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Each and every year, federal lawmakers gather together to hear the U.S. President deliver what is known as the State of the Union address. In a lengthy speech, the President discusses the most pressing issues in the country. Millions of Americans crowd around the television to hear what the President has to say, but often times their remarks have little to do with the everyday lives of marginalized communities. This week, BET News is working to address this issue.
On July 9, BET News will air the inaugural "State of our Union" address. Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down with Soledad O'Brien to discuss vaccine hesitancy within the Black community, economic assistance within marginalized communities and voting rights for disenfranchised Americans. In addition, she will speak about the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act and how the White House plans to address the issue of police brutality.
”On the issue of policing, we need accountability. And we are, and I was actually one of the original authors of the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act and I feel very strongly that needs to be passed. There needs to be accountability for police officers who break the rules or break the laws,” Harris said in a recent press release.
Harris occupies a unique role in U.S. history as the first Black woman to hold the position of Vice President. With this special and others to come down the line, BET hopes to connect with Harris and other members of the Biden administration to discuss matters that affect the Black community.
“BET continues to lead the charge with content that speaks to the timely and critical issues impacting our community. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we utilize the power of media to drive important conversations affecting our health and welfare," BET President Scott Mills stated.
"We look forward to facilitating this dialogue with Vice President Harris and tackling these topics head-on to engage and empower our viewers like no other brand can.”
The inaugural news special will air on BET and BET HER on July 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
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