Shelley’s Plumbline

Send us Fan Mail

By popular demand, Shelley and Teddy Pendergrass continue to share the message: Wake Up, Everybody.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Today, Shelley shares a simple message. Wake up everybody. It’s time to think ahead. Wake Up, Everybody. The time is now.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Today, we share Malcolm X's famous Ballots or Bullets address. The message rings true: The key to freedom lies in economic prosperity. Economic opportunity for all is the tide that will lift all boats.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Today Shelley celebrates National Women’s Month with some personal reflections on the strong women he has known in his life, from his mother Mattie C whom he saw murdered when he was five years old, to Oprah and Kamala Harris. Stay tuned as we celebrate the power of women.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Hey, Plumbliners…

Shelley has been in the hospital the past couple of weeks, so he asked me to rebroadcast a previous episode. I looked back in the archives at one of my favorites. It’s from episode 5 of season 1 and it features an interview with attorney Rodney Max discussing Hate Crimes. Please enjoy. And if you’re so inclined send your thoughts and prayers toShelley at [email protected]

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

As we come to the end of Black History Month, Shelley looks back on the last three episodes and shares his personal insights on the overt and not so overt signs that racism are still evident in America today.

Stay tuned as the plumbline seeks the truth.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Today we continue telling more stories of Black history, as we share an excerpt from the recording, “Remembering Slavery: African Americans Talk About Their Personal Experiences of Slavery and Emancipation,” published by The New Press, in conjunction with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution. Stay tuned and you’ll hear the words of actual slaves performed by well-known actors.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Hey, Plumbliners. Before we begin with this week’s episode, we’d like to thank you for the emails!

We received an email from a teacher in Washington state. She says, … My class has been learning about the Children's March recently, and one student asked whatever happened to Shelley the Playboy after watching the documentary "Mighty Times." That led us to some internet research, which led to finding this podcast and website. When we discussed what we value enough to risk getting in trouble to defend it, many kids mentioned both Freedom and Music; it's no wonder they find an activist like Mr. Stewart so appealing.” the teacher added “We wanted to say thank you to Mr. Stewart for his work during The Children's March. I want to say, as an educator of color, how thankful and inspired I am by his work and the way he was able to reach children and support them in their activism. …I plan to let my class know about this podcast and might write to you again if they have questions. I'm excited to learn more about this podcast and the other great work Mr. Stewart has done throughout his life, and I'm grateful to my inquisitive students for giving me the start!

Well students in Washington state, Shelley would love to meet with you on a Zoom call sometime. And teacher? Keep up the good work. We love what you’re doing.

Another email from EA says…

Mr. Stewart, thank you for all you have done throughout the years. As a child I listened to you everyday on the radio. I'm 62 years old now ,and one day I would like to meet you.

And JF says

This article of Shelley the Playboy brings memories of my youth. I listen to you everyday growing up. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU AND SIT DOWN TO A CUP OF COFFEE.

Well, we’ll work on those meetings. In the meantime, the one and only, one-time Shelley "The Playboy" is still on the air on Shelley’s Plumbline.

Thank you for your messages and words of support!

In this week’s Plumbline features an interview from 1995 with Azikwe Abdullah. Azikwe acknowledges that Nat Turner’s slave rebellion is the one history books talk about, but Azikwe reveals that there were many slave rebellions before that time. Stay tuned as the Plumbline seeks the truth.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Here at the beginning of Black History Month, we welcome you to season 5 of Shelley’s Plumbline. Since it is Black History Month, Shelley and I did some research.  According to a recent article in Axios, “…lawmakers in 30 states have proposed new restrictions during the past year on what schools can teach about the nation's racial history…”

According to the74million.org ...18 (states) have passed laws restricting or banning the teaching of supposed critical race theory…”

So Shelley and I decided, if these states won’t teach Black History, we will. And let us make one thing clear--we do not do this to stir up anger or hatred, because as Dr. King said, “Hate cannot drive out hate.”

We share this message to further understanding among all peoples. Ignoring our history does not make it go away. Appreciating the background of all fosters progress and prosperity for all. There’s your side, there’s my side and some where in the middle, the plumbline finds the truth.

Today’s episode re-broadcasts a 1997 interview with Horace Huntley, former professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UAB. He touches on the dangers of cultural annihilation and how that has limited the growth of our country. Stay tuned and learn more.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan Mail

Today we bring Season 4 to an end as we shine the spotlight on the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. James was a controversial character to be sure, but he became good friends with Shelley and always admired Shelley’s belief in the power of education.

When James released the song Don’t Be A Dropout, he couldn’t wait to play it for Shelley and Shelley was one of the first to broadcast it on the air.

Support the show

Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.