'Some people tell me to fix my hair,' Elizabeth Acevedo gives poetic performance

Award-winning poet and author Elizabeth Acevedo is one of the special guests who...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour: 'Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams'

"Trailblazers, Troublemakers & Dreams" is the final presentation in a series...

Civil rights scholar says America ‘at a moment of reckoning in so many areas’

Dr. Yohuru Williams shares that he is hopeful for change in America and that the...

March: The story of civil rights icon John Lewis through the lens of a comic book

Many refer to the late John Lewis as the person who inspired the term “good trou...

‘Just Mercy’ author says landmark SCOTUS ruling may not have resulted in a win present-day

A leading voice when it comes to tackling injustice in the United States, Bryan ...

How Asian American rock stars reclaimed a slur through a Supreme Court ruling

Meet Simon Tam, self-proclaimed “Asian Troublemaker” and bass guitarist behind t...

Suffrage Cantata: Celebrating the heroes of the women's suffrage movement through song

Women separated by the color line, but united in a fight for participation as fu...

Founder of #MeToo movement makes efforts to expand dialogue around sexual violence survivors

The #MeToo hashtag exploded in popularity in 2017 with countless stories from su...

“Separate is not equal” was not first said in the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Here’s the story of Mendez v. Westminster

Brown v. Board of Education is the landmark case that ended segregation in schoo...

'Inspired by grief and rage… and the love for one another': Parkland shooting survivor’s path to activism

After the school shooting that shook the nation to its core in 2018, one of the ...

’Just being myself is radical.’ Billy Porter talks about trauma, Roe v Wade and eternal vigilance

The award-winning talent extraordinaire spoke about the trauma he endured growin...

A company is making sure Native Americans are able to secure loans. Here's the story of Lakota Funds

Follow the story of Ty Lunderman, an Oglala Sioux rancher in one of the poorest ...

Muslim activist uses her identity to fight for marginalized communities

Linda Sarsour, famous Muslim activist and community organizer, takes us along on...

This tribal attorney wrote a letter from jail after protesting an oil pipeline. Here’s what she had to say

When legal and public pressure wasn’t enough to stop an oil pipeline from cuttin...

Renee Montgomery shares what happened after opting out of the 2020 WNBA season in the wake of George Floyd’s death

She is a former WNBA star and now co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. Renee Montgomer...

Young computer scientist transforming her Mississippi hometown into a tech hub

Nashlie Sephus, 35, is a computer scientist and AI researcher who dreams of tran...

Margaret Cho on bringing representation and humor to Hollywood

Recognized as one of the earliest Korean American stand-up comedians to become m...

PayPal’s CEO sets example of how companies and communities can work hand in hand

To Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal, diversity within his company is important, but a...

‘Baseball’s last hero.’ Roberto Clemente’s humanitarian efforts rivaled his MLB success

Roberto Clemente is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players of all t...

Listening Tour Preview: 'Just being myself is radical': Billy Porter talks authenticity, humanity

Actor, singer and author Billy Porter sat down with Soledad O’Brien to discuss h...

Listening Tour Preview: Margaret Cho discusses how comedy helps her discuss issues like racism

Stand-up comedian Margaret Cho sat down with Soledad O’Brien to discuss how come...

Listening Tour Preview: Parkland school shooting survivor, activist talks gun violence prevention and making change

Parkland school shooting survivor and activist, X González, sat down with Soleda...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour: 'Trailblazers, Troublemakers and Dreams'

MARCH 19, 2022

In this episode of Matter of Fact, Soledad O'Brien looks at some of the changema...

February 12, 2022

Matter of Fact brings seven strangers together for a virtual social experience. ...

Watch: Matter of Fact: Promises of Change

The "Matter of Fact Listening Tour," hosted by Soledad O'Brien, continues its ex...

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta continues advocacy, shares message for others in rare interview

Labor activist and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta and the late Cesar Chavez ...

Boston professor starts antiracist research, aims to change national conversation on race

Professor Ibram X. Kendi joins the Listening Tour to talk about the work of dism...

Justice Sonia Sotomayor shares perspective on eliminating hate

When we think about the profound divisions in the nation and spewing of ethnic s...

Participants in social experience about bias discuss why change takes time

Throughout the Matter of Fact Listening Tour: Promises of Change, we’ve shown yo...

‘Rednecks for Black Lives’ urges others to fight for racial justice

Beth Howard, the Rural Kentucky Campaign Director of Showing Up for Racial Justi...

Police department implements citizen review panel to vet potential officers

The police department in Schenectady, New York, a city of around 60,000, may be ...

Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat before Rosa Parks. Over 60 years later, her record was just expunged

How a scientist in Philadelphia is addressing health inequity

Dr. Eugenia South has designed projects to increase the amount of time people sp...

Urban designer literally growing a better neighborhood

Emmanuel Pratt is an urban designer whose model of resident-driven community dev...

Native people have been virtually wiped out of America’s conscious thought. This research project shows why

Crystal Echo Hawk is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. She le...

Pennsylvania students fighting back against books being banned from school libraries

School libraries in at least seven states have removed books challenged by commu...

Hope Chicago gives thousands of public school students pathway to economic success

A first of its kind scholarship program will give thousands of Chicago Public Sc...

Proposal aims to counteract racially discriminatory housing policies

Black families suffer the longstanding legacy of racially discriminatory housing...

Father, son duo teaching financial literacy through Instagram videos

The wealth gap in America has grown exponentially since the 1980’s. One online d...

Michelle Wu among new generation of urban leaders shaping the future

Michelle Wu, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, is the youngest person electe...

Bree Newsome Bass on tearing down a Confederate Flag, and what came next

Bree Newsome Bass was arrested in 2015 after climbing a flagpole at the South Ca...

After social experience discussing bias and racism, participants meet for the first time

Nearly a year after participating in a social experience that brought together s...

Immigrant rights activist recounts her harrowing journey across the Rio Grande

Greisa Martinez Rosas was 7 years old when her parents gripped her hands as they...

Educating children with a focus on citizen development

Raj Vinnakota, president of the Institute For Citizens And Scholars, who previou...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour Sneak Peek: Structural factors causing gun violence

Soledad O’Brien speaks with Dr. Eugenia South, a Philadelphia emergency room phy...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour Sneak Peek: 'We’ve got to respect other people’s rights'

During the Matter of Fact Listening Tour series this year, we’ve examined the is...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour Sneak Peek: Protecting workers’ rights

Soledad O’Brien speaks with Dolores Huerta, one of the most influential labor ac...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour Sneak Peek: Police department implements citizen review panel

Soledad O’Brien speaks with community activist William Rivas and Lt. Paul Antono...

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu: ‘Racial justice is deeply embedded in every policy decision we need to make’

Soledad O’Brien speaks with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who made history as the fi...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour sneak peek: What’s an antiracist?

Soledad O’Brien speaks with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in th...

‘The progress is just going to keep going’: John Legend talks criminal justice reform, voting rights

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter John Legend sat down with Soledad O’B...

Matter of Fact Listening Tour continues with 'Promises of Change'

The “Matter of Fact Listening Tour,” hosted by Soledad O’Brien, continues its ex...

A Nation Built by Immigrants Who Feel Like They Don’t Belong

The debate over who counts as an American and who doesn’t is as old as the natio...

Could A City’s Form of Reparations Become a Model for the Nation

Evanston, Illinois is planning to pay some Black residents for the harm it cause...

Nikole Hannah-Jones: America has been multiracial since 1619, but the country has been led by a white elite

Nikole Hannah-Jones sits down with Soledad O'Brien to break down the 1619 Projec...

Revelations: A married couple share what is like being pastors to two different congregations

A husband and wife are both pastors in North Carolina. But one of them has a pre...

'Be proud. Be true. Keep dancing': Sweetheart dancers are breaking barriers

A young couple says acceptance is the first step as they break down barriers in ...

How the prison system has destroyed the American Dream for many

Numerous studies have shown how Black Americans have been negatively impacted by...

'You are not less than': Lydia X. Z. Brown shares a powerful message to those who feel like they don't belong

Lydia X. Z. Brown knows what it's like to be marginalized on multiple fronts.

A Dream Deferred: How economics and social justice impact everyday Americans

Soledad O’Brien and her guests, Edgar Villanueva and Valerie Wilson, discuss how...

Ilyasah Shabazz shares that her father, Malcolm X, said this generation would demand change in America

The daughter of Dr. Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X explains how her father believed...

Is success in America tied to your zip code? An economist says yes

An economist says that in 99% of blocks in America, white kids, and in particula...

Watch: Soledad O’Brien Hosts “To Be an American: Identity, Race and Justice”

'I don't think the floor is level': Comedian Gina Brillon challenges the idea of the American dream

Gina Brillon shares how the American dream is used to coax Latinos to immigrate,...

We asked you to take the U.S. citizenship test. Here’s how you did

Tens of thousands participated in the U.S. citizenship test we posted on our web...

Historians fill in the gaps of American history and explain the history behind U.S. citizenship

Some of the history we were taught as children were actually myths. Two prominen...

Jose Antonio Vargas gives his perspective as an undocumented ‘citizen’

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas shares his thoughts around...

Chinese laborers helped build America. Then they were excluded from citizenship

Chinese laborers assisted in the building of what America is today. But they wer...

'My people have always been here': A Native American wants you to know her American dream

Native American and indigenous peoples were the first citizens of this land, but...

How did our political identity become our American identity? An expert explains

There is a growing and contentious divide in our country among political party l...

The Fred Korematsu Story: The man who defied internment camps for Japanese Americans

Karen Korematsu is the daughter of civil rights activist Fred Korematsu. She sha...

What factors determine a sense of belonging in America? This college professor crafted a study to find out

What is "Americaness" and who feels like they have a sense of belonging in Ameri...

We drove down Interstate 70 and asked people about their American identity. Here were their responses

Do you feel like you belong in America? Do you feel overlooked in America? We dr...

Can you pass the U.S. Citizenship test? Take it now

For those born into U.S. citizenship, there are no tests, boundaries or barriers...

Perseverance leads to Pulitzer Prize for New York Times journalist

Ever wonder what holds America together? Or for that matter, what it means to be...

Philanthropist Edgar Villanueva talks about being able to live in 'multiple identities'

Ever wonder what holds America together? Or for that matter, what it mea...

Professor Lilliana Mason explains her 'complicated' American identity

Ever wonder what holds America together? Or for that matter, what it means to be...

Ilyasah Shabazz shares what people expected from the daughter of Malcolm X

Ever wonder what holds America together? Or for that matter, what it means to be...

'You don't exactly belong here': Soledad O'Brien shares her thoughts on her American identity

As the Matter of Fact team puts together the second presentation of the Listenin...

Combating Real and Perceived Bias in the Media

Every journalist faces the same challenge. How do we bring our backgrounds and p...

How Conscious and Unconscious Bias Create Stereotypes

Conscious and unconscious bias is wired directly into our brains. That affects o...

Strangers watch viral videos that show racial bias. Then they met each other in person to talk

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Black mother sees implicit bias through son's eyes

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Defining moments that impacted their lives

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Why saying 'I'm not racist' isn't productive

The above segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’...

A look into how movies, TV shows and food labels push racist stereotypes

The above segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’...

Wes Lowery, Alicia Garza on news handling protests

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Comedian Trae Crowder makes a point on different portrayals of riots

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

This rapper turned white supremacy symbols into activism

The above segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’...

From Kaepernick to NFL Moment of Unity, how America reacts when athletes protest

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Why philanthropy alone can't solve social inequality

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

How the words of James Baldwin in 1968 connect to America present-day

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Listening Tour: Strangers watch viral videos that show racial bias. Then they met each other in person to talk

This segment is from The Matter of Fact Listening Tour hosted by Soledad O’Brien...

Listening Tour: The Hard Truth About Bias

*Mira esta cobertura especial de Matter of Fact: La Verdad de la Parcialidad ...

Policing in America: Fighting Implicit Bias in Law Enforcement

Since George Floyd died in police custody last month, Americans all across the c...

The Low Country of South Carolina: Preserving the Rich Past of the Gullah People

South Carolina is home to the heart of the low country, home of the Gullah peopl...

Why South Carolina’s Presidential Primary Matters

This week the 2020 race for the White House shifts to South Carolina - the first...

Protecting Charleston From the Rising Tides

Last year, the United States spent more than $45 billion dollars after weather a...

The New Space Race Giving a Boost to the Space Coast

A new space race is breathing new life into the space coast. When NASA retired t...

Florida’s I-4: The Highway That Picks Presidents

Florida, the biggest battleground state, is something of a political conundrum c...

Puerto Ricans Are Fleeing to Florida. What Does That Mean for 2020?

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island after suffering a series of da...

The politics of pot are changing with Illinois predicted to expunge an estimated 800,000 marijuana convictions

In January, Illinois will become the first state to legalize the possession and ...

Poisoned Politics: The ongoing fight to clean up Chicago's 'toxic doughnut'

Our listening tour rolls into Chicago. Altgeld Gardens, a housing project once d...

There Grows the Neighborhood: Meet the 2019 MacArthur Fellow transforming Chicago’s South Side

Emmanuel Pratt started the Sweet Water Foundation to literally grow a better nei...

Will President Trump win Michigan in 2020? Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist gives his take

President Trump flipped Michigan red in 2016 by a slim majority, but can he pull...

Lift Every Voice: Why black women are a political force in Michigan

As part of our ongoing Listening Tour, we examine the political power of black w...

Trade Wars and Climate Change: Farmers in rural Michigan get candid about their struggles

In rural Michigan, farmers are struggling with climate change and trade wars. Th...

Pennsylvania Politics: The message one county sends to Washington

Pennsylvania is a critical battleground state in the upcoming 2020 Presidential ...

Will Pennsylvania be red or blue in 2020? Former Governor Ed Rendell gives his take.

Perhaps no one is better at understanding Pennsylvania voters than former Govern...

Graduating in Debt: The student loan debt crisis in Pennsylvania

One issue that's important to younger voters is student debt. That's especially ...

State of Inequality? Why are so many in California struggling to get by on a six-figure income

Californians struggle with some of the highest home prices in the country with a...

Paradise Lost: California town struggles to recover after deadliest fire in history

California has the fifth largest economy in the world. However, the Golden State...

Former Governor Jerry Brown talks about climate change and the future of California

Former Governor Jerry Brown sits down for a one on one with Soledad O'Brien. Gov...

Music in Puerto Rico: An Expression of Frustration After the Hurricane

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans have found new strength in an old ...

Can Solar Power Keep the Lights On When the Next Hurricane Hits?

When Hurricane Maria made landfall, it left 3,000 dead, caused $100 billion in d...

Gov. Rosselló: Puerto Ricans Are Tired of Being “Second Class Citizens”

Hurricane Maria made landfall in 2017 and the promised relief funding is slowly ...

Landowners In the Border Wall’s Path: We Won’t Go Down Without a Fight

“Build a Wall,” was President Trump’s signature campaign promise in 2016. He eve...

More Undocumented Migrants Are Caught Here Than Anywhere Else. It’s Also Ground Zero for Migrant Deaths.

More than 70 miles north of border is one of Border Patrol’s last lines of defen...

Migrant Caretaker: God Calls Us To Help Our Brothers and Sisters

On a busy day, up to 500 migrants seeking asylum pass through the Catholic Chari...

Troops at the Border: A Stunt or Needed?

The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is the busiest border crossing for undocume...