Capitol Hill Podcast

Dear Minority Leaders, Today I am excited and honored to speak with my good friend Hope E. Goins, Minority Staff Director of the House Committee on Homeland Security and bestselling children’s author. Hope is the top advisor to Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson on all matters related to the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and national security related matters throughout the Executive Branch, including counterterrorism, countering violent extremism, intelli...

Dear Minority Leaders, Today I’m joined by my Delta Sigma Theta Soror and former Capitol Hill colleague, Dr. Kwamme Anderson. Kwamme and I both worked for our soror Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), albeit at different times. She has worked as a congressional staffer to Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), all powerful black women policymakers. Kwamme also counts the late civil rights leader and famous (and some would say infamou...

In this episode, host Algene Sajery speaks with Fatema Z. Sumar, international development and author of The Development Diplomat: Working Across Borders, Boardrooms, and Bureaucracies to End Poverty. Fatema shares her experience as a first-generation Muslim American, woman, and mother working on foreign aid efforts in Capitol Hill and the developing world in the wake of 9-11. Fatema offers practical advise to women of color looking to advance their careers in this space .Learn more about yo...

In episode 6, host Algene Sajery speaks with Jessica Lee, Senior Research Fellow for the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Jessica's research at QI focuses on U.S. foreign policy toward Asia-Pacific region, with an emphasis on alliances and North Korea.Jessica shares her views on U.S. policy towards the region, her work to advance a new U.S. foreign policy centered on diplomatic engagement and military restraint, Asian American representation in national secu...

In this second episode of The Minority Leaders, host Algene Sajery speaks with Mieke Eoyang, Senior Vice President for National Security at Third Way, a national think tank that champions center-left ideas. Mieke is one of the most respected thought-leaders on foreign policy and national security issues in Washington. She is also deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of women of color in that male dominated field. In this episode, Mieke shares some of her experiences as an Asian A...

In this inaugural episode of The Minority Leaders, host Algene Sajery speaks with leaders of the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance (BWCA)— an organization focused on helping to promote and mentor Black women congressional staffers. BWCA co-founders Keenan Austin Reed and Christina Henderson discuss how a "bring your own wine" happy hour evolved into the premier professional network dedicated to empowering black women who work on Capitol Hill. So get your glass of wine, and join Algene, Keen...