Throughout the month of June, “Closer Look” has spotlighted Juneteenth-related conversations. On Friday, show host Rose Scott concludes the series, revisiting her 2024 conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter behind the groundbreaking The 1619 Project for The New York Times Magazine. During the conversation that took place at the Fulton County Central Library in Downtown Atlanta, Hannah-Jones vividly recalls when she first learned about a 17th-century ship called The White Lion and how it inspired her to create The 1619 Project.

 

Plus, this week marks 22 years since the passing of Atlanta’s first Black mayor Maynard Jackson. For a look back on his life and legacy, we revisit a conversation from our award-winning ATL 68 series. Rose talks with Valerie Jackson, a former WABE host and Mayor Jackson’s widow.

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Rodney Taylor has built a life in the United States. He works as a barber in Snellville, Georgia. According to his fiancée, Mildred Pierre, Taylor, he’s a double amputee and lives with several long-term medical conditions. She also says he has documentation for a current green card application. Despite this, Taylor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on January 15. Pierre and immigration attorney Sara Owings talk with show host Rose Scott about Taylor’s pending case—and the justice they are now seeking.

 

Plus, for 45 years, WABE host Lois Reitzes has been the voice of arts and culture in Atlanta. We celebrate her incredible career—through the stories, memories, and moments that helped to shape it.

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The Lola, a women-led co-working space in Atlanta, may be forced to shut down. Dana Xavier Dojnik, CEO of The Lola, and Sagdrina Brown Jalal, the CEO of Atlanta Leadership Consultant and founder of the Legacy Leadership Program, talk with Rose about how federal funding cuts are impacting for-profit businesses that support nonprofit organizations. They also discuss an emergency effort to keep The Lola doors open.

 

Plus, WABE’s environmental reporter Marisa Mecke discusses her latest report about a controversial mining project near South Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp.

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A major aspect of Clayton State University’s mission is social mobility. Tied to the mission is the university’s annual Social Mobility Summit. The event will be held on Wednesday, June 25. Its lineup includes panels, workshops, and discussions exploring key factors influencing social mobility—and how higher education can be a powerful driver of change. Rose talks with Dr. Mahnaz Charania, the chief transformation officer at The New Teacher Project, and Jada Mitchell, the executive director of student success at Clayton State University about the event and the importance of ensuring all students have social capital, strong networks and relationships.

 

Plus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a new opinion editor. David Plazas talks with Rose about his new role, which includes serving as an editorial board member and helping to expand the publication’s opinion content and community engagement initiatives.

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The National Environmental Action Network (NEAN) is working to promote environmental justice. The Virginia-based nonprofit is expanding its efforts to educate the public about the health impacts of toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals and synthetic pesticides.

Lewis Brown, the CEO and founder of NEAN, talks with show host Rose Scott about some of the dangerous environmental toxins in Black and Brown communities and the ongoing Environmental Protection Agency changes under the Trump administration. He also explained how NEAN is working to spread awareness by conducting environmental health research about water pollution in metro Atlanta and by helping former federal employees and contractors impacted by federal cuts and layoffs.

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“Closer Look” returns with our annual Juneteenth event, recorded live at Hammonds House Museum in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta. This year, host Rose Scott speaks with panelists on the theme of "Natural Gifts: Honoring the Contributions of Enslaved Africans and Black Americans, Pre-Civil War to Present."

 

Guests include: 

 

Kuumba storyteller Dr. Christine B. Arinze-Samuel, also known as Sistah Olufemi

 

Dr. Joy DeGruy, international scholar, researcher and author specializing in racial trauma, healing and slavery

 

Edvige Jean-François, award-winning journalist and executive director of Georgia State University’s Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora

 

Robell Awake, chairmaker, researcher and author of “A Short History of Black Craft In Ten Objects”

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The National Urban League has released a new report highlighting both the strides and the setbacks in local and federal policy reform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. 

 

NUL President and CEO Marc Morial joins “Closer Look” to discuss “George Floyd Five Years Later: Was It a Moment or a Movement?”

 

Also, ICE is now serving administrative subpoenas to property managers to obtain records on current and former tenants. Decatur-based real estate attorney Eric Teusink shares an overview of the legal obligations of property owners receiving a subpoena and what ICE's move means for tenant privacy. 

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A recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal made a straightforward claim with its headline: “AI Is Learning to Escape Human Control.”

 

The author, AE Studio CEO Judd Rosenblatt, cites reported incidents of artificial intelligence models disobeying orders to shut down and even blackmailing a human engineer. But others in the industry say Rosenblatt’s claim could needlessly spur panic among the public.

 

For this edition of Feedback Friday on “Closer Look,” we ask listeners to share their questions and concerns about artificial intelligence. Host Rose Scott takes your calls alongside Emory University law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa, founding director of the AI and the Future of Work Program.

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Since 1996 Flying Change Equine Therapy has been helping children, adults and whole families discover a new way to approach emotional and behavioral health. On today's edition of “Closer Look,” the team returns to Flying Change Equine Therapy to visit with founder Lissa Corcoran and, of course, the sassy horses. 

 

Plus, we revisit an April interview at the Wylde Center’s Edgewood Garden featuring another community-minded animal: chickens.

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28 indictments and three years later, the YSL case resulted in minimal charges and may have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Atlanta-based investigative journalist George Chidi joins “Closer Look” to talk about the trial’s outcome and his estimate of its cost. 

Plus, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized symbols in the world, but some of her history has been covered up – literally. Renowned author and researcher Dr. Joy DeGruy shares the statue’s lesser-known history with the abolition of slavery.

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