The Gist

Claude Steele Has a Better Way to Talk About Race

June 4, 2026·41 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Today on The Gist, Mike revisits the suddenly shifting Spencer Pratt/Nithya Raman race in Los Angeles, where prediction markets flipped as late-arriving California ballots changed the picture. The bigger question: is slow vote-counting actually a democratic problem, or mostly a problem for people who want election night to behave like a TV show? Then, Stanford social psychologist Claude Steele joins to discuss his new book Churn: The Tension That Divides Us and How to Overcome It. Steele, known for coining the term "stereotype threat", argues that prejudice and bias are real but not the whole story. Much of American life is shaped by the fear of being seen through a stereotype, or accused of seeing someone else that way. Mike and Steele talk DEI, color blindness, anti-racism, policing, trust, and why “be open and curious” may beat a lot of official diversity training.   Produced by Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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