This opening episode sets the stage: what exactly isn’t working for Black veterans in the VA health and benefits system, and how do we know it’s not “just in someone’s head”? The host grounds the conversation in their positionality (whiteness, veteran status, and professional role) and names the commitment to center Black veterans’ lived expertise alongside research and policy reports. Listeners are walked through the “pipeline” of inequity—from accessing care, to exams and documentation, to decisions and outcomes—using data to show clear patterns of structural racism. Critical Race Theory is introduced as the guiding framework for the season, and the Black Veteran Advisory Panel is highlighted as a core partner in deciding what questions get asked and what “better” should look like.