Episodes
Monday Apr 24, 2017
Black Agenda Radio - 04.24.17
Monday Apr 24, 2017
Monday Apr 24, 2017
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: More Black activists than ever are expected to travel to Richmond, Virginia for a national conference of UNAC, the United National Anti- War Coalition, in June. And, Cynthia McKinney, the Black former congresswoman and presidential candidate, explains how the Democrats became the loudest advocates of war.
Ajamu Baraka, the Green Party’s 2016 vice presidential candidate, is spearheading a campaign to revive the anti-war movement in Black America. Baraka is a co-founder of the U.S. Human Rights Network, and an editor and columnist for Black Agenda Report. He says the time is right to launch BAP -- Black Alliance for Peace.
Ana Edwards - Co-founder, Virginia Defenders, one of the founding organizations of UNAC, the United National Anti-War Coalition, which is holding its national conference on her home turf, Richmond, Virginia, on June 16-18. UNAC organizers say this conference will have its biggest Black presence in the history of the Coalition.
Cynthia McKinney was one of the most consistent advocates of peace during her six terms as a Congresswoman from Georgia. She’s now teaching political science, overseas. McKinney says her former party, the Democrats, have become the most aggressive advocates of war.
And that it’s for this edition of Black Agenda Radio. Be sure to visit us at BlackAgendaReport.com, where you’ll find a new and provocative issue, each Wednesday. That’s www.BlackAgendaReport.com. It’s the place for news, commentary and analysis, from the Black Left.
Monday Apr 17, 2017
Black Agenda Radio - 04.17.17
Monday Apr 17, 2017
Monday Apr 17, 2017
This is Black Agenda Radio, a weekly hour of African American political thought and action. Coming up: People that are sent to prison are supposed to be given back their freedom when they’ve served their time. But that doesn’t seem to apply to Black political prisoners, many of whom are now elderly and sick
the Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations held a two-day school on electoral politics, earlier this month, in St. Petersburg, Florida. One of those on hand was Charles Barron, a former member of the Black Panther Party, who was elected to the New York City Council, and then to the state legislature. Assemblyman Barron says there’s no contradiction between his Black Panther politics and running for office.
Kamm Howard also spoke to the Coalition’s electoral politics school.
Howard is part of the leadership of NCOBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, as well as a member of the Black Is Back Coalition’s executive board. Last year, Black is Back approved a 19-point National Black Political Agenda for Self-Determination. At the St. Petersburg school, Kamm Howard argued that skillful use of voter initiatives and referendums is a good way to push for reparations and Black community control the police and other issues on the agenda for Black self-determination. It also could be useful in challenging the legitimacy of the sell-outs of the Black Misleadership Class.
Prison abolitionists from across the country are gearing up for a Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March, in Washington, on August 19 th . But, for right now, Anne Lamb, co-chair of the Jericho Movement in New York City, is focused on freeing political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim. He’s the former Black Liberation Army member, once known as Anthony Bottoms, now serving his 46 th year behind bars. Ann Lamb spoke with Black Agenda Radio producer Kyle Fraser. She said the State wants Muntaqim to die in prison.
And that it’s for this edition of Black Agenda Radio. Be sure to visit us at BlackAgendaReport.com, where you’ll find a new and provocative issue, each Wednesday. That’s www.BlackAgendaReport.com. It’s the place for news, commentary and analysis, from the Black Left.
Monday Apr 10, 2017
Black Agenda Radio - 04.10.17
Monday Apr 10, 2017
Monday Apr 10, 2017
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: Haitians in the United States protest a speech by the former U.S. ambassador, a key player in the rigging of Haitian elections: Brazil turns back the clock on its Black and poor population; and, a Free School, in Philadelphia, celebrates five years of radical politics.
The United States bombed a Syrian airbase last week on the unproven allegation that the Syrian government was behind a chemical attack on civilians. Black Agenda Report editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley went on Sputnik Radio, to talk about the consequences of the U.S. attack.
Haitian community activists held a demonstration outside Brooklyn College, in New York, recently, to protest a speech by Kenneth Merten, the former U.S. ambassador to Haiti. Merten has been accused of being instrumental in rigging elections that put the U.S. backed candidate, Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly, in the presidency, in 2010. Daoud Andre was an organizer of the protest. We asked him why Haitian Americans would honor a man who committed crimes against their homeland?
The United State welcomed the impeachment proceedings that deposed the left-wing Workers Party from the presidency of Brazil, last year. In Washington, we spoke with Alexander Main, of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He says the right-wing government that threw out the Workers Party has the approval of less than ten percent of the public, but has cut social programs to the bone, as if it had a mandate from the people.
Senior associate for international policy, Center for Economic and Policy Research, DC. Wrote a piece for The Hill, Congress Must Take Attacks on Brazilians Democracy Seriously.” Brazil’s right-wing government has the approval of barely 10 percent of the population, but has cut social programs to the bone, as if it had a mandate from the people.
In Philadelphia, the Saturday Free School will celebrate its fifth anniversary on April 15, at its home in the historic Church of the advocate. The Free School began operations at Temple University, but soon found out that elite educational institutions were part of the problem, not the solution. Nandita Chaturvedi is a student, teacher and organizer at the Saturday Free school.
The nation’s best known political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal, finally forced prison officials in Pennsylvania to treat his life-threatening Hepatitis C infection. He produced this commentary for Prison Radio, titled, “The Illusion of Correctional Medicine.”
And that it’s for this edition of Black Agenda Radio. Be sure to visit us at BlackAgendaReport.com, where you’ll find a new and provocative issue, each Wednesday. That’s www.BlackAgendaReport.com. It’s the place for news, commentary and analysis, from the Black Left. I’m Nellie Bailey. Our thanks to the good people at the Progressive Radio Network.
Tuesday Apr 04, 2017
Black Agenda Radio - 04.03.17
Tuesday Apr 04, 2017
Tuesday Apr 04, 2017
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: The Greens charge the Democrats with stealing them blind in a special election in Philadelphia; Black self-determination is an election issue in St. Petersburg, Florida; and, a lesson, on how to denounce and shame sell-out Black politicians.
But first, there seems no end to the anti-Russian hysteria Democrats have been spreading since they lost the election, in November. We spoke with Dr. Gerald Horne, the professor of history and African American studies at the University of Houston, who’s written extensively on the McCarthyism of an earlier era. Dr. Horne calls the current scare campaign “the Putin derangement syndrome.”
The Pennsylvania Green Party thought they had an excellent chance to win a special election for a state legislative seat from the Kensington section of Philadelphia, last week. But, the Greens say, the Philadelphia Democratic machine blatantly stole the election in broad daylight. Sheri Honkala, the Green Party candidate, has been activist in Kensington for decades. Both she and her Democratic opponent, Emilio Vázquez, were write-in candidates -- Honkala, the Green, because officials rejected her voter signature petitions, and Vazquez because the original Democratic candidate was charged with corruption. Hardly anybody in Kensington votes for Republicans. . But, despite the Greens running a vigorous campaign, with lots of boots on the ground, the Democrat was awarded the election by a huge margin of votes. Honkala says, it’s a fraud and a crime.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, 20 year old Eritha Akile Cainion is running for the City Council on a platform of Black Self-Determination. She’s putting into practice some of the 19 points of the Black Is Back Coalition’s National Black Agenda for Self Determination. The Coalition this weekend holds a two day electoral political school in St. Petersburg, to help train a new breed of Black political activists and candidates. City Council candidate Cainion explains the message that she brings to her campaign.
Black community activists in New York City recently disrupted a speech that Bronx city councilman Andy King was trying to give before an audience at the Schomburg Center for Research on Black Culture, in Harlem. Shannon Jones is a co-founder of the organization “Why Accountability,” which is working in solidarity with the 120 young men swept up in a huge police raid of a public housing project in The Bronx. Andy King is the councilman for that district, but rather than come to the aid of his constituents, King cozied up to the cops. And then KIng went to the Schomburg Center, according to Shanon Jones, and tried to pose as a criminal justice system reformer. In an interview with Black Agenda Radio producer Kyle Fraser, Jones explained why councilman King.needed to be shamed and made accountable, to the people of Harlem and the Bronx.
And that it’s for this edition of Black Agenda Radio. Be sure to visit us at BlackAgendaReport.com, where you’ll find a new and provocative issue, each Wednesday. That’s www.BlackAgendaReport.com. It’s the place for news, commentary and analysis, from the Black Left.