Black Agenda Radio - 10.09.17

Welcome to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. I’m Glen Ford, along with my co-host Nellie Bailey. Coming up: A Philadelphia Judge has supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal worried; Canadians of Caribbean descent organize for political solidarity; and, Is the U.S. trying to depopulate its island colony of Puerto Rico?

A question of religion and Black radicalism. Dr. Vincent Lloyd is a professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University. Dr. Lloyd wrote a recent article for Black Agenda Report, in which he maintained that Black American religion is rooted in radicalism, exemplified by leaders such as Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. Lloyd said that what he calls “secularism” means being caught up in “the world as it is,” and not as it should be.

Donald Trump is almost certainly the most disliked man in Puerto Rico. Trump’s insulting remarks in the wake of Hurricane Irma cut deep into Puerto Rican pride. The U.S. colony has lost 10 percent of its population in the last decade due to U.S. economic policies. Some folks believe that the real goal of U.S. policy is to depopulate the island. We spoke with Kevin Cashman, of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington.

The Caribbean region has been battered by both global warming and neocolonial political relationships. Runako Gregg is a co-founder of the Canada-based Caribbean Solidarity Network. He spoke to us from Toronto.

It’s been 100 years since the Russian Revolution changed the history of the world. Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and African Amerian Studies at Houston University, was part of a celebration of the past century of Struggle for Scientific Socialism. Dr. Horne discussed the seminal work of historian Philip S. Foner, author of the book, The Bolshevik Revolution and Its Impact on American Radicals, Liberals, and Labor.

Supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal, the nation’s best known political prisoner, are worried about the recent conduct of Judge Leon Tucker. The Pennsylvania judge had earlier demanded that the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office provide all of its files on Abu Jamal’s case, so he could determine if the DA had shown a bias towards his political allies in the Fraternal Order of Police. However, last month Judge Tucker appeared to ease up on his pressures on the DA’s office. Sophia Williams, of the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home, is worried.

And that’s it for this edition of Black Agenda Radio.