I'm Jonathan K. Parton, welcome to K-PART.

In March 2021, Heather McGee came to the podcast to discuss her new book, The Some of Us,

What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.

The enduring image from The Some of Us was McGee's retelling the story of how white people

drained public pools rather than share them with their black neighbors.

But throughout her book, she showed how that kind of zero-sum politics animates much

of American society.

Today, McGee is back.

This time, as the author of the best-selling book The Some of Us, which is now the foundation

of her new podcast series by the same name from Higher Ground Productions, a company founded

by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

In this conversation, first recorded on July 21st for Washington Post Live, McGee talks

about the hopeful conversations she's had and the inspiring actions she's seen while

putting the podcast together.

People are living in the America that's becoming and they're figuring out how to do it.

And that's what I wanted to shine a light on.

So great to see you again.

Before we talk about your podcast series, remind folks of the thesis of The Some of Us.

The Some of Us was a book that I wrote kind of out of frustration after 20 years almost

working in public policy and feeling like there were these invisible headwinds that were

holding us back from doing, as I say, in the opening line of the book, just making

sure that all Americans can just have nice things like universal child care and paid family

...