Into America

Trymaine Lee, MS NOW•www.ms.now

Into America is a show about being Black in America. These stories explore what it means to hold truth to power and this country to its promises. Told by people who have the most at stake.

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Episodes

Into the Survival of Main Street

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, but recent years haven’t been so kind to them. The 2008 financial crisis left Main Street in a precarious position, and now the coronavirus pandemic has left millions of small business owners at risk of not being able to reopen their doors. Take Andrew Gaouette. At Mutt Waggin’, his pet supply shops in southeastern Massachusetts, he has seen his sales drops 60 percent. The government is offering relief to small businesses through emergency l...

Apr 30, 2020•29 min

Into 2020 with Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams has been making a very public case for why she would be a strong running mate for the Democrats’ presumptive nominee, Joe Biden. She’s not shy about her desire to serve, why she believes her experience is relevant, and whether Biden should choose a woman of color for the ticket. As the founder of Fair Fight, a national organization to ensure voting rights, Abrams told us that regardless of whether she’s on the ticket, she wants Georgia and states across the country to take steps to...

Apr 27, 2020•22 min

Into Dirty Air

Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionally high rate. One of the reasons why is proximity to pollution. In St. James Parish, Louisiana residents have been fighting for decades to stop industry-related pollution that causes a high prevalence of cancer, hypertension and other diseases. Those health disparities are now making residents a target for COVID-19. St. James and neighboring St. John the Baptist Parishes are among the 20 U.S. counties with the highest per-capita death r...

Apr 23, 2020•26 min

Into Music as a Lifeline

What do a famous DJ, an indie musician, and an all-girls choir have in common? It’s simple: a love of music. As we continue to collectively distance ourselves during this global pandemic, people are creating and listening to music to stay connected and bring joy to each other. This week, host Trymaine Lee talks about the power of music in the time of quarantine with writer and producer Bonsu Thompson. In this episode, we hear performances from Nashville artist Rachel Baiman, and members of the S...

Apr 16, 2020•33 min

Into an Outbreak Behind Bars

Prisons are hotbeds of infection. People live in close quarters, where they often struggle to have access to soap and hot water. As COVID-19 sweeps the country, these men and women are doing everything they can to avoid getting sick. As many prisons reduce visitation rights, families that are already separated are struggling to remain in contact. This week, host Trymaine Lee talks to a Colorado woman who is struggling to stay in touch with her incarcerated husband as the outbreak intensifies. We...

Apr 09, 2020•31 min

Into Life and Loss in a Pandemic

There are moments in life that call for celebration and communion. When a baby is born and when a loved one dies, we cook meals, share stories and help out where we can. These moments of life and death are the moments that pull us together. But in the age of COVID-19, we are told to keep our distance. To prevent the spread of the virus, hospitals around the country are placing restrictions on who can be present in the delivery room. And there are limits on who can remain by the side of someone w...

Apr 02, 2020•26 min

Into Coronavirus for the Uninsured

Coronavirus is continuing to spread and Americans are relying on the healthcare system to save them if they get sick. But what if you’re one of the 30 million Americans who are uninsured? Penny Wingard is one of them. As a breast cancer survivor, she’s immunocompromised and facing uncertainty about how to get proper care without coverage. In Charlotte, North Carolina, where Penny is from, federally funded community health centers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic for the uninsure...

Mar 26, 2020•23 min

Into Democracy Delayed

This week, the coronavirus outbreak reached all 50 states and is now responsible for more than 140 deaths. Doctors and government officials are scrambling to address the problem. As schools close, employers send their workers home, and entertainment venues go dark, Americans are also wondering how the spread of the coronavirus will impact the 2020 election. This week’s primary states saw an increase in absentee ballots, as people heeded the guidance of the CDC to avoid crowded spaces. And Louisi...

Mar 19, 2020•19 min

Into the Future of Lordstown, Ohio

The Mahoning Valley in northeast Ohio is in the middle of an economic transition. Manufacturing jobs have been leaving the region for decades, but the closure of the General Motors Lordstown factory last year was a major blow to the community. Some families were split apart as GM employees took transfers to other plants. Others are still mourning the departure of steady union jobs. But new opportunities in technology and warehouse distribution are coming to the area. Residents near Lordstown are...

Mar 12, 2020•30 min

Into the Fight for Lindsey Graham's Seat

Lindsey Graham is a giant in politics. The three-term Republican Senator has served more than two decades in Congress. He’s now a close ally to President Donald Trump. He’s also up for re-election in 2020, and for the first time ever he’s facing a serious challenge to his South Carolina Senate seat. The fight comes from Jaime Harrison, a young, black Democrat, and a relative newcomer to the national stage. Harrison has raised more money than any Democrat running for the seat in state history, bu...

Mar 05, 2020•27 min

Into Bloomberg’s Legacy of Stop and Frisk

Days before announcing his candidacy, Michael Bloomberg apologized for the use of stop-and-frisk, a policing tactic he championed as Mayor of New York City. In their search for weapons, the New York Police Department made nearly 4.5 million stops over the span of a decade. Eighty-eight percent of people stopped were innocent, and the majority were Black and Latino boys and men. Now, in order to have a real shot at the Democratic nomination, the former Mayor needs the support of Black voters. But...

Feb 27, 2020•28 min

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