Voices From The Frontlines

This week Voices Radio rebroadcasts this incredibly important interview with Mary Louise Patterson.

She’s speaking with us about her book that she co-authored with Evelyn Louise Crawford, Letters From Langston; From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond!

Mary Louise Pattesron will in conversation with Eric and Channing about growing up with famous and most heroic parents, William L. Patterson and Lousie Thompson Patterson! 

This interview is very moving. Mary tells us how she became aware of who her parents were in the world as she, herself,  grew into the world. At different times her father was imprisoned and Mary was VERY grateful to have such political heavyweights in her life as extended Auntie’s and Uncle’s; Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. De Bois, Altheus Huntons, James Jackson, Luis Bernum, etc. They were the best in the Black radical tradition who were comrades, friends, and extended family who were very close to Mary as she was growing into the world. As a Black person myself with a seemingly unlimited amount of “extended” (but we don’t call them extended) Auntie’s and Uncle’s, I/we know very well how important every last one of our Auntie’s and Uncle’s are in our lives, which makes us whole!!! Mary had some of the most prolific and monumental Black revolutionaries!

”At some point in one’s childhood or early adolescence, as one is intellectually maturing and becoming socially and politically conscious, one is faced with the need to accept or reject being or becoming like one’s parents. One can either accept or reject one’s parents place in history. I chose to accept mine, and in so doing, I was admitting a profound indebtedness to their major contribution to who and what I became—to whom I am today.” - MaryLouise Patterson

Give this episode a complete listen, comment, and email us at [email protected] and [email protected]. We would love to hear what you think. We will be doing a lot more work with Mary and many other Black revolutionaries, past present, and future! JOIN US, the fight for liberation isn’t over!!!

This is SUCH an amazing show! This week on Voices From the Frontlines, Eric and Channing have a guest star; THE GREAT Mary Louise Patterson!!!

She’s speaking with us about her book that she co-authored with Evelyn Louise Crawford, Letters From Langston; From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond!

Mary Louise Pattesron will in conversation with Eric and Channing about growing up with famous and most heroic parents, William L. Patterson and Lousie Thompson Patterson!

This interview is very moving. Mary tells us how she became aware of who her parents were in the world as she, herself, grew into the world. At different times her father was imprisoned and Mary was VERY grateful to have such political heavyweights in her life as extended Auntie’s and Uncle’s; Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. De Bois, Altheus Huntons, James Jackson, Luis Bernum, etc. They were the best in the Black radical tradition who were comrades, friends, and extended family who were very close to Mary as she was growing into the world. As a Black person myself with a seemingly unlimited amount of “extended” (but we don’t call them extended) Auntie’s and Uncle’s, I/we know very well how important every last one of our Auntie’s and Uncle’s are in our lives, which makes us whole!!! Mary had some of the most prolific and monumental Black revolutionaries!

”At some point in one’s childhood or early adolescence, as one is intellectually maturing and becoming socially and politically conscious, one is faced with the need to accept or reject being or becoming like one’s parents. One can either accept or reject one’s parents place in history. I chose to accept mine, and in so doing, I was admitting a profound indebtedness to their major contribution to who and what I became—to whom I am today.” - MaryLouise Patterson

Give this episode a complete listen, comment, and email us at [email protected] and [email protected]. We would love to hear what you think. We will be doing a lot more work with Mary and many other Black revolutionaries, past present, and future! JOIN US, the fight for liberation isn’t over!!!

George Jackson, political prisoner, member of the Black Panther Party, author of the celebrated book Soledad Brother, was murdered by prison guards on August 21, 1971. This year, 2021, and this August, there will be celebrations of his life and work.

Eric discusses the life and work his comrades and Soledad Brother George Jackson.

While we think the Metro tried to do a good thing in passing the Fareless transportation initiative for K-12 students and for Community College students, we realize that in fact Metro board members simply can’t help themselves; they must have a “but”, the excuse for their infamous oppressive policies in everything they do. This is why in the same program includes the addition of self attestation of poverty, forcing 70% of its riders to prove poverty, an obvious civil rights and human rights violation. Then Board members go on to say yes, but only if we can find the money, and that's not counting the money for the shitty rail project in my district.

This week on Voices From the Frontlines:

Channing Martinez who is the Director of Organizing for the Labor Community Strategy Center, joins Eric remotely from the frontlines! In front of the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters Channing is leading a rally in an effort to defund the police from Los Angeles schools and end the racist MTA apartheid.

The rally is calling for two things; #1 An expansion of the Black Student Achievement program, and an increase in the number of schools in the program. #2 Defund the Los Angeles Police Department from Los Angeles Unified School District schools entirely! 

The Labor Community Strategy Center is at the intersection of challenging the police state, war-fare state, the climate justice liberation, and fighting for Black Liberation! 

Eric shares with us a soon-to-be-published story that he wrote called The Black Moses and the Civil Rights Organizer; A Beautiful Connection, but Worlds Apart. 

We also hear from listeners who are intersted in speaking up about issues in their communities, and what they think should be done about it.

Today on Voices From the Frontlines, we learn that Derek Chauvin, the finally convicted murderer of our dearly departed George Floyd, charged with three counts of second degree murder. Following the verdict, we outline our organizing efforts and next steps in removing police from LAUSD schools, and abolishing the police in general.

We also speak with Noel Hanrahan from Prison Radio. She gives us an update on Mumia Abu Jamal, who had open-heart surgery on Monday. We learn that Mumia's surgery was said to be a success, but we await his confirmation in that regard. We also outline our demands for Mumia's human rights to be restored which will allow for his healing; remove the shackles from his hands and feet, let him speak to his family, lawyers, spiritual council, and friends, give him proper healthy food, water, and healing medications if necessary... to name a few. 

We continue the hour addressing the culture of militarized brutality in local police as well as the construction of the jails and prisons in the US. 

Take a listen and let us know what you think.

Email us at: 

eric@voicesfromthefrontlines

kiyana@voicesfromthefrontlines

And join us every Saturday at our Community Block Party from 10am-2pm at 3546 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles, 90008

This week on Voices from the Frontlines: We honor Reese Erlich! Our dear friend Reese helped to initiate the Stop the Draft Week in Oakland, who worked for the Unity Newspaper of the League of Revolutionary Struggle, and became a well-respected journalist in support of the people of the Third World, died on April 6th, 2021. Eric & Reese remained friends for more than 40 years and Eric will be playing the last interview they did together, telling his reminiscences of him and Reese. Reese was a prolific author, with his most popular publication being Dateline Havana: The Real Story of US Policy and the Future of Cuba.

Eric will also tell the story of how he organized a successful group insurgency at the DMV.

“What kind of a police state we live in, that the FBI is in every organization, that everyones phone is tapped, that any organization is infiltrated by its very nature, and its virtually impossible to carry out good work without informants… with informants who are coming there purposely to intervene in the internal affairs of your organization, to take advantage of the conflicts, the so-called intelligence they’re getting, they’re watching… and of course, the very destructive role they played in the murder of Fred Hampton.” Eric Mann

Jacobin Magazine published an article attempting to seemingly provide an excuse or a reason for Fred Hampton's murder. Yet another one of America's smear campaigns against the prominent Black Panther leader. It's interesting how no smear campaign are created about the FBI who are entirely responsible for the murder of most if not ALL prominent Black leaders in the US and around the world... even today.

Madison Tang of Code Pink's "China is not the Enemy Campaign" speaks with Eric Mann about the challenge of changing the US' racist, imperialist, disinformation, and propaganda tactics regarding China's position on the global economic stage, relative to that of the the US', and its people.

Barbara Lott Holland, of The Bus Riders Union joins Eric in discussion regarding the "Call Out" for community members to speak out against the MTA Apartheid; MTA's proposed tests to see how a "no-fare" system would work, by requiring that riders prove their level of poverty. This will result in increased, radicalized transit-harassment, police brutality, and intimidation.

This week on Voices from the Frontlines, Eric Mann reflects on Sunday's Cold War Truth Commission panel discussion.

Beginning with talks from:

Gail Walker/IFCO Pastors for Peace: The Historic Legacy of My Father: Rev. Lucius Walker, Medea Benjamin/Code Pink: The U.S. Cold War vs. African Liberation Struggles, Jodie Evans/Code Pink: Historical and Current U.S. Cold War Against China.

We then hear from Eric Mann:

The Labor/Community Strategy Center Fighting Democratic Party Imperialism from Kennedy/Johnson to Clinton/Obama/Biden today: The Challenge to the Movement

We are deeply appreciative of the visionary leadership and generosity of Frank Dorrell of Addicted to War and Rachel Bruhnke of Witness for Peace for their steadfast hosting of the 9 hour marathon of brilliant and deeply moving testimony of some of the best anti-imperialist fighters challenging the Endless Wars of the U.S. imperialist white settler state

Tune in every Tuesday at 3:00p.m on 90.7 FM KPFK, and www.kpfk.org/player. Comments/question during the show? Call in at 3:45 to go live with Eric,(818) 985-5735. You can also email your comments, questions, and suggestions to [email protected].