Steve Phillips suspected there would be no “red wave” in November. One of the most astute political thinkers of our time, he showed us, in his book Brown is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Created a New American Majority, that people of color in combination with progressive whites comprise the majority in this country, a majority that put a Black president in the White House twice. In his new book, How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy Forever, he sheds light on the forces that seek to undermine our democracy, drawing a straight line from the Confederacy to Donald Trump, and illuminates the path forward by highlighting the organizations and individuals whose sustained efforts have transformed the political landscape in Georgia, Arizona, and beyond. In this conversation, Steve shares his core motivation for writing this book, which he describes as a culmination of his life’s work up to this point. We also discuss his writing routine, the surprises he uncovered in his research, and the examples, past and present, that inspire him to continue the fight.

If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also enjoy Singer-Songwriter Activist Holly Near: I Am Open and I Am Willing; Dancer-Choreographer Tonya Marie Amos: Dance for the Revolution; Writer-Director-Activist Michael Gene Sullivan: Never Shoot for Compromise; and Playwright-Performer-Visual Artist Herbert Sigüenza: White Jesus Was the Original Fake News.

Off-Leash Arts theme music by Asher Witkin.