Rhetoric vs. Reality: How Are Veterans Really Treated in America?

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Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/Rhetoric vs. Reality: How Are Veterans Really Treated in America?"

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In this episode of Need to Know, Dr. Nsenga Burton pulls back the curtain on the true meaning of Memorial Day—its powerful origins rooted in the actions of formerly enslaved African Americans honoring fallen soldiers. But how far have we strayed from that legacy?

Dr. Burton delivers a pointed critique of the political double-speak surrounding veterans, spotlighting the gaping divide between patriotic rhetoric and the harsh realities many veterans face today—displacement, lack of employment support, and uphill battles for basic benefits they’ve earned. She calls out the hypocrisy in public praise that’s not matched by policy or funding. The episode also unpacks the underappreciated significance of Juneteenth, drawing a bold line between the historical contributions of Black Americans and today’s political neglect. Dr. Burton challenges listeners to evaluate leaders not by what they say on holidays, but by what they do every day for those who serve.

▶︎ In This Episode

00:00: Introduction and Greetings

00:38: Memorial Day and African American History

01:13: Veterans and Political Hypocrisy

03:02: Challenges Faced by Veterans

05:16: The Importance of DEI for Veterans

06:52: Evaluating Political Actions vs. Words

09:12: Conclusion and Next Episode

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Episode Transcript

BEP Narrator (00:02):
A Black Executive Perspective.
Now presents need to know withthe award-winning hyphenated Dr.
Nsenga Burton, Dr.
Burton.
What do we need to know?
Dr. Nsenga Burton:
Good afternoon and welcometo Need To Know with Dr.
Nsenga Burton.
I am she, I am happy to be talking toyou today because hey, I'm above ground.

(00:22):
Um, so any day above grounds.
My grandfather used to say, um,who he also said he was on borrowed
time on somebody else's time, um,and he lived into his nineties.
But, um, anytime that a, a dayabove ground is better than any
other day that you could have.
So I'm happy to be here.
Um, celebrated, uh, Memorial Day,as you know, that was founded by

(00:42):
African Americans, formerly enslavedAfrican Americans who wanted to honor
Union, union soldiers who had, um,been left in the unmarked grave.
And, um, that kind ofstarted this whole thing.
It was known as Decoration Day.
So wanted to give you just a littlebit of history as we were all.
Not all of us, but many of uswere celebrating on Monday and
celebrating those who have, uh,passed away, um, in, uh, battle, um,

(01:07):
and in honor of our, uh, country.
So, uh, it's.
Always interesting to me, um, to kind oflook at the, uh, juxtaposition between
that and, um, what is actually happeningnow, uh, because we have someone who,
um, some call a draft dodger, um, 47,um, but you know, who definitely has not

(01:30):
served any time, uh, in the military.
Somehow in, uh, evaded that althoughhe could have served many times, um, in
the military, even when he was drafted,allegedly, um, but somehow, you know,
was not, uh, did not have to serve.
Um, but when we think about what'shappening in our world today, especially

(01:52):
as it relates to veterans and the manyveterans that have been displaced, uh,
they have been put outta their jobs.
Um, and.
I find it also fascinating that so manyveterans supported this president, um,
because he is not someone who has militaryservice and he has, um, be be, he has said

(02:15):
some awful things about those who have,including, you know, calling folks losers.
I mean, he was horrible to John McCain.
I mean, horrible.
I mean, horrible to John McCain, um,when he was running for office and
to other veterans of note, um, he hasjust not treated them well publicly.
He has not spoken well ofveterans publicly and he just
basically calls them losers.

(02:36):
And, you know, he was, don't bemad at him 'cause he was smart
enough to, to not go to war.
And because he didn't have to dothat, and that because of his, you
know, uh, magnetic personality, heis able to attract, um, you know.
Uh, supporters who are veterans, uh,despite the fact that, uh, he has said
these horrible things, uh, and, you know,cut funding, he did that in the first,

(02:58):
first term, um, to, uh, veteran causes.
Um.
Veterans make up a large portion ofthe unhoused community, which people
don't like to admit, but it is true.
Um, because we are notgood to our veterans.
I can say that.
'cause I come from a family of veterans.
Um, and you know, once you'reout, you're pretty much on your
own and then you, it, it's up toyou to go get what you have been.

(03:18):
Um.
Offered or which you have earned, I wouldsay you have been or you have earned.
Um, it's also always, it is oftena complicated process to get those
things, whether it's the GI Bill,whether it's help with your housing,
you know, all of the things.
Um, and so I.
As we think about these holidaysthat are coming up, you know,
we think about Memorial Day, wethink about Independence Day.

(03:41):
For some of us it's Juneteenth.
And I just wanna also say real quick, Iknow Tony's like wrap it up, land a plane.
But I do wanna say this, thatJuneteenth was not something that was
celebrated by all African Americansin that throughout the country.
Now all of us are from Texas, Louisiana,um, and you know, neighboring states.
And so we did not.
Uh, have the Juneteenthexperience, if you will.

(04:01):
Um, and I only really learned, learnedabout Juneteenth, um, when one of my
line sisters, who's from Texas, um, wascelebrating when we were in college and
I was like, well, what's Juneteenth?
So even making that a national holidayas if it was going to appease all African
Americans, um, many of whom, and I wouldsay the majority of whom do not celebrate,
did not celebrate Juneteenth, um.

(04:22):
Is is interesting, but what I wanna talkabout is the hypocrisy of this democracy
and the hypocrisy of this president,um, and how he pretends to care about
this particular population of veterans,military population and does not, um,
whether he's firing the joint Chiefsof SHA staff because he was black.
There's no reason to fire him.
Um.
Other than the fact that he was blackand calling him a DEI hire, undermining

(04:45):
all of the great work that he haddone over the course of his career.
All the people he had helped, all thelives, he had saved, all the strategies
he had put in place to keep Americasafe, um, under, uh, presidents of
different, uh, political parties.
You know, he wasn't just a a, anappointee, um, by a democratic president.
He served under, um, Republicanpresidents as well, so.

(05:07):
When you have that kind of personin office, when you see what is
happening to veterans, when you.
Do a bait and switch, right?
Oh, we're just gonna go afterthe blacks knowing full.
Well, you're gonna go afterthe veterans because they
actually are protected by DEI.
That is why when you apply forjobs, they have this section and you
know, it's like, what's your race?
What's your ethnicity?
Are you a veteran?
Do you have a disability?
All of that is the DEI section.

(05:29):
So it's not just black people like y'alllike to pretend, or Latinx people like
you, like to pretend It's also veterans.
And the reason that we have these safetynets in place for veterans because
it's hard for them to transition backinto society, particularly those who
have been in battle, um, they have lotsof challenges and issues that have to
be met and they have to be handled.
Um.
Innovat that is, um, kind andthoughtful and intentional.

(05:52):
And then sometimes their jobs are sospecific when they're in the military,
it's hard for them to transitionback into the j the work workforce
here, um, back, you know, whenthey come to the United States, um,
because the specificity of the job.
Does not allow them to align theirqualifications and skills, um, with
jobs that are available in the market.
And so sometimes they have to apply.

(06:13):
That's what we call application.
You all want to call it a handout,but really what it is, is looking at
what they have accomplished, achieved,and learned, and know and mastered.
Um, in the military and howwe can transfer, that's what
we call transferable skills.
Transfer those skills to thecurrent workplace so that
we can get them employed.
Um, and of course, if you can thinkof anybody who's deserving of being
employed, it certainly would besomeone who has served in the military.

(06:36):
So, um, and that's worldwide.
You know, um, you know, many countriesrequire you to serve in the military
in order to maintain your citizenship.
Um, and uh, so I say that to saywhat you need to know is sometimes.
Which you're seeing is not liningup with what is really happening

(06:56):
and that we have to be mindful ofpeople who are selling us one thing,
but really doing something else.
Um, and so that is, oh, we love veterans.
Veterans, they're my greatest supporters.
Veterans love me.
All of these things.
I'm gonna do things to help veterans.
And then you look at what has happenedand what is happening to veterans, uh,
under this particular administration.

(07:17):
You know, they have reallybeen disenfranchised.
Uh, they've been displaced.
Many of them had jobs in the federalgovernment because that was a place,
a soft landing spot, if you will.
Um, for veterans.
Many of them have, uh, have hadtheir whole division shut down.
Um, they've been made to leave.
Uh, they have taken jobs andthe jobs no longer exist.
Um, after uprooting their entire family,things of that nature have happened.

(07:39):
So I want you to pay attention to whatis actually happening versus the rhetoric
or the speaking that is happening.
You know, do you really care about me?
When everything that you are doing, andI won't say everything, but a lot of
what you are doing is going against me.
Pell Grants, for instance, thatis going against veterans as well.
Um, elimination of the educationdepartment that is going against

(08:02):
veterans as well, because a lot of, um.
Students and what we call non-traditionalstudents are actually veterans.
These are people who go to and serveand then they come back and go to
college and they are in need of helpand assistance and all of the things.
So, um, I just encourage you and,and what I need you to know is that
you should look at people's actionsand think less about their words.

(08:26):
People will tell you this, and weknow this in like relationships, we
get this in friendships, but I wantyou to think about this in politics.
You know, because, oh, I don't trustpoliticians, I don't trust politicians.
But then you wanna put everythingbehind this one particular
politician over one thing.
You could be a racist, right?
You could be a sexist, um, youcould be anti-establishment,
you could be an anarchist.
There are lots of reasons why youmight support this candidate, this

(08:47):
particular president, but reallylook at what is happening to you.
Um, and to the, your community and Iwould say communities, 'cause we're
always connected to other communities.
Right.
Um, and see if that aligns withwhat this person is saying to
you during these important dates.
Um, and our history and in our present.

(09:08):
Um, and also during, um,their time in office.
All right, so tune in next week, uh,for another need to know with Dr.
Nsenga Burton and definitelycheck out the award-winning,
A Black Executive Perspectivepodcast, um, with Tony and Chris.
They are amazing hosts.
They have wonderful conversations andthey talk to really interesting people.

(09:29):
Have a wonderful dayand I will see you soon.
A
Black Executive Perspective.