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In the 'Remarkable People' podcast, host Guy Kawasaki engages with Margaret Huang, the president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Huang shares her journey from her upbringing in East Tennessee, where she attended a Chinese school and noticed the absence of Chinese and black history in her school curriculum, to her extensive career in human rights and racial justice advocacy. She recounts her time at Amnesty International USA and her educational background in international affairs and foreign service. The conversation delves into her personal history, including her father's emigration from China and her parents' academic careers. Huang and Kawasaki discuss the gaps in historical education in the U.S., particularly regarding the Japanese internment during World War II, which both learned about outside of school. They also touch on the racism Huang faced as a child and the lack of Latino representation in her school. Huang explains the SPLC's mission, its evolution from tackling discriminatory practices to combating white supremacist groups, and its landmark victory against the KKK. She details the SPLC's current strategies, including research and analysis of hate groups, educational initiatives, and the meticulous process behind their 'Year in Hate' report. The SPLC's criteria for designating hate groups are based on targeting people for immutable characteristics, and they also track anti-government extremist groups. Huang clarifies that the SPLC only designates groups within the U.S. and has identified extremist political candidates through the SPLC Action Fund. She expresses concern over the increasing openness and coordination of hate and extremism, comparing the current situation to the Jim Crow era. Despite this, Huang remains hopeful, citing community organization and resistance, particularly in the Southern U.S., and the transformative work led by Stacey Abrams in Georgia. She emphasizes the importance of sustaining these efforts and pushing back in the 2024 elections to prevent the erosion of democracy. The conversation also covers Huang's work with Amnesty International, advocating for asylum seekers and refugees, and the broader range of human rights issues they now support. Huang discusses the importance of acknowledging and learning from historical atrocities, contrasting Germany's approach with the U.S.'s reluctance. She highlights the SPLC's Learning for Justice initiative, which provides resources for teaching inclusive and accurate history. Huang also mentions a case in Georgia where a teacher was fired for reading a book about accepting different identities, which the SPLC is now contesting. She urges support for the SPLC's mission and encourages collective action and partnership. The podcast concludes with Kawasaki considering Huang's advice on speaking engagements in states like Florida, where policies may not align with his values, and promoting his new book, 'Think Remarkable,' co-authored with Madison Nysmer.
In the 'Remarkable People' podcast, host Guy Kawasaki engages with Margaret Huang, the president and