Turning the Pulse Night Club Memory into a Memorial

On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff. Pulse was hosting a "Latin Night", and most of the victims were Latino. It is the deadliest incident in the history of violence against LGBTQ people in the United States as well as the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001, and was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history until the shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.

Our guest today was the owner of Pulse Nightclub, Barbara Poma. She is now the sole founder and executive director of onePULSE Foundation.

 onePULSE Foundation is the nonprofit organization established in the aftermath of the June 12, 2016 tragedy at Pulse nightclub to create a sanctuary of hope and honor and preserve the legacy of the 49 people killed, 68 injured, and countless others who were affected. The four pillars of its mission are to create and support a memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes, and legacy scholarships that open doors.

Today we talk to Barbara about tragedy and healing, and what happens next.

With co-host Brody Levesque