<div> <p>A message from Jane on Juneteenth:</p><p>Happy Juneteenth! Juneteenth is a holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States and the<a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth"> emancipation of millions of Black Americans</a> held in human bondage. People like my great-great-grandparents. Their grandson, my grandfather, Oscar Coaston, served his country during World War II as part of a segregated unit that landed on Omaha Beach during D-Day.</p><p>Today, nearly 80 years since the U.S. military was officially desegregated,<a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/us-military-demographics-breakdown/68140088"> 20% of the military is Black.</a> But since President Donald Trump returned to the White House,<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/hegseth-intervened-military-promotions-dozen-senior-officers-rcna266062"> the administration</a> has made it<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/hegseth-confederate-reconciliation-monument-restored-military/684066/"> crystal clear that Black servicemembers are not to be treated with respect</a>.</p><p>So to talk about the impact the Trump administration has had on Black members of the military, I spoke to<a href="http://v"> Clint Smith. He’s a staff writer at the Atlantic</a>.</p><p><strong>Show Notes:</strong></p></div><ul> <li>Clint’s piece in The Atlantic – <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/07/black-military-patriots-hegseth/687306/">https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/07/black-military-patriots-hegseth/687306/</a> </li> <li>Call Congress – <a href="tel:2022243121">202-224-3121</a> </li> <li>Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter –<a href="https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy"> https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy</a> </li> <li>What A Day – YouTube –<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast"> https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast</a> </li> <li>Follow us on Instagram –<a href="https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/"> https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/</a> </li> <li>For a transcript of this episode, please visit<a href="http://crooked.com/whataday"> crooked.com/whataday</a> </li> </ul>