The SLAY! Podcast
The youth don't vote enough. Let's talk about it.
Joined by experts and activists, host Kathy Duan explores political and societal issues, with an emphasis on how youth can get involved.
This podcast will SLAY (Shaking Landscape for All Youth Voting)!
Introducing The SLAY! Podcast
Tune in as Kathy Duan interviews activists and experts on issues of her generation with a focus on how to take action.
Note: This introduction was recorded while Kathy was still a high school student. She is now a student at Stanford University.
Finding Common Ground in Criminal Justice with Dream.Org CEO Nisha Anand
Episode 11 - April 30, 2025
In her TED talk “The radical act of choosing common ground,” Dream.Org CEO Nisha Anand talks about criminal justice as an issue across party lines and about the necessity of choosing common ground. Her speech was powerful and hit on what I believe is the key to creating lasting change in criminal justice. But five years have passed since her talk, and a lot has changed. In a political climate that feels like it’s hurling faster and faster toward greater polarization, what does choosing common ground look like today?
Insider’s View Pt.3: Interview with Brittney Desselle, Legislative Aide to California State Assemblymember Diane Dixon
Episode 10 - April 22, 2025
In part three of the Insider’s View series, patient advocate-turned-legislative aide Brittney Desselle joins us to share her journey working in policy. Tune in to learn how she has grown and used her role to impact our communities.
Insider’s View Pt.2: Interview with John Duncan, Legislative Assistant to California State Assemblymember José Luis Solache, Jr.
Episode 9 - April 20, 2025
In part two of the Insider’s View series, I am joined by our guest John Duncan, Legislative Assistant to California State Assemblymember José Luis Solache, Jr., and my co-host for this series, Kira Armstrong. Today, we’ll explore what it’s like to be a legislative assistant and whether it could be the right fit for you.
Insider’s View: Legislation with Carson Knight, Legislative Assistant to Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom
Episode 8 - March 17, 2025
In previous episodes, we have dived deep into the politics, but today, we will take you on an adventure behind the scenes: into the California Legislature. Joining me today are the co-host for this episode, Kira Armstrong, a high school junior at The Webb Schools, and our guest Carson Knight, Legislative Assistant to Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom.
Future of the Democratic Party Pt. 2 with California Democratic Party Organizing Director Cassandra Chavez
Episode 7 - March 10, 2025
In a previous episode with California Democratic Party Delegate Ethan Reznik, we discussed the future of the national Democratic Party. Today, we will continue to explore this topic and talk about issues like the conservative shift among Asian American, Latino, and youth voters. Specifically, we will zoom in on the California Democratic Party and speak with its Organizing Director, Cassandra Chavez.
Indigenous Transtemporality and Kinship with Researcher Violet Luxton
Episode 6 - February 12, 2025
Transtemporality and the Technology of Indigenous Kinship: the Science of Remembering Ourselves” discusses how various Indigenous groups view time as nonlinear and kinship as extending to all life. Today, we’ll joined by the author, Violet Luxton, a Claremont Graduate University Cultural Studies PhD candidate and The Webb Schools’ Lab and Research Intern, to explore how these ideas can be applied to climate action, governance, the legal system, and youth political power.
Future of the Democratic Party with California Democratic Party Delegate Ethan Reznik
Episode 5 - February 13, 2025
The Democratic Party is struggling. In the 2024 election, Democrats lost votes from the working class, youth, and various other minority groups, including Latino, Asian American, and Black voters. Joined by Ethan Reznik, a California Democratic Party Executive Board Member and delegate, we’ll discuss what the Democratic Party needs to do and more broadly, what this means for American politics.
Annunciation House Trials: Religion in Politics with Author of Universal Faith Jenny Wang
Episode 4 - February 9, 2025
The Annunciation House, a Catholic charity that aids and houses migrants, is facing arguments that it should be closed for violating state laws against running a stash house and human smuggling. Featuring Jenny Wang, a Stanford student and author of Universal Faith: Conversations with 15 Religious Leaders in Southern California, this episode will explore the role of religion in politics, including how youth's decreasing involvement in formal religious activities can affect the future.
How to Increase Youth Voting: Interview with Tufts CIRCLE Researcher Ruby Belle Booth
Episode 3 - October 29, 2024
Enough talking; it's time to take action!
Democracy: the Demise of Intergenerational Justice? Interview with Georgetown Government Richard Boyd
Episode 2 - October 24, 2023
Intergenerational justice, the concept that the past, present, and future generations have equal rights to live on a healthy planet and that everything that happens now will affect that right of the future generation (Strazzante), might just be condemned by the presentist democracy. Joined with Georgetown Government professor Richard Boyd, this episode will explore the fundamental issues of democracy for intergenerational thinking and how to best work around it, with an emphasis on the role of youth.
The Movement Building of Today - Interview with Gen Z Activist
Episode 1 - September 26, 2023
In this fast-paced society with everyone glued to their screens, it can seem that no one genuinely cares about activism anymore. In this episode, we will explore the role that education has in the status quo and more importantly, how to become an activist yourself in an interview with the founder of ActionPakt and Gen Z activist, Anya Pinto.