A new episode recorded on a phone call this week! Social distancing in full effect! Ai-jen, Alicia, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley connected from their homes to discuss hope in a time of crisis, movement building, mutual support, and comfort food. Rep. Pressley also explains how a casual photo op brought the Congressional Squad together, sparking friendship and a sense of progressive power that goes way beyond these four women. (She wouldn’t show us the Squad group chat, though.) Plus: The importance of birthday cake when it’s not your birthday, and Rep. Pressley’s top five tips for living well in “the time of the rona.” Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

It’s our first dude on the show! Comedian, author, and United Shades of America host W. Kamau Bell explains how feeling like an outsider shaped his worldview, and gives props to his mom, who smashed barriers of all kinds while raising him alone. Plus: Why it’s OK to laugh at things you don’t agree with, learning the value of listening, and what we really mean when we say there are “two Americas.” Kamau and Alicia also bond over their shared passion for pimple-popping videos. Ai-jen is mildly horrified. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

According to “Queen Sugar” star Dawn-Lyen Gardner, she’d be Alicia and Ai-jen’s baby, if Alicia and Ai-jen had a baby. Dawn explains the complexity that drew her to playing Charley West—and how the role has helped her learn about herself. The ladies also discuss what it’s like to be “100% a lot of things” as members of many different communities, and get very, very real about Hollywood’s complicated relationship with activism. Recorded live at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

“I don’t shine if you don’t shine”. Writer, podcast host, and all-around badass Aminatou Sow tells Alicia and Ai-jen why she believes that everything worth doing takes time—and why it’s so important to fight for ourselves and for those who come after us. The ladies also smash misconceptions about self-care (spoiler alert: it’s not just mani-pedis, it’s political) and discuss Shine Theory, a concept Aminatou developed with her BFF and “Call Your Girlfriend” co-host Ann Friedman. How are women building a new political culture based on the premise that “I don’t shine if you don’t shine”? How can we gain power by replacing competition with collaboration? And what does it take to truly invest in each other as friends? Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

All you have to do is show up. How can we stay present, focused, and engaged in these chaotic times? Alicia and Ai-jen share their personal chill-out tips, then discuss why protesting is a powerful action—and a great way to get inspired and connect with your community. The ladies reflect on their first protest experiences (and arrests!), and offer practical advice for protesting, including what to bring, what to wear, and the ideal speaker-to-song ratio. You’ll also hear voices from Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Friday climate protests in Washington D.C., as women from across the country explain their motivations for putting their bodies where their values are. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

Twerking for the revolution! Make it clap so we can heal! In this ep, we cry laughing with Tony Award-winning writer/performer Sarah Jones as she embodies the voices of many different characters to help us all get to the root of what we're fighting for. She tells Alicia and Ai-jen how her family inspired the varied voices that brought her from downtown cafes to Broadway, and why making people laugh is such an essential part of her work. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

We all need help and we all need each other. For this inspiring episode, Alicia and Ai-jen gathered five of their best friends and fellow women changing the world for an evening of tequila, face masks, and serious wisdom. Listen in as Tarana Burke, Fatima Goss Graves, Mónica Ramírez, Teresa C Younger, and Sarita Gupta open up about their hopes for 2020, the need for quiet time, helping women see their own power, and connecting across generations. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

How do you become a leading activist in America? In this deeply personal episode Ai-jen and Alicia open up about their families, their intros to social justice, and how their friendship and activism became intertwined. Ai-jen and Alicia are BFFs, badass activists, and your guides to finding light in the storm, but it was a journey to get there! There’s plenty of laughter as the ladies share previously untold stories about their childhoods (can you guess who threw food, and who was “the baby from heaven”?). Plus: Alicia’s child modeling career, Ai-jen’s “Miami Vice” obsession, and Shannen Doherty as fashion inspo. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

When Heather McGhee isn’t fighting for justice, writing, teaching, and raising her son, she’s daydreaming about biscuits (butter only, please). She tells Alicia and Ai-jen how she got involved with economic policy advocacy, what she learned about the intersection of racism and inequality after the 2008 financial crisis, and how becoming a parent made her work even more urgent. Plus: What really happened after Heather’s viral TV moment with Gary in North Carolina. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .

Astrologer Chani Nicholas joins Alicia and Ai-jen to discuss the intersection of social justice and the stars. They discuss her New York Times-bestselling book, “You Were Born For This,” and what the planets say about this year. She also clarifies the aspects of astrology that people often misunderstand (hint: the stars and planets can guide you, but they can’t do the work for you). Plus: Overcoming self-doubt, finding your true purpose, guilty fashion pleasures, and Chani’s passion for pie. Subscribe and listen or download the transcript .