Host Liz Purvis returns to The Foxfire Dispatch after a couple months away, explaining she needed the break while starting a new job and moving into a new home. In this minisode, she skips a full news breakdown and leans into an “Even Art Is Political” segment, reading Ada Limón’s “A New National Anthem” and reflecting on its tension of critique and belonging, then sharing her own poem of the same title, written after Limón, about loving a place that keeps trying to make you leave and continuing to show up for people told their voices don’t count.

She outlines what’s ahead for season two as North Carolina heads into the summer of 2026 and toward the general election: following congressional races, amplifying down-ballot and judicial races, discussing progressive infrastructure work, featuring more interviews, and including more art and culture, while maintaining a looser schedule and asking for grace.

00:00 Welcome Back Minisode

01:39 Where Ive Been

02:57 Why This Podcast

03:54 Even Art Is Political

05:01 Ada Limon Poem

07:31 My New Anthem

10:38 Season Two Roadmap

13:23 Rest And Resolve

14:22 Support And Sign Off

Host Liz Purvis discusses what it means to run outside the two-party system with Jason Brown, an independent progressive candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 4th District, a Democratic-leaning seat spanning urban/suburban areas like Richmond and rural communities farther south.

Brown argues reform within a capitalist two-party framework can’t deliver systemic change and says the system prioritizes private profit over public good. His core platform is abolishing ICE and pursuing “affordability for all,” including housing, education, healthcare, universal pre-K, and public transit, while criticizing spending on war and proposed ICE detention expansion.

He describes voter frustration with “lesser of two evils” politics, emphasizes organizing working-class power, and shares campaign realities without party infrastructure, including ballot-access signature gathering and relying on small-dollar donations while rejecting corporate PAC and AIPAC money.

Host Liz Purvis welcomes guest host Coach LeVon Barnes of Alamance County, a 23-year educator and working-class father running for a North Carolina General Assembly House district 64, to discuss why he entered politics and what he learned from past campaigns.

We break down key North Carolina primary results and dynamics, including Alamance county commissioner and sheriff races, Durham’s Congressional District 4 primary between Valerie Foushee and Nida Allam (and Allam’s concession), new Durham school board members, and debates over severe public education underfunding and how counties are forced to fill gaps. We also discuss Roy Cooper’s Senate run, the importance of judicial races like Justice Anita Earls, surprising statewide outcomes, the razor-thin Phil Berger–Sam Page Republican contest, Democratic primary upsets of incumbents who overrode vetoes, and how turnout, organizing, and down-ballot investment shape November. Find LeVon at LeVonforNC.com

Host Liz Purvis welcomes Kyah Creekmore, a 24-year-old Democratic candidate running in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District primary to take on 20-year Republican incumbent Virginia Foxx.

Creekmore describes the gerrymandered, sprawling 10-county district—largely rural and Appalachian but containing major student populations across campuses like UNC Greensboro, NC A&T, and App State—and argues those students are a growing political force. The conversation covers recent student organizing and marches after the State Board of Elections removed campus polling locations and Sunday voting, which Creekmore frames as youth and Black and brown voter suppression.

He contrasts Gen Z’s realities—low wages, high rents, rising tuition, student debt, and weak job prospects—with older, wealthier political leadership, and emphasizes building a youth movement and mobilizing disengaged voters through lived-experience messaging. The episode ends with a lightning round and ways to support the campaign at KyahCreekmore.org, with Liz noting the race’s importance for rebuilding political power in gerrymandered communities.

In this episode of The Foxfire Dispatch, host Liz Purvis interviews Kate Compton Barr, the first Republican candidate to be featured on the show. Barr, a behavioral scientist and advocate for democracy, is running in the March Republican Primary for North Carolina's 14th Congressional District. Known for her radical transparency and previous 'can't win' campaign against gerrymandering, Barr discusses her motivations, experiences, and strategies for challenging incumbent Congressman Tim Moore.

The conversation also delves into broader topics such as housing affordability, economic security, and the unique challenges of running as a progressive Republican in a gerrymandered district. Tune in for a candid and insightful discussion about political representation, voter empowerment, and the need for systemic change.

In this episode of The Foxfire Dispatch, Liz Purvis is joined by Rebekah Whilden, who returns as a co-host to discuss their political wishlist for 2026, focusing on North Carolina's future. They delve into topics such as fair representation, access to opportunities, and significant upcoming elections, including Roy Cooper's Senate race and Anita Earls' Supreme Court re-election. The conversation also covers structural issues in North Carolina politics and the importance of infrastructure and storytelling. The episode wraps up with a fun discussion on the finale of Survivor Season 49 and the anticipation for Season 50. Tune in for an engaging mix of serious political discourse and light-hearted reality TV talk, emphasizing the importance of imagination and hope in shaping the future.

For more on Carolina Forward, visit https://carolinaforward.org/.

In this episode of The Foxfire Dispatch, host Liz Purvis welcomes Rebekah Whilden, the Executive Director of Carolina Forward, for an insightful and candid conversation. Rebekah discusses her journey and the instrumental role Carolina Forward has played in advancing pro-democracy values and policies that serve all North Carolinians. The episode also delves into the significance of storytelling in political advocacy, the unique challenges of organizing in a purple state like North Carolina, and how to bridge the urban-rural divide. Rebekah shares her reflections on balancing non-partisanship while staying true to progressive values, the importance of coalition building, and innovative ways to engage with communities through social media. Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on building durable power through narrative and community-centric approaches.

For more on Carolina Forward, visit CarolinaForward.org.

In this eye-opening episode of The Foxfire Dispatch, host Liz Purvis and guest-host Sydnie Hutchinson, the second vice chair of the Gaston Dems and a candidate for the NC House, dive deep into a shocking story of political corruption in Stanly, a small town in Gaston County, NC. They discuss how former mayor Steven Denton manipulated the system, securing a highly paid town manager position for himself and gerrymandering the town to maintain control. Through detailed recounts and personal experiences, this episode exposes the lengths to which some will go to maintain power, and the community’s efforts to reclaim transparency and democracy. Tune in for this special bonus episode to hear how residents are fighting back against entrenched corruption.