the South.
The United States’ 250th year is a time for celebrating, reflecting and looking ahead to envision the nation’s next milestones. Apathy Is Not an Option talks to the SPLC’s Rivka Maizlish about how to honestly reckon with the past on this important occasion, with further insight from professor Carol Anderson on learning from historical struggles to create a better future. That future will be shaped by young people like recent high school graduate Harper Walton-Mouw, who joins us to discuss what the 250th means to her generation. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors, and Jade Abdul-Malik is the associate producer. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. Alexandria Beightol is the host. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, and Kali Robinson is the associate producer, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
What does it take to protect a community from being pushed off its own land? This week on Apathy Is Not an Option , Sapelo Island advocate Josiah “Jazz” Watts joins attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Economic Justice litigation team to break down the fight to preserve one of the last intact Gullah-Geechee communities in the South. As developers push for expansion and rising property values threaten generational land ownership, longtime residents have been forced into court to defend their culture, history and right to remain. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors, and Jade Abdul-Malik is the associate producer. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. Alexandria Beightol is the host. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
April is Fair Housing Month — a time to reflect on what it really takes to achieve housing justice. In this episode of Apathy Is Not an Option , host Alex Beightol is joined by Teresa Fox-Bettis, a regional fair housing expert based in the Gulf Coast, and Richard Rothstein, a nationally recognized housing scholar and author, to examine the legacy of redlining and what true accountability looks like today. This conversation challenges us to confront how policy shaped inequality — and what it will take to change it. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors, and Jade Abdul-Malik is the associate producer. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. Alexandria Beightol is the host. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
What does it take to build a future where Black communities not only survive, but thrive? Walter Greason and Reynaldo Anderson join Apathy Is Not an Option to explore how Afrofuturism helps us reimagine what’s possible and how it intersects with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s work to advance racial justice, strengthen democracy and challenge systemic inequality. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. Alexandria Beightol is the host. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, Apathy Is Not an Option sits down with Karen Baynes-Dunning, the first Black woman to serve as board chair of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Baynes-Dunning shares the lessons she learned from the women who inspired her, the challenges of leading in spaces where few look like you, and why Southern women remain a powerful force in the movement for justice and democracy. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. Alexandria Beightol is the host. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, joins SPLC investigative reporter Caitlin Cruz for a powerful conversation about her journey from resisting the legacy of her parents — the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King — to embracing her calling to carry their vision forward through nonviolence and lasting social change. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
In honor of Black History Month, Apathy Is Not an Option brings together Lauren Blanding of the SPLC’s Civil Rights Memorial Center, Elizabeth Reese of Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House and Dan Moore Jr. of Atlanta’s APEX Museum to discuss the role museums play in shaping public memory. As debates over how U.S. history is told continue nationwide, this episode examines how museums defend truth, confront hard histories and preserve Black history at a time when public truth is increasingly contested. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
During Poverty Awareness Month, interim Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Bryan Fair joins Apathy Is Not an Option to examine the systems that perpetuate poverty and to underscore why advancing dignity, economic justice and meaningful relief across the South and beyond remains an urgent core priority of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
From the powerful insights of author Clint Smith to an invigorating call to action from civil rights legend Dolores Huerta, Apathy Is Not an Option is wrapping up 2025 with a look back at some of our favorite moments this season. Join us to relive conversations with these icons and more, including Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
SPLC Florida Policy Director Jonathan Webber, senior staff attorney Ahmed Soussi and Deputy Legal Director for Democracy and Voting Rights Bradley Heard join Apathy Is Not an Option to explain how everyday people can still make their voices heard, even when faced with partisan redistricting and barriers to simply casting a vote. Then, Louisiana State Rep. Terry Landry Jr. speaks on how stepping into elected office has given him hope about the future of our democracy. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with assistance from technical producer Neil Parekh and senior producer Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa, and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and 2025 Atlanta Pride Grand Marshals Raquel Willis and Dr. Christy Perez share stories celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and Atlanta Pride — two movements rooted in visibility, culture and collective power across the South. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host, Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with production assistance from Neil Parekh and Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, SPLC attorney Malissa Williams, cultural leader Beverly Steele and young Royal residents join host Alexandria Beightol to explore what the unfulfilled promise of 40 acres and a mule really means — and why it still matters. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with video production by Neil Parekh. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Back to school — but not back to silence. Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw and author Clint Smith join us to challenge the erasure of Black history and explain why the fight over curriculum is a fight for democracy. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with video production by Neil Parekh. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas join Alexandria Beightol to challenge the myth of American freedom. From Ferguson to ICE raids, they expose the lies built into our national story and unpack how Black and immigrant communities are redefining freedom—and why true patriotism means fighting for justice for all. Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with video production by Neil Parekh. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
In this Juneteenth episode, we trace Black resistance from Ferguson, Missouri, to the courtroom. Historian Stefan Bradley, media justice advocate Brandi Collins-Dexter, and SPLC co-founder Joe Levin reflect on protest, digital activism and legal strategies against hate. What do we inherit when we resist — and what do we risk? Apathy Is Not an Option is a production of PRX and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Terence Bernardo handles sound design and mixing. I’m your host Alexandria Beightol. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with video production by Neil Parekh. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Dr. Leah Barlow, Liz Mikitarian, Catherine Lhamon, and YT Bell join Apathy Is Not An Option to expose how disinformation is reshaping public education—and what it takes to fight back. From preserving Black history to protecting students’ rights, these voices are leading the charge for inclusive, truthful learning. Hosted by Alexandria Beightol. A production of the Southern Poverty Law Center and PRX. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Sound design and mixing by Terence Bernardo. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with production assistance from Neil Parekh and Jennifer Lazarus with Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
In this episode of Apathy Is Not an Option, we meet the next generation of Southern changemakers. You'll hear from SPLC's Rivka Maizlish, who unravels the myths and misinformation surrounding monuments, and Jeremiah Treece, a teen in Montgomery, Alabama, calling for a new city flag free from Confederate imagery. We then visit Parker Short, a policy student exposing the racist legacy of Georgia’s Stone Mountain. These young leaders are confronting the past to build a more just future. Alongside insights from SPLC’s Seth Levi, we also unpack the lies of the “Lost Cause,” the myth of “product of their time,” and why monuments matter in the fight for truth and accountability. Whether it’s standing up to symbols of white supremacy or rewriting the narrative of the South, these stories prove the future belongs to those who refuse to be silent. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Sound design and mixing by Terence Bernardo. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with production assistance from Neil Parekh and Jennifer Lazarus of Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales. Visit and follow us on social media to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice.
In our first episode of Apathy Is Not an Option, we explore how the ongoing fight for civil rights in Alabama, the historical significance of the Selma Bridge Jubilee, and the deep roots of activism can pave the way to confronting new and evolving threats to civil rights. From grassroots organizing to legal victories that reshaped the national landscape, this conversation highlights the resilience and power of collective action. Visit splcenter.org and follow us on social media @splcenter to learn more, take action, and support the work of dismantling white supremacy and advancing racial and economic justice. Nichole Hill and Mark Pagán are the senior producers and editors. Sound design and mixing by Terence Bernardo. For the SPLC, the executive producers are Cassandra Douglas and Julian Teixeira, with production assistance from Neil Parekh and Jennifer Lazarus with Digimentors. From PRX Productions, the project manager is Edwin Ochoa and the EP is Jocelyn Gonzales.
Apathy Is Not An Option: Presented by the Southern Poverty Law Center is more than a podcast—it’s a call to action. Each episode dives into the urgent issues shaping our communities, from voting rights to racial and economic justice and the fight against hate and extremism. Hosted by Alex Beightol, this podcast brings bold, unfiltered conversations with activists, thought leaders, and everyday people pushing for change in the South and beyond. Listen now —because sitting this one out is not an option. Learn more at splcenter.org .
