Black Agenda Radio

Black Agenda Radio - 08.27.18

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: Black Agenda Radio this week examines two questions that confront those who want to bring down the 500-year reign of Euro-American colonialism and imperialism: How do people free themselves from the oppressor’s rule without becoming like the colonial master? And, how can the nations of what used to be called the Third World create economies of prosperity while still respecting the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples?

Some news from central Africa. -- Bobi Wine, a wildly popular musician and member of the Ugandan parliament, was arrested and severely beaten by police, along with several other elected officials. The police shot Bobi Wine’s driver dead. Wine and his colleagues are vehemently opposed to the 32-year rule of Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, one of Washington’s closest military allies on the African continent. We spoke with Milton Allamadi, publisher of Black Start News, in New York City, and a native of Uganda. We asked Allamadi what the arrest and brutalization of Bobi Wine says about the Museveni regime.

The Europe and the United States became great industrial powers through centuries of theft of the labor and land of the colonized people of the planet. In the process, great harm has been inflicted on both the environment and the indigenous peoples of formerly colonized world – destruction that continues, even in those developing countries with left-wing government. Macarena Gomez-Barris is author of, “The Extraction Zone: Social Ecologies and Decolonial Perspectives.” She’s also chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, at Pratt Institute. Gomez-Barris warns that those activists who claim the Earth has no future are unwittingly allowing the rich to continue spreading their ideology of disposability.

 

And so was a book by Dr. Julietta Singh, titled “Unthinking Mastery: “Dehumanization and Decolonial Entanglements.” Singh is an associate professor of English at the University of Richmond. She’s deeply concerned that previously oppressed people not internalize the ideology and behavior of the Oppressor. We asked Dr. Singh the question: How do people wage a liberation struggle against ruthless capitalists, or imperial powers like the United States – including armed struggle – and not appear to be behaving like the oppressor, like The Master?

 

 

 

Black Agenda Radio - 08.20.18

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: a Black historian reports on how U.S. banks stole the resources and sovereignty of whole nations in the Caribbean and Latin America; a new book explores the political culture spawned by the radical movements of the Sixties and Seventies; and, supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal believe upcoming hearings provide a real chance for freedom for the nation’s best known political prisoner.

The Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations recently held a national conference in St. Louis. The theme of the gathering was, “There is No Peace: Africa and Africans are at War.” Black Is Back chairman Omali Yeshitela told the audience

President Donald Trump angered much of the world when he called nations in the Caribbean and Africa “feces-holes.” In an article for Black Agenda Report, historian Peter James Hudson pointed out that U.S. banks played a key role in making countries in the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa into places of poverty and oppression. Hudson is author of the book, “Bankers of Empire: How Wall Street Colonized the Caribbean.”

The radical movements of the 1960s and 70s produced a unique and compelling political culture, according to a new book titled, “Fugitive Life: The Queer Politics of the Prison State,” by Stephen Dillon. The book is featured in the Black Agenda Report Book Forum, edited by Roberto Sirvent. Stephen Dillon’s work is rooted in the writings and actions of the hundreds of activists that tried to stay one step ahead of U.S. law enforcement, four decades ago. Dillon says these activists produced a political culture of “fugitivity.”

This is the month of Black August, which always means increased efforts to free political prisoners in the U.S. The next days and weeks will see a flurry of activity to end the long incarceration of the nation’s best known political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal. Orie Lumumba is a member of the MOVE Family, and of Family and Concerned Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal.

That was prison abolition activist Orie Lumumba. From his place of incarceration in Pennsylvania, Mumia Abu Jamal files this Prison Radio report on the passing one of the Greats of Black American culture.

 

Black Agenda Radio - 08.13.18

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: The Black economic condition has dramatically worsened in the 21st Century, with median Black household wealth on a track to disappearing entirely in the next few decades. However, the author of a new book says there’s not much that Black-owned banks can do to head of the disaster. And, the nation’s best known political prisoner has been behind bars for 35 years, but his supporters are stepping up the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home.

Donald Trump’s presidency has seen U.S. prestige in the world hit new lows. But the U.S. had long been regarded as having little respect for international law. Black Agenda Report contributor Danny Haiphong has teamed up with Roberto Sirvent to author an upcoming book, titled, “American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: The Fake News of Wall Street, White Supremacy and the U.S. War Machine.” Haiphong says Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were champions of American exceptionalism.

Danny Haiphong’s co-author, Roberto Sirvent, is the editor of the Black Agenda Book Forum. Last week, the BAR Book Forum featured Mehrsa BaRAdaran, author of “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap.” BaRAdaran is a law professor at the University of Georgia, specializing in banking law. She says Black banks are useful and should be supported, but they are not the solution to Black economic precariousness and the drastic decline of household Black wealth

This month is known as “Black August” among many Black activists, a month to remember political prisoners and those that have died in service to the Liberation Movement. Mumia Abu Jamal has spent the last 35 years behind bars in the death of a Philadelphia policeman. Hearings resume on his contention that judicial bias led to his wrongful conviction. And, Dr. Johanna Fernandez, of the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home, says there is photographic evidence of police tampering with evidence. Dr. Fernandez was part of the group that produced the 2010 film, “Justice on Trial,” which is being screened on August 23rd at the Maysles Cinema, In Harlem. She was interviewed by Black Agenda Radio producer Kyle Fraser.

Black Agenda Radio - 08.06.18

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: Black political prisoners have been languishing behind bars for half a century, but are have finally gotten some major media attention: and, Are Black people’s individual identities more deeply rooted in the social life and fortunes of the larger Black group. We’ll talk with author of the book, “Consent Not To Be A Single Being.”

Apple has become the first corporation in history to be valued at a trillion dollars. But, what kind of mileston is that? We put that question to Dr. Anthony Monteiro, the Dubosian scholar who is active with the Saturday Free School, in Philadelphia.

Black political prisoners in the United States got some much needed publicity, last week, from a British-based newspapers. The Guardian ran a series of articles, written by Ed Pinkington, on the plight of Black political prisoners, most of them former members of the Black Panther Party. Black Agenda Radio producer Kyle Fraser spoke with Jihad Abdulmumit, chairperson of the Jericho Movement and a former political prisoners, himself.

Several months ago, Black Agenda Report inaugurated a weekly Book Forum, edited by Roberto Sirvent, featuring authors whose works are relevant to the African American condition. One of them is Dr. Fred Moten, a poet and scholar who is currently a professor at New York University. Dr. Moten’s latest book is a trilogy, entitled “Consent Not To Be a Single Being.” Writers and critics have associated Dr. Moten with so-called Black Pessimism, Black Optimism, and even Black Mysticism. But he doesn’t recognize himself in any of those “isms.”

 

Black Agenda Radio - 07.30.18

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: the U.S. has been trying to overthrow the leftist government in Venezuela ever since it was voted into power, back in 1998, but Trump is threatening to use direct American military force; the Syrian so-called “White Helmets” are treated like Hollywood heroes, but they are really Al-Qaida terrorists, subsidized by Britain and the U.S.; and, Mumia Abu Jamal reviews a book about Black communists organizing in Alabama in the 1930s.

Folks on the Left have a lot to say about the pros and cons of Deocrats like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, the young woman that won an upset congressional victory against a machine Democrat in New York City. But Black Agenda Report managing editor Bruce Dixon says left activists should concentrate on improving their own organizational skills, if they want to serve the people effectively.

Mark Weisbrot is an economist and co-director of the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. The center intensely follows U.S. policy in Latin America. Mark Weisbrot hit on a novel way to critique U.S. behavior in Latin America since the turn of the 21 st century. He wrote a totally fictional letter in which Thomas Shannon, a long term U.S. diplomat in Latin America, gives advice to Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s Secretary of State. Weisbrot’s fictitious ambassador Shannon tells Pompeo that President’s Bush and Clinton carried out remarkably similar policies to undermine leftist governments in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and elsewhere – and with much success.

The so-called White Helmets are hailed as heroes in the U.S. and Britain, but Syrians say the White Helmets are actually part of the Al Nusra Front, the Al Qaida terrorists in Syria, and are not in the business of rescuing anybody. Vanessa Beeley is a crusading journalist, one of few westerners that actually cover the war in Syria. Beeley has done more than any other reporter to expose the Helmets as a fraud. Now that the Syrian Army is closing in on Al Qaida and the other western-backed jihadists in Syria, Israel is lobbying to allow hundreds of jihadists to escape, through its territory or through Jordan, including those claiming to belong to the White Helmets. Vanessa Beeley was interviewed by Phil Taylor, on his radio program in Toronto, Canada.

The nation’s best known political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal, has reviewed a book on Black Communists in Alabama, during the Great Depression.

 

Black Agenda Radio - 07.23.18

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: Nearly a million Black people waster away in U.S. prisons, which still house political prisoners from nearly half a century ago. Some young activists have begun a prisoner letter-writing campaign, to let them know that people on the outside are with them. And, is the current anti-Russian hysteria worse than during the cold war. We’ll ask the author of a book on the anti-Russian madness.

The Green Party has watched with interest as a number of Democrats have taken positions well to the left of Democratic Party leadership. In New York, Green Party candidate for governor, Howie Hawkins, says, if you want real social transformation, vote for the Greens. Hawkins and other Green Party members recently announced support for social ownership of the economy, a state public bank, and other radical measures. We asked Howie Hawkins what he means by “social ownership of the economy.”

Democrats and war-hawks reach for ever-higher heights of anti-Russian hysteria, ascribing nearly super-powers to Moscow and its president, Vladimir Putin. All this is déjà vu for many older Americans, who remember the Cold War days when Russians were thought to be under every bed. In a new book, Jeremy Kuzmarov and John Marciana explore the similarities, and differences between, the current anti-Russian madness and the hysteria of two generations ago. The book is titled, “The Russians are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.” Kuzmarov explains.

This past weekend, social justice activists in New York City set in motion a letter writing campaign for political prisoners. Marlene Nava Ramos is an organizer with Critical Resistance, and a doctoral candidate in sociology.

Black Agenda Radio - 07.16.18

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: We’ll have a radical analysis of the importance of the the summit meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, from Dr. Tony Monteiro, who says the U.S. can no longer demand obedience to Washington’s version of how the world should be run; and, rebellion continues to simmer behind the prison walls in South Carolina.

The massive popular rebellion that rocked the streets of most of Haiti’s cities has brought down the prime minister and cabinet of the US-backed regime. The disorder was ignited by the government’s massive hike in the price of kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuel, under orders from the International Monetary Fund. In Brooklyn, New York, we spoke with Dahoud Andre, of the Committee to Mobilize Against Dictatorship in Haiti. Andre is also host of a popular Haitian radio program. He says the people of Haiti want the country’s president to step down, as well.

The summit meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, Finland, occurs at a time of clear decline of the United States, economically and in terms of influence in the world. For three years, Russia has militarily prevented Washington and its Islamic jihadist proxies from overthrowing the government in Syria, Russia’s longtime ally. And, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with Russia and China in the lead, is creating an alternative economic and political center on the planet, further diluting the influence of the U.S. and Europe. We spoke with Dubosian scholar and political analyst Dr. Anthony Monteiro. He says the world is quite different than the picture painted by the New York Times and the Washington Post.

South Carolina experienced the world prison violence in many years back in April. There’s very little news from the corporate media and current conditions behind the bars, but activists say the rebellion is still simmering. Efia Nwangaza is a veteran of the struggle against the criminal IN-JUSTICE system. Nwangaza is director of the Malcolm X Center for Self-Determination, and also directs WMXP Radio, in Greenville, South Carolina. She says the revolt against oppression in the state’s prisons has not been quelled.

 

 

Black Agenda Radio - 07.02.18

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: Police in Buffalo, New York are up to the same tricks as were exposed in Ferguson, Missouri, saturating the Black community with police checkpoints to fatten the city treasury; New York City cops use a secret list of 42 thousand alleged gang members to justify mass arrests in Black neighborhoods; and, most people on the planet think it’s a good idea for the U.S. and Russian presidents to have a summit meeting – except for the Democrats and U.S. corporate media.

Cities around the country are going deeply in debt, selling bonds to speculators to pay for judgments and settlements against cops that brutalize their citizens. The Action Center on Race and the Economy did case studies in Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Lake County Indiana, showing that these so-called “Brutality Bonds” are costing these localities almost 2 BILLION dollars. Angela Peoples is director of the Action Center’s campaign. She’s also with the Washington, DC Chapter of Black Youth Project 100.

Civil rights group have filed suit against the city of Buffalo, New York, charging that, for more than five years, Buffalo cops have been saturating Black neighborhoods with police checkpoints for the purpose of extracting millions in fines. According to the suit, 91 percent of the checkpoints operating in Buffalo are located on the Black side of town. We spoke with Keisha Williams, a staff attorney with the Western New York Law Center. She says what’s going on in Buffalo is very much like the systematic draining of the Black community through over-policing and excessive fines that a U.S. Justice Department report documented in Ferguson, Missouri.

Black and brown activists in New York City are outraged that the police department maintains a data base of more than 42 thousand names of alleged gang members, The cops have used the list to bring conspiracy charges against hundreds of young people caught up in massive sweeps of poor neighborhoods. Shannon Jones is co-founder of the community organization “Why Accountability.” Her statemnt was read into the record at recent hearings of the City Council on policing in New York. Shannon was interviewed by Black Agenda radio producer Kyle Fraser.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will travel to Helsinki, Finland, July 16, for a summit meeting. Most people in the world think the summit is a good idea, to improve relations between the two nuclear super-powers. But much of the Democratic Party in the United States is negative on the subject. Sara Flounders is with UNAC, the United National Anti-War Coalition. In general, Flounders thinks the summit is a good thing, but she isn’t optimistic about the immediate outcome.

Black Agenda Radio - 06.27.18

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: The Poor People’s Campaign organizes demonstrations in cities around the country; community activists try to counter massive police sweeps in New York City; and, the Trump administration tells the United Nations that poverty in the U.S. is not the UN’s business.

The world was surprised, and most people were pleased, with the exception of American Democratic politicians, when Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un agreed to move towards lessening tension on the Korean peninsula. But two fierce war hawks, White House national security advisor John Bolton, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are still wild cards in the game – as is President Trump, himself. We spoke with Dr. Gerald Horne, the prolific author and political analyst who teaches history and African American Studies at the University of Houston.

The Poor People’s Campaign staged a mass rally in Washington, DC, and companion demonstrations were held in other cities around the country, this weekend. The campaign is intended to reignite the movement for social and economic justice that Dr. Martin Luther King was trying to forge when he was assassinated, 50 years ago. Rev. Graylon Hagler, the senior pastor at the Plymouth United Church of Christ, in Washington, is active in the Poor People’s campaign.

The New York City Council recently held hearings on policing in the nation’s largest city. Black and brown activists attempted to get the Council to curb the NYPD’s massive raids and mass arrests in public housing projects. The police maintain a list containing the names of 42 thousand alleged gang members. That list has grown by 70 percent since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office. One of those that spoke before the City Council was Sadiki “Brother Shep” Olugbala, of the Stop The Raids Coalition. He says the police trotted out their high-ranking Black cops to put the best face on their mass arrest policies.

The United States last week withdrew from the United Nation’s Council on Human Rights. The U.S. pull-out was largely in solidarity with its ally, Israel, but Washington was also embarrassed by a report to the Council on entrenched poverty in the United States. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the UN should stick to problems in countries like Rwanda and Burundi. At Sputnik Radio, hosts Brian Becker and John Kariakou discussed the UN Report on Poverty in the U.S. with Ajamu Baraka, of the Black Alliance for Peace, and Aislin Pulley, an organizer with Black Lives Matter, Chicago. Ajamu Baraka said…

Black Agenda Radio - 06.18.18

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: The world has changed, at least a little bit, over the past two weeks. In Canada, a meeting of the G7 countries failed to achieve a consensus between the U.S., western Europe and Japan on trade, or on relations with Russia. But, just a few days later, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reached the beginnings of an agreement on establishing peace on the Korean peninsula, after nearly 70 years of hair-trigger hostilities and threats of nuclear confrontation. We’ll talk with Duboisian scholar Dr. Anthony Monteiro, Ajamu Baraka, of the Black Alliance for Peace, and Omali Yeshitela, of the Black Is Back Coalition.

we talk with David Swanson, the veteran anti-war activist and director of World Beyond War. The Democratic Party used to be thought of as at least somewhat less warlike that the Republicans. But most Democrats are opposed to Donald Trump making peace with North Korea. 

In Philadelphia, Dubosian scholar Dr. Anthony Monteiro sees the Korea talks as a pivotal point in history.

One would think that anyone that is truly interested in avoiding nuclear war would have had a positive response to the agreement between Trump and North Korea. We spoke with Ajamu Baraka, the national organizer for the Black Alliance for Peace.

Before President Trump had his successful meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore, he travelled to Canada to meet with leaders of the United States’ European, Canadian and Japanese allies. Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the Black Is Back Coalition, has been closely following the unfolding crisis in U.S. relations with its allies. Trump’s Canada trip was anything but triumphant.