The Black Myths Podcast

We return for part two under a slightly different title: DEI has Radical Roots. In this episode, we trace the origins of DEI back to early integrationist efforts by US government up to affirmative action efforts and the subsequent Supreme Court decision that established the legal precedent for modern DEI to emerge. We continue with the trio Too Black, Rasul and Ryan.   Bootleg Rehab: Still Laundering Black Rage   https://www.blackagendareport.com/bootleg-rehab-still-laundering-black-rage   Patreon  patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the distortions surrounding DEI, particularly the myth that it has any radical elements in its function. Recent boycotts against Target's anti-DEI policies, false claims by the Trump administration, and media misinformation lay the groundwork for the discussion. We base this episode around a piece written by our host Too Black, and friend of the show Rasul Mowatt, entitled "Bootleg Rehab: Still Laundering Black Rage." This piece offers a materialist critique of DEI as a soft power mechanism of the State, not an initiative for justice.   Bootleg Rehab: Still Laundering Black Rage   https://indyliberationcenter.org/bootleg-rehab-still-laundering-black-rage/    Patreon  patreon.com/blackmyths  

Grounding Our Purpose https://www.blackagendareport.com/grounding-our-purpose-second-national-black-radical-organizing-conference  INDIANAPOLIS, IN – April 7, 2025 – The Second National Black Radical Organizing Conference (NBROC) will convene approximately 500 Black/African/New Afrikan organizers from Friday, May 30th to Sunday, June 1st, 2025, at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. This crucial gathering aims to build collective political power, advance revolutionary strategies, and craft a liberated future beyond capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. Inspired by the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention, this year's conference, themed “Base-Building for Collective Power,” will focus on skill-building, political clarity, and fostering a movement rooted in self-determination, solidarity, and transformative change in the fight against fascism. A significant component of the conference will be a call to action regarding the Pendleton 2. What: Second National Black Radical Organizing Conference (NBROC) - Action for Pendleton 2 When: May 30 - June 1st, 2025 Where: Butler University, Indianapolis 1000 W 42nd St, Indianapolis, IN 46208 Indianapolis, IN Who: Featuring representatives from: the Black Alliance for Peace, Community Movement Builders, National Black Liberation Movement, Black Men Build, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Cooperation Jackson, and more to be announced. Why: To build collective political power, advance revolutionary strategies, and craft a liberated future beyond systems of oppression. The conference aims to address critical issues facing Black communities and strategize for transformative change. A specific action will be called for in regards to the Pendleton 2.

We return with for part 2 to discuss how Caribbean leadership bends to the rules of the west, the importance of Haiti, the BAP Zone of Peace Campaign and how imperialism in the Caribbean can teach us about Africans in the US. Austin Cole is co-coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace, and one of the co-coordinators of BAP's Haiti/Americas Team, and I'm based in the Boston area.  Erica Caines is a writer and organizer in Baltimore and the DMV. Caines is the Field Operations and Membership coordinator of The Black Alliance For Peace, an editor of Hood Communist Blog, and founder of #LiberationThroughReading, providing African children with books that represent them. https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

We discuss how negative stereotypes about Africans in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, create a rationalization for US imperialism throughout the region. To help us discuss this topic we are joined by organizers Austin Cole & Erica Caines.    Austin Cole is co-coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace, and one of the co-coordinators of BAP's Haiti/Americas Team, and I'm based in the Boston area.    Erica Caines is a writer and organizer in Baltimore and the DMV. Caines is the Field Operations and Membership coordinator of The Black Alliance For Peace, an editor of Hood Communist Blog, and founder of #LiberationThroughReading, providing African children with books that represent them.   patreon.com/c/blackmyths

This episode will focus on how the city of New York created the conditions for Hip Hop. We also discussed the meeting between rival gangs in the South Bronx that helped create the conditions for what became Hip-Hop to operate. We end with how we should understand Hip Hop with these new reveals in history.  https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

Friend if the show Rasul Mowatt returns to discuss his new book "The City of Hip-Hop: New York City, The Bronx, and a Peace Meeting" and how the birth of Hip Hop needs to be reexamined. We explore the material conditions that produced Hip Hop (housing, public policy, city planning, etc) and how they don't correspond with the mainstream history Hip Hop's origins.  Book https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516 Patreon https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516

We debunk the myth that body cams hold the police accountable. To help us break it down, we interview civil rights lawyer, and social justice advocate Alec Karakatsanis about his recent paper "The Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams."  We explore the origins of body cams, how they help launder genuine outrage, and some of the alternatives to solving the issue of policing in the United States. https://campuspress.yale.edu/yjll/volume-4/3/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We review the Myths we explored in 2024.    https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

We return for part 2 with organizer Max Rameau. We discuss his most recent piece, "Smash the Dupololy and Build Dual Power" and keys to organizing our movements structurally.  Max Rameau is a Haitian born Pan-African theorist, campaign strategist, movement scientist and organizer. Max is the National Coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace and is an organizer with Pan-African Community Action. He travels the country facilitating workshops, engaging in campaign strategy sessions and developing models for community control over land and the human right to housing. Smash Duopoly and Build Dual Power https://pacapower.org/duopoly-dual-power Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the faux phrase "It's easier to organize under democrats" and all its complimenting lesser evil slogans. The phrase essentially argues that political organizing is better situated to take place under a democratic administration than a republican one. This is not a post-election episode but instead, a deep dive into the flaws of this framing, particularly how it relates to Black/Afrikan people. We discuss the proponents of the argument, radical community organizing, historical conditions for organizing in the US, and how better organizing conditions may be achieved. What Does It Mean To Be A Radical (Black) Organizer Today https://grassrootsthinking.com/2024/07/11/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-radical-black-organizer-today/ Show Stats https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGOZdwZsJ72GOiJCRb-ZfYQt-u3teCeV2c0QjwOY26c/edit?usp=sharing Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths  

We return for part 2 with Dr. Felicia Denaud to delve specifically into the history of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and what it can teach us about today. We explore how the MFDP came into fruition through local efforts, the challenges it faced nationally, and how these challenges impact the Democratic party and organizing more broadly in our current political moment.    SNCC Legacy Project  https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer    Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths    Study Guide    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this episode, we interview Africana Studies professor, Dr. Felicia Denaud. Our myth is "All Politics is Local." The Idea that all politics is local ultimately focuses on local (and regional) matters as opposed to national (or international) matters. All Politics is Local or other dismissive retorts to electoral criticism such as "do know your local congressman?” or “local politics is where the real power is” distorts the influence that national (and international) power plays in what happens locally.    The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party is an historical example that highlights the power of local organizing and also the limitations. Thus, on this episode we will use the MFDP as a case study to demonstrate the limits of this myth but also what we can learn to build beyond the limits.    SNCC Legacy Project  https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths   Study Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdkIn this episode, we interview Africana Studies professor, Dr. Felicia Denaud. Our myth is "All Politics is Local." The Idea that all politics is local ultimately focuses on local (and regional) matters as opposed to national (or international) matters. All Politics is Local or other dismissive retorts to electoral criticism such as "do know your local congressman?” or “local politics is where the real power is” distorts the influence that national (and international) power plays in what happens locally.    The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party is an historical example that highlights the power of local organizing and also the limitations. Thus, on this episode we will use the MFDP as a case study to demonstrate the limits of this myth but also what we can learn to build beyond the limits.    SNCC Legacy Project  https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths   Study Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this crossover pod, Joshua Briond of Millennials are Killing Capitalism and Momodou Taal the Malcolm Effect join forces with Too Black to discuss the perils of Black liberalism, #FreePalestine, and the primary contradiction of US imperialism. We ground the conversation in the two pieces recently written by Too Black and Taal:  Unburdened by Palestine: Shedding Black liberalism for anti-imperialism  https://mondoweiss.net/2024/08/unburdened-by-palestine-shedding-black-liberalism-for-anti-imperialism/ Dear Black liberals: Palestine TikTok activists aren't the enemy  https://www.newarab.com/opinion/dear-black-liberals-palestine-tiktok-activists-arent-enemy 00:00:00 Opening arguments 00:18:55 Online and offline Discourse 00:34:50 Black Culture and Imperialism 00:59:52 Black Women and Empire 01:20:23 Hope and Fear 01:43:20 Blackness and Imperialism

For this episode, we interview Indiana political prisoner Christopher "Naeem" Trotter of Pendleton 2. Our myth is that Black August is a celebration when it is a commemorative month for Black political prisoners and Black radical history. Naeem shares his case and reminds us about not allowing Black August to be watered down, political prisoner definitions, and time on Supermax. We urge everyone to donate to the P2 Defense Committee legal defense fund. We have been fundraising all month, and it would be greatly appreciated. Donation https://chuffed.org/project/free-pend... $FreePendleton2 @FreePendleton2 Documentary about case  https://filmfreeway.com/projects/2740088 Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we discuss the case of current death row prisoner Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams to examine why the death penalty doesn't work. Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams is scheduled for execution on September 24, despite DNA evidence proving his innocence. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney has filed a motion to vacate his conviction, citing the exculpatory DNA evidence. A hearing is set for August 21 to review this evidence. The case against Williams was based on unreliable witness testimony, and forensic evidence from the crime scene does not match him. Despite these findings, the Missouri Attorney General is pushing for his execution. This case highlights issues of wrongful convictions and racial bias in the justice system. Please feel out the petition below! Petition https://innocenceproject.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-marcellus-williams-an-innocent-man/?p2asource=_madpmo Case https://www.freekhaliifah.org/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths #FREEKHALIIFAH

In this episode, we return with the full Black Myths Crew to discuss the myth that X-men comic characters Professor X and Magneto of X-Men are based on Martin Luther King Dr. and Malcolm X. We attempted to have fun with this episode. However, research still unveiled some troubling truths about the origin of this myth. We trace the origins of the myth, analyze the limitations of pop culture as a prism for Black political thought, and examine the impact the military-industrial complex plays in the movies we watch.    Readings    https://vocal.media/geeks/actually-stan-lee-didnt-base-marvels-prof-x-and-magneto-on-malcolm-x-and-martin-luther-king-jr   https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/features/3522/   https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/x-men-wolverine-jean-grey-chris-claremont-five-key-storylines/   Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we continue our discussion on "Laundering Black Rage" with an emphasis on cities. We return with Rasul Mowatt to discuss cities as sites of spatial construction, bedazzled labor camps, and what can be done to address the plight of cities under capitalism.  Also, we are beginning a fundraising drive for the Pendleton 2 legal defense fund. Please donate here https://chuffed.org/project/free-pendleton-2 Laundering Black Rage https://www.routledge.com/Laundering-of-Black-Rage-The-Washing-of-Black-Death-People-Property/Black-Mowatt/p/book/9781032573779 Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths

Rasul Mowatt returns to the show to further discuss Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits—the co-authored book with our host, Too Black. In this episode, we discuss cities' role in the laundering concept. We revisit the emergence of the capitalist state, the function of cities in socializing us into laundering, and the idea of wealth.    Also, we are beginning a fundraising drive for the Pendleton 2 legal defense fund. Please donate here    https://chuffed.org/project/free-pendleton-2   Laundering Black Rage  https://www.routledge.com/Laundering-of-Black-Rage-The-Washing-of-Black-Death-People-Property/Black-Mowatt/p/book/9781032573779   Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths    

This episode explores the myth and common retort "What about the Congo?" We return with our guests Nicholas Richard-Thompson and Tunde Osazua to break down Palestine, the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the genocides that have occurred in the DRC, and the current geopolitical situation.  Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo https://www.liberationnews.org/crisis-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo/   Cobalt Red, How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives https://blackagendareport.com/cobalt-red-how-blood-congo-powers-our-lives   Are DRC-China ties set to see an uptick? https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/06/27/are-drc-china-ties-set-to-see-an-uptick/   China in Congo https://www.blackagendareport.com/china-congo Attempted coup? U.S. mercenaries captured as Congo political crisis takes new twist https://www.liberationnews.org/attempted-coup-u-s-mercenaries-captured-as-congo-political-crisis-takes-new-twist/   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the myth that Africans don't value democracy with Nicholas Richard-Thompson and Tunde Osazua of the pro-peace anti-imperialist organization, Black Alliance for Peace. We discuss questions of liberal democracy across the continent, the political nature of coups, neocolonialism, and the political development of recent coups in the Sahel region.  https://www.afrobarometer.org/articles/do-africans-want-democracy-and-do-they-think-theyre-getting-it/

In part 2, we return with educator and researcher Mikaela Nhondo Erskog of Tricontinental Institute. We review the current political and economic trends driving hyperimperialism, ways global south nations can exploit them for good, and what Pan Africanists can do to advance in light of recent trends.  Mikaela is an educator and researcher. She is part of the Pan Africanism Today Secretariat, which coordinates the regional articulation of the International People's Assembly and is also part of the No Cold War coordination committee, a peace platform promoting multilateralism and maximum global cooperation. She is also part of Dongsheng, an international collective of researchers interested in Chinese politics and society, and hosts The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast   Hyper-Imperialism Document https://thetricontinental.org/studies-on-contemporary-dilemmas-4-hyper-imperialism/#toc-section-4-1 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the myth of "The End of History". The End of History is the idea that Western civilization in the form of capitalism and liberal democracy has solved the question of civilization. This claim was asserted after the fall of the Soviet Union. This belief was that the United States would lead the world into a place of less conflict, less war, and more prosperity. This prediction has severely backfired, especially for the colonized people of the Global South. We sit down with researcher and organizer Mikaela Nhondo Erskog to discuss the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research's new study entitled "Hyper-Imperialism: A Dangerous Decadent New Stage." This groundbreaking document demonstrates how the United States has further polarized the world toward destruction and gives a sense of what is to be done to change course. Hyper-Imperialism Document https://thetricontinental.org/studies-on-contemporary-dilemmas-4-hyper-imperialism/#toc-section-4-1   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

Continuing with themes related to the new book, Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits, we explore the myth that the State is reducible to government with our guest Rasul Mowatt, Department Head of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources and Affiliate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University. We explore the origins of the State, theorists of the State, and how it informs anti-colonial movements. If the State is not simply the government, then how are we to understand it? We explore this question and more.    Laundering Black Rage is now available on pre-order and will be available worldwide on April 11th. To purchase it at a discounted rate please follow the instructions below.     Type Discount code at checkout: EFLY01   https://www.routledge.com/Laundering-of-Black-Rage-The-Washing-of-Black-Death-People-Property/Black-Mowatt/p/book/9781032573779     Discounted Ebook   https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=cY_2EAAAQBAJ     Original Essays     Pt. 1 http://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage     Pt. 2 http://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage-part-2     Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, department head and North Carolina State University professor, Rasul Mowatt joins as a guest host to interview our host, Too Black regarding their joint coauthored book Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits.    We use the analytic framework of the book to explore the myth of a Racial Reckoning in 2020—the idea that after the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin in 2020, the US began a reckoning with its racial history of oppression and brutalization towards Black people. We discuss the pitfalls of reckoning with empire, the laundering of Black Rage historically, and offer reflections on writing the texts. Laundering Black Rage is now available on pre-order and will be available worldwide on April 11th. To purchase it at a discounted rate please follow the instructions below.    Type Discount code at checkout: EFLY01   https://www.routledge.com/Laundering-of-Black-Rage-The-Washing-of-Black-Death-People-Property/Black-Mowatt/p/book/9781032573779   Discounted Ebook https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=cY_2EAAAQBAJ   Original Essays   Pt. 1 http://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage   Pt. 2 http://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage-part-2   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Joy James, political philosopher and Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College, about the idea of the 'lesser evil' in relation to her new book--New Bones Abolition. We reflect on police violence, movement capture, Black feminism, Erica Garner, political prisoners, caretakers and more in a wide-ranging conversation.   NEW BONES ABOLITION: CAPTIVE MATERNAL AGENCY AND THE AFTERLIFE OF ERICA GARNER https://www.commonnotions.org/new-bones-abolition Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths  

For part 3 we explore the role of counterinsurgency in mass incarceration. We interview Dr. Orisanmi Burton--Assistant Professor of Anthropology at American University--about his book Tip of the Spear Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt. We analyze the four types of counterinsurgency named by Burton: Expansion, Humanization, Diversification, and Programification.  Tip of the Spear Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520396326/tip-of-the-spear Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In part 2, we explore the factors that drive mass incarceration. Per usual the truth is more complicated than the myth. We begin with the early history of prisons in the United States. Then we delve into the work (Golden Gulag and Abolition Geography) of geographer and abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore to analyze how prisons became a fix all for social problems. We offer California as a case study to understanding prison expansion on state level. In part 3, we will explore the role counterinsurgency played in prison expansion. Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520242012/golden-gulag Abolition Geography: Essays Towards Liberation https://www.versobooks.com/products/2615-abolition-geography https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we examine the myth that prison is built for profit. That is, the myth that mass incarceration is driven by private profit above all else. Although there are certainly profiteers within the prison industrial complex, prisons operate at a loss. Therefore, in part 1 of this series, we explore what does not drive mass incarceration. In part two we will explore what actually drives mass incarceration. In part three we will interview, Orisanmi Burton, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and author of the book Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt.    patreon.com/blackmyths

Black Myths Pod crew reviews the myths we covered over the last year of 2023 including Patrisse Lumumba, Pan-Africanism, Political Prisoners, the Black dollar, Third World, Israel/Hamas, and Anti-Communism. Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In part 2, we draw the connections between Dr. CBS's Black Scare/Red Scare Theory with the contemporary issues of today: Israel-Palestine, Stop Cop City, "Wokeism", Critical Race Theory, and the distraction that these discourses cause.    Black Scare / Red Scare Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States  https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo207945104.html   Sign up for Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we cover the myth "Communism Made Me Do It." 'Communism Made Me Do It' is a tongue-in-cheek way of how the US blames radicalism for radicalism, instead of the US capitalist-led conditions that produce it. Since the Bolshevik Revolution, Communism, more than any other political ideology, is the boogeyman that allows radicalisms of different kinds, both anticapitalist and not, to be targeted by the US capitalist racist society. To help us debunk this myth we draw on the work of Wayne State University associate professor, Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly in her first single-author book Black Scare / Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States. She is a critical Black Studies scholar of political theory, political economy, and intellectual history. We discuss the foundational elements that make the United States an anti-communist anti-Black society including widespread repression and propaganda. As a comrade of the show, we celebrate the publication of her book.   Book https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo207945104.html   Related Episodes  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/myth-marxism-is-eurocentric/id1504205689?i=1000580405583   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/myth-marxism-is-eurocentric-pt-2-w-dr-charisse-burden/id1504205689?i=1000581118416   Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We continue our conversation with our guests Rana Nazzal Hamadeh and Musa Springer. In this episode we delve into "Operation Al Aqsa" flood of October 7th and ways to understand the attack grounded in the broader historical context discussed in Pt. 1. We also discuss the anti-solidarity myths about Palestinians being homophobic and anti-black.    https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the myth of the Israel-Hamas War with guests Rana Nazzal Hamadeh and Musa Springer beginning with the history of Israeli conquest of Palestine and the history of apart that followed.  Rana is a Palestinian artist and filmmaker living between Ramallah and Ottawa on unceded Anishinaabe territory. Her photography, film, and installation works look at issues related to time, space, land, and movement, offering interventions rooted in a decolonial framework. My practice is deeply informed by the knowledge emerging from the grassroots movements for justice around me, both in Palestine and across Turtle Island. Musa Springer is a cultural worker, community organizer, and independent researcher. They are a member of the Walter Rodney Foundation, Hood Communist editor, and host of the Groundings podcast. Join the Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

On this episode, Dr. Jared Ball joins us to debate the resolution — Pooling Black Resources is Imperative to Liberation— inspired by his recently released book The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power. Our host Too Black debates the affirmative while Dr. Ball debates the negative. We want to engage principled disagreements throughout the Black Left and the sociopolitical Black world. The Black Myths podcast is predicated upon debunking quantifiable myths. Our debates expand beyond fact and fiction to create a discourse around the philosophies, strategies, and ethics that govern our lives. Thus, we are more interested in you learning than anyone "winning" the debate. https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the relationship between Atlanta and Cop City in our interview with Kamau Franklin. We explore the events that precluded cop City, how the Black elite helps shield the project, and what the realities are of organizing against it.  Kamau Franklin is the founder of Community Movement Builders, Inc. Kamau has been a dedicated community organizer for over thirty years, beginning in New York City and now based in Atlanta. For 18 of those years, Kamau was a leading member of a national grassroots organization dedicated to the ideas of self-determination and the teachings of Malcolm X.   Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode we cover the myth of the Black Mecca in relationship to the city of atlanta. We track the genealogy of the term and how Atlanta developed as a Black city. We cover the creation of the "new south," the rise of Maynard Jackson, the Atlanta child murders and the 1996 Olympics. We utilize "Legend of Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta" by Maurice J. Hobson.   Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In part 2, we explore the history of the Third World with the Soviet Union, the different characters of a one party state post-national liberation, and the activity in the Sahel region of Africa including the most recent coup in Niger. Vijay lays out the historical context that has led to the current coups in the region. He also clarifies how the Third World became known as an impoverished, backward place for missionary-like charity. "Niger is the fourth country in the Sahel to experience an anti-Western coup" https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/08/01/niger-is-the-fourth-country-in-the-sahel-to-experience-an-anti-western-coup/ Join Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We interview journalist, historian, and Marxist intellectual Vijay Prashad. We discuss the myth of the third world as a site of poverty and degradation instead of the global anti-colonial movement it once was. To gain a better understanding of the history and how it became co-opted we analyze Prashad's book "The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World." Bio Vijay is an Indian historian and journalist. He is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South, and The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power (2022), written with Noam Chomsky. Vijay is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, the chief correspondent for Globetrotter, and the chief editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi). He also appeared in the films Shadow World (2016) and Two Meetings (2017). Join our patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

For Pt. 2, we speak with former entrepreneur and current writer Joshua McCoy. We use his experience as a business owner for over 10 years to show the limitations of black business, how the (myth of the) circulating Black dollar does little to impact the day-to-day operations of Black business, and some socialist alternatives to the traditional aspects of Black business.   https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we debunk the myth circulating Black Dollar at DePaul University in Chicago. We track the original claim stating "the lifespan of the dollar in the African-American community is approximately six hours." We show its questionable origins, deconstruct the concept of community, and most importantly we explore the concept of circulation.  Sign up for patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

Myth: Prisons Rehabilitate (Reacting to the Pendleton 2   In this episode, we discuss the documentary The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up directed by our co-host Too Black and TheKingTrill. The film chronicles the story of Indiana political prisoners Christopher "Naeem" Trotter and John "Balagoon" Cole who got 200 plus years for intervening to save the life of a fellow prisoner who was being brutally beaten to death by the prison guards at Pendleton prison. Our frequent listeners will be familiar with this story.    We use this film as a case study to demonstrate how prisons fail to rehabilitate the people they lock up and how the Pendleton two are examples demonstrating that community rehabilitates people, not the state. We strongly encourage listeners to watch the film and if you have the capacity schedule a screening in your local area at pendleton2.com.    Film https://youtu.be/aQ6c4iE88Uk   Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we re-explore the Pendleton 2—Indiana political prisoners Christopher "Naeem" Trotter and John "Balagoon" Cole. Recently, a documentary film entitled The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up (directed and produced by TheKingTrill and our very own BMP host Too Black) debuted on Breakthrough News.  In this film, the Pendleton 2 and witnesses who were present for the '85 uprising discuss the events that led to their imprisonment and their subsequent time in solitary confinement. However, only a portion of their interviews about solitary confinement aired in the documentary. So we are sharing the full interviews of Naeem and Balagoon on solitary.    Originally, we were going to call this episode part two of our myth "Tough On Crime" but it felt more apropos to intertwine this with the myth that "torture works." Torture is an extension of counter-insurgency both domestically and internationally. Solitary confinement for political prisoners is a clear expression of such.    Please view the documentary The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up and book a screening at Pendleton2.com   Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ6c4iE88Uk&t=3029s&ab_channel=BreakThroughNews   Donate https://chuffed.org/project/free-pendleton-2   Sign Petition https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAsx4u1g_Z38gZ3a70AAbwuFTpSJB_ipf2_qtepwbBz2iL7A/viewform  

In this episode we cover the myth of "tough on crime." Utilizing the work of civil rights lawyer and author, Alec Karakatsanis, we explore how the tough on crime policies fail on their own premise and are therefore not not met to solve the needs of the people. Instead, tough on crime policies and as an extension "crime" itself, is largely a tool of the ruling class.    We also explore policies that will help reduce what the State labels as crime such as food, housing, education, and job security.    https://equalityalec.substack.com/p/tough-on-crime   https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/the-trouble-with-crime-statistics   https://nyti.ms/QvbKEV   https://whitecollar.thenewinquiry.com/#   https://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/research-reports/the-3-4-trillion-mistake-the-cost-of-mass-incarceration-and-criminalization

In this episode, we continue with our conversation on the Kwame Toure vs Molefi Asante debate. We look into modern times to discuss the recent Pan-African Summit in Ghana and how it stands up to Nkrumah's version of Pan-Africanism. We also do a brief examination of the developments in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.    00:00:51 - opening  00:03:04 - Debate continued 00:24:34 - Pan African Summit? 00:43:51 - Back to Africa 00:51:43 - Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso

  00:00:51 - Opening  00:07:08 - What is afrocentricity? 00:23:03 - What is pan africanism? 00:44:43 - Debate: Kwame Toure vs Molefi Asante  01:20:01 - Asante response 01:46:51 - Close For this episode, we examine the distinctions between Afrocenticity and Pan-Africanism that are often conflated as one and the same with our guest Dr. Layla Brown. Dr. Layla Brown is a member of the All African People's Revolutionary Party-GC and currently works as an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology & Africana Studies and affiliate faculty in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Northeastern University.   We explore the 1996 debate on Afrocentricity vs Pan-Africanism between Molefi Asante and Kwame Ture in a talk entitled Africa and the Future. We use this debate to help flesh out the understanding of these terms and show how the application of each term both coincides and differs.      Debate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeWcBU1m5ug&t=2538s&ab_channel=MaweluluOnwuku Support our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

For part two, we cover the events after Congolese Independence including mutiny, Belgian occupation, the U.N., and most importantly CIA meddling that led to the assassination of Lumumba.   White Malice https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/white-malice/ Support our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we investigate the assassination of the late Patrice Lumumba. Patrice Lumumba was a leader of the Congolese movement for independence from Belgium and subsequently became the first democratically elected prime minister of the country. 62 years ago 1961, January 17th, he was gunned down thereby changing the course of history.    We honor him by offering a history of the conditions that led to his assassination and how the United States via the CIA used the inaccurate claim of communism to justify their support for his assassination. We discussed how the resources contained inside the Congo were pivotal to this tragic moment in history. We primarily pull from the thoroughly researched book White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa by Susan Williams to support our analysis.   White Malice https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/white-malice/ Support our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We review the myths we covered throughout the year 2022.  An extended version of this conversation exists on our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

This is a special crossover episode with The Malcolm Effect hosted Momodou Taal. BMP Host Too Black was interviewed by Momodou and ME special host Deej about his 2 part essay "Laundering Black Rage." The essay was discussed prior on BMP on our "profiting off of Black Death" myth/episode. In this engaging conversation Black Rage, the function of the Black Elite, and some of the means to reverse launder Black Rage. Essays https://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage https://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage-part-2 Prior Episode https://blackmyths.libsyn.com/myth-profiting-off-black-rage https://blackmyths.libsyn.com/myth-profiting-off-black-death-pt-2 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths    

For part 2, we continue our sit down with Dr. Jemima Pierre investigating the situation in Haiti. In this episode we delve into the so-called "gang activity" in Haiti, leftist governments who have failed Haiti, the Global Fragility Act, and what is to be done to bring peace to Haiti.  Jemima Pierre is Associate Professor in the Departments of African American Studies and Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an editor and columnist for Black Agenda Report. She is also the co-cordinator for the Haiti/Americas team of the The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), a anti-war, anti-imperialist, and pro-peace of organization of the radical black movement.    Haiti and the Americas Syllabus https://www.blackagendareport.com/haiti-and-americas-syllabus#_czm6rl4s9rf0   Widespread Panic as Anti-Haitian Decree Goes into Effect in Dominican Republic https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/11/17/antihaitiandecree/   Support Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths