Bankole's Nation

Bankole Thompson

*Bankole's Nation:* From Detroit, nationally acclaimed journalist Bankole Thompson shares his insights on the political and cultural issues shaping our country. Featuring special interviews, analysis, and commentaries, *Bankole's Nation* delivers a bold and thought-provoking perspective on the news.

  1. Apr 14

    Bankole’s Nation S2 Ep 18: Top Attorney Tina Patterson Speaks Out on Economic Equity, Lawsuit Against Genisys Credit Union

    This week on Bankole’s Nation, journalist Bankole Thompson interviews Attorney Tina M. Patterson, Esq., a nationally recognized legal authority and the Principal Attorney at the Patterson Justice Council, PLLC, about economic equity as a 21st-century business strategy in line with the vision of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Patterson, whose previous cases have been cited in the Georgetown Law Journal on Poverty and by the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Banking Institute, also discusses her federal lawsuit against Genisys Credit Union in Michigan, which was recently dismissed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The lawsuit alleged racial discrimination against her Black client, who had been a longstanding client of the bank.  Patterson, a former federal government attorney who previously worked for the Social Security Administration, and Thompson discuss the importance of the Genisys Credit Union case and how it raises questions about “Banking while Black,” the phenomenon in which Black customers routinely report being denied services or maltreated at financial institutions across the country.  The interview examined economic justice as a catalyst for systemic change and the need to create accountability platforms that will shape equitable economic outcomes for marginalized communities. She waxed on the fact that Black and other minority consumers have the power to hold major corporations accountable, pointing to the ongoing, successful boycott of Target as an example following the corporate giant’s decision to roll back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.  In the interview, Patterson, who is also the President and General Counsel of The PuLSE Institute, Detroit’s national anti-poverty think tank, and one of the few Black women in the nation leading a major economic justice institution, reflected that economic justice is not achieved overnight and requires consistency, education, courage, and leadership at all levels to achieve equity.

    1h 4m
  2. Mar 25

    Bankole's Nation: S2 Ep 17: Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Son Jonathan Jackson Speaks Out on Father’s Wish, DEI, Midterms and American Democracy

    This week on Bankole’s Nation, journalistBankole Thompson interviews Chicago Congressman Jonathan Jackson, one of the sons of the late Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., the renowned civil rights leader and global statesman who passed away last month.  Congressman Jackson, in the interview,revealed that his father told him three years ago he wanted him to deliver the eulogy at his funeral as the civil rights leader and aide to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began to get ill.  At the private funeral for Rev. Jackson,Congressman Jackson delivered what became the eulogy that climaxed days of activities across the country honoring his father. His powerful remarks defended Rev. Jackson’s decades of groundbreaking work to improve thelives of not only African Americans but also people of African descent in the global Black Diaspora, which included successfully fighting for NelsonMandela's release during South African apartheid. Like a surgeon, Congressman Jackson, in his eulogy, dissected the fallacies of his father’s critics, who opposed his crusades for economic justice and his push for diversity, equity, and inclusion.  In the interview, he reflected on the eulogy, the urgent need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and why Congress needs to push the issue rather than abandon it. He also discussed the upcoming midterm elections, the 2028 presidential election, and what is at stake for the nation.

    48 min
  3. 12/17/2025

    Bankole's Nation: S2 Ep 12: Who Will Detroit Mayor-elect Sheffield Hire to Lead Jobs and Economy? 

    This week on Bankole’s Nation, journalist Bankole Thompson discusses the road ahead for Detroit's incoming mayor, Mary Sheffield, who is set to take office in January 2026. Sheffield faces a series of challenges in the city, including how to address the stark poverty crisis highlighted by the 2024U.S. Census report. The Census data show that Detroit has the highest poverty concentration among cities with a population of half a million or more. Additionally, the report indicates that more than half of Detroit’s children live in extreme poverty.    Thompson believes that the new Sheffield administration must act quickly to address the issue of inequality, because many Detroit families are facing a crisis of affordability, including seniors who are being priced out of their once-affordable apartments around downtown.  Central to the discussion is who will oversee the jobs and economy portfolio, especially after Sheffield announced her longtime chief of staff, Brian White, as the next deputy mayor for Detroit. Thompson urges listeners and viewers to pay close attention to whoever is appointed to the influentialroles in jobs and the economy, because that position will connect to affordability concerns for economically disadvantaged Detroiters, as well as to mega investors who are looking to the new administration to back their development deals.

    30 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

*Bankole's Nation:* From Detroit, nationally acclaimed journalist Bankole Thompson shares his insights on the political and cultural issues shaping our country. Featuring special interviews, analysis, and commentaries, *Bankole's Nation* delivers a bold and thought-provoking perspective on the news.