good evening, and welcome to "politicsnation." tonight's lede, liberation day. i'll take the win and give all due praise to congresswoman sheila jackson lee, the congressional black caucus, in their now-successful efforts to get juneteenth federally recognized. president biden's signature this week transforming the house bill into a national explicit commemoration of the black freedom struggle. but i also admit to a modicum of inner conflict, not because i don't recognize the symbolism, having it elevated to the level of a national holiday, no, i'm conflicted that the very same repressive forces who are now pointing to this as a bipartisan breakthrough are the very same ones that have weaponized

contempt for black enfranchisement, calling it voter integrity. and they've demonized those protesting for black freedom from police violence and lionized those that inflicted actual violence on those capitol police officers that gop lawmakers have now snubbed for daring to call it what it was, an insurrection. but of course, those are the congressional republicans that voted for the juneteenth holiday. 14 others responsibility predictively, calling it racist for acknowledging that different groups of americans have experienced history differently, but at least their stripes show because even though the bill passed unanimously through the senate, as we approach this week's senate vote on the for the people act, the republican

minority leader has already spurned even a compromise to combat the historical threats to voter participation. we're watching that in every state that black people live in. we start tonight's show with attorney and law professor sherrilyn ifill, president and director counsel of the naacp legal defense fund. ms. ifill, it has been a long time, and we're so happy to have you back on the show with us, especially this week because obviously i'll be asking some version of this question to our guests later in the show. but you have the honor of being the first tonight to relate your feelings on this historic observance of slavery's existence, really, the first national holiday commemorating the black experience during that part of our past. but it also comes after four years of a racist president,

enabled by a party that continues to pursue racist policies, refuses to investigate a white supremacist insurrection, and undermines meaningful legislation to protect all of our lives. yes, the black ones specifically. your thoughts, counselor? >> thank you so much, reverend al. you know, it must be an important moment for me to be on your show on a saturday because i do try to hold back on the weekend. but it's an important moment, and i appreciate your having me on. like you, i am experiencing conflict about how things unfolded in the congress this week, not because i don't think that the actions and the work of ms. opal lee and sheila jackson lee are not heroic and important, not because i don't believe that it's worth us commemorating the day. but it comes amid several things. you identified two. one is that we have been waiting

on voting legislation that will address the voter suppression that is happening targeted at black voters in states around the country. we are waiting on the george floyd justice in policing act. a year ago millions of americans were on the street, millions of people around the world demanding change, the core of that change being accountability for police officers who engage in this kind of misconduct, and we still have no bill george floyd justice in policing act. at the same time that we're commemorating juneteenth, states across the country are banning teachers be from being able to teach the truth about racism and the history of racism or any engagement with race that might make students feel unfortunately or guilty on account of race or sex. so there's a concerted effort by republicans in legislatures throughout the country to

silence and to suppress the truth about our history. but at the same time, you know, we get this bill commemorating juneteenth, and the reason it's so ironic, reverend al, is because of what juneteenth represents. it represents the efforts of white supremacists in texas to keep black people from knowing that they were free. >> right. >> and that freedom was the pre-cursor so us becoming full citizens as we redeemed under the 14th amendment to the constitution. so this effort to limit our freedom, to limit our citizenship is as much expressed in the voter suppression legislation, is as much expressed in police brutality, the violent actions of the state against unarmed black people, as it was in keeping the news from newly freed slaves for two years in texas. >> right. >> so when you put all of this together, it's a kind of confusing caldron, and i think it's entirely appropriate for us to lift up and celebrate that

this holiday is now a federal holiday. but at the same time recognize a kind of very alarming cynicism among those who would vote for this bill but leave the true expression of our citizenship, our protection against violence from the state and our ability to vote and participate in the political process, to leave that on the back burner. >> there's no profile in courage to commemorate what you did about race 165 years ago and not do it now in 2021. a senate unanimously voted on what happened 165 years ago why you can't get ten republicans senators to commit to voting today. full disclosure, you and i and six other legacy organizations have been pushing senators to move on these items in a nonpartisan way. but as you mentioned, the senate is slated to vote on the for the people act this week, which appears to be d.o.a. according

to mitch mcconnell, who says that his caucus will not vote for it or the compromised bill reportedly coming from democratic senator joe manchin. so that leaves the john lewis voting rights advancement act yet to be taken up by the senate. some calling it as important or more important pieces of legislation. there's arguments on both sides, i will say to that, because it restores the pre-clearance requirement to changes in the state voting laws and of course mcconnell called the bill unnecessary. i hate to ask to you choose and i know you can explain both, but which would be the bigger win legislatively in the legal defense fund's view? >> i won't choose because i think we have the right to be bold enough to demand that we get both of these bills, particularly -- obviously we need the john louis voting

rights advancement act. we've been waiting since the decision in 2013 to get a fix and reactivate a pre-clearance formula that will allow us to do what we used to be able to do, which is stop these voting discrimination laws before they were enacted by requiring certain jurisdictions to submit any voting changes they wanted to make to a federal authority for review to determine how they will affect racial minority voters. that was an important part of the voting rights act. it was considered the crown jewel of the act and it has lain dormant since the decision. so we need that to be reactivated so that we can get at this discrimination when it is proposed and before it is enacted. but here's the problem. we have discriminatory laws that have already been imposed and enacted. we have the georgia bill. we have the florida bill. we may yet have the texas bill. we have other bills around the country that are doing things as

pernicious as allowing unlimited challenges to voters, as removing the power of determining who's a disqualified voter or not from the local election boards, to the partisan-controlled legislature, criminalizing the provision of water or food to people standing in line to vote when it is well in between black voters are more likely to be standing in line, nine in ours fulton county, six hours in harris county in the middle of a pandemic. so all of these provisions have already passed many legislatures. what do we do about those? those would not be subject to pre-clearance under the john lewis voting advancement act, which & they will take people off the rolls and keep people from being able to vote. what the for the people act would do is begin to do the work that should happen in any healthy democracy, which is expand access to voting, expand about tee voting, expand early

voting and guarantee early voting, require automatic voter registration. these are the things that are actually going to add people to the rolls and allow people to be able to vote more comfortably with more opportunity through early voting and absentee voting so they can't undercut the ability for people to participant in the process. so we need both of these. we certainly need the elements of both of these. if they want to mash them together in something else, that's a whole other story. but we can't leave them on the table. so we need both. the john lewis voting rights advancement act is still in the works. we need the record to be developed to actually come up with what would be the appropriate formula for pre-clearance. we know what the supreme court said in the shelby county decision and we would be affordable to not develop a bill that is responsive to the concerns raised by chief justice roberts and that is supported by a record developed in congress. that's what's happening right now. hearings are under way. we've been testifying. and we can't rush that process

because it has to pass constitutional muster. these will be the same republicans challenging the john lewis voting rights advancement act, we know that. but we need both of these elements. and the thing s reverend al, we need them fast. we need them fast because of the disenfranchisement that is happening is affecting the ability of black people to participate equally in the political process, to have a say in their future, and most importantly, what i want most people to understand is that it is undercutting our democracy. this is not just about harm to black people. if you didn't see on january 6th what it means to have our democracy harmed by those who believe that voting rights are expendable and that the only thing that's important is who they want to be in power, then you fail to understand that this democracy is in peril. as always, it is what black people are confronting that can show us the democracy in peril. if you think that the state being able to have a con stab larry that can kill unblack people with impunity, you don't

think that's a threat to democracy, then you don't understand what democracy is. we have an emergency and we need it to happen now. >> it's a threat to everyone. thank you for doing what you don't often , do breaking your weekend. but this was important and important to lead with you tonight. happy juneteenth and i will see you in the trenches, >> you know you will. thank you for all you do, reverend al. thanks for having me on. back to the breaking news that juneteenth has become a u.s. federal holiday after president biden signed it into law this week. joining me now is janel ross, the senior correspondent for "time" magazine, and annette gordon-reed, history and law professor at harvard university. she's a pulitzer prize winner and her new book is called "on juneteenth." let me go to you first, professor gordon reed. i want to start with you as the historian here.

as you heard from me at the top of the show and with his ifill, the politics of juneteenth recognition and certainly that path through congress are complex. but i also don't want to lose sight of the symbolic good that so many advocates and lawmakers have fought for and finally realized this week. so i wonder if you might explain less the symbolism of juneteenth, but more the symbolism of this now federal recognition, the line from 1865 to 2021, can you do that for me in 60 seconds? >> well, it gives everybody an opportunity to celebrate and advance in human rights. this is not just about black people. it's not just about texans. it's not just about the united states of america. slavery in texas was defeated by the military, and the military with black troops who went to galveston along with gordon granger and made this pronouncement. so i think that is something

that is worth talking about and talking about the fact that african-american people worked to liberate themselves, not just in the army, but also by running away during this time period as soon as the emancipation proclamation was signed. many of them took off because they knew this would be the end of an institution that oppressed them. now it's a chance for us to educate people on that on a earlier basis. >> now, ms. ross, i know you were watching the nationwide celebrations here in new york and los angeles. this live shot from galveston, texas, where the holiday originated 156 years ago, and a celebration is starting later today there. what are you seeing and hearing from participants after this historic week of news? because one of the ironies is we're talking about texas where just this week governor abbott signed a law saying you don't

have to teach anything in school that makes you uncomfortable about race or brings up things that makes you uncomfortable while we're celebrating right in texas dealing with this critical race theory. >> one wonders exactly how they're going to explain what happened in the two and a half years between emancipation proclamation and what happened in galveston in june 1865. that seems like that may make some people uncomfortable. quite frankly, you have to have a conversation about the willful keeping of information, about the group of americans who decided that u.s. law did not apply to them, that they were a breakaway country. so that a they could maintain their slaves and that there were people who brought slaves from other states so that they could keep human beings enslaved. all of that would seem uncomfortable, but it would seem like a pretty crucial set of facts. certainly in texas where juneteenth has long been

celebrated, certainly in galveston, the first juneteenth was celebrated the day that the general order number 3 was read. in 1865, you see people having these spontaneous celebrations. they continue even in those early years. they were not only sometimes incidents of violence and people who were upset or displeased to see people celebrating their freedom, but there also was from the very beginning discussion about limiting what freedom would mean for black americans in those early days. if you look at newspaper accounts and newspaper editorials, you'll see a discussion about the need for some sort of essentially forced labor program for black americans. so there was a desire to essentially roll back what exactly just had happened. >> professor gordon reed, back to you. i have to tell you that there are some black americans who find themselves conflicted this

weekend as the mainstream suddenly embraces what has always been a black holiday. while that mainstream gets another day off work, the black descendants are still facing jim crow under another name and still subject to policing that too often resembles the slave patrols that have area, and republican lawmakers are still fighting to make sure no one knows about it. what's your take, professor? does america deserve juneteenth? >> well, we deserve juneteenth. america needs juneteenth is what i would say. i mean, look, the politics -- the republicans are fighting, they think, for their existence. they understand the demographics and that they may be a minority party soon that, they have been. people say texas is not really a red state, it is a voter-suppressed state. so i never put the two together.

it never occurred to me because people would vote for the holiday that i expected any kind of change to them on the bare knuckle politics of trying to maintain power. so i think this country needs juneteenth. i think the people who've been keeping this story alive for 156 years will continue to do that. every institution that i know of who has celebrations has some component of education involved in it. some talk about the history and discussion for the notion of the future that this is a struggle. these people who were free and happy, they knew who they were dealing with. they knew there was going to be a hard road ahead, but they were hopeful, and we are the descendants of those people and we have to keep that hope going. >> and we always have. >> we have. >> janel, let me go back to you briefly. i wonder how much this week was

facilitated by both parties. they voted overwhelmingly against voting rights, against police reform and so forth. so was this just a show after four years of coddling a racist and taking heat for it, or something resembling sincerity. >> it's hard to know what's in the hearts of minds of people in congress, and certainly could have theoretically voted to create a national juneteenth holiday at any time. and politics is like everything else. it is complicated and certainly driven by competing variety of needs and goals, and i don't think this time is any different. you should assume some people had a genuine interest in creating a national holiday and some had a genuine interest in marking down something that they thought would feel like a win of

sorts for those who've been directly touched by the legacy of enslavement in the united states. that being said, i don't think that anyone who is concerned with the issues that have been discussed today would be confused or sort of, you know, made mute by the creation of a national juneteenth holiday. i certainly don't think that that extends to people in texas who've been celebrating juneteenth longest of all. >> all right. we'll have to leave it there. quite a great discussion to have. janel ross and professor gordon reed, thank you both for being with us. coming up on "politicsnation," it feels good to be celebrating juneteenth as a federally recognized holiday for the first time, but even on this historic day, there's still some fighting to erase our history. i'll tell you about it in today's gotcha. later, with respect to

today's socially conscious athletes, muhammad ali was the original. his daughter and grandson will join me to speak about the legendary boxer's most important legacy and what they're putting out about it. first, my colleague richard lui with today's top news stories. richard? >> rev, a good saturday to you. o some of the stories we're watching for you this hour, we have many. the national hurricane center downgraded claudette to a depression. it slamds louisiana with widespread flooding. some residents saw up to 10 inches of rain and powerful winds up to 40 miles an hour. the national hurricane center issued a storm watch for north carolina. claudette is expected there later this weekend. a sweltering heat wave blankets the united states. temperatures soaring to all-time highs. phoenix saw 118 degrees. death valley hit 125. officials warn this raises the risk of wildfires.

the covid-19 delta variant is estimated to become the most dominant strain in the u.s. that variant first dedicated in india, then hit europe and the u.s. scientists say it mutates as it spreads. friday president biden warned it is possibly more deadly than the original strain. he urged all americans to get vaccines as early data shows they offer resistance to this delta variant. more "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton right after the break. ave diabetes, it's important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose. try boost glucose control. it's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost today. (judith) in this market, you'll find fisher investments is different than other money managers. (other money manager) different how? don't you just ride the wave? (judith) no - we actively manage client portfolios based on our forward-looking views of the market. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions, right? (judith) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary,

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for this week's "gotcha", i want to celebrate juneteenth by addressing the racists who fought so hard to erase it from history books and the public consciousness for generations, . first let me commend congress for voting to make juneteenth a national holiday and president biden for signing it into law. for the millions of you who were never taught this in history in school, juneteenth is a commemoration of the day the last enslaved people were notified of their freedom following the civil war, because while the emancipation proclamation was signed in 1863, the confederacy surrendered in april 1865.

word didn't reach the enslaved folks in galveston, texas, until june 19th of that year. and so black folks in america have celebrated juneteenth ever since. but very few americans outside the black community had ever heard of the holiday, because america has a long history of erasing the brutality that blocks folks have always been subject to. and as you know, this year marked the 100th anniversary of the tulsa race massacre. while it got reflection it deserved, tulsa was not an isolated incident and an isolated event. black americans lived under the constant threat of lynching and race massacres for generations, and that reality is rarely studied in any depth in american history classes before post-graduate level. the newest attempt to stop the

teaching of real history in schools is hiding behind republican hysteria over critical race theory, a concept few of them seem to understand. here's what nebraska republican governor pete rickets said this week. >> so the critical race theory -- and i can't think of the author right off the top of my head who wrote about this -- really had a theory that, at the high level, is one that really starts creating those divisions between us about defining who we are based on race and that sort of thing and really not about how to bring us together as americans rather than -- and dividing us and also having a lot of very socialist-type ideas about how that would be implemented in our state. so i guess probably the best thing to do would be to read the book. >> i'm going to go ahead and

recommend the governor take his own advice and read the book. but in the meantime, let's be clear about the definition of critical race theory. it's simply a strategy to analyze the way racist laws and events from our past impact our lives in the present, and despite the current freakout over k-12 education, it's primarily taught in specialized law school classes. but republicans don't care about that reality. they're using this drummed up panic to introduce legislation that would shove any distasteful racial history under the proverbial rug. in texas, the new law signed by republican governor greg abbott will ban teachers from discussing any concept that might induce, quote, discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any form of

psychological distress based on their race or sex. so if any student feels uncomfortable learning about the history of slavery and racism, texas will rewrite that history. republicans are using this ruse of critical race theory to alarm and confuse their base. but it's not nefarious or marxist. republicans like to wrap themselves in the language of patriotism, but true patriots wouldn't hide from the sometimes uncomfortable truths of american history. you have to know where you come from to present a vision for the future. and as we learned from our newest federal holiday, any attempt to hide from history will fail. eventually it will fail. so happy juneteenth day. and, oh, yeah, i gotcha. pain? yeah. here. aspercreme with max-strength* lidocaine.

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welcome back to

"politicsnation." i have a lot to get through with my panel, so let's bring them in. juanita tolliver is a democratic strategist. susan del percio is a republican strategist. both are msnbc political analysts. susan, this week senate minority leader mitch mcconnell alongside a dozen other top republicans said that they would not support the democrats' voting reform legislation in the senate and would flat-out block it from passing. mcconnell went so far as to say that even if more changes are made to the bill, they still would not vote for it. is it time for democrats to give up on the idea of making bipartisan deals for a republican party that's clearly not willing to make any compromises whatsoever? >> yes, it is time, rev. they should either look at revising the filibuster to maybe 55 votes or just eliminating it

altogether, maybe under the cause of democracy. but it is absolutely time for them to realize that mitch mcconnell would do it in a heartbeat if the shoe was on the other foot. so just get your priorities done. >> juanita, democrats have been seeking bipartisan deals on voting rights in part to satisfy west virginia senator joe manchin. he has listed a series of changes such as voter i.d. requirements in order to convince more republicans to vote in favor of it, with mcconnell now signaling he has no intention of making a deal. what do you expect manchin's next move to be, and what will that mean for democrats who still desperately want to get something done on this most important of issues? >> look, while i would hope in my dream of all dreams that manchin would align with his caucus and move this along, he

is unlikely to do that. what's frustrating his prerequisite for bipartisanship is unfounded. he's either obstructing this as much as mcconnell is or he needs to get with the republicans. as he's done neither, i need him to step back into the caucus. >> in a 7-2 vote, once again thwarting republican attempts to end it. two of former president trump's own appointees just as amy coney barrett and justice brett kavanaugh joined the majority opinion. but what stuck out to me was that even back when republicans controlled the white house, senate, and the house, the affordable care act could not be killed. so much of it has remained popular among americans across the political spectrum, yet republicans have continued their attempts to end it.

after the most recent failure, do you think the gop will finally give up? >> they'll use it as a political tool, but it's not going anywhere. if they were smart, if we were actually a country based on two parties wanting to work together, the republicans would pick up where the democrats left off in the 2020 primary in saying, yes, we have to make fixes. so let's all work together to get those fixes to the affordable care act. it is the law. it is not changing. the last whole host of reasons which we don't have time to get to as to why not. but this would be a perfect issue for republicans to say we want these tweaks, and it would be interesting to see what the democrats i'm trying to do juanita, this week the white house marked 300 million covid vaccines administered during president biden's first 150 days in office. however, it is projected that he will fall short of his goal of having 70% of all u.s. adults

vaccinated by july 4th. now, we're heading into a critical time where it seems like everyone who might wanted to get vaccinated has been able to. now those who are left need more convincing. is the white house doing enough to sway those who remain? what more can they do? >> [ no audio ] >> juanita? >> i'll pick it up. >> i lost her. >> i think that what's really important here is that we are moving forward, but the johnson & johnson vaccination needs to kind of get rebranded because that was one of the great hopes is that you had a one and done vaccination. and now the white house needs to not just go to make it partisan, but maybe there's a new outreach effort like many did in the african-american community like you did, rev, and putting really

good advocates and validaters to talk to these communities, whether it be doctors or whatever is needed in especially the southern states, because, frankly, the northeast states are doing quite well, and i think it was because of that outreach. >> all right. juanita tolliver and susan del percio, thank you for being with us. coming up, we all know muhammad ali as one of the greatest athletes of all time. but do you know enough about his world renowned humanitarian and civil rights work? his daughter and grandson will tell us all about it, next. unde] [sfx: rainstorm] ♪♪ comfort in the extreme. ♪♪ the lincoln family of luxury suvs. like many people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease, i was there.

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>> that was a sneak peek of the documentary film "city of ali" which premiered earlier in his hometown, louisville, kentucky. he was one of the greatest athletes of all time, but he was also a world-renowned humanitarian and civil rights activist. the documentary follows ali's life and the events after his death in 2016 due to parkinson's disease. over 100,000 people joined his funeral procession in louisville. joining me now is the daughter of muhammad ali, and her son, jacob ali worth heimer, grandson of muhammad ali, both human and civil rights activists in their own right. thank you both for being with us. let me start with you, kalila.

your father was a larger than life figure. he left behind a legacy of being a fighter, not just in the ring, but out of the ring and out in the world. i got to know him when i was a young man and had a front row seat in a lot of those fights. and he really really, really was committed to those fights. this film grapples with that legacy. explain it to us. >> the film actually captures a day that was probably going to be etched in our memories certainly as his children and for many people around the world as an extraordinary day. my father's passing -- we had seen nothing but vivid, colorful expressions of love from people everywhere. louisville stood still for a day. the violence stopped. people of all socioeconomic backgrounds came together and they truly gave my father the farewell that he always lived

every day in giving them. it wasn't filled with love and acceptance and it was extraordinary. the film allowed to us step outside of the bubble that we were in and see what was going on everywhere else. it was really extraordinary. >> now, jacob, your generation knows the name muhammad ali mostly through black and white photos in the history book. does the film have lessons for today's activists? >> the film speaks very much to what's going on in the world today right now. it's important to remember this is taking place in louisville, kentucky, the site in which as we know what happened to breonna taylor. film shows what a city is capable of in terms of times of turmoil and overcoming tower myeloma. and really the man who my grandfather was and his stances for civil rights and advocates and to make this a better place in the fight against white supremacy and to fight for justice. >> tomorrow is father's day and you had the unique experience of

sharing your father with the world. what was that like growing up? five years ago, what was it like to witness millions of people around the globe mourning him alongside you and your siblings? >> i would tell you love. love was the constant theme. you know, as a why would, i wasn't aware my father was famous until i saw him in a photograph with the beatles, and i said for what reason are they visiting you? my father was always in oneness with people. he was kind of classless. he belonged everywhere with everyone. when he passed, that's what that day was. everyone came together to give him a farewell and express the love and gratitude to us as a family that they had for him. it truly was extraordinary. >> in addition to this film, i know that both of you are involved in civil and human rights activism in your everyday life. can you tell me about some of the causes you're involved in

now and thousand legacy of muhammad ali impacts your efforts? jacob, you first, and then kalila. >> certainly for me, being an i was the was engrained in me at a young age in terms of making this world a better place. i was fortunate to go to the site of the rumble in the jungle and being one of the first members of the family to return after the fight. my mom rebuilt a hospital and school for congolese girls. i want to make this place a better world for our people, as i go to law school and figure out how i can use these avenues to fight what my grandfather devoted his life to. >> i've always felt the best way to carry out his legacy is not only through ali center but through other causes. when we went to the congo, we

witnessed the atrocity of land-grown diamonds. i've never owned a diamond in my life. i'm allergic. as a a consumer, it's something i'm passionate about. i work with ten boards and this one is most near and dear to me. for me as a mother, to give a piece of my father that i would have never provided my son with has been the greatest gift of all, and that is steeping his background and his life in public service. >> i covered the time i spent with him as a youngster, watching -- he watched me grow in activism and i think about it. i was thinking about it while you were talking. i could hear your grandmother saying, sharpton, listen to my grandson, he talk better than you. that's how he used to joke. i'm sure he'd be proud of both of you. thank you for being with me

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i end tonight as i began, saying that i'm very proud and happy to see juneteenth day become federally recognized. since i might have been 10, 11 years old, i've celebrated juneteenth and last 30 years i've keynoted juneteenth events, including last year in tulsa,

oklahoma. but i looked as the president signed it and we had our youth director, 24-year-old minister tylek mcmillan in the room as the one to witness it. it is good for them to see history, but it's also good for us to deal with the history that is going on right now. it doesn't take a profiling courage for a senator or the senate to unanimously talk about what happened 156 years ago and ignore what's happening right now. this friday, this coming friday, a former police officer in minneapolis, minnesota, will be sentenced for being convicted of murder and manslaughter for the death of george floyd. as we talk, we're dealing with fighting for voting rights. this afternoon, on juneteenth day, i was honored to be down at

the tribecka film festival to present the speaking award to the one and only stacy abrams who has led a fight against voter suppression and voting rights. not 150 years ago. and harry bellefante activism and art named for that award still fighting even in his elderly years. we cannot become so celebrant in the past that we forget these issues are alive right now. if you really want to celebrate juneteenth, senate, pass for the people's act. if you really want to celebrate, pass the george floyd justice and policing act. if you really want to celebrate, pass the john lewis act. if you don't want to do that,

your celebration is hollow. we'll celebrate because even like then, we had joy in overcoming what we had been subjected to and we are going to keep fighting now and have joy again. sooner or later. we'll never give up. we'll be right back. ♪ it's grilled cheese time. ♪ ♪ yeah, it's time for grilled cheese. ♪ ♪ after we make grilled cheese, ♪ ♪ then we're eating grilled cheese. ♪

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i'll see you back here tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. eastern for another live hour of "politics nation." my colleague alicia menendez picks up our news coverage now. >> thank you so much, reverend sharpton. hello, everyone. iumer alicia menendez president biden walked into the white house saying let's make a deal to fix america's biggest problems but today on juneteenth civil rights leaders say, enough. urging the administration to talks. uphill battle to play nice with the team that doesn't want to. we know republicans don't want to because republican leadership in both chambers have made it clear they have no plans of working with democrats or the president in good faith. if they did, they would be fast at work on fine tuning two major pieces of the president's agenda, making their way through the halls of congress right now. we're going to begin with voting rights where there are signs of

progress. more dts