Listening to Sandy and Nora Talk Politics is like eavesdropping on the dinner table conversation of two passionate activists. Hosts, Sandy Hudson and Nora Loreto are both involved in community organizing and are able to bring their own insights and perspectives to topical and urgent issues. Hudson and Loreto are also able to draw connections to political issues and movements that the general public might be unaware of, especially as Hudson is one of the founders of Black Lives Matter Toronto. They clearly state which topics they are and aren’t educated about, so the podcast has a tone that is knowledgeable but not pedantic.

As shown by recent controversy over a comment Loreto made on Twitter regarding the role of race and gender in the international response to the Humbolt tragedy, the pair do not shy away from big questions and issues. They voice perspectives that are often overlooked, and consider the effects of political issues on women, Black populations, Indigenous populations and other underrepresented persons.

Sandy and Nora Talk Politics covers a broad range of political topics and time-sensitive issues, such as as online abuse, gentrification and their most recent episode on the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion. Their episode “Fighting Gentrification” focuses on gentrification in Toronto specifically, but is relevant to cities across Canada. Hudson and Loreto discuss the impact of gentrification on racialized and marginalized people, but also critically analyze the movements resisting it. The episode begins with a general discussion that defines and depicts gentrification, providing examples from Hudson and Loreto’s own experiences. Although the opening of the episode is not dissimilar to a conversation that might be heard on a college campus or in a living room, Hudson and Loreto later turn to the less mainstream topic of means of resistance to the displacement of low income communities, including the crucial role of municipal elections, and conclude the episode on an empowering note.

Hudson and Loreto make trustworthy hosts because they follow their talk with action; not only are they both activists within their communities, but they are working to make their podcast more accessible by transcribing it in both English and French. In each episode, the hosts use clear and simple language, making the podcast accessible to listeners with any level of education. Sandy and Nora Talk Politics captures how millennials experience politics. The podcast is a mix of frustrated rants and empowering affirmations of movements and resistance.