Race and Democracy Creators & Guests

Eric Cervini (born 1992) is an American author, activist, and historian of LGBTQ politics and culture. His debut book, The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. The United States of America (2020) was a New York Times Bestseller. He also produces a podcast, The Deviant's World, and a series on Youtube and, Instagram titled The Magic Closet, both of which focus on sharing LGBTQ history.

Adam Serwer is a political journalist, currently writing for The Atlantic. His work focuses on white supremacy, race in America, and the Trump administration.Serwer was raised in Washington, D.C. He received his B.A. from Vassar College and his M.A. from Columbia University's School of Journalism.After graduating, Serwer became a writing fellow at The American Prospect. He went on to work at Mother Jones, the Atlantic, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Jack and Jill Politics, Salon, and BuzzFeed News. Serwer has appeared on other media such as All Things Considered, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, In the Thick, and On My Mind with Diane Rehm to discuss his writing.

Sherrilyn Ifill is a lawyer, and expert on voting rights and judicial selection. Currently, she is a law professor at the University of Maryland Law School and also president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.Ifill began her legal career in a fellowship with the ACLU in New York. She then served as assistant counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, where she litigated Voting Rights Act cases. Her first book, "On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century," was published in 2008.Ifill was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York. She received her B.A. from Vassar College and her J.D. from the New York University School of Law. She interned for Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. and at the United Nations Centre for Human Rights.