Sojourner Truth Radio

Today, we are bringing you a special broadcast on the environment: Hoodwinked in the Hothouse: Would Build Back Better Burn Billions? This is the third panel of a series that builds on the momentum created by the most recent report on the impact of climate change on indigenous and frontline communities titled, Hoodwinked in the Hothouse (Third Edition) : Resist False Solutions to Climate Change. As part of President Bidens infrastructure plan, federal and state governments are providing billions in so-called climate subsidies, policy incentives and tax breaks to dangerous and dirty energy industries. These include: biomass and waste incinerators; nuclear power, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure for fossil-fuel facilities; frontline and environmental justice communities are facing increased pollution burdens and toxic threats. Todays panel discussion highlights emergent threats of climate false solutions across U.S. federal and state policy landscapes. Panelists are community campaigners, community leaders, researchers, and frontline organizations who are fighting the myths associated with carbon capture and storage, nuclear, hydrogen, biofuels and waste incineration. Along with debunking what they see as false climate crisis solutions, they also highlight inspiring stories of success led by environmental justice communities. They point out that to effectively move money away from dangerous policy directions and towards real climate justice solutions, coalition building is needed amongst national green groups, labor unions, climate philanthropy, and policymakers who should work with frontline communities in opposing these schemes.

Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and civil rights activist who broke down racial barriers, has died aged 96. As well as performing global hits such as Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), winning a Tony award for acting and appearing in numerous feature films, Belafonte spent his life fighting for a variety of causes. He bankrolled numerous 1960s initiatives to bring civil rights to Black Americans; campaigned against poverty, apartheid and Aids in Africa; and supported leftwing political figures such as Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. The cause of death was congestive heart failure, his spokesman told the New York Times. Figures including Joe Biden, the rapper Ice Cube and Mia Farrow paid tribute to Belafonte. The US president said Belafonte was a “groundbreaking American who used his talent and voice to help redeem the soul of our nation”.

Sojourner Truth continues its coverage of Black History Month coverage with our one-hour special broadcast on Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture. He is known by a generation that popularized the cry of "Black Power." We speak with Dr. Peniel Joseph about his book, "Stokely: A Life. And discuss several questions including: how the concept of Black Power as a political strategy developed. How and why did Stokely Carmichael move from civil rights worker to U.S. based Black Power leader, to Pan-Africanist and socialist. What price did he pay in making this move? Stay tuned for a wide-ranging conversation on Stokely's life, impact and contributions with host Margaret Prescod.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from the Alliance for Global Justice Eco Solidarity series titled: “Climate change disasters in the Caribbean and around the world,”moderated by Aminta Zea and James Jordan. Panelist speakers include: Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Banbose Shango of the National Network on Cuba, and Camille Landry, co-director of AFGJ's Human Rights School, as well as a highlights interview with Peruvian Journalist Lucho Garate, and an interview with Jayeesha Dutta of the Climate Justice Alliance. In 2022 alone, climate related disasters took place in Vietnam, Pakistan, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Florida, Japan, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Alaska. A series of heavy rains, hurricanes, typhoons, and floods that have hit these areas have all been attributed to climate change. These global warming catastrophes began even as leaders from across the world gathered for the annual Cop 27 conference. Today you will hear a bit more on these climate change disasters including the privatization of private utilities in Puerto Rico. Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party will explain why Puerto Ricans are calling for the immediate reinstatement of the PREPA public utility company, and its union, which was busted as a result of this privatization.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from the ideas 42 Policy Labs Policy for Shared Prosperity virtual webinar Basic Income Programs: Successes, Challenges, and Policy Solutions. Where panelists discuss the successes of basic income programs implemented throughout different parts of the nation, some of the challenges and propose tips for improving and expanding these programs. Panelist speakers include: Sarah Stripp, Managing Director for Springboard to Opportunities, Lesa Gilbert, Director for the Center for Economic Support, City of Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services, Lori Pfingst, Senior Director, for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. This panel is moderated by Nicole Russo, Principal Behavioral Designer in Economic Justice for Ideas42. Guaranteed basic income programs are an effective way to support families. Guaranteed basic income programs have been implemented in more than 50 cities across the United States. Households with low incomes receive a monthly, unconditional cash payment to help make ends meet. Evidence confirms the positive impacts of guaranteed income on economic and overall well being; yet, policy questions remain about how to best scale and operate these programs moving forward. This panel of experts examine the impact of city-level basic income programs and the potential benefits of state-wide basic income program implementation. Panelists discuss the policy challenges associated with basic income programs proposing informed tips based on practice for advocates and policymakers interested in improving and expanding these programs.

Activists and co-founders of the Shawnee Forest Defense John Wallace and Karen Frailey join host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss recent developments in their campaign towards making the Shawnee Forest a national park and climate preserve. The Shawnee National Forest is located in Southern Illinois. The Shawnee National Forest encompasses a 289,000 acre area in southern Illinois stretching from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River which contains some of the most ecologically bio-diverse areas in the United States. Three decades ago, in the summer of 1990, activists from Earth First! occupied the Fairview Timber sale site in the Shawnee Forest which is located in Southern Illinois for 79 days — using their bodies to block the logging equipment and using legal strategies to challenge the harvesting of the lumber in court. This historic action has come to be known as the Shawnee Showdown. This relatively small group of activists were successful in stopping commercial logging in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for 17 years. But in 2013, the Forest Service won a motion to lift the injunction. But logging is back in Shawnee. Currently, thousands of acres at the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois are scheduled for logging operations. Shawnee is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which allows logging on public lands. The fight to save the Shawnee Forest continues today, with the most recent attempt by organizers to transfer the Shawnee National Forest out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's control and into the hands of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with a proposal that would establish Shawnee as a National Park and designate it as the nation's first climate preserve. The biggest gain from converting the forest into a national park and climate preserve is the elimination of commercial logging efforts and resource extraction.

Today on Sojourner Truth, author, organizer and anti-capitalist campaigner, Selma James joins host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss the history of her involvement in organizing for fair wages for women, and her continued organizing at 92 years old. In 1972 Selma put forward Wages for Housework (WFH) as a political perspective that redefined the working class to include all who work without wages, starting with women, the primary carers everywhere. The International WFH Campaign she founded (which celebrates its 51st anniversary in 2023) coordinates the Global Women's Strike.

conversation with Professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Black feminist theorist and theoretical physicist and Selma James, long-time feminist activist and Wages for Housework co-founder to discuss, "Our Time is Now," an anthology by Selma James and the legacies of intergenerational feminism.Selma James is a women's rights and anti-racist campaigner and author. From 1958 to 1962 she worked with C.L.R. James in the movement for West Indian federation and independence. In 1972 she co-founded the International Wages for Housework Campaign, and in 2000 helped launch the Global Women's Strike whose strategy for change is Invest in Caring, Not Killing. She coined the word unwaged, which has since entered the English language. In the 1970s she was the first spokeswoman of the English Collective of Prostitutes. She is a founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. She co-authored the classic The Power of Women and the Subversion of the Community, which launched the domestic labor debate.Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women's and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and dark matter. She additionally does research in Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein is also a columnist for New Scientist and Physics World. Nature recognized her as one of 10 peoplewho shaped science in 2020, and Essence magazine has recognized her as one of 15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers. A cofounder of Particles for Justice, she received the 2017 LGBT+ Physicists Acknowledgement of Excellence Award for her contributions to improving conditions for marginalized people in physics and the 2021 American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award for her contributions to particle cosmology, including co-founding Particles for Justice. Her first book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred received the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category and was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian Magazine, and Kirkus. It has been a finalist for several awards including the 2022 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. The Disordered Cosmos was also long-listed for the OCM Bocas Prize in Caribbean Literature. Originally from East L.A., she divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

4.6.2023 Reclaiming our Sisters by Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

3.31.2023 Round Table Discussion by Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

Today on ST we recall Randall Robinson who died on March 24th at 81 years old. It was just last week on ST that I played a clip of Randall Robinson during a show focused on Haiti. Randall Robinson was the founder of TransAfrica, he led the organization from its founding in 1977 until 2001. During his tenure there he led protests opposing the SA apartheid regime, thousands were arrested during these protests including notables such as Stevie Wonder. And when President Aristide was deposed in the 1991 US coup vs his Presidency of Haiti, Randall went on a hunger strike in protest and to demand Aristide's return and for asylum for refugees fleeing Haiti following the coup. He also strongly opposed yet another US backed coup vs Aristide which took place this time in 2004 on the anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Randall, alongside Maxine Waters and others in tandem with a massive grassroots movement on the ground in Haiti, worked tirelessly for Aristide's return to Haiti. He was the author of several books including “The Debt: What America Owed to Blacks”. Today we will share the words of Randall Robinson taken from speeches he gave on Haiti including from events at Marcus Books, a Black owned bookstore in Oakland California. These speeches are not generally known, and we want to thank Marcus Books for allowing us to share this sound with you.

Intro Pierre Labossiere and Seth Donnelly and discuss Haiti, We Continue discussion with Pierre and Seth followed by Earth Watch and Michael J Kellett, founding Executive Director of RESTORE: The North Woods(12 min segment)

Round Table Discussion with Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Gerald Horne.

Climate change is a global phenomenon that affects all parts of the world, and its impacts are far-reaching and varied. Some of the potential implications of climate change include rising sea levels, increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and health risks for humans and wildlife. Rising sea levels can cause coastal flooding, which can damage infrastructure, homes, and businesses. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on communities, leading to loss of life, property damage, and displacement of people. Food and water scarcity can cause conflict and instability, particularly in regions where resources are already scarce. Loss of biodiversity can disrupt ecosystems and reduce the ability of the natural world to provide the services that humans rely on, such as clean air and water, and fertile soils. In addition to these impacts, climate change can also have significant economic consequences, affecting industries such as agriculture, tourism, and insurance, and potentially leading to job losses and reduced economic growth. It is important that individuals, governments, and businesses take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change. This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, investing in green technologies, and adopting sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and other industries.

Today on Sojourner Truth we continue our Women's Month coverage with a special Friday round panel program devoted to the women who organized with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC, or Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, was founded in 1960 in the wake of student-led sit-ins at segregated lunch counters across the South and became the major channel of student participation in the civil rights movement. SNCC played a large part in the Freedom Rides aimed at desegregating buses and in the marches organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC. SNCC also created Freedom Schools and played a key role in registering black voters throughout the south. SNCC played a leading role in the history and fabric of the US influencing movements around the world and the women of SNCC played a central role. Our guests for the hour are Martha Prescod-Noonan, who was a fundraiser and a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and worked with Bob Moses. She is one of the editors of a book we will also be discussing about SNCC women's experiences in the movement, titled “Hands On The Freedom Plow.” We are also joined by civil rights icon and Professor Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, who was a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the South, as well as the head of friends of SNCC, and ally in the civil rights movement Helen Jacobson.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Nell Myhand, organizer and member of the Bay area Poor People's Campaign. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Phoebe Jones, women's rights campaigner in Philadelphia. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: State Chair for the Michigan Welfare Rights organization, Maureen Taylor. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Emiliana Guereca, entrepreneur and organizer with the Women's March LA. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Anna Aurilio, campaign Director of the Economic Security Project Action. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guests joining host Margaret Prescod: Anna Aurilio, campaign Director of the Economic Security Project Action, Phoebe Jones, women's rights campaigner in Philadelphia, Emiliana Guereca, organizer with the Women's March LA, state chair for the Michigan Welfare Rights organization, Maureen Taylor, as well as Nell Myhand, organizer and member of the Bay area Poor People's Campaign. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth we kick off women's herstory month with an all female round panel discussion focusing on women's work and contributions as caregivers and their central role in movements towards bringing visibility to the labor of women that has been undervalued for centuries. Women and girls spend about 12.5 billion hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work. If we were to monetize this for women aged 15 and older, it adds up to $10.8 trillion a year—three times the size of the world's tech industry. Unpaid work is essential for households and economies to function globally, yet it continues to be valued less than paid work. In 2023, women in the labor force continue to earn less than their male colleagues across the board. Our panelists are Laura Carlsen, Director of the Americas Program and regular contributor to Americas Updater, Foreign Policy in Focus, CounterPunch and several Spanish-language publications, and, Jackie Goldberg, governing school board member for the Los Angeles Unified School District joining host Margaret Prescod for the hour to weigh in on these issues and lift up women in herstory that have inspired their work including: Ida B Wells, Sojourner Truth, Emma Goldman and Marge Percy.

Today on Sojourner Truth we honor women's history month with the voices of women of color that contributed to progressive change in the world as writers, scientists and entertainers. We share speeches from Wangari Maathi, Paule Marshall and Dorothy Dandridge and excerpts from an exclusive Sojourner Truth interview with world renowned writer Toni Morrison.

March 1st marks the anniversary of the US backed 2004 coup vs Haiti's first democratically elected government under Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border. The United States helped orchestrate the coup against him. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. Today 19 years later, Haiti continues to be destabilized under de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the country is facing a resurfacing of cholera and an uptick in gang crime. We speak Edouard "Pacha" Vorbe, an organizer on the ground in Haiti to hear his perspective on the current events unfolding in Hait. Edouard “Pacha” Vorbe is founder and co-director of Fanmi Lavalas. Since 1998, Pacha Vorbe has been an active member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political organization headed by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide and supported by the vast majority of impoverished people in Haiti.

March 1st marks the anniversary of the US backed 2004 coup vs Haiti's first democratically elected government under Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border. The United States helped orchestrate the coup against him. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. Today 19 years later, Haiti continues to be destabilized under de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the country is facing a resurfacing of cholera and an uptick in gang crime. We speak to organizers on the ground in Haiti to hear their perspectives: including Edouard “Pacha” Vorbe, founder and co-director of Fanmi Lavalas. Since 1998, Pacha Vorbe has been an active member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political organization headed by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide and supported by the vast majority of impoverished people in Haiti. As well as Pierre Labossiere, one of the most respected progressive voices on Haitian politics. Pierre Labossiere has dedicated his entire adult life advocating for the working poor in Haiti. Through the Haiti Action Committee, an organization that he co-founded, Labossiere has tirelessly championed grassroots efforts to improve education, bring about social justice, and develop a stable democracy for the people of his native country.

Today on Sojourner Truth our Friday roundtable is back. Each of our panelists select people they'd like to honor as we kick off the month of African American History. Our panelists are: journalist Laura Carlsen, LA Unified school board member Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies. We cover a wide range of topics including: figures from curriculum, history and in particular Black history under attack in Conservative states across the country, international affairs in China, as well as the forces at play regarding the recent rise in violence in Israel-Palestine conflict.

Sojourner Truth in partnership with the Global Justice Ecology Project present our weekly Earth Minute segment on the science behind the actual impact of carbon offsets corporations claim.

The month of January culminates in what is being proclaimed globally as the deadliest period of fighting between Israel and Palestine in years in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports Israel has killed at least 42 Palestinians in this month alone, including 8 children and an elderly woman. The deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank took place on Thursday January 26, when Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, killing 10 people. It was the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in two decades. We discuss these latest developments in the Israeli-Palestine conflict with Michael Kalmanovitz, founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

We are joined by civil rights icon Zoharah Simmons who will be discussing the response from educators and civil rights organizers to the rejection of an advanced placement course on African American studies for high school students last month by Florida's department of education, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Initially Florida tried to ban the course entirely, but after weeks of backlash and even a potential lawsuit the College Board released the official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month. However, critics point out that the newest iteration of the course is now missing several themes and voices from Black scholars that were originally presented in a pilot program already being taught at dozens of schools this year across the country.

Our Global Justice Ecology Project Earth Watch guest joining us to delve into a deeper discussion of carbon offset and its impact on climate change is researcher Jutta Kill, whose current research focuses on analyzing the role of carbon markets in the emergence of the Green Economy concept where natural complexity and diversity are transformed into "natural capital" – the re-defined "nature" of the Green Economy. Her recent writings explore how in the process, rules-based environmental legislation and fines for violation of environmental regulation are being replaced with incentive-based regulation and fees that buy the right to destroy or pollute.

Today on Sojourner Truth we begin by paying homage to the life of Tyre Nichols as civil rights leaders including: Reverend Al Sharpton, speak at his funeral on Wednesday, contextualizing the significance of his death at the hands of black police officers. We are joined by civil rights icon Zoharah Simmons who will be discussing the response from educators and civil rights organizers to the rejection of an advanced placement course on African American studies for high school students last month by Florida's department of education, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Initially Florida tried to ban the course entirely, but after weeks of backlash and even a potential lawsuit the College Board released the official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month. However, critics point out that the newest iteration of the course is now missing several themes and voices from Black scholars that were originally presented in a pilot program already being taught at dozens of schools this year across the country. The month of January culminates in what is being proclaimed globally as the deadliest period of fighting between Israel and Palestine in years in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports Israel has killed at least 42 Palestinians in this month alone, including 8 children and an elderly woman. The deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank took place on Thursday January 26, when Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, killing 10 people. It was the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in two decades. We discuss these latest developments in the Israeli-Palestine conflict with Michael Kalmanovitz, founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. We will also hear our weekly Earth Minute segment from the Global Justice Ecology project on carbon offset realities for major U.S. corporations. Our Earth Watch guest joining us to delve into a deeper discussion of carbon offset and its impact on climate change is researcher Jutta Kill, whose current research focuses on analyzing the role of carbon markets in the emergence of the Green Economy concept where natural complexity and diversity are transformed into "natural capital" – the re-defined "nature" of the Green Economy. Her recent writings explore how in the process, rules-based environmental legislation and fines for violation of environmental regulation are being replaced with incentive-based regulation and fees that buy the right to destroy or pollute.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we kick off Black History Month hearing the words of James Baldwin and WEB Dubois. Hakeem Jeffries is causing quite a stir in his new leadership position in the Democratic Party, so why are some worried about his positions on foreign policy, in particular controversy on his positions re the Israeli Palestinian conflict? Our guest is Stephen Zunes Professor of politics at the University of San Francisco who will be elaborating on this. And Anna Aurilio with the Federal Campaign Director of Economic Security Project Action joins host Margaret Prescod to discuss the latest on the expanded Child Tax Credit on Federal and State levels providing an update on the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and the movements for a guaranteed income and a basic income.

Today on Sojourner Truth we discuss the wrongful killing of Tyre Nichols, a 29 year old black man who was beaten up and tased by five black police officers and later died in the hospital. According to the family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, an independent autopsy was done by a forensic pathologist, which determined that Nichols died of “excessive bleeding caused by a severe beating.” Police claim to have stopped Nichols for a traffic violation and that he became aggressive and tried to reach for one of the officers' guns, however video footage showed that police lied in their report. Videos of the beating that involved five black officers who at one point laid on top of Nichols all at once, was released Friday January 27th, leading to widespread national protests and putting a national spotlight on Memphis,TN police and the wider conversation around systemic failures and racism in policing. A 6th police officer, Preston Hemphill, who is white, has been let go from the police force as the investigation on the killing of Tyree Nichols continues. Hemphill's attorney confirmed he was the 3rd officer at the initial stop and the body cam footage was from his body cam. Hemphill's body camera captures part of the initial confrontation with Nichols. In the video, Hemphill can be seen using a Taser on him. Later, a voice on the body cam that seems to be Hemphill's says, “I hope they stomp his a--” after Nichols escaped. The sheriff in Shelby County, Tenn., which includes Memphis, said two of his deputies were relieved of duty amid an internal investigation, citing “concerns” after they “appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols.” The Memphis Fire Department has also said it pulled two personnel from duty in response to the case and launched an internal investigation. Days before Tyre Nichols passed three men were killed by the Los Angeles Police Department within 48 hours. Our guests joining us for the hour to unpack the aftermath of the death of Tyre Nichols as well as the recent killing of three men by Los Angeles Police include: Ash-Lee Henderson, the first Black woman to serve as the co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center. Ash-Lee is an active participant in the Movement for Black Lives. Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston, and organizer Mic Crenshaw. Mic Crenshaw is an independent hip hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist and the lead U.S. Organizer for the Afrikan Hip-Hop Caravan who uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod our Friday roundtable is back with our panelists: foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen, Los Angeles school board member Jackie Goldberg and historian Dr. Gerald Horne. Only one month into 2023 and the nation is experiencing an uptick in state and gun violence. We begin with the recent police killing and brutality of a young black man in Memphis Tennessee, and as well as three back to back killings by police of black men in California. We are also facing a series of mass shootings happening in America in the month of January 2023. We then turn our conversation to international affairs: the continued war between Ukraine and Russia. Russia launches over 50 missiles in response to Germany and the U.S. decision to send war tanks to Ukraine to continue militarized action vs Russia in what many experts refer to as the newest US ‘"proxy war." We also discuss the latest Israeli police attacks in Palestine and the ongoing protests in Peru since the replacement of President Pedro Castillo.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod we delve into the nurse protests going on around the country and internationally. Joining us to tell us more about the largest nurse strike in recent NY history at New York City hospitals Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center is Mount Sinai Hospital Emergency Room registered nurse and union delegate Erin Hogan.

Is the CA desert tortoise going to make it to the 22nd Century? The desert tortoise that has been called the closest species to the dinosaur is at serious risk of becoming extinct, joining Sojourner Truth host Margaret Prescod to discuss the factors behind this growing extinction risk and what can be done, is naturalist educator Pat Flanagan. In her current position as Desert Naturalist at The 29 Palms Inn, Oasis of Mara, she educates an international audience on the local history going back 9,000 years and desert ecology.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod we delve into the nurse protests going on around the country and internationally. Joining us to tell us more about the largest nurse strike in recent NY history at New York City hospitals Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center is Mount Sinai Hospital Emergency Room registered nurse and union delegate Erin Hogan. And is the CA desert tortoise going to make it to the 22nd Century? The desert tortoise that has been called the closest species to the dinosaur is at serious risk of becoming extinct, joining us to discuss the factors behind this growing extinction risk and what can be done is naturalist educator Pat Flanagan. In her current position as Desert Naturalist at The 29 Palms Inn, Oasis of Mara, she educates an international audience on the local history going back 9,000 years and desert ecology.

As the Biden Administration approaches its halfway mark. We know that Blacks put this Administration in office just off of the South Carolina primary alone. But they expected to see something from the Biden Administration in the areas of: voting rights, reparations, and addressing white supremacist violence, yet very little if anything in these areas has come from the Biden Administration. We are joined by two members of the Movement for Black Lives, Dr. Amara Enyia and Montague Simmons who will share their take on these shortcomings and what the Movement for Black Lives is doing to build the power to get these priorities accomplished, in spite of a conservative House.

On Wednesday January 18th, Atlanta Law enforcement officers shot and killed Atlanta forest defender and activist Manuel Tortuguita Terá. Atlanta Police — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside a proposed $90 million training facility known as “Cop City,” inside Weelaunee Forest, a public forest in Georgia. Kamau Franklin, the founder of Community Movement Builders, a grassroots organization dedicated to creating sustainable Black communities through organizing and cooperative development, joins guest host Nana Gyamfi to discuss the opposition from community members to “Cop City” and what organizers and community members are calling for since this violent raid.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made it clear from press conferences from NYC to Texas and back that he doesn't want any more asylum-seekers coming to the City. New York City has seen 36,400 asylum seekers arrive as of Jan. 4th this year, but keeping asylum seekers out of NY is not a real solution so what can be done? Guest host Nana Gyamfi is joined by Carl Hamad Lipscombe, the Executive Director of Envision Freedom Fund, an organization committed to dismantling and transforming the immigration and criminal legal systems in NYC. We discuss this issue and contextualize past and present immigration reforms that disqualify recent arrivals from Africa and African descent from being able to acquire asylum or fix their immigration status in the U.S.

Today on Sojourner Truth hosted by guest host Nana Gyamfi, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made it clear from press conferences from NYC to Texas and back that he doesn't want any more asylum-seekers coming to the City. New York City has seen 36,400 asylum seekers arrive as of Jan. 4th this year, but keeping asylum seekers out of NY is not a real solution so what can be done? We are joined by Carl Hamad Lipscombe, the Executive Director of Envision Freedom Fund, an organization committed to dismantling and transforming the immigration and criminal legal systems in NYC. We discuss this issue and contextualize past and present immigration reforms that disqualify recent arrivals from Africa and African descent from being able to acquire asylum or fix their immigration status in the U.S. On Wednesday January 18th, Atlanta Law enforcement officers shot and killed Atlanta forest defender and activist Manuel Tortuguita Terá. Atlanta Police — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside a proposed $90 million training facility known as “Cop City,” inside Weelaunee Forest, a public forest in Georgia. Kamau Franklin, the founder of Community Movement Builders, a grassroots organization dedicated to creating sustainable Black communities through organizing and cooperative development, joins us to discuss the opposition from community members to “Cop City” and what organizers and community members are calling for since this violent raid. As the Biden Administration approaches its halfway mark. We know that Blacks put this Administration in office just off of the South Carolina primary alone. But they expected to see something from the Biden Administration in the areas of: voting rights, reparations, and addressing white supremacist violence, yet very little if anything in these areas has come from the Biden Administration. We are joined by two members of the Movement for Black Lives, Dr. Amara Enyia and Montague Simmons who will share their take on these shortcomings and what the Movement for Black Lives is doing to build the power to get these priorities accomplished, in spite of a conservative House.

Today on Sojourner Truth we start with a brief update on the present political and civil crisis in Peru. And time is running out on the public comment period to give feedback on the distribution of genetically engineered (GE) trees in U.S. forests. The USDA has put out a draft impact statement asking permission to deregulate the distribution of a GE American Chestnut Tree, with a draft decision approval that requires little to no monitoring from agencies. We spend the rest of the hour Global Justice Ecology Project executive Director Anne Petermann who has traveled all over the globe speaking to UN delegations and community groups about the social and ecological dangers of GE Trees and industrial tree plantations, including the exacerbation of climate change. We discuss the role of GE trees in preserving forests, who the forces pushing for GE Trees are and the true dangers of what some are calling a massive irreversible experiment for U.S. forests.

Today on Sojourner Truth, activists and co-founders of the Shawnee Forest Defense John Wallace and Karen Frailey join host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss recent developments in their campaign towards making the Shawnee Forest a national park and climate preserve. The Shawnee National Forest is located in Southern Illinois. The Shawnee National Forest encompasses a 289,000 acre area in southern Illinois stretching from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River which contains some of the most ecologically bio-diverse areas in the United States. Three decades ago, in the summer of 1990, activists from Earth First! occupied the Fairview Timber sale site in the Shawnee Forest which is located in Southern Illinois for 79 days — using their bodies to block the logging equipment and using legal strategies to challenge the harvesting of the lumber in court. This historic action has come to be known as the Shawnee Showdown. This relatively small group of activists were successful in stopping commercial logging in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for 17 years. But in 2013, the Forest Service won a motion to lift the injunction. But logging is back in Shawnee. Currently, thousands of acres at the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois are scheduled for logging operations. Shawnee is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which allows logging on public lands. The fight to save the Shawnee Forest continues today, with the most recent attempt by organizers to transfer the Shawnee National Forest out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's control and into the hands of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with a proposal that would establish Shawnee as a National Park and designate it as the nation's first climate preserve. The biggest gain from converting the forest into a national park and climate preserve is the elimination of commercial logging efforts and resource extraction.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we are joined by father and son duo David Trujillo and David Edward Reyes who will share details about the play they've directed and produced titled, "Vincent" that has just added a final week of shows due to its popularity. Breaking out of the norm, this play is staged inside Margaret Garcia's art studio. The play is a one man show starring David Edward Reyes on the the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Their depiction of this renowned tortured artist touches on a side of van Gogh rarely discussed, the poverty that Vincent van Gogh endured in addition to his battle with depression and mental health, and the role of his brother Theo as his caretaker.

In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the bald eagle from endangered to threatened in the lower 48 states. Populations continued to recover enough that, in 2007, the bald eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal. This majestic species of birds generally represent strength, pride, and courage. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird was the reason it was selected as a symbol of the strength and freedom of America when European settlers first came across one. For indigenous people the bald eagle represents the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, Native Americans have chosen the eagle and its feathers as a symbol of what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. The bald eagle is indigenous to North America. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. And in Potter Valley, Mendocino CA, a 150 foot pine tree nesting bald eagles for the last 25 years is under threat of being cut down by PG&;E before the nesting season begins and it becomes illegal to cut the tree this week. PG&E contract workers showed up with wood chippers and County Sheriffs intimidating and shoving tree protectors who were lined up protecting the 150-foot tall pine tree harboring the eagles' nest. PG&E has refused to consider alternatives such as installing automatic shut-off switches on their antiquated lines or putting the lines underground. Eagle supporters have offered to raise the $200,000 estimated cost of removing the hazardous lines instead of the tree, and are continuing to be overlooked, our guest is Pauline Girvin, an elder married into the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, in whose ancestral territory the eagle tree stands. She is an Indian law attorney, a veteran of the 1990s northern California Timber Wars, a youth mentor and nonviolent warrior for the Earth.

Today on Sojourner Truth what is the caretakers survey and how is it impacting the narrative around care-taking around the globe? We hear testimonials from caretakers in Myanmar, Scotland, Canada and the U.S. Our guest is Peggy O' Mara an independent journalist, and the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine for over 30 years. Her work can be found at peggyomara.com. O'Mara joins us to delve into the importance of care-taking and viewing it as a global effort.

Today on Sojourner Truth what is the caretakers survey and how is it impacting the narrative around care-taking around the globe? We hear testimonials from caretakers in Myanmar, Scotland, Canada and the U.S. Our guest is Peggy O' Mara an independent journalist, and the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine for over 30 years. Her work can be found at peggyomara.com. O'Mara joins us to delve into the importance of care-taking and viewing it as a global effort. In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the bald eagle from endangered to threatened in the lower 48 states. Populations continued to recover enough that, in 2007, the bald eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal.This majestic species of birds generally represent strength, pride, and courage. The fierce beauty And proud independence of this great bird was the reason it was selected as a symbol of the strength and freedom of America when European settlers first came across one. For indigenous people the bald eagle represents the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, Native Americans have chosen the eagle and its feathers as a symbol of what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. The bald eagle is indigenous to North America. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico.It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. And in Potter Valley, Mendocino CA, a 150 foot pine tree nesting bald eagles for the last 25 years is under threat of being cut down by PG&;E before the nesting season begins and it becomes illegal to cut the tree this week. PG&E contract workers showed up with wood chippers and County Sheriffs intimidating and shoving tree protectors who were lined up protecting the 150-foot tall pine tree harboring the eagles' nest.PG&E has refused to consider alternatives such as installing automatic shut-off switches on their antiquated lines or putting the lines underground. Eagle supporters have offered to raise the $200,000 estimated cost of removing the hazardous lines instead of the tree, and are continuing to be overlooked, our guest is Pauline Girvin, an elder married into the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, in whose ancestral territory the eagle tree stands. She is an Indian law attorney, a veteran of the 1990s northern California Timber Wars, a youth mentor and nonviolent warrior for the Earth. Finally we are joined by father and son duo David Trujillo and David E Reyes who will share details about the play they've directed and produced titled, "Vincent" that has just added a final week of shows due to its popularity. Breaking out of the norm, this play is staged inside Margaret Garcia's art studio. The play is a one man show on the the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, their depiction of this renowned tortured artist touches on a side of van Gogh rarely discussed, the poverty that Vincent van Gogh endured in addition to his battle with depression and mental health, and the role of his brother Theo as his caretaker.

Today on Sojourner Truth we bring you our King Day special program paying homage to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's radicalism. Dr. Martin Luther King became increasingly vocal about his views against the war the U.S. was waging at the time– the war in Vietnam. He delivered a speech entitled, “Beyond Vietnam: Time to Break the Silence,” exactly one year before his assassination. Dr. Martin Luther King declared: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” He went on to name the U.S. government as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world and preached that nonviolent direct action is our greatest hope and the best tool to bring about change. Over 54 years later, in this powerful speech, Dr. King provides both a diagnosis and a cure that remains fully relevant today. As the U.S. finds itself encroached in yet another war enabling the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. Today, in partnership with the CA High Desert residents and the CA Poor People's Campaign, Sojourner Truth brings you audio from this public reading of “ Beyond Vietnam.” This event was part of 54 public readings— for each year since Dr. King's assassination— taking place across the state of California. The CA Poor Peoples' Campaign has picked up Dr. King's unfinished work, weaving the interlocking injustices—systemic racism, systemic poverty, environmental devastation, militarism and the war economy and a distorted moral narrative of Christian nationalism—into one “moral fusion” campaign. We hope you'll enjoy this live reading of Martin Luther King's speech "Beyond Vietnam" read by the CA high desert residents honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our Friday round table discussion featuring governing board member for the LA school district, Jackie Goldberg, foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen, and Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston. Today we discuss the 118th Congress, new Democratic minority Hakeem Jeffries, and his contextualizing of Democrat's policies in alignment with women's reproductive rights and workers rights drawing a clear contrast with the conservative Republican party agenda. And what does Rep. Kevin McCarthy's eventual election as house speaker mean for the greater picture in Congress? We also delve into Israel's most conservative government in history and the U.S. involvement in it. We also discuss the political upheaval in Latin America: Over 50 protestors have died in Peru, where Peru's working class is leading protests to reinstate former President Castillo's government, who they feel was ousted for speaking up vs. government corruption, meanwhile Haiti is facing a set of intersecting catastrophes: famine, cholera, devastating gang violence, fuel shortages and economic collapse, what does this mean in context of the new asylum policies announced by the U.S. capping humanitarian parole visas at 30,000 per month to eligible people from Haiti, as well as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Today on Sojourner Truth, author, organizer and anti-capitalist campaigner, Selma James joins host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss the history of her involvement in organizing for fair wages for women, and her continued organizing at 92 years old. In 1972 Selma put forward Wages for Housework (WFH) as a political perspective that redefined the working class to include all who work without wages, starting with women, the primary carers everywhere. The International WFH Campaign she founded (which celebrates its 51st anniversary in 2023) coordinates the Global Women's Strike.

Today on Sojourner Truth with guest host Nana Gyamfi, we discuss the failed insurrection in Brazil with foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen who covered the election, President elect Lulu and Brazil's recent shift of power. There have long been barriers set up by US Administrations that have impeded the ability of asylum-seekers at the border from easily making their asylum claims in the US. And in the second half we are joined by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) Legal Director Tsion Gurmu, to discuss the expansion of the parole program that President Biden recently announced, and review the pathways available in the US to people who are seeking protection from violence in their country.