Black Agenda Radio - 12.03.18

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: After gaining an historic murder conviction of a killer cop, anti-police repression forces in Chicago are gearing up for a massive campaign to change the make-up of the entire city government; and, supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal preparingfor another court hearing in their 37-year long struggle to throw out his conviction in the death of a Philadelphia policeman.

First Senator Bernie Sanders, who is presumed to be getting ready for another run at the Democratic presidential nomination, last month unveiled a ten-point domestic program, full of multi-trillion dollar initiatives for Medicare-for-All health care, a massive remake of U.S. national infrastructure, free college tuition, and a dismantling of the mass incarceration regime. But Sanders has little to say on foreign policy or about reducing the military budget that eats up most of federal tax monies. Frustrated with Sanders, over 100 noted intellectuals and activists sent a letter, calling on the senator to come out against U.S. militarism. David Swanson is a veteran anti-war activist and publisher of the influential web site, War Is A Crime. He was one of the framers of that letter.

Black activists in Chicago plan to build on their recent victory, with the historic murder conviction of the cop that killed Laquan McDonald, by changing the balance of power of the city’s board of alderman. Aislinn Pulley is with Black Lives Matter, Chicago. She says the momentum is on the movement’s side.

Supporters of the nation’s best known political prisoner scrambled to bring as many activists to Philadelphia as possible for another court hearing in Mumia Abu Jamal’s challenge to his life prison sentence in the 1981 death of a police officer. Johanna Fernandez is with the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home. She was interview by Black Agenda Radio producer Kyle Fraser.

Pam Africa is part of International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal and Minister of Information for the MOVE organization. MOVE has supported Mumia ever since his arrest in 1981, just as Mumia, as a young radio reporter, was one of the few that provided coverage to the MOVE 9, who were imprisoned in the death of a Philadelphia cop, in 1978. Pam Africa explained why they had to scramble to get to court for the latest hearing.