Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Released Thursday, 7th August 2025
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Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Awards on Ice: Is Trump’s DEI Crackdown Behind the Soul Train & BET Hip-Hop Hiatus?

Thursday, 7th August 2025
Good episode? Give it some love!
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In this week’s All On Front Street, Jaguar Wright and Wolfgang Amadeuz dig into the surprising indefinite pause of two cornerstone events—the Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards. What’s really pulling the plug on these cultural institutions: budget cuts, shifting streaming strategies, or a deeper rollback of DEI initiatives under the Trump-aligned lawsuit against Paramount? We’ll explore:

  • The announcements: what BET and Paramount have said (and what they’re not saying)
  • How recent legal attacks on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion funding might be chilling Black-centered media
  • Trump’s ongoing battle with Paramount over “DEI programs”—and why awards shows could be collateral damage
  • Industry reactions: from artists to executives, and the growing call to protect our creative spaces
  • What it means for representation, and how the community can push back

Tune in for a hard-hitting conversation on power, politics, and the future of Black entertainment—and join us LIVE to share your thoughts and strategies for keeping these iconic platforms alive.

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