and 

Holli Holliday of Sisters Lead Sisters Vote joins to discuss Election Day 2025's historic wins for African American women electeds and how voters affirmed communities demand protection for healthcare, SNAP benefits, jobs, and affordable housing with the African American women electorate leading the charge.

Madawi v. Trump

Find an action near you at GoodTroubleLivesOn.org

Read the CREDO to Legatees of the Black Church Tradition here.

Red for Revolution is a six-part audio drama centering intergenerational stories of Black women, queer love, and liberation starring Jordan Hull, Loretta Devine, S. Epatha Merkerson, Rutina Wesley, Renée Wilson, Alimi Ballard, Jennifer Beals, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Danny Glover, Vanessa E. Williams, adrienne maree brown, Caro Guzmán, Don Daniels, and many others. The heart of the story follows the passionate love affair between jazz singer Lorraine Giovanni and activist Ella Ali. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Jazmine, an 18-year-old grappling with her queer identity, first crush, and the delicate task of mending her relationship with her homophobic mother. As Jazmine seeks solace and guidance from her grandmother, listeners are transported back to 1971, where two remarkable women from vastly different backgrounds, with opposing political views and living oceans apart, embark on a romance that defies all conventions.

Red for Revolution was created, written, and directed by Jana Naomi Smith, with sound design by Collin Gerald Thomas, music direction by Tammy L. Hall, executive produced by Renée Wilson, Jana Smith, & Meta Mana Media, and produced by Liz McBee.

You can listen via Radiotopia, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you find podcasts.

Greg Palast is a forensic economist and data journalist Palast covered vote suppression for The Guardian, BBC Television and Rolling Stone. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers on the topic including The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

Read more at blackpressusa.com

And check our their OpEd at BlackPressUSA.com.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the PanAfrican cultural holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba--(The Seven Principles) and author of the authoritative text entitled Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture.

He is professor and chair of department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach. He is chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. He is Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and theKawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies. Dr. Karenga is co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA). Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

•Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

• Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

• Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

• Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

• Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

Dr. Karenga s the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled: Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga he is currently writing a major work on Haji Malcolm X entitled: The Liberation Ethics of Haji Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle

Here is the conversation between Joy, Reena Evers, the daughter of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, and Rev. Mark.

Medgar & Myrlie is available wherever books are sold.

And what about the influence of societal and gender dynamics on Nov. 5? With women advancing in educational and professional spheres, young men appear increasingly alienated and radicalized—a phenomenon with global echoes. This gender shift may underlie some of the support for Trump, whose rhetoric seems to galvanize men feeling disenfranchised by women’s progress.

Despite significant slippage of Latino support for Democrats, Markos cautions against viewing the situation through a panicked lens. Instead, he emphasizes understanding the existing fractures and addressing them head-on.

Should Democrats reevaluate their approach to voters, focusing on practical policy alignment over ideological purity? Should Democrats not just educate and uplift marginalized groups, but, also ensure their political strategies resonate with a broader audience, including those feeling sidelined by economic or societal changes?

Markos and Rev. Mark also discuss the necessity of leaving Elon Musk’s X platform for the bluer skies of Blue Sky.

The discussion also raises questions about gender dynamics in presidential politics. The decline in support among certain demographics suggests underlying biases, posing the question of whether America is truly ready for a woman president. 

What went wrong in the ground game that had been so promising? How can Democrats more effectively take credit for their accomplishments to clear through the fog of misinformation?

Despite the disappointment, Rev. Mark reaffirms his commitment to social justice, calling for continuous action and vigilance. He recounts the historical relationship between protest and progress, reminding us that staying vocal and visible is crucial to the advancement of democratic ideals.

Jobs

• The Black unemployment rate was 5.7% in September, near historic lows. The Black unemployment rate was 9.3% when President Biden took office.
• 2023 was the lowest year for Black unemployment on record.
• 16 million jobs have been created since President Biden took office, including nearly 2.4 million jobs for Black workers—achieving one of the lowest gaps between Black and White unemployment on record.
• Prime-age Black women have seen their labor force participation rates climb by about 3% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Wages/Wealth

• Real wages for Black Americans grew over 5% between 2019 and the four-quarters ending in Q3 2024.
• Black net worth is up 60% between 2019 and 2022 and the Black-white wealth gap is at its narrowest level in nearly 20 years.

Housing

• Black homeownership rates increased by 3.5 percentage points from 2019 through the four-quarters ending in Q2 2024. In the years of the Financial Crisis, Black homeownership had dropped 1.75 percentage points.
• As of Q2 2024, 37% of Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) homeowners self-identified as Black.
• In 2021, eviction filing rates in Black neighborhoods were less than half their historic average.
• 41% of ERA payments have gone to Black families as of Q1 2024.

Child Poverty

• Over 800,000 Black children were lifted out of poverty in 2021 through the expansion of the Child Tax Credit under the American Rescue Plan, helping drive the child poverty rate for Black children to its lowest level on record.

Small Business

• The number of Black households owning a business has more than doubled since 2019.
• Black business ownership is up 6.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2022 to 11%, the highest rate in history.
• In 2021, Black-owned companies employed 1.4 million people and paid over $50 billion in annual payroll.

·       The number of Black workers that were self-employed—a measure of entrepreneurship—increased by over 30% from 2019 through 2024. 

·       The number and dollar value of SBA-backed loans to Black-owned businesses have more than doubled since 2020. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has now surpassed the $1 billion mark in lending to Black-owned small businesses for the third year, almost double 2019 lending amounts.

12 days til Election Day! Markos joins for Thursday Kos!

TELL CONGRESS: Pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus!

Another Woman Dies During Childbirth at a Troubled Brooklyn Hospital

Family of woman who died after C-section plans legal action against Woodhull Hospital

Brooklyn Doctor Under Investigation in Sha-asia Washington’s Death During Childbirth

Doctors Give Black Women Unneeded C-Sections to Fill Operating Rooms, Study Suggests

She's erased Trump's six point lead and the two are tied for the most trustworthy to handle inflation.

The 37% of voters who thought the economy was getting better or was staying the same in May, has grown to 46%.

As the gap between those who think inflation is getting better or staying the same and those who think it’s getting worse has shrunk to eight points — a 17-point decrease in economic pessimism over the last four months, Harris leads Trump among the 46% of voters who who think inflation is getting better or staying the same.

And Trump's lead over Harris on immigration and the border shrunk five points since August to 51% - 42%.

And Markos lists 11 reasons why he believes Biden will win the upcoming election, including Trump's demographic max-out, Dems special election performance, and the impact of Trump's legal troubles, how inflation and immigration might affect voter sentiments.

And it would not be a show without mentioning the insane QAnon conspiracy theories surrounding Biden, including the one that suggests Biden has several body doubles. 😳

• The NOTCF's role in pooling a percentage of state and local taxes from hotel occupancy into a fund that is used to sponsor cultural events and provide support to artists and musicians; funding music programs in local schools; and literacy training that opens up pathways into businesses for local artists to get lending and mortgages for their businesses

• With the proceeds from the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Jazz and Heritage Foundation's music school, as well as its partnership with schools to teach local students and future musicians; its historic Archive; and, in the last two years, its Music Relief Fund, which has provided more than $2 million dollars supporting musicians, music industry gig workers, Black Masking Indians and other indigenous cultural practitioners

MomsRising, on her organization's 2024 priorities.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

For these books and others, including, Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle, Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics, Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt and Odu Ifa:The Ethical Teachings, please visit www.sankorebooks.com.

For more on Kwanzaa and Dr. Karenga, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org and www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

After the rally, the workers, members of the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA), were rebuffed when they tried to deliver a petition to the HHS main entrance.

Rev. Mark Thompson joined the workers in nonviolent disobedience and arrest on Independence Avenue, in front of HHS.

Rally speakers included:

• CWA President Claude Cummings
• Rep, Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
• Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry
• ACA and Medicare Call Center Worker Katherine Charles
• Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)
• Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)
• Rep, Cori Bush (D-MO)
• ACA and Medicare Call Center Worker Adriana Lewis

• Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, UCLA (Moderator)
• Rep. Barbara Lee
• Rep.Jamaal Bowman
• Rep. Jamie Raskin
• Rep. Cori Bush
• Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, represented by Legislative Director Krystal Williams

Rev. Mark Thompson, Emcee

Rev. Adrienne Thorne, Senior Minister, Riverside Church

Rev. Stephen A. Green, Co-Founder, Faith for Black Lives, Pastor, St. Luke's AME Harlem

Imam Suhaib Webb

Carmen Perez-Jordan, CEO and President, The Gathering for Justice

Marwa Janini,Executive Director, Arab-American Association of New York

Rev. Dr. Jaqui Lewis, Senior Minister for Public Theology and Transformation, MiddleChurch

Linda Sarsour, Founder, MPower Change, Co-Founder, Until Freedom

Rev. Jamal Bryant, Co-Founder, Faith for Black Lives, Pastor at New Birth Missionary Church, Atlanta

Tamika D. Mallory, Co-Founder, Until Freedom

Dr. Cornel West, US Presidential Candidate

Pastor Michael McBride, Co-Founder, Black Church PAC, Executive Director, LiveFree USA

Rev. Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Proctor Conference

Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry, National Presiding Minister Emeritus, House Of The Lord Churchec

Elena Stein, Director of Organizing Strategy Jewish Voice For Peace

Ahmad Abuznaid, Executive Director, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights

Mysonne Linen, Hip Hop Artist, Co-Founder, Until Freedom

Rev. Dr. Willie Francois, Senior Pastor, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Pleasantville, NJ

LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter

Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz, Senior Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church

Nupol Kiazolu, Activist and Organizer

Kimberly Bernard, Warriors In The Garden

Nialah Edari, Co-Founder, Freedom March NYC

Kiara Williams, Warriors In The Garden

Jeannie J. Park, Warriors In The Garden

Derrick "Dwreck" Ingram, Warriors In The Garden

Ayanna Gregory, Artist, Activist, Performs

"Ceasefire"

written & composed  by Nabil Ince, Phillip Joubert, Bishop Dwayne Royster, Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., Rev. Mark Thompson, and Ayanna Gregory, and performed by Ayanna Gregory and Common Hymnal

The clergy called for a period of fasting and prayer and will support the students in the state of Florida delivering a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis demanding that he and other politicians cease and desist from sowing racial hatred witt their rhetoric and policies, and also demanding DeSantis resign.

Clergy also announced a march in Tallahassee, September 16, the 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham, when four little girls were killed,

Maximus operates the largest federally-contracted call centers in the country under a contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is operated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Maximus workers handle tens of millions of Obamacare/Affordable Care Act and Medicare calls under a $6.6 billion federal contract. These customer service representatives are predominantly Black and Latina women, at ten call centers mostly located in the South. 

Maximus workers have been facing unacceptable labor practices for years including low pay, unaffordable health care, unfair layoffs, harsh attendance policies, and significant racial inequities within its workforce. These challenges become even more pressing during the open enrollment period, and particularly following recent layoffs affecting nearly 800 workers.

Workers are calling on Maximus for more affordable healthcare, a living wage of at least $25 per hour, and the freedom to organize a union free from employer intimidation. 

Workers are putting Maximus on notice that they are prepared to go on strike during the open enrollment period unless Maximus addresses their demands.

And please share your thoughts and reactions via email at makeitplainmail@gmail.com, or via the video on social media: @MakeItPlain on Twitter and TikTok, Make It Plain on Facebook and YouTube and LinkedIn and @ministter on Instagram.

☥ † M

From the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University:

"When Lawson and King met in 1957, King urged Lawson to move to the South and begin teaching nonviolence on a large scale. Later that year, Lawson transferred to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and organized workshops on nonviolence for community members and students at Vanderbilt and the city’s four black colleges. These activists, who included Diane Nash, Marion Barry, John Lewis, Bernard Lafayette, and James Bevel, planned nonviolent demonstrations in Nashville, conducting test sit-ins in late 1959. In February 1960, following lunch counter sit-ins initiated by students at a Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina, Lawson and several local activists launched a similar protest in Nashville’s downtown stores. More than 150 students were arrested before city leaders agreed to desegregate some lunch counters. The discipline of the Nashville students became a model for sit-ins in other southern cities. In March 1960 Lawson was expelled from Vanderbilt because of his involvement with Nashville’s desegregation movement.

Lawson and the Nashville student leaders were influential in the founding conference of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), held April 1960. Their commitment to nonviolence and the Christian ideal of what Lawson called “the redemptive community” helped to shape SNCC’s early direction (Lawson, 17 April 1960). Lawson co-authored the statement of purpose adopted by the conference, which emphasized the religious and philosophical foundations of nonviolent direct action.

Lawson was involved with the Fellowship of Reconciliation from 1957 to 1969, SNCC from 1960 to 1964, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) from 1960 to 1967. For each organization, he led workshops on nonviolent methods of protest, often in preparation for major campaigns. He also participated in the third wave of the 1961 Freedom Rides. In 1968, at Lawson’s request, King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to draw attention to the plight of striking sanitation workers in the city. It was during this campaign that King was assassinated on 4 April 1968."

Panelists included:

Chelsea Lenora White – Houston Forward Times Business Manager 

Jarren Small – CEO of Educational Entertainment and Reading with A Rapper 

and the Reading With a Rapper Team

Dr. David Brady

Dr. Valerie Wilson

Dr. Gregg Gonsalves

Valerie Eguavoen

and

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

Ever the teacher, he compared African American unemployment to the NBA not allowing Black players. And he wished for Affirmative Action to continue.

Bill was a revolutionary on behalf of labor rights, civil rights, economic justice, education and freedom. And a beloved, faithful friend.

God will certainly seat Bill at His Right Hand. Let us all pray for his immediate family, his AFLCIO and Howard families, and for ourselves, as he had no peer.

Àṣẹ ☥ & Amen † 🙏🏿

• Rev. Mark Thompson

"This is something that I have just revealed publicly in this 50th Anniversary, where representatives from the NAACP national office were visiting {Jackson, MS], and some of the leaders asked for support, financial support to help hire someone or ones to be with Medgar to better secure his safety. And I know the quote from memory from that time, and it was, 'We have better things to do with our money than to pay someone to be with him.' That I will never forget. That I have not revealed until this time and this moment. And I'm glad that I have the strength to say it, because it speaks to the difficulty that we as people had during that particular time and how everybody did not think the same way. I know Medgar, in his fatigue, came home that night after that discussion, and sat down and cried. He was very hurt by it, but he had made his decision. And the message was that the national NAACP did not care about him. They just wanted more memberships and what not. Being his wife and the mother of his children, I asked God to help me relieve that from my heart. But up until this point I have never been able to let go of that," she says.

She described an NAACP Board luncheon in Jackson. "At that luncheon that was held with the Board members, [NAACP President Ben Jealous] put his speech aside, and he stood there and he said, 'I have an apology to make.' And he apologized to me and my daughter and other family members for what the Association leadership, top leadership said to Medgar and the way they treated him. And how very shortly after that, just a few days, he was taken from us. I don't think there was a dry eye in the place at that time. Because people didn't know. It's something only a few of us knew. I never wanted to hurt the organization in any way."

Secretary Cardona joins to discuss the Education Department's milestones at the halfway point of the Biden Harris Administration.

Markos Moulitsas joins for the first Thursday Kos of 2023!

On Jan. 14, 2023 during MLK JFJ (#JusticeForJayland) weekend in Akron, OH, Rev. Mark moderated two panels on Where Do We Go From Here with Justice for Jayland Walker, Police Accountability, Police Violence, Black-on-Black Nonviolence, Trauma, Loss and Healing? The second panel included Bishop William J. Barber, founder of Repairers of the Breach ad the Poor People's Campaign; Dr. Lathardus Goggins, Principal Consultant at Applied Academic Solutions; Dr. Curtis Williams, II of the Minority Behavioral Health Group; Pastor Lori Porter of Love Akron; Pastor Kyle Early of the Cleveland Police Commission; Rev. Raymond Greene of Freeodom BLOC; Bishop Joey Johnson of Love and Justice Akron; Margo Sommerville, Akron City Council President; and Kenneth Brooks, youth activist

On Jan. 14, 2023 during MLK JFJ (#JusticeForJayland) weekend in Akron, OH, Rev. Mark moderated two panels on Where Do We Go From Here with Justice for Jayland Walker, Police Accountability, Police Violence, Black-on-Black Nonviolence, Trauma, Loss and Healing? The first panel included Jayland Walker family attorney Bobby Dicello; Until Freedom Founder Tamika Mallory; Akron NAACP President Judi Hill; Dr. Ciarra Dennis- Morgan of the Minority Behavioral Health Group; youth activist Lauren Goggins; Kaysie Anderson, of the Akron Public School Scholar Board; and the rapper, Mysonne.

Dr. Baldwin is an award-winning author who has written many books on the Black Church and on Martin Luther King Jr., including There is a Balm in Gilead: The Cultural Roots of Martin Luther King Jr.; To Make the Wounded Whole: The Cultural Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.; and Never to Leave Us Alone: The Prayer Life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Baldwin is professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of AfricanaStudies at California State University—Long Beach.

An activist-scholar, he is chair of the organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations; and Executive director of the African American Cultural Center and the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies; and also, co-chair of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance, BCCLA.

Dr. Karenga is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and books including:

Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics

Introduction to Black Studies, 4 th Edition

Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings

He is currently writing a major work on the social and ethical philosophy of Malcolm X, entitled The Liberation Ethics of Malcolm X: Critical Consciousness, Moral Grounding and Transformative Struggle.

Dr. Karenga is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and service including the Paul Robeson-Zora Neale Hurston Award for Scholarly Work of African World Culture and The C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Publication of Scholarly Works that Advance the Discipline of Africana and Black Studies, and the Presidential Award for Exemplary Service and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Black Studies, all from the National Council for Black Studies

He is also the subject of the book by Dr. Molefi Asante entitled, Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait.

Also, the Center On Budget's Chief Economist, Chad Stone, joins to discuss the November 2022 Jobs Report.

Markos Moulitsas on the imminent GOP majority and the Georgia runoff.

Lolita Owens of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania on their recent strike and why they've endorsed Josh Shapiro for Governor of Pennsylvania.

Conceived in 2016,A Site of Struggletakes a new approach to looking at the intersection of race, violence and art by examining how American artists have grappled with anti-Black violence from the anti-lynching campaigns of the 1890s to the founding of Black Lives Matter in 2013.The current national reckoning on racial violence continues to inform this project. The exhibition explores how art history can help inform the understanding of the deep roots of racial violence. 

Igor also share his thoughts on the war as a native Ukrainian.