#TalkRadio – January 28: Making Good Trouble 2025! Fighting Unconstitutional and Other Wrongful Acts of Trump Administration!

SPEAKERS:

John Bacot: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
John Bacot (pronounced “Baco”), a highly decorated and distinguished federal agent spanning two decades with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), retiring as a Supervisory Special Agent.  Over the span of his career he worked and supervised criminal & violent crimes, counterterrorism, domestic terrorism, and counterintelligence matters. He is also a Disabled Veteran, United States Navy, entrepreneur, author, a former cohost on 1580 AM. Today he’s a sought after public speaker sharing his insights on Afrocentric ideologies, geopolitics, health, unity, and community.

Dianne Wilkerson: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
First African American Female to serve in the Massachusetts Senate and TJC Board Treasurer

Edward Ward: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
TJC Fellow; Restorative Justice Policy Advocate; a Youth Crisis Interventionist; and, Dean of Sherman School of Excellence

Bryson Powers: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Transformative Justice Coalition Fellow and Freedom Rider; Alabama State University Student Leader

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “Making Good Trouble 2025! Fighting Unconstitutional and Other Wrongful Acts of Trump Administration!” Co-Host Daryl Jones, Esq. will moderate the show. Co-Host Barbara Arnwine, Esq. will be live from Brunswick where she will be representing the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) during the Jackie Johnson trial. This show will feature special guests John Bacot, Dianne Wilkerson, Prof. Edward Ward, and Bryson Powers.

Jackie Johnson, the former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney, is set to stand trial for allegedly obstructing the investigation into Ahmaud Arbery’s killing. Johnson faces charges of violating her oath of office and hindering law enforcement officers. The trial comes more than four years after Arbery’s death, which sparked nationwide protests over racial injustice. Johnson is accused of interfering with the investigation to protect Gregory McMichael, a former investigator in her office, and his son, Travis McMichael, who were involved in Arbery’s death. After several days of jury selection, the trial is slated to start with opening statements on Tuesday, October 28th.  Read more here: https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/ahmaud-arbery/jury-selection-continues-for-trial-prosecutor-ahmaud-arberys-death/77-218342d9-048a-466f-a855-08909151716f 

The show will open with a discussion of the Trump’s Administration’s assault on our constitutional rights, civil rights, and voting rights. Our statement below summarizes TJC’s position on some, but not all, of President Trump’s most egregious actions:

“After an ugly week of Trump Administration Executive Orders, agency rollbacks and confirmations by the Senate of woefully underqualified nominees, many are standing strong and fighting back in the pulpits, in courts and through multiple forms of resistance. TJC applauds everyone who has gotten in the way and got into “Good Trouble” in these times. Your voice and your action will determine the future of our nation. 

As anticipated, President Trump in the first week of his Administration has launched a vicious and hateful attack on our civil rights and voting rights, reproductive freedom and other constitutional rights through blatantly unconstitutional and abusive Executive Orders and agency actions. His numerous wrongful anti-DEIA measures, hiring freezes, bans on teaching Black History, Ethnic Studies, Women Studies and attempted purges are undermining our federal government’s necessary ability to teach truth and represent the totality of America.  His orders affecting the National Institutes of Health and other medical providers jeopardizes our healthcare system.  

Most evilly, in a media attention grabbing frenzy, he has declared illegal immigration a national emergency and initiated a sweeping and highly politicized mass deportation effort characterized by extreme racial profiling. Indeed, even Native Americans have been illegally detained or arrested!  The entire purpose of these raids are to villainize the most vulnerable on the basis of race while dividing the American people.  

He has pardoned those who violently assaulted law enforcement, threatened congressional members and defaced the US Capitol on January 6th.  Already, those pardoned have threatened acts of retribution. Sadly, one has already been rearrested for unlawful gun possession and another killed resisting a police officer.  

All of these actions and so many more parallel the agenda of Project 2025.

Yet, WE have not been silent nor acquiescent.  Already, we have stopped the unconstitutional Executive Order seeking to ban birthright citizenship. Our thanks to the State Attorney Generals, organizations, lawyers and plaintiffs who have stepped up in this moment to Fight Forward for Justice.  We are prepared to fight and win more victories in the Courts.  Governors, mayors, school leaders, religious leaders and more have organized to protect the innocent who are undocumented in our nation. When the Trump Administration’s overreach resulted in the Air Force banning the showing of the Tuskegee Airman Black History video, WE all raised our voices in strong protest and they reversed course!!  

TJC is launching a #NoDEI-NoBuy Campaign to address the cowardly companies engaging in “anticipatory obedience ” who have dropped, suspended or curtailed their private DEI programs.  

TJC is joining forces with those throughout the nation in opposition to the mass deportations.  

Our Thanks to everyone of you who has signed the 2025 Voting Rights Pledge.  

As we announced in our 2025 Statement, Unity, Courage and Commitment to build an inclusive and just Multiracial Democracy is an imperative in this moment of extreme threat.  We are unrelenting in our dedication to Fighting Forward Against the Injustice of this Trump Administration!  Join Us!!”

To see a more exhaustive, but still incomplete list of President Trump’s Day One actions, see here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DtS8tbIdRH_zKZZ24mSiNoVwukd7UkD/view?usp=sharing 

For more news concerning DEI and immigration, see the links below: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drjacquelineking_i-will-always-stand-up-for-justice-and-equality-ugcPost-7289335047470428161-ym6Y 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jenniferswayne_mondays-inauguration-makes-it-clear-we-activity-7288556194992979969-B3tG

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nancy-levine-stearns-a753782_dei-activity-7285290582636204033-qMqv

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vu-le-b395a69_nonprofit-and-philanthropy-and-our-white-activity-7284856575037526016-_r4V

https://www.newsbreak.com/share/3779639849776-what-about-white-undocumented-immigrants-critics-claim-ice-raids-are-racist

This show will be one of many in which we will highlight TJC’s affirmative agenda for 2025 and 2026. 

QUESTIONS:

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM Eastern Time- PARDONS

• Reportedly, last weekend, now President Trump went back and forth with his advisors regarding his pledge to pardon all of the January 6th insurrectionists. Many in his inner circle have claimed to have been caught off guard by the actual announcement. Mr. Bacot, how did you react when you heard this announcement? Had you been expecting it?
• Mr. Bacot, how has this announcement affected others in law enforcement, especially those that work with the U.S. Capitol Police?
• What about the Black officers, in particular, who were assaulted, physically maimed, and called the “N-word” and other slurs during the insurrection?
• Post-release, a couple of the insurrectionists have issued threats of retaliation, but, more strikingly, some have been re-arrested for other unlawful acts, and one, after instigating a fight, was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. Was this predictable? What else can we expect?

12:15 PM – 12:35 PM Eastern Time- MASS DEPORTATIONS

• How have these mass deportations affected your state?
• What has been the response of your community to these attacks?
• Unlike past deportation raids, this administration has targeted schools, hospitals, religious sanctuaries, and other public spaces for these raids. People aren’t showing up to work, school, or to receive medical treatment. How have your local municipalities responded to this broadening of the sweep?
• A lot of the propaganda surrounding the mass deportations has surrounded this initial one thousand being accused of criminal actions; however, people are missing that the number this administration has targeted for deportation is 12 million. How do we counter the propaganda?
• How have people been able to get assistance to prevent being swept up in these roundups?
• How does it feel to be told that you must carry your “papers” (passport, proof of citizenship) with you?
• One of the most brutal aspects of the mass deportations has been the mass racial profiling upon which it has relied, whereas White undocumented communities are not being targeted despite many also being accused of criminal activities. Because of racial profiling, even Native Americans have been swept up. How has this furthered racial stereotypes and racial divisions?
• How do we stop the racial profiling?

12:35 PM – 12:52 PM Eastern Time- DEI

• First of all, before we talk about DEI, let’s look at the freeze that this administration has placed on all civil rights enforcement. In addition, this administration has repealed some of the best long-standing anti-discrimination executive orders (11246 and the EJR, as examples).
• Most evilly and publicly, they have attacked DEI. Dianne, what is DEI?
• John, how did DEI shape the law enforcement ranks on Capitol Hill?
• One of the hidden beneficiaries of DEI has been white women, and interestingly, they have been attacked by the administration and are being fired and likewise frozen out of the workplace. Generally, this is not seen by the public. Do they see themselves as being affected?
• Evilly, there have been a number of leading American corporations that have taken their lead from the federal government and have rushed to dismantle their DEI programs. Dianne, how should we respond to their abandonment of DEI policies?
• Dianne, what do you think about TJC’s “No DEI, No Buy!” proposed campaign? (tell people to be on the outlook for this campaign!)
• What are your one-minute final thoughts to our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

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