It's time to vote, and it's time to Listen to Black Women-again! Welcome to Listen to Black Women: Election Special, where hosts Jessie Woo and Lore'l open Season 6 with a powerful conversation on the state of our democracy. With Election Day (November 4) right around the corner, this episode is essential viewing. From city halls to the halls of Congress, voters nationwide have the chance to make our voices heard at a critical moment in time.

Source: Group House Media / other In this must-see episode, voting rights activist, author, and former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams and award-winning community organizer, political strategist, and co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund LaTosha Brown pull up to the table for a timely, empowering discussion about power, politics, and what's at stake this election season.

Together, they break down the political schemes undermining our democracy-and how everyday people can push back. Manufactured chaos While unsettling headlines pop up on our feeds daily, fueling our anxiety, this chaos is by design, LaTosha Brown explained. "We have to recognize that this moment is being manufactured in a way to keep us divided, to keep us in a constant state of chaos and fear, so that we're paralyzed and won't respond to what is happening right now." Donald Trump is hardly the first wannabe autocrat to come for democracy. Not even a year into office, his administration has wasted no time rolling out a playbook of disruption, distraction, and control. "What I need people to understand is this ain't the moment to not pay attention. You gotta wake up," Brown urged.

Source: Group House Media Like it or not, politics touches every part of our lives-governing access to everything from clean water and safe roads to affordable food and healthcare.

"People may not be into politics, but politics is into you," said Stacey Abrams. "We don't all have to do the same thing, but in this moment, we all have to do something. And if we are willing to do something, we get the world we deserve." "If somebody is working this damn hard to take something from you, it has value."LaTosha Brown Blueprint of autocracy The warning signs aren't new-they're part of a familiar pattern. As Abrams outlines in 10 Steps to Autocracy, we are witnessing this administration behave less like a presidency and more like an autocracy, working deliberately to gut and corrupt our democratic institutions. "With those 10 steps, once you've done them, you wash, rinse, repeat," Abrams explained. "You never have to give up power because people are afraid, they are silenced, they are broken, and they believe there's no point in fighting back. But I don't actually believe that's where it ends." Organized power Against the threat of autocracy, Abrams offers her own blueprint: 10 Steps to Freedom and Power, emphasizing what's possible when people move together. As Brown affirmed, "Organized people is organized power." Boycotting is one example of organized power. "We can change markets by organizing our money," Brown said. By joining boycotts like Blackout Week this November, people have the power to use economic pressure to drive change. "We're not gonna spend our dollars with folks who work against us." By organizing our votes, we decide who leads and who steps down. "We've got to see our vote as a part of resistance," Brown said. "We have to use every single tool available to us to resist." November 4th is a pivotal moment for voters across the country-a chance to exercise our voice and impact leadership at every level, from prosecutors and sheriffs to mayors, governors, and members of Congress. This Election Day, "we've got 53,000 elections across this country," Abrams said-an opportunity to tell our leaders, "We see you and we refuse to be silent."

Source: Group House Media Our communities "When we organize our time in our communities, we can create a frontline that can protect us," Brown said.

"The scripture says that perfect love drives out all fear. We have to love each other, our communities, and our institutions like we have never loved before." With vital support systems being dismantled, our survival depends on collective care, Abrams said. "(The administration) created food insecurity, slashed the money for SNAP and WIC. The reason they do that is to break our will. But they only break our will if we decide that they are the only ones who can help," she said. "Our most important job in this moment is to ask: how can I help?" Legacy of resistance Trump has been going after anybody who refuses to fall in line, like New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Black women who are standing their ground in the way of his authoritarian agenda. "I'm proud to be in a long legacy of Black women who resisted," Brown said. "It's in our veins, in our blood-we come from a legacy of resistance. Why? Because our survival depended on it. What else can I do but fight?" RELATED CONTENT: From