Black Death at the hands of police and white vigilantes dates back long before cell phone

videos and social media feeds delivered hashtags of black pain.

But in the wake of the recent killings of Amard Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky

and George Floyd in Minnesota, we find ourselves at a crossroads.

Bigger rage and grief are spilling across the country with black people once again demanding

equality, demanding justice and demanding to be heard.

The deaths, senseless and violent and the uprising are reminders of just how far we have to

go, how much healing we have to do and how alone the struggle for justice often feels.

I'm Tremayne Lee and today on Into America, I'm sharing a conversation we're calling

Can you hear us now from NBC News Now and NBC BLK?

I had the chance to convene this virtual discussion earlier today with Wisconsin Lieutenant

Governor Mandela Barnes, New York Times journalist Nicole Hannah Jones, co-founder of Campaign

Zero, Brittany Packen at Cunningham and actor Don Chiddle about being black in America

in this moment.

And don't mind the sky blinded street noise.

I was outside of the podcast studio connecting with these folks from all different corners

of the country.

I began with a question to Nicole Hannah Jones.

Nicole I want to start with you.

It's been a really rough, really heavy week for many of us, especially those who are on

the ground or from the black community.

But I want to ask you why does this time feel different?

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