Houston politics is in the middle of a changing of the guard.

On this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan sits down with communications strategist Shea Jordan Smith for a real, unfiltered conversation about where the city goes from here. From the legacies of Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner, to the young wave of leaders stepping up — Dolores Lozano, Christian Menefee, and the State House candidates on the ballot right now — they break down what Houston's political future actually looks like.

The conversation also covers the stuff nobody else says out loud: the fear-mongering ads flooding the feed, why kitchen-table issues (gas prices, property taxes, Medicaid) beat culture wars every time, the real story behind the James Talarico vs. Jasmine Crockett primary, what political creators actually do behind the scenes, and the big question, who's next on the 2027 Houston City Council horizon.

Plus: election week energy, rapid-fire questions, and an NGO Spotlight on The Montrose Center and the work they do for LGBTQ+ youth in Houston.

Mark your calendar:

📅 Early Voting: Oct. 19–30

🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3

🔴 LIVE every THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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Shea Jordan Smith

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander and CiErra break down MLK's 1967 question and whether Black institutions have ever answered it, starting with the Nicole Hannah-Jones school experiment, the New York Times writer who sent her daughter to an under-resourced public school instead of using her family's means, betting that affluent Black families could uplift failing schools by their presence. Pan and CiErra debate whether that's a radical act of community investment or a risky sacrifice, and whether the daughter was a pawn in her parents' experiment.

Pan and CiErra dig into the school choice debate, public school vs. charter school vs. micro schools, and the Toure controversy over sending Black kids to PWIs and private schools to "navigate whiteness." They break down the broken promise of integration, how it opened the capital pool while creating a hyper-individualism that left the community behind, and why MLK's call for Black institutions to organize for economic mobility still hasn't produced a Black Houston think tank. CiErra also delivers the Three Earths Theory of radical imagination, they cover 2026's book bans, even Where the Wild Things Are got pulled for being "too dark", and Pan explains why real solutions like Saturday Black history schools, resource-pooling coalitions, and a welcome network for Black families moving to Houston matter more than a thousand turkey drives.

Then CiErra shouts out The Black School in New Orleans' 7th Ward, Joe and Shawnie's organization teaching radical activism through art, which is opening its new building this Saturday, and Houston folks can join HBAD for civic engagement at their next meeting on October 20th. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.

They say send your kids to the school that gets them the best shot. I say if we can't get it together for the babies, what we gonna get it together for? Support The Black School's opening, check your civic engagement calendar, and pull up Thursday.

📅 Mark your calendar:

The Black School grand opening in New Orleans: October 10th

HBAD civic engagement meeting: October 20th

🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander breaks down what in the hell is going on in America, from Trump's proposed $100 million Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial, to the fight over renaming the USS Doris Miller after a sitting president, to Pete Hegseth's controversial new Religious Affairs office at the Pentagon that critics say erases the separation of church and state. This is the political commentary you need before the midterms.Pan digs into the economy with sky-high gas prices and grocery prices, ICE raids devastating the agriculture industry, and why Trump is telling Republican voters to "act like I'm on the ballot" heading into the 2026 midterm elections. He also delivers a frank conversation about vote-splitting in Black political races, why so many Black candidates entering the same race costs the community real political power, and what it takes to build lasting Black political power in Texas and beyond.Then Pan takes a point of personal privilege to launch his brand-new website, christiantalexander.com, home of the Black Voter Hub, a one-stop resource for Black voters in Harris County and Fort Bend County to check voter registration, find polling places, look up important election dates, discover Black candidates, and get involved as an election worker or precinct chair. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.The show also covers the data center boom in Texas, where data centers have poured more than $343 million into communities across the state for infrastructure, schools, and emergency services, and why Pan warns rural communities that this PR money comes with water depletion, noise, health risks, and no real economic value. Plus, leaked audio reveals Ken Paxton admitting that Trump's appearance dropped Republican convention numbers, and Pan reacts to taxpayer-funded White House propaganda ads ahead of the midterms, including the claim that "America will never be a communist country" — and Pan's argument that America is actually an oligarchy where the state has been sold to big business.They say America will never be a communist country. I say look at who owns the state. The midterms start October 19b check your registration, find your polling place, and discover Black candidates at christiantalexander.com. 📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclips⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816⁠

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