Episode description

This week Farai Chideya talks to Dallas Chief of Police Reneé Hall about her career in law enforcement at a time of rising consciousness across the nation. Dr. Kavita Trivedi explains the intricacies of Covid testing and why it’s important to keep safety protocols in place. Reporter Ruth Umoh makes the connection between student debt and entrepreneurship, and Errin Haines gives us an update on the incoming stars of the Biden-Harris White House. Plus, a higher education leader on how students and colleges are coping during Covid, and searching for a shared history with author Morgan Jerkins.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

2:09 Dallas Chief of Police Reneé Hall talks about being a police officer for the majority of her career and explains why after three years as Chief, she is now stepping down. 

6:51 Chief Hall describes a series of “unimaginable events” in her resignation letter and explains how she coped with tumultuous times in law enforcement. 

8:16 During the onset of the George Floyd protests, Chief Hall received criticism for detaining protesters in Dallas. Chief Hall explains why she stands by her decision.  

13:18 Chief Hall reflects on the current racial reckoning and her place in it:,“So how can blue lives matter and Black lives not? And how can Black lives matter and blue lives not? I happen to be both.” 

15:29 Political contributor Errin Haines dives into the President-Elect’s incoming staff selections.

15:45 Recent news of a Georgia election official reaching his boiling point has put even more eyes on the status of Georgia’s election system.

17:07 Haines talks about how the upcoming Georgia senate election is a reflection of our democracy..

18:59 Vaccines, survival rates, and more, in our weekly Covid update.

20:19 Low income students are falling behind in their education as the pandemic forces schools to use a distance learning model. 

21:51 Dr. Angel Perez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, talks about the changes in higher education due to Covid.

23:27 Dr. Perez explains that in some ways, higher education is more accessible than ever before, as the pandemic forces institutions to rethink their admissions process.

24:29 Funding for under-resourced schools, including K-12 schools, is needed right now, says Dr. Perez. 

26:35 Dr Kavita Trivedi says we shouldn’t rely on testing as  a means of preventing Covid infection.

28:39 Dr. Trivedi urges the public to continue sticking to CDC guidelines to prevent further spread of the virus. 

32:08 Ruth Umoh, Forbes magazine journalist, breaks down how student debt forgiveness could impact Black businesses. 

33:15 Umoh states that Black students are more likely to borrow money for higher education, and are more likely than their white counterparts to owe a majority of their initial loan balance 20 years later. 

36:30 Several tech companies gave shout-outs to Black owned businesses ahead of Black Friday, and Umoh says corporations can participate in the country’s racial reckoning in meaningful ways.

38:15 Leezel Tanglao of Tayo Help talks about the prevalence of disinformation among the Filipino community and how her group is combating it. 

40:16 Tanglao says there are cultural barriers that make it more difficult to help those who might be affected by Covid within the Filipino community. 

42:38 Morgan Jerkins is a New York Times bestselling author and Senior Editor for ZORA, and talks about her book “Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots.” 

44:18 Jerkins explains that she wrote the book to understand her ancestry, which she felt disconnected from as a Black American.

47:20 While exploring her roots, Jerkins discovered pieces of history that were never taught to her through her formal education.