Today on Sojourner Truth:

A memorial service will be held for George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to give the eulogy. After 10 fervent days of action across the United States, protests in response to the police killing of 46-year-old George Floyd continue to rage on. On Wednesday, June 3, demonstrations were held around the country as the uprising continues. Thousands converged in Downtown Los Angeles, many outside the office of District Attorney Jackie Lacey. She has been criticized for not prosecuting more police officers for misconduct and is currently in a runoff for reelection. It was one of the largest marches in the country, according to reports, with similar marches held in Long Beach and other Southern California cities.

In Washington, D.C., thousands also participated in peaceful protests, where a contingent of federal agents, troops and police confronted protesters. There, in the nations capital, federal authorities formed a line, pushing protesters away from the park near the White House where rallies had been held for days. For the first time, rows of military personnel stood face-to-face with the crowd, with no physical barriers separating them. In New York and Minneapolis, thousands more took part in peaceful street demonstrations demanding justice and an end to racism, despite increased police presence.

All of this comes as federal authorities on Wednesday upgraded murder charges against Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed Floyd by pressing his knee into his neck. Three other former Minneapolis police officers involved with the murder have also been charged in Floyds death. A break is happening with Trump and the U.S. Military. His defense secretary, Mark Esper, has said he is opposed to using the U.S. military for putting down protests. Also, former defense secretary Jim Mattis has heavily criticized Donald Trump, accusing him of deliberately trying to divide the country.

Our guests are Ozawa Bineshi Albert and Ivette Ale.

Ozawa Bineshi Albert is the Movement Building Coordinator of the Indigenous Environmental Network. She is from the Yuchi and Annishinaabe Nations in what is now referred to as Oklahoma.

Ivette Ale is a grassroots organizer, LGBTQ community leader, and artist with 15 years of community organizing and advocacy experience. Her history growing up in Southern California as an undocumented person and as the child of an incarcerated person with behavioral health needs, has informed her activism throughout her career. As campaign coordinator for JusticeLA, Ivette led the coalition to historic victories, including ending LA Countys $3.5 billion jail expansion plan in 2019 and the adoption of Los Angeles County's groundbreaking Alternatives to Incarceration roadmap in 2020. She serves as Senior Policy Lead for Dignity and Power Now, a Los Angeles based grassroots organization that fights for the dignity and power of all incarcerated people, their families, and communities. Ivette also serves as an LA County Commissioner on the Gender Responsive Advisory Committee. When she is not fighting against the prison industrial complex she organizes queer music and art spaces locally and across the country.