American civil rights activist
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In this engaging conversation, Mike Linch and Jordan Raynor explore the concept of 'mere Christians' and the significance of understanding one's role in the royal priesthood. They discuss the importance of connecting faith with work, using the example of Fred Rogers as a model of love and service. The dialogue emphasizes the need for practical examples in faith, the integration of work and ministry, and the responsibility of parents to instill values of service in their children. In this conversation, Jordan Raynor and Mike Linch explore the significance of work from a Christian perspective, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a positive work ethic in children, the legacies of influential figures like Fannie Lou Hamer and Ole Kirk Christiansen, and the transformative journey of C.S. Lewis. They discuss how to find purpose amidst adversity and the necessity of a relationship with Christ in achieving true fulfillment in work.Mike's Biggest Takeaway'sConnectedness is a gift that reflects heaven.Mere Christians are vital to the church's mission.Every occupation is part of the royal priesthood.Stories are more impactful than mere exposition.Fred Rogers exemplified love and service in his work.Combining work and ministry enhances spiritual impact.Life should be focused on service, not leisure.Parents play a crucial role in teaching service.Understanding our work as sacred is essential.Being fully alive attracts others to faith. Cultivating a positive work ethic in children is essential.God's word mentions work more than 800 times.Fannie Lou Hamer exemplified justice without hatred.Ole Kirk Christiansen's resilience led to the creation of Lego.C.S. Lewis's dark past highlights the need for Christ in our lives.Work is a gift from God, meant to be enjoyed.Welcome to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, where you're invited to join the spiritual principles behind big success, with host Mike Linch.Subscribe to the channel so you never miss an episode: Watch: @linchwithaleader Prefer just listening? SUBSCRIBE to the podcast here:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dJfeLbikJlKlBqAx6mDYW?si=6ffed84956cb4848Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/linch-with-a-leader/id1279929826Find show notes and more information at: www.mikelinch.comFollow for EVERYDAY leadership content and interaction:Follow on X: https://x.com/mikelinch?s=20Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==https://www.instagram.com/mikelinch/?...JOIN Mike for a Sunday at NorthStar Church:www.northstarchurch.org Watch: @nsckennesaw
What does it mean to choose joy in a world that feels anything but joyful? In this Sunday Gathering message, Emily Perry explores the practice of claiming joy not as escapism, but as a spiritual act of defiance against fear, suffering, and ego-based narratives. Drawing from A Course in Miracles and the legacy of great nonviolent movements—from Fannie Lou Hamer to Viktor Frankl to Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Emily shares how joy becomes a healing force when rooted in love and our identity as God's beloved. You'll learn: Why the Course calls joy your function and a sign of spiritual maturity How resistance through joy echoes the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount What “Black joy” reveals about reclaiming identity and sacred dignity How to cultivate joy even in the midst of pain, loss, or injustice Emily's sermon reminds us that joy is more than a feeling—it's a way of standing with God, even in the storm. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the “CE”), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email info@circleofa.org. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links
In this episode, Dave and Ann Wilson explore the lives of five remarkable Christians who changed the world without holding traditional religious titles like pastors or missionaries. Jordan Raynor, the author of "Five Mere Christians," joins the discussion and introduces these figures, starting with Fannie Lou Hamer, whose activism played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Rainer reveals that while Hamer's story is well-known among African Americans, many white people are unaware of her contributions, highlighting the racial divide in historical knowledge.Fannie Lou Hamer, a poor Black sharecropper from Mississippi, took the courageous step of attempting to register to vote in 1962, a move that led to her imprisonment and brutal beating by a police officer. Despite the violence she endured, Hamer went on to form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which aimed to challenge voter suppression in the South. Hamer's testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, despite being disrupted by President Lyndon B. Johnson's efforts to suppress it, brought national attention to the injustices in Mississippi and helped secure voting rights for African Americans. What stood out in her story was her ability to fight for justice without hating or canceling her enemies, maintaining a Christ-like approach of praying for those who wronged her.The conversation then shifts to how justice and love should intersect in today's world. The hosts explore how modern Christians, in their pursuit of justice, should avoid adopting worldly methods such as cancel culture, which contrasts with Christ's teachings on loving one's enemies and praying for them.Next, the discussion takes a turn to the founder of LEGO, Ole Kirk Christiansen, whose life was marked by incredible perseverance and faith. Christiansen's story of overcoming tragedy—including multiple factory fires and the deaths of his wife and child—illustrates his deep trust in God's plan. His commitment to creating toys during difficult times showed his belief in the power of play and its connection to God's joy in creation. His ability to persevere through extreme hardships and still focus on bringing joy to others is a testament to his Christian faith and work ethic.The episode concludes by discussing how these individuals demonstrate the importance of both trusting in God's sovereignty and hustling to make a difference in the world. Rainer encourages listeners to engage in their work and relationships with a balance of prayer, action, and rest, as exemplified by these extraordinary individuals. Ultimately, the podcast emphasizes that even in the most difficult of circumstances, faith, perseverance, and trust in God can bring transformation. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
In this episode, Dave and Ann Wilson explore the lives of five remarkable Christians who changed the world without holding traditional religious titles like pastors or missionaries. Jordan Raynor, the author of "Five Mere Christians," joins the discussion and introduces these figures, starting with Fannie Lou Hamer, whose activism played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Rainer reveals that while Hamer's story is well-known among African Americans, many white people are unaware of her contributions, highlighting the racial divide in historical knowledge.Fannie Lou Hamer, a poor Black sharecropper from Mississippi, took the courageous step of attempting to register to vote in 1962, a move that led to her imprisonment and brutal beating by a police officer. Despite the violence she endured, Hamer went on to form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which aimed to challenge voter suppression in the South. Hamer's testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, despite being disrupted by President Lyndon B. Johnson's efforts to suppress it, brought national attention to the injustices in Mississippi and helped secure voting rights for African Americans. What stood out in her story was her ability to fight for justice without hating or canceling her enemies, maintaining a Christ-like approach of praying for those who wronged her.The conversation then shifts to how justice and love should intersect in today's world. The hosts explore how modern Christians, in their pursuit of justice, should avoid adopting worldly methods such as cancel culture, which contrasts with Christ's teachings on loving one's enemies and praying for them.Next, the discussion takes a turn to the founder of LEGO, Ole Kirk Christiansen, whose life was marked by incredible perseverance and faith. Christiansen's story of overcoming tragedy—including multiple factory fires and the deaths of his wife and child—illustrates his deep trust in God's plan. His commitment to creating toys during difficult times showed his belief in the power of play and its connection to God's joy in creation. His ability to persevere through extreme hardships and still focus on bringing joy to others is a testament to his Christian faith and work ethic.The episode concludes by discussing how these individuals demonstrate the importance of both trusting in God's sovereignty and hustling to make a difference in the world. Rainer encourages listeners to engage in their work and relationships with a balance of prayer, action, and rest, as exemplified by these extraordinary individuals. Ultimately, the podcast emphasizes that even in the most difficult of circumstances, faith, perseverance, and trust in God can bring transformation. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
In this episode, hosts Dave and Ann Wilson bring back Jordan Raynor to continue their conversation about how to integrate faith into everyday work. Jordan passionately discusses the concept of sacred versus secular work, challenging the common divide between the two. He emphasizes that everything, including our secular jobs, can be sacred if we approach them with the right mindset, recognizing that Jesus is Lord over all of life. This idea is rooted in the belief that God is with us everywhere, and that it's not the nature of the work that makes it sacred, but the intention behind it, the manner in which it is done, and the communion with the Holy Spirit in the process.Jordan shares a personal story from his college years, recounting a moment when he was offered a chance to try out for the Cincinnati Bengals, but he turned it down, believing that God was calling him into full-time Christian ministry. Reflecting on that decision, Jordan critiques the advice he was given, noting that many young Christians are told to pursue full-time ministry while neglecting the value of secular work as a calling in itself.Jordan also discusses his new book, Five Mere Christians, in which he highlights five influential individuals who lived out their faith through their work in ways that impacted the world. These figures include Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers), Fannie Lou Hamer, Ole Kirk Christensen (founder of LEGO), Hannah Moore (a poet and abolitionist), and C.S. Lewis. He explores how these individuals exemplified what it looks like to glorify God through everyday work, even when it was not considered traditional Christian ministry.Jordan details Fred Rogers' life, particularly his deep commitment to serving children through his show, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." Fred's life was marked by his understanding that his work in television was a form of ministry. His compassion, especially for underprivileged children, came from his own childhood experiences and his deep relationship with God. Fred's intentional choice to be present with people, to slow down and offer them his full attention, is highlighted as a critical aspect of his Christ-like behavior.Throughout the episode, Jordan challenges listeners to rethink how they approach their own work. He offers practical advice on how to eliminate hurry, make space for margin in our calendars, and prioritize relationships over tasks. The conversation emphasizes being fully present with the people we interact with and cultivating a pace of life that allows us to show the love of Christ in tangible ways, just like Fred Rogers did. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
In this episode, hosts Dave and Ann Wilson bring back Jordan Raynor to continue their conversation about how to integrate faith into everyday work. Jordan passionately discusses the concept of sacred versus secular work, challenging the common divide between the two. He emphasizes that everything, including our secular jobs, can be sacred if we approach them with the right mindset, recognizing that Jesus is Lord over all of life. This idea is rooted in the belief that God is with us everywhere, and that it's not the nature of the work that makes it sacred, but the intention behind it, the manner in which it is done, and the communion with the Holy Spirit in the process.Jordan shares a personal story from his college years, recounting a moment when he was offered a chance to try out for the Cincinnati Bengals, but he turned it down, believing that God was calling him into full-time Christian ministry. Reflecting on that decision, Jordan critiques the advice he was given, noting that many young Christians are told to pursue full-time ministry while neglecting the value of secular work as a calling in itself.Jordan also discusses his new book, Five Mere Christians, in which he highlights five influential individuals who lived out their faith through their work in ways that impacted the world. These figures include Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers), Fannie Lou Hamer, Ole Kirk Christensen (founder of LEGO), Hannah Moore (a poet and abolitionist), and C.S. Lewis. He explores how these individuals exemplified what it looks like to glorify God through everyday work, even when it was not considered traditional Christian ministry.Jordan details Fred Rogers' life, particularly his deep commitment to serving children through his show, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." Fred's life was marked by his understanding that his work in television was a form of ministry. His compassion, especially for underprivileged children, came from his own childhood experiences and his deep relationship with God. Fred's intentional choice to be present with people, to slow down and offer them his full attention, is highlighted as a critical aspect of his Christ-like behavior.Throughout the episode, Jordan challenges listeners to rethink how they approach their own work. He offers practical advice on how to eliminate hurry, make space for margin in our calendars, and prioritize relationships over tasks. The conversation emphasizes being fully present with the people we interact with and cultivating a pace of life that allows us to show the love of Christ in tangible ways, just like Fred Rogers did. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29
On this special inaugural day of Self-Care School, we invite you to spend 30 transformative minutes walking in the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer. Together, we'll monitor our heart rates, embrace a foremother meditation, and conduct a self-care audit to honor our bodies and minds. Today's episode delves into all things heart health. Join us as we explore how to detect and prevent heart attacks and strokes with the invaluable insight of our homegirl, Renatè Elliott.Important Disclaimer: While this episode provides helpful information, we are not medical experts. Please consult your doctor for personalized advice.
Sign-up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations, at http://TWBWFoundations.com--Series: Five Mere ChristiansDevotional: 2 of 5Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)Fannie Lou Hamer had just given birth, but the only cry in the room was her own. Twice now, she had watched her body grow along with her hope, only for her labor pains to usher in death rather than life. And then there were the miscarriages—losses that came so early she never even felt the joy of kicks in her womb.Those losses—coupled with her extreme poverty and slave-like work as a sharecropper in Mississippi in the early 1900s—ensured that Hamer moved through her days in a fog. Until a doctor gave her hope: With surgery, the doctor assured her, all of her infertility problems could go away. Hamer eagerly signed off on the procedure. But after the surgery, Hamer discovered the unthinkable: The doctor had removed her uterus in a complete hysterectomy done without her knowledge or consent. Hamer's dreams of having her own children were now utterly and truly dead.Believe it or not, this was arguably not the most tragic thing to happen to Fannie Lou Hamer who would go on to become one of the most significant civil rights activists in the 20th century, largely responsible for giving African Americans the right to vote. But here's what's remarkable: Whether it was the surgeon, the police who beat her in prison, or the politicians who threatened her life, Hamer is never recorded as speaking a single word of hate against her perpetrators. One time when U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey proposed an egregiously unjust compromise, Hamer replied, “Senator Humphrey, I'm gonna pray to Jesus for you.” And then she walked out the door as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. followed behind her.Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Hamer shows us an example of what that looks like and reminds us that we mere Christians glorify God by doing justice without hating the unjust.The world often tells us that doing justice requires that we also publicly shame and “cancel” the unjust. But God calls his people to a different way (see Micah 6:8 and Matthew 5:43-44). So, how can you and I practically do justice without hating the unjust today? First, take a risk to speak out against injustice. As God's ambassador in your workplace, you are called to speak out against injustices respectfully (see Ephesians 5:11). Second, refuse to take revenge against the unjust knowing that vengeance is God's alone (see Romans 12:19).Finally, pray for the unjust per Jesus's example knowing that you, like Christ, will be glorifying your Father in heaven as you do (see Luke 23:34).
What do Mr. Rogers, the founder of LEGO, and a civil rights legend have in common? They were all "mere Christians" doing extraordinary things through ordinary work. In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve welcomes back bestselling author Jordan Raynor to dive into his latest book, 5 Mere Christians—a fresh, binge-worthy collection of biographies showing how everyday believers glorify God in powerful, practical ways.From Fred Rogers' Christlike presence to Fannie Lou Hamer's fearless justice, Jordan shares untold stories that will leave you inspired, challenged, and maybe even in tears (in the best way). You'll hear:✅ Why “secular” work is sacred✅ How to eliminate hurry and live like Jesus✅ What CS Lewis, a former atheist, teaches us about discipleship✅ How your daily work—no matter what it is—matters for eternity
Debbi continues Equality Month of our Rebel Era, by talking about the powerful activist, Fannie Lou Hamer.
What do a former litigator, an author, and a mama with a heart for faith have in common? Meet Wendy Beylik, who joins me for a conversation about her journey from the courtroom to storytelling—and how God used every step along the way. We chat about faith and resilience, just in time for Easter. Wendy shares a pivotal moment in which the largest protest in history opened her eyes to see that Pro-woman is Pro-Life, whether that means caring for the sick, the overlooked, or the unborn. We celebrate strong women—like Fannie Lou Hamer and Mother Teresa—who used faith, wit, and love to change the world. Inspired by their stories, we can change our corner of the world. Xo, Donna Listen in to learn more! (00:17) - Women Empowerment and Faith Journey (13:41) - Power of Positive Female Role Models (18:38) - Small Acts of Love and Faith Connect with Wendy Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-beylik-a8346521a/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wendybeylik/ Pick up a copy of her book For Lives: Inspiring Women Donna's Resources: Order a copy of my latest book - Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life: A Biblical Guide to Communicating Thoughts, Feelings, and Opinions with Grace, Truth, and Zero Regret. It is available anywhere books are sold– here is the link on Amazon. If you need a helpful resource for someone exploring faith and Christianity or simply want to strengthen your own knowledge, you'll want a copy of my book, Seek: A Woman's Guide to Meeting God. It's a must for seekers, new believers, and those who want to be more confident in their faith! Connect with Donna Instagram: @donnaajones Website: www.donnajones.org Donna's speaking schedule: https://donnajones.org/events/
If you enjoy these history lessons please follow, like, share, and subscribe for future videos. My YouTube channel is Sunny Sharma@IndiaInsightMovement and my podcast is “India Insight with Sunny Sharma”This short era of immense change began with the critical case of Brown vs Board of Education in 1954 that established separate but not equal is unconstitutional. This marked a significant constitutional victory in favor of an integrationist approach which led to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement which was launched through the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama in 1955-1956. The revolutionary approach, depending upon who you ask, of active nonviolent Civil Disobedience led by such figures as Rosa Parks, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy, Reverend James Lawson, and Bayard Rustin was the leading philosophical and practical approach to integrate public institutions in America including restaurants, schools, and public transportation. This period was characterized by immense grassroots movements led by coalitions of very diverse groups of people welcomed by a more inclusive approach. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) founded by Dr. King in 1957 revolved around nonviolent civil disobedience as a protest strategy and the goal of achieving full democratic participation through legal protections for the vote. The young John Lewis and Ella Baker, major leaders in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), demanded not just more radical change and group centered leadership while also endorsing Dr. King's methods, but they also represented a cognitive and philosophical shift that many leaders such as Dr. King would take after 1966. These shifts occurred due to frustrations from the inability to change the fundamental political and economic conditions of African Americans despite legislative victories such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This tension resulted in the rise of black nationalism, cultural nationalism, and black power movements which influenced many young people to leave the integrationist fold. However, the two most influential black power groups the Black Panthers and partly Black Electoral Politics were not as comprehensive systems compared to the moral tactics and philosophy of Dr. King. Nonetheless, these black power movements, along with Malcolm X who will be discussed in part 2 of We Shall Overcome, have certainly captured the imagination of many young people while inspiring a black artistic and cultural movement to contribute to black expression and excellence even if their approach was somewhat limited when compared to integration. Still, integration was meant for the meaningful realization of full equality and equity with whites and it was clear that Western civilization not only has structural political and economic barriers to the advancement of colored people, it was also in a crisis. This is why, after 1966, Dr. King viewed that black people were in danger of “integrating into a burning house.” However, his Letter from a Birmingham Jail of 1963 stood the test of time as still relevant today to freedom fighters around the globe of the need to break unjust laws, force the moderates into action against perceived injustice, the reclamation of the social justice function of institutions or to see their degeneration, and so much more. In the next section, I will discuss some of the major movements to shift black consciousness later in the period from 1954-1975 such as Malcolm X, the black panthers, and the movement to elect black political figures many of whom were freedom fighters in the 1970s. The question is why did Malcolm X shift to a black nationalist international perspective and were these movement's goal to protect, enrich the black community, and form an independent black politics successful in hindsight?
(Airdate 3/19/25) Akili has worked on six presidential campaigns and has been in leadership circles for decades. He is a lead organizer for BLM Grassroots and with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. Akili is also the founder of the Fannie Lou Hamer institute. On this podcast we look at why Schumer caved, what Akili found when he recently spent months in Ghana following his nuptials, Mayor Bass's excellent public safety record and whether Republican overreach will have real consequences for the party.https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/https://www.instagram.com/akili4thepeople/
Guest:Robin HamiltonWebsite: https://www.aroundrobin.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinhamilton123/_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast & Audio Signals PodcastWebsite: https://www.marcociappelli.com_____________________________Episode Title:
Guest:Robin HamiltonWebsite: https://www.aroundrobin.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinhamilton123/_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast & Audio Signals PodcastWebsite: https://www.marcociappelli.com_____________________________Episode Title:
Throughout history, women who dared to speak out for justice have faced immense opposition—yet their voices carried the power to transform the world. This week, Rev. Dr. Andriette continues our celebration of Women's History Month by honoring the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, a fearless activist for women's rights and voting rights. What gave her the strength to keep going despite relentless resistance?In this inspiring message, we'll explore the spiritual principles that have always empowered women to rise, persist, and make a difference. True courage isn't just about volume—it's about conviction, faith, and the unshakable knowing that Truth must be expressed. Join us as we celebrate the women who dare to be heard and claim our own divine authority to speak, act, and uplift the world.
Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month. But this year, the celebration might feel a bit different. On January 31st, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer use official resources to celebrate cultural awareness months, including Black History Month, which began the following day. That announcement came after the Trump administration's rollback of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives within the federal government. This hour, we’re joined by a panel of experts to talk about Black History Month and what it means today. GUESTS: Kevin Gaines: Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice and Interim Director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia. Christina Greer: Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University Michael Harriot: founder of ContrabandCamp and bestselling author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America In this episode, the guests mention several Black Americans who have made an impact on U.S. history. Here are some of the names if you want to learn more: Ella Baker, Mary McLeod Bethune, George Washington Carver, James Chaney, Septima Clark, John Henrik Clarke, David Dennis Sr, Fannie Lou Hamer, Steven Henson, bell hooks, Barbara Jordan, Garrett Morgan, Constance Baker Motley, Gloria Naylor, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Gloria Richardson, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Jo Ann Robinson, Cleveland Sellers, Robert Smalls, The students in the court case Edwards v. South Carolina, Ida B. Wells-BarnettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Final week of (official) Black History Month and we are having a party I mean episode for the epic badass Fannie Lou Hamer. If you are able, please consider supporting the show or just follow us over on Patreon as social media gets more toxic and fashy. Follow Benji on BlueskyFollow Tori on Bluesky
As part of our Black History Month Rewind at Ms. Studios, we're revisiting some of our favorite past episodes. First up, we're taking a look of voting rights and voter suppression, revisiting an episode recorded ahead of the 2020 presidential election. At the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, voting activist and civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer described the violent injustice she and others had endured while living under the South's Jim Crow rules and fighting for the right to vote: “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!”Over 50 years later, ahead of the 2020 election, we see record early voting across the country. Even so, serious efforts aimed at voter suppression persist, including curbing access to mail-in voting and shutting down polling locations.So, what are the biggest threats to voting rights today? How is voter suppression showing up in the 2020 election? What can we do to ensure that our elections remain free and fair?Joining us to discuss these issues are some very special guests:Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Clarke leads one of the nation's most important national civil rights organizations in the pursuit of equal justice for all. She is the author of Barack Obama and African American Empowerment: The Rise of Black America's New Leadership.Judge Glenda Hatchett, who served as senior attorney at Delta Airlines before becoming the chief presiding judge of Fulton County Georgia Juvenile Court in Atlanta. Her law firm, the Hatchett Firm, represented Philando Castille's estate in the wake of his tragic death. She presides over the two-time Emmy-nominated courtroom series, Judge Hatchett, now in its 16th season. Most recently, she has returned to TV in her new television court series, The Verdict with Judge Hatchett.Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center—and the first Black woman to hold that title. She is an active participant on the governance council of the Southern Movement Assembly, and an organizer with Concerned Citizens for Justice. She has served on the National Council of the Student Environmental Action Coalition.Check out this episode's landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show
Valentine's Day, Kendrick Lamar, Fannie Lou Hamer
Do the names Fannie Lou Hamer or Barbara Jordan mean anything to you? Well, they should, and so should their achievements as trailblazing black women in politics. Dr. Christina Greer, Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University and co-host of the podcasts FAQ NYC and In The Thick, joins Bradley to discuss her new book about Hamer and Jordan, How to Build a Democracy, plus a check-in on the NYC mayor's race, how to filter Trump news, and what Democrats should do to get back on their feet.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter, follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube, be sure to order his new book, Vote With Your Phone.
In this powerful episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor sits down with Emmy-winning filmmaker Robin Hamilton for a deep dive into the art of storytelling, social justice, and the impact of documentary filmmaking. Robin shares her journey from journalism to filmmaking, her passion for uncovering untold stories, and the responsibility filmmakers have in shaping conversations about history and justice. Together, they explore the significance of Fannie Lou Hamer's legacy, the challenges of tackling difficult histories, and the bravery required to address controversial topics. Robin reflects on how storytelling can be a tool for healing, resistance, and change—especially in today's turbulent socio-political climate. Whether you're a filmmaker, history enthusiast, or just love compelling stories, this episode is packed with inspiration, insight, and motivation to tell stories that truly matter. Robin's Recommended books: “Memoir of a Race Traitor” by Mab Segrest. Link: Memoir of a Race Traitor | The New Press “This Little Light of Mine: the Life of Fannie Lou Hamer” by Kay Mills. Link: https://library.si.edu/donate/adopt-a-book/little-light-mine DocuView Déjà Vu Robin: "Odessa's Reign", 2021, Short Film, 22 mins, Watch trailer on Around Robin Production Company IMDB Link: Odessa's Reign (2021) - IMDb “13th” , 2016, 100mins, Watch on Netflix, IMDB Link: 13th (2016) - IMDb Timecodes: ⏳ 01:00 – Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking & Current Events
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we are again shining the spotlight on the remarkable life of Fannie Lou Hamer. As a small child, her hard labor was key to her family's survival. She grew up to become a fiery civil rights activist who would not be silenced by intimidation, violence, or the personal wishes of the President of the United States himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this special MLK Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Prof. Lerone Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford University and Director of the MLK Research and Education Institute. Dr. Martin offers deep insights into the life and legacy of Dr. King. He explores MLK's role as a spiritual and political leader, advocating for nonviolent protest and “soul force.” Prof. Martin discusses the dynamic between Dr. King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and figures like Bob Moses and Fannie Lou Hamer. He highlights how MLK's understanding of history, literature, poetry, and hymns influenced his iconic speeches, including the famous “I Have a Dream” address. Dr. Martin then delves into MLK's struggles in Birmingham, the challenges he faced from FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and his "Mountaintop" speech before his assassination. Prof. Martin also examines the Civil Rights Movement's impact on both Southern and Northern cities and its place in contemporary education, urging policymakers, schools, and parents to learn from MLK's teachings.
So much Good Black News: Simone Biles is Sportsperson of the Year; POTUS decorates Denzel and Magic and Fannie Lou Hamer with the Medal of Freedom; Viola and Zoe win at The Golden Globes; NAACP nominations; why I cried during Beyonce Bowl; the House Ethics Committee blows up Matt Gaetz spot; the reframing of January 6; Kamala Harris endures more than any one woman should. ABOUT ME: http://www.demetrialucas.com/about/ STAY CONNECTED: IG: demetriallucas Twitter: demetriallucas FB: demetriallucas YouTube: demetriallucas Go to https://homechef.com/ratchet for 18 free meals and free dessert for life! Secure your online data TODAY by visiting https://expressvpn.com/ratchet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
So much Good Black News: Simone Biles is Sportsperson of the Year; POTUS decorates Denzel and Magic and Fannie Lou Hamer with the Medal of Freedom; Viola and Zoe win at The Golden Globes; NAACP nominations; why I cried during Beyonce Bowl; the House Ethics Committee blows up Matt Gaetz spot; the reframing of January 6; Kamala Harris endures more than any one woman should.ABOUT ME:http://www.demetrialucas.com/about/STAY CONNECTED: IG: demetriallucasTwitter: demetriallucasFB: demetriallucasYouTube: demetriallucasGo to https://homechef.com/ratchet for 18 free meals and free dessert for life!Secure your online data TODAY by visiting https://expressvpn.com/ratchet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to 19 recipients, including actor Denzel Washington, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and posthumously, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. The ceremony took place in the White House East Room, where Biden praised the recipients for their contributions to America's fabric. Established in 1945, the Medal of Freedom was modernized by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 to honor figures like Marian Anderson, the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Longtime Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden during a White House ceremony on Thursday. Thompson, 76, whose congressional career spans over 30 years, has long been a defender of democracy. As former chairman of the Jan. 6 House Select Committee and the first Black chair of the Homeland Security Committee, Thompson's leadership earned praise on Capitol Hill. Thompson worked alongside icons like Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis. His legacy, rooted in advancing civil rights and defending the U.S. Constitution, made him a fitting recipient of this honor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let's be honest: this Holiday season doesn't hit the same. This session holds space for processing all of the feelings washing over us. Dr. Johns reflects on the origins of the pod in search of lessons to survive under legislated sub-humanization. He processes out loud messages shared by ancestors like James Baldwin, who names the rage those of us who are relatively conscious are righteous in feeling and Fannie Lou Hamer, who reminds us that none of us are free unless and until all of us are free. He also shares grounding books, including Michael Singer's The Untethered Soul, Sonbufu Some's The Spirit of Intimacy and Bayard Rustin's FBI Files. Toplines and takeaways include guarding your joy and owning your power; celebrating that we have nothing to lose but our chains (shout out to Assata); finding safety and security in community; and remaining focused on Black Facts, including we're much closer to freedom than they want us to believe. Black Facts www.nbjc.org/BlackFacts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance report, more than 2.4 million STIs were reported in 2023. While data suggest the STI epidemic is slowing on a national level. Locally, STI infections remain high in Georgia. HealthyMD co-founders Clifford W. Knights II and Steve Vixamar, discuss their efforts to provide sexual healthcare for underserved communities and the opening of their new clinic at 6170 Old National Highway, College Park, Ga. 30349. Plus, we revisit Rose’s conversation Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The award-winning actor portrayed voting and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in the short film “Fannie. ” Ellis-Taylor shares why she views Hamer as a prophet and a freedom rights warrior.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textAct One Podcast - Episode 44 - Interview with Director and Screenwriter, Christine Swanson.Christine Swanson is the writer/director of the new film, ALBANY ROAD, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry and Lynn Whitfield. The film is about a New York executive who is forced to share a rental car with her ex-fiancé's mother, only to discover that the mother is hiding a major secret. The film is being released in theaters on November 15th.A visionary storyteller from Detroit, multiple award-winning director Christine Swanson earned her MFA in Film from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, one of the nation's top-ranked graduate film programs. Recognized early as a talented filmmaker, Christine was selected by NYU faculty as the Willard T.C. Johnson Fellow, the most prestigious fellowship given to the student who has achieved high standards in his or her work. CNN identified Christine as one of the most promising filmmakers to emerge from NYU's graduate film program since Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Oliver Stone and Spike Lee (Christine's NYU directing teacher). Christine earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame, double majoring in Film Theory and Japanese. She was chosen by the Notre Dame Alumni Association as The Rev. Arthur S. Harvey Award recipient, acknowledging her achievements in the arts. Christine has developed, written and/or directed entertainment projects for HBO Films, Lionsgate, Universal Television, Warner Bros. Television, CBS Television Studios, TV One, A&E Networks, BET Films, Starz and Faith Filmworks. Christine's movie directing credits include the network and cable television records breaking The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel, starring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis. The film won “Best TV Movie” from the African American Film Critics Association and the Satellite TV Award for “Best Television Movie.” The film was nominated for five NAACP Image Awards including “Outstanding Directing in a Television Motion Picture” for Christine and a Critics' Choice Awards Nomination for “Best Television Movie.” Christine also directed Aunjanue Ellis in their powerful short film, Fannie, about the ground-breaking testimony of human, voting and civil rights icon, Fannie Lou Hamer, in front of the Democratic National Convention's Credentials Committee in 1964. Fannie earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for “Outstanding Short Form Film" and won two awards at the Bronzelens Film Festival (best acting and best short). Christine has also directed All About You, All About Us, To Hell and Back, Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (which broke network ratings as the most watched original movie in the network's history) and For the Love of Ruth, for which Christine earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for “Outstanding Directing in a Television Motion Picture.” In addition to writing the above movies, Christine was a screenwriter for Woman Thou Art Loosed. Christine recently completed her award- winning feature film, Albany Road which stars Hamilton star Renee Elise Goldsberry and the legendary Lynn Whitfield. Some of Christine's television directing credits include episodes of Chicago P.D., P- Valley, FBI, All American, All American: Homecoming, Found, MacGyver, Sweet Magnolias, Bel-Air, BMF and Roswell, New Mexico. Her memorable episode of Chicago P.D., entitled “Black and Blue,” was rated “Best Episode” of Season 6 by Fansided. The Act One Podcast provides insight and inspiration on the business and craft of Hollywood from a Christian perspective.Support the show
DateNovember 10, 2024SynopsisIn this sermon, we journey with Fannie Lou Hamer, whose unwavering faith and resilience amid adversity offer profound lessons in justice and courage for anyone who has ever felt marginalized or weary from the struggle against injustice. Through her inspiring story and the lens of Hebrews 11:1, we explore how faith serves as our foundation, standing under us, especially when the world feels unsteady. This message invites us to reflect on our role in creating change, reminding us of Hamer's powerful conviction: "You can pray until you faint, but if you don't get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap."ReferencesScripture: John 1:1–5, Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16 About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email us at hello@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.
Tickets are available for our New York Comedy Festival edition of the critically acclaimed show, "Drunk Black History" at www.drunkblackhistory.com! Join us on Friday, November 8th at Littlefield in Brooklyn, New York!On this bonus mini episode, Brandon touches on the legacy of American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement Fannie Lou Hammer! This episode is sponsored by Caliber! Check out their product at https://www.caliberbrand.com/drunkblackhistoryDBH Links:- https://www.instagram.com/officialdrunkblackhistory- https://www.drunkblackhistory.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/@drunkblackhistory- https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/16706941-dbh-logoHosts:Brandon Collins "Drunk Black History" is a production of Casa de Collins LLC. Music by Slot-A.
Tickets are available for our New York Comedy Festival edition of the critically acclaimed show, "Drunk Black History" at www.drunkblackhistory.com! Join us on Friday, November 8th at Littlefield in Brooklyn, New York!On this bonus mini episode, Brandon touches on the legacy of American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement Fannie Lou Hammer! This episode is sponsored by Caliber! Check out their product at https://www.caliberbrand.com/drunkblackhistoryDBH Links:- https://www.instagram.com/officialdrunkblackhistory- https://www.drunkblackhistory.com/ - https://www.youtube.com/@drunkblackhistory- https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/16706941-dbh-logoHosts:Brandon Collins "Drunk Black History" is a production of Casa de Collins LLC. Music by Slot-A.
Full of careful wisdom from Rev Dr Israel and great help from Amy answering the questions that make you squirm. We loved this mic drop moment from Israel:"It's not political correctness. It's kingdom correctness."We're walking parents through the differences, the similarities and the sad: church in a cinema, "that's not fair" and kids being mean.Ed Drew is the director of Faith in Kids.Amy Smith is a writer for Faith in Kids.Rev Dr Israel Olofinjana is originally from Nigeria. He came to the UK to pursue a calling to be a reverse missionary, bringing the Gospel back to the UK. He's married and is a parent to 2 lovely young children (3 and 6). Israel is a theologian, former church leader and director of the One People Commission for the Evangelical Alliance; working to unite the ethnically and culturally diverse church. He is a leading figure in the UK church on unity and ethnic diversity.ResourcesFind out more about Daniels Ekarte and Wangari Maathai here:Daniels EkarteWangari MaathaiSome great books from the Good Book Company about Betsy Stockton, Fannie Lou Hamer and Marie Fearing:Betsey StocktonFannie Lou HamerMaria FearingOur brand new “Growing Up” Resources are out NOW for parents and churches to use together as we help our children grow up in today's world, with God's word as their guide. Head to faithinkids.org for all the details on this excellent series. They're growing up fast so come on, let's share God's good story.Support the show
Send us a textBHMD Podcast presented by #NeemaBarnette is back with Season 4, episode 5 featuring our “October Mini Docs Preview”, spotlighting our new doc on scientist George Carruthers, and Youtube premiers of our Dick Gregory, and Fannie Lou Hamer mini docs. Hosted by the curator of BHMD, #ReedRMcCants. Watch more videos at: blackhistoryminidocs.com#blackhistoryeveryday #blackhistory #blackexcellence #minidocs #NeemaBarnette #ReedRMcCants #BlackHistoryMiniDocs #freedomfighters #history #unsung #historyfacts #historylovers
We reached back a few years to again shine the spotlight on this remarkable woman. Fannie Lou Hamer began life as a small child whose hard labor was key to her family's survival. She grew up to become a fiery civil rights activist who would not be silenced by intimidation, violence, or the personal wishes of the President of the United States himself. This episode is sponsored in part by: Factor Meals: 50% off your first box with code hc50 Osea skin care: 10% off your first order with code CHICKS at OSEAMalibu.com Lume Deodorant: 15% off all Lume products with code CHICKS LolaVie hair care: 15% off with code CHICKS15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How should we approach disagreements when our deepest convictions and commitments are challenged or questioned? A healthy society is built around the ability to navigate these kinds of disagreements with responsibility and respect, but in our increasingly polarized society, it's becoming harder and harder to cultivate the habits, skills, and virtues that can keep us united amid our vehement disagreements. In this episode Mark welcomes legal scholar and law professor John Inazu to discuss how to approach disagreement with wisdom, care, and a commitment to the well-being of the other. John is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. He speaks and writes frequently about pluralism, assembly, free speech, and religious freedom. His latest book is Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. Together Mark and John discuss the role of fear management when approaching difficult conversations; how to appreciate the complexity and diversity of perspectives in others; the role of empathy in communication; how to learn to disagree constructively in different life contexts from work to home to politics; how authority, power dynamics, and social roles factor in productive disagreements; the light and dark sides of civility; and how to navigate and negotiate our disagreements with compassion and love. About John Inazu John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. He teaches criminal law, law and religion, and various First Amendment courses. He writes and speaks frequently about pluralism, assembly, free speech, religious freedom, and other issues. John has written three books—including Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (Zondervan, 2024) and Liberty's Refuge: The Forgotten Freedom of Assembly (Yale University Press, 2012)—and has published opinion pieces in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, USA Today, Newsweek, and CNN. He is also the founder of the Carver Project and the Legal Vocation Fellowship and is a senior fellow with Interfaith America. Show Notes Get your copy of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (https://www.jinazu.com/learning-to-disagree) John Inazu's background as a legal scholar and expert on first amendment rights, including the freedom to assemble peaceably, or “the right to peaceful assembly” How to learn from lawyers about how to disagree How does fear factor into communicating through disagreement? What neuroscience has taught as about fear “I can understand why you feel that…” Well-practiced habits Be prepared to engage differently Learning how to practice communication outside of a toxic social media or online context Empathy and the complexity of others' views Canadian psychological research on empathy Avoiding abstraction in order to cultivate empathy David Brooks's book, How to Know a Person How to understand fundamental versus surface-level differences Heated political issues and the social roles we inhabit Power dynamics, authority, and responsibility Power dynamics in the classroom How to approach disagreement in political protests on college campuses, e.g., Columbia University “Part of that responsibility is recognizing that people are hurting in very deep ways. … We're not talking about abstractions or debating some historical event, we're talking about real felt emotions.” “I'm aware that the capacity for interpersonal interaction has fallen off and it becomes more and more a school, or an environment, or a culture in which disagreement is not allowed.” Civility as a virtue or a vice? Purely cognitive rationality vs complex, emotional passions Fannie Lou Hamer and playing by a different set of social norms and rules Polarization and political tensions in partisan America “Totalizing positions” and the shrinking possibility of genuine communications Shirley Mullen's book, Claiming the Courageous Middle How to uphold convictions without surrendering any ultimate truth claims How John Inazu has been shaped, formed, and influenced Curiosity and patience Close relationships that do formative work The Antidote for our cultural moment: “A lot of very small and very personal efforts where individual lives change postures … and contribute to social change with storytelling and exemplars and costly practices.” Small incremental steps: Jesus's metaphor that the Kingdom of God is like yeast What would happen if American Christians started listening to the global church? What is the role of the imagination in learning to disagree? Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.
Summary In this episode, host, Melody and Monica discuss the excitement and hope surrounding Kamala Harris's nomination as the Democratic vice presidential candidate. They highlight the importance of representation and the need for black women to be seen in leadership roles. They also address the challenges and criticisms that Kamala Harris faces, including racism and sexism. The conversation emphasizes the significance of using one's voice and vote to support candidates who align with their values and will work towards positive change. Takeaways - Representation matters, and Kamala Harris's nomination as the Democratic vice presidential candidate is a significant step towards normalizing black women in leadership roles. - Black women face unique challenges, including racism and sexism, and it is important to support and uplift them in their pursuit of political office. - It is crucial to do thorough research and fact-checking to combat misinformation and make informed decisions when voting. - Black women's issues, such as equal pay and housing insecurity, need to be addressed and improved upon. - Using one's voice and vote is essential in advocating for change and holding elected officials accountable. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full podcast videos @ HNTT PRODUCTIONS! Subscribe to our podcast to receive alerts as we drop new episodes on Spotify and Apple podcasts! Please rate our podcast and leave us a review!
**Come to our first ever live show! In Boston, on Friday, September 13th. Tickets are available now!**Welcome to Conventions Week! From time to time this election year, we're going to do some special series that highlight the rhythm of an election cycle. This week, as the Democrats are meeting in Chicago, we are looking at conventions, which are very strange affairs! Today, an episode from the archives about a legendary DNC moment.///It's August 23rd. On this day in 1964, Mississippi activist Fannie Lou Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention about her efforts to be recognized as part of the MS delegation. President Lyndon B Johnson, sensing that Hamer's speech was getting attention, scheduled impromptu remarks.Jody and Niki are joined by Kellie Carter Jackson of Wellesley to talk about Hamer's remarks, legacy, and whether dramatic showdowns like this are even possible at modern conventions.This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Our website is thisdaypod.com Follow us on social @thisdaypod
Bakari is joined on day two in Chicago by Jasmine Wright, politics reporter at NOTUS. They chat about the importance of Black female journalists covering Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer, and the legacies of figures such as Jesse Jackson and Fannie Lou Hamer. They also recap the best speeches from night one, discuss the political future of rising stars in the Democratic Party like Senator Raphael Warnock and Representative Jasmine Crockett, and explain what they're most looking forward to in the week ahead. Host: Bakari Sellers Guest: Jasmine Wright Producer: Clifford Augustin Executive Producer: Jarrod Loadholt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AP correspondent Ben Thomas reports Vice President Kamala Harris is accepting the Democrats' presidential nomination Thursday, exactly 60 years after another Black woman made an indelible mark on the Democratic National Convention.
Tonight on The ReidOut: Joy Reid leads with the theme of "standing on the shoulders of giants." We start with the voices of Black trailblazers like Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm, and then discuss Kamala Harris preparing for her historic nomination to be president of the United States. Also tonight, Donald Trump continues to show a strange lack of respect for America's men and women in uniform, once again denigrating our veterans. Listen now to this edition of The ReidOut on MSNBC.
We've missed you all! We're back with our 5th season! Given the state of our world, Mom and I are centering the urgnecy of rooting in God's radical love; our guiding verse of scripture this season is 1 Cornithians 13:13 - "And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Throughout this episode, we discuss embodying God's call to love radically, building beloved community, connecting more deeply with God in prayer (and some ways to do this), while also centering prayer for the many who are suffering in Palestine (hostages both Israeli and Palestinian), Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and here, within the U.S. as we live through election season. Mom and I also uplift some upcoming guests this season - Lindsey Krinks, co-founder of Open Table Nashville (outreach and advocacy for persons experiencing homelessness) and author of Praying with our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets, Kaitlin Johnstone, co-founder of Kind Cotton (tees and merch. that powers the distribution of inclusive books for kids across the country), Porsche Veu (@ThePoeticActivist - poet, speaker, educator and artist) and Christians for a Free Palestine, among others. And this Disability Pride Month, we hear the voice of disabled Chrisitan civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer who said: "Nobody's free, until everybody's free." Resources Mentioned during this Epsiode: Three Ways to Show Up for Disability Pride Month, a blog post written by our co-host, Emelda "E" for her small business and communinity, When Motherhood Looks Different, LLC, inspired by her daughter Nai who is neurodivergent. Check out this article on disabled voices of faith to start learning from today, including My Body is not a Prayer Request by Amy Kenny and Dr. Hardwick, The Autism Pastor. Friends of Congo Munther Isaac and Christ at the Checkpoint Sudanese American Physicians Association Rabbis4Ceasefire Pray with our Feet Shop: Check out our online shop - official podcast tee, Pray with our Feet, The Revolution Needs our Joy tee, our water bottles, and more! Use the discount Code CELEBRATE5 for free shipping until Sunday, September 1! Move It Forward Monday IG Live Series - @PrayWithOurFeet New season of our Move it Forward Monday IG Live series (now bi-monthly); the latest chat on Trauma-Informed Activism & Healing is with Kimberly Brazwell, founder of KiMISTRY, a story strategy firm that specializes in trauma informed social justice. One of her latest offerings (which is a series of books) -Jotnal Book (The Phoenix Edition), grounds us in this practice. Special thank you to my husand Keston De Coteau, for podcast production; he is an award-winning videographer and photographer.
Find me and the show on social media. Click the following links or search @DrWilmerLeon on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! FULL TRANSCRIPT: Wilmer Leon (00:00): I am back. I'm back. I went to what I'm calling Cult Fest 2024, also known as the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That was a site to behold. But with all that said, president Joe Biden has decided not to pursue a second term for 2024. Without a primary, without an open process, vice President Kamala Harris has quickly become the Democrat's. Presumptive nominee. Is this democracy or a Bernie Sanders? Redo. Stay tuned. We're going to answer those questions, Announcer (00:41): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:49): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon. I'm Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they are current, a vacuum failing to understand the broader historical context in which most events take place. During each episode, my guests and I have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between these events and the broader historic context in which they occur, thus enabling you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live. On today's episode, the issue before us is the 2024 presidential election and how the Democrats are selecting their nominee. My guest is Tom Porter. He's a lifelong activist and scholar, former dean of the African-American Studies Department at Ohio University, former director of the King Center in Atlanta, former host of morning conversations with Tom Porter. Tom Porter. Welcome back to podcast, my brother. (01:57) So Tom, as I said in the open President, Joe Biden has decided not to pursue a second term for 2024 without a primary, without an open process. Vice President Kamala Harris has quickly become the Democrat's presumptive nominee. I believe she has now amassed the requisite delegates in order to become officially the nominee on July 8th. Clinton advisor, James Carville, who is one tricky, somebody wrote a piece entitled Biden Won't Win, Democrats need a Plan. Here's one wherein he wrote, the Jig is Up, and the sooner Mr. Biden and Democratic leaders accept this, the better we need to move forward. But it can't be by anointing Vice President, Kamala Harris or anyone else as the presumptive democratic nominee. We've got to do it in the open, the exact opposite of what Donald Trump wants us to do. Tom, it doesn't appear, at least at this point that the Dems are listening to Carville Tom Porter (03:09): And they shouldn't. Wilmer Leon (03:10): Okay? Tom Porter (03:11): And they shouldn't. I remember the most important black labor leader in the country came out of a meeting with Clinton Carville and Al from, and he said, Tom, they're a bunch of fascists. It is the Clinton Wing that took over the Democratic Party under the leadership of the Democratic Leadership Conference, which was made of Southern governors, which has gotten the Democratic Party in trouble ever since. And what that means is that CarVal didn't want Kamala Harris. That's what that means. It had nothing to do with the open process and what have you. He would know open if he had a can opener, Wilmer Leon (03:58): But to his point about an open process, because further on in that piece, he talks about Clinton and Obama selecting, I think it was eight potential nominees, and that they needed to have regional town halls where these individuals would travel the country explaining their policies, introducing themselves to the electorate, and then based upon that, an individual would be, I think the term was selected, Tom. Tom Porter (04:30): Well, the effect of it is one of the things that Jesse Jackson and the Jackson campaign of 1984 is instructive and people should study that more. What Jesse found out that even though he was leading the other presidential candidates, that the rules of the Democratic party was stacked against him. It was called front loading. So for CarVal, they throw the word around democracy. First of all, the America's never been a democracy. It was born in slavery, genocide of Native Americans, and still the land from the Mexican. So the fact of it is it only had the possibility of becoming a democracy, and it has yet to come there. So what car is talking about it seems very, very interesting. But he crow controls the process, controls the day, and I'll guarantee you that Clinton and CarVal and that bunch are not going to have any kind of process that they don't control. And so it may look like it. I mean, it looks like Biden was chosen. He was number four. How did he get past three candidates and become number one? It wasn't open process. And I tell you one thing carve out and nobody else said anything because he was their choice because they wanted to stop Bernie Sanders. Wilmer Leon (05:52): There are those who say that Joe Biden was selected not to defeat Donald Trump. Joe Biden was selected to defeat Bernie Sanders, Tom Porter (06:03): And you are absolutely right. And that is what they have done. They did it with Jesse in 84. The whole Jaime thing was just that a hoax. Jesse never said it in any kind of way that was demeaning towards the Jews, but the JDL disrupted interrupted Jesse's announcement when he announced that he was going to run for president and hounded us, us being me, Florence Tate and Jesse, who were three people called the road team. When Jesse first started running in 84, they hounded us to JDO every place we went. And before we got secret service protection, it was Farhan and the FOI that protected us. So they were after Jesse from the beginning. It's instructed for people to read the platform of the Rainbow Coalition because Jesse has had the most progressive populous campaign in the 20th century. Wilmer Leon (07:00): I'm glad you brought that up. This takes us a bit off topic, but I think it is relevant because James Clyburn and a group of African-American leadership went in and met with Biden a couple of weeks ago, and that's when Clyburn came out with the line, we Riding with Biden. And one of the things that I said as a result of that was, what did you get for that endorsement When you walked into the room and you sat down with Joe Biden, did you put your own project 2025 plan on the table and say, look, Joe, here's what we need. Here's what we want. Here's what we demand. You're going to sign this or we're going to go back out here and tell people that you just fell asleep in the meeting. I don't know what they got for that. And based upon the way that this whole thing has gone, it seems as though they were once again on the wrong side of history. So for you to say that people need to go back and read the plan from the Jackson campaign, and then we can even go back to the black political, the Gary Conference, Tom Porter (08:15): Gary Convention, that Wilmer Leon (08:17): There's enough data. Go ahead. Tom Porter (08:19): Those are two documents that people need to read. Not only read, but they need to update them. That is the agenda that came out of the Gary Convention and Jesse Jackson's platform. Not only was Jesse's platform the most advanced in 1984, when I left the university, I was looking for something to do, so I decided to run for Congress and Jackie Jackson called me Jesse's wife and said, Jesse wants to meet with you. And I was in Cincinnati running for Congress, and I went to Chicago, spent the night at Jesse's house the day before 1983, and that's when Jesse asked me if I would work with him in the campaign. But I ran for Congress in Ohio and I ran in two counties that were 99% white and blacks and white in Cincinnati, which was a big city, said, don't go out there, show your literature, but don't show your face. Long story short, Mondell was at the top of the ticket. I got 2000 more votes than he did in Brown County and a thousand more than he did in Claremont County. He was at the top of stick. He was supposed to ticket, he was supposed to help me. The fact of it is it was just as populism that got basically these working class, mostly Republican whites to get behind Jesse because of his platform. It was a very populous platform to the left. Trump came along with a populous platform from the Wilmer Leon (09:52): Right, from Tom Porter (09:53): The right. And so the Democratic Party, instead of embracing Jesse's platform, which came out of the Gary Convention, instead of embracing it, they moved the leadership of the Democratic Party to the Democratic Leadership Conference and hired all of Jesse's people and gave them jobs which are meaningless jobs, moved the structure from the party someplace else. But these Negroes became deputy. This deputy, I call their names, but I don't want to, some of my still call friends, but they drank the Kool-Aid. And if you read some of the press around Clinton and his crew Al from, and James Carve, one theme was We don't need Jesse Jackson anymore. They marginalized Jesse so much so that in the convention in New York, Jesse didn't have a VIP pass. He had to come through the door like everybody else. That's Clinton and his crew, and Nancy Pelosi and Clyburn and all of the Negroes come out of that. Obama's position was to negate the progress and the black leadership that had gone before he calling Dr. King a simple country preacher, he couldn't carry Dr. King's dirty underwear. Wilmer Leon (11:12): Well, in fact, wait a minute. First of all is that negating the negation is the one question. And to your point, you can go and read President Obama's acceptance speech at the Nobel where he talks about Dr. King and then says, but I'm an American president. I have a different set of concerns that I must address. You don't quote Dr. King and then say, yeah, but you say, yeah, yeah. Tom Porter (11:43): But his job was to negate the advances that had been made and our responsibility, and this is what this generation of young people, when Joe Biden has to pass the torch, but not pass the torch, the Hakeem Jeffries and that crew, we have to negate them, which is called a negation of the negation, which is an affirmation of something at a high level Wilmer Leon (12:11): Because two negatives make a positive. Tom Porter (12:13): That's right. That's right. And so getting back to where we are now, of course Kamala Harris was not chosen as a result of some democratic process, and one would not expect that coming from the Nancy Pelosi, bill Clinton and them. And so the responsibility of this generation of young people and young people have actually shown from the mass worldwide protests around the George Floyd lynching, Greta and Climate can change the mass protests around the war and Gaza, the mass women protests around the world. There's a new populism that is emerging. And if Kamala Harris does not pick somebody to be the vice president to the left of her, she may have problems. Wilmer Leon (13:16): Now, when you say to the left of her, that's a very, very interesting designation because there are many who will say she is the left, that she was the left to Biden. And by the way, folks, Tom mentioned the Democratic Leadership Council, Joe Biden was an instrumental part of that as well. Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Joe Biden, they were all Nancy Pelosi. They were all part instrumental parts of moving the Democratic Party from the left. They want to say center, but it was actually to the right. So Tom, what do you say to those that say, oh, wait a minute, wait a minute, Mr. Porter, vice President Harris, it's to the left of Joe Biden. Tom Porter (14:03): It wouldn't be difficult. (14:07) I mean that's a distinction without a difference. They say Twi D and Twiddly dumb. She was as a black person, as a black person, she would have to be given the history that she is a part of, be the left of most white candidates. But at the same time, she was not on the left. And so for her to pick conventional wisdom is a bunch of Bs curse of all. Somebody's always been telling me, well, Tom, conventional wisdom or you don't understand real politics. I say, I'll tell you where you can go with both of those. So conventional wisdom says that she should pick somebody from a state that she needs a governor. The protests and the mass movements that are happening, the populous movements that are happening are to the left. And they're to the left because the Democratic party and the Republican party are so far to the right. But what used to be when we said left, we meant socialists or communism. (15:28) But the left today is anything left of the Democrat or Republican parties. But if she is to, there are two things that I think that are important now. One is the platform. One is the platform. I mean, she's going to be the vice president, the president nominee. That's a foregone conclusion because any of these other people who want to jump up, they can't go anywhere. What's this guy out of? West Virginia said that he was thinking about running, right? The base. Yeah. The base of the Democratic party is black and growing Hispanic, and he's not going to get any votes from them. And so for him to say that he might run and they know it. They know it. And that's why they use Clyburn in 2020 who just as he said, we riding with Biden, we know Joe and Joe know us. I mean some of that old coon foolishness. So they know they can't move without black folks. But the same time they hoping that they got other cly burns Wilmer Leon (16:45): And they know they can't move without black folks, but they never offer substantive legislation to demonstrate a commitment because for as much as they know they can't move without us. They don't want to appear to the broader demographic that they're with us. Tom Porter (17:11): Well, the fact of it is if they were true and honest, Jesse Jackson would've become leader of the Democratic Party just like Trump did. Obama could have become the leader of the Democratic Party, but that wasn't his job. His job was to look good. He and his wife while doing nothing, my daughter sent me a magazine cover the other day where Obama was on there, and it was something about the new generation of Kool. He was supposed to be the replacement for Miles Davis and Malcolm X, all of the black people. We considered to be cool just because they taught him how to dress and walk black and he could shoot a basketball. So he did not want to be head of the Democratic party. He liked his job. He had barbecues and all kind of black folks in the White House, and they line dance and did what they did, and then he came out and did nothing. So the key thing now for the Democrats, if they want to win, I wasn't going to vote for Joe Biden anyway, and I already said it, and anybody that co-signs what he did in Gaza, he could be running against the devil and I wouldn't vote for him or the devil, so I wasn't going to vote for him. (18:38) Kamala Harris, black people going on the glory, they went on the glory with Jesse Jackson. They went on the glory with Barack Obama because black people feel their late nationalism that when we get somebody black, we'll get a better deal if we get somebody white. But as they say, you might be my race, but you're not always my taste. But they're excited about Kamala Harris. They're all this money and black women on Facebook are putting on with camera. I don't have a problem with that. The problem is what's going to be the platform and is she going to choose somebody to the left of her a more populous candidate? Because if she's not going to do that, then what are we talking about more the same? And the other thing that the Democratic Party has to do in the new world that we live in, they've got to loosen the grips that the Israeli lobby has on the party. Wilmer Leon (19:38): What about, I want to quickly go back to the issue with the African-American women and this proclamation or this statement, this sentiment that Vice President Harris has earned the right to be the vice president. And that any attempt to either have a more open process or anything that might challenge that is a threat to black women, it's a threat to black womanhood. Your thoughts on these politics, this whole identity politics thing, because she's a black woman, now all of a sudden is hands off. Tom Porter (20:24): Yeah, I understand that sentiment, but I understand it. It's like with Obama, we knew we questioned Obama, but the black women said that Michelle would keep him in line. Remember that? Wilmer Leon (20:42): Oh yeah. Tom Porter (20:43): They said, Wilmer Leon (20:44): Because Michelle we're from Chicago. And when she said that, I said, oh, we got some straight gangsters up in this joint. We got some Tom Porter (20:52): Elkins. But it was also because she was darker Wilmer Leon (20:56): Than Tom Porter (20:56): Obama. And even though Obama himself said he was a mu mother, he was sure about one thing, and he really wasn't black. He was clear about that. So I understand the sentiment, but everything else in our politics we've got to be serious about. Wilmer Leon (21:20): Not sentimental. Tom Porter (21:22): Not sentimental. That's what Dr. King said and his great thing about power, he said love without power. He said, power without love is reckless, but love without power is weak, sentimental an anemic. And so I understand that everybody wants to see somebody. I'd like to see short guys run the world. I'm five six. Nobody's deeper than that. Wilmer Leon (21:53): No, Tom, it's taller than that. Tom Porter (21:57): You're absolutely right. So I understand the sentiment, but that's the reason why I tell people that you must study deeper. You can't be all form and no content because then you end up saying that Michelle is darker than Obama and therefore she'll keep him in line. They were both like Clinton and Hillary, which was their role model, latter Day Bunny and Clyde's. So I understand that sentiment, but unless they turn it into something, unless they talk about the platform, what is the platform going to look like? What is camera going to run on? I mean, I see her quietly distance herself from Netanyahu's visit. She's going to be in Indiana, but then she's going to secretly meet with him. It's not so much a secret. So we've got to be, these are very, very serious times. And as they say in my neighborhood in Ohio, now's not the time to be nut rolling. So these are very, very serious times. And so when we look at passing the torch, who are we passing the torch to? Not Hakeem Jeffries, not the rest of these niggas, Roland Martin, they're all getting in line. They're getting in line without even discussing the platform. Wilmer Leon (23:26): Well, first of all, could Kamala Harris get away with not meeting with Netanyahu, understanding the power of apac, not meet with Netanyahu and still win the election? Tom Porter (23:42): I think she could. Wilmer Leon (23:43): Okay. Tom Porter (23:44): I don't think, see, APAC has never been challenged, (23:49) And APAC represents that group in the Jewish community who attempts to control everything that they can, particularly in the black community, whether you're talking about the music, the culture, or what have you got to say it. We got to say it because if we don't say it, then we allow ourselves to be chumped. And the fact of it is, is that it's got to be challenged and she won't, but she can challenge it by who she picks and what the platform's going to be. In apacs power is basically through the media, the media and its money. It's not the numbers that they have that can put a candidate in office except maybe in New York City, but she won't. But that has to happen. We cannot allow a group of people to control significant aspects of our community and not say something about it. Wilmer Leon (24:58): Wait a minute. And to that point, to those that listening to this conversation, want to jump on the antisemitism train and accuse us of being antisemitic, APAC said, and you can go back and look it up in the newspaper, they were going to invest 100 million into the Democratic primary process to be sure that they would unseat or prevent from winning candidates whose politics were to the left, and that they deemed to be anti-Israel. That's not us making this up. That's them making the declaration. All we're doing is highlighting and calling your attention to what they said. So we're not making this up. Tom Porter (25:51): I let those kinds of conversations roll off my back that you anti-Semitic, the same way when somebody says, if we get into disagreement and the first thing they go to is you got a Napoleonic complex. And my answer to that, would I be wrong if I was tall? So you can't be afraid of all these things because they going to come at you anyhow. I said to Jesse, when the ING thing came up, I said, man, just don't cop to that. And some of the people who were around him told him to cop to that. It was the biggest mistake that he ever made because they never heard him said it, and he never said it in a derogatory way. About, on the other hand, in our first meeting in New York, Percy Sutton met us before we were supposed to meet with the Jewish leaders of New York with a yako on his head telling us how we had to talk and act in front of the Jews in New York. So look, I don't pay any attention to that. We have to challenge, we have to cash all checks when it comes to us. And it has to be a Pan-African perspective where we really, where the continent and blacks in the new world. We've got to challenge those things that oppress us because if not in this serious time, Trump them are going for all of the marbles. Wilmer Leon (27:18): Yes, they are. I mean, Tom Porter (27:19): They're going for all of the marvels, and there's enough Democrats, white Democrats who will side with that stuff. Because quite frankly, where we are right now, in order to solve the world's problems, we have to understand two things. Who's been in charge of the world for the last 400 years? White men look at the state of the world. They forfeited the right to run the world, but you're not going to give up just because you enslaved. A bunch of people stole the land from the Native Americans. If we give up, we'd have to give up what we got. It's too bad, but we not giving that up. And that's what trumped them. That's what Hitler was riding on. That's what Trump didn't riding on. We don't want to give. Democracy is what it means to pay reparations, give some of the land back to the neighborhood. What the hell with democracy? That's what they're saying. Wilmer Leon (28:13): I want to quickly go back to your point about challenging APAC and other type of organizations, and I want to tie it to what's going on in Gaza now nine months into that conflict. And the Zionist government of Israel has been taken a ass whooping for nine months straight. And so this whole mythology of the invincibility of the IDF, that they're this phenomenal military force and they're getting their ass whooped. And so the whole mythology behind this thing is being exposed. And so just as it's being exposed there, it's being exposed here. The question is, are we willing to do what we have to do to challenge that mythology in alliance with those that are fighting in Gaza? Does that make sense? Tom Porter (29:12): Sure, it makes sense. Well, the fact of it is, given the geopolitical alignment in the world today with China and Russia and Brazil and different formations coming together, even the EU who has been lockstep with Israel, the eu, it can no longer hold to that position because without Africa, Europe is broke in terms of the resources. And so the Israel, where it appears to be winning because of the devastation that it is reaping on the Palestinian people, there will be a reckoning, and it's coming slow, but it is coming even among the evangelicals who say that the rapture will come when Israel is safe and secure within its borders, and then Israel will be destroyed. Wilmer Leon (30:12): Look at Yemen. Look at what Yemen has been able to extract or the force that they've been able to exact upon in terms of their involvement in this process. A small Yemen is considered to be the poorest country in the world. They control the Red Sea. They're sending missiles 1200, 1400 miles across Saudi Arabia and decimating important ports that Israel controls. The whole dynamic is shifting. So with that, when you look, you've talked about the platform. I remember when the platform committee meetings used to be broadcast on television, and I used to sit and listen to 'em. I know I need to get a life, but I used to sit and listen to 'em. That's not happening anymore. So how does a candidate, Harris, what type of platform does she articulate having sat there for years while the Biden administration is involved in genocide, while the Biden administration has wasted trillions of dollars in Ukraine, how does she formulate a platform that takes us away from that failed, attempted world domination and moves us closer to the direction that the world is actually going as in bricks in the South and the Chinese? Tom Porter (31:47): Well, as if we look at the Middle East, Wilmer Leon (31:52): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is what I was trying to get to. Go Tom Porter (31:55): Ahead. If we look at the Middle East, Wilmer Leon (31:59): Is that a reasonable question to Tom Porter (32:01): Ask? Not only is a reasonable question to ask, but it's a reasonable question to expect that it be answered. You can't allow a small country in the Middle East, which was settled by people who were not from, that had no connection to the original inhabitants of the Middle East to control the future of the Western world women. There's a movie called Rollover, and this was when the Arabs dominated the money thing through it started Kris Christoff and James Fonder and the Greenspan character played by Hume Cronin. At one point, the Arabs were not going to roll over the money, and Hume Cronin said, you are playing with the end of the world. That's where we're at. You can't allow a group of people since Jesus time to control your system in the way that these people do, because it won't work with people talking about if they leave the dollar, Wilmer Leon (33:26): Which they are doing, Tom Porter (33:28): Which they're doing, somebody else loses their influence because there's nothing back in the dollar to begin with talking Wilmer Leon (33:38): About other than more dollars. Tom Porter (33:38): Yeah, talking about only a paper Moon Wilmer Leon (33:45): And Tom, people really need to understand for it because it's not really being articulated here in the Western media. Again, the power of the bricks, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now about seven or eight other countries have joined the organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, those two as quiet as is kept in the West man, they kicked the French out of Niger. You look at the development of the Sahel cooperation organization, man, they are kicking ass and taking names. They are finally moving beyond flag independence, and they are now actually taking control of their economies and they are taking control of their countries and they are kicking the west out. Tom Porter (34:42): The Palestinian leadership met for two days in Beijing. I mean the world, one of the most popular soap operas used to be. As the world turns Wilmer Leon (34:55): In daily city, Tom Porter (34:58): The world is turning. And quite frankly, it's turning away. Not so much from the West, but from the ways of the West. And they don't get it. They don't get it. You can't put sanctions on the whole world without putting sanctions on yourself. You can't tell people they can't come to America, and you'd be welcome in Panama and Costa Rica and Brazil. It doesn't work like that. Or you'd be welcome in Africa. It doesn't really work like that. You tell the people they can't come. Well, clues the borders work both ways. We can open 'em and close, and you can't. I mean, the policies are so stupid in the West. I mean, it's almost particularly in the United States because they have sold this white nationalism for so long, they'd actually believe it themselves. The world is going on without them. Wilmer Leon (35:52): And to their point, I'm looking up here seeing if I could put my hands on it, but I can't quickly, Dr. Ron Walters wrote a book a while ago, white nationalism, black Interests, and I strongly suggest that people get ahold of it. To your point about the policy and the borders, which they say that the Biden administration put Kamala Harris in charge of the borders. I was at the RNC and this woman, Latinos for Trump is who I was talking to. And she was talking about the border, the border. The Democrats have just, I said, wait a minute, wait a minute. You are not even talking about the American foreign policy in these countries that is decimating their economies and forcing these people to leave their countries to come here. And she looked at me very puzzled and quizzical, and I said, lemme give you an example. Chiquita Banana last week was convicted in federal court in Florida of having sponsored death squads in Guatemala. So Chiquita Banana, a US corporation is killing Guatemalans, torturing Guatemalans. And that isn't motivation for them to leave their countries. She didn't even want to touch that, didn't want to Tom Porter (37:18): Touch it. I mean, it's very interesting that Trump would say that the people who are coming across the border are taking jobs from blacks and Latinos. Who does he think are coming across the border? Wilmer Leon (37:33): Oh, I asked her about Haitians. I said, the United States. Thank you. Hakeem Jeffries, thank you Kamala Harris, thank you. Linda Thomas Greenfield, the United States is trying to rein invade Haiti. Where are the Haitians supposed to go? Tom Porter (37:51): I mean, the fact of it is we have got to make sure and say to anybody that says that they represent us. Hakeem Jeffries, John Clyburn, governor Wilmer Leon (38:06): Gregory, Gregory Tom Porter (38:06): Meeks. Gregory Meeks, that if you're going to represent us, this is the platform brother. I mean, you had Hakeem Jeffries and Jonathan Jackson down here in Maryland supporting the guy from that owns Total Wine and Liquorice who was running for Senator Now, I dunno, Wilmer Leon (38:28): David Tron. Tom Porter (38:29): Yeah. And also Brooke. I didn't have no dogging hunt. But how do you come down here in this neighborhood and you support a white candidate who was no more distinguished than Officer Brook for what? Well, I know what Johnson Jackson did. He's in the same business. He's a liquor distributor and by man owns Total Wine. But I understand that he paid off some of Hakeem Jeffries and John campaign debts. So I don't know. But that's not representing us. You're not representing us if you're not on the side of the Palestinians. If you don't believe in the two state Wilmer Leon (39:10): Solution, Tom Porter (39:11): You're not representing us. If you don't understand what's happening in Africa or Haiti or Cuba, 70% of the people in Cuba of African descent. So you putting sanctions on your own people, you can't be co-signing that. And we got to say this, we got to negate the negation. We, as Margaret Walker said, let a new race of men and women rise and take control. That's what time it is. Wilmer Leon (39:38): So how do we get the presumptive right now, democratic nominee, Kamala Harris as a woman of color, as a multi-ethnic woman, Jamaican and Indian, how do we get her to speak to those issues? Tom Porter (40:02): First of all, we got to energize the black community because they're counting on that. And we've got to say to black women, these are the issues that we think, and there are black women who agree with us. These are the issues that we think that are important to the black community, and we need to have townhouses. We got to not only reenergize our black community, but we need to reenergize a movement because the struggle's not over. And we've got to put before, we can't just say that Kamala, you black, and therefore whatever you do is cool because it's not cool. Wilmer Leon (40:45): But that's the narrative right now, we are so ecstatic, and I'm speaking in the global, we are so ecstatic now that she is in this presumptive position and they are saying that she has earned the right to be there simply because she's black, because she's a woman and because she's been the VP for four years. But when you go back to when she ran for the number one slot, she was the first one out the race. She had zero delegates. She got less than 5% of the vote. Black people didn't even vote for her. Wait a minute. And final point, Tulsi Gabbard torched her ass in 45 seconds. And folks, I ain't hating. I'm just putting out the data, Tom. Tom Porter (41:39): Well, I mean she's earned the right as much as anybody else, but that's not really saying anything. Wilmer Leon (41:46): Okay? Tom Porter (41:47): It's not ever saying anything. The question is, now you here and this is what we're saying. Wilmer Leon (41:52): So what you going to do? Tom Porter (41:53): Yeah, this is what we're saying. We already went through Obama with this stuff and see, we got to quit accepting this notion of the first black to do this. The only reason why, I mean, you take the question of black quarterbacks. The only reason why there were no black quarterbacks in the NFL until there were some had absolutely nothing to do with. There were black quarterbacks, quarterback at junior high, black high schools and colleges ever since. There were some. And so the fact that you decide to let us in don't have anything to do with it because we've earned the right, we've earned the right. Our ancestors paid the price for us to be any damn thing. We want to be in this country. But now, if you're going to represent us, this is what we need at this point. And if you can't do that, it's okay. Do like Biden did go sit next to him while he's fishing, but we have got to have more programs like this. Too many people are not rolling in the press. You have people who, when I was in radio, well, you got to do both sides. There's no good side to slavery. I'm not even going to attempt that one so Wilmer Leon (43:04): Well. In fact, Tom, I've always, particularly when I started talking about Palestine, and I'd get calls from Jewish listeners who would tell me that I'm not balanced. And I said, no, I'm not trying to be balanced. I'm the counterbalance. Because anything that the positions that you want to articulate in the narrative that you want to hear, you get it in the Washington Post, you get it in the New York Times, you get it in the LA Times, you get it on M-S-N-B-C-I-A, you get it on CNN all day every day. So I don't have to present that because it's already presented. I'm the counter to that. And I think I got that from you, by the Tom Porter (43:46): Way. Well, it's very, very interesting. I was watching the BBC yesterday and the BBC hosts was saying, Kamala Harris is black and Asian, as if these would become factors. And she had an affair with Willie Brown. I mean, first of all, she's running against the cat who's damn near serial rapist Wilmer Leon (44:12): And admitted as such. Tom Porter (44:14): But then nobody mentioned that JD Vance's wife was Indian. Nobody talked about Nikki Haley being Indian. It only comes up with his black people Wilmer Leon (44:29): Who I talked to at the convention and was an empty can just full of talking points. Go ahead. Tom Porter (44:38): And so we going have to, the black community is going to have to defend her even if she doesn't want us to defend her because they coming at her. Wilmer Leon (44:49): Oh, no question. Tom Porter (44:50): They're coming at her and somebody's going to slip up and use the N word. Wilmer Leon (44:56): In fact, when I was at the convention, I was on the floor right after they nominated JD Vance, and that whole process ended the day session. I'm doing my standup with the convention floor in the background. And this other news entity had allowed us to use their standup space. And as I'm wrapping up, I say, I find it interesting that a guy who just three years ago was telling America that Donald Trump was the next thing to add off. Hitler is now going to be standing next to this add off Hitler as his vp. I said, how does that happen? And when I said that, the guy who allowed us to use his space came up and said, you guys got to go. You guys got to go. And we said, well, wait a minute. So anyway, but I raised all that to say that question. I'm not hearing many people ask, JD Vance said that Donald Trump was the next thing to Hitler, and he's now standing next to his Hitler. Tom Porter (46:13): Well, I say this about JD Vance and I put it on Facebook that he is either the white version of the Spook who sat by the door or he is the opportunist of the highest order. And I think it's probably a combination Wilmer Leon (46:28): Of nation of the two. Tom Porter (46:29): Yes, yes, yes. And I think Trump may be a little bit concerned now because Trump is in hot water because people don't like him now. They tolerate him. You think Mitch McConnell lacks Trump? Wilmer Leon (46:44): No. Oh, well see, in fact, I'm glad you said that because my advice to the Democrats right now is just put together a clip, a montage of JD Vance, of Little Marco Rubio of what's the dude from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, all of these folks who were, most of whom were sitting in Trump's box last week at Cult Fest 2024, which is also called the RNC Convention, put a montage of them, of Lindsey Graham saying, he's a narcissist, he's a bigot, he's an idiot. All of those put all that language Cruz, all the folks that were in that box kissing his butt. They need to tell the truth. Tom Porter (47:40): And at the same time, the Democrats, they've got some work to do. Oh, where do you think all of those people who were supporting Bernie Sanders in 2020, it's one thing for Bernie Sanders to be with the party, but those people, that's the reason why I said if she doesn't really pick a populous candidate as Vice President running mate, or if the platform is not one that is of a populous nature, she's got serious problems. Wilmer Leon (48:12): Those former Bernie people are part of that new crew called the Dual Haters. They're part of that new crew that is saying, we don't want either of these buffoons talking about Biden and talking. Tom Porter (48:25): And the fact of it is a significant number of the American people didn't want either one of 'em either. Correct. It was the press and the polls. And I say to people that polls are designed to shape and mold public opinion not to reflect the truth of public opinion. And of course, the other thing that nobody's ever, we haven't looked at, who are these people in the press? How many of them are actually Republicans? I know Lester Ho is Now, I'm not saying he's a Trump, but I'm just simply saying, because the press has been very, very lack in covering Trump. I mean, he lies. They never say that he lied. We are going to fact check him. Why don't you just say he lied about this? He lied about that. That's, that's the operative word. He lied. Wilmer Leon (49:21): In fact, I'm glad you brought up the polls because that part of the conversation got away from me for a minute because, and I know that the whole issue with Kamala now has just surfaced. So current polling hasn't taken place yet and hasn't been analyzed. But when you go back to, in looking at the numbers, you go to real clear politics. Trump at 58.4, Kamala Harris at 32.9. Now she has gained traction over the last couple of days, but still 58.4 to 32.9, that's not where you want to be with four months out from the election. Tom Porter (50:14): Yeah, but I think she has ignored the polls. I remember again. Wilmer Leon (50:18): Oh, absolutely. Tom Porter (50:18): Absolutely. I remember, again, traveling with Jesse and Negroes always ask these questions. They don't ask these questions. And they said, well, let's face it Jesse Jackson, you can't win Reverend Jackson. You got no organization, all this kind of stuff. And at that time, it was seven candidates in the race, and Jesse said, I'm number three, at least four other candidates that'd like to have my place. And so I think she has to ignore the polls because the polls are all part of the establishment, and they got a dog in the, and what's on the agenda now? What's on the agenda now is whether or not capitalism can in fact solve depressing problems that are facing the world today. And I would say that it can't. And so then what is the solution? I mean, I'm not saying that I have a solution, but I can say, what ain't the solution because it hasn't worked. (51:19) And therefore we got to be trying something new with some new people. And so the changing of the guard and the passing of the baton includes the passing away from white men, the same white men that who've been running the world, and the same white women who've been aligned with them. The passing of the church means that we got to not go with these Negro leaders who've been appointed, but to find our own leaders and to elect our own leaders, and the ones that don't do what we want 'em to do, we punish them by not electing them. Again, Wilmer Leon (51:54): Final question to you then. As you look at Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee, I've been saying it can't work by just changing the messenger and not changing the message. Tom Porter (52:12): Oh, absolutely. Wilmer Leon (52:13): Go ahead, Tom Porter. Tom Porter (52:14): I mean, absolutely. We've already been there before. We've been there with Obama. Obama had, in the first term, he had the House and the Senate. He did nothing. And so we can't just change the message, the messenger or be satisfied that the messenger looks like us. We can't have got the demand and insist that people who represent us at whatever level, they represent us from the city council to the Congress and what have you, that if you're going to represent us, represent us. And if you not get the hell out the way, Wilmer Leon (52:55): But Tom, so what do you say to those AKAs that are ski win and doing the electric slide behind Kamala Harris and saying, oh, no, no, no, you can't do that now. Oh, no, no, no. You can't say that now because you can't put that on her now because we have to get her elected. And if you play those cards now, you're going to put her in a very precarious position and we'll lose the opportunity to have the first woman as a president. So what do you say to them that will respond in that manner? Tom Porter (53:30): We don't need a first black woman president because she's black. It's like people who say people fought and died for the right to vote. That's a lie. I fought and I didn't die for the right to vote, not for the right to vote, but the right to vote for something and somebody that would represent me. And so as the old folks say, you might be my race, but you're not my taste unless you willing to do what the ancestors have done. The legacy that you've inherited is not a legacy of people who went along to get along. It's a legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer. It's the legacy of Dr. King. It's the legacy of SNC and Core. That's the legacy. And if you ain't in that legacy, then get the hell out the way. Whether you a KAI don't know nothing about Greek organizations because I'm gamma delta iota damn independent. But my point of it is, we could no longer listen to these kind of arguments. I mean, these arguments go slow, slow. They say go slow. I mean, Wilmer Leon (54:43): Yours will come by and by. Tom Porter (54:45): Yeah. But we are past that. The world is in a serious position. And last side, look, we're in the world whether we are talking about the environment, whether we are talking about violence in the street, whether we are talking about homelessness, whether we're talking about whatever we're talking about, black people are impacted about that. And if you ain't for that, then get back. And we have to say that. I mean, I have no problem with saying to people, including in my own family, now look, if you ain't going to do nothing, get the hell out the way. I mean, I say that to my daughters, my grandkids, my friends. If you ain't going to do 'em, don't come around me because that ain't my style. And my heroes were Dr. King and Malcolm X and Fannie Lou Hamer. They weren't AKAs or Deltas. We didn't care nothing about any of that. And some progressive people were part of those organizations. But we can't, if she can't get elected on a platform that's a progressive platform than how is she going to govern as a progressive. Wilmer Leon (56:02): I want to thank my guests, brother Tom Porter. Man, thank you so much for joining me today. Tom Porter (56:10): It's been a pleasure, brother. Wilmer Leon (56:12): Folks, thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wilmer Leon and Tom Porter. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share the show, follow me. Follow us on social media. You can find all the links to the show below in the description below. And remember, folks, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter here. Unlike a whole lot of folks, we don't chatter here on connecting the dots. I'm going to see you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Woman Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out Announcer (57:05): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.
PODCASTS recorded 07/24/24 - Investment Advisor, JB Bryan shares.... Fannie Lou Hamer's views from the 1964 Democratic National Convention on August 22, 1964. Check out a 2024 Black Voters National Survey of our habits, priorities, and Black voter impact. Discover "Black Voter Economic Policy Priorities”. Interestingly, American voters are about evenly split between the two major Political Parties. While according to recent numbers, Black voters continue to have a long time Party Preference - but is that changing? What does it mean to be a DEI hire? Black Votes. Black Priorities. Black Futures. Visit www.JBBRYAN.com to request a complimentary consultation or call 1-844-JBBRYAN (522-7926). Powered by JB Bryan Financial Group, Inc., A Registered Investment Advisory Firm - The Home of AfroEconomics. #JBBRYAN #AfroEconomics #JBBRYAN www.AfroEconomics.com
WNYC, the most listened-to public radio station in America and the production home of this podcast, turns 100 years old this year. Its audio archives are full of gems from history — including voices, interviews and performances from some of the most well-known Black Americans of the 20th century.In this episode, host Kai Wright digs through some of the audio and discovers moments that illuminate the Black experience through the words of legends like Josephine Baker, Malcolm X, Dick Gregory and Shirley Chisholm. He's joined by Christina Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University and the host of the podcast The Blackest Questions. Together, they listen through time and discuss a shared goal of these influential figures: making the promise of America work for them.Special thanks to the WNYC Archives, The Municipal Archives and to archivist Andy Lanset for preserving and cataloging the historical audio contained in this episode. To learn more about WNYC's centennial anniversary, click here. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.
Guest: Dr. Keisha N. Blain is an award-winning historian of the 20th century United States with broad interests in African American History, the modern African Diaspora, and Women's and Gender Studies. She is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and the president of the African American Intellectual History Society. She is the author of the book Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America. On Twitter (@keishablain), and on Instagram (@keishanblain). The post Fannie Lou Hamer: A Life appeared first on KPFA.
“Reconciliation and reparations were never supposed to be two opposite things.” The Church is called to be a repairer of the breach. Drawing on the prophetic texts of Isaiah and Nehemiah, Brenda Salter McNeil joins Mark to discuss her latest book: Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities. Together they reflect on the Church's responsibility for social justice; the call to engage politics for the common good; the nature of systemic injustice and systemic change; empowerment and mutual investment in change; and the importance of moving closer to injustice in order to become a “repairer of the breach.” Brenda Salter McNeil is a leader in the international movement for peace and reconciliation. She is an Associate Professor of reconciliation studies in the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University, where she also directs the Reconciliation Studies program. She also serves on the pastoral staff of Quest Church in Seattle, WA. She is the author of numerous books on Christianity, reconciliation, and racial justice. Follower her @RevDocBrenda. AB Mark introduces Brenda Salter McNeil Learn more about Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities Isaiah 58 and “As If Worship” Isaiah 58:11-12—“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt. You shall raise up the foundations of many generations. You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. Repair and reparations Brian Stevenson: “Real reparations would mean to repair what was actually broken.” “We want to see justice. We want to see change. … Reconciliation and reparations were never supposed to be two opposite things.” Why the Old Testament prophetic book of Nehemiah is relevant to the church in this political moment: “I wanted to use a narrative in scripture that showed us how do you actually organize people. That it's not just enough to preach about it on Sundays, there's a way that we've got to bring a diverse coalition of people together and show them that we can rebuild what is broken around us.” “How do we retain our identity and our dignity?” How asking the right questions can generate empathy and motivate action Nehemiah's Prayer of Confession Honest confession, just telling the truth Brenda's son Omari's social post: “We are always left saddened but not shocked. This will happen again. Another black queen or king doing what should be considered a regular activity will be killed just because. Black people will express outrage while everyone else will continue on relatively unchanged. We'll exclaim, hashtag Black Lives Matter, and we will get countless comments about, What about all lives matter? I'm looking at you, white evangelical churches. The shock will wear off for the rest of the world and we'll be left to rebuild again by ourselves. This cycle is so ingrained in the Black American narrative that we have learned to quickly spring into actionable next steps because we've done this before and we will do it again. We've had no choice but to normalize the trauma and carry on. So to those who wonder, I have no hope that I or my future children will ever live in a world that is quote unquote equal or totally safe or fair, even though I will always fight for it. Sadly for me and so many others, I lost that dream as a little boy.” Our own humanity is being diminished in every act of injustice Is systemic change possible? Individualistic vs communal lenses The need to get proximate to injustice in order to become a repairer When does proximity help? What causes proximity to stick and create change? Empowerment and mutual investment The work of justice is ultimately God's work Fannie Lou Hamer's activism James Baldwin: “I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.” Doing what we say “We might not change everything, but in our little corner of the world, we can make a difference in that spot and people get to see a glimpse of the kingdom. And that's life changing.” About Brenda Salter McNeil Brenda Salter McNeil is a teacher, preacher, and leader in the international movement for peace and reconciliation. Her mission is to inspire, equip and empower emerging Christian leaders to be practitioners of reconciliation in their various spheres of influence. She is an Associate Professor of reconciliation studies in the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University, where she also directs the Reconciliation Studies program. She also serves on the pastoral staff of Quest Church in Seattle, WA. Dr. Brenda is recognized internationally as one of the foremost leaders of reconciliation and was featured as one of the 50 most influential women to watch by Christianity Today. She is the author of Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0, A Credible Witness: Reflections on Power, Evangelism and Race (2008), The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change (2005), coauthored with Rick Richardson, *Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now,* and her latest book, Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, the 97-year-old Pittsburgh-based artist and sculptor Thaddeus Mosley has a deep and enduring obsession with wood. In his late 20s, he began to use the material for art, carving sculptures in his basement studio, and with his sculpture-making now spanning 70 years, his enduring dedication to his craft is practically unparalleled. Represented by Karma gallery since 2019, Mosley has only now, in the past decade or so, begun to receive the international recognition and attention he has long deserved. In his hands, wood sings; he shapes and carves trees into striking abstract forms that often appear as if they're levitating while honoring and preserving their organic, natural character. As with the work of his two main influences, Constantin Brâncuși and Isamu Noguchi, Mosley, too, strives to make sculptures that, in his words, beyond today, “will be interesting in a hundred tomorrows.”On the episode, he talks about the language that poetry, music, and sculpture all share; his early years as a sports writer for a local newspaper; and his life-transforming relationship with the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.Special thanks to our Season 9 presenting sponsor, L'École, School of Jewelry Arts.Show notes:Thaddeus Mosley[4:13] Sam Gilliam[17:24] Carnegie Museum[21:08] Carnegie International[21:08] Leon Arkus[21:08] “Thaddeus Mosley: Forest”[21:08] “Inheritance”[24:20] Isamu Noguchi[27:53] Constantin Brâncuși[28:28] University of Pittsburgh[28:28] Martha Graham[46:15] Floyd Bennett Field[46:23] Ebony magazine[46:23] Sepia magazine[46:23] Jet magazine[46:23] Pittsburgh Courier[54:34] John Coltrane[51:37] Li Bo[51:37] Dylan Thomas[56:21] Bernard Leach[57:45] Langston Hughes[57:45] Countee Cullen[57:45] Harriet Tubman[57:45] Fannie Lou Hamer[57:45] “The Long-Legged Bait”[57:45] “Air Step - for Fayard and Harold Nicholas”[57:45] The Nicholas Brothers