The Lee Bailey Podcast

RadioScope Raw : Kool Moe Dee - Knowledge is King, 1989

This month on The Lee Bailey Podcast, we journey back in time to spotlight an artist who played a pivotal role in shaping the Hip Hop culture of the 1980s and left an indelible mark on future generations. Introducing: Kool Moe Dee, in a raw, unedited interview that promises to both entertain and enlighten you.  

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“King: From Atlanta to the Mountaintop,” the docudrama special presentation that chronicles the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement.

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Chapter 1 – The Death of the Dreamer.

On April 7, 1968 The dreamer Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically killed, and across the US civil unrest erupts with 711 fires set, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. A visibly shaken President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the day as a national day of mourning.

Listen to experience history as it unfolded on this significant day through the perspectives of those who lived it.

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Chapter 2 – 1954, The Barriers Begin to fall.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision by abolishing racial segregation in public schools throughout the country. At the same time, in Montgomery, Alabama, a tired Black seamstress named Rosa Parks sparked a revolution that would profoundly change the trajectory of American history. This year also marked the emergence of an unknown minister, Martin Luther King Jr.

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Chapter 3 – The Birth of the Dreamer, loss of A Beloved Grandmother and Start of a Journey.

He was born as Michael Luther King Jr. in 1929, the same year as the Great Stock Market crash, in Atlanta.  The name on his birth certificate was a clerical error, which was later officially corrected to Martin, although he was commonly referred to as ML by family and friends.

This chapter also delves into the profound grief that nearly consumed him, and his arduous journey to the land of Mahatma.

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Chapter 4 – The 1960s, JFK & The World.

For many, the 1960s were a time of magic and transformation, but for those facing racial injustice, it was a nightmarish era. Let's take a closer look at the segregated South and the Freedom Rides that aimed to challenge this harsh reality.

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Chapter 5 – Birmingham.

Birmingham, Alabama was a tough, Segregated steel town, it was so segregated, that it shut down its parks and abandoned its baseball team rather than comply with a federal court order to integrate. Between 1956 and 1963, there were 25 bombings of black homes, churches and businesses in Birmingham, not to mention an additional 30 dating back to the 2nd world war.

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Chapter 6 – King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. 

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" became a cornerstone of protest literature, widely circulated in publications like the Catholic Review Progressive. The letter brought national attention to Birmingham's civil rights struggles. Amid rising tensions, a coalition of white business and civic leaders in Birmingham reached a critical breaking point, leading to the announcement of the Birmingham Accords—a victory that promised a more integrated future. However, this moment of triumph was short-lived. Violent attacks on the homes and offices of civil rights advocates soon followed, casting a dark cloud over the city's progress. A night of chaos and violence deepened the fear and tension gripping Birmingham.

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Chapter 12 – Closing Commentary.

A look at the freedoms we all gained by a man who gave his life for them.

Credits 

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Chapter 7 – Crossing The Mountain.

Freedom remained a mere whisper on America's mountaintops. Meanwhile, in Birmingham, the fight for equality was confronted with violence. Bombings continued, targeting the homes and offices of activists such as the NAACP's Field Secretary, Medgar Evers, who was tragically assassinated in front of his own home. At the same time, Governor George Wallace, a fervent segregationist, defiantly opposed integration by famously blocking the entrance to the University of Alabama.

The 1960s ushered in a new wave of cultural change and influential voices on the American stage. Motown music dominated the airwaves with its captivating rhythms, while a young boxer named Cassius Clay gained prominence. And in the ghettos of Detroit, Boston, and New York, a passionate new champion for Black America emerged, Malcolm X, who was perceived as Martin's nemesis.