Black Politics Blog

We’re talking about our prison system – with activist Kevin Powell, who’s running for Congress in the 10th congressional district in Brooklyn and has spent some time working in a youth prison upstate. We’re talking with him about his thoughts on the problems faced by youth offenders in New York and in other urban centers.

We’ll also be joined by journalist Gilbert King, author of “THE EXECUTION OF WILLIE FRANCIS: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South” with his story on cruel and unusual punishment and the outrageous case that sparked his interest in the criminal justice system.

And, Jenny Phillips, director, producer of “THE DHAMMA BROTHERS,” joins us to talk about her new film that tells the story of prisoners finding freedom through mediation . . . and we just might learn a thing or two from them.

We’ve got a great show for you today, covering some key stories in the news this week:

What does Gallup say about the American voter? What about those white, working class Americans? Frank M. Newport, Ph.D., Editor in Chief of The Gallup Poll and author of “Polling Matters” is talking with us about what any Dem presidential candidate faces in the general election . . . and the findings he published this week.

We’re talking about fairness at the polls with Myrna Perez, Counsel at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice; she’s got an odd story out of Indiana from this week’s primary vote: Indiana nuns who were turned away at the voting booths by a fellow sister . . .

Plus, if you’d thought the Sean Bell story was just one of those random accidents, we’re taking another look at police brutality with John Jackson, UPenn Professor of Anthropology and Communications and author of “RACIAL PARANOIA: The New Reality of Race in America,” discussing the video released this week of at least 12 Philadelphia police officers pulling three men from a car and beating them:


WTXF video:

Here to help us pick up the pieces from this week’s Rev. Jeremiah Wright story: from a faith perspective, a media perspective and an activist’s perspective, we have The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr., Former Senior Minister at The Riverside Church, NYC;

Plus, journalist Janus Adams, also based in New York. She’s a frequent lecturer and on-air guest, her column is now in its twelfth year and her commentaries are heard on NPR. She offers that media perspective as well as a historical one – she was one of four children selected to end de facto segregation in New York in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education.

And, we have James Rucker back on the show. He’s executive director of the online advocacy group, Color of change.org – joining us from Oakland, California.

In the wake of Friday's not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell police-killing, we will be speaking with Eddie Glaude Jr., Princeton professor of Religion and African American Studies and the author of "In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics Black America."

We'll also look back at the Pennsylvania Primary and ahead to the upcoming showdowns with Chris Rabb, who lives in Pennsylvania and blogs at Afro-Netizen.com and with Michael Eric Dyson, University Professor at Georgetown University and the author of the new book, "APRIL 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America," Dyson joins us to give us his broader view of how Dems are doing in this presidential campaign.

We're previewing next week’s Pennsylvania Democratic Primary with Rep. Chaka Fattah, from Pennsylvania's Second District.

And Scott Simpson, a Democratic pollster for Hamilton Campaigns, based in Washington, DC tells us what he's learned about what really counts to voters.

And Chris shares his campaign advice, including his insights on the "bitter" story and the spin on the ABC NEWS Democratic debate from this past week.

This week you’ll hear one of the few interviews with the US Olympic torchbearers . . . we’ve got Majora Carter, who on a regular day is Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx, an organization she founded, which works for environmental justice in the South Bronx. But this was an unusual week for her: Majora tells us what it was like to carry the Olympic torch through crowds of protesters this past Wednesday in San Francisco. Plus – hear what happened when she pulled the Tibetan flag from her sleeve...

And, we’ll be joined by conservative columnist Robert George, from the New York Post, reporting on the week’s news, plus Avis Jones-DeWeever, of the National Council of Negro Women, shares her views on how everyday people are coping with what many now admit is our economic recession.

post show comments:

Read Chris' Letter to the Editor this week in the New York Times here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/opinion/lweb07race.html
kinda puts that McCain clip from the show in an interesting light . . .