MATTER OF FACT, COMING UP ON THE SHOW. THIS COLORADO STUDENT WAS DREADING HER 18TH BIRTHDAY. I ACTUALLY FELL, LIKE, PRETTY PHYSICALLY ILL. SHE WAS IN FOSTER CARE AND LIKE, THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, TURNING 18 MEANT SHE’D BE ON HER OWN. IF YOU WOULD DO IT FOR YOUR CHILD, WE WOULD DO IT FOR A FOSTER YOUTH. AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE. WE EXPLORE A COMMUNITY EFFORT TO HELP FORMER FOSTER CARE KIDS LAND ON THEIR FEET. PLUS, FROM BUSINESS INVESTMENT TO INTERNSHIPS TO GRANTS, RECENT LAWSUITS TAKE AIM AT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP MINORITIES. THERE, INTENDING TO IMPLEMENT A CHILLING EFFECT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I SPEAK WITH A CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER INVOLVED IN ONE OF THE CASES ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS COULD HAVE ON OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA, AND THE US JUST HAD ITS HOTTEST WINTER ON RECORD. I AM FEARFUL OF A CLIMATE FUTURE THAT DOESN’T CENTER THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE MOST MARGINALIZED PERIOD. HOW THIS YOUNG CLIMATE ADVISER IS MAKING SURE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES THEM INTO ACCOUNT. THOSE STORIES NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IS STRAINED. NEARLY 400,000 KIDS ARE IN FOSTER CARE, AND ADVOCATES SAY THERE’S A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF LICENSED HOMES FOR THEM TO MOVE INTO. THAT STRAIN MEANS THAT WHEN KIDS TURN 18, THEY’RE OFTEN ON THEIR OWN, FACING AN INCREASED RISK OF HOMELESSNESS AND INCARCERATION IN COLORADO, ABOUT A THIRD OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO AGE OUT OF THE PROGRAM ARE HOMELESS WITHIN THREE YEARS, AND THAT HAS VOLUNTEERS AND NONPROFITS STEPPING IN TO FILL THE CARE GAP. OUR CORRESPONDENT LAURA CHAVEZ TRAVELED TO BOULDER COUNTY, WHERE ONE YOUNG WOMAN AND HER MENTOR ARE WORKING TO BEAT THE ODDS. AND THIS ONE’S MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD PICTURE. 22 YEAR OLD AMBROSHA STILLER DOESN’T HAVE A LOT LEFT FROM HER CHILDHOOD. I THINK I HAVE ONE SHIRT THAT SURVIVED, AND IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. ACTUALLY, IN EIGHTH GRADE, SHE ENTERED FOSTER CARE DUE TO NEGLECT IN HER HOME CONNECTED TO HER PARENTS DRUG ADDICTIONS. NOW SHE’S STRUGGLES TO REMEMBER THE HAPPY OR EVEN STABLE TIMES. HOW MANY PLACES DO YOU THINK YOU’VE LIVED ALTOGETHER? I WOULD SAY MORE THAN 15. BUT BELOW 25. EVERY TIME I WOULD GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE’S HOUSE, I WOULD SHOW UP WITH LIKE A TRASH BAG FULL OF THINGS. AS HARD AS THAT WAS, AMBROSHA TOOK COMFORT IN KNOWING THERE WAS A SAFETY NET THROUGH FOSTER CARE, WHICH PROVIDES THINGS LIKE MEDICAL COVERAGE, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND AID TO FOSTER FAMILIES FOR BASIC NEEDS. BUT ALL THAT WOULD END AT 18. I WASN’T EVER PREPARED FOR, LIKE THE DAY AFTER 18 IS HOW I’LL SAY IT. AMBROSHA SPENT HER 18TH BIRTHDAY IN A COURTHOUSE. I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT PAYING BILLS OR SIGNING A LEASE OR, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT A WAY TO FIND A REAL JOB OR SAVE MONEY LIKE I DID NOT HAVE ANY CLUE OF WHAT ANY OF THAT MEANT. AND IT WAS REALLY KIND OF FRUSTRATING TO KNOW THAT, LIKE AFTER I LEFT THAT COURTROOM AND THEIR HANDS WERE CLEAN AND THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO, LIKE, PROVIDE ME ANY MORE RESOURCES, IN MY MIND, I WAS STILL A CHILD, AND THAT WAS LIKE THE SCARIEST DAY OF MY LIFE. EVERY YEAR, ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE AGE OUT OF FOSTER CARE. THESE YOUNG ADULTS EXPERIENCE A HIGHER RATE OF HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND INCARCERATION. AMBROSHA WORKED HARD TO AVOID ALL THAT. SHE PLANS TO GRADUATE, WAIT, COLLEGE IN THE FALL, AND FOUND HER PROFESSIONAL PASSION IN HER JOB AS AN ACTIVITIES ASSISTANT AT A NURSING HOME. BUT EVEN SHE WILL TELL YOU SHE DIDN’T DO IT ALONE. BEVERLY. I WOULD CONSIDER HER MY MENTOR. FOSTER YOUTH CARRY A BURDEN THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T CARRY. BEVERLY MCKELVEY, A FORMER TEACHER, IS THE PRESIDENT OF HELPING HANDS. THEREAFTER, FOSTER CARE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS PEOPLE AS THEY AGE OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM. THE FIRST TIME I MET AMBROSHA, I PICKED HER UP AT HER FOSTER HOME, AND AS WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WAS JUST A REGULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, SHE SAID, LOOK AROUND. I OBVIOUSLY DON’T BELONG HERE. AND THAT’S A SELF-CONFIDENCE THING. SHE FELT LIKE LIKE SHE DIDN’T EVEN DESERVE A HOME. A LOT OF THE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE FEEL THAT THEY DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING BETTER, AND THEY HAVE NOBODY THERE TO SAY, THIS IS HOW YOU FILL OUT A FAFSA FORM, OR THIS IS HOW YOU ARRANGE A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT, OR THIS IS HOW YOU ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE TEST. THEY DON’T HAVE THE PARENT TO DO THAT THERE. AFTER FOSTER CARE WORKS WITH THE COUNTY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TOGETHER FOR A COLORADO BASED NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. I THINK THERE’S SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE RARIN AND READY TO GO. CLAIRE CRONIN IS THE DIRECTOR OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT TOGETHER, BUT THEN I THINK THERE’S OTHER PEOPLE WHERE IT’S REALLY SCARY TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MOVING OUT INTO THE WORLD TO HAVING YOUR OWN PLACE TO REALLY KIND OF BE ALONE IN SOME SENSES, TOGETHER GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE A CHANCE TO MOVE AT THEIR OWN PACE BY PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. PRIVATE COUNSELING, CAREER ADVICE AND MUCH MORE. THERE’S KIND OF THESE LIKE SMALL NUANCES THAT WE PICK UP IN LIFE THAT FOSTER CARE YOUTH DON’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LEARN ON, AND SO THEY HAVE TO LEARN THEM ON THE FLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE EXITING FOSTER CARE, WHICH IS REALLY DIFFICULT. NUANCES AMBROSHA STILL STRUGGLES WITH. I WISH I WAS TAUGHT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CREDIT CARD AND A DEBIT CARD, BECAUSE STILL, LIKE I AM SO CONFUSED, BUT SHE’S LEARNING WITH THE HELP OF A NEW SUPPORT SYSTEM, 22 YEAR OLD AMBROSHA IS TALKING TO 17 YEAR OLD AMBROSHA. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA TELL HER? I WOULD TELL 17 YEAR OLD ME LIKE YOU GOT THIS. LIKE YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. LIKE, JUST KEEP GOING. YOU’RE ALMOST THERE. GOOD GIRL. FOR A MATTER OF FACT, I’M LAURA CHAVEZ IN BOULDER, COLORADO. NEXT ON. MATTER OF FACT, A LEGAL BATTLE OVER PROGRAMS FOR MINORITIES IS PLAYING OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY’RE LOOKING TO DISMANTLE EVERY PROGRAM. THIS LAWYER EXPLAINS WHY THE STRATEGY INCLUDES NOT WINNING EVERY CASE. PLUS, WHY THIS CLIMATE ACTIVIST IS LOOKING TO HISTORY AS A GUIDE FOR A GREENER FUTURE AND COULD THE EFFORT TO REPLACE THE LEAD PIPES CARRYING WATER TO MILLIONS OF HOMES ACTUALLY BE GETTING A LITTLE EASIER? YOU’RE WATCHING, MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE. FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, A FEDERAL AGENCY, HAS DONE JUST WHAT ITS NAME INDICATES. IT HELPS MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES WITH EVERYTHING FROM ACCESSING CAPITAL TO COMPETING FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. BUT NOW A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS SAYS IT’S VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION BY PROVIDING SERVICES BASED ON RACE. IT’S JUST ONE OF SEVERAL RECENT LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP MINORITIES. THERE’S A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO FOR, QUOTE, PRO-LATINO DISCRIMINATION IN ITS INTERNSHIP. AND THERE’S A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FEARLESS FUND, WHICH PROVIDES GRANTS TO BUSINESSES OWNED BY BLACK WOMEN. ALPHONSO DAVID IS ONE OF THE LAWYERS WORKING WITH THE FEARLESS FUND. HE’S ALSO THE HEAD OF THE GLOBAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM. ALPHONSO DAVID, NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH ME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. SO LET’S BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT THE MBDA. THE MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. TAKE US BACK IN HISTORY. WHY DID IT START? SO LET’S GO BACK TO THE 1960S. THERE WAS A STATUTE THAT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS AND SIGNED BY RICHARD NIXON TO ESSENTIALLY ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING THAT MINORITIES WERE CONFRONTING MINORITY WERE SEEKING CONTRACTS WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND THEY WERE BEING DENIED IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE. SO FROM WHAT THIS JUDGE HAS DONE NOW IN TEXAS, IN ROLLING IT BACK, IS HE ESSENTIALLY SAYING, HEY, LISTEN, IT IS NOW AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD. IT’S NOT NECESSARY ANYMORE. OSTENSIBLY, THAT’S THE EFFECT OF THIS RULING. SO A TEXAS COURT JUDGE ISSUED THIS RULING AND SAID, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN 93% OF THE BIDS IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING, MINORITIES ARE BEING DENIED OPPORTUNITIES, 93%. AND YET THE CONTRACTS OR THIS, THIS STATUTE THAT EMPOWERS THIS FEDERAL AGENCY TO ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE. SO THE JUDGE ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU CAN’T DENY IT. AND YET HE TAKES AWAY THE REMEDY THAT WAS CREATED BY CONGRESS AND SIGNED BY NIXON TO ADDRESS THE DISPARITY. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MANY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT ALSO HAVE A MISSION OF TRYING TO SUPPORT HELP ELEVATE MINORITIES GENERALLY? SO THERE’S A DEEP CONCERN, I THINK, IN MANY FEDERAL AGENCIES, ALTHOUGH THIS DECISION APPLIES TO ONE FEDERAL AGENCY AND ONE STATUTE, THIS RULING IN THE RATIONALE THAT THE COURT USES, YOU COULD ARGUE, COULD APPLY TO OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. AND SO THEY’RE CONCERNED WHEN THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS STRUCK DOWN, A SIMILAR THING HAPPENED, RIGHT. WE SAW RAMIFICATIONS IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE OF THE EDUCATION SPACE. AND I THINK THAT’S ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE FILING THESE LAWSUITS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY’RE INTENDING TO IMPLEMENT A CHILLING EFFECT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO IF I SUE YOU AND WHEN I WIN AND I HAVE A DECISION THAT ESSENTIALLY SAYS YOUR PROGRAM IS NO LONGER ENFORCEABLE, THEN EVERY ONE ELSE WILL ESSENTIALLY LOOK AT THEIR PROGRAMS AND THINK, CAN I STILL DO THE SAME THING, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR PROGRAM? YOU DON’T HAVE TO SUE ANYBODY. THEY WILL SELF CENSOR. EXACTLY. AND THAT’S THAT’S THE STRATEGY. THE STRATEGY IS TO FILE AS MANY LAWSUITS AS POSSIBLE, GET AS MANY DECISIONS AS POSSIBLE, POTENTIALLY WE HAVE A CIRCUIT COURT INFLICT. AND FOR THE NON-LAWYERS IS YOU FILE A LAWSUIT IN ONE CIRCUIT. LET’S JUST SAY THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT. AND THEN YOU FILE ANOTHER LAWSUIT IN THE 11TH CIRCUIT. AND YOU GET CONFLICTING RULINGS AND THEN YOU ASK THE SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW THE ISSUE, AND THEN YOU GET A RULING THAT COMPLETELY REWRITES THE PARADIGM FOR MINORITIES. AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. IS THERE A NEW APPROACH IN HOW LAWYERS GENERALLY ARE THINKING ABOUT DEALING WITH THIS? YOU KNOW, AT POST, THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DECISION IN A BUNCH OF HARVARD STUDENTS, MINORITY STUDENTS SUED OVER LEGACY ADMISSIONS, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF SAYING, NO, WE SUPPORT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. THEY’RE LIKE, WELL, YOU WANT TO REALLY SEE DISCRIMINATION. LET’S TALK ABOUT LEGACIES. THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. AS YOU MENTIONED, I’M REPRESENTING THE FEARLESS FUND, AND ONE OF THE STRATEGIES HERE THAT THEY USE WAS TO SUE A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT IS PROVIDING GRANTS TO WOMEN OF COLOR, IGNORING THE FACT THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT ACTUALLY PROVIDES PROTECTIONS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. SO THINK ABOUT THIS. WHETHER IT BE THE UNITED WAY OR OR A JAPANESE AMERICAN CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION OR JEWISH ORGANIZATION WHERE THEY’RE PROVIDING GRANTS AND SERVICES ONLY TO A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP AND HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR DECADES. WHY IS THAT LEGAL? BUT IF A BLACK CHARITY ORGANIZATION ATTEMPTS TO HELP BLACK PEOPLE, THAT’S ILLEGAL. THEY CAN’T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE CONFRONTING IN OUR CASE, WE’LL CONTINUE TO WATCH THESE CASES. ALPHONSO DAVID, NICE TO TALK TO YOU. THANKS FOR COMING IN TO CHAT WITH ME. THANK YOU. COMING UP, IF OUR APPROACH WORKS, IS THE SIMPLEST FOR UTILITIES TO DEPLOY SAFER DRINKING WATER FASTER. THE DISCOVERY THAT COULD HELP MILLIONS OF HOUSEHOLDS, PLUS THIS 25 YEAR OLD SITS ON A FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. SOME OF THE BIG PRIORITIES THAT I HAVE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UNIQUE CONCERNS, SIGNS OF YOUTH OF COLOR ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. HER PLAN TO MAKE SURE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GIVEN A VOICE AND NOT JUST A SEAT AT THE TABLE. THIS WINTER DIDN’T FEEL MUCH LIKE WINTER AT ALL. IT WAS THE WARMEST ONE ON RECORD FOR MOST OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING ABOUT FIVE DEGREES HOTTER THAN USUAL. IT’S THE LATEST INDICATION OF THE RISING GLOBAL TEMPERATURE, UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR URGENT CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RECENTLY DECIDED TO SEEK SOME FRESH AND NEW PERSPECTIVES ON ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE. IT LAUNCHED THE FIRST EVER COMMITTEE MADE UP OF ALL YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 29. IT’S CALLED THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, OR NIAC. OUR PRODUCER, TERESA KRUG, TAKES US TO PHILADELPHIA TO MEET A YOUNG WOMAN WHO’S SERVING ON THIS FEDERAL COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS WAWA GATHERU. I AM A GEN Z CLIMATE ACTIVIST, AND I’M THE PROUD FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY BLACKGIRLENVIRONMENTALIST. I GOT MY START IN THE CLIMATE SPACE WHEN I WAS 15. I TOOK A REALLY, REALLY TRANSFORMATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS THAT TOTALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. BUT THE CLIMATE COMMUNITY WASN’T ALWAYS ONE THAT I FELT LIKE WAS A SAFE SPACE FOR YOUTH OF COLOR. NOR DID I FEEL LIKE IT WAS DOING ALL THAT IT COULD TO REALLY RESOURCE THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE WAYS THAT WE NEED TO REALLY SOLVE THIS BIG CRISIS. THE PRESIDENT AND I ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE THE YOUTH VOICE AT THE TABLE WITH CEMENTED SEATS. NIAC IS THE FIRST EVER FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT’S MADE UP OF YOUTH IN US HISTORY. I THINK THAT’S INCREDIBLE. I’M SUPER EXCITED. IT’S A HUGE HONOR, ESPECIALLY AS A DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS. BUT BUT SOMETHING THAT WE DON’T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT IS YOUTH WASHING, WHERE PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY TOKENIZE US INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY GIVE US A SEAT AT THE TABLE. AND IT’S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE’RE ALL THINKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES INTO THIS COUNCIL, WHICH IS WHY WE’RE MAKING SURE THAT IT’S ACTUALLY A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH YOUR EXPERTISE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THE REALITY IS, IS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE OF EVERY GENERATION HAVE ALWAYS PUSHED FORWARD SOCIAL CHANGE, AND THERE IS SO MUCH THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OLDER GENERATIONS. THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MARCH FOR FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE AND AND LIKE THE SCHOOL STRIKES THAT HAPPENED IN 2018 THAT ARE STILL GOING STRONG. AND HOW SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WERE SITTING HERE AND BEING LIKE, WOW, THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY. THIS IS SO IMPACTFUL AND SO IMPORTANT. BUT JUST 55 YEARS BEFORE, IN 1963, IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE HAPPENED AND BLACK YOUTH AS YOUNG AS SEVEN YEARS OLD WERE WALKING OUT OF THEIR CLASSROOMS IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE, IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER WORLD THAN THEY HAD BEEN LEFT WITH. IF WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT THESE HISTORIES AND TO CONNECT THESE MOVEMENTS, WE WOULD REALIZE THAT THEY AREN’T JUST THESE, YOU KNOW, RANDOM, YOU KNOW, ACTIONS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DOING. IT’S A PART OF THIS GENERATIONAL INHERITANCE THAT WE HAVE. IT’S MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS FROM AN INTERGENERATIONAL LENS AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT HISTORY LESSONS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. IT’S A GUIDE TO EXPLORING THIS INAUGURAL EXHIBITION, MARKING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, PLUS AN UNUSUAL APPROACH COULD MEAN A FASTER REMOVAL OF THE LEAD PIPES THAT BRING WATER INTO MILLIONS OF HOMES. HOW ENGINEERS ARE LISTENING TO PIPES TO DETECT LEAD TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH MATTER OF FACT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT MATTEROFFACTTV. WELCOME BACK TO MATTER OF FACT, THERE COULD BE A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE EFFORTS TO REPLACE THE NATION’S LEAD WATER PIPES. RESEARCHERS AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY SAY SOUND WAVES CAN HELP DETECT WHETHER A PIPE IS MADE OF LEAD OR NOT. WHY DOES THAT MATTER? WELL, IT’S BELIEVED THAT AT LEAST 9 MILLION HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE GETTING WATER FROM THOSE LEAD PIPES, BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE. SOME OF THEM WERE PUT IN SO LONG AGO THAT RECORDS DON’T EVEN EXIST. DIG ING TO DETERMINE WHETHER A PIPE IS LEAD OR NOT DOESN’T JUST A LOT OF WORK. IT CAN ALSO BE DESTRUCTIVE AND COSTLY, HAVING TO DIG UP SIDEWALKS AND YARDS. PROFESSOR IVAN BARTOLI IS THE HEAD OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING. A VERY STIFF MATERIAL CARRIES THESE SOUND WAVES MUCH FASTER THAN A SOFT MATERIAL, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, A PLASTIC PIPE WILL CARRY THE SOUND WAVES WITH A SPEED THAT ARE MUCH SLOWER THAN. THE SPEED OF THE SOUND WAVES THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE IN A STEEL PIPE OR IN A LEAD PIPE. THE DREXEL TEAM SAYS ADDITIONAL TESTING IS NEEDED TO VERIFY THE FINDINGS. THEY EXPECT THE TECHNOLOGY TO BE PUT INTO WORK IN A YEAR OR TWO. THAT COULDN’T COME SOON ENOUGH, AS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS ALLOCATED $15 BILLION TOWARD REPLACING ALL LEAD WATER PIPES. BY 2033. STILL AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, A LOOK AT THE EFFORT TO SHED LIGHT ON THE HIDDEN WOMEN OFAND FINALL BAG. IT’S A THING WE’VE ALL USED, PROBABLY NEVER GIVEN A MOMENT’S THOUGHT TO HOW IT CAME ABOUT. WELL, IT WAS THE CREATION OF 19TH CENTURY INVENTOR MARGARET NIGHT. SHE’S JUST ONE OF FIVE WOMEN BEING CELEBRATED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION. THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM IS FOCUSING ON FORGOTTEN FIGURES WITH A FREE DIGITAL EXHIBITION ALONG WITH NIGHT. THE EXHIBIT FEATURES ELIZABETH KECKLEY, THE FORMER SLAVE WHO WAS A SEAMSTRESS AND DRESSMAKER FOR MARY TODD LINCOLN HISAKO HIBI, A JAPANESE AMERICAN ARTIST WHO SPENT THREE YEARS IN GOVERNMENT DETENTION DURING WORLD WAR TWO. ISABEL MORGAN, WHO WAS KEY IN DEVELOPING THE POLIO VACCINE SCENE, AND HAZEL FELLOWS, A SEAMSTRESS WHO WORKED ON THE APOLLO SPACESUITS. WE TALKED TO DIGITAL CURATOR LIZ HARMAN ABOUT THE COLLECTION REGAN. WE NEED TO SHOW WHY WOMEN’S STORIES ARE MISSING, AND THAT’S WHAT BECOMING VISIBLE IS TRYING TO DO. WE CREATED A TEN MINUTE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE, AND WE USE INTERVIEWS WITH CURATORS AROUND THE SMITHSONIAN OBJECTS, ARCHIVAL RECORDS, UM, TO REALLY BRING THESE STORIES TO LIFE AT THIS MOMENT, THE AMERICAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM ONLY EXISTS ONLINE. CONGRESS APPROVED PLANS TO BUILD IT IN 2020, BUT IT WILL LIKELY TAKE A DECADE BEFORE THE DOORS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK IT OUT ONLINE AND ENJOY THE HISTORY LESSON THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF MATTER OF FACT, I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. I’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK TO WATCH MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ANY TIME, HEAD TO MATTEROFFACTTV.