The March, The Map, and the Med Schools

Summary

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The Breakfast Club: The March, The Map, and the Med Schools

Date: May 18, 2026
Host: Mimi Brown (with contributions from Wheezy WTF, guests, and experts)
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club, hosted by Mimi Brown, covers three major stories impacting Black communities in America: renewed grassroots organizing for voting rights in the South, recent court and legal setbacks affecting voting access and representation, and new federal government action challenging diversity in medical school admissions. The theme is a call for vigilance and action in the face of political and systemic adversity, especially leading into the 2026 midterm elections.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Marches for Voting Rights in Selma and Montgomery

[03:05–05:54]

• Over the weekend, thousands gathered in Selma and Montgomery to launch a "sustained summer of organizing, voter mobilization, and direct action," ignited by recent attacks on voting rights.

• The movement, known as "All Roads Lead to the South," responds to Supreme Court decisions undermining the Voting Rights Act and state-level redistricting that diminishes Black political power.

• Mimi shares the significance of the Edmund Pettus Bridge—site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday—and notes the intergenerational impact of returning to such historic ground.

• Organizers and speakers emphasized not relying on courts but taking direct, united community action leading into the November midterms.

  "Black voters are not waiting for the courts to save them."
  — Mimi Brown [03:58]

  "They talk about my vote not gonna matter. But why the hell are they working so hard to take it away?"
  — Rally Speaker [05:26]

• Hundreds of partner organizations plan follow-up events throughout the summer, reinforcing this weekend's action as the beginning—not the end—of the campaign.

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2. Virginia Congressional Map Blocked, National Implications

[06:05–07:38]

• The U.S. Supreme Court refused to approve a new Virginia congressional map intended to counterbalance Republican-led redistricting.

• The rejected map, which could have added up to four Democratic-leaning seats, was dismissed over procedural issues, leaving millions of Virginians under old electoral boundaries.

  "The voices of upwards of 3 million Virginians are at this point being disregarded for procedural issues."
  — Virginia Official [07:09 & 07:38]

• This development, coupled with setbacks in other Southern states, contributes to a broader sense of frustration and urgency across the South regarding Black voter disenfranchisement.

• The episode positions these legal losses as direct threats to political power and representation.

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3. Monday Brief: National Consumer & Economic Updates

[07:38–09:10]

• PlayStation Settlement:
  Some users may qualify for part of an $8 million settlement related to digital game vouchers (2019–2023).
• Gas Prices:
  Prices are rising above $4.50/gallon due to international tension and global oil markets, particularly involving the Middle East.
• Housing Market:
  The real estate market is slowing, with high inventory, few buyers, 7% mortgage rates, and sellers unwilling to drop prices.

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4. DOJ vs. Medical School Diversity Efforts

[09:10–12:45]

• The Trump administration, via the Department of Justice, accuses Yale and UCLA medical schools of illegal racial discrimination based on MCAT score gaps between white/Asian and Black/Hispanic matriculants—despite those schools’ holistic admissions policies.

• At the center is the charge that even indirect metrics (like empathy, community engagement, interviews) are "proxies for race," which the DOJ claims constitutes discrimination under the post-affirmative action legal landscape.

• Significant decreases in underrepresented minorities admitted to med schools have been observed since the Supreme Court’s 2023 SFFA v. Harvard decision, dropping from 24% to 20%.

• The episode contextualizes the health implications of a less diverse physician workforce—including persisting disparities in outcomes, trust, and communication for Black patients.

  "There are different health outcomes for different communities...people like to be cared for by somebody who's like them."
  — Healthcare Expert [11:15]

  "...black male life expectancy...is six years shorter than the rest of the population."
  — Healthcare Expert [11:38]

• Mimi frames the situation as an "impossible position" for medical schools: efforts to improve diversity, even those not explicitly race-based, are now grounds for government challenge.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I don't know if this country deserves black people, but I know that you need us."
  — Mimi Brown [03:10]

• "Organizers say the answer to all of it was Saturday."
  — Mimi Brown, emphasizing the protest’s urgency [04:39]

• "We will not be intimidated. We will not go back...we’re going to rise up as a new movement...this is our Selma Montgomery time."
  — Mimi Brown [05:54]

• "As you know, there are different health outcomes for different communities...the most stark statistic is that black male life expectancy...is six years shorter than the rest of the population."
  — Healthcare Expert [11:15–11:44]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:05] – Selma & Montgomery marches for voting rights
• [06:05] – Virginia redistricting fight & Supreme Court decision
• [07:38] – Monday Brief: PlayStation lawsuit, gas prices, housing market
• [09:10] – DOJ investigates medical schools over diversity
• [11:15] – Expert analysis: diversity in medicine and health disparities
• [12:45] – Episode close and sponsor messages

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Tone & Approach

The episode blends journalistic reporting with activism, centering Black community voices and highlighting both threats to and strength within Black America. Mimi’s tone is assertive, urgent, and empowering—reflecting the stakes of ongoing struggles for civil rights, representation, and equitable opportunity.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking an in-depth but accessible guide to the issues covered, capturing the original voices and momentum of the episode.

Transcript

[Mimi Brown]

This is an I Heart podcast.

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[Wheezy]

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[Mimi Brown]

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[Mimi Brown]

Thousands marched in Selma and Montgomery over the weekend, calling for action on voting rights.

I don't know if this country deserves black people, but I know that you need us.

The U.S. supreme Court rejected Virginia's last appeal to redraw its congressional map.

[Virginia Official]

The voices of upwards of 3 million Virginians are at this point being disregarded for procedural issues.

[Mimi Brown]

And the Justice Department is going after medical schools for racial discrimination.

[Healthcare Expert]

Medical care is intimate and people like to be cared for by somebody who's like them.

[Mimi Brown]

It's Monday, May 18th. From the black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown. This is Front Page Plus Today on the Monday Brief. What to watch this week from youm Wallet to the Gas Pump. Stay with me.

We're not going back.

[Wheezy]

We're not going back.

[Mimi Brown]

Black voters are not waiting for the courts to save them. Over the weekend, thousands of people gathered in Selma at Montgomery, Alabama to kick off what organizers are calling a sustained summer of organizing, voter mobilization, civic education and direct action leading into the November midterms. The rally was called All Roads Lead to the South. And it came after a month of stunning setbacks for voting rights. The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee carved up Memphis. Alabama eliminated a black held seat, and Louisiana is redrawing its map. Organizers say the answer to all of it was Saturday.

Across these states, black people hold tremendous political power, social power and capital. And when we deploy it in a targeted way, saying that we want our rights and we are going to stand up together united in this moment, we will be able to win.

More than 100 buses came in across the country. Several thousand people gathered in Selma. They walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the same bridge where in 1965 state troopers attacked civil rights marchers. On Bloody Sunday, our rights are under attack.

And I wanted to make sure that my 12 year old got to experience what they experienced in 1968. This is the else's will come to it. Unfortunately, we shouldn't even have to be back here. But we are back here.

Then in the afternoon, they reconvened in Montgomery for a rally.

[Healthcare Expert]

We here now in the state of Alabama. They talk about my vote, not gonna matter. But why the hell are they working so hard to take it away? This is a civic altar call for all those who understand that faith without works is dead.

[Mimi Brown]

The march was the kickoff. The midterms are six months away and organizers say what happened Saturday was just the beginning of a summer push and they have hundreds of partner organizations lined up for follow up events between now and November.

We will not be intimidated. We will not go back, but we're not going to, you know, we're not going to accept these things lying down, but we're going to rise up as a new movement to say the civil rights movement is happening right now and this is our Selma Montgomery time to stand up for our people.

The Trump administration's response so far at least publicly has been silenced. If you've been keeping score on how Democrats plan to push back back against all the redistricting battles happening across the country, Alabama wasn't the only front this weekend. While organizers were marching in selma and Montgomery, Virginia Democrats were fighting through the courts. On Friday, the U.S. supreme Court refused to revive a new congressional map that millions of Virginia voters had already approved at the ballot box. The proposed map would have added up to four Democratic leaning House seats and it was seen as a counter to Republican led map changes we've been seeing in states like Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana. Louisiana. But earlier this month, Virginia Supreme Court ruled the process violated the state's constitution because lawmakers finalized part of the amendment after early voting had already started. Virginia's attorney general asked the US Supreme Court to step in. The court said no. Virginia lawmakers are reacting to the decision.

[Virginia Official]

The voices of upwards of 3 million Virginians are at this point being disregarded for procedural issues. I think we are disappointed but not surprised in terms of the United States Supreme Court decision. Looking at their track record as well as their composition at this point, the justification behind why we're doing what we're doing, I think has only been further amplified by the actions in other states across the south to disenfranchise black voters.

[Mimi Brown]

So now Virginia heads into the next election under the same congressional map it had already had. No new districts, no added seats, and no shift in the balance of power. It's Monday, which means it's time for the Front page Monday brief. Every Monday, I give you a quick look at three stories worth keeping your eye on this week. The stuff that could hit your money, your schedule, your household, or just the conversations everybody's about to be having. Here's what's on the radar this week. Some PlayStation users could be getting paid. A federal court just gave preliminary approval to a nearly $8 million sett involving Sony. If you bought digital game vouchers through the PlayStation Store between 2019 and 2023, you could be eligible for compensation either through your PlayStation wallet or a check in the mail. Gas prices are climbing again heading into the summer travel season. The national average is now above $4.50 a gallon. With tensions in the Middle east pushing oil prices higher, and despite the US Producing a ton of oil, the global markets still largely decides what you pay at the pump. So this week, keep an eye out on anything involving Iran, oil or shipping routes overseas. The housing market is stuck. Right now, there are way more homes sitting on the market than serious buyers ready to purchase them. Mortgage rates are still close to 7%, sellers do not want to lower prices, and buyers are saying they simply cannot afford what's out there. That's your Monday brief. Have you ever wished your doctor looked a little more like you? If the answer is yes, this next story is why that's getting a little harder. The Trump administration just opened a new front in its fight against diversity in higher education. This time it's not about who gets into college. It's about who gets to become a doctor. The US Department of Justice just sent a letter to Yale School of Medicine. The letter accused Yale of illegally discriminating against applicants who are not black or Hispanic. The same DOJ sent the same letter to the medical school at ucla. In both cases, the Justice Department is pointing to differences in test scores between admitted students at Yale and ucla. White and Asian students who were admitted scored on average about 5 to 7 points higher on the MCAT than black and Hispanic students who were also admitted admitted. The DOJ says those score gaps are evidence that race is still influencing emissions decisions. But Yale and UCLA strongly disagree. Both schools say becoming a doctor should be about more than just one test, and they maintain their admissions processes are rigorous, holistic and legal. The 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard ended affirmative action in college admissions. Schools across the country had to find new ways to evaluate applicants without considering race directly. Most medical schools responded by going holistic. That means they started looking at MCAT scores and interviews, work experience, community service, empathy, and whether you can actually sit in a room with a sick patient and explain what's going on. Some schools even adopted a separate exam called preview test to measure situational judgment. And research has shown that patients who see doctors of the same race also have better health outcomes, better trust, better follow up, better information shared.

[Healthcare Expert]

As you know, there are different health outcomes for different communities, for women, for men, for people who are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, what have you. Because medical care is intimate and people like to be cared for by somebody who's like them. And with so few black people, doctors, many people think that that's contributed to poor health outcomes, preventable diseases. And the most stark statistic is that black male life expectancy, the ultimate health, is six years shorter than the rest of the population.

[Mimi Brown]

And that's been one of the central arguments for diversifying the physician workforce for decades. But here's where this gets concerning. Since the 2023 Harvard ruling, medical schools have already seen less diversity. One study found the share of underrepresented applicants admitted dropped from 24 before the ruling to 20% after. The Trump administration's argument is that medical schools using holistic admissions are using race as a hidden factor. The DOJ has called the preview test quote, a proxy for race. If schools look at empathy or community engagement and the result is more black or Hispanic doctors getting in, the administration says that's discrimination too, which puts medical schools at an impossible position. That's your front page. I'm Mimi Brown. Follow me at Mimi Brown TV this podcast was brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network.

[Wheezy]

This is Wheezy WTF from Decisions Decisions, Ladies. Let's talk about taking control of our sexual health. That's grown woman energy. You may think HIV affects someone else somewhere else, but the truth is it's impacting our community and some of us are being hit harder than others. Black women make up just 13% of the women in the US yet account for nearly half of new HIV diagnoses amongst women. Taking care of ourselves is community care. Know your options, ask questions and protect your peace and your body. That's using your power. Sponsored by Care for the Culture from Gilead Sciences.

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[Mimi Brown]

This is an iHeart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.