Sojourner Truth Radio

Today on Sojourner Truth:

After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. From Los Angeles to Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, tens of thousands hit the streets while Floyds family called for the arrests of three other officers involved in the Memorial Day murder. Thus far, just one arrest has been made with a third degree murder charge. In Paris, nearly 15,000 demonstrators defied police orders and marched in a sprawling protest against police violence outside the citys tribunal. The crowed was overwhelmingly people of African descent and not only were they connecting with what was happening in the U.S., but they were also opposing the murder by police of a Black youth in Paris. There were multiple reports of police deploying tear gas. Similar protests were held in cities across Europe and in Australia.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Trump has unleashed the full might of federal law enforcement against protesters. This includes military police, the National Guard, border agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and F.B.I. hostage rescue teams. As of Wednesday, June 3, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C., had called in the National Guard, with over 17,000 troops activated. From the beginning of the protests to the morning of June 3, at least 11 people have died and over 9,300 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press.

In New York City, a group of protesters marched across the Manhattan Bridge, only to be denied entry from Brooklyn to Manhattan by the NYPD. In Los Angeles, thousands peacefully demonstrated in Downtown LA and then marched to Hollywood. Some of the protesters joined Black Lives Matter LA to protest outside of the LA Mayor's residence, opposing the city's proposed budget, which has increased funding for law enforcement while cutting much-needed services.

In Washington, D.C., protests continued outside of the White House, which was heavily guarded. In Louisville, Kentucky, people held a gospel prayer service in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. And in San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officers used pepper spray as more than 200 protesters broke a 7 p.m. curfew. The protest, organized by Colectiva Feminista, included more than 500 people demanding a stop to racism and police brutality on the island. Protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered, and several other cities across the country. Protests have been ongoing nationwide. Over 100 cities have participated in the protests thus far.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. From Los Angeles to Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, tens of thousands hit the streets while Floyds family called for the arrests of three other officers involved in the Memorial Day murder. Thus far, just one arrest has been made with a third degree murder charge. In Paris, nearly 15,000 demonstrators defied police orders and marched in a sprawling protest against police violence outside the citys tribunal. The crowed was overwhelmingly people of African descent and not only were they connecting with what was happening in the U.S., but they were also opposing the murder by police of a Black youth in Paris. There were multiple reports of police deploying tear gas. Similar protests were held in cities across Europe and in Australia.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Trump has unleashed the full might of federal law enforcement against protesters. This includes military police, the National Guard, border agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and F.B.I. hostage rescue teams. As of Wednesday, June 3, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C., had called in the National Guard, with over 17,000 troops activated. From the beginning of the protests to the morning of June 3, at least 11 people have died and over 9,300 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press.

In New York City, a group of protesters marched across the Manhattan Bridge, only to be denied entry from Brooklyn to Manhattan by the NYPD. In Los Angeles, thousands peacefully demonstrated in Downtown LA and then marched to Hollywood. Some of the protesters joined Black Lives Matter LA to protest outside of the LA Mayor's residence, opposing the city's proposed budget, which has increased funding for law enforcement while cutting much-needed services.

In Washington, D.C., protests continued outside of the White House, which was heavily guarded. In Louisville, Kentucky, people held a gospel prayer service in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. And in San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officers used pepper spray as more than 200 protesters broke a 7 p.m. curfew. The protest, organized by Colectiva Feminista, included more than 500 people demanding a stop to racism and police brutality on the island. Protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered, and several other cities across the country. Protests have been ongoing nationwide. Over 100 cities have participated in the protests thus far.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. From Los Angeles to Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, tens of thousands hit the streets while Floyds family called for the arrests of three other officers involved in the Memorial Day murder. Thus far, just one arrest has been made with a third degree murder charge. In Paris, nearly 15,000 demonstrators defied police orders and marched in a sprawling protest against police violence outside the citys tribunal. The crowed was overwhelmingly people of African descent and not only were they connecting with what was happening in the U.S., but they were also opposing the murder by police of a Black youth in Paris. There were multiple reports of police deploying tear gas. Similar protests were held in cities across Europe and in Australia.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Trump has unleashed the full might of federal law enforcement against protesters. This includes military police, the National Guard, border agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and F.B.I. hostage rescue teams. As of Wednesday, June 3, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C., had called in the National Guard, with over 17,000 troops activated. From the beginning of the protests to the morning of June 3, at least 11 people have died and over 9,300 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press.

In New York City, a group of protesters marched across the Manhattan Bridge, only to be denied entry from Brooklyn to Manhattan by the NYPD. In Los Angeles, thousands peacefully demonstrated in Downtown LA and then marched to Hollywood. Some of the protesters joined Black Lives Matter LA to protest outside of the LA Mayor's residence, opposing the city's proposed budget, which has increased funding for law enforcement while cutting much-needed services.

In Washington, D.C., protests continued outside of the White House, which was heavily guarded. In Louisville, Kentucky, people held a gospel prayer service in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. And in San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officers used pepper spray as more than 200 protesters broke a 7 p.m. curfew. The protest, organized by Colectiva Feminista, included more than 500 people demanding a stop to racism and police brutality on the island. Protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered, and several other cities across the country. Protests have been ongoing nationwide. Over 100 cities have participated in the protests thus far.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. From Los Angeles to Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, tens of thousands hit the streets while Floyds family called for the arrests of three other officers involved in the Memorial Day murder. Thus far, just one arrest has been made with a third degree murder charge. In Paris, nearly 15,000 demonstrators defied police orders and marched in a sprawling protest against police violence outside the citys tribunal. The crowed was overwhelmingly people of African descent and not only were they connecting with what was happening in the U.S., but they were also opposing the murder by police of a Black youth in Paris. There were multiple reports of police deploying tear gas. Similar protests were held in cities across Europe and in Australia.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Trump has unleashed the full might of federal law enforcement against protesters. This includes military police, the National Guard, border agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and F.B.I. hostage rescue teams. As of Wednesday, June 3, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C., had called in the National Guard, with over 17,000 troops activated. From the beginning of the protests to the morning of June 3, at least 11 people have died and over 9,300 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press.

In New York City, a group of protesters marched across the Manhattan Bridge, only to be denied entry from Brooklyn to Manhattan by the NYPD. In Los Angeles, thousands peacefully demonstrated in Downtown LA and then marched to Hollywood. Some of the protesters joined Black Lives Matter LA to protest outside of the LA Mayor's residence, opposing the city's proposed budget, which has increased funding for law enforcement while cutting much-needed services.

In Washington, D.C., protests continued outside of the White House, which was heavily guarded. In Louisville, Kentucky, people held a gospel prayer service in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store. And in San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officers used pepper spray as more than 200 protesters broke a 7 p.m. curfew. The protest, organized by Colectiva Feminista, included more than 500 people demanding a stop to racism and police brutality on the island. Protests have been ongoing in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered, and several other cities across the country. Protests have been ongoing nationwide. Over 100 cities have participated in the protests thus far.

Our guests are Dr. Melina Abdullah, Stephen Bartlett and Rev. Graylan S. Hagler.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

In the midst of uprisings across the nation and supported by protesters around the world, as a response to the recent spate of police killings of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a special roundtable discussion with a distinguished panel of experts. The uprisings happening now are the most extensive in the United States since the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Trump administration has attacked the protesters and threatened the use of military force against them. We discuss what led to this moment in U.S. history. Our panelists are Dorothy Roberts, Dr. Robin Kelley, Dr. Peniel E. Joseph.

Dorothy Roberts is George A. Weiss University Professor at University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in the Departments of Africana Studies and Sociology and the Law School, where she is the inaugural Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights.

Dr. Robin Kelley is the Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA.

Dr. Peniel E. Joseph is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Political Values and Ethics at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the University of Texas at Austin.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

In the midst of uprisings across the nation and supported by protesters around the world, as a response to the recent spate of police killings of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a special roundtable discussion with a distinguished panel of experts. The uprisings happening now are the most extensive in the United States since the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Trump administration has attacked the protesters and threatened the use of military force against them. We discuss what led to this moment in U.S. history. Our panelists are Dorothy Roberts, Dr. Robin Kelley, Dr. Peniel E. Joseph.

Dorothy Roberts is George A. Weiss University Professor at University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in the Departments of Africana Studies and Sociology and the Law School, where she is the inaugural Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights.

Dr. Robin Kelley is the Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA.

Dr. Peniel E. Joseph is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Political Values and Ethics at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the University of Texas at Austin.

Today, on Sojourner Truth:

We continue our coverage of African Liberation Week, which kicked off on Monday, May 25, with African Liberation Day. On April 15, 1958, in the city of Accra, Ghana, African leaders convened the first Conference of Independent African States. The conference included representatives from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Republic (which included Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of Cameroonian Peoples. This was the first Pan-African Conference held on the continent. It represented the unity of African people to the racist systems of colonialism and imperialism.

Among other provisions, the conference called for the founding of African Freedom Day. Five years later, after the First Conference of Independent African States in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, another historical meeting occurred. On May 25, 1963, leaders of thirty-two independent African States met to form the Organization of African Unity. At the historic Organization of African Unity meeting, the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from April 15 to May 25 and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day. African Liberation Day has been marked annually on May 25th in every corner of the world ever since. This year is no different.

Africans Rising, a grassroots Pan-Africanist movement on the continent, kicked off a week-long mobilization on African Liberation Day. The movement has been hosting online conversations, actions and events dedicated to keeping all Africans safe during this global health crisis. The theme of their mobilization is Active Citizenship in the Fight Against COVID-19. Africans from all over the world " including the U.S., the U.K., the Caribbean and Latin America " have been taking part in it. Other Pan-Africanist movements have been hosting similar mobilizations focused on COVID-19, given its hard impact on African people.

Today, you will hear audio from an African Liberation Week webinar hosted by the Advocacy Network for Africa. The virtual event briefed audiences around the world about COVID-19 in Africa and the diaspora, the responses taking place, and what needs to happen to mitigate COVID-19. The event was moderated by Robtel Neajai Pailey, a Liberian academic, activist and author. Speakers included Coumbe Toure of Africans Rising, Nana Gyamfi of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Abdiqadir Yousuf Abdullahi, a doctor with the organization Save the Vision, and Nyeleti Honwana with Global Black Youth.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable.

On the national front, in addition to the latest on the COVID-19 outbreak, we discuss the criminal protection organization that seems to be part of the Trump administration.

The U.S. Attorney General dropping the case of former Trump administration member Michael Flynn, who has twice plead guilty about his communications with Russia. Now, Trump has also blocked the release of the CDC guidelines for reopening states. This, as scores of states are set to be reopened; some are reopened already.

The administration on the one hand has said that the CDC guidelines will never see the light of day, because they are considered too stringent. On the other hand, that the guidelines need more editing.

Also, yet another shooting of a Black man; this time, for jogging.

Our panelists are Jackie Goldberg, Laura Carlsen and Dr. Gerald Horne.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable.

On the national front, in addition to the latest on the COVID-19 outbreak, we discuss the criminal protection organization that seems to be part of the Trump administration.

The U.S. Attorney General dropping the case of former Trump administration member Michael Flynn, who has twice plead guilty about his communications with Russia. Now, Trump has also blocked the release of the CDC guidelines for reopening states. This, as scores of states are set to be reopened; some are reopened already.

The administration on the one hand has said that the CDC guidelines will never see the light of day, because they are considered too stringent. On the other hand, that the guidelines need more editing.

Also, yet another shooting of a Black man; this time, for jogging.

Our panelists are Jackie Goldberg, Laura Carlsen and Dr. Gerald Horne.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

The latest on the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the challenges facing the U.S. to control the virus without universal healthcare. Our guest is Dr. David Himmelstein, a Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York, a lecturer in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a primary care doctor in The Bronx. Dr. Himmelstein co-founded Physicians for a National Health Program, a group whose 23,000 members advocate for Medicare for All.

Food banks are under stress across the U.S., with long lines of food insecure people hoping to be able to feed their families. We discuss food insecurity in the U.S. as well as the inter-relationship between sustainable agriculture, ecology and health. Our guest is Kentucky-based Stephen Bartlett, coordinator of Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville. His organization aims to create a joyous, diverse, and sustainable community of well-nourished people and well-compensated farmers and food workers.

For our weekly Earth Watch, Klee Benally joins us to discuss COVID-19 and Indigenous mutual aid. Klee is a Din musician, traditional dancer, artist, filmmaker, & Indigenous anarchist. Klee is originally from Black Mesa and has worked nearly all of his life at the front lines in struggles to protect Indigenous sacred lands. Klee is a founder and coordinator with Indigenous Action, Kinlani Mutual aid, Indigenous Mutual Aid, and a partner of Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief.