May 25, 2021

One year after George Floyd’s death, we look again at systemic racism in America with Elizabeth Hinton, who aims to put the current racial justice movement in historical context. Her new book “America on Fire” looks at Black rebellion in the 1960s and 70s, and she speaks with Michel Martin about how we got to where we are today.

Today President Joe Biden met with the Floyd family, having asked Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by today. Negotiations are ongoing, and Bianna – in for Christiane – speaks with Congresswoman Karen Bass, who was lead author of the Act as passed by the House.

The EU will impose sanctions on Belarus for diverting and grounding a commercial flight for the purpose of arresting dissident journalist Roman Protasevich. What can be done, and what role might Russia play? Correspondent Matthew Chance joins the show from Moscow.

Much of Gaza lies in ruins after 11 days of destruction, with the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants leaving over 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis dead. For Palestinians, rebuilding from the rubble will be a Herculean task. As part of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Tamara Alrifai will be on the front lines of that effort.

The Tokyo Olympics are set to start in under two months, but so far things are off to a rocky start. The U.S. is urging citizens to avoid traveling to Japan as it enters a fourth wave of the pandemic, while a recent poll shows 83% of Japanese people want the summer games either postponed or cancelled altogether. Veteran sports commentator Bob Costas has covered 11 Olympic Games and joins the show.