Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast

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/4oLdU7JChicago Innocence Projecthttps://www.chicagoinnocenceproject.org/Executive Producers: Hendel Leiva, Cheryl Blakemore, Freddie Beckley  

In this episode, Race Forward’s Director of Root Solutions for Public Safety Alex Frank talks with John Pineda — Deputy Director and founding member of the MILPA Collective — about how communities from Minneapolis to Los Angeles are redefining public safety. Together they reflect on the lasting impact of state control, surveillance, and militarization, and the ways communities have responded through cultural organizing, resilience, and healing. As the nation confronts renewed attacks on racial equity, this conversation highlights the power of intergenerational leadership and storytelling to challenge dominant ideas of safety. In the end, guest John Pineda and host Alex Frank remind us that true safety means more than the absence of harm — it’s the presence of trust, connection, and imagination to build something better together.

As we build momentum for the 2025 Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity convening, this November in St. Louis, we’re honored to lift up an episode of The Solidarity is This Podcast, originally produced by Solidarity is This, an initiative of the Building Movement Project. This episode - hosted by Adaku Utah - explores the vital work of building multiracial solidarity in a moment of growing backlash against racial justice. Nikko Viquiera, Race Forward’s Deputy Senior Vice President of Programs, reflects on the challenges organizations face when their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts come under fire and how powerful storytelling can help shift public consciousness from isolation toward collective action. At its heart, this episode reminds us that solidarity is love in motion. It’s the work of naming structural racism, nurturing trust, and holding both fear and hope as we move forward together. In a time when racial equity itself is being challenged, Race Forward and the Building Movement Project show that transformation begins when we lead with community, imagination, and the belief that our liberation is deeply intertwined.

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 Systemhttps://bit.ly/4kuJjtDISAIAHhttps://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/4iU0cNLRace Forward Denounces Trump Administration’s Firing of Department of Education Staff and Irresponsible Plan to Dismantle the Department of Educationhttps://bit.ly/4c2HQr2HEAL Together https://www.healtogether.org/Public School Strong Campaign https://www.healtogether.org/publicschoolstrong/ Executive Producer(s): Hendel Leiva & Priscilla Sam