This episode will continue the discussion of how progressive thinking led to the passage of the Civil Rights legislation between 1957 and 1967 moved our country forward to promote the increase of Equity in our country. But, as we will see in future episodes, even as progress was being promoted, we made maddeningly slow progress. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were just a few of the African-American leaders who challenged the status quo. We were very far behind where we need to be in the areas of civil equity and equal opportunity—we have very far to go in 2020 in my opinion. YouTube Resources on the subject include “Eyes On The Prize” which is an excellent 6 part series on the Civil Rights Era. Another interesting perspective is the 2016 movie “I Am Not Your Negro” in which James Baldwin gives his perspectives on the black experience during the 1950s-1970s. Also, web address https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act gives an excellent presentation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Now see if you can register or get someone that your know who isn’t registered to register to vote! Remember to vote! We need to get more of our citizens to vote! 60% or less voting is pathetic! We can change our country and the world if we will stand up and speak!

This episode is Part 3 of our examination of how African-Americans have been denied equity and opportunity between 1865 and 1965. While we barely scratch the surface of the question of increasing equity and opportunity in our society we provide some important introductory facts that will lead us to some progressive ideas to fix this mess. We need a voting majority to implement governmental solutions, but we need ideas from all corners of our society to follow the governmental fixes with a full range of ideas from the people, organizations, and institutions from within all sectors. For those who are looking for some good reads on these topics of the history of inequity please look at \-- Two histories of Reconstruction by Eric Foner: Reconstruction and The Second Founding

-- Richard Rothstein's book The Color of Law, on the federal role in housing segregation

-- The Equal Justice Initiative's lynching project, which documented the extent of lynching (check the interactive maps and the EJI reports on related subjects)

-- Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns and her new and thought-provoking book Caste

-- A highly recommended op-ed piece in the New York Times a few days ago on an iconic massacre of Blacks by a white mob in Colfax, Louisiana, in 1873 and the Supreme Court decision (US v. Cruikshank) that allowed the perpetrators to go free and set a long-lasting precedent. The last paragraph of this article nicely sums up what I'm trying to say about why all this history is critically relevant. For a corrected link to yesterday’s show please see https://www.colorlines.com/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-slavery-and-wont-learn-django

This episode discusses some surprising new insights about slavery that have been unearthed in recent years. PBS has given new insights into slavery between 1600 and 1865. “10 Things You Should Know About Slavery and Won’t Learn at ‘Django.’ (From Colorlines.Com/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about slavery-and won’t-learn-django) and (https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-little-known-facts/)

In this episode we discuss the 6th principle of the progressive approach to politics: Increased Equity and Opportunity For Those People Who Have Historically Been Oppressed Particularly African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Women. We recognize that women have only been given the right to vote since 1920 and still only receive about 80% of the pay that their male colleagues receive, so there is still much to do to redress the inequities of our system. The Main point of discussion is that any effort to improve equity and opportunity must start with a national conversation to identify the problems that have led to where we are now and to get a general design to proposed solutions. The efforts of the German People to have a healing of their historical experience with Nazism and the Holocaust, the efforts of South Africa to have a national truth and reconciliation commission about Apartheid, and the Bosnia Reconcilation may serve as useful models to begin such a problem solving process. The complexity of the problems that we face will require several years to untangle and begin to address, but the sooner we begin the sooner we will be able to tackle other issues that we struggle with such as climate change. Some good resources on these topics include books (e.x., “Remembrance and Reconciliation: Encounters Between Young Jews and Germans” 1995; “Learning From The Germans: Race And The Memory of Evil” 2019), journal articles (e.x., “A Tale of Two Reconciliations: Germans and Jews After World War II and Bosnia After Dayton” August 2008 in the journal International Association of Genocide Scholars “Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal”), and Videos (“After Hitler Documentary” YouTube.com/watch?v=27hM-dz1jUo). This subject of Equity and Opportunity For The Historically Oppressed is a complete subject that we will tackle in the next few episodes. But again we say that the more we all contribute to the solutions the better the outcome. We need those who have given up on our society to come back and join into the process. Register! Vote! Talk to your friends! It’s not too late!

This episode focuses on how increasing care and aid for higher risk disabled people reduces voter suppression this election by making mail-in voting easier for those who need that way of casting their ballot. Also we look at the progressive approach to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by taking a wholistic national approach to the strategy vs the conservative approach which favors a more localized state by state strategy. Register! Vote！We value you!

Progress cannot be sustained in society without the presence of respect in communication. We must be able to listen and hear each other in order to sort through issues and ideas. Some people work on developing the skill of winning and argument, talking faster than the other person, talking over them, or purposely leaving out relevant facts or points. This will never get us to a higher level of truth or get us to a true state of progress. Let’s not play games with each other. Otherwise we will never get our non-participating members of society to get involved. Register! Vote!!

We conclude the discussion of how progressive principles promote the increase of free enterprise, but the freedom is balanced by personal and corporate accountability to society both when we are successful and when we are not successful. Our actions affect others and we must be mindful of how our actions may affect society in general or individuals. When we get ready to register to vote, be sure to check with your county board of elections for the location of registration and the polling locations. In Ohio go to Ohio sos.gov/elections/elections-officials/county-boards-of-elections-directory/ Register! Get Empowered! Learn About the Issues! Break the Log Jam! Change the System For Our Future And Our Children’s Future! Vote!

In this episode we begin with Part 2 of the discussion of Progressive Priniciple 1–contrasting sovereignty of the people (good) vs. sovereignty of one or a few people autocracy (bad). Progressivism promotes all authority in the hands of the people. In the introduction to the episode we discuss the percentage of eligible voters in 2016 (58%) vs. 1820 (10%) vs. 1840 (80%) vs. 2008 (61%) vs. 2012 (58%—guides.libraries.psu.edu/post-election-2016/voter-turnout)) vs. the routine vote in Australia (91%—aec.gov.au/media/media-releases/2019/06-13a.htm) . We must do better than 60%! We need you to participate! We end episode 4 with Part 1 of the discussion of Progressive “Principle 2: The Freedom To Enterprise”

Register and Vote! Ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/register/

We will discuss the 15 Principles of Progressivism which will guide our discussions and help us to evaluate whether a given idea, policy, or proposal is actually progressive—that is really leads to progress in our society. Each of the 14 principles will be examined in depth in future episodes.