With America in crisis, change will be needed not just in police departments but in education, health and economic policy; in boardrooms, and in executive suites. Deval Patrick has sat at many of these tables: He was the first African American Governor of Massachusetts and previously served as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. He joins the show from his home state.

Now that George Floyd has been laid to rest, the moral reckoning is underway and the real work begins. Today, Philonise Floyd – brother of George – testified to Congress about the violence that ended his sibling’s life, all over a $20 charge. To unpack this moment, Christiane speaks with veteran civil rights activist and academic Mary Frances Berry.

As the federal government continues its militaristic response to the ongoing protests, many of America’s allies around the world are looking on aghast--a perspective reflected in the Financial Times’s recent editorial, “America’s Battered Moral Standing.” Roula Khalaf, the newspaper’s first female editor, reflects on the changing perception of the U.S. in the international community.

Will Republicans will get on board with police reform? They were not present when Democrats developed the proposed legislation, and it looks unlikely they will support it in any significant way. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has just returned from a deployment with the National Guard in Wisconsin, and joins the show from D.C.

The Minneapolis City Council is pledging to dismantle its police department, promising a shift towards community-based strategies instead. However, not everyone agrees with this approach – including the city’s mayor. As protests continue over George Floyd’s death, and as Congress proposes sweeping new legislation aimed at eliminating police brutality, is defunding the police really the answer?

Vanita Gupta is a civil rights lawyer who was acting assistant attorney general under President Obama, during which time she led the investigation into the Ferguson, MO police department after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. Today she heads the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, with a mission to protect the rights of all Americans – as she explains to Hari Sreenivasan.

When riot police routed peaceful protesters outside the White House, very few Republican lawmakers condemned the incident, leading many to question how the Party came to this. In a new article for The Atlantic, “History Will Judge the Complicit,” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum looks at enablers and collaborators all the way back to WWII and Soviet communism.

The job of making the case against the officers charged in George Floyd’s death falls to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. He is no strange to controversy: as America’s first Muslim congressman, he was a prime target of the right wing smear machine. Now he faces an unprecedented challenge, winning a conviction in a justice system that traditionally favors the police.

For protests that turned violent, President Trump blames the far left, and saying he wants to designate Antifa – short for ‘Anti-Fascists’ – as a terrorist organization. But activist and Occupy Wall Street organizer Mark Bray hits back in a piece for the Washington Post. Bray joins Michel Martin to explain why he believes Trump’s bluster is a diversionary tactic.

Today is a day to mourn George Floyd’s killing and to celebrate his life, as a memorial service in Minneapolis takes place – the first of many to come. But while people call for accountability, President Trump continues his tough-talk response to the outrage. This has prompted backlash from former military officials. Retired Rear Admiral John Kirby joins the program to discuss.

General John Allen led NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan and headed up the international anti-ISIS campaign. He now leads the Brookings Institution, and joins the show to react to President Trump’s military threats this week.

The most famous conflict resolution to emerge out of institutionalized racism came from South Africa. White supremacy was legally sanctioned under apartheid in the country until 1990, when Nelson Mandela led the majority black nation in a peaceful transition to democracy. Paul van Zyl and Vincent Warren discuss what lessons the U.S. can learn from South Africa.

"The Breakfast Club” radio show has become a must-stop for Democratic presidential contenders. But last month, it sent shockwaves through the VP Joe Biden's campaign when he said in an interview with co-host Charlamagne tha God that if voters choose Trump, they aren’t Black. questions were raised about whether the Democratic Party is taking the support of African American voters for granted.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has launched an investigation into the practices of the Minneapolis Police Department over the past ten years. Is this enough -- or is there a need for more radical solutions to purge systemic racism from the nation’s police departments? Cedric Alexander is a former police officer who served on President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

President Trump’s threats to involve the military continue to provoke unease – most notably at the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly broke with his commander-in-chief over the issue. Jim Clyburn grew up under segregation and rose to become the senior African American member of Congress.

President Trump is facing increasing criticism from his traditional supporters. What is his strategy -- and how will it play out come November, when Americans are called upon to choose their next president? Marc Lotter is strategic director for the president’s 2020 re-election campaign.

Addressing the root causes of racial injustice in America is fundamental to achieving lasting change. As a leading civil rights lawyer, Bryan Stevenson has dedicated his life to doing just that. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about solutions, from a change in the culture of policing to an embrace of truth and reconciliation.

Former Vice President Joe Biden gave an impassioned speech today, making the case, he said, for the soul of the American nation, traditional American values, and the unfulfilled promise that all are born equal. Democratic strategist Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to the Biden campaign, joins the show to discuss his plans to address racial inequality.

President Trump’s Bible-wielding photo opportunity has proved controversial. Many evangelical leaders have given it their full support. What do most Republicans make of the president’s handling of the ongoing crisis and his embrace of a "law and order" posture? Scott Jennings has worked for George W. Bush and Mitch McConnell and joins the show to discuss.

Today Joe Biden called on Congress to act now on systemic racism. For starters, he wants to see a bill outlawing police chokeholds on the president’s desk within days. Congresswoman Karen Bass is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and is coordinating the formulation of new policing legislation in the House of Representatives.