#TalkRadio – July 8: Lessons From the Legacy of John Lewis: What the Budget Bill Means for Black America and the AAPF Summer Camp Advances On-going Fight Against Racial Fascism!

SPEAKERS:

Eboni Jean-Charles: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
Transformative Justice Coalition Alumni; Hosting John Lewis National Day of Action 2025 Event in Miami, Florida at The Roots Bookstore & Market

Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
New Head of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH); immediate past president of the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA); Executive Director, Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice; Professor, Communication for “African and African American Studies”, Loyola University Maryland; Host, Today With Dr. Kaye on WEAA 88.9 FM; twitter: @kayewhitehead @karsoninstitute

Dr. Karen McRae: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
President & CEO, Concerned Black Men of America; Board Member of the Transformative Justice Coalition

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “Lessons From the Legacy of John Lewis: What the Budget Bill Means for Black America and the AAPF Summer Camp Advances On-going Fight Against Racial Fascism!”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. and will feature special guests Eboni Jean-Charles; Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead; and, Dr. Karen McRae. 

On July 17, we honor the anniversary of the passing of civil rights icon John Lewis—not with ceremonies, but with action. Across the country, we will take to the streets and into communities to uplift our non-violent struggle for justice, voting rights, just multiracial democracy, and dignity for all. This is more than a protest—this is a moral reckoning; a fight against voter suppression; a fight against racial division; a fight against Medicare and Medicaid cuts and all other social safety net budget cuts and a fight to protect our Constitutional Freedoms, a continuation for Congressman John Lewis’ legacy and a new front in the freedom struggle; this is a movement for Democracy!

Through the tremendous efforts of TJC, Indivisible, Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), Public Citizen, Black Voters Matters, League of Women Voters, Southern Poverty Law Center, The Leadership Conference for Human and Civil Rights, 50501, and 170 other organizational partners, the July 17th John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Mass Mobilization is reaching unprecedented heights. At the time of the writing of this show description, there are 1,259+ John Lewis National Day of Action events, 1,052 confirmed with another 207 pending, with more to come. We urge all interested in hosting an event, volunteering, or participating in an event to please sign up at GoodTroubleLivesOn.org. Our show will feature the great organizing being done by many local organizers to make July 17th a major success. Our guest Eboni Jean-Charles is one of TJC’s Alumni and is hosting an event in Miami, Florida at The Roots Bookstore & Market. 

Our guest Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead is going to discuss the African-American Policy Forum’s Summer Camp, being held July 19th – July 24th in Nashville, TN. It has been famously stated by Toni Morrison during her 1995 speech at Howard University:

“In 1995 racism may wear a new dress, buy a new pair of boots, but neither it nor its succubus twin fascism is new or can make anything new. It can only reproduce the environment that supports its own health: fear, denial and an atmosphere in which its victims have lost the will to fight.” Morrison, T. (1995). Racism and fascism. The Journal of Negro Education, 64(3), 384–385. 

You can read Toni Morrison’s full essay Racism and Fascism as published in The Journal of Negro Education via this PDF hosted by Black Lives Matter at School: https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/uploads/1/4/0/0/140009781/morrison-article.pdf  It includes the full text of her 1995 Howard University speech, where she draws the chilling parallels between racism and fascism. The AAPF Summer Seminar and Summit will explore in depth the current threats in the US to voting rights and democracy by examining the Trump Administration push for authoritarianism.  

The 2025 AAPF Summer Camp is being co-sponsored by TJC, which has recruited a cohort of ten TJC Alumni to attend. Barbara Arnwine and Jonnita Dockens will be among the speakers. The Summer School is open to all those who want to attend. You can go to AAPF.org for more information.

Our guest Dr. Karen McRae will discuss “the Big Ugly Bill” and what it means for Black America. The misnomered “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, after a dramatic legislative journey through Congress. Here’s a breakdown of its passage timeline and key highlights:

🗳️ Passage Timeline

• May 22, 2025: Passed the House by a narrow 215–214 vote.

• July 1, 2025: Passed the Senate 51–50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

• July 3, 2025: House approved the Senate’s amended version.

• July 4, 2025: Signed into law by President Trump, meeting his self-imposed Independence Day deadline.

The OBBBA is a sweeping budget reconciliation package that permanently extends many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, imposes new work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, phases out clean energy tax credits, and allocates hundreds of billions toward border security and defense. While its proponents tout it as a pro-growth, pro-security measure, its implications for Black Americans are particularly significant and deeply concerning.

📜 What the OBBBA Does

The OBBBA is a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that:

• Permanently extends many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), including individual tax rate reductions and the standard deduction.

• Raises the estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million per individual, indexed for inflation.

• Imposes Medicaid and SNAP work requirements, potentially affecting millions of low-income Americans.

• Phases out clean energy tax credits for wind, solar, and EVs, while preserving incentives for nuclear and geothermal.

• Allocates $350 billion for border security, including wall construction and ICE expansion.

• Raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion to avoid default.

Economic and Tax Policy Impacts

The bill’s extension of tax cuts disproportionately benefits high-income households, who are more likely to be white and own capital assets. A 2024 analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that corporate tax cuts overwhelmingly benefit white households due to their greater ownership of stocks and bonds. In contrast, Black households—who hold less wealth and fewer capital assets—receive a smaller share of the benefits, exacerbating the racial wealth gap (Halley, 2025).

Medicaid and Healthcare Access

OBBBA introduces stricter Medicaid eligibility requirements, including work mandates and co-payments. Black Americans, who made up 21% of Medicaid recipients in 2020, are likely to be disproportionately affected by these changes. The rollback of Affordable Care Act subsidies and reduced federal Medicaid contributions may lead to coverage losses, particularly among low-income Black families and pregnant women, further worsening health disparities and maternal mortality rates (Redd, 2025).

Education and Pell Grants

The bill cuts $2.7 million in Pell Grant funding and increases the credit load required for eligibility. Since approximately 60% of Black college students rely on Pell Grants, these changes could force many to reduce their course loads or drop out entirely, undermining educational attainment and economic mobility (Halley, 2025).

SNAP and Food Security

SNAP benefits are cut by 30%, with new work requirements and reduced state flexibility. In 2023, 27% of SNAP recipients were Black. These cuts are expected to increase food insecurity in Black communities, particularly among single-parent households and the elderly (Spearman, 2025).

Climate and Environmental Justice

The rollback of clean energy incentives and the reallocation of subsidies toward fossil fuels will likely increase pollution in urban areas, where Black communities are overrepresented. These areas are already more vulnerable to extreme weather events and environmental degradation. The bill’s climate provisions are expected to worsen these disparities by slowing the transition to clean energy and increasing exposure to harmful emissions (Turner, 2025).

Reproductive Rights and Healthcare Autonomy

The bill bans federal funding for insurance plans that cover abortion care, even in states where abortion remains legal. Black women, who are more likely to rely on publicly funded healthcare, will face increased barriers to reproductive services, compounding existing inequities in maternal health outcomes (Halley, 2025).

Criminal Justice and Immigration Enforcement

With $350 billion allocated to border security and deportation infrastructure, the bill expands ICE operations and detention capacity. Critics argue that this will disproportionately affect Black immigrants and asylum seekers from Africa and the Caribbean, especially with the introduction of a $100 asylum application fee (Halley, 2025).

🧾 Effective Dates

• Most tax provisions take effect January 1, 2026.

• Medicaid and SNAP changes begin in late 2026.

• Clean energy credit phase-outs start mid-2026.

• Border and defense funding begins immediately upon enactment.

References for effects on Black America:

Halley, P. S. (2025, July 3). 13 ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will impact Black Americans. HBCU News. https://hbcunews.com/2025/07/03/13-ways-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-will-impact-black-americans/

Redd, K. (2025, June 8). A reckoning in policy: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its global impact on Black communities. Dear Black Woman. https://www.dearblackwoman.me/post/a-reckoning-in-policy-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-and-its-global-impact-on-black-communities

Spearman, D. (2025, July 1). The Big Beautiful Bill: A reckoning for Black communities. African Elements. https://www.africanelements.org/news/the-big-beautiful-bill-a-reckoning-for-black-communities/

Turner, J. (2025, June 30). These maps show where Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ bill will cancel clean energy. Newsweek. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/these-maps-show-where-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-will-cancel-clean-energy/ar-AA1HI6eT

QUESTIONS:

• Eboni, Welcome to Igniting Change. You are a TJC Alumni from Florida. Please share with our audience more about your background.
• Eboni, why have you chosen to become a leader of a July 17th John Lewis National Day of Action “Good Trouble Lives On” Event?
• Eboni, why is it important to host an event specifically in Miami, Florida?
• Eboni, What should people expect on July 17th at your event?
• Eboni, you will be organizing GenZ and Millennials to participate in John Lewis Day, what do you hope will happen that day? Why are you urging Gen Z’ers to be involved?
• Now there are over 1,200 John Lewis Day of Action hosted events across the country, with 200 partners. This is our largest one ever since 2021. How do people sign up to join the John Lewis Day of Action? (GoodTroubleLivesOn.org)
• Dr. Kaye, you are President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH),, which is also a sponsor of AAPF’s Summer Camp and is actively recruiting people to attend. 
• What is AAPF’s Summer Camp, taking place July 20th – 25th in Nashville, Tennessee? 
• Why is it important for people to attend this year’s Summer Camp?
• What are some of the unique instructional aspects of this Summer Camp?
• Dr. Kaye, this is the second time this Summer Camp is being held in-person in Nashville, TN. It will be held at the historic Scarritt Bennett Center. 
• Why Nashville, Tennessee?
• Tell people more about the historic Scarritt Bennett Center.
• Dr. McRae, everyone on today’s show will be impacted by the infamous “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, or as we call it, “The Ugly Bill”. What are some of the worst aspects of this bill? 
• Dr. McRae, they purposefully staggered some of the worst aspects of the bill to be effective after the midterm elections. Another deceptive part of the bill is that the tax cuts for the rich are permanent, but the tax deductions and “no taxes on tips” are all temporary and have limitations and all the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare are permanent. Medicaid and SNAP cuts are roughly $1.1 Trillion in this bill; meanwhile, the tax cuts for the rich total to $1.1 Trillion. According to the Congressional Budget Office, by 2034, sixteen million people will lose their health insurance. SNAP cuts are estimated to affect 40 Million people, with some schools having to cut back on the free food and snacks they offer children. How do these cuts particularly impact Black America?
• Eboni, in your interactions with your colleagues, how much discussion has focused on this bill?
• Everyone, it is anticipated that on July 17th many of the people making Good Trouble with protests that day will be openly voicing opposition to this horrific bill. How do you think people will voice that opposition in the spirit of John Lewis?
• Dr. Kaye and Dr. McRae, How do you compare the movements of the 1960’s that destroyed legally sanctioned racial segregation and fought for voting rights with today’s movements that seek to destroy this modern eugenics-based White Supremacy, Oligarchy, Authoritarianism, and other Anti-Democracy forces? 
• (Everyone, What do you think should be the key demands of today’s protests?)
• Everyone, What are your one-minute final thoughts to our listeners?
• Everyone, How can our listeners get involved? (GoodTroubleLivesOn.org; AAPF.org )
• Everyone, Thank you so much for joining us today. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

[ Arnwine will remind listeners when you make those daily calls to the Congress at 202-224-3121 to vote NO and protest the SAVE Act and remind people to stay in those streets! TJC will continue to vigorously defend the rights of all Americans and will fight the implementation of Project 2025 and our future shows will continue to cover any hate crimes and how we effectively protect ourselves while advancing our agenda for justice.]

[Daryl, Barbara, and guests may share their favorite books and encourage people to donate towards TJC’s giveaways of banned and affirming books.]