Counter Stories

The Counter Stories team discusses the links between anti-immigrant rhetoric and hate crimes.


The Counter Stories hosts for this episode are:

America has the world's worst gun problem. And now it's being forced to confront its hate problem.

In the span of 24 hours last weekend, two mass shootings — one in El Paso, Texas, and the other in Dayton, Ohio — left more than 30 people dead.

As the country reels from these tragedies, President Trump faces criticism over his anti-immigration language. In Dayton, protesters accused Trump of stoking violence with his racially-charged rhetoric. During his visit they held signs which read "Do Something" and "Hate not welcome here."

In his response to the shootings, the president said hate has no place in our country. But others say racial hatred is a through-line in our history.

The Counter Stories team looks at how communities of color are responding to the most recent mass shootings.

The Counter Stories hosts for this episode are:

The commemoration of 400 years since the first Africans were enslaved in the United States has reinvigorated efforts to change the hearts and minds of U.S. Congress and America about reparations.

Counter Stories hosts:

Guest:

The Trump administration has set limits on how many people can claim asylum each day at ports of entry. With months-long waits for interviews, migrant families are instead attempting sometimes risky border crossings.

Even when they are processed, families are torn apart. Seven children have died while in U.S. custody, and that has led to questions about the treatment provided by U.S. authorities.

The Counter Stories team looks at America's history of immigration, and what's changed.

Hosts:

• Don Eubanks, associate professor at Metropolitan State University and cultural consultant

• Anthony Galloway, executive director of Arts Us

• Hlee Lee, owner of "the other media group"

• Luz Maria Frias, attorney and legal consultant

• Marianne Combs, arts reporter for MPR News

With guest Kara Lynum, immigration lawyer at Lynum Law.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

On June 19, 1865, the people of Texas were finally informed — two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation — that all enslaved people across the U.S. were no longer property of their masters.

This holiday commemorates the struggles of the past and shows the way to a more equitable future, as the White House threatens to undo advances in voting rights and affirmative action.

Counter Stories reflects on the legacy of Juneteenth and the community's continuous fight for equality and a different kind of freedom.

Hosts:

• Don Eubanks, associate professor at Metropolitan State University and cultural consultant

• Anthony Galloway, executive director of Arts Us

• Hlee Lee, owner of "the other media group"

• Luz Maria Frias, attorney and legal consultant

• Marianne Combs, arts reporter for MPR News

Special thanks to Lee Henry Jordan, state and Midwest regional director for the national Juneteenth celebration, and Josie Johnson, civil rights activist and education advocate.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.