OneOpp presents Crossing Bridges OneOpp

In this episode, Evan Marshall speaks with Mondale Robinson of Black Male Voter Project about how the history and tactics of American politics have kept Black men from the polls. Robinson explains how expanding the electorate needs to be rooted in building relationships and listening to real voters, stressing the need to take money out of politics. Robinson shares how the Black Male Voter Project works year-round to civically engage voters and emphasizes how important it is to demystify the political sphere and make politics feel like a part of people’s lives.

In this episode, Deanna Brown, former managing director of MRC Media and founder of Entrepreneur for Changes, interviews Dr. William Parham, an esteemed professor at Loyola Marymount University and Director of Mental Health and Wellness for the National Basketball Player’s Association. In this conversation, Deanna questions Dr. Parham on how he thinks the media can be an ally when it comes to fighting against racism and police brutality. Parham expresses that a lot of systemic issues are rooted from white supremacy being at the core. He encourages listeners to reflect whether the nation has failed at eradicating social inequities or succeeded at keeping them in place.

In this episode, Concept Arts President Aaron Michaelson and LiveFree California’s Director Tim Kornegay explore the issue of the cycle of mass incarceration. Tim tackles the failures of the law enforcement system as a whole and addresses the lack of programs provided to give prisoners a second chance to better themselves. He also brings up the lack of accountability in police training, and the dangers of police taking advantage of their power. Tim stresses the solution lies in investing in the root cause of the problem by investing in social programs that address social, political, and economic inequities.

In this episode, Cashmere Agency’s co-founder Seung Chung and Center for Policing Equity’s Vice President Chris Burbank discuss the controversy and connotation behind the terms “defunding” and “reimagining” the police. On behalf of CPE, Chris expressed that the organization favored the term “reimagining”. To him, “defunding” the police is a very complicated process that people have failed to fully grasp and deconstruct. Chris encourages listeners to reflect on why the police are needed in the first place in certain situations, and reimagine who can be used as alternatives. Chris believes policing is at its best when the interest of a successful outcome is more important than going to jail.

In this episode, DavidAndGoliath’s Director of Empathy Tiffany Persons and former NYPD executive Corey Pegues plunge into how the historical background of policing has shaped the failures of the police system today. Tiffany dives deep into Corey’s experiences being on the force as well as his motivations. Corey also makes an analogy to slave-patrol catching being similar to the stop-question-and-frisk and the shooting of innocent black men today. Corey strongly believes that policing as a whole needs to change and that police unions have a strong hold on the injustices of the cases today.

In this episode, Dr. Mitch Hamilton and Lt. Governor Gilchrist of Michigan dive further into the disconnect between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Gilchrist shares a personal experience from a traumatic encounter with the police during his childhood and how it helped shape his perception today and led to having tough conversations with his own children. Gilchrist emphasizes the need for law enforcement to have more care and a more personal tie to the community they choose to serve.