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 refuses to die. From basement interrogation rooms to courtrooms still haunted by the past, this is a ...
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 Japanese internment. In this urgent conversation, Wu explains why SB 17 terrifies immigrant commun...
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 into the light. Her new memoir, Plain Jayne, captures that journey with raw honesty — and tomorrow...
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 proclamation from Mayor Muriel Bowser declaring September 6th as Jayne Kennedy Day in Washingt...
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 to him about the challenges the Native American community has faced in the new Trump Administ...
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 affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcas...
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 figures like Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, and Toni Cade Bambara, and how her behind-the-scene...
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 @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Gr...
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, expert insight, and cultural truth, capturing the complex, sometimes painful, always urgent s...
"Five years ago, America was in anguish. The killing of George Floyd didn’t just break hearts—it broke something deeper. It shattered illusions. It exposed truths that were too often ignored, too easily silenced. Out of that pain, Colors was born. Two friends—one Black, one White—looked each other in the eye and said, We have to talk. Not later. Not when it’s convenient. Now. We launched this podcast not as experts, but as witnesses—witnesses to injustice, to discomfort, and to the urgent nee...
They say first impressions matter — but they’re not always right. You’ve heard the phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” and it holds true far beyond the pages of a novel. Someone’s appearance, voice, or background might tell part of their story, but never the whole truth. The quietest person in the room may have the loudest courage. The worn-out cover may hold the richest content. In a world quick to label and divide, taking the time to look deeper isn’t just kind — it’s wise. Because b...
Susan Goodier, a white female resident of New York and New Mexico is struggling with the resurgence of "racism". So she's taking action. She shares what she's doing to contribute to improving the situation. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
Gretchen Sorin is distinguished professor and director of the Cooperstown Graduate Program of the State University of New York and the author of Driving While Black. She has some deep concerns about where America's racial scene is today. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
Larry Pfeiffer, Larry Pfeiffer is the director of the Hayden Center, overseeing its development, operations, and activities. He's a former National Security Agency Executive and talks to us about a very unfortunate anti-DEI incident at NSA during Black History month of this year. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
Wade Dugger from the Washington D.C. area, a man of faith, says it's time to put that faith into action as anti-DEI and racist movements and actions spring up. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
Mike Jakaitis, who like I, knew our colleague, the great WTOP radio news Anchor Dimitri Sotis for more than 30 years, joins us to honor Dimitri. Dimitri was a huge supporter of Colors and appeared on this program. He passed away suddenly on January 25, 2025 at age 55. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera joins is to put in context the impact the Trump 2.0 deportation efforts is having on people and the country. She is a Professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Her areas of expertise are border studies, U.S.-Mexico relations, international security, migration studies and illicit networks. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscrib...
Filmmaker Pablo Miralles, lost his home in the Eaton. He reflects on what he lost, what he's grateful for, the amazing neighborhood he came from in Altadena. He also shares a great story about his film "Can't We All Get Along", about Rodney King, whom he actually went to school with at John Muir High School in Pasadena. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast....
Everette Jordan grew up in Altadena, California. He now lives on the east coast, but he's still active in that community and has family there. He talks about the heartbreak, the devastation and the resilience of Altadena. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants. Saadia, founder of Immigrantly media talks to us about why she started the company and what they do. Tweet us at @podcastcolors. Check out our partner program on international affairs, Global with JJ Green on Substack. Please subscribe. Email us at colors@the colorspodcast.com.