6 chapters across the catalog
Van Jones is criticized on *The View* by Sunny Hostin for his cooperation with the Trump administration on criminal justice reform. Mo and Adam discuss the "purity tests" in modern politics, where any bipartisan success is treated as a betrayal. Jones defends his results, noting that 80% of incarcerated Black people are in states where one must work with Republicans to achieve reform.
Pew Research Center data shows that only 54% of eligible Black men voted in 2016, with 13% supporting Donald Trump. The hosts contrast the high Democratic loyalty of Black women with the potential for Black men to withhold their votes as a strategic move to gain political "tangibles."
Political strategist Shemichael Singleton discusses Donald Trump's improved polling numbers with African American men compared to previous GOP candidates like Mitt Romney and John McCain. Singleton notes that while Black women remain largely opposed to Trump, his focus on criminal justice reform and pardons resonates with some Black men. The segment emphasizes the importance of the "negative vote"—Black men choosing to stay home rather than vote for Democrats.
Mo Facts discusses the A&E show "First 48" as a cross-section of urban criminality. He references a Notorious B.I.G. lyric to argue that the media treats black-on-black violence as "a nobody killing a nobody," only showing interest when a white person is involved. The hosts criticize politicians like Kamala Harris and Barack Obama for lacking nuance in criminal justice reform, which they claim leads to either mass incarceration or community neglect.
Dr. Amos Wilson defines culture as a set of rules and procedures for meeting needs and solving problems. The hosts argue that if a culture—such as the modern "black culture" associated with rap, broken homes, and the crack epidemic—no longer solves problems, it must be transformed. They criticize politicians for making "black" synonymous with "criminal justice reform," calling it a failure of leadership to not push back against this narrow definition.
The conversation explores Donald Trump's specific outreach to black Americans through funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and criminal justice reform. Moe contrasts this with the perceived "stiff-arm" approach of the Obama administration toward HBCUs. They also discuss the cultural appeal of Trump's persona to certain segments of black men, referencing themes of masculinity found in media like Kevin Hart's Netflix series.
