On the heels of President Trump's speech at the RNC from the White House, thousands descended on the capital today to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.
Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said that in the midst of social unrest and senseless violence, the march is about emphasizing the importance of voting in this year's presidential election.
"We want to make sure that we use this moment to pause, to re-energize, to focus on marching to the polls in November," Johnson told Cheddar.
While many are expected to show up to the march in-person, organizers are also taking the event online for those unable to attend or who prefer to stay away from crowds amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, as President Trump continues to wage a war against the mail-in voting process, Johnson and the NAACP are looking for the government to restore the "stripped" Voting Rights Act.
"In order for this democracy to truly work, we must allow access to the ballot box and unfortunately, we have reduced the administration of elections to a partisan consideration," Johnson said.
As the issue of policing in America hangs in the backdrop of the march's mission, Johnson said it is an issue that has to be addressed. When it comes to policies regarding policing, there has to be a process for accountability, he continued, stating that it's imperative other services receive the funding needed so that police are not required to serve functions for which they are not trained.
"We have to take a serious look at the budget of police to make sure we're not asking officers to serve the role of mental health providers; to serve the role of anything else other than policing," Johnson said.
For Johnson, it's all about leveling the playing field and making policing in the U.S. uniform across the country.
"Some of the wealthiest communities across this country see a really robust preventive program in place. Low income areas and areas where African Americans are being patrolled — we don't have enough preventive measures so things will not escalate as we've seen over the recent few months," he explained.
Ursula Perano, politics reporter at the Daily Beast, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the wave of 30 House Democrats retiring or not seeking re-election in November.
Jimmy Hoover, Supreme Court editor-at-large for Law360, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the high court's latest ruling in an Alabama gerrymandering case that could end up further chipping away at the Voting Rights Act.
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A six-year battle over equal pay has finally come to an end-- as U.S. Soccer and The United States Women's Soccer Team have agreed to settle their lawsuit. Under the terms of the deal, the athletes will receive $24 million from U.S. Soccer, and a pledge from the federation to equalize pay for the men's and women's national teams. Lily Roberts, Managing Director of the Poverty to Prosperity Team at the Center for American Progress joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
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Grant Stark, Director of Research at CapWealth, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that his firm is closely monitoring oil prices amid the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and elaborates on how inflation will continue to be a problem across multiple sectors.
A private prison company plans to run a new pilot program that would place hundreds of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border under house arrest. The "home curfew" pilot program is part of "impactful detention reforms," according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Jacinta Gonzalez, senior campaign organizer with Mijente, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
