#TalkRadio – July 22: HISTORY MADE! July 17th John Lewis ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ Reaches Unprecedented Thursday Nationwide Turnout at 1700 Events!!

SPEAKERS:

Diane Arbery: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Eldest Aunt of Ahmaud Arbery; Major organizer in Brunswick, Georgia; Lead Organizer of 2025 John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Brunswick Event

Betty Magness: 12:15 PM – 12:57 PM ET (11:15 AM – 11:57 AM Central Time)
Illinois Political Director, Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Lead Organizer for flagship 2025 John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Chicago, Illinois Event

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “HISTORY MADE! July 17th John Lewis ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ Reaches  Unprecedented Thursday Nationwide Turnout at 1700 Events!!”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. from Nashville and Maryland, and will feature special guests Diane Arbery Jackson, Betty Magness, and other guests. This show will recap the national July 17th, 2025 John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Day of Action with lead organizers from various events nationwide. Diane Arbery Jackson was the Lead Organizer of 2025 John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Brunswick, Georgia Event and Betty Magness was the Lead Organizer for flagship 2025 John Lewis “Good Trouble Lives On” Chicago, Illinois Event. View the livestream of the flagship Chicago event here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Wl5E_Uavfyg?si=B94hgD1dUnZKAopY.

On July 17th, we honored the anniversary of the passing of civil rights icon John Lewis—not with ceremonies, but with action. Across the country, we took to the streets and into communities to uplift our non-violent struggle for justice, voting rights, just multiracial democracy, and dignity for all. This was more than a nationwide protest movement—this was and 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  reached unprecedented heights with 1,700 John Lewis National Day of Action events nationwide. This is undoubtedly the largest racial justice international and national gatherings since the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. A distinguishing characteristic of these events were their multiracial composition. Many have noted how celebratory these events have been while maintaining their fierce protests of injustice in this country and demanding justice. Despite the naysayers who maintained that African-Americans would not participate in protests, these events were often LED by African-Americans in the spirit of John Lewis.

Barbara Arnwine is in Nashville, Tennessee co-hosting the African American Policy Forum’s Summer Camp, being held July 19th – July 24th in Nashville, TN. The 2025 AAPF Summer Camp is being co-sponsored by TJC, which has recruited a cohort of eight 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. People can still register to attend and get more information at AAPF.org.

QUESTIONS:

Barbara and Daryl will take a moment of silence for the recent flooding that has happened nationwide, most recently in Durham, and a special thanks to everyone who has been helping the community of Durham, North Carolina recover.

• Barbara, Daryl, and guests will give a remembrance tribute to Malcolm Jamal Warner, who played Theo on the Cosby Show,
• Heroes of the Week Award goes to all our Good Trouble Makers! Daryl will give special shout out to the 105-year-old woman who attended.]
• Welcome to your inaugural Igniting Change. Please share with our audience more about your background.
• Why did you choose to become a leader of a July 17th John Lewis National Day of Action “Good Trouble Lives On” Event? 
• Please describe what it was like to lead an event.
• Betty, please tell people about the uniqueness of the Chicago flagship event?
• Betty, what was the significance of the National Broadcast, which has been watched by thousands on the Transformative Justice Coalition’s Facebook page and YouTube channel?
• Dianne, your event was at Ahmaud Arbery Park, named after your nephew who was so wrongfully slain for “Jogging While Black”. Give us an overview of how your event went and how did this teach the legacy of both Ahmaud Arbery and John Lewis?
• [Barbara comments on all of the TJC Alumni that hosted John Lewis events and the eight Alumni who was at the AAPF Summer Camp. Specifically she will discuss how they have been using their prior TJC Training to enhance the AAPF “Democracy Defenders” Summer Camp. Barbara will also highlight Jonnita Dockens’ strong guidance and molding of the Democracy Defenders Co-hort, and how delighted TJC is that AAPF invited the eight TJC Alumni.] 
• Tell us about the demographic makeup of your events. 
• There were over 1,700 John Lewis Day of Action hosted events across the country, with 200 partners. This is our largest one ever since 2021. What subjects did people discuss during the events?
• How did people voice their opposition to the wrongful policies of the Trump Administration and their support of multiculturalism and voting rights in the spirit of John Lewis?
• Based on your knowledge of historic Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, 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? 
• What are the next steps for everyone? (join call with TJC tonight for Next Steps]
• (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)
• Everyone, Thank you so much for joining us today. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

[ Arnwine will remind listeners: about AAPF’s Summer Camp, taking place July 20th – 25th in Nashville, Tennessee and to learn more at AAPF.org  when you make those daily calls to the Congress at 202-224-3121 to vote NO and protest the SAVE Act 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.]