Chicago, IL — As part of a partnership with The Fulcrum, CAN-TV will premiere The 50: Voices of a Nation, a groundbreaking hour-long special that takes viewers across the country to hear directly from communities about how life is unfolding under the Trump administration.
The program debuts tonight, Thursday, December 18, at 7 p.m. CST on CAN-TV cable channel 19 (Chicago), and will also stream live at cantv.org and on the CAN TV+ app.
50 VOICES OF A NATION - Airs December 18th @7PM youtu.be
Hosted by Hugo Balta, Executive Editor of The Fulcrum and Publisher of the Latino News Network, The 50 is part of a four-year initiative to visit every state during the Trump presidency. The series asks: What drove voters to the ballot box in 2024, and how is the administration responding to their hopes, fears, and demands?
“This special is more than a broadcast—it’s a journey into the heart of America," said Balta. "By listening to communities from coast to coast, we uncover how democracy is lived every day: through resilience, through struggle, and through the voices that demand to be heard."
Shannon Gormley, Rhode Island Public Schools
The first eleven episodes already published by The Fulcrum showcase the diversity of challenges and resilience across America. In Rhode Island, families highlight the strain on education and social services. Shannon Gormley, a teacher in Rhode Island Public Schools, is concerned. "Nervous. My students come to me and say, 'Miss, are we still going to be able to have free lunch?' I think about our students who are in special education, and how the Department of Ed really helps our students in terms of individual education plans. So, for me, I guess the word would be nervous, worry."
Les Sinclair, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Virginia spotlights grassroots efforts to fight hunger. “Every month, we are seeing about 175,000 to 200,000 guest visits,” explains Les Sinclair, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “If these folks were to stand shoulder to shoulder, they would form a line 41 miles long. The need for food assistance in our region is tremendous.”
Elena Casillas Hoffman, Iowa MMJ
In Iowa, Latino-majority communities grapple with immigration crackdowns while organizing for civic power. "The reality is that ICE is in Iowa, but the tactics that they're using, the level which they're in our community, the fear that they have, the weaponized fear that they are able to utilize...it's all things that we are continuing to work with our communities right now," said Elena Casillas Hoffman, Communication Specialists with Iowa MMJ.
Mayor Lynne Robinson, Bellevue, Washington
Washington State examines how civic leaders balance infrastructure needs with environmental stewardship. We have all these lists of things we'd like to get done if we could, and pulling everybody together so that we can work together and get it done. We're trying to undo some of the things we did wrong when we didn't understand," said Bellevue's Mayor Lynne Robinson.
Darrious Hilmon, Executive Director, CAN-TV
In Illinois, CAN-TV was featured on how the network empowers residents to create and broadcast their own content, promoting local democracy and giving marginalized communities a voice. "Submit a program! We want your voice out there," said CAN-TV Executive Director Darrious Hilmon.
Hilmon emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “CAN TV is thrilled to continue its partnership with The Fulcrum with this special on-air presentation of 50 Voices. Taking an unflinching look at the motivations of voters in the last election is both illuminating and critical to how we collectively move forward.”
Other episodes explore rural towns confronting deportation raids, cities reimagining public safety, and immigrant workers in Iowa organizing against hardline policies.
By amplifying grassroots movements, immigrant voices, and civic organizations, The 50: Voices of a Nation offers viewers a rare chance to see democracy in action—one story, one state, one voice at a time.
