Democrats won big in the 2026 midterms, taking control of both the House and Senate. But who helped make this historic victory possible, and what lessons should we take from it?

In this episode of "The Justice Briefing", historian Dr. Jemar Tisby examines the election results, the political power of Black voters and organizers, and the long struggle for American democracy.

YOU'LL LEARN

- Why Black voters and Black women played a critical role in the midterm victories.

- How Mississippi's Reconstruction and Redemption history reveals an American tradition of authoritarianism and voter suppression.

- Why Black Christianity deserves more recognition in conversations about faith and politics.

- What historical setbacks teach us about sustaining political movements.

- Why accountability must be a priority for the incoming Democratic Congress.

Jemar also reflects on the importance of celebrating hard-won victories while preparing for the work ahead.

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Get Dr. Tisby's latest book: "Notes from an Evangelical Reject"

What does it mean when a Christian says, “Jesus is my candidate”?

Can pastors avoid partisan endorsements while still addressing political injustice?

And how should believers navigate imperfect electoral choices?

In this Election Day special of "The Justice Briefing", Dr. Jemar Tisby welcomes Dr. Christina Edmondson, Rev. Dr. Mika Edmondson, and public theologian Ekemini Uwan.

The conversation responds to remarks by Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell on Cam Newton's "Funky Friday" podcast.

What You'll Learn

- Why Christina calls for greater precision, courage, and community.

- How Mika connects political responsibility to the Good Samaritan.

- Why Ekemini emphasizes social location, informed voting, and accountability.

- How the Black freedom struggle informs Christian political ethics.

- Why pastors can reject partisan endorsements while providing moral guidance.

- How prayer, worship, organizing, and listening shape Christian engagement after Election Day.

• Truth's Table — The podcast cohosted by Christina Edmondson and Ekemini Uwan, exploring theology, race, culture, gender, and public life.
• Truthful Prayers for Resisting the Chaos — Christina Edmondson and Ekemini Uwan's forthcoming devotional book, mentioned as Truthful Prayers.
• What Makes Leaders Wise — Christina's book on wisdom, leadership, and organizational health
• Christianbook.com
• The Power of Unearned Suffering — Mika Edmondson's examination of Martin Luther King Jr.'s theology of suffering.
• Koinonia Church, Nashville — The congregation pastored by Mika Edmondson.
• Sistamatic Theology — Ekemini Uwan's website for her writing, speaking, preaching, and theological work
• Notes from an Evangelical Reject — Jemar Tisby's forthcoming book

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What could the midterms change in Congress? What do early-voting numbers reveal? And what happens after Election Day?

What happens if the election results are close? What if a candidate refuses to concede? And what happens between the time polls close and the moment elected officials actually take office?

In this episode of The Justice Briefing, historian Dr. Jemar Tisby examines the November 3 elections and the processes that follow.

• How a new House majority could block legislation, conduct investigations, and exercise oversight.
• Why early-voting turnout is drawing attention in North Carolina, Florida, and other states.
• Which Southern races involving Black candidates have historic significance.
• How vote counting, recounts, legal challenges, and certification work.
• What the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's 1964 challenge teaches us about political participation and long-term change.

This episode connects the immediate stakes of the 2026 midterms to the history and institutions that shape American democracy.

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My new book is for anyone who has wondered about or walked away from a community they once called home.

Pre-order your copy of Notes from an Evangelical Reject.

00:00 — Why the midterms don't end on November 3

01:39 — What's at stake in the 2026 elections?

04:57 — What a Democratic House majority could do

07:01 — Congressional investigations and oversight

09:34 — Impeachment powers and the limits of House control

11:54 — What political participation can accomplish

12:42 — Supporting independent journalism and the forthcoming book

14:54 — Early-voting turnout and Kentucky's limited voting window

17:01 — Party breakdowns: North Carolina, Florida, and other states

21:48 — Competitive races and Black candidates in the South

25:51 — Georgia, Stacey Abrams, and the importance of long-term organizing

29:38 — Florida, Byron Donalds, and the meaning of political representation

37:26 — What happens after Election Day?

41:18 — Counting, recounts, challenges, and certification

43:18 — How to evaluate claims about election integrity

53:26 — Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

56:58 — What history teaches about political change

Why did Ryan Coogler set "Sinners" in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1932? What do the film's music, Christianity, vampires, and racial dynamics reveal about the Jim Crow South? And how much history is contained in scenes that last only a few seconds?

In this special Sinners Movie Teach-In, historian Dr. Jemar Tisby joins award-winning creator Garrison Hayes to explore the overlooked history and cultural influences behind Ryan Coogler's acclaimed film.

Jemar spent years teaching and living in the Mississippi Delta, not far from Clarksdale, and has devoted his career to studying race, religion, and justice in American history.

Together, Jemar and Garrison examine the film's historical setting, its religious symbolism, the music of the Delta, and the economic structures that shaped Black life long after emancipation.

**Spoiler warning:** This conversation discusses major plot developments and scenes throughout the film.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome and introduction to the Sinners Movie Teach-In

05:18 First impressions of Sinners and its Clarksdale setting

10:18 Chinese immigrants and racial boundaries in the Delta

13:23 Introducing the Sinners Movie Syllabus

16:10 The Mississippi Delta: slavery, cotton, and generational poverty

22:38 Fannie Lou Hamer, education, and Black religious thought

28:34 Christianity, Hoodoo, and African spiritual traditions

33:40 The blues, Robert Johnson, and the juke joint

36:43 The vampires and competing visions of unity

41:08 Convict leasing and the prison labor system

46:37 Sharecropping, plantation money, and debt

51:47 Ryan Coogler's ownership deal and economic power

57:41 Chinese–Black solidarity and survival under Jim Crow

61:35 The Choctaw and Indigenous knowledge

65:59 Irish identity, colonialism, and the construction of whiteness

68:28 How to use the Sinners Movie Syllabus

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dr. Jemar Tisby is a historian, author, filmmaker, and racial justice advocate whose work explores the intersection of faith, history, and justice.

Garrison Hayes is an award-winning communicator and creator whose work explores history, race, culture, and contemporary issues.

Free Educational Resource: The Sinners Movie Syllabus

Jemar Tisby and historian Keisha N. Blain created the #SinnersMovieSyllabus, a free guide to the history and culture that informed the film.

The syllabus includes books, films, music, and educational materials about the Jim Crow South, Black Christianity, the blues, migration, racial violence, and Black horror.

Read the syllabus HERE

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How do you tell a compelling story about racism, injustice, or social change without making your audience feel like they're listening to a sermon? What separates a story that moves people from one that overwhelms them with its message? And how do you build a creative career telling these stories when there isn't an obvious path forward?

In this episode of The Justice Briefing, historian, author, and filmmaker Dr. Jemar Tisby sits down with award-winning writer and director Nick Brooks, director of the new narrative short film What Will We Tell Them.

Brooks is the author of Promise Boys, Up in Smoke, and the Ethan Fairmont trilogy. His creative career has taken him from teaching and writing children's books to filmmaking, music, and video game writing.

Their conversation explores the craft of storytelling, the relationship between social justice and art, the importance of representation, and the persistence required to create opportunities.

• Why justice-centered stories can become preachy.
• How to build a story around characters.
• Brooks's three ingredients for a strong story.
• Why trusting your audience matters.
• How lived experience shapes creative work.
• How to pursue opportunities before you feel fully qualified.
• How to move from inspiration to a finished film.
• What went into making What Will We Tell Them.

Nick Brooks is an award-winning author, director, and musician whose work spans young adult and middle-grade fiction, film, and music. His writing explores the lives of young people navigating institutions, expectations, and systems of inequality.

Learn more about Nick: thenickbrooks.com

Learn more about the film "What Will We Tell Them" by subscribing for updates at: jemartisby.substack.com

00:00 — Welcome and *What Will We Tell Them* screening announcement

01:45 — Meet Nick Brooks: author, filmmaker, and creative artist

04:47 — Telling stories about justice without preaching

08:30 — Hook, heart, and theme: how Brooks develops stories

11:19 — The influence of hip-hop, books, and Black storytelling

14:47 — How to nurture social awareness in young people

18:20 — Howard University, mentorship, and discovering education

24:09 — Writing children's books and finding a creative purpose

29:15 — Creating opportunities and getting a literary agent

33:56 — Taking risks, handling rejection, and writing for GTA VI

38:15 — How children's books opened doors to a new career

41:11 — *Fruitvale Station*, Ryan Coogler, and becoming a filmmaker

45:30 — Learning filmmaking by getting onto film sets

48:13 — Mistakes to avoid when telling stories about injustice

50:44 — The story behind *What Will We Tell Them*

54:21 — Filmmaking challenges, preparation, and adapting on set

57:29 — Private screening details and ways to support the film

Subscribe to "Footnotes" for historically grounded analysis, commentary about faith and justice, and updates on new films and educational projects: jemartisby.substack.com

Instagram: @JemarTisby

In a rare guest interview, Dr. Jemar Tisby sits down with Dr. Matthew D. Taylor, author of the new book Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists.

They discuss Christian supremacy, Christendom, and imperialism. Going deeper, they explore how Jesus displayed and taught about power, and why the tyrants who claim his name avoid those teachings with surgical precision.

They also talk about the cost of this work. Dr. Taylor lost his job for writing this book.

You'll come away with a theological case for defying tyrants and a picture of what that looks like in the church, in politics, and in everyday life.

Get Defying Tyrants wherever you get your books.

Topics Addressed

• Pete Hegseth's speech and the new Office of Religious Affairs
• Constantine's conversion and the merging of church and empire
• Christian supremacy as the ideology beneath Christian nationalism
• Why "antichrists" in 1 and 2 John refers to Christians who harm others in Jesus' name
• The parable of the wheat and the tares
• The cost of speaking out against authoritarianism

Support conversations like this one by becoming a paid subscriber at JemarTisby.Substack.com.

Resources Referenced

• Matthew D. Taylor, Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists (Broadleaf, 2026)
• Matthew D. Taylor, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy (2024)
• Matthew D. Taylor's Reckonings (Substack)
• Scripture: Mark 10:42-45; 1 John 2:18-19; Matthew 13:24-30

Get the course. Gain the confidence: How to Resist White Christian Nationalism

White Christian nationalism is the greatest threat to democracy and the witness of the church in the United States today.

Most people who follow this work already know that. So why don't we have more confidence to confront it?

In this back-to-basics episode of The Justice Briefing, Dr. Jemar Tisby names five obstacles to confidence:

1. leaving out the "white,"

2. calling every conservative Christian a Christian nationalist,

3. leading with facts alone,

4. stopping at 'it isn't really Christian,"

5. mistaking understanding for resistance.

Along the way, he brings the receipts, from PRRI's newest data showing that nearly two-thirds of Americans resist Christian nationalism to Gorski and Perry's "deep story" of a Christian America that was supposedly stolen and must be taken back.

The episode builds toward a revelation Dr. Tisby had live on the show: what people need most to resist white Christian nationalism is confidence. The truth is on our side.

To move from understanding to action, Dr. Tisby introduces his new self-paced course, How to Resist White Christian Nationalism.

Topics Addressed

• How the plantation's paternalistic hierarchy mirrors the white Christian nationalist vision
• Tokenism: why people of color in the movement are useful but never central, and why tokens get spent
• New PRRI data: nearly two-thirds of Americans resist Christian nationalism, with Arkansas and Mississippi the least resistant states
• The "deep story" of white Christian nationalism and why we must meet a bad story with a truer story
• The third commandment, the no true Scotsman fallacy, and the responsibility of Christians to resist
• The ARC of Racial Justice and the gap between understanding and action

Resources Referenced

1. How to Resist White Christian Nationalism (self-paced course), Dr. Jemar Tisby

2. PRRI, New Report Analyzes the Two-Thirds of Americans Who Resist Christian Nationalism (September 24, 2026)

3. Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2022)

4. Dr. Jemar Tisby, The Color of Compromise (2019)

5. Dr. Jemar Tisby, How to Fight Racism (2021), source of the ARC of Racial Justice

6. Scripture: Exodus 20:7; Isaiah 6:8

Support the Show

Fewer than 5% of subscribers make this truth-telling at the intersection of faith, history, and justice possible. For $7 a month, or $5.83 a month on the annual plan (less than a gallon of gas in LA), you can help keep The Justice Briefing going. Become a paid subscriber at JemarTisby.Substack.com.

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