This time on Code WACK!

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we're rebroadcasting our Anthem Award–winning episode on one of the most overlooked civil rights battles in American history: the desegregation of hospitals.

The episode features Dr. Barbara Berney, a distinguished public health scholar and the creator of the award-winning documentary Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution. Together, we explore how federal Medicare dollars were used as a powerful tool to force hospitals to integrate in the 1960s.

We're uplifting this groundbreaking story to educate a new generation about the critical role health care played in the civil rights movement—and to confront how racism still shapes access to care and health outcomes today.

This is part one of a two-part series.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

This time on Code WACK!

As healthcare costs skyrocket and Americans face new coverage threats, California advocates are pushing for something bigger than simple fixes around the edges. We're joined by longtime healthcare organizer Michael Lighty, who breaks down the fight for single payer, what's at stake in 2026, and why unity may be the key to winning guaranteed healthcare for all.

Michael is the president of Healthy California Now and has organized, advocated and developed policy for single payer Medicare for All nationally and in California for more than 30 years. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Michael Lighty.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

This time on Code WACK!

Today we're talking about rising healthcare costs and the renewed momentum behind Medicare for All. Recent polling shows majority support for the idea across Democrats, independents, and even a notable share of Republicans, even when voters are told it would replace most private insurance and require higher taxes.

As premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs continue to climb, healthcare affordability is once again front and center in the political debate. To help us unpack what's driving this support-and whether it represents a real political opportunity-we're joined by longtime healthcare advocate and policy strategist Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now and former healthcare constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign. This is the first of two episodes with Michael Lighty.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.