Matter of Fact Listening Tour: ‘Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams’

“Trailblazers, Troublemakers & Dreams” is the final presentation in a series of digital and television specials hosted by Soledad O’Brien that explore difficult issues surrounding race and equity through discussions with a diverse collection of accomplished individuals representing a panoply of fields.

You can watch the full show in the video player above.

Guests appearing in this special presentation.

• Poet and author Elizabeth Acevedo
• Simone Biles, who is tied as the most decorated gymnast of all time
• Tawney Brunsch, executive director of Lakota Funds, the first reservation-based Native community development financial institution
• #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke
• Comedian Margaret Cho
• Parkland, Florida, shooting survivor X González
• Tribal attorney Tara Houska
• Actor Daniel Dae Kim
• Renee Montgomery, the first WNBA player to ascend to team management and ownership
• Actor, singer and author Billy Porter
• Music composer Andrea Ramsey
• Linda Sarsour, activist, Women’s March co-host and former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York
• Paypal President Dan Schulman
• Nashlie Sephus, an entrepreneur in machine learning and algorithmic bias identification
• The members of the dance band The Slants
• Yohuru R. Williams, distinguished university chair, professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas

“Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams,” also includes feature stories on the late Rep. John Lewis and the late Pittsburgh Pirates star player Roberto Clemente, follows “Promises of Change” and “To Be An American: Identity, Race And Justice.” The tour debuted in October 2020 with “The Hard Truth About Bias: Images and Reality.” The initial three episodes continue to stream at matteroffact.tv.

The “Matter of Fact Listening Tour” is a special project from the award-winning “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien,” the nation’s most-watched syndicated public affairs program. Now in its seventh successful season and the recipient of four 2022 Gold Telly Awards, “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien” is produced by Hearst Media Production Group. The October 2020 debut of the “Matter of Fact Listening Tour” launched a series of forums employing the digital platforms of many of Hearst’s consumer media brands, including 33 television stations; newspapers around the country; and many of the world’s most popular magazines — and Matter of Fact’s website, YouTube and Facebook Live channels.

 

‘Some people tell me to fix my hair,’ Elizabeth Acevedo gives poetic performance

Award-winning poet and author Elizabeth Acevedo is one of the special guests who joined Soledad O’Brien for the 2022 “Matter of Fact Listening Tour: Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams.”

How Asian American rock stars reclaimed a slur through a Supreme Court ruling

Meet Simon Tam, self-proclaimed “Asian Troublemaker” and bass guitarist behind the Asian American rock band The Slants. Tam decided on the band name as a means to reclaim the slur after being bullied as a child for his Asian features. After eight years of fighting for the right to name his band at the Supreme Court, he and his bandmates finally get to be heard.

’Just being myself is radical.’ Billy Porter talks about trauma, Roe v Wade and eternal vigilance

The award-winning talent extraordinaire spoke about the trauma he endured growing up as a Black queer man and why he is so passionate about upholding Roe v. Wade.

You can view Billy’s interview above, a vidoe taken from the June 8, 2022 Matter of Fact Listening Tour: “Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams.”

Margaret Cho on bringing representation and humor to Hollywood

Recognized as one of the earliest Korean American stand-up comedians to become mainstream, Margaret Cho talks about her parents’ surprising reaction to her career choice as well as how important representation in entertainment and changing the perception of Asian Americans is to her. View Margaret Cho’s story above, taken from the June 8, 2022 Matter of Fact Listening Tour: “Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams.”

March: The story of civil rights icon John Lewis through the lens of a comic book

Many refer to the late John Lewis as the person who inspired the term “good trouble.” A proponent of no-violent civil disobedience, Lewis spent is life agitating for social justice – and paid the price for his courage. Even as a member of Congress, Lewis sometimes encouraged people to break laws if it meant affecting systematic change.

Civil rights scholar says America ‘at a moment of reckoning in so many areas’

Dr. Yohuru Williams shares that he is hopeful for change in America and that there is so much unfinished business of history this country hasn’t resolved that many people are mobilizing to rectify.

Suffrage Cantata: Celebrating the heroes of the women’s suffrage movement through song

Women separated by the color line, but united in a fight for participation as full equal citizens of democracy. That’s the story being Andrea Ramsey’s musical “Suffrage Cantata.”

Founder of #MeToo movement makes efforts to expand dialogue around sexual violence survivors

The #MeToo hashtag exploded in popularity in 2017 with countless stories from survivors of sexual violence. Five years later, the founder of the movement, Tarana Burke, continues to educate and organize against injustice with a unique approach of ‘revolutionary grace,’ inspired by the women who paved the way before her.

View her story above, taken from the June 8, 2022 Matter of Fact Listening Tour: “Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams.”

‘Just Mercy’ author says landmark SCOTUS ruling may not have resulted in a win present-day

A leading voice when it comes to tackling injustice in the United States, Bryan Stevenson talks about a fear that had creeped in about 15 years ago, and the work he does to free people wrongfully put on death row.