BIN Hews This Hour

Listen now to the latest news impacting Black America. Updated hourly.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bin News this hour Doug Davis coming up from fresh
beginnings to national spotlight. Georgia's newest city, Mapleton, is quickly
carving out its place on the national stage. At this
year's US Conference of Mayor's African American Mayor of Michael
Owens was a standouts, being labeled as an inspiring voice
among a new wave of leadership. Our conversation with Mayor
Owens continues, but first, here's BIM News now.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Pushing Congress to keep AM radio when all Cars is
gaining steam. Led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, The bill
now has seventeen Texas co spoundsors.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
The automakers all come together and say you can't turn
it on because we're not going to put it in
your car. You don't have the right to choose.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Cru says it protects consumer choice after automakers moved to
drop AM over tech concerns. Ford has since reversed course.
After Democratic Socialists around MAM Donnie won New York City's
mayoral primary. The black mayor of Dallas, Texas, Eric Johnson,
now a Republican, invited New Yorkers to move south. In
a post on ex Mayor Johnson touted Dallas as pro police,
pro business, and pro American Dream and Walmart fass a

(01:02):
federal class action lawsuit in Chicago accused of firing black
workers with criminal records. Plaintiffs say they were longtime subcontractor
employees let go after Walmart to go over and ran
background checks. Get bi in News Now on demand twenty
four to seven on the iHeartRadio app. Here's Doug Davis.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
All right, thanks that. This year's US Conference of Mayor's
municipal leaders from across the country came together to confront
some of the biggest issues facing urban America. Among them
were many of the nation's well known black mayors, but
one new face stood out. Michael Owens, Maybeldon Georgia's first mayor.
Maybeled it is a growing, emerging city that sits right
outside of Atlanta. Welcome back to the bin, Mayor Owens.

(01:40):
We left off talking about how mayors are sharing their
stories of struggle through Trump budget cuts and how it
affects a city's overall plan to assist in issues that
affect our communities.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
You know, one of the good things about the US
comfs and mayors is we are able to come together
and put together substantive policy proposals or resolutions. We're acknowledging
some of the challenges, but we're also putting for solutions,
and those solutions we formulate through the different committees. I'm
fortunate to serve on the Housing and Community Development Committee,

(02:12):
where I specifically was able to put forth and co
sponsor specific resolutions that could deal with some of these issues.
You know, I could talk about, in the face of
these budget cuts and the Trump administration, what are some
of the things that we number one, most importantly, still
have to have, and then two, what are those things
that we need to push forward, going forward and beyond. Now,

(02:34):
there's obviously no guarantee that some of these things are
going to happen, or that he's even going to listen
to us, or the administration is going to listen to us,
because we know that you know, a lot of people
that quite frankly, we know and trust aren't in the
administration anymore. There's so much chaos going on that we
don't know from day to day what's going to happen.
Or mayors are sitting around hoping that they still get
grant funding from a federal government that was problems to them.

(02:57):
We don't know these things right.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Great answer. As a black mayor leading a young and
growing city, how do you see your role in shaping
you know, not just policy, but also cultural identity and
representation in your town.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
I think it's important to just lead. You know, I'm leading.
I'm forward. I'm talking about solutions that's going to take
us forward. I'm looking at our immigrant communities. I'm obviously
leading from the said before a black and brown minority
majority city. But you know, as a black mayor, i
try to do what's right for everybody. I'll say that
first and foremost. But I'm also keen in attune to

(03:32):
systemic and institutional challenges and issues that we've been having.
I had a conversation with a group of people that
we're talking about how the system just continues not to work,
and I said, to differ in a lot of ways,
the system is working exactly as it was designed to work,
which unfortunately has placed many black and brown members of
our community at a disadvantage. And we have to acknowledge

(03:53):
it for what it is. But we also have to
push forward and put together solutions as to how we can.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Go By Mayor Owens running out of time, thank you
so much for stopping by BN News This Hour. We
wish you the best. You welcome back anytime. Please keep
us up to date. We'll keep a watchful eye on
your leadership in the new town of Mabelden, Georgia. Thank you,
Stay informed, stay connected and subscribe. Follow BN News This
Hour wherever you get your podcasts. I'm look Davis for
the Black Information Network.