Kqeds Forum

On Monday, the University of California Board of Regents unanimously voted to endorse a state measure to repeal Prop. 209, a nearly 25-year-old law that bans consideration of race in government contracts, public sector hiring, and college admissions. The measure passed the California Assembly and if ratified by the state Senate, will show up on the November ballot. Proponents argue that barring state agencies and institutions from considering race and gender has hindered equal representation and reinforced systemic advantages for white-owned businesses and white students. We discuss the prospects for restoring affirmative action in California at a time when prejudice and institutional racism in America are top of mind.

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs made headlines in early 2019 when the city began giving $500 each month to 125 randomly selected individuals. The mayor has said that the trial program--which was recently extended through next year-- is an important tool to help residents overcome poverty and disastrous events. As San Joaquin County sees the highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, we'll hear how Stockton is faring.  We'll also get the mayor’s thoughts on how to combat police brutality.

The California state prison system now counts 15 inmates who have died of coronavirus-related causes as of Friday. Overall, more than 2,440 inmates in state prisons have tested positive for the virus, despite efforts to test prison staff and release inmates early. Those figures do not count local and federal prison populations in the state, which have also experienced coronavirus outbreaks. Meanwhile, some inmates have reported lack of access to safety equipment and healthcare. We discuss how coronavirus has spread in California prisons and how measures to prevent the illness are falling short.

In a 6-3 decision today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender workers are protected under the Civil Rights Act. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the ruling over a section of the Civil Rights Act that bars employment discrimination against race, religion, national origin and sex. At question was the definition of “sex” -- and whether it applied to millions of gay and transgender workers. We'll discuss the historic ruling.

Alameda County has expanded its shelter-in-place order to allow “social bubbles”.  That lets up to 12 people from different households get together and socialize, though still at a distance and outside. But, you can only belong to one bubble and choosing who you agree to isolate with can be awkward.  We’ll talk about the new rule and the challenges of navigating who to bring in and who to leave out of your bubble.  We want to hear from you.  How are you socializing during social distancing?

While George Floyd's name continues to be chanted at protests sweeping the nation, Breonna Taylor, another victim of police violence, has gotten less attention. Taylor was a 26-year old emergency medical technician living in Louisville, Kentucky when she was shot eight times and killed by police who raided her home on March 13. While the viral video of Floyd being killed helped fuel public outrage and media coverage, this isn't the first time a black woman victim has been under-acknowledged in the public's eye. It's this kind of disproportionate attention that sparked the "Say Her Name" campaign in 2015 to remind people that black women and girls are also victims of police violence. We'll talk about Breonna Taylor's case and the intersection of gender and race discrimination black women can face not only in life, but in death.

For decades, experts classified people as having “normal” or “abnormal” brains depending on certain traits. Conditions such as autism, synesthesia, and sensory processing disorder are considered “abnormal.” Several years ago, Jenara Nerenberg, a Harvard and Berkeley-educated writer, entrepreneur, and mother, realized that type of binary thinking is flawed and miscategorizes many people, especially women. She went on to found The Neurodiversity Project, an organization that supports the neurodivergent community, and to write “Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed For You.” In her new book, Nerenberg presents a new way to understand neurodiversity and how it presents differently in women. She also challenges widely accepted misperceptions of neurodivergent traits. We talk with Nerenberg about her new book, The Neurodiversity Project, and her most recent venture, The Interracial Project.

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have led to renewed calls for racial equality and justice across the U.S. They have also reinforced numerous fears that many parents have about raising black children -- fears that their child could be killed while jogging or sleeping in their home or otherwise “living while black.” In this hour of Forum, we’ll talk about the distinct challenges of raising black children in America. And we want to hear from you: Are you the parent of a black child? What’s been your experience?

Even as California businesses are starting to reopen, economists warn that the worst could be yet to come as far as unemployment. The extra $600 per week unemployment benefit will be ending soon and prospects for hiring are bleak as employers continue shedding workers. In May, the monthly jobless rate dropped to 13.3 percent from 14.7 percent, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released last Friday. But a temporary drop may not signal that the economy is on the upswing just yet, economists said. Also, policy makers are looking at how to reverse the more severe unemployment rates among Blacks and other minority groups. In this hour of Forum, we discuss unemployment and what could lie ahead for workers.

Protesters rallying against police brutality across the country are also calling to “defund police.” One idea is to divert money from police departments into social services that can prevent crime and address its causes. Proponents say cities need to radically overhaul their systems of policing after years of failed reform efforts. The mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles say they support the idea. We dive into the concept of defunding police and overhauling law enforcement in America.

Outdoor dining. Daycare Centers. Movie Theaters. Every day, officials are announcing new areas of the economy that can start opening for business. But at the same time, likely in part because testing is much more readily available, coronavirus cases are rising sharply in some communities. Coming up on Forum, we’ll take your questions on reopening the Bay Area and the latest science on Covid-19. And we’ll look at the World Health Organization’s muddled message this week on transmission of the virus by people without symptoms.

California schools will look very different this fall. Under new guidelines released Monday by California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, schools may require masks, temperature checks, social distancing, staggered schedules, outdoor classes and continued remote learning. The state did not issue mandates, however, leaving individual districts to decide their own procedures. Forum dives into the challenges schools, teachers, students and parents will face in reopening schools safely during a pandemic.

Rev. William Barber believes that the country “will not be the same after this pandemic and after this season of mass non-violent protest. We cannot be the same.” And Barber — who revived and co-chairs the Poor People’s Campaign, one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last projects — is working to ensure transformative change is made in the U.S through a “Moral Agenda” that advances pro-labor, anti-poverty and anti-racist policies. Rev. Barber joins Forum to talk about the protests against police violence, his campaign to fight poverty and his new book “We Are Called to Be a Movement.”

In their new book, “Surviving Autocracy,” journalist Masha Gessen suggests that President Trump was “the first major party nominee who ran not for president but for autocrat.” It’s this political mindset that Gessen warns can become lethal as Trump is responding to crises like the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. Gessen joins the program to discuss their book, how they think Trump has transformed the presidency and the role of “moral aspiration” in moving forward.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will left the Republican Party in 2016 to protest the nomination of Donald Trump as the GOP’s presidential candidate. In a recent column, Will goes a step further, calling for the defeat of President Trump and the Republican Senate majority in November. The long-time conservative thought leader joins us to talk about the presidential election and why he’s denouncing Trump now more than ever.

 Demonstrators marched across the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday, filling the whole length of the span and closing it to cars. The was just one of the many actions across the Bay Area over the weekend held to protest police violence. We talk with KQED's Queena Kim about the weekend's demonstrations and other recent news.   We'll also check in with Derrick Sanderlin, who trains San Jose police on how to avoid bias --  and who was seriously injured by a rubber bullet at a recent protest.

During this time of civil unrest in America, many people are calling for dismantling racism. Much of the conversation frames the conflict as between a black minority and a white majority. The current uprising is sparking conversations about how other groups of color can show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Part of that work, experts say, involves confronting division and anti blackness much more broadly. In this hour, we explore what cross-racial solidarity means in America.

As protests continue across the country, many companies and public figures have released statements on social media to speak out against racism and police brutality and express solidarity with protestors -- to a mixed response. Some of those statements don’t necessarily align with corporate policies or previous behavior. Critics are labeling these acts “performative allyship” and calling on companies to take action by donating to anti-racism causes instead. We’ll look at the idea of “solidarity” on social media and in our consumer culture.

Bakari Sellers says the most important day of his life happened before he was even born; February 8 1968 when highway patrolmen opened fire on students protesting segregation in South Carolina, killing 3 and wounding 28, including Seller's father. Sellers, who became the youngest person to be elected to the South Carolina legislature, writes about how the trauma of the incident permeated his childhood in  his memoir, "My Vanishing Country."  Now a lawyer and CNN political analyst, Sellers joins us to talk about the effects of systemic racism and what the killing of George Floyd by police, more than a half a century after his father's shooting, tells us about the state of America.

Journalists covering nationwide protests against the police killing of George Floyd  have been shot with rubber bullets, tear gassed, assaulted and arrested by police. Advocates for journalists say there has been an unprecedented amount of violence against reporters and photographers this week, which they say is threatening the rights of a free press. Forum discusses attacks on the news media and whether President Trump’s frequent criticisms have helped erode trust in the media and endanger reporters.