Black Agenda Radio

Black Agenda Radio - 08.12.19

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: Venezuelans welcome a delegation of Black peace advocates from the United States; we’ll get an assessment on what’s really going on in the strife-torn African nation of Sudan; and, Why are Black women in the U.S. so much more likely to die while giving childbirth?

Slavery in the U.S. wasn’t just a system of exploitation. It was a regime of terror. Kellie Jackson teaches African American Studies at Wellesley College. Jackson’s new book is called “Force and Freedom, Back Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence.” We asked Jackson if the book’s title might raise ‘red flags’ among the powers that be.

A delegation from the Black Alliance for Peace recently returned from Venezuela, where they were honored for helping protect the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington from being handed over to supporters of Juan Guaido, the right-wing politician that was hand-picked as president by the Trump administration. Netfa Freeman was part of the Black Alliance for Peace delegation.

The African nation of Sudan may soon be run by a transitional government made up of both civilians and military leaders. Long-time strongman Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power in a military coup, in April, and hundreds of people demanding democracy were killed by soldiers. We spoke with Akmed Kadouda, a PhD candidate and researcher at George Washington University, and a native of Sudan.

Black women in the United States die in childbirth at three times the rate of white women. Donna Eye-eeen Davis is Director of the Center for the Study of Women and Society at the City University of New York. Davis is author of the book, “Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy and Premature Birth”. She says “Black Women’s reprodocution sits a the intersection of medical control and racism. 

 

 

 

Black Agenda Radio - 08.05.19

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 Black Alliance for Peace demands that elected officials tell us where they stand on militarism and endless war; a Black scholar defends Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s description of immigrant detention centers as “concentration camps”; and, we’ll examine the changing relationship between African Americans and the Mother Continent.

August 9th marks the 5th anniversary of the day Mike Brown was shot to death by a white policeman in Ferguson, Missouri, setting off national revulsion against killer cops and the criminal injustice system. Activists in cities around the country are commemorating the events that spawned the Black Lives Matter movement. In Newark, New Jersey, the public library will host a day of activities on August 14th, in hopes of spurring renewed social activism. Zayid Muhammad is with N-CAP, Newark Communities for Accountable Policing.

 Black office-holders are about to be put on notice, that their support for U.S. imperial crimes around the world goes against the grain of the pro-peace tradition in Black America. Ajamu Baraka, of the Black Alliance for Peace, says both corporate parties try to keep U.S. foreign policy out of the political debate. The Alliance is demanding that elected officials go on record on issues of war and peace.

Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, came under savage attack when she described detention centers for immigrants as “concentration camps.” But Zoe Samudzi, co-author of the book, “As Black As Resistance,” says AOC is correct in broadening the popular discussion about the various ways that targeted groups are contained and controlled. Samudzi’s latest essay is titled, “Policing the Borders of Suffering.” She says no ethnic group has a monopoly on terms like “genocide” and “concentration camp.”

Nemata Blyden is a professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, and author of the book, “African Americans and Africa: A New History.” Blyden has a unique perspective on the subject. She was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, the descendant of a renowned Pan Africanist and an African American mother. Professor Blyden talks about her book.

 

 

 

Black Agenda Radio - 07.29.19

 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: Newark, New Jersey throws a party for Mumia Abu Jamal’s latest book; Mumia. The nation’s best known political prisoner, offers his journalistic analysis of Joe Biden’s worthiness for president; and, the Socialist Action Party’s candidate tells us why HE ought to be president.

Dr. Gerald Horne is Professor of History and African American studies at University of Houston, and possibly Black America’s most prolific living political writer. One of his latest books is “US Imperialism and Anti-Communism vs. Liberation of Southern Africa, from Rhodes to Mandela.” Chapter Two is titled, “US Lays the Foundation for Apartheid – 1906 to 1930.” The United State DID create the world’s first totally racially regimented society, in the Jim Crow South. But, did the US lay the “foundation” for South African apartheid? Dr. Horne explains.

 At the Source of Knowledge bookstore in Newark, New Jersey, veterans of the Black Panther Party organized a hugely successful roundtable discussion of the new book by Mumia Abu Jamal and his co-author, Steven Vittoria. It’s titled, “Murder Incorporated,” and it’s in three parts. The second volume, with a focus on US imperialism, was just released. One of the speakers at the roundtable was Todd Steven Burroughs, author of a number of books, and co-author of “Correcting Manning Marable’s Malcolm X.” Burroughs is also a biographer of Mumia Abu Jamal.

The nation’s best known political prisoner is a lifelong journalist. Mumia Abu Jamal files this report for Prison Radio. It’s called “Biden his time.”

The Democrats and Republicans, the two corporate parties, aren’t the only ones fielding presidential candidates. Jeff Mackler is running on the Socialist Action Party ticket.

Black Agenda Radio - 07.22.19

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: Black victims of police lawlessness keep piling up, year after year, yet almost all the officers involved get off with no punishment whatsoever. We’ll talk with an activist about impunity for killer cops. Nellie Bailey gets the real story on why record numbers of Puerto Ricans have been in the streets. And, I’ll have a report on the history of America as a White Man’s Country.

William C. Anderson is a prolific writer, whose latest article in Truthout is titled, “Reparations is One Step in a Long Fight to End Racial Capitalism.” Lots of Democratic presidential candidates have endorsed the principle of Black American Reparations. But they all have different ideas on what shape reparations should take. Anderson says its up to Black people to craft demands for reparations, and the subject is not open to debate. Black people are owed, period.

Why Accountability, New York, is determined to make killer cops accountable for their crimes. Shannon Jones is an activist in Why Accountability. She and others last week marked a host of unpunished deaths at the hands of police, including Sandra Bland, in Texas, four years ago, and Eric Garner, five years ago, in Staten Island, New York. Neither of the cops involved was indicted. Jones talks about impunity and killer cops.Record Breaking Puerto crowds have been demanding the resignation of that island colony’s governor, Ricardo Rosello. To explain why Puerto Ricans are protesting, we spoke with activist Danny Vila, Labor Coordinator, Sisa Patiki Cultures and Labor Center, in Queens, New York.  He says Puerto Rican have a multitude of grievances. But what set it of,f was a chat thread

Black Agenda Radio - 07.15.19

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 United States is picking a fight with the two other big powers in the world, China and Russia. But, is the US overplaying its imperial hand? We’ll get an assessment from Dr. Anthony Monteiro. And, two women from the MOVE organization have been released from prison after 41 years behind bars. We’ll have details on their home-coming celebrations.

 Reparations is a hot topic in the Democratic presidential race. Although reparations has always been part of the African American agenda, only recently have mainstream white politicians endorsed the concept. The Burning Spear, the newspaper of the African People’s Socialist Party, recently re-released a radio documentary of the 1982 World Tribunal on Reparations to Black People, held in New York City. One of the featured speakers was Afeni Shakur, the former Black Panther and mother of Hip Hop legend, Tupac Shakur. Here’s her testimony, from 37 years ago.

 That was Afeni Shakur, the former Black Panther and member of the New York 21. Also speaking at that 1982 World Tribunal on Reparations to Black People, was Job Mashariki, of Black Veterans for Social Justice.

The 1982 World Tribunal on Reparations to Black People was organized by the African People’s Socialist Party, whose chairman--  then, and now -- is Omali Yeshitela. The politics of that era was deeply influenced by Malcolm X and others who urged Blacks to take their case against the United States to an international arena. Omali Yeshitela explains.

Both the Democrats and the Republicans seem intent on waging never-ending hostilities against the two other major powers on the planet: China and Russia, which have responded to US pressures by forming an even closer alliance. For an geopolitical analysis, we turned to Dr. Anthony Monteiro, the Duboisian scholar based in Philadelphia.

Two of the MOVE organization’s political prisoners have been released on parole after 41 years of incarceration. Janet Africa and Janine Africa are part of the MOVE 9, imprisoned in the death of a Philadelphia policeman, in 1978. Mumia Abu Jamal, who was also imprisoned in the death of a cop, has helped arrange a New York City welcome for Janet and Janine Africa. Activist Gwen DeBrow gives us some background on the MOVE organization.

 Four of the US activists that defended the Venezuelan embassy in Washington from takeover by Donald Trump’s hand-picked puppets, face up to a year in prison. Glen Ford has this report.

Black Agenda Radio - 07.08.19

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. This is one of the most difficult shows we have ever done, coming in the wake of the death of Bruce Dixon, a co-founder of Black Agenda Report. We’ll have comments and commentary by his colleagues. A committee in Congress has been collecting powerful testimony on the need for Reparations for the descendants of enslaved persons in the United States.  And, Mumia Abu Jamal confronts the soul-chilling fact that he may be going blind.

 Bruce Dixon, the managing editor of Black Agenda Report, was scheduled to speak at a number of panels at the Left Forum, the yearly conference of left-wing activists in New York City. However, Dixon succumbed to blood cancer only days before the event. The entire conference was in mourning for Dixon, the former Black Panther and lifelong activist who co-founded BAR in 2006, and was a key force in the Green Party. BAR executive editor Glen Ford remembered his comrade.

 That was BAR executive editor Glen Ford. Margaret Kimberley is an editor and senior columnist of Black Agenda Report. She and Glen Ford co-founded the publication along with Bruce Dixon, 13 years ago. Kimberley paid her respects to Dixon. She also found some comic relief in the antics of New York City mayor Bill De Blasio, who is one of the 20-something Democratic candidates for president. At the debates in Miami, De Blasio seemed to be channeling the ghost of Che Guevera.

 Danny Haiphong is a regular contributor to BAR, and co-author of a new book, titled, “American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News, From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror. Haiphong was part of the BAR panel at the Left Forum. He began with some words on the dearly departed Bruce Dixon.

That was BAR contributor Danny Haiphong. BAR executive editor Glen Ford followed Haihong on the panel. He talked about why its necessary to have publications like Black Agenda Report.

 Back in 1989, Congressman John Conyers first introduced his bill calling for a study of the question of reparations for the Black descendants of people enslaved in the United States. The HR 40 legislation languished with few co-sponsors for decades. But this year, reparations is an issue in the Democratic presidential race, and co-sponsors are popping up all over the place. Plus, HR 40 now has a companion bill in the U.S. Senate, which means it is finally a serious piece of legislation. Last week, the House committee holding hearings on reparations heard from Katrina Browne, who produced and directed the Emmy-nominated film, “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North.”

Mumia Abut Jamal, the nations best known political prisoner, has been incarcerated by the state of Pennsylvania for the past 39 years in the death of a Philadelphia policeman. Abu Jamal has suffered a number of health crises due to atrocious medical treatment in prison, including a battle with Hepatitis C contracted in prison and left untreated for years. Now the prolific author and journalist is losing his sight. He files this report for Prison Radio. It’s titled, “Walking in the Dark.”

 

Black Agenda Radio - 07.01.19

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: Lots of mostly Black school districts are returning to local control, after years of state takeovers, but a recent article shows that these public schools are still starved for money; We’ll hear from Howie Hawkins, who wants to run for president on the Green Party ticket; a Move member is finally freed from a Pennsylvania prison; and, a former Black Panther who’s spent 48 years in prison is hoping to be paroled, in September.

Hundreds of left activists and scholars gathered in Brooklyn, New York, this past weekend, for the Left Forum, the biggest annual gathering of leftist activists and scholars in the nation. Black Agenda Report senior columnist Margaret Kimberley was on hand. We asked Kimberley to make sense of the never-ending warfare between the corporate media and president Trump. Trump threatened to attack Iran after that nation shot down a spy drone, but then called off the attack. The corporate media were not pleased, since they only praise Trump when he attacks other countries.

 Jeff Bryant is a journalist who has been following the plight of urban school systems for many years. Bryant is senior correspondent for Our Schools, a project of the Independent Media Institute. His latest article is titled, “Why Many Urban School Districts are Being Set Up for Fiscal Failure.” He says that, as schools became more Black and Brown, State governments seized control from local school boards and put appointed consultants in charge. Now many of these school districts are returning to local control. But Bryant says the damage has already been done.

 Howie Hawkins is running for the Green Party’s presidential nomination. Hawkins came up with a detailed plan for a massive Green New Deal, nearly a decade ago. The Green Party adopted the Green New Deal as its own. But now Democrats like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have put forward their own Green New Deal, and put it before Congress. Hawkins says they’ve watered the Deal down, and made it ineffective.

Eddie Africa, of the MOVE organization, has been released from the Pennsylvania prison system. Mumia Abu Jamal, the nation’s best known political prisoner, filed this report for Prison Radio.

 Jalil Abdul Muntaqim is a former Black Panther who has been imprisoned for the past 48 years, in the killing of two police officers in 1971. Muntaqim’s co-defendant, Herman Bell, was released on parole last year, despite the loud opposition of the Governor, New York City’s mayor, and of course, the police unions. Jalil Muntaqim has had 10 parole hearing since he became eligible for release in 2002, but has been turned down each time. His next appearance before the parole board is in September. We spoke with a person that has stuck by Jalil Muntaqim every day of nearly half century of incarceration – his mother, 85-year old Billie Bottoms Brown, who lives outside Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Black Agenda Radio - 06.24.19

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: Black families have always had to teach their children how to cope in a racist society. But, do white kids also need to be taught how NOT to BE racist? A new book explores that question. And, we talk with an author who says Hip Hop culture provides insights on how to create a NEW kind of society.

The United States overthrew Haiti’s elected government in 2004, but 15 years later, the Haitian people are in the streets demanding that their US-backed president step down. President Juvenal Moise [MO-EESE] is charged with looting the nation’s finances. A delegation from he OAS, the Organization of American States, lectured Haitians to end their street actions and wait for elections. Daoud Andre is a Brooklyn-based radio host, and an activist with the Committee to Mobilize Against Dictatorship in Haiti. He says the OAS has nothing to offer the Haitian people.

How should white parents go about raising children that do not perpetuate white supremacy and privilege? Jennifer Harvey has some ideas on that subject. Harvey is author of a new book, titled “Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America.” We asked Harvey if white kids need SPECIALIZED treatment in a deeply racist society.

Marquis Bey is a PhD candidate in the English department at Cornell University. He thinks the language of Hip Hop provides insights on potential new ways to build societies. Bey is author the new book, “Them GOON Rules: Fugitive Essays on Radical Black Feminism.” But, what does he mean by “Them GOON rules”?

Black Agenda Radio - 06.17.19

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: We’ll hear from a victim of torture at the hands of police in Chicago. He wrote a book about it. And, American Exceptionalism is really just a cover for American crimes around the world, starting with the founding of this Indian-killing, Black people enslaving nation. Black Agenda Report’s Danny Haiphong talks about his new book.

The Black Is Back Coalition is gearing up for its annual conference, in St. Louis, August 10th and 11th. Chairman Omali Yeshitela, explains.

Stanley Howard has been locked up in the Illinois prison system for the past 35 years, ever since he was tortured by Chicago police into confessing to crimes he didn’t commit. Over 100 other Black men were also tortured by Chicago cops. Some, like Howard, wound up on death row, and were later released by the governor. Howard remains in prison on other charges. He’s co-author of a new book, titled, “Tortured By Blue: The Chicago Police Torture Story.” He says, the public needs to hear the truth from the victims of police torture.

Danny Haiphong writes a weekly column for Black Agenda Report. Roberto Sirvent is editor of BAR’s Book Forum. Together, the are authors of a ground-breaking new book, titled “American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News – From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror.” Haiphong says Americans are fed a daily diet of lies about nations around the world. What’s worse, almost everything Americans THINK they know about their own history, is fiction

 

Black Agenda Radio - 06.10.19

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: India will soon be the most populous nation in the world, but what role will it play global affairs, and how has India figured in the African American liberation movement? And, why do preachers figure so highly in the African American freedom struggle? We’ll hear from the author of a new book on social gospel activism.

Reparations has become an issue in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The main organization that has kept the demand for Black American reparations alive is N’COBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, which is holding its 30th annual convention in Detroit, June 20th through the 23rd. Kam Howard is the National Male Co-Chair of N’Cobra.

The students, teachers and activists of the Philadelphia Saturday Free School spent much of last year immersing themselves and the entire city in the life and works of the great scholar, WEB DuBois. This time, the Free School is celebrating the “Year of Gandhi,” the Indian activist and philosopher. Dr. Anthony Montiero, the Duboisian scholar, says the Saturday Free School will kick off the year-long activities at Philadelphia’s Church of the Advocate, on June 14th and 15th.

The Black struggle in the United States cannot be understood without an examination of the role of ministers of the “social gospel, personified in modern times by the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Garry Dorrien is a professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, in New York City, and author of the book, “Breaking White Supremacy: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Social Gospel.” Professor Dorrien says Dr. King’s civil rights work in the Fifties and Sixties was rooted in previous generations of Black social gospel activism.