Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America

Rev. Dr. Zina Jacques has built a remarkable digital ministry, reaching more than 187,000 followers and generating over 1.2 million monthly views with her daily messages of hope and encouragement. In this episode of Colors , she discusses the future of the church, why younger generations are seeking faith in new ways, the dangers of fear and division, and how curiosity, compassion, and hope can he...

Did the first Black Union regiment come before the famed 54th Massachusetts? Retired Army officers Chris Allen and Ben Hodges say the 1st South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent were the first Black soldiers to serve in Union uniforms during the Civil War. In this episode of Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America , they discuss their research, the historical evidence, and their effort to secur...

For nearly 50 years, the Washington Association of Black Journalists has helped shape the future of American journalism through mentorship, advocacy, scholarship, and fearless storytelling. At a time of deep division and disinformation, WABJ continues to elevate voices, strengthen newsrooms, and defend the essential role of a free and representative press. President Phil Lewis joins us. Tweet us a...

Roxy, who points out that she is Cuban, not Cuban-American, grew up in New York and New Jersey. But she, like most Cubans, she says, ended up in South Florida because she was drawn there. As she's grown and thrived there, she says it's important to remember your roots, those around you, and where you're going. The Senior Services Coordinator in the Village of Key Biscayne is aware o...

In this episode of Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America , Dina Curtis traces her family’s journey from Mound Bayou, Mississippi, the oldest continuously all-Black town in the U.S. and the civil rights legacy of Memphis to her adult life in Washington. She reflects on ancestry, education, migration, resilience, and the uneasy reality that many old battles over race, power, and belonging are return...

Naomi Ishisaka, columnist with The Seattle Times breaks down her sit-down with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, offering a clear look at how the city’s leadership is navigating public safety, inequality, and community demands. The conversation highlights a more nuanced, listening-driven approach to governance and what it means for communities of color facing real, everyday pressures. Tweet us at @podca...

In this episode, JJ Green speaks with William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church and author of Ancestors , about how the past continues to shape power, identity, and decision-making today. Lamar makes a compelling case that our ancestors are not behind us—they are active, influencing everything from politics to personal belief. Tweet us at @podcastcolors .  Chec...

Melissa Hellmann, senior reporter on the Guardian US's race and equity team joins us to update us on the top stories related to race in U.S., her travels and her career. And she's give us some thoughts about race in America, right now. Tweet us at @podcastcolors .  Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colo...

Mahogany Books was built on a simple but urgent idea: make Black books accessible—no matter where you live. For Derrick and Ramunda, that mission is personal. From growing up near Tulsa’s historic Black Wall Street without ever being taught its history to witnessing generational change and gentrification in Washington, D.C., their work is about closing gaps—in knowledge, in visibility, and in oppo...

A substitute teacher once told her, “You’re in charge.” Years later, Victoria Sanchez reflects on heritage, newsroom bias, disinformation, and the duty to elevate every voice in America’s story. From a high school broadcast class to anchoring in Washington, she is candid about why the next generation of journalists must get out of their comfort zone to tell America’s full story. Tweet us at @podca...

We are living through the most aggressive information war in history—and most people don’t even know they’re in it. It impacts people of all races, ages, identities and persuasions. The Noise War Handbook, written by Colors host J.J. Green. It is a frontline guide to surviving an era of disinformation, manipulation, and engineered chaos. Drawing on decades of national security reporting and real-w...

In this episode, Dr. Wanda Tucker shares her extraordinary story as a direct descendant of the first African child born in the English colonies. From Hampton University to Angola, she retraces her family’s path from enslavement to resilience—revealing a legacy that reshapes how we understand American history. This is where memory meets movement.  Tweet us at @podcastcolors .  Check out our partner...

The U.S. Coast Guard has walked back a contentious policy change on hate symbols after public reporting revealed an internal draft that softened restrictions on displaying swastikas and nooses. Veterans, Jewish organizations, and members of Congress erupted in protest—forcing the service to reverse course and insist that “nothing ever changed.” Lene Mees de Tricht, Deputy Director for Membership E...

We go behind the scenes. In this special episode of Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America , we reflect on an extraordinary milestone—winning the 2025 Belva Davis News and Broadcast Award from SAG-AFTRA's American Scene Awards. Born from heartbreak and driven by truth, Colors has become a platform for real conversations on race, justice, and belonging. Join us as we share the moment, the missi...

When veteran international journalist Natasha Ghoneim returned to Iowa City, the town where she grew up as “the little brown girl,” she didn’t expect to be reminded what that label still meant. But at a neighborhood gas station, a simple misunderstanding turned into something more dangerous: a cashier called the police on her for asking for a refund. Weeks later in Chicago, a woman punched her thr...

Illinois State Representative Hoan Huynh says on October 21, 2025, he was surrounded by six armed federal agents in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood after he tried to warn his community about a possible ICE raid. What happened next has sparked anger, fear, and a new debate over the use of force and the rights of public officials in immigrant communities. In this episode, we break down the confro...

For more than two decades, a shadow hung over Chicago’s South Side; a police commander named John Burge and his so-called “midnight crew.” Their legacy: more than 110 Black men tortured into confessions, decades stolen, and a city complicit in silence. In CNN's Tortured Justice: The Burge Legacy , anchor and reporter Omar Jimenez revisits the men, the pain, and the pursuit of justice that ref...

We’re joined by Texas State Representative Gene Wu, Minority Leader and Chair of the Democratic Caucus. In his thirteenth year in the House, Wu is sounding the alarm on Texas Senate Bill 17, a new law he says revives “anti‑alien land” restrictions from a century ago. He argues it creates two classes of Americans—one with full rights and another with limited rights—and echoes the path that led to J...

In Part 2 of our special Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America series, Jayne Kennedy opens up about the most difficult chapter of her life — a season of heartbreak, isolation, and doubt that nearly silenced her. But what makes her story extraordinary is not the fall, it’s the rise. With courage, faith, and the determination to reinvent herself yet again, Jayne found a way out of the darkness and i...

  Jayne Kennedy is more than a trailblazer—she’s a cultural force who has broken barriers in beauty, sports, television, and film. From Miss Ohio to Hollywood, from Bob Hope’s world tours to making history on The NFL Today , her journey has been one of courage, reinvention, and what she calls “strategic pivoting.”  Now, with the release of her long-awaited memoir, Plain Jayne, and a special procla...

On this episode of COLORS, we’re joined by John Echohawk—a citizen of the Pawnee Nation and the co-founder/longtime executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, the legal backbone behind hard-won advances in tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, voting rights, and natural resources for more than five decades. He’s often described as the  “Thurgood Marshall of Indian law.”   We'll speak...

He was adopted as a baby—his roots, a mystery. Years later, a search began… And what he found changed everything. Darren Brown’s journey into his Native American heritage is raw, real, and unforgettable. And he's back with part two of his story. This is Colors —where identity isn’t just explored, it’s reclaimed.  Tweet us at @podcastcolors .  Check out our partner program on international aff...

 In this compelling episode, we sit down with literary scholar and author Dana A. Williams to explore her new book, Toni at Random . Best known as a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison also spent over a decade as a formidable editor at Random House—amplifying Black voices, shaping cultural memory, and changing the face of American publishing. Williams reveals how Morrison championed iconic...

In this episode we talk with newly inducted SPJ Hall of Fame journalist Richard Prince —a legendary voice in American media and a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. From his groundbreaking column “Journal-isms” to decades of work spotlighting issues of representation in the newsroom and beyond, Prince has shaped the conversation on race and media like few others.  Tweet us at...

  Colors: A Dialogue on Race in America is a fearless, deeply human podcast that cuts through noise and cliché to confront the raw realities of race, identity, and power in America. Hosted by veteran journalist JJ Green, Colors blends investigative depth with emotional resonance—featuring unfiltered conversations with voices often ignored or silenced. Each episode is a mosaic of lived experience,...