Podcast appearances and mentions of John Conyers

Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these rights have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.” Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.gq.com/story/mustafa-ali-epa-interview Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 177

In this episode of Connecting the Dots with guest former Governor L. Douglas Wilder, we cut right to the chase: forget the polls, the hype, and identity politics—what really matters in the 2024 race is what the candidates have done and what they're going to do. Former Governor Wilder doesn't hold back as we dive into the hard truth: track records and real actions are what voters should care about. From public safety to education, we tear through the noise and focus on what's truly at stake. If you're not asking what these candidates have delivered, you're missing the point. Buckle up for a no-nonsense conversation that flips the script on political analysis Find me and the show on social media. Click the following links or search @DrWilmerLeon on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Patreon and YouTube!   Hey everyone, Dr. Wilmer here! If you've been enjoying my deep dives into the real stories behind the headlines and appreciate the balanced perspective I bring, I'd love your support on my Patreon channel. Your contribution helps me keep "Connecting the Dots" alive, revealing the truth behind the news. Join our community, and together, let's keep uncovering the hidden truths and making sense of the world. Thank you for being a part of this journey!     Dr. Wilmer Leon (00:00): The 2024 presidential race is shaping up as we sit here in early September. The Hill reports Harris v Trump polls Harris has a 4% lead based upon 162 polls. If you're a Harris fan, that's great for the popular vote, but the number that matters is 270. What's behind these numbers? Let's find out Announcer (00:31): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Dr. Wilmer Leon (00:39): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon, and I'm Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in 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. This enables you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live. On today's episode, the issue of force is what's the layout of the domestic political landscape and for some invaluable insight into this and some other issues. Let's turn to my guest. He continues to be one of the most astute political minds of our time. He's the 66th governor of Virginia, the nation's first elected African-American governor, former mayor of Richmond, Virginia, and he's the founder of the l Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. And a man that I am very proud to be able to a governor L. Douglas Wilder. Welcome to the show. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (01:56): Thank you Wilmer, and it's always good to be with you and always learn from you as well and share opportunities for us to spread to others who would look to what we say for guidance or correction or whatever it is they feel. I'm always privileged to be with you. Dr. Wilmer Leon (02:19): Well, sir, the privilege is mine. Thank you so much for those compliments. Before we get to your analysis of the upcoming election, talk a little bit about the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU. It's my opinion that of all of your historic and significant accomplishments, this one is historic and significant. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (02:43): It is, and we have an excellent dean, Dean, Susan Gooden, who understands the importance of what we call government and public affairs. They understand what government is and as you and I discussed and have discussed on any numbers of occasions, that government, which is closest to the people is that which most affects the people at local government. Yes, we're concerned about who's going to be president, but who's going to pick up the trash, who's going to provide housing, and so we connect those dots between national elections, national government and local government and we involve the issues. We have a measure that she calls rise, a research Institute for social equity and it's very important, and that's distinguished from DEI talking about America and Wilmer. I don't have to tell you, you have no idea how many people are not aware of the history of America. Not just black history, but American history, which improves all of America's people. That's what we try to do at our school. We're critical, we're analytical and we hope to improve. Dr. Wilmer Leon (04:07): Your point about people not being aware of American history, and I'm going to get to the Wilder bite in just a minute because you did some surveys on some of those issues, but just the overall idea of teaching government in school, that is becoming harder and harder to find middle schools and high schools that are going to teach government in school. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (04:36): You'd be surprised or maybe not surprised to know that our governor, governor Glenn Young requested Syl from our schools as well as a couple of other schools in Virginia as to what is being taught relative to this history. The governor of the state of Virginia most will be able to approve himself singularly, not the boards of visitors, not the people who are the historians, but he wants to do it and we projected it. People have rejected it, and I think one of the reasons is people want more of a corrective history. Tell it all the good, the bad and the ugly, and then we can improve upon it. We can see what it is we may have done wrong. When I ran for office, I never ran as a black person. I ran as a person entitled to run because I fulfilled the obligations of the need to run for office age, residency, et cetera. And then I never have considered myself a black governor. The vast majority of people in this state are not black. Matter of fact, Virginia, when I ran, was the lowest concentration of black voters or black population of any of the southern states, but for whites voting for me overwhelmingly to the extent that they did not overwhelming in terms of the numbers, numbers but overwhelming in terms of precedent. I wouldn't be here talking to you today as the former governor or the former mayor or the former. Dr. Wilmer Leon (06:27): One of the things that I find incredibly invaluable is I get that you have a publication Wilder Policy Bites (06:36): And the most recent, which I think was released on the 25th of August is entitled Commonwealth Poll. Most Virginians agree, history of race should be taught in schools. One of the issues of education, I'm sorry, on the issue of education, 75% of respondents think the history of race should be a subject In K through 12, there were three bullets. That's the first one. The second one is about Gaza and Israel's military action. 39% said Israel was justified in taking action in Gaza. And the third point, a high percentage of Virginians agree that VCU President Michael Rouse should provide public accounting of money. I highlight those three because that's quite a diverse area of information and polling that you all are doing with your Wilder policy bites. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (07:33): Well, thank you very much. And policy bites put on by our school Dean Gooden and Dr. Robin McDougall handles the polling that we have put forth, but what you just cited was the illustrative of what the governor obviously doesn't know. The people want the things that you just described. They want to know about education, they want to know about the history. They want to know about what should or should not be taught. They're not asking the governor to tell teachers what to teach. Let the teachers who are trained to do the instruct our youngsters to let them know who we are as a people. And so in policy base, we also want to, and our polling, when you see the numbers of people, we, as I said, are not a purple state nor a blue state or a red state. We're a people state and that's why I've always been a little weary of polls because I wonder why no one ever call me. I thought of a poll and yet involving now with policy base and polling and knowing how fair that this poll is being conducted. Listen to the people and they'll tell you what you might not want to hear, but they'll tell you the truth. Dr. Wilmer Leon (09:07): I said, now let's turn to the current landscape. And I said in the open that the Hill has reported that Harris now has a 4% lead based on 162 polls, and we understand polls are no more than just a snapshot in a moment of time. But I also said that said, if you're a Harris fan, that's a very encouraging number, but the number that matters is two 70. So just give me first of all your overall thoughts of the political landscape as it stands before us right now. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (09:50): Well, as you know, there are those who vacillate from day to day in terms of what this group says, what this person says, as I see the political landscape now, it's a turnout election. By that I mean not notwithstanding what the poll says. Who's going to vote, who's going to get up, who's going to feel motivated, who's going to feel inspired? That's why even in our state, our last poll showed plus or minus three to four, and that was with Harris leading. But are those people going to get out? Are they going to go out? Are they going to vote supposed it rains? Suppose you're not having childcare, suppose any numbers of the things, how important is it for early voting (10:48): Were going to do that, so I wouldn't pay any attention to those polls as it relates to being comfortable. I would consider them in terms of being inspired to say, look, we can win. This is what I think it takes to win and go to the people. And I think in this case the debates do matter and this next debate or this first debate between Trump and Harris, it's going to be very telling. It depends on which one of them is going to be appearing to be presidential, which one speaks for a voice for the future and which one speaks for the people. Dr. Wilmer Leon (11:30): I was asked a couple of days ago for my opinion about the upcoming election and my answer was, well, we have two troublesome candidates. We have a former president with a well-established and horrible record. We have a sitting vice president with very little to show for her efforts up to this point, neither side up to this point is really articulating substantive policy. Trump continues with his personal attacks and invectives and running on this project 2025 agenda that he now wants to run from, and there's still no policy tab on the Harris-Walz website. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (12:12): It's one thing to tell us what you're going to do, but I say this to all of the people who tell me they want to run for office or that they want to be promoted further in office. What have you done? What have you fought for? What is your unfinished agenda? What will you continue to fight for? What is it that would make me want to vote for you? Give me some idea of the things that you tried to do that you haven't been able to get done, but that if you got elected you feel that you need more favorably inclined to do so because you'd have a greater following. Those are the kinds of things the public wants. They don't want to help get any sound bites of people coming out, I support this person or that person. What will you do to make me say that I can support you? That has to be an individual decision and that's why those who are running office, particularly this election, this is going to be a very trendsetting election because as you pointed out, you've got a history maker in the process with Kamala Harris and you've got a troublemaker who has been the president of the United States, which means don't take anything for granted, don't take these polls for granted because the only one that counts is the one that's taken on election day. Dr. Wilmer Leon (13:38): So the takeaway, one of the takeaways that I have from what you've just articulated is the fact that Vice President Harris is an AKA part of the Divine nine, which both of us are. The fact that she went to Howard, which both of us have done, and the fact that she can do the electric slide, which I can't do, but I know you're a pretty good dancer, none of that really should matter. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (14:06): No, the introductory, the question is the same thing we've been talking about here. What have you done? What are you trying to do? What will you be able to do that is of an interest to me and mine? What about public safety? What about housing? What about health or what about the expenditure of money, the high cost of living, the economy and all of those things? Tell me where you stand on those issues so that I can determine what's best for me and mine. And once that happens, then I'm in a better position to say, I've got to only vote for you, but I've got to get out and get others to do so too. See, enlisting my vote is one thing enlisting me to encourage others to vote is something else. That's what has to be done. Dr. Wilmer Leon (15:06): And this issue around Project 2025, a 900 page document, I read that about 140 people tied to the Trump administration helped to write the document and the former president wants to throw up his hand and say, Hey, I don't know anything about this. I don't know where this came from. This has nothing to do with me, and we know the power of the Heritage Foundation, so now all of a sudden, these 900 pages don't mean a thing. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (15:44): Well, it doesn not only not pass the smell test, it doesn't pass any test, and so I would think that disclaimer on behalf of the president would be something that he would be better advised to forget. Don't disclaim it if you claim that up to this point. Best thing you need to do is to say the things within that that you would change even now that it's been criticized or that you would stick to now that it's been criticized, but the disclaimer is not going to work. Dr. Wilmer Leon (16:19): One of the things that I've been saying about this document, because in some circles it seems to have just come up out of nowhere, I say to those who want to run around with their hair on fire, it's old wine in new bottles For the most part. It's not new. You go back and read Newt Gingrich's contract with America, go back and read Bill Clinton's reinventing government as we know it. The Democrats have played a role in a lot of this as the Republicans have, so I don't say that to diminish how horrific the document is, but history is very important and I think people need to understand the reality in which this document has come from. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (17:14): I agree with that, but I go back again to what I said earlier. People wan't plain and talk. (17:23): They're not interested in documents or treatises or platitudes or slogans, plain talk. They don't need what you are going to do about immigration. What are you going to do about the high cost of living? What are you going to do about our economy? How threatening is the situation in to immigration as it relates to what could happen to American interests in the Middle East? What is the status of America's continuing pouring money into the Ukraine when we don't see the results that we would like to see? These are not questions that need to be documented to death. They need to be answered simply. Dr. Wilmer Leon (18:16): I wrote a piece a while ago called You're with Her, but is she with you? And the point of the piece, and I say this very clearly in the piece, it has nothing to do with Kamala Harris and everything to do with us. What are we demanding of her and up to this point, again, all I get is she's an AKA, she went to Howard and she can do the electric slide, but we aren't demanding policy, and I've even had people tell me, policy doesn't matter. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (18:55): Well, again, I agree with you and I hate to keep saying that. Dr. Wilmer Leon (18:59): I don't mind it. Go ahead. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (19:00): I like saying it because it's good to hear somebody finally make some sense. Your question really is not what you're going to do for me or for you. What are you going to do for the people? Where have you derived that impetus? Where have you gotten what I would call the thriving interest to say change has to be made? What needs to change? What do you see as it relates to what you did as mayor of the city or what you did as senator? Rather what you did and what you're doing is vice president. That's another thing that Ms. Harris has got to be very careful of. You are a sitting vice president with a sitting administration. What has your administration been successful in doing? Yes, you've made some tie breaking hopes, but in breaking those ties, what have they done and accomplished to the extent that they need enrichment, they need restructuring or are there more things that need to be put on that table? Forget to pass as it relates to what has been done in terms of what you promised. Fulfill those promises. Show us what you can do, and if you had my support and support of the people in Virginia and support of people in all of the states, it could make a difference. Dr. Wilmer Leon (20:34): What do you say? Going back to the fact that there's not even a policy tab on her website, and I've had some people tell me, well, it's too early for that, that the sooner that she articulates policy, that gives the Trump side more time to attack it, to which I've said, well, if you articulate policy, if you understand the policy that you're articulating, then you should be able to defend what you've stated. You should welcome that attack because that'll give you the opportunity to expand the conversation. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (21:18): Couldn't agree more, couldn't agree more. Whenever I've taken a position as to an issue that I stand for, I prepared to defend it. If I had taken any one gun a month, we passed in my state and I was told I was crazy. We couldn't get it passed. We got it passed. We reduced crime, we reduced this proliferation of handguns, and even though I was criticized, we got it done and we set a model for the rest of the nation, those kinds of things. Second chance giving people who went to high school didn't get that degrees, give them a chance to come back to high school even though they might be 35, 40, come back and get your degrees. Those are the kinds of things that people see that make a difference. And don't try issues in sound banks or highfaluting language. Make it simple, make it plain, make it understandable, and if it is not defensible, then you shouldn't put it on the table and the sooner you put it on the table, they'll attack it. That's what you want, so you can defend it and defend it to the extent that it is a counter attack. They'll have to keep defending, defend Dr. Wilmer Leon (22:40): And in your defense of it, then if you are on your game, that enables you to expose them for what they, especially somebody like Donald Trump who doesn't understand power. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (22:54): Well. What it does further is to say, since you've attacked what I've said on this issue, Dr. Wilmer Leon (23:01): What are you going to do? Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (23:03): Where do you stand? Where have you stood? Then why are you all of a sudden now going to do something when all of this time you haven't? Dr. Wilmer Leon (23:14): You mentioned one gun a month in Virginia, and that brings me to the most recent shooting Appalachia High School. Colt Gray, a 14-year-old murder is accused of four counts of felony murder from a shooting in his school, and it's now reported that his father has been arrested and for having purchased the firearm for him, and the Republicans primarily still stand on these, to me insane opposition to simple common sense gun legislation. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (24:06): Well, some Republican representatives might feel that way, but I think the people in the communities, Republican, Democrats, independents and all, they want sensible legislation. They want reasonable controls. They want the right to defend themselves, and I think government constitutionally has to afford people that, right, but this doesn't mean you open the flood gates. There is no excuse in the world for this 14-year-old to have done what he did without the knowledge and the consent of his parents, and that's why the father is in court and he should be. Dr. Wilmer Leon (24:56): You just mentioned the people want sensitive, sensible gun law. An overwhelming number of Americans want the genocide in Gaza to end. An overwhelming number of people in the United States are tired of their hard earned tax dollars being wasted in Ukraine, but the legislators don't seem to be listening to the people Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (25:27): Couldn't agree with you more. That's why it's very important for those people who are in office, and that's why Ms. Harris, she has a difficult problem in dealing with that issue because the president of the United States is her partner. (25:48): She is his partner to that extent. So whatever is going on in Ukraine, whatever's going on there, look how we got out of Afghanistan, $85 billion worth of property. We left, left it. We left Americans. We didn't do it right. Now, having said that, if you didn't do that right then what makes people believe that you still have the expertise or the willingness to do what's right as it relates to those same issues in that part of the world? That's why Ms. Harris has got to step it up. It's difficult because she's inheriting a problem that has to be resolved. Dr. Wilmer Leon (26:36): One of the issues or one of the influences that many will say that she has particularly as it relates to Gaza, is APAC and apac. There was an article in the New York Times, I say it was around April that said they were boasting about committing $100 million to influencing the outcome of the primary elections. They were going to invest money to ensure that they deemed to be progressive Democrats. They that took anti-Israel policies for stances would not be reelected. Jamal Bowman fell victim to that and co bush fell victim to that. I didn't hear anybody from the cbc. I didn't hear anybody from the NAACP crying foul on the front end. Now they want to cry foul on the back end, and I say, you can't compromise for political expediency on the front end and then try to clean moral high ground on the back end. Your thoughts, sir, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (27:54): I think you need to go where the problem is. Go to Israel, look at the demonstrations that are taking place there. Look at what people are saying in Israel, Toya, we don't like your policies. They must change. Now, it's very difficult for us to sit back in America and to say, we're going to support this, that, or the other. When the prime minister of Israel is saying, we don't care what you say, I'm going to do what I want to do, even with some of his cabinet officials, sometimes more than just a handful of them, when you see the people in Tel Aviv, when you see them in Jerusalem, when they're saying, we cannot continue along the path, we're gone because this continuing unrest, this continuing wall, this continuing lack of safety is something that we cannot abide, and so that has to be resolved in Israel, but to the extent that we support the lack of resolve is not fatal, Dr. Wilmer Leon (29:10): And that point about how much we are contributing to the effort, and then Netanyahu tells us that, well, he's basically ignoring what's being said. My dad used to say, son, you can't ask me for my money and then ignore my advice. If you're going to take my money, you got to take my advice. And I just thought I'd, that just reminded me of something that my father would say to me, all smart man. There are a lot in the community that when we try to have a conversation about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump or Jill Stein in the Green Party or Dr. Cornell West, a lot of folks will say, well, if you don't vote for Kamala Harris, that's a vote for Donald Trump. I wrote a piece a while ago, the dangers of binary thinking in the African-American community that we've got to start to broaden our analysis and broaden our perspective. What do you say to those who will say, A, don't challenge her now because all you're doing is opening up the opportunity for a Donald Trump victory and to those who say, oh, well if you don't vote for her or if you're challenging her, then you're obviously for Donald Trump. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (30:36): Well, I've always looked at it as I've tried to describe today I vote for issues. I vote for who's the best on this, who's the best on that? (30:50): Who's the best on public safety? Who's the best on housing? Tell me not what you're going to do. Tell me what you have done. What have you tried to do? If you failed, why did you fail? What did you need more support for? You cited the losses of some of the people who've articulated certain issues, and yet by the same token, when they were articulating those issues that sometimes they were considered popular and they were victorious. They were leading the pack, but the Pack sometimes turns, and that's what we see on a regular basis in politics, so it's not a surprise, but you can never lose if you stay with the people, listen to them. It's a continuing thing. You don't listen today at election time and then again, until reelection time, listen and respond on a regular basis. Dr. Wilmer Leon (31:57): We seem to have lost an understanding of the idea of elected representative That seems now people don't seem to understand what the word representative means. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (32:14): Yes, they do. In too many cases it means represent yourself and that's what they are doing. In too many cases, I cite the example. In Virginia, particularly when I ran for the state Senate, the salary was $1,500 a year. We had no office, we didn't have a secretary, and we got I think $50 a year for stationary. That's changed Now in the representatives themselves, they can raise millions of dollars for their campaigns and put millions of dollars in their own pockets through artifacts, through indirect means, but all legal and so many people run for office for that reason to become further bettered or enriched personally and lacking the concern of the people. That's why I keep going back to it. I know it's like an old song. Listen to the people are ahead of leaders (33:32): Because they know where the rubber history road, they know where it doesn't hit the road. The rising cost of healthcare, the tremendous amount of money that's wasted in drug research, the amount of time it takes for the government agencies to approve drugs, and it is huge. It's big. It's money, money, money, and we finding that out. And so when you start saying Medicare for all, you're talking about a whole bunch of money and some people who will benefit from it and might not just be the people, it'll be some of those others who could say, I've got your Medicare in my pocket. Dr. Wilmer Leon (34:19): To your point in talking about the people, I think it was a French politician led Rollin, Alexandra drew Rollin who said, there go the people I must follow them for I am their leader. Yes, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (34:42): I thought it was. It made it very well been Dr. Wilmer Leon (34:45): Okay. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (34:46): The crowd charging the Bastille, Dr. Wilmer Leon (34:50): Right, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (34:50): And he said, where are those people going? After all, I'm their leader. Dr. Wilmer Leon (34:59): You also mentioned, you said you want to know from someone that's running for office. What have you done and what have you tried to do? And for me, in many instances, it's the tried to do that can be as important if what were you willing to fight for? I say that about Barack Obama all the time. People tell me, oh, well, Wilmer, you don't understand what he was up against. Wilmer. You don't understand all the opposition. I said, well, wait a minute. What did he go to the bully pulpit and demand? What was the hill he was willing to die on? I never understood that. I don't know that that was ever clearly articulated. Am I off base? Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (35:53): Well, I think to the extent that you don't try to do things just because you're going to be successful in doing it. It took me eight years, eight long years to get a national, to get a state holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virginia was the first state in the nation to have a legislative holiday set aside for Dr. Martin Luther King. It wasn't New York, Dr. Wilmer Leon (36:28): The Commonwealth of Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia, the bastion of the Confederacy. They told me I was minute, lemme throw out one more data point. I think the largest slave holding state in the country. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (36:40): Exactly. Dr. Wilmer Leon (36:41): Okay. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (36:42): Okay. Presidents of Virginia owned slaves. Dr. Wilmer Leon (36:46): Well, presidents of the United States own slaves. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (36:48): Yes, presidents of the United States, right own slaves, but they were from Virginia. Right, right. (36:57): People said, when I put that bill in, they said, well, we didn't elect him to do that. No, you didn't. But I felt I was elected to do what I considered that was right and now old people, they cited all the time. Virginia was the first state to have a legislative holiday for Dr. King, and as I said, it wasn't the northern states, it was Virginia and I didn't do it. What would I benefit from it? What do I get from it? But King sacrificed so much he spoke to the need for people to come together to recognize that their differences could be set aside. And one of the things that I always remembered about him, he said, adding additional numbers is one thing, but you must remember in the column numbers will eventually end up at zero and you have to go to the next column. Dr. Wilmer Leon (38:02): Give me a little background on the process for the King holiday because I know for example, former congressman, the late Congressman John Conyers, he put a bill in every year to get a federal holiday for Dr. King. Did Congressman Congress come to you? Did you just decide for yourself, Hey, I'm going to do this? How did that process? Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (38:26): I did this on my own. Dr. Wilmer Leon (38:28): Okay. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (38:29): King and I separated by two days and birthday mine's the 17th, he's the 15th, and we separated in Age by very little, and I was just so impressed in terms of reading the kinds of things that he had done and what he was doing that I said, I'm going to put it in. So when I put the bill in, it said I was crazy. I would get the bill passed in the Senate and I said, wow. And then the House of Delegates would kill it. I then would get it passed in the Senate and the house a governor vetoed. I had to wait two years because you got to wait until another session before session that the Senator comes in. I got it passed in the Senate and the House again and another governor, Vito, that King holiday bill was vetoed by two governors in Virginia and all of this was taking place when I was a state senator. Yet I got it done because the people wanted it and now that we've got it, I don't want credit for it, but understand what King was involved with and what he meant. Not just parades and marches, but betterment of mankind and the lifting of the veil of ignorance and making certain that we had a better life for all. Dr. Wilmer Leon (40:08): As we wrap up this conversation, and thank you, you are always so gracious for me when I call you understand we're spiraling closer and closer to the 5th of November. What are the three most important things stand out in your mind about this upcoming election? If someone walked up to you as you're stepping out of ECU today and said, governor, I'm not going to vote in November. What are the three most important things? Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (40:45): Well then obviously you don't consider yourself a citizen. You don't consider yourself worthy of being considered a citizen and whatever's going to take place, you deserve it notwithstanding what happens to you. So you should never be in a position to complain about anything and so that extent don't vote. You're not doing me a favor. If you don't vote, you're not doing anyone else a favor. If you do vote, you do yourself a favor if you vote, if you don't understand that now you might know. Dr. Wilmer Leon (41:31): We're very fortunate in this country to where the transition in government doesn't result well, except for the last time with Donald Trump in the 6th of January usually doesn't result in public unrest. The transition of government is usually calm, so folks will say, well, my trash is going to get picked up. The stoplights are still going to work, and there's going to be milk at the grocery store when I go to get it. So there are those who say, it doesn't matter. It doesn't impact my daily life. And this is the last question. Your response to that mindset. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (42:08): You just described the three reasons why you should go. How does your trash get picked up? People have to make a decision and to put all those in place to pick your trash up food in the grocery store. How does it get there? Somebody has to decide that the store can be located there and zoned there for you to get invited and the other things spoke. Of the third one, the same thing local government is that which is closest to the people. National government is that which forms and shapes the local government. But if you don't vote, you hurt yourself. Dr. Wilmer Leon (42:51): Well, with that being said, sir, governor L. Douglas Wilder, thank you again. You are always so gracious. I greatly, greatly appreciate your joining the show today, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (43:04): Wilmer I'm always glad to be with you I count you as my friend. Dr. Wilmer Leon (43:08): Thank you, sir. Thank you folks. Thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wilmer Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share the show, follow us on social media. You'll find all the links below in the show description. Remember folks, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge talk without analysis is just chatter and we don't chatter on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out!! Announcer (43:50): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.

In a follow up to the series Uncounted Millions: the Power of Reparations - which chronicled the remarkable story of Gabriel Coakley, one of the only Black Americans to ever receive reparations for slavery – Trymaine Lee hosted a live discussion and debate on the future of reparations for Black Americans at the 92nd Street Y on May 29th, 2024. Trymaine was joined onstage by Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and creator of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and author and columnist at thegrio.com, Michael Harriot. The conversation ranged from the case for reparations today...what might be owed and who should qualify...and what might it take for legislation to finally break through. 

Representative John Conyers Jr. was born on this day, May, 16, 1929. A Detroit Democrat who represented the 14th Congressional District, Conyers entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1965. Conyers' legacy is marked by significant achievements, including the passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Motor Voter Bill of 1993, and the Martin Luther King Holiday Act of 1983. Throughout his four decades in Congress, he tirelessly advocated for job creation and protection in Southeast Michigan, as well as for the interests of homeowners in Michigan. His dedication to international affairs was evident in his active involvement in efforts to support countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Haiti. John Conyers Jr. passed away in 2019 at the age of 90. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We look back at the history of efforts in Boston to explore reparations, particularly through the lens of Sen. Bill Owens, the first Black member of the Massachusetts Senate. At the end of the 1980s, Owens, inspired by activism he had seen in Detroit, introduced a bill to pay reparations to Black descendants of enslaved people. That bill is credited as being a model for national legislation introduced by Rep. John Conyers in every session of the U.S. Congress since 1989 to create a national commission on reparations.

Kamm Howard is a Chicago businessman and renowned reparations activist. Mr. Howard worked closely with Congressman John Conyers and is an advocate of the federal reparations bill - HR40. He is the former National Male Co-Chair of N'Cobra (The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America.) He recently founded a new organization called Reparations United and is calling on both parties to act now to "earn the Black vote" by taking action for reparations before the 2024 election. www.earntheblackvote.net

On this November 2, 1983, a federal holiday was declared in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the bill signed by President Ronald Reagan, every third Monday in January would from then on be observed as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. Four days after his death, the first legislation seeking a Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday was made by Congressman John Conyers and 15 years later the holiday was solidified by President Reagan. As the years passed, Martin Luther King Jr. Day became more than just a day off from work or school. It evolved into a day of service, a day when Americans of all backgrounds came together to volunteer, to give back to their communities, and to uphold the values of equality and social justice that Dr. King had championed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest from an encore presentation from early in 2023 is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali {https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from surviving to thriving. Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPAs Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40.

In this bonus episode, we are joined by a member of the NAR staff, Alexia Smokler, a staff executive to NAR's Fair Housing Policy Committee. That description does not begin to convey all the work that she does on our behalf and on behalf of the clients we serve. She has been key in developing the Bias Override class and Fairhaven.realtor. We are excited to discuss the programs she manages as well as learn what agents are doing in the marketplace, in this bonus episode!   [1:40] Monica welcomes and introduces Alexia Smokler, the Director of Fair Housing Policy and Programs for NAR.  [2:19] Alexia discusses several of the educational programs she delivers such as Fairhaven, implicit bias training, NAR's Fair Housing Champion award, and licensure reform efforts under the ACT Initiative, which NAR rolled out after the Newsday investigation in Long Island. [3:52] Monica asks Alexia for definitions of Fair Housing, DEI, and Implicit Bias. [8:18] Alexia discusses the difference between prejudice and discrimination. [8:50] It's important to distinguish that you can be engaging in discrimination without holding feelings of prejudice. This is discussed in the Implicit Bias course.  [13:06] Alexia describes the Bias Override course. The problem with mental shortcuts is when they're about people and they're based on stereotypes.  [16:57] The Bias Override course brings new terms to your mind. It helps you describe things you have felt and gives a name to it. Monica speaks of the trip she and her daughter took to Japan where there are not a lot of Westerners.  [19:02] Alexia ties Monica's Japan experience to the Bias Override course. She had the experience of being the minority and being the out-group.  [20:53] Alexia speaks of studies that show that discrimination shrinks the economy. The wealth they would have generated that would have created more jobs does not get created. [21:56] Morgan Stanley's study found that lending discrimination had kept five million people out of home ownership nationwide. [25:03] The wealth gap is not just attributable to differences in income. It's also because of the historical support of White people to become homeowners. [25:48] Alexia tells how the government involved itself in home ownership. They created the FHA which distributed loans according to redlining maps and most of the mortgages went to White people.  [26:54] Black GIs were not able to get mortgages from lenders. They didn't get to buy a house and pass that wealth down.  [28:53] Lending discrimination is a big problem and it's not just against People of Color. It's also against women and people with disabilities. Loan officers need more Fair Housing training. Monica cites the books The Sum of Us and The Color of Law. [31:30] In a couple of decades, we'll be a majority-minority country. There will be no one majority group. We need to be ready to serve different kinds of people or we will miss out. [32:56] Fairhaven.realtor is an interactive real estate simulation. You go into a fictional town and your task is to sell four homes in six months. You go through different scenarios where you encounter different kinds of discrimination taken from real Fair Housing cases or members' FAQs.  [43:09] The Fair Housing Champion Award was launched as part of the culture change around Fair Housing to celebrate people who are helping clients overcome historic barriers. Alexia discusses one applicant who stood out.  [49:28] Alexia's final word: What agents do is much more important than a transaction. It's about the wealth that's generated from a transaction that will impact generations.  [50:37] The minimum that agents can do is to keep the highest standard of compliance with the law and take training and classes. Alexia offers ideas on how to help make it better in your community. [53:04] All NAR certification and designation courses give you skills that help you level up your business so you can serve all your clients and your community better.    Tweetables:   “DEI supports Fair Housing. So, if we're inclusive, if we're diverse, and if we're open to different perspectives, then it naturally follows that we're going to treat consumers better because we have that lens on how we approach everybody.” — Alexia Smokler   “Once you start making those assumptions, you're down a dangerous road.” — Alexia Smokler   “Black folks earn 60% of the income that White people earn. But they have only about 12% of the wealth. … The average wealth of a White person [with] a high school education is higher than the wealth of a Black or Hispanic person who has a college education.” — Alexia Smokler   “Loan officers need more Fair Housing training.” — Alexia Smokler   Guest Links:   Alexia Smokler asmokler@nar.realtor Fair Housing Champions: https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing/fair-housing-champion-award Bias Override Class: https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing/bias-override-overcoming-barriers-to-fair-housing The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, by Richard Rothstein Long Island Divided   NAR Resource Links At Home With Diversity® Bias Override Class Fairhaven.REALTOR NAR's ACT! initiative   Additional Links:   Microcourses found at Learning.REALTOR. Use the coupon code PODCAST to obtain 15% off the price of any microcourse!   Crdpodcast.realtor Learning.REALTOR — for NAR Online Education Training4RE.com — List of Classroom Courses from NAR and its affiliates CRD.Realtor — List of all courses offered   Host Information: Monica Neubauer Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR® Monica@MonicaNeubauer.com MonicaNeubauer.com FranklinTNBlog.com   Monica's Facebook Page Facebook.com/Monica.Neubauer Instagram Instagram.com/MonicaNeubauerSpeaks   Guest Bio   Alexia Smokler Alexia Smokler represents NAR's positions on Fair Housing to Congress and federal agencies and leads NAR's ACT! initiative, which emphasizes Accountability, Culture Change, and Training to advance fair housing in the industry. She led the development of Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation, and Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing. Alexia also oversees NAR's discrimination self-testing program for real estate brokerages, NAR's fair housing real estate licensure reform efforts, and other projects aimed at closing racial and ethnic homeownership gaps. Alexia serves as staff executive to NAR's Fair Housing Policy Committee and writes and speaks regularly on fair housing issues to audiences around the country. Her 2021 cover story for REALTOR® Magazine, Repairers of the Breach, won several awards for excellence in business-to-business journalism.   Before joining NAR, Alexia worked in fair housing enforcement at HUD, on the staff of Congressman John Conyers, Jr., and with nonprofit civil rights organizations. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland and holds a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law; a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs; and a bachelor's degree in government from Smith College. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.  

Breathing clean air and drinking clean water are fundamental rights. However, these rights have been denied to many low-income communities and communities of color, who often live next to massive industrial facilities that pollute the air and water. Our guest is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/] former EPA official and now Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He has been working toward solving historical injustices that target certain communities for class- and race-based discrimination putting them in the path of harm from toxic exposure, climate disruption, and industrial accidents. In this show we discuss Dr. Ali's history of working at the EPA and why he had to leave that position. We talk about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, OH; the EPA regulation of forever chemicals in drinking water; and vehicle pollution standards. We also discuss how the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gasses has been dialed back by a recent supreme court decision. Through his public advocacy, Dr. Ali shares his holistic approach to empowering and revitalizing vulnerable communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. And how all of us can use our talents to be part of the larger change while also curbing climate anxiety and burnout. LISTEN to the Extended Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-mustafa-ali-83445663 Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Dr. Ali serves as the vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) [https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership/Mustafa-Santiago-Ali]. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies [https://www.mustafasantiagoali.com/about-mustafa/], a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.” Before joining NWF, Dr. Ali was the Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process. Prior to joining the HHC, Mustafa worked 22 years at the EPA and 2 years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He began advocating on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. More Info/Resources: https://www.gq.com/story/mustafa-ali-epa-interview Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Guest: Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 177

DMP's first official mock draft with Tom Mazawey & Ryan Ermanni! Happy 4/20, LaraJuicyTV's TikTok stardom, Kelly & Mark Cuck-suelos, MTV's Headbanger's Ball, a brand-new Bonerline, and The Hawk has a beef with Jim Bentley. The Hawk has a vendetta against Jim Bentley. Jim laments having to get off his parent's phone plane because of the podcast scrutiny. Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket launch was cool... but blew up. Thanks to everyone who came out to The Breeze to buy GhostBudsters! Drew is getting bullied on YouTube for his subscriber count. LaraJuicyTV is our new favorite Instagram fart-fluencer. Check out these blasts. Kennedy News: Drew came across the final two phone numbers that Lee Harvey Oswald wanted to call to reach some dude name 'John Hurt'. We decide to call them. RFK Jr. is running for president and Cheryl Hines is taking a brunt of the anger. 947 is the new area code you need to memorize. Tom Mazawey and Ryan Ermanni join the show for our first official DMP Mock Draft. The hottest sex trend with young people is... choking. Trudi is so bored that she doodled all show. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos may have the worst show on television. The Bonerline is back on Friday's show! GhostBudsters Farms brings you today's BL! Call or text 209-66-Boner. Mike Lindell is getting called-out for his election fraud claims and now has to pay $5M. Local: Highland Park really needs to start paying their water bill. Arthur Williamson has been charged in the death of WWJ's Jim Matthews. Kenneth Pilon pled guilty to making threatening calls to Starbucks over a BLM rift. There is a tire/wheel thief out in Livonia. Shri Thanedar wants to honor John Conyers. Somebody sent us MTV's Headbangers Ball from October 24, 1987. Check out Smash with GNR! Our Steve Perry commentary continues to divide our audience (YouTube does NOT like us taking shots at him). Blur is reuniting. Visit Our Presenting Sponsor Hall Financial – Michigan's highest rated mortgage company If you'd like to help support the show… please consider subscribing to our YouTube Page, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew and Mike Show, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon). Or don't, whatever.

Friends,From Barbados to San Francisco, the demand for reparations is reaching a crescendo, intensified by the writings of Ibram X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Nikole Hannah-Jones.H.R. 40 (first proposed in 1989 by democratic congressman, John Conyers, MI), has gained traction and is being endorsed by over 200 democrats in the House, the current charge being led by democratic congresswoman, Shelia Jackson Lee (TX).Most Americans think reparations are a bad idea, but it wouldn't be the first bad idea that worked its way through the halls of Congress and was signed into law. Black Lives Matter has made reparations pivotal to its equity agenda, and, like the “Summer of Love” in 2020, America could again be held hostage until the “ransom of reparations” is paid in full.Join us for this spirited conversation on the “madness of reparations.” And keep your gas stoves burning!With Thanks for You,Philip & D. Paul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit enteringstageright.substack.com

Two months before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington, tens of thousands gathered to watch him speak in Detroit — a city that's home to so many Black activists, artists, and entrepreneurs.  Since then, it hasn't all been easy for Black Detroiters, but the elections of Mayor Coleman A. Young, and Congressman John Conyers brought forward a new era of Black leadership.  In recent years, Detroit has lost Black representation in both local and national leadership. In the latest election, two non-Black candidates came out on top to represent the city in Congress, meaning, for the first time in 70 years, Detroit has no Black lawmaker representing the city. Bridge Detroit and public radio station WDET have partnered to create a podcast called “What Had Happened Was." The limited series interrogates in real-time what loss of Black representation means for the city. ___ GUEST: Orlando Bailey, engagement director at Bridge Detroit, co-host of "What Had Happened Was" Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cue the fireworks and bring on the confetti; we're celebrating the 33rd anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day!Yes, I recognize celebrating a 33rd anniversary is a bit odd. Still, considering the hard-fought battle to have the only "King" we recognize honored with a national holiday, I think it's worth celebrating this historic milestone.In this bonus episode, we are recognizing the movers and shakers like Congressman John Conyers, Stevie Wonder, and even the National Football League (yes, they actually put their money behind the cause) who didn't make it into our history books but played an essential role in advocating for this historic piece of legislation. This episode has some surprising tidbits like:How our favorite version of the "Happy Birthday" song written by Stevie Wonder helped mobilize the movementPresident Ronald Reagan's reluctance to sign the bill into law.How Martin Luther King Day became recognized as a National Holiday in ALL 50 states in 2000 #sideye #southcarolinaEpisode Highlights[00:01:09]Calling all Cliff Notes readers, listen here as I share an overview of today's episode and how the events of the late 60s still plague us today.[00:05:07] Detroit vs. Everybody became a slogan in the mid-2000s, but the Great State of Michigan, The National Black Caucus, and The King Family advocated for decades; here's a little known black history fact about Congressman John Conyers and his mission to make MLK Day a federal holiday.[00:06:17] Ever wondered why Stevie Wonder wrote his version of The Happy Birthday Song? Tune in as I explain the cultural significance of those lyrics that we tend to "mumble through." --Bet you'll want to learn the whole song after listening to this episode (smile).[00:06:48] It's no secret that Dr. King delivered his renowned I Have A Dream Speech on the National Mall. But did you know that another historic rally took place in his honor? The Rally For Peace, organized by his family and famous supporters like Stevie Wonder, played a significant role in establishing MLK Day. Tune in to learn more.[00:08:17] Fifteen years after Congressman Conyers introduced the bill, six million petition signatures later, the bill was again denied. Tune into this episode to learn why and who was holding out![00:09:18] President Ronald Reagan signed MLK Day into law on November 02, 1983, but he wasn't happy about it--hear what President "Make America Great Again" volume one had to say.[00:10:39] Do you remember the first time you saw MLK Day celebrated as a National Holiday? Truth bomb: it was MANY years after the bill was enacted. This part of history definitely wasn't in your textbooks, but you'll find it on this podcast![00:10:44] The NFL is known for many things, but Civil Rights Activism isn't one. Still, we give credit where it's due. Learn how the NFL shut down the state of Arizona for its resistance to making MLK Day a holiday.[00:13:44] Wondering when all 50 states finally recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day? The fight that began four days after his assassination ended in 2000 when South Carolina recognized MLK day as a state holiday.[00:17:23] If you love this episode, let me share a few ways you can help us get this much-needed dose of history into more AirPods![00:18:10] Tune into the next episode, which is all about the Chinese New YearPut down that stuffy, boring textbook, grab your earbuds, and get into the most lit history lesson EVER!Research Information:https://www.ywcastpaul.org/mlk-economic-equality/https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/15-year-battle-martin-luther-king-jr-dayhttps://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/john-conyers-and-the-uphill-battle-honor-mlk-birthday/Dx8jhl0KJANrvMAZ9ApUCO/https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-martin-luther-king-jr-s-birthday-became-a-holiday-3#:~:text=Representative%20John%20Conyers%20introduced%20the,of%20Representative's%20floor%20in%201979.https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/stevie-wonder-happy-birthday-song/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/01/16/25000-march-for-king/017c450c-4f16-4b15-a685-5c3664772062/https://calendar.songfacts.com/january/20/19335Stay in Touch:Visit our website. Follow the podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and feel free to donate. To learn more about the podcast host Toya, visit ToyaFromHarlem.com. Connect with Toya on Instagram and Twitter, or buy her a coffee.The episode was researched and scripted by host Latoya Coleman (Toya From Harlem).  

Election season is upon us, so in this episode of Carlie's Couch, we chat with political organizer, John Conyers III, to better understand how everyday people can be involved in politics: where to start, how to break it down into digestible pieces, the importance of compassion and life experience in policy, and his vision for more accessible, equitable politics. Follow him and his journey on social media @ConyersThree across all platforms and email him at info@conyersforcongress.comWatch this episode on YouTube!

American democracy may rise or fall on whether or not citizens succeed in preserving the right to vote. The battle to save voting rights has reached a critical phase.Following former President Donald Trump's defeat in 2020, nearly 400 Republican-written bills restricting voting access were introduced in legislatures nationwide. Last year, legislators in every state except Vermont introduced at least one bill restricting voting access, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. By May of this year, 18 states had passed 34 laws restricting voting. These efforts are tied to the false election fraud claims that Trump and his supporters have been spreading since President Joe Biden's electoral victory.The new voting restrictions threaten to roll back the rights that were secured in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by then-President Lyndon Johnson. The current tsunami of voter suppression laws was triggered in 2013 when the Supreme Court handed down the decision known as Shelby County v. Holder, which “put a dagger into the heart of the Voting Rights Act,” in the words of the late Rep. John Lewis. Shelby has been used to roll back key rights enshrined in the Voting Rights Act, and the result has been a wave of voter suppression laws targeting communities of color.Greg Moore has been a key participant in the battle for voting rights. He was the executive director of the NAACP National Voter Fund, coordinating national programs promoting voting rights and registering more than a half million voters nationwide throughout his career. He previously served as legislative director and chief of staff for Rep. John Conyers, where he helped steer the final passage of the “Motor Voter Act” of 1993. He is the CEO of the Promise of Democracy Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting democracy, voting rights and civic education. His new book is “Beyond the Voting Rights Act: The Untold Story of the Struggle to Reform America's Voter Registration Laws.”Moore argues that because of the Voting Rights Act, “voter registration rolls swelled up all over the country … and it led to a massive turnout that elected the first African American president not once, but twice, in 2008 and again in 2012.” That sparked a furious effort by Republicans to suppress Black votes.“The Trump MAGA movement has accelerated that whole process,” Moore told the Vermont Conversation. “The emergence of the Black vote and the youth vote and low income vote created such a powerful force in 2008 and 2012 that it forced the retrenchment from this longstanding law that was 50 years strong.”Moore contends that federal action is essential to defend voting rights. “If you take away the federal government's ability to provide that undergirding support for these rights, then you leave it to states to do whatever they want … It's just like the issue of abortion: There'll be states where you can have it, and states where you can't, states where you have the right to vote, and states where you don't have the freedom to vote.”“Jim Crow was what happened when there weren't federal guidelines,” Moore added. “If you take away federal guidelines, you return back to that. … Congress needs to put forth a bill that can pass on a bipartisan basis and be enacted in the law.

Hillary and Tina cover John Conyers and Gordon Klingenschmitt. Hillary's Story In 2017 Representative John Conyers was one of the longest serving congressmen with 50 years in office. BUT when sexual harassment claims arise, his storied career ends in shame. Tina's Story Evangelical activist Gordon Klingenschmitt won a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2014. BUT it's his fanatical views that spark controversy. Hillary's Story CNN Pelosi refuses to hit Conyers on sexual harassment allegations, calls him an ‘icon' (https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/26/politics/pelosi-conyers-icon-mtp)--By Maegan Vazquez The New York Times John Conyers to Leave Congress Amid Harassment Claims (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/us/politics/john-conyers-election.html)--by Yamiche Alcindor NPR Conyers Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations (https://www.npr.org/2017/12/05/567160325/conyers-resigning-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations)--by Brian Naylor and Domenico Montanaro The Observer Battered by Sexual Harassment Allegations, John Conyers Resigns From Congress (https://observer.com/2017/12/battered-by-sexual-harassment-allegations-john-conyers-resigns-from-congress/)--By Davis Richardson Politico Conyers scandal rocks House Democrats (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/21/john-conyers-sexual-harassment-253977)--by John Bresnahan and Heather Caygle The Washington Post Rep. John Conyers Jr. resigns over sexual harassment allegations after a half-century in Congress (https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/conyers-wont-seek-reelection-following-harassment-allegations-report-says/2017/12/05/17057ea0-d9bb-11e7-a841-2066faf731ef_story.html)--by Elsie Viebeck and David Weigel Wikipedia John Conyers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Conyers) WXYZ MI Rep. Conyers admits to paying settlement, denies harassment allegations (https://www.wxyz.com/news/report-rep-conyers-settled-complaint-over-sexual-conduct) Photos John Conyers (https://www.ajc.com/resizer/oPZlvfAbPl9oVOjzXpPEkW2BUWI=/814x458/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/QSXGSDLMHFBEAX26BFOHRAN3VA.jpg)--by Mark Wilson via The Atlantic Journal-Constitution John Conyers and MLK Jr. (https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_main_wide_580x384/public/field_image/blog-mlk-jconyers-500x280-v01.png?itok=YYudDA3D)--from Office of John Conyers via ACLU Tina's Story Americans United Colorado Religious Right Extremist Loses Election For City Council Seat (https://www.au.org/the-latest/church-and-state/articles/colorado-religious-right-extremist-loses/#)--by Rob Boston Colorado Springs lawmaker back on committee, will hold town hall Wednesday (https://gazette.com/government/colorado-springs-lawmaker-back-on-committee-will-hold-town-hall-wednesday/article_b5ca039d-379a-50ee-bab0-7daaa3d58305.html)--BY MEGAN SCHRADER The Denver Post GOP aghast at Klingenschmitt's act-of-God comment in baby's death (https://www.denverpost.com/2015/03/26/gop-aghast-at-klingenschmitts-act-of-god-comment-in-babys-death/)--by Lynn Bartels Klingenschmitt loses committee post, suspends ministry for six weeks (https://www.denverpost.com/2015/03/30/klingenschmitt-loses-committee-post-suspends-ministry-for-six-weeks/)--by Lynn Bartels The Gazette Klingenschmitt, Fornander offer 'extremes' on both ends in House District 15 race (https://gazette.com/government/klingenschmitt-fornander-offer-extremes-on-both-ends-in-house-district-15-race/article_cabcf39b-b571-55ca-90cc-23dd63526a39.html)--by Stephen Hobbs KRDO Controversial State Rep. Klingenschmitt loses state senate primary (https://krdo.com/news/2016/06/29/controversial-state-rep-klingenschmitt-loses-state-senate-primary/) Mother Jones Watchdog Group Banned from YouTube After Anti-Gay Chaplain Complains About YouTube Comments (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/watchdog-group-loses-youtube-account-after-anti-gay-chaplain-complains/)--by Tim Murphy Right Wing Watch Ted Cruz Is ‘Honored' To Have The Support Of Colorado's Demon-Hunting, Anti-Gay Exorcist State Legislator Gordon Klingenschmitt (https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ted-cruz-is-honored-to-have-the-support-of-colorados-demon-hunting-anti-gay-exorcist-state-legislator-gordon-klingenschmitt/)--By Kyle Mantyla The Virginian Pilot Jury recommends reprimand, fine for Navy chaplain (https://www.pilotonline.com/military/article_e929de60-c506-582c-a753-7bab9751ca9f.html) Westword Eight Reasons to Give Thanks That Gordon Klingenschmitt Lost the Primary (https://www.westword.com/news/eight-reasons-to-give-thanks-that-gordon-klingenschmitt-lost-the-primary-8099758?storyPage=2)--by TEAGUE BOHLEN Meet Gordon Klingenschmitt, Exorcism-Doing, Gay-Slamming, Just-Elected State Rep (https://www.westword.com/news/meet-gordon-klingenschmitt-exorcism-doing-gay-slamming-just-elected-state-rep-6051583)--by MICHAEL ROBERTS Photos Gordon J. Klingenschmitt (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/H-Klingenschmitt.jpg/800px-H-Klingenschmitt.jpg)--photo by Donn Bruns (CC BY-SA 4.0) Klingenschmitt on Pray in Jesus Name (https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/klingenschmitt-brutal-attack-upon-pregnant-woman-is-the-curse-of-god-upon-america/)--screenshot via Right Wing Watch

August 1, 2022 ~ Lloyd Jackson, WJR Senior News Analyst, talks with Chris Renwick about the U.S. House primary race in the new 13th District that includes Democrat candidates Adam Hollier, Shri Thanedar, Portia Roberson and John Conyers.

TMBS 52 aired on August 14th, 2018. Episode summary: Michael breaks down why the idea of the West is a myth and not a very good one. Then, we explain why we support Lula Livre and why you should too. Our Shoutout goes to Rashida Tlaib, the Democratic Congressional Candidate looking to replace John Conyers in his Michigan district. From the start of her campaign she has promoted a progressive critique of the Democratic Party establishment. We throw a Queen's landlord in the Gulag. Sam Esposito of Ozone Park has been on a hunger strike to protest a homeless shelter being built in his neighborhood. And during Griscom economic minute we revisit footage of an altercation that happened in Queens bar and David talks about the growing pessimism of the investor class. Finally, Trevor Beaulieu (@rickyrawls) host of Champagne Sharks (@ChampagneSharks) is in studio to talk about the Ben Shapiro and AOC "debate" fiasco. TMBS ReAirs come out every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts and on The Michael Brooks Show YouTube Channel. This program has been put together by The Michael Brooks Legacy Project. To learn more and rewatch the postgame content visit https://www.patreon.com/TMBS

Our Candidate series continues! We're working to bring candidates for the 13th Congressional seat to our listeners to ask the questions that no one else is asking! John Conyers joined Orlando and Donna to discuss his candidacy, why he's qualified to represent you, and what he hopes to do if voters send him to D.C.!Listen and share with friends, especially if they live in the 13th district!Hot Takes!Feds Partner with Detroit to reduce gun violence in high-crime neighborhoods

Congressman John Conyers, a 52 year member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was born in Highland Park, MI.

Curiosity killed the cat… or did it? One of the best ways to be open to new possibilities is to stay curious. This week, we explore the importance of this trait that's rampant in youth and rare in adults, explore ways we can re-spark it, and give tactical applications to stoke your curiosity in your everyday life. And this week's shoutout goes to John Conyers, who was a guest on EP 127. He's officially running for Congress in Michigan's 13th District and you can learn more about his campaign at conyersforcongress.com

Loretta Sanchez served 20 years in the US House, one of the first Democrats to breakthrough in historically GOP Orange County, CA. She also made history, with her sister Linda Sanchez, as the only two women related by family to serve in Congress. In this conversation, she talks growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in LA, her 1996 upset over GOP fixture Bob Dornan and the election contest that ensued, her 2016 election for Senate ultimately won by Kamala Harris, and memories & insights from two decades in the House.IN THIS EPISODECongresswoman Sanchez talks growing up in the LA-area as the daughter of Mexican immigrants…The candidate who her father walked door-to-door for, even before he could vote himself…Her path to running for office in the mid 1990s…Congresswoman Sanchez talks through the history and politics of Orange County, CA…The great story behind her 1996 upset of GOP icon Bob Dornan, a race dubbed “the upset of the decade” by Time Magazine…The year-long election contest that followed her 1996 victory…Congresswoman Sanchez's memories of lunch with Joe Biden in 1997…She explains what makes Nancy Pelosi an effective party leader…Who Congresswoman Sanchez is keeping an eye on as the next generation of Democratic leaders in the House…The story behind the history-making election of sisters Loretta and Linda Sanchez as part of the same Congress…She recounts her decision to run for US Senate in 2016…Congresswoman Sanchez's advice to Democrats who want to better communicate with Latino voters…The advice that Congresswoman Sanchez would offer AOC…Congresswoman Sanchez talks her current priorities and interests…AND…Pete Aguilar, Karen Bass, Barbara Boxer, Willie Brown, cause celebres, Chapman University, Gil Cisneros, Katherine Clark, Bill Clinton, Barbara Cubin, Blue Dogs, John Conyers, Lou Correa, Tom Daly, Willian Dannemeyer, David & Goliath, Val Demings, John Dingell, Veronica Escobar, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Barney Frank, Georgetown, Dick Gephardt, Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Lindsay Graham, green cards, Kamala Harris, Head Start, David Hobson, Hubert Humphrey, Italian Grandmas, Hakeem Jeffries, the Joint Economic Committee, Patrick Kennedy, Barbara Kennelly, Jerry McNerney, John McCain, George Miller, John Murtha, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Old Bulls, Colin Peterson, Katie Porter, Ed Rendell, Kathleen Rice, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Harley Rouda, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Rotary Clubs, Ronald Reagan, Tony Rodham, George Stephanopoulos, Univision, the Western White House, Pete Wilson, & more!

Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners back to an August 2018 interview Nicole conducted with Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan) and his career crusade to establish the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. During the Congressman's lifetime, which the Congressman spent nearly three decades on a relentless campaign, the H.R. 40 Bill never made it out of Committee.  In one of his final interviews, Rep. Conyers reflects on what reparations for African Americans would achieve and how he realized early on the journey it would take to get there. 

Tonight, we return to what should be front page news but has not even made it to MSM news in any credible manner. Namely the enabling of a return, in 2014, for the first since WWII, of a European government to power that is primarily and substantial Neo Nazi in its constitution. Joining us is author and historian Lev Golinkin who emigrated to the US in 1990 from eastern Ukraine whose writing history expertise includes on the Ukraine crisis, Russia, about how white supremacy affects us and, on the far right and immigrant and refugee identity. The show documents what MSM failed and continues to fail to cover, the US enabled coup and the response of that coup as the main impetus to the creation of the ‘separatists'. We review the author's latest May 11, 2021 article in the Nation magazine, Secretary Blinken Faces a Big Test in Ukraine where Nazis and their Sympathizers are Glorified and provide documentation of the February 2014 coup being enabled by the US meddling as well as its result of 8-9 cabinet positions being appointed to neo-Nazis. We also document the horrific burning to death murder of 40 plus in Odessa Ukraine on May 2, 2014 and the repression that followed led by neo-Nazi battalions the US failed to defund under Obama despite John Conyers led legislation that passed the House unanimously some six months earlier. We also describe the resulting in US deaths in Florida and the training of US white supremacists in Ukraine by those connected to 2017 Charlottesville racist violence. Additionally, our guest provides a detailed historical overview of the 1.5 million Jews that were slaughtered in western Ukraine along with another 70-100 thousand Poles. This very western part of Ukraine is where the super ultra nationalist organizations come from today; they allied with Hitler back in the day; they welcomed the Nazis with open arms; they started slaughtering Jews in some places before the Nazis got there…these were extraordinarily fascist, anti-Semitic, savage groups. And the main one was called the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). And Stefan Bandera was the leader of one of the factions of it, who is celebrated today in the Ukraine. How could these truths be kept from the American public by our government leaders and the MSM for the past seven years without barely a mention? This is why we suggest tuning in to Bringing Light into Darkness (BLID) should be a primary source of news each week for the US public.

Tonight, we return to what should be front page news but has not even made it to MSM news in any credible manner. Namely the enabling of a return, in 2014, for the first since WWII, of a European government to power that is primarily and substantial Neo Nazi in its constitution. Joining us is author and historian Lev Golinkin who emigrated to the US in 1990 from eastern Ukraine whose writing history expertise includes on the Ukraine crisis, Russia, about how white supremacy affects us and, on the far right and immigrant and refugee identity. The show documents what MSM failed and continues to fail to cover, the US enabled coup and the response of that coup as the main impetus to the creation of the ‘separatists'. We review the author's latest May 11, 2021 article in the Nation magazine, Secretary Blinken Faces a Big Test in Ukraine where Nazis and their Sympathizers are Glorified and provide documentation of the February 2014 coup being enabled by the US meddling as well as its result of 8-9 cabinet positions being appointed to neo-Nazis. We also document the horrific burning to death murder of 40 plus in Odessa Ukraine on May 2, 2014 and the repression that followed led by neo-Nazi battalions the US failed to defund under Obama despite John Conyers led legislation that passed the House unanimously some six months earlier. We also describe the resulting in US deaths in Florida and the training of US white supremacists in Ukraine by those connected to 2017 Charlottesville racist violence. Additionally, our guest provides a detailed historical overview of the 1.5 million Jews that were slaughtered in western Ukraine along with another 70-100 thousand Poles. This very western part of Ukraine is where the super ultra nationalist organizations come from today; they allied with Hitler back in the day; they welcomed the Nazis with open arms; they started slaughtering Jews in some places before the Nazis got there…these were extraordinarily fascist, anti-Semitic, savage groups. And the main one was called the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). And Stefan Bandera was the leader of one of the factions of it, who is celebrated today in the Ukraine. How could these truths be kept from the American public by our government leaders and the MSM for the past seven years without barely a mention? This is why we suggest tuning in to Bringing Light into Darkness (BLID) should be a primary source of news each week for the US public.

On today's episode of the Reason Reborn we discuss John Conyers stepping down, Michael Flynn pleading guilty to lying to the FBI, President Trump's boneheaded response to the news, and Trump's lawyer's even more boneheaded response to the news. Oh and also Jared Kushner's in trouble.

Vincent James has created a special day of the year and a week of the year' -for music for kids. That got me thinking of how late congressman John Conyers created Martin Luther King day as a national holiday' - an endeavor which took him years to accomplish.----I explored with Vincent steps he' s taken to create such a day. Since I believe there are probably many other people who want to make special days for special reasons

FCA-Peugeot merger plan expected to affect UAW talks, state and national leaders pay tribute to former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, man can't finish title transfer and threatens to blow up SOS office, what you need to know about 3D mammograms, and No. 1 Michigan State basketball vs. No. 2 Kentucky.

Funeral today for former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Tuesday's local elections in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties, Detroit saves some renters from gentrification, 5 kids died in Michigan house fires, and Detroit Lions lose in Oakland, 31-24, on Sunday.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Tuesday, October 29, 2019, Hour 4 of Jesse Lee Peterson's stream, The Hake Report: Trump vs failed black police superintendent in Chicago, Eddie Johnson. Later, James talks about Brexit getting delayed to January 31st, when it was supposed to be done by Halloween! John Conyers died at 90, he was evil. James also tells the story of a white alleged arsonist from Missouri, Freddie Graham, who flew to San Jose for a 50-year high school reunion, and set fires along the road where he and his late wife were supposed to drive. BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2019/10/29/trump-vs-failed-black-chicago-leaders-and-dc-haters-tue-102919 Great calls, thank you! Lucas from Los Angeles told about a crazy homosexual fellow Uber passenger. Chris from AZ talks about strict Catholicism and Joe Biden being denied communion. Kyle from Denver, CO, repaired a fridge for lesbians and their little boy was following him around needing a male. John Doe from Los Angeles, CA, argues with James about whether lesbians make good parents. Jesse's original stream: https://youtu.be/b5ayzd5-7xA James's video from this episode: https://youtu.be/VNrskh0JfSU Also live on Hake's channels Sunday 9am PT (11CT/12ET) Call-in: 888-775-3773 http://thehakereport.com

Monday, October 28, 2019, Hour 4 of Jesse Lee Peterson's stream, The Hake Report: James talks about seeing Washington Post fail when they gave three different headlines for the obituary of ISIS guy Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, calling him "austere.” Then James talks about the American woman Kayla Mueller who was reportedly kidnapped, raped, tortured, and killed by al-Baghdadi and ISIS. BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2019/10/28/on-kayla-mueller-american-raped-and-killed-by-isis-mon-102819 Great callers talk about fires, Charlie Kirk, Trump, John Conyers, missionaries, and Trump vs. ISIS. Caller log: Tony from CA, talks about a white alleged arsonist for James to look up; Bobby from Nashville, TN, wants to go after TPUSA's Charlie Kirk but also say not to hate him; Dan from AZ wants to flee to TN where business and land prices are better, and fewer liberal invaders; Rick from Hampton, VA, talks about Trump getting booed in DC and John Conyers dying. Maze from Dayton, OH, talks about USA killing al-Baghdadi, God's law, and “y'all” white people stealing, killing and destroying, either by missionaries or by betrayal. Jesse's original stream: https://youtu.be/SUNGSacLseo James's video of this episode: https://youtu.be/a1wZR3t18EA Also live on Hake's channels Sunday 9am PT (11CT/12ET) Call-in: 888-775-3773 http://thehakereport.com

Today on Sojourner Truth: On Juneteenth, June 19, 2019, a historic congressional hearing was held on HR 40, a bill first introduced by the now-retired Rep. John Conyers in 1989 to create a national commission to study reparations proposals for African Americans. The hearing was held before the House Judiciary Committee and HR 40's new sponsor, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The Sojourner Truth team was on the ground for the hearing. Following the hearing, an event titled, "Healing and Reconciliation: HR 40 and the Promise of Reparations for African-Americans" was held at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. Today, we bring you the in-depth analysis on the movement for reparatory justice by Prof. Sir. Hilary Beckles. He is the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. Before assuming his office in 2015, he served the University as a professor of economic history, pro-Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies and Principle of its Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. In 2013, Beckles was invited to coordinate Caribbean government's positions on the global reparatory justice conversation. In this capacity, he was asked to chair the Caribbean Commission on Reparations. Under his guidance, the University of the West Indies has established the Caribbean Center for Reparations Research. He served as an associate member of the London University Legacy of Slavery project and the University of Hull's Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation.

Today on Sojourner Truth: On Juneteenth, June 19, 2019, a historic congressional hearing was held on HR 40, a bill first introduced by the now-retired Rep. John Conyers in 1989 to create a national commission to study reparations proposals for African Americans. The hearing was held before the House Judiciary Committee and HR 40's new sponsor, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The Sojourner Truth team was on the ground for the hearing. Following the hearing, an event titled, "Healing and Reconciliation: HR 40 and the Promise of Reparations for African-Americans" was held at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. Today, we bring you the in-depth analysis on the movement for reparatory justice by Prof. Sir. Hilary Beckles. He is the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. Before assuming his office in 2015, he served the University as a professor of economic history, pro-Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies and Principle of its Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. In 2013, Beckles was invited to coordinate Caribbean government's positions on the global reparatory justice conversation. In this capacity, he was asked to chair the Caribbean Commission on Reparations. Under his guidance, the University of the West Indies has established the Caribbean Center for Reparations Research. He served as an associate member of the London University Legacy of Slavery project and the University of Hull's Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation.

It appears Democrats may have sacrificed Franken, Conyers, and even the Clintons for another chance to take down President Trump.

Trump calls Jerusalem Israel's capital, the Roy Moore controversy gets even uglier, and everything you need to know about John Conyers and the Kingdom of Detroit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump calls Jerusalem Israel's capital, the Roy Moore controversy gets even uglier, and everything you need to know about John Conyers and the Kingdom of Detroit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

In these days of #MeToo and #NoMeansNo and politicians and media moguls dropping left and right for sexual coercion, consent has taken center stage unless you're Christian. We'll discuss Masterpiece Cakeshop, the Supreme Court, and why no only means no until love wins. Then, Roaming Millennial and Amber Athey join the Panel of Deplorables to discuss what the resignation of John Conyers tells us about Democrat strategy, the Supreme Court's upholding of Trump's travel ban, and the joyful post-Michelle Obama return of 1% chocolate milk to school lunches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Townhall Review -- December 2, 2017Hugh Hewitt speaks with Congressman Mike Gallagher, former intelligence officer for the Marines, on what to do about North Korea in light of their latest missile launch. Salem host Mike Gallagher invites Vice President Mike Pence to also discuss the situation with North Korea. Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, discusses the latest sexual harassment allegations concerning Matt Lauer, while Michael Medved and Tim Alberta share the news about Congressman John Conyers and Senator Al Franken and how evidence needs to be corroborated before the media publishes anything. Christina Hoff Sommers, author of "The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming our Young Men," joins Michael Medved to discuss how false allegations can quickly destroy people's lives. Sean Trende, Senior Elections Analyst at RealClearPolitics, discusses trends in elections and the implications they have in the upcoming Alabama election. Dennis Prager shares how the media, in particular the New York Times, has it out for men.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Rep. John Conyers spotted leaving D.C., the fallout from the president's fight with Democrats and more in today's Audio Briefing.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is refusing to criticize Democratic Rep. John Conyers who's been accused of sexual harassment against former Capitol Hill staff. Pelosi is going as far as to call the man an 'icon.' Buck lashes out at the Left's double standard. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comFollow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democrats rush to defend John Conyers, Republicans respond by rallying around Moore, and The New York Times does something right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democrats rush to defend John Conyers, Republicans respond by rallying around Moore, and The New York Times does something right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse and Brittany discuss #frenzy, Thanksgiving, Public Religion Research Institute's polling on Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas, Donald Trump's new talking point about his Access Hollywood tape, the “invisible” plane, Admiral Mike Mullen's concerns with John Kelly and H.R. McMaster working with Trump, Michael Flynn's possible move to cooperate with Mueller, and Al Franken's response... The post #359 – “#Frenzy, Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays, Access Hollywood Gaslighting, Flynn and Mueller, and Al Franken, John Conyers, and Nancy Pelosi Responses to Sexual Assault Allegations.” appeared first on I Doubt It Podcast.

Charlie Rose gets smacked with sexual harassment allegations; so do John Conyers and Oliver Stone. Meanwhile, LaVar Ball gets star treatment from the media, and the Trump administration makes a move against AT&T. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charlie Rose gets smacked with sexual harassment allegations; so do John Conyers and Oliver Stone. Meanwhile, LaVar Ball gets star treatment from the media, and the Trump administration makes a move against AT&T. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rep. John Conyers settled a complaint from a woman who said she was fired because she would not "succumb to [his] sexual advances," Angela Merkel is in trouble and more in today's Audio Briefing.