One of the bright spots in 2020 was the creation of our monthly podcast, Affirmative Action. After being in the works for nearly a year, we launched our first episode in August. The goal of the podcast is to give Arkansans from minority communities a space where they can tell their stories, a place where they can share their hopes and air their grievances. We’ll be back in 2021 with new episodes, but until then you can catch up on our first five episodes below.
The death of George Floyd this summer prompted protests around the world. It’s not the first time a Black man has died in police custody, but the reaction seemed more swift than in the past. In our premiere episode, Arkansas activists discuss what’s different about this tragedy and where we go from here.
Episode 2: Political Representation
With a global pandemic impacting virtually every corner of the world, you might have forgotten 2020 was an election year. In this episode, we discuss the value of having elected leaders reflect the demographics of the constituents they serve as well as some of the barriers preventing more people of color from running for office.
Episode 3: Pandemic Predicament
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting minority populations. In this episode, we discuss some of the factors contributing to the virus having a big impact on these communities and what can be done to help them.
Episode 4: Black-owned Businesses
One of the results of Black Lives Matter protests this summer was a call to action to support Black-owned businesses. In this episode, we explore how Arkansas business owners are coping amid the pandemic and if efforts to support Black-owned businesses have helped them.
We decided to end 2020 on a positive note by sharing stories of Arkansans doing good for their community. In this episode, we hear how neighbors rallied around a North Little Rock man after he received a racist note about his Christmas decorations. We also meet a Fort Smith woman receiving national attention for her work feeding thousands in her city.