Sojourner Truth Radio

Today on Sojourner Truth, we discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer who murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. Chauvin's murder trial began on March 8, 2021, with opening statements beginning on Monday, March 29. This has become one of the most closely watched court cases in decades.

Floyd, a Black father of three and a grandfather of two, was killed during an arrest after a store clerk claimed he used a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin, one of the four police officers who arrived on the scene, handcuffed him and slammed him face-down on the street. Three other officers - Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng - restrained Floyd and another prevented passersby from defending Floyd. They have also been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin proceeded to kneel on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, preventing him from breathing. As he was pinned under Chauvin's knee, Floyd repeatedly cried out for help and said that he couldn't breathe. During the final two minutes of him being pinned down, Floyd was motionless and had no pulse. The Minneapolis police took no immediate action to directly treat him and Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck until medics arrived. Following Floyd's murder, Chauvin was fired and charged with second-degree murder. In the following weeks, protests against systemic racism and in solidarity with Black lives erupted in cities across the United States and around the world. Protests began in Minneapolis, but quickly spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries, according to The Guardian. Some polls have estimated that as many as 26 million people participated in the demonstrations.

Our guests are Mic Crenshaw, Kieran Knutson and Nana Gyamfi.

Mic Crenshaw was born and raised in Chicago and Minneapolis and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Crenshaw is an independent hip hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist. Crenshaw is the Lead U.S. Organizer for the Afrikan HipHop Caravan and uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education. Mic is the NW Regional Director of Hip Hop Congress.

Kieran is President of CWA Local 7250 and has been active in protests in solidarity with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Kieran is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nana Gyamfi is an attorney, consultant, educator, activist, the Executive Director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), and the President of the National Conference of Black Lawyers.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer who murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. Chauvin's murder trial began on March 8, 2021, with opening statements beginning on Monday, March 29. This has become one of the most closely watched court cases in decades.

Floyd, a Black father of three and a grandfather of two, was killed during an arrest after a store clerk claimed he used a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin, one of the four police officers who arrived on the scene, handcuffed him and slammed him face-down on the street. Three other officers - Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng - restrained Floyd and another prevented passersby from defending Floyd. They have also been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin proceeded to kneel on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, preventing him from breathing. As he was pinned under Chauvin's knee, Floyd repeatedly cried out for help and said that he couldn't breathe. During the final two minutes of him being pinned down, Floyd was motionless and had no pulse. The Minneapolis police took no immediate action to directly treat him and Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck until medics arrived. Following Floyd's murder, Chauvin was fired and charged with second-degree murder. In the following weeks, protests against systemic racism and in solidarity with Black lives erupted in cities across the United States and around the world. Protests began in Minneapolis, but quickly spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries, according to The Guardian. Some polls have estimated that as many as 26 million people participated in the demonstrations.

Our guests are Mic Crenshaw, Kieran Knutson and Nana Gyamfi.

Mic Crenshaw was born and raised in Chicago and Minneapolis and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Crenshaw is an independent hip hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist. Crenshaw is the Lead U.S. Organizer for the Afrikan HipHop Caravan and uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education. Mic is the NW Regional Director of Hip Hop Congress.

Kieran is President of CWA Local 7250 and has been active in protests in solidarity with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Kieran is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nana Gyamfi is an attorney, consultant, educator, activist, the Executive Director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), and the President of the National Conference of Black Lawyers.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable. Our guests are Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.

We discuss a new Georgia election law and what can be done to halt and reverse the voter suppression runaway train. Is getting rid of the filibuster what Democrats need to stop the voter suppression laws? Also, Joe Biden's next moves. Getting cash into people's hands, impacting unwaged and waged sectors. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in social welfare policy? Also, we discuss Biden's infrastructure plan.

Also, attacks on the Asian American Pacific Islander communities and its historical context. What do the spa attacks reveal about race, misogyny and criminalization?

On the international front, the Alaska summit. The United States versus China and Russia. Is this a fight the U.S. can win or is the horse already out of the gate? Also, we discuss what some call the crisis at the border.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable. Our guests are Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.

We discuss a new Georgia election law and what can be done to halt and reverse the voter suppression runaway train. Is getting rid of the filibuster what Democrats need to stop the voter suppression laws? Also, Joe Biden's next moves. Getting cash into people's hands, impacting unwaged and waged sectors. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in social welfare policy? Also, we discuss Biden's infrastructure plan.

Also, attacks on the Asian American Pacific Islander communities and its historical context. What do the spa attacks reveal about race, misogyny and criminalization?

On the international front, the Alaska summit. The United States versus China and Russia. Is this a fight the U.S. can win or is the horse already out of the gate? Also, we discuss what some call the crisis at the border.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable. Our guests are Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.

We discuss a new Georgia election law and what can be done to halt and reverse the voter suppression runaway train. Is getting rid of the filibuster what Democrats need to stop the voter suppression laws? Also, Joe Biden's next moves. Getting cash into people's hands, impacting unwaged and waged sectors. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in social welfare policy? Also, we discuss Biden's infrastructure plan.

Also, attacks on the Asian American Pacific Islander communities and its historical context. What do the spa attacks reveal about race, misogyny and criminalization?

On the international front, the Alaska summit. The United States versus China and Russia. Is this a fight the U.S. can win or is the horse already out of the gate? Also, we discuss what some call the crisis at the border.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable. Our guests are Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.

We discuss a new Georgia election law and what can be done to halt and reverse the voter suppression runaway train. Is getting rid of the filibuster what Democrats need to stop the voter suppression laws? Also, Joe Biden's next moves. Getting cash into people's hands, impacting unwaged and waged sectors. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in social welfare policy? Also, we discuss Biden's infrastructure plan.

Also, attacks on the Asian American Pacific Islander communities and its historical context. What do the spa attacks reveal about race, misogyny and criminalization?

On the international front, the Alaska summit. The United States versus China and Russia. Is this a fight the U.S. can win or is the horse already out of the gate? Also, we discuss what some call the crisis at the border.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

We continue our coverage on the uptick of racism and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In March of 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, former White House occupant Donald Trump attempted to link the deadly virus to the people of China. He frequently referred to it as the "China Virus" and made other racist remarks about the disease, making it seem as if they were somehow responsible for it. Now, one year later, even though Trump is no longer in the White House, his words have had tremendous consequences. New data has revealed that over the past year, the number of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI peoples) is greater than previously reported. The data released by Stop AAPI Hate on Tuesday, March 16, revealed nearly 3,800 incidents were reported over the course of roughly a year during the pandemic. This, as a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16. Our guests are Arlene Inouye and Dr. Karen Umemoto.

For our weekly Earth Watch, we speak with Jennifer Wickham about the latest on First Nations people leading a struggle to defend their environment against the coastal gas link pipeline. Jen is a member of Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear House) in the Gidimten (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wetsuweten people. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Victoria with a major in English and a minor in Indigenous Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Northern British Columbia, focusing on secondary years. She is currently working on a feature-length documentary film about Witsuwiten sovereignty as a creative producer. She has broad experience working as an educator, poet, writer, a mental health advocate, and as a community support worker. Jen is currently living in Gidimten yintah in what is now known as northern British Columbia. She loves to bead and spend time with family. She dreams of freedom for her people and bright shiny futures for all the young people.

Lastly, our weekly Earth Minute presented by Theresa Church of the Global Justice Ecology Project.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

We continue our coverage on the uptick of racism and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In March of 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, former White House occupant Donald Trump attempted to link the deadly virus to the people of China. He frequently referred to it as the "China Virus" and made other racist remarks about the disease, making it seem as if they were somehow responsible for it. Now, one year later, even though Trump is no longer in the White House, his words have had tremendous consequences. New data has revealed that over the past year, the number of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI peoples) is greater than previously reported. The data released by Stop AAPI Hate on Tuesday, March 16, revealed nearly 3,800 incidents were reported over the course of roughly a year during the pandemic. This, as a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16. Our guests are Arlene Inouye and Dr. Karen Umemoto.

For our weekly Earth Watch, we speak with Jennifer Wickham about the latest on First Nations people leading a struggle to defend their environment against the coastal gas link pipeline. Jen is a member of Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear House) in the Gidimten (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wetsuweten people. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Victoria with a major in English and a minor in Indigenous Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Northern British Columbia, focusing on secondary years. She is currently working on a feature-length documentary film about Witsuwiten sovereignty as a creative producer. She has broad experience working as an educator, poet, writer, a mental health advocate, and as a community support worker. Jen is currently living in Gidimten yintah in what is now known as northern British Columbia. She loves to bead and spend time with family. She dreams of freedom for her people and bright shiny futures for all the young people.

Lastly, our weekly Earth Minute presented by Theresa Church of the Global Justice Ecology Project.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

We continue our coverage on the uptick of racism and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In March of 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, former White House occupant Donald Trump attempted to link the deadly virus to the people of China. He frequently referred to it as the "China Virus" and made other racist remarks about the disease, making it seem as if they were somehow responsible for it. Now, one year later, even though Trump is no longer in the White House, his words have had tremendous consequences. New data has revealed that over the past year, the number of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI peoples) is greater than previously reported. The data released by Stop AAPI Hate on Tuesday, March 16, revealed nearly 3,800 incidents were reported over the course of roughly a year during the pandemic. This, as a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16. Our guests are Arlene Inouye and Dr. Karen Umemoto.

For our weekly Earth Watch, we speak with Jennifer Wickham about the latest on First Nations people leading a struggle to defend their environment against the coastal gas link pipeline. Jen is a member of Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear House) in the Gidimten (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wetsuweten people. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Victoria with a major in English and a minor in Indigenous Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Northern British Columbia, focusing on secondary years. She is currently working on a feature-length documentary film about Witsuwiten sovereignty as a creative producer. She has broad experience working as an educator, poet, writer, a mental health advocate, and as a community support worker. Jen is currently living in Gidimten yintah in what is now known as northern British Columbia. She loves to bead and spend time with family. She dreams of freedom for her people and bright shiny futures for all the young people.

Lastly, our weekly Earth Minute presented by Theresa Church of the Global Justice Ecology Project.

Today on Sojourner Truth:

We continue our coverage on the uptick of racism and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In March of 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, former White House occupant Donald Trump attempted to link the deadly virus to the people of China. He frequently referred to it as the "China Virus" and made other racist remarks about the disease, making it seem as if they were somehow responsible for it. Now, one year later, even though Trump is no longer in the White House, his words have had tremendous consequences. New data has revealed that over the past year, the number of hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI peoples) is greater than previously reported. The data released by Stop AAPI Hate on Tuesday, March 16, revealed nearly 3,800 incidents were reported over the course of roughly a year during the pandemic. This, as a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlors in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16. Our guests are Arlene Inouye and Dr. Karen Umemoto.

For our weekly Earth Watch, we speak with Jennifer Wickham about the latest on First Nations people leading a struggle to defend their environment against the coastal gas link pipeline. Jen is a member of Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear House) in the Gidimten (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wetsuweten people. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Victoria with a major in English and a minor in Indigenous Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Northern British Columbia, focusing on secondary years. She is currently working on a feature-length documentary film about Witsuwiten sovereignty as a creative producer. She has broad experience working as an educator, poet, writer, a mental health advocate, and as a community support worker. Jen is currently living in Gidimten yintah in what is now known as northern British Columbia. She loves to bead and spend time with family. She dreams of freedom for her people and bright shiny futures for all the young people.

Lastly, our weekly Earth Minute presented by Theresa Church of the Global Justice Ecology Project.