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

In this special bonus episode of Momentum, we are sharing one of Facing Race: A National Conference standout plenaries: Navigating the Post-Election Landscape: Insights and Strategies for a Just Democracy.

With the 2024 presidential election behind us, the question on everyone’s mind was: what’s next? This inspiring discussion featured leading voices in political organizing and movement building. Together, they explored opportunities for progress arising from the election results, strategies to tackle the challenges ahead, and ways to foster resilience, safety, and hope as we continue the movement to build a multiracial democracy over the next four years.

This conversation was moderated by:

• Judith Brown Dianis, Executive Director of the Advancement Project

And included the following panelists:

• Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party
• Kim Desmond, Chief Equity Officer at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
• Kim Anderson, Executive Director of the National Education Association (NEA)
• Tsione Wolde-Michael, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)

On this episode of Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Race Forward President Glenn Harris speaks with Dr. Aletha Maybank, Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President at the American Medical Association (AMA), to explore the transformative work underway to advance health equity in the United States. The discussion underscores the AMA's pivotal role as the trailblazer sponsor of the Facing Race 2024 conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The upcoming conference will spotlight the AMA's efforts by hosting a session in the National Health Equity Grand Rounds, designed to foster a deeper national dialogue on health disparities and equity-driven healthcare solutions.

Dr. Maybank recounts her journey since assuming her role in 2019, focusing on the comprehensive strategies she has implemented to embed health equity into every facet of the American Medical Association’s policies and daily operations. Her leadership reflects a mission to reshape organizational culture, shifting the American Medical Association’s focus toward health equity as a core priority and collective responsibility. This effort, intensified by the dual crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public outrage following George Floyd’s murder, addresses the need for structural and systemic reforms in healthcare to combat longstanding inequities.

A key initiative discussed is the Rise to Health Coalition—a wide-reaching collaborative effort uniting healthcare systems, professional societies, and advocacy groups with the goal of dismantling entrenched inequities within the medical field. Dr. Maybank provides detailed insights into the coalition’s initial accomplishments, such as identifying and eliminating discriminatory algorithms in healthcare that have historically resulted in biased patient care and outcomes. She outlines ongoing reforms that aim to address inequitable healthcare structures and reshape how care is delivered across the nation.

The conversation also critiques dominant societal narratives that frame health as primarily a matter of individual responsibility. Dr. Maybank challenges these narratives, emphasizing the need to recognize and address social determinants of health, such as poverty, housing, and systemic discrimination, which disproportionately impact marginalized populations. This paradigm shift is crucial to developing equitable healthcare systems that prioritize collective well-being and access.

Dr. Maybank also shares the challenges and resistance she faces in her leadership role, including navigating personal threats and opposition to her equity-driven agenda. She reflects on the need for resilience, solidarity, and finding moments of joy in the struggle for systemic change. Her reflections on leadership, partnership, and the American Medical Association’s  ongoing National Health Equity Grand Rounds reveal how cross-sector collaboration and community-building are essential in driving sustainable change in healthcare.

Resources: 

Dr. Aletha Maybank (American Medical Association) 

https://bit.ly/4etnuGZ

National Health Equity Grand Rounds (Registration Link) 

https://www.healthequitygrandrounds.org/

“Q&A: AMA’s chief health equity officer on ridding medicine of racial essentialism” (via Stat News)

https://bit.ly/3YHzKxO

“From process to outcome: working toward health equity” (via Nature Journal) 

https://bit.ly/3US8vPP