Civic Cocktail

George Floyd's murder sparked a movement, forcing this nation to acknowledge and confront systemic racism. But how much has changed in the year since Floyd was killed? Seattle Times Assistant Managing Editor Naomi Ishisaka tells host Joni Balter, "this is part of an arc of work that's been ongoing... and while momentum has slowed, progress has been made." New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter warns, "Any movement for change that specifically regards African Americans can expect a pushback, and of course that's happening." And Jasmyne Keimig, staff writer for The Stranger says, "The defund conversation has pushed the center of gravity... but there's still an overwhelmingly uphill battle to implement real change." All three journalists also agreed the flood of misinformation coming from various news outlets is troubling since it allows false narratives to take hold which are then accepted as fact.