Episodes
Monday Jan 25, 2016
Black Agenda Radio – 01.25.16
Monday Jan 25, 2016
Monday Jan 25, 2016
Welcome, to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective.
– Dr. Anthony Monteiro was one of the organizers of a conference on the Black Radical Tradition, earlier this month, at Philadelphia’s Temple University, the school were Dr. Monteiro taught African American studies until he was fired for his radical activities. We asked Monteiro if the conference accomplished what the organizers expected?
- Who is ultimately responsible for poisoning the water in majority Black Flint, Michigan? Black Agenda Report editor and columnist Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo says the blame stretches all the way to the White House. Dr. Coleman-Adebayo blew the whistle on racism and corporate corruption when she worked for the federal Environmental Protection Agency. She says what happened to Flint, Michigan, goes far beyond environmental racism.
- Flint, Michigan’s water problems began when the State seized power from the local government. Atlantic City, New Jersey, is also facing a State takeover and the privatization of its water supply. BAR executive editor Glen Ford reports.
- The International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement is circulating a petition, charging the United States with genocide against Black people. Movement president Herdosia Bentum says the petitions will be presented to the United Nations, which is holding hearings in Jackson, Mississippi, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC. The Uhuru movement has set up encampments in each of the cities. Herdosia Bentum explains.
- Five years ago, Carl Dix and Dr. Cornel West co-founded the Stop Mass Incarceration Network, which has been confronting the Mass Black Incarceration State, ever since. Dix says the Network is holding conferences in key cities to map out plans for the next phase of struggle.
Monday Jan 18, 2016
Black Agenda Radio – 01.18.16
Monday Jan 18, 2016
Monday Jan 18, 2016
Welcome, to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective.
– President Obama’s State of the Union address, last week, marked the start of the Twilight of his presidency. We spoke with South Carolina activist and author Kevin Alexander Gray, editor of the book, “Killing Trayvons: An Anthologoy of American Violence.” Gray says Obama is still a skilled performer.
- In his State of the Union Address, Obama said that no country in the world dares to threaten the United States. But, if nobody is threatening the U.S., then why is America making war against so many people. We put that question to Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist for Black Agenda Report.
- Cynthia McKinney ran against President Obama on the Green Party ticket in 2008. The former six-term congresswoman from Georgia recently earned her Phd for Leadership and Change, from Antioch College. McKinney wrote her dissertation on the late Venezuelan socialist leader Hugo Chavez. She appeared recently on peace activist David Swanson’s Talk Nation radio program, and was asked if there was any real difference between Obama and George Bush’s policies towards Venezuela.
- The poor island nation of Haiti is scheduled to hold another round of elections on January 24th. The problem is, almost nobody wants the vote to happen except the candidate for the ruling party, backed by the United States. The first round of elections, held last year, were widely viewed as rigged. However, the United States is demanding that the presidential vote go ahead, without fixing the process. Jake Johnston, a researcher for the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, says Haitians refuse to tolerate another fraudulent election.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo will hold elections, later this year, although it is not clear if President Joseph Kabila will run for a third term. At least six million Congolese have died as a result of invasions of the country by U.S. allies Uganda and Rwanda, and now the U.S. is fomenting regime change in neighboring Burundi. According to Kambale Musavuli, of Friends of Congo, the U.S. has conspired against the Congo for more than a century.
Monday Jan 11, 2016
Black Agenda Radio – 01.11.16
Monday Jan 11, 2016
Monday Jan 11, 2016
Welcome, to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective.
- What may be remembered as an historic conference on the Black Radical Tradition was held at Temple University, in Philadelphia, this past weekend, from January 8 through the 10th. Many hundreds of activists from all across the country gathered to review the experiences of the current grassroots mobilization against police violence, and to put it in perspective with past Black movements in the United States and the fight against predatory capitalism, worldwide. The conference was titled “Reclaiming Our Future: The Black Radical Tradition in Our Time.” It was put together, largely, by students, activists and organizers from Philadelphia, and keynoted by speakers including Angela Davis, Cornel West, and Anthony Monteiro.
- An extraordinary panel discussion unfolded under the title, “Challenging White Supremacy: The Black Radical View.” Umi Saleh, formerly known as Phillip Agnew, of the Florida-based Dream Defenders presented a devastating critique of those whose claim to leadership is based on the size of their Twitter followings, most notably DeRay McKesson, of Campaign Zero. Saleh called Social Media an “asylum for neoliberal values” and described McKesson’s political leanings as “counter-revolutionary and anti-movement.”
- Jamala Rogers is a veteran organizer based in Missouri, and author of the new book, “Ferguson is America: Roots of Rebellion.”
- Robin DG Kelly rounded out the panel on Challenging White Supremacy at the conference on the Black Radical Tradition. Kelly is a veteran activist and public intellectual, who teaches history at UCLA.
Monday Jan 04, 2016
Black Agenda Radio – 01.04.16
Monday Jan 04, 2016
Monday Jan 04, 2016
Welcome, to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective.
– Activists from around the country will gather at Temple University, in Philadelphia, on January 8th, for a conference on the Black Radical Tradition. Dr. Cornel West, the nation’s best-known Black public intellectual, is one of the keynote speakers. We asked Dr. West if we are witnessing the birth of a real mass Black movement, after all these years.
- Everybody knows that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in trouble with Black folks, who are outraged at the lawlessness and violence of the city’s police. But political analyst, author and activist Paul Street says Mayor Emanuel has also lost the confidence of the rich white people who really call the shots in Chicago. Paul Street’s latest book is titled “They Rule: The 1% Versus Democracy.”
- Last year, President Obama succeeded in putting his Trans Pacific Partnership corporate trade treaty on a “fast track” towards ratification by Congress. But opponents of TPP think they have a good chance of defeating the treaty in the New Year. Kevin Zeese is with Popular Resistance,
- Talks are scheduled to begin on January 25th between the U.S. and its allies and their jihadist proxies seeking to oust the government of Syria, and the Syrian government and its Russian allies. The Americans, Saudis and Turks like to describe their Islamist proxies as “moderate rebels,” but Syria and the Russians say the western-backed fighters are terrorists, just like ISIS and al-Qaida. We spoke with Sara Flounders, the United National Anti-War Coalition.
- Black America may, or may not, be in the process of creating a new political movement. However, building a movement based on people’s power is difficult when the political geography of Black America is so heavily influenced by non-profit organizations that are not accountable to the people. Black Agenda Report Managing Editor Bruce Dixon has this commentary.