Voices From The Frontlines

BOOK SIGNING, POSTPONED!!! Eric and Channing speak with Florence and Charles Bracy, the parents of Brad Bracy, who has autism. Florence takes us through her book, Help Me Understand My Child; A Mother’s Truth About Autism. She walks us through her family’s path to cope; from her sons diagnosis, the struggle of acceptance, learning about […]

Voices Radio features and celebrates the voices of those who sacrificed themselves for you and I. by Eric Mann

Today, Eric Mann, Channing Martinez, Alan Minsky, and Pacifica Radio’s Archivist Mark Torres, talk about some of the incredibly inspirational and historical people who were instrumental in moving humanity forward into a better tomorrow for life on the planet; Paul Robeson, James Farmer, Bayard Rustin, Rosa Parks, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, […]

Eric, Channing, and Alan discuss the importance of this film, featuring the success of the people of the Bus Riders Union and those in support of the movement. The film shows us just how important it is to demand what you want, get organized,  and remain diligent in the fight. Eric makes a really good point when he said that most documentaries make you aware of a problem, but this film shows you the problem AND the solution! This is a documentary that is showing you a movement that won and continues to win its fight. It is phenomenally inspiring.

We hear from from organizers like Della Bonner, Rosalie Mendiola, Eric Mann, and Kikanza Ramsey; "The Bus Riders Union in some ways is a political, social experiment, if you will, to see if we can build a multi-racial, bi-lingual, gender-balanced, mass movement of working class people that is willing to fight for a set of demands that challenges corporate capital.” - Kikanza Ramsey.

The brilliance of this film should move you to take action in your community!!! Join Voices From the Frontlines and The Strategy Center in the fight for humanity and elevation of the perpetually disenfranchised human and environmental population!

To get this film call (818) 985-5735, by 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 19th to pledge your support to KPFK and Voices From the Frontlines. After March 19th, call Strategy and Soul at (323) 903-6238.

Eric, Channing, and Alan discuss the importance of this film, featuring the success of the people of the Bus Riders Union and those in support of the movement. The film shows us just how important it is to demand what you want, get organized,  and remain diligent in the fight. Eric makes a really good […]

Today on Voices From the Frontlines - we learn that civil rights leader and Black Lives Matter activist and Founding member, Dr. Melina Abdullah faces 8 felony charges… Why are our civil rights leaders facing prosecution in “liberal” L.A., you ask??? Find out… Join your community members, and The Strategy Center on Thursday, February 8th, 9 a.m., at 210 W Temple St. Dept. 43. Los Angeles, Ca., as we fight for Melina and request that Los Angeles City Attourney Mike Feuer drop ALL charges against Dr. Melina Abdullah, because criminalizing and silencing black voices WILL NOT HAPPEN!!! To sign the petition requesting that Mike Feuer drop these charges please click bit.ly/freemelina. For more background on these charges, and Melina’s diligent stand for justice, please visit https://thelandmag.com/the-people-v-melina-abdullah/

Eric and Channing talk about the Bus Riders Union film with Ayuko Babu. Eric talks about his encounter with Haskell Wexler and the making of this film which addresses the challenges faced during the fight to end transit-racism. The film has films within it, vignettes of real people, doing the work, and whose individual stories   impact the overall narrative; Della Bonner - leader of Bus Riders union, Rosolio Mendiola, was a room-service waiter who was highly dedicated to the movement, and several others. 

The Bus Riders film is in part a tribute to Haskell Wexlers legacy. Bus Riders Union film, Tuesday Feb 12th 6 p.m. during the Pan African Film Festival at Cinemark on the corner of MLK and Crenshaw. To request information write to [email protected], or visit www.paff.org for more details. 

In closing Eric and Channing talk with Ayuko Babu about the new documentary about the late, great, Aretha Franklin on, called Amazing Grace, which airs opening night of the PAFF at the Directors Guild of America (DGA). Ayuko also mentions three, of many, powerful films that you must see…

1. Power To Heal - by Director Charles Burnett. It’s a story of the fight by the civil rights movement to fight to expand health care and the fight for medicare. 

2. Dare to Dream - Cubas Latin American Medical School - Is the largest medical school in the world, training nearly 30,000 doctors since 1999.

3. Boss - The Black Experience in Business by Stanley Nelson; the struggle to create black business in America. The untold story of African American Entrepreneurship where skills, industriousness, ingenuity, and sheer courage in the face of overwhelming odds provided the back bone of nations economy and social growth. 

Take a listen and join the revolution!!!

Today on Voices Radio Channing Martinez, Producer and co-host of Voices From the Frontlines, and Barbara Lott Holland, long time member of the Bus Riders Union and Associate Director of the Labor Community Strategy Center, review The Strategy Center’s Bus Riders Union film, and the economic racism that is at the core of MTA’s transit-racist narrative. Some of the featured fighters are The Labor Community Strategy Center’s Director, Eric Mann, Della Bonner, Rosio Mendiola, Kwanza Ramsey, Connie Rice, and many others.

The film will be featured on the opening night of the Pan African Film Festival. https://www.paff.org/films/#!/film/bus_riders_union

They discuss the issues that were part of the fight to create a better more sustainable Los Angeles, starting with the MTA, a decent decree which was won in court, and the fight that the union had to continue in the streets in order to keep the MTA accountable. The union won $2.5 billion in transit improvements. The union still maintains the fight. Take a listen to the show and tell us what you think and join the fight!

Accompanying this review of the Bus Riders Union film, and the continued fight to end transit-racism, is a poem about Aretha Franklin, by Nikki Giovanni.

Take a listen.

“There is no such thing as history, there’s only the battle and struggle over the historical record”. – Eric Mann. Eric talks about his very specific interpretation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for black liberation, which Eric wrote about in www.counterpunch.org in 2015 and recently re-wrote/published called, All Hail the Revolutionary King: […]

Today’s show features people doing things: no critics, observers, no professors unless they are organizing on campus, not\ news commentators, nor talking heads, just taking action!   First up… Channnig talks with Ivette Ale who is trying to get rid of women’s prisons. LA County has approved a 3.5 billion dollar jail expansion plan for two […]

Noelle Hanrahan – Head of Prison radio and advocate for all political prisoners and friend of Mumia Abu Jamal. Noel talks about the epicenter of Mumia’s 37 year case, where the suppression of evidence and racism, in Philadelphia took place in 1982. Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald Castile, who was also a District Attorney, […]