In this powerful episode of The MPAC Podcast, host Salam Al-Marayati sits down with nationally acclaimed civil rights attorney and activist Constance L. “Connie” Rice.
Having won over $10 billion in class action settlements and policy changes – including the largest civil rights settlement in U.S. history – Connie Rice shares why winning in court wasn’t enough when her clients were still dying in the streets. She breaks down her shift from suing the LAPD to partnering with them to pioneer public health community policing, the limits of court litigation, and why modern protest movements fail when they aren’t tied to power infrastructure.
Salam and Connie also dive deep into the current threat of authoritarianism, structural economic inequality, and what it takes to protect the constitutional order.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction & Connie Rice’s Legacy
01:41 – Winning Lawsuits While Clients Were Dying
03:28 – From Suing the LAPD to Transforming Police Culture
11:23 – Why the 1960s Civil Rights Playbook Doesn’t Fit Today
18:18 – Analyzing the Authoritarian Threat & Systemic Disinvestment
23:15 – Protests vs. Power: The Pitfalls of Modern Movements
32:42 – Grocery Bills, Economic Despair & Political Realities
50:41 – Gaza, Media Coverage, and U.S. Foreign Policy Double Standards
01:10:03 – Why Los Angeles Politics Fail Everyday Citizens
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