Closer Look with Rose Scott

“Closer Look” returns with our annual Juneteenth event, recorded live at Hammonds House Museum  in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta. This year, host Rose Scott speaks with panelists on the theme of "Natural Gifts: Honoring the Contributions of Enslaved Africans and Black Americans, Pre-Civil War to Present."   Guests include:    Kuumba storyteller Dr. Christine...

The National Urban League has released a new report highlighting both the strides and the setbacks in local and federal policy reform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.    NUL President and CEO Marc Morial  joins “Closer Look” to discuss “George Floyd Five Years Later: Was It a Moment or a Movement?”   Also, ICE is now serving admin...

A recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal made a straightforward claim with its headline: “ AI Is Learning to Escape Human Control .”   The author, AE Studio CEO Judd Rosenblatt, cites reported incidents of artificial intelligence models disobeying orders to shut down and even blackmailing a human engineer. But others in the industry say Rosenblatt’s claim could need...

Since 1996 Flying Change Equine Therapy  has been helping children, adults and whole families discover a new way to approach emotional and behavioral health. On today's edition of “Closer Look,” the team returns to Flying Change Equine Therapy to visit with founder Lissa Corcoran and, of course, the sassy horses.    Plus, we revisit an April interview at the Wylde Center...

28 indictments and three years later, the YSL case resulted in minimal charges  and may have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Atlanta-based investigative journalist George Chidi  joins “Closer Look” to talk about the trial’s outcome and his estimate of its cost.  Plus, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized symbols in the world, but some of her hist...

Many s tudents are still struggling  since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now facing shrinking federal oversight as the Trump administration seeks to abolish the Department of Education.  Careshia Moore, founder and CEO of Compete to Succeed Educational Resources , shares why she thinks education reform is crucial in a changing educational landscape.   Also, artificial...

A new Mother Jones article  reveals the Trump administration is considering pardons for so-called fake electors in the 2020 presidential election – even though none of them have been charged with a federal crime. Senior reporter Dan Friedman shares why the move is largely symbolic and what implications it has for President Trump’s legacy.   Also, self-described “workpla...

Dr. Karida Brown  says her new book “ The Battle For the Black Mind ” is much more than a history lesson for readers – it’s personal. The NAACP Image Award-winning author follows the history of segregation in America's education system and the ongoing struggle for educational justice. Dr. Brown returns to "Closer Look" to share more about her new book, which is the res...

According to a new investigative report published by Atlanta Civic Circle, the City of Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund is being used to pay housing bond debt and staff salaries. Sean Keenan, a housing reporter at Atlanta Civic Circle, returns to “Closer Look,” to discuss the story and the response from housing advocates and some city officials.   Plus, N'namdi Arinze...

Today's special edition of "Closer Look with Rose Scott" is a themed show focusing on hunger. According to the latest data from Feeding America, nearly 40% of the food-insecure population in the United States is white. Yet, in most counties, food insecurity rates among Black, Hispanic and Latino households exceed those of white households. This all comes as data also reveals, 1 in 7 people in Geor...

The New Disabled South is working to build a coalition of disability justice activists and advocates. Dom Kelly , the co-founder, president, and CEO of New Disabled South, discusses the organization’s mission: 'To improve the lives of disabled people and build strong disability justice and rights movements in the South.   Plus, with looming potential cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition A...

There have been significant public health policy changes under the Trump administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent statement. He announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant women and children.   This all comes as ongoing concerns heighten about other key pu...

In Jan. 2025, then-Vice President Kamala Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumers’ credit reports. The policy was to take effect in March, but just like many other Biden-era actions, the Trump administration is changing course. Now, a federal judge is expected to decide in mid-June about whether to vacate the co...

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar For All program aimed to improve access to clean energy and solar programs. Now, under the Trump Administration, local advocates and business leaders say $7 billion, embarked for organizations nationwide, was temporarily withheld. Diamond Spratling , the founder and executive director of Girl Plus Environment, a...

Federal funding cuts are impacting community violence intervention (CVI) programs . CJ Jones, the founder of Dream Builders of Atlanta , Chee'Tara Alexander,  the co-founder of H.O.P.E. Hustlers , and Amber Goodwin , founder of the Community Justice Action Fund, discuss how funding cuts are impacting their work and the actions they are now taking. We continue with WABE’s “Server S...

A team of Georgia State University researchers have compiled historical data of thousands of enslaved people from Georgia and other southern states. The information dates to before the Civil War. It’s called the Data Mining and Mapping Antebellum Georgia . Elizabeth J. West , a professor of English and co-director of Georgia State University’s Center for Studies on...

The latest data suggests, there are more than 150 accredited medical schools in the U.S. However, only four of them, less than 3%, are located on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is one of those institutions. The Atlanta-based institution, regarded as being one of the nation’s top leading educators of primary ca...

Monday marks what would have been Malcolm X ’s 100th birthday. Akinyele Umoja , a professor in the department of Africana Studies at Georgia State University, talks more about the Muslim minister and civil and human rights leader’s life and legacy, from his early years when he was known as “Detroit Red” to his period within the Nation of Islam. Professor Umoja also discusse...

In the summer of 2020, it appeared the United States was experiencing a racial awakening. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked global protests and declarations for racial justice and equity. Corporations pledged their support to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the Black Lives Matter philosophy. For today’s edition of Feedback Friday on &ldquo...

Georgia has formed its first PTSA with a focus on special needs students. Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association was established to provide advocacy for special needs students and their families across the state – a group that lacks resources outside of the Atlanta metro area. Rose talks with Lola Green , the founder and executive director of the Urban Indigo Foundation, Prisci...

GLAAD is the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization. Last year, Darian Aaron, the director of Local News: U.S. South, founded GLAAD Down South to expand GLAAD’s work, specifically making sure accurate and inclusive narratives about LGBTQ Southerners and people living with HIV are told in the media. Arron joins “Closer Loo...

In March, a convicted murderer was released from the Clayton County Jail by mistake. The family of his victim and Clayton County officials say they were not alerted until days later. The inmate was eventually apprehended almost three weeks later, not far from the Florida hometown of his victim’s family. Today we’re asking, how often are inmates released by mistake, who should be held a...

  CareYaya is a healthcare tech startup that connects college students with families in need of caregiving services. Neal K. Shah, the co-founder and CEO of CareYaya, and Hannah Imolode, a CareYaya Joygiver and student at Georgia State University, discuss how CareYaya is celebrating seniors in Georgia and across the country through a Mother's Day Initiative .   Georgia's TV and film...

Despite legal status for international students being restored after the Trump administration revoked their visas, the White House vows to keep targeting international students deemed disruptive. Meanwhile, advocates and legal experts fear this won't be the government's last attempt to target international students. On today’s edition of “Closer Look,” Rose talks with representat...

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, there are currently 26 movies and TV shows being filmed in the Peach State. However, the CEO and founder of Georgia Entertainment says Georgia may be facing a “distinctive shift in its film production output.” This comes as President Trump recently proposed a 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States. WABE...