During his second term, President Trump has taken aim at DEI initiatives across the federal government, a focus that has been embraced by his cabinet. Deriding “affirmative action promotions,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directly intervened to block the promotions of more than a dozen Black and women officers. The Atlantic’s Clint Smith recently reported on those snubs and how the Pentagon’s history of prominent Black service members has been scrubbed from public view; he joins us to share their stories.

Guests:

Clint Smith, poet and staff writer, The Atlantic; his recent article is "Being Black in Pete Hegseth's Military"; his books include "Above Ground" and "How the Word is Passed"

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