On the heels of Mark’s conversation with Prism’s Editor-in-Chief Ashton Lattimore, we now bring in Reporter and Copy Editor Carolyn Copeland, who recently spearheaded a series on racial reckonings. In the last year, following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, many statements were made by organizations and individuals that showed support for Black Lives Matter and related causes that seek to end racism in America. But as Carolyn points out, there is statement versus substance--where have those statements transformed into action, and where have they fallen flat? She specifically investigated school boards to see who is following through with a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Carolyn also discusses her reporting for a series focusing on women and marginalized journalists and the type of harassment they receive.

Read Carolyn's work here: https://prismreports.org/author/carolyn-copeland/

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

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Ashton Lattimore is the Editor-in-Chief at PrismReports.org, a non-profit independent news outlet by and for communities of color. They focus on cutting through disinformation surrounding social justice issues with the hope of empowering readers to solve problems within their communities. In today’s episode, Ashton discusses her piece on the Juneteenth holiday, explaining how the symbolism of the holiday does not mean actual progress has been made for Black Americans. And Republicans continue to exploit those symbolic moves made by congress in order to soothe the white voters who support them and want to avoid feeling racist by proxy.

Read Ashton’s piece here: https://prismreports.org/2021/06/16/juneteenth-reminds-us-of-the-gap-between-rhetoric-and-reality-about-whos-actually-free-in-america/

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

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Throughout the course of the pandemic, there was a collective cheering for essential workers, but those workers never truly felt essential. April Verrett is the President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 2015, and in today’s episode, she explains how we’ve heavily relied on workers in the service industry but have not given much in return. Some worked without PPE during the height of coronavirus, had no time off from work, and some were without health insurance. April was hopeful after reviewing President BIden's original infrastructure proposal but the latest compromise's failure to include the investment, shows there is still work to be done.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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In observance of the 4th of July, and in honor of Frederick Douglass, Mark Thompson brings you a Make It Plain special segment: The 4th of Their Lie. In today’s episode, Mark passionately recites the beginning of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech, “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” And on this holiday, we especially honor the slaves who did not know of their freedom until June 19th, 1865.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

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Right now there’s a tense race for the NYC Democratic mayoral primary, with new information seemingly hitting us every hour and still an unclear victor. Joseph Geevarghese is the Executive Director for Our Revolution, the largest national grassroots funded progressive political organization in the country, and he joins today to explain ranked-choice voting, how it preserves the democratic process, and why the organization chose to back candidate Maya Wiley. He also discusses Nina Turner’s run for Ohio’s 11th congressional district and what he thinks of another presidential run for Bernie Sanders.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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The Delta variant of COVID-19 is of growing concern to the medical community and the country-at-large, as the number of those infected are spiking, mostly in areas where vaccination numbers are low. Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the U.S., joins the show to dispel some myths surrounding the vaccine as well as an update on the potential need for boosters and how long our current vaccines’ protection is lasting.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

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Arena’s mission is to convene, train, and support the next generation of candidates and campaign staff. The organization rose up after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, in an effort to put their frustration to good use, and they’ve now trained 5,500 people since the beginning of 2019. Lauren Baer is a Managing Partner with Arena, and today she explains how getting involved in local races is a game-changer, as the effects inevitably ripple out into national politics. And as a former Obama administration member and Florida congressional candidate, Lauren knows the importance of a good support staff; at Arena, you don’t have to train to run for office in order to get involved--you can learn how to participate in campaigning and supporting a candidate from behind the scenes.

For more information: https://arena.run/

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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During the final stretch of the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride, Mark checks in with LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright, Co-Founders of Black Voters Matter. The co-founders look back on their historic journey to do the hard work on the ground to fight voter suppression through strategic organization and awareness. They also look ahead, knowing the work is far from done but the network is expanding and there’s democracy to defend this summer.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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New movie “In the Heights” was initially considered an important step for more Latino representation in movies, but a controversy has risen regarding colorism and the film’s cast. The movie takes place in a New York neighborhood, Washington Heights, which is predominantly Afro-Dominican. But, as our guests explain today, the cast does not include dark-skinned Latinos. Yvette Modestin is a writer, poet and activist who focuses on shedding light on the Afro-descendant experience in Latin America, as well as the Founding Director of Encuentro Diaspora Afro; Anne Hernandez is a social worker and activist board member of Encuentro Diaspora Afro. Their expertise allows for a nuanced discussion on colorism, anti-blackness, and representation in the arts.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

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It’s the last leg of the Freedom Ride on the Black Voters Matter bus, and in today’s episode, we hear from constituents and politicians from North and South Carolina. Are they happy with their leaders? How have their local industries been impacted? The people have hit the streets to spill the tea while standing up for voting rights.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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