On the Season 5 finale of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Nikko Viquiera, Deputy Senior Vice President of Programs, sits with internationally acclaimed poet, comedian, public speaker, and actor ALOK Vaid-Menon. This conversation was recorded this past November at Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity 2025, In their conversation, Nikko and ALOK explore how storytelling can be used to challenge and transform the dominant narratives that shape our understanding of identity, power, and belonging. ALOK reflects on their journey from navigating childhood shame and public violence to cultivating a practice rooted in joy, play, and self-determination, offering a powerful reframing of what liberation can look and feel like. Together, they examine how vulnerability, when embraced and shared, can become a force for healing and a tool for shifting culture.

The conversation also connects these personal insights to broader movement work, unpacking how binary thinking, especially around gender, limits the possibilities of racial justice and multiracial solidarity. ALOK situates the gender binary as a colonial system that has been used to categorize, control, and divide people, reinforcing racial hierarchies and restricting self-determination across communities. Through this lens, they make the case that challenging the gender binary is not separate from racial justice work, but essential to it, expanding what it means to belong, to lead, and to exist freely.

Resources: 

Facing Race 2026

In this bonus episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, we take a closer look at the state of housing in the United States nearly 60 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act and why this moment demands renewed urgency. With a national shortage of more than 4.7 million homes, rising rents, and persistent racial discrimination, the housing crisis goes beyond supply. It reflects a deeper shift in how fair housing is being understood and enforced, as federal protections are rolled back under the guise of “colorblind” policies. 

We hear from Nathan Cheung, Communications Manager for Housing Now California, and Andreanecia M. Morris, Executive Director of Housing Louisiana, who bring this moment into focus through lived experience and on the ground advocacy. They speak to what housing justice looks like in practice, including stable, affordable homes and real choice not constrained by race or income. They also share how communities are organizing for affordable, safe, and stable housing. From community land trusts to local policy fights, this episode shows how people across the country are not just pushing back, but actively building a more just housing future.

Special thanks to Ryan Curren, Director of Housing, Land, and Development at Race Forward, for his contribution to this episode. You can find the full Leaders of the Movement for Housing Justice video series on Colorlines.com.

On this episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast Dr. Coleman-Robinson, President and CEO of the Association of African American Museums, joins Race Forward’s Chief of Staff Karla Bruce to discuss the growing scrutiny around diversity, equity, and inclusion, the ripple effects of federal shifts and funding cuts, and how institutions dedicated to preserving history are responding with resilience and purpose. Dr. Coleman-Robinson shares how cultural organizations are staying grounded in their missions, building coalitions, and continuing to document history in real time, even amid political headwinds. At a moment when public memory feels increasingly contested, this conversation underscores why preserving history is not simply about honoring the past, but about safeguarding truth, strengthening community, and protecting democracy in the present.

Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson is President and CEO of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM), the national professional network serving Black museums and cultural institutions across the United States. A historian by training with a doctorate in U.S. History from Howard University, she leads one of the country’s foremost associations dedicated to cultural preservation and institutional advocacy.

She is a nationally recognized voice on the role of museums in democracy and has been featured in outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, and MSNBC, now MSNOW. Through her leadership at AAAM, she represents and supports cultural institutions across the country navigating questions of public memory, funding, and political scrutiny

Links: 

Trump interference could have ‘chilling effect across entire museum sector (via Museums Association) 
https://bit.ly/4kWpwV9

Cultivating the Next Generation of Black Museum Leaders: The AAAM x Howard University Advanced Executive Training by Dr. Vedet Coleman- Robinson 
https://bit.ly/3OYF7r0

Facing Race 2026 
https://facingrace.raceforward.org/

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, and Cheryl Blakemore

In this special bonus segment, Race Forward closes out 2025 with a powerful message of urgency narrated by Leslie Grant-Spann, Senior Director of Conferences and Convenings. Drawing on decades of movement-building work, this message reflects on how racial inequities are embedded in our institutions—and why transformational change requires action now. From partnering with communities of color to reshaping local government from the inside, Race Forward’s work is grounded in building lasting systems, relationships, and accountability. As we look ahead, this message affirms a clear truth: when communities most impacted have real power in decision-making, racial justice becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

This episode of Momentum, hosted by Race Forward’s Chief of Staff Karla Bruce, examines the enduring policy failures and systemic harms of over-policing—connecting the legacy of former Chicago police commander Jon Burge’s “Midnight Crew” to the current federal deployment of National Guard forces across U.S. cities.

Guest Omar Jimenez, Emmy Award–winning CNN anchor and news correspondent, discusses findings from his investigative podcast Tortured Justice which exposes decades of police violence and coerced confessions in Chicago. Through stories like that of James Gibson—wrongfully imprisoned for decades—Omar and Karla explore how unchecked police authority, prosecutorial discretion, and political protection enabled abuse, and what structural reforms are needed to prevent it from recurring.

Tortured Justice (CNN Presents) 
https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/cnn-presents

‘Tortured Justice’: Uncovering a story of decades-old police violence (CNN)
https://bit.ly/4oLdU7J

Chicago Innocence Project
https://www.chicagoinnocenceproject.org/

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Freddie Beckley 

Resources:

MILPA Collective: A movement organization rooted in Salinas, California, led by formerly incarcerated and system-impacted individuals. 
Learn more about MILPA Collective at: 
https://www.milpacollective.org/

Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity:
Nov 13-15
St. Louis, MO
REGISTER NOW at 
https://www.raceforward.org/training-and-events/just-narratives 

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Priscilla Sam

Resources:

Solidarity is This, an Initiative of the Building Movement Project:
https://www.solidarityis.org/
 

Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity:
November 13-15, 2025
St. Louis, MO
REGISTER NOW at
https://www.raceforward.org/training-and-events/just-narratives

In this episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Minister JaNaé Bates Co- Executive Director of ISAIAH, a multi-racial, state-wide, nonpartisan coalition of faith communities fighting for racial and economic justice in Minnesota joins host jaboa lake, Race Forward Senior Director of Impact Evaluation, Learning, and Research for a compelling conversation on the legacy of resistance that shaped—and continues to shape—the movement sparked by the murder of George Floyd. As we mark five years since the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis, this episode explores the long arc of organizing, solidarity, and struggle that has challenged state violence and demanded racial justice across generations.

Together, jaboa and Minister Bates unpack how Minneapolis became both a flashpoint and a beacon—revealing the deep roots of structural oppression and the enduring strength of community-led action.

Listen in for this timely dialogue that will:

• Illuminate the historical throughlines connecting George Floyd to past uprisings and present-day resistance
   
• Uplift lessons from grassroots organizing, faith-based strategy, and narrative power
   
• Explore the difference between symbolic allyship and real, sustained solidarity
   

Five years since the spark that ignited a global movement, this episode offers grounded perspective and bold possibility for all who continue to fight for racial justice, from the local to the national level. Through movement memory and strategic vision, jaboa and Minister Bates remind us that resistance is not reaction—it’s a practiced, purposeful path toward liberation.

Resources
 

Statement: Race Forward Remembers George Floyd and Continues to Call for a Transformed Public Safety System
https://bit.ly/4kuJjtD

ISAIAH
https://isaiahmn.org/

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Priscilla Sam

In this bonus episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, H.E.A.L Together Director of Strategic Communications at Race Forward Anastasia Ordoñez unpacks the sweeping implications of President Trump’s latest executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education—a move that could fundamentally reshape public education and deepen racial inequities across the country. As communities of color have historically relied on public schools as pathways to opportunity, this decision threatens to widen existing disparities, placing millions of students at risk. We examine the stakes of this unprecedented shift, featuring a statement from Race Forward condemning the administration’s actions and calling for urgent resistance.

This episode spotlights HEAL (Honest Education Action & Leadership) and Public School Strong—two national campaigns fighting to ensure that every student, regardless of race or background, has access to a high-quality, well-funded public school. Anastasia helps us contextualize what’s at stake when public education is under full attack—and why defending it isn’t just about schools, but about safeguarding democracy itself, ensuring future generations have the knowledge, power, and agency to create a more just and equitable society.

Resources:

Trump signs executive order to begin dismantling Education Department, raising questions for students and parents (via CNN)

https://bit.ly/4iU0cNL

Race Forward Denounces Trump Administration’s Firing of Department of Education Staff and Irresponsible Plan to Dismantle the Department of Education

https://bit.ly/4c2HQr2

HEAL Together 

https://www.healtogether.org/

Public School Strong Campaign 

https://www.healtogether.org/publicschoolstrong/

Executive Producer(s): Hendel Leiva & Priscilla Sam 

In this episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Glenn Harris and Eric Ward deliver a powerful analysis of the new administration's first seven days and their implications for racial justice in America. As executive orders reshape federal policy and threaten hard-won progress, Glenn Harris, President of Race Forward, and Eric Ward, Executive Vice President, offer both stark warnings and hope-filled strategies for defending a multiracial democracy.

Join us for an urgent conversation that will:

• Break down the immediate impacts of new policies on vulnerable communities
• Share battle-tested strategies for protecting racial justice gains
• Provide concrete tools for building collective power and resilience

Whether you're a seasoned activist or new to racial justice work, this timely discussion offers crucial insights for understanding and responding to today's unprecedented challenges. Glenn and Eric draw from decades of experience in organizing and coalition building to guide us through these turbulent times with purpose and determination.

Resources: 

Race Forward’s Strategic Plan 

https://bit.ly/42xa3U8

From Project 2025 to Project 2029: How We Resist an Authoritarian Takeover and Turn Public Administration into a Force for Equity and Justice

https://bit.ly/4gkNHZt

HEAL (Honest Education Action & Leadership)

https://bit.ly/4aFqrnr

Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Priscilla Sam