Organizer of Target "Fast" Speaks Out on Boycott's Impact and Next Phase
For the past 40 days, Pastor Jamal Bryant has been leading a Target “fast” over the retailer’s decision to pull back on DEI. He reveals to Victor what came from a meeting with the company’s CEO and plans for a “second phase” of boycotts.
Head Start has helped millions of low-income children get access to an early education. Now a Trump Administration budget draft calls for the elimination of federal funding for the program. Dr. Deborah Bergeron, who led the program under the first Trump Administration, tells Victor why the news caught her “off guard”.
Plus, Victor shares the story of Alfredo Orellana. He is a green card holder who helps care for a man with autism, Luke Ferris. Orellana’s wife, Anita, is 7 months pregnant. But now Orellana has been detained for months and faces deportation. The father of the autistic young man he is a caregiver for, along with Orellana’s wife and their attorney, Ben Osorio, share with Victor the impact this is having for both their families ahead of an upcoming hearing.
Later, Victor gets reaction from acclaimed environmental justice activist Catherine Coleman Flowers to news that a Justice Department agreement to help Lowndes County, a majority-Black county in Alabama, deal with harmful sewage issues is being dropped, citing DEI.
And you’ll hear from 15-year-old Gaby and Miami Arts Studio choral director Cindy Ellis after a video of their high school’s performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” went viral. All the singers are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. And Gaby reveals that her father nearly died in the recent nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic, which adds to the post-performance emotions.
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43:10
Planning for the Future in This Economy; Mahmoud Khalil's Legal Team Reacts to Judge's Ruling
A new survey of how consumers feel about the economy confirms: the vibes are off. And we know the impact is disproportionately felt by people of color, trying to save for the future and retirement. Victor asks entrepreneur John Hope Bryant if he sees a way forward.
An immigration judge in Louisiana says pro-Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported. Members of Khalil’s legal team, Baher Azmy and Ramzi Kassem, tell Victor what the decision means for Khalil and the other students facing deportation for their activism.
Victor also shares the devastating case of Victor Perez. The 17-year-old with autism was shot multiple times by police in Idaho. He was seen with a knife, but the family – and even the original 911 caller – say officers totally botched their response. CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey shares his analysis.
Plus, the National Indian Health Board wants to meet with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, which dropped just as National Minority Health Month got underway. Victor speaks with their CEO, A.C. Locklear.
And later, Augusta has a new monument to the Black caddies of The Masters. Victor explores their overlooked legacy and the tribute with artist Baruti Tucker in this week’s “Art is Life”.
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42:32
Small Business Owner Fears Impact of Trump's Trade War on American Dream
The rollout of President Trump’s tariff plans is generating a lot of anxiety on Wall Street and main streets across the country. Victor speaks with economist Valerie Wilson, who lays out the disproportionate risks people of color could face from Trump’s trade war. And Victor gets real-world perspective from Atlanta-based small business owner Felipe Arroyave, who is worried that the tariff whiplash is putting his American dream at risk.
Plus, Victor reveals the books that stood out to him from a list of nearly 400 that were pulled from the Naval Academy’s library. The pentagon's first chief DEI officer - who is also a Navy Veteran and current member of congress – Gil Cisneros shares his reaction.
And later, Victor catches up with hip hop artist Petey Pablo to talk about how his iconic track "Raise Up" could soon be the official hip-hop song of North Carolina.
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42:50
Trump Vows Changes to History and Art at the Smithsonian; Actor Malik Yoba Speaks Out
The Trump Administration is fighting to detain and deport Cornell student activist Momodou Taal. Taal’s attorneys, Eric Lee and Chris Godshall-Bennett, have a warning about other foreign students they say are being targeted across the country.
President Trump says he wants to remove "improper ideology" from our nation's top historical and cultural institution, the Smithsonian. Pulitzer-prize winning historian of African American history, David W. Blight, explains why he thinks this is “a political declaration of war.”
Latino and Black voters could have a particularly important role to play in the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race that’s getting national attention. Victor speaks with Milwaukee County GOP Chairman Hilario Deleon and Angela Lang, the executive director of Black Leaders Organizing Communities in Milwaukee, about their respective outreach.
Plus, Actor Malik Yoba got a lot of attention for saying "I’m no longer a Black man." He joins Victor to explain why he thinks people missed his real goal of sparking a conversation about the ongoing purge of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
And later, Lisa France and Victor break out their fans to talk about line dancing and Black joy as an act of resistance.
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43:20
Former Air Force Secretary Has Warning About Pentagon’s DEI Website Purge
The Department of Defense is getting heat for misfiring badly in their rush to scrub DEI from their websites. Former Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, joins Victor to share a warning about the military's diversity purge.
After a judge called out the "frightening implications" of President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants, Victor gets perspective from Jose Antonio Vargas, who made headlines after telling the story of his life as an undocumented person. He shares with Victor the concerns he has about the immigrant community, and his own legal status.
Plus, Victor speaks with Former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights, Catherine E. Lhamon, about the impact of President Trump’s order to begin dismantling the Department of Education on schools, districts and children.
Later, Disney's "Snow White" is in theatres this weekend. Victor speaks with Patricia Alfonso Tortolani, who interviewed actress Rachel Zegler for a profile in Allure Magazine, about the backlash to the film’s reimagining of “Snow White” with a Latina princess.
And from "Chase Dis Money Street" to "We the Best Terrace" – there’s a neighborhood that's re-naming their roads, with some Miami Hip-Hop inspiration. Victor speaks with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon about why he pushed for this to happen in his community.
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