Sojourner Truth Radio

Today on our weekly broadcast a roundtable discussion on what we have learned thus far as Trump moves beyond campaign promises to what of those promises he intends to implement given his nominees for cabinet and other positions. And what do we know about how the state with the largest immigrant population preparing for Trump’s treat of mass deportations. How is the public, in particular registered voters, responding to what Trump has done thus far? Also, further thoughts on election results. Our panelists are Dr. Penial Joseph Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin; Jackie Goldberg President of the Los Angeles School Board, and Mexican based journalist Laura Carlsen.

In an action alert issues by the Haiti Action Committee they state that nearly 220 years ago, on November 18th, 1804, Haitian revolutionaries under the command of the legendary General Dessalines fought against the French army sent to restore slavery. A courageous Haitian commander, Francois Capoix, exemplified bravery by charging a fortification in the face of massive cannon and gunfire. Napoleon’s army was finally defeated in this Battle of Vertieres, securing Haiti's independence. Haiti Action asks that people around the world mark this anniversary known as Flag Day to demand an end to US intervention and foreign occupation. They further state that twenty years after the US-backed coup against the democratically elected President Jean Bertrand-Aristide and the popular Fanmi Lavalas government, Haiti remains under US/ UN occupation. And that there is not a single elected official left in the country. Hunger in Haiti has reached a historic high, with 50% of the population now facing acute hunger. According to UNICEF data, by 2023, “nearly one in four children in Haiti also suffer from chronic malnutrition, known as stunting, which has long-lasting physical consequences.” The leadership of Fanmi Lavalas, the political party in Haiti based in the poor majority, has referred to this violence and suffering as a slow-motion genocide. Haitians who flee this are being subjected to ruthless deportations both from the US and from the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations. Refugees are being forced to return to the life-threatening conditions from which they fled. On November 18, 2024 activists and organizations in the Caribbean and their supporters hae issued a statement in solidarity with the people of Haiti.

On the ST Weekly Broadcast, a round table discussion/analysis on the election results, international implications, Trump nominees thus far; what they see as way forward for social change. Our panelists are Jackie Goldberg, Laura Carlsen, Bill Gallegos

The Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a key player in the Civil Rights and Labor Movements and a close advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away last week at the age of 95. Lawson was a proponent of non-violent direct action as a means for social, political and economic change. His teachings were instrumental in the strategy and execution of non-violent Civil Rights-era protests in the American South. He also played crucial leadership and advisory roles in labor movements across the US, including the Memphis sanitation workers strike of 1968 and the Justice for Janitors campaign in Los Angeles.

Today on our weekly broadcast a deep dive into Haiti, not only the situation now on the ground, how the people are resisting and continuing to fight for democracy, the role of the international community, but the history of the role of the so-named core group, and the latest on Haiti’s Transitional Government with Haitian human rights campaigner Pierre Labossiere. Also, we hear the voice of Congresswoman Maxine Waters as she weighed in over the years on the situation in Haiti, including an historic clip of her speaking at a Congressional Hearing on Haiti at the time of the US backed coup vs Haiti.

Has an all-out war broken out between Israel and Lebanon? If so, what are the impacts and wider implications? How is this extension of conflict in the region related to the ongoing genocide by Israeli forces in Gaza? And what is the latest from the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank? Our guest is Middle East expert and author Phyllis Bennis. And there is an explosion of voter suppression efforts being put in place by the Republican Party mainly targeting must win battle ground states in this year’s presidential election. What’s going on? What are the attacks? How can voters be protected? Barbara Arnwine an attorney and decades long voting rights expert beaks it down for us.

Today on Sojourner Truth, a deep dive into the August 29th 1970 Chicano Moratorium, where tens of thousands of Chicanos and their supporters took to the streets in East Los Angeles to protest the war in Vietnam and the oppression of Chicano people. Similar marches took place in several other states, but the one in EastLos was by far the largest. Police attached peaceful marchers, many were injured, and 3 were left dead. We are also marking the anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain which is celebrated on September 16th. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a veteran Chicano liberation activist and author.

Special Earthwatch episode. An update on the struggle to save the shawnee forest at the same time cut through the jobs versus nature debate our guests are John Wallace Karen Furley and Sam Sterns, All campaigners based in southern Illinois.

Today on the Sojourner Truth Weekly Broadcast: We get an update on the Presidential election, a look at the contrast between the candidates of the two major political parties; key moments at the Democratic National Convention; and analysis on the race. Our guest is Jackie Goldberg. And for our annual Labor Day Special we focus on the labor union activism as we mark the upcoming 45th anniversary of the LA/Long Beach/Harbor Coalition whose theme is “Fighting for the Future of Labor”. Our guest is the award-winning writer Alex O’Keefe who has written for the TV hit show “The Bear”. Alex is a member of the Writers Guild of America.

PDA conference Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and our country. We seek to build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites-with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. As a grassroots organization operating inside the Democratic Party, and outside in movements for peace and justice, PDA has played a key role in the rise of the progressive movement. Our inside/outside strategy is guided by the belief that a lasting majority will require a revitalized Democratic Party built on firm progressive principles. For many decades, the Democratic Party declined as its leadership listened more to the voices of corporations and the donor class than those of average Americans. PDA strives to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up " from every congressional district to statewide party structures to the corridors of power in Washington, where we cooperate with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In its short history, PDA has succeeded in shaking up the political status-quo with its stated opposition to the Iraq war and to excessive military budgets; advocacy for universal single-payer healthcare, racial and economic justice; fighting environmental racism and the climate emergency; support for voter rights and the Equal Rights Amendment; and, notably, being the first national organization to ask Bernie Sanders to run for President as a Democrat, launching the Run Bernie Run campaign in early 2014.

Bernice Johnson Reagon, a civil rights activist who co-founded The Freedom Singers and later started the African American vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, died Tuesday at the age of 81. Her daughter, the acclaimed musician Toshi Reagon, shared the news of her mother's passing Wednesday night in a public Facebook post. It is impossible to separate liberation struggles from song. And in the 1960s — at marches, and in jailhouses — the voice leading those songs was often Bernice Johnson Reagon. Her work as a scholar and activist continued throughout her life, in universities and concert halls, at protests and in houses of worship. The future songleader was born in southwest Georgia, the daughter of a Baptist minister. She was admitted to a historically Black public college, Albany State, at the age of 16 and studied music. Albany, Ga., would become an important center of the civil rights movement when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested there in 1962, causing the media to descend on the town.

The left-wing alliance in France won the most seats in parliament in a dramatic election, dealing a surprise blow to the far-right party of Marine Le Pen. Meanwhile the push for electoral reform in the UK has received a shot in the arm after the “most disproportionate election in history”, according to campaigners and academics. Longstanding reform campaigners have become uneasy bedfellows with Reform UK’s Nigel Farage in recent days after Labour secured a 174-seat majority with just 34% of the popular vote. “This election has thrown the spotlight on to the electoral system as the result was the most disproportional on record,” said Darren Hughes, the chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society. “We have already had a growing chorus of calls for PR [proportional representation] in the aftermath.” Farage said the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system was “unfair” after Reform took 14.3% of the popular vote – making it the third biggest party by vote share – but won only five seats. The Green party received 6.8% of the vote for its four seats. Tune in every Tuesday at 7AM on KPFK.org

Slavery still exists in California and several other states across the US, its not what we generally think of when we hear the word slavery, as in chattel slavery, but slavery inside prisons. What we are taught in history books is that slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment in the US which was ratified on December 6th, 1865. However, this did not apply to prisoners. Today on “Sojourner Truth”, we focus on the movement to finally abolish what is known as involuntary slavery in prisons in CA and other states. Our guests are Dorsey Nunn a founder of California Prisoners with Children and Stanley Thermidor with A New Way of Life.

The Rev. James M. Lawson, a United Methodist minister who became a principal tactician of nonviolent protest during the civil rights movement, leading sit-ins, marches and Freedom Rides that withstood attacks by mobs and police throughout the 1960s, died June 9. He was 95. He died of cardiac arrest en route to a Los Angeles hospital, said his son J. Morris Lawson III. As a young Methodist missionary, Rev. Lawson traveled to India, where he studied the principles of civil disobedience practiced by the anti-colonialist leader Mohandas K. Gandhi in his campaign against repressive British rule.

Malcolm X (born May 19, 1925, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S."died February 21, 1965, New York, New York) was an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam who articulated concepts of race pride and Black nationalism in the early 1960s.

Today on ST we mark the Nakba which according to the UN means “catastrophe”. This year will mark 76 years since the 1948 forced removal of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to establish the state of Israel. Even according to UN reports prior to the Nakba Palestine was a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society. In December of 1948 the UN General Assembly passed resolution 194 which called for the Palestinian right to return, for property restitution and compensation, this has not happened 76 years later. Indeed it was an act of the UN that caused the partition that displaced Palestinians from their land in the first place. According to the UNRW the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees mor than 5 million Palestinian refugees are throughout the Middle East. We are now 7 months into the genocide where more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed including 14,000 children. 8 thousand are reported missing. This followed the attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct 7th where 1,200 Israeli’s were killed. Palestinian fighters have resisted the occupation of Palestine going back to the 1930’s, even before the Nakba, when the operation to remove Palestinians from their land had begun. Meanwhile according to the Washington Post, Israel receives more military and aid of any type than any other country in the world since WWII. The Post reports that since between 1946 and 2023 the US has provided 287 billion. For the past 7 months protests have been building in countries around the world, SA took Israel to the ICC, and most recently occupations have sprung up on university and college campuses across the US and across the world. Let us go to a clip about the impact of children of the genocide. Our guests are Zeiad Abbas Executive Director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance and Um Lana a Palestinian refugee living in Shatea Refugee camp in Gaza.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we continue our coverage on Haiti, bringing you the latest news on Haiti, from voices rarely heard in US media including Pacha Vobre who is on the Executive Committee of Fanmi Lavalas the political party of Haiti’s Jean Bertrand Aristide. He spoke from the ground in Haiti in April 2424 as part of an event organized by the Haiti Action Committee. Also we hear a presentation of an event entitled “From Haiti to Palestine’ which was held in March of 2024, you will hear the presentation given there by Robert Roth, a longtime human rights campaigner in particular for the grassroots movement for democracy in Haiti, Robert is with Haiti Action Committee. And in an exclusive, we hear an interview with the Barbados Ambassador to CARICOM, an economic and political union of 15 Caribbean states. Ambassador Commissiong was recently interviewed on Good Morning Barbados about Haiti, including the transitional government that CARICOM played a key role in negotiating.

Haiti crisis update: with guest Jeff Sprague, Pierre LaBossiere by Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

Today on ST an update on Haiti. Well-armed death squads in Haiti, are continuing their campaign of terror against impoverished Haitians. Meanwhile some of the left in the US are confused and are promoting some of the key death squad leaders Guy Phillipe and Jimmy Cherizier (known as Barbque) as revolutionary leaders. And the agreement brokered by CARICOM, the Caribbean heads of state, to establish a Transitional Council after which the much hated Ariel Henry would step down, has yet been finalized. Another name we hear reported on the media is Moise Jean Charles whose political party Petit Dessaline formed an alliance with Guy Phillipe and Barbecue. Jean Charles is said to have ambitions to be President of Haiti. Moise Jean Charles first agreed to be part of the Transitional Council, then changed his mind and said he would not be on the council. He has yet again changed has now said yes his that party would be part of the Council. This has created confusion and further division. Our guest are journalist and Haiti expert Kevin Pina and Haitian human rights campaigner and co-founder of Haiti Action Committee Pierre Labossiere.

Welcome to ST as the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and increasing attacks on Palestinians on the West Bank, an on-line event was held on March 10th 2024. The program uplifted the stories and voices of women living in Palestine, they participated in an event that marked IWD entitled “we stand with Palestinian women, children, and their families against the Israel/US genocide including bombing and starvation”. The program also included the voice of a Palestinian American woman on the impact of the on-going genocide in Gaza on Palestinian children and families living in the US. The event was called by the Global Women’s Strike and Women of Color/GWS. We were joined by a wide-ranging planning group that brought women and men across movements standing in solidarity with and offering practical support via the Middle East Children’s Alliance to women, children and their families in Palestine. We worked directly with the Middle East Children’s Alliance in organizing the event. In addition to the planning group sponsoring organizations included: Alexandria House; Rev. Annie Chambers; Black Alliance for Just Immigration; Black Lives Matter/LA; Every Mother is a Working Mother Network; Haiti Action Committee; Indigenous Environmental Network; International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network; Katea Stitt Program Director of Pacifica Radio’s WPFW, La Resistencia, Long Beach Area Peace Network; Los Angeles Baby Cooperative; Military Families Speak Out; Movement for Family Power; Orange County Peace Coalition; Payday men's network; Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!; Pete White, Founder of LA CAN; Robin D. G. Kelley; San Pedro Neighbors for Peace & Justice; Social Welfare Action Alliance; Social Workers Ending Poverty Together; US PROStitutes Collective; Veterans for Peace Chapter 110; Veterans for Peace LA; We Stand Up for All; Welfare Warriors; Women's March Foundation Los AngelesThe voices of Palestinian women are rarely heard, so we are glad to bring you their voices on today’s program.

Today on Sojourner Truth: A member of the military has died after setting himself on fire outside the White House in protest of the genocide in Gaza. The US rejected yet another cease fire proposal at the UN and instead has offered a watered-down version of a temporary pause for humanitarian aid. And despite an outcry from governments around the world with the notable exception of the US and UK, the Israeli PM Netanyahu has pledged to move forward with his threat to step up attacks on Rafah which is where thousands of Palestinians had fled following Israel’s call for Palestinians to flee the North of Gaza. South Africa is continuing to push for Israel to be charged with genocide. And in the US Congress is set to send 14.1 billion more to Israel including support for US military operations in the region. As protests against the genocide continue unabated in countries around the world, today we focus on what you the ST listener can do. We are raising funds for both your local Pacifica station as well as for the Middle East Children’s Alliance/MECA who are concretely addressing the humanitarian crisis as best they could with volunteers on the ground in Gaza. Our guest is Zeiad Abbas, executive director of MECA.

Today on Sojourner Truth for our Weekly Broadcast, we take a deep dive into the situation on the ground in Haiti. Next month will mark the 20th anniversary of the US/Canada/France supported coup against Haiti’s first democratically elected President, Jean Bertrand Aristide. The crisis facing Haiti today from death squads referred in the media as gangs, to an unelected government cannot be separated from the 2004 coup. The instability that followed the coup is deeply connected to the US aiming to control the Presidency of Haiti, and so the efforts across political parties and civil society activists in Haiti to implement a Haiti led solution to the present crisis has been undermined by western powers every inch of the way. And now Guy Phillippe one of the CIA trained leaders of the 2004 coup was released from the US prison and within weeks of his release, the international main-stream media are hailing Phillippe as the leader of the opposition in Haiti! Who is Guy Phillippe, what role has he played over the past decades in Haiti? Why is he now being heralded by the forces that be? Meanwhile the Supreme Court in Kenya has blocked Kenya from sending Kenya police to lead a US financed force in Haiti. The President of Kenya is appealing the court’s decision. Why is the US, while not committing its own troops, pressing so hard for yet another occupying force to be sent to Haiti, this time led by Black nations? Our guest is Norluck Dorange a senior journalist in Haiti.

As what is being dubbed a genocide going on in Gaza, with now over 25,000 killed the majority of whom are women and children, and with over 62,000 injured. The US anti-war movement is struggling to impact the US Congress and President Biden to actively call for and work for a ceasefire, as well as to stop funding Israel’s military operation. The US historically provides over $3 billion in aid each year to Israel, the largest to any other country. Additionally, the Biden administration bypassed Congress through an emergency provision in the Arms Export Control Act to sell Israel $106 million worth of tank ammunition. Biden’s unilateral support for Israeli policies in Gaza has earned him the moniker “Genocide Joe”. Our guest is Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund. And there is news on the Child Tax Credit. After millions of families were disappointed when Congress allowed the popular expanded CTC to expire after one year, there is new hope for a bi-partisan deal to bring back some elements of the expanded CTC. But who will be left out of the credit? The Expanded CTC lifted at least 4 million children out of poverty and cut child hunger by ¼. In contrast the new bipartisan proposal under pressure from the GOP would roll back some of the earlier gains of the Expanded CTC. The new proposal would lift 400,000 children out of poverty leaving behind millions of the most impoverished. Congresswoman DeLauro who has championed the CTC for over two decades said that the bi-partisan CTC proposal “will keep millions of children in preventable poverty.” Most NGO advocates on Capitol Hill including the Children’s Defense Fund, Economic Security Project and others are supporting the bi-partisan compromise though they admit it doesn’t go far enough out of fear of no action in this Congress on the CTC and with the hope that it can be improved on in 2025. We will hear remarks by Congresswoman Gwen Moore a champion in Congress against poverty, as she spoke during the House Ways and Means Committee Hearing this past Friday on the proposed compromise. And our guest is Phoebe Jones Schellenberg who has been actively supporting bringing back the expanded CTC. Phoebe is with Care Income Now and is a co-coordinator of the Global Women’s Strike in the US.

Amidst the ongoing attack on Gaza, MECA team and partners are providing emergency assistance to families who have fled their homes to seek shelter with relatives as well as procuring emergency medical supplies for hospitals and clinics. They are procuring food and hygiene supplies from stores, warehouses, factories and farmers and delivering them directly to displaced families every single day. Their grassroots network are able to reach displaced families who are with friends, relatives, neighbors and in informal shelters. They have a remarkable and courageous team on the ground made of staff, volunteers, and partner organizations who are responding to the urgent needs of children and families under attack.

Censorship is increasing on university campuses across the nation against those who speak out in support of Palestinians or critiques the Israeli government policies. Also, from the film to other industries people are being penalized for speaking out in support of Palestinians even on social media. Our guest is Arun Kundnani author of “ What is Anti-Racism” and “The Muslims are Coming”. And Dr. Gerald Horne is back on ST to discuss his views on what is increasingly being called a genocide happening in Gaza, also attacks on the West Bank. He will also weigh in on what is happening in Sudan, where thousands of lives have been lost due to conflict there.

Today on our ST weekly broadcast, we continue our coverage of what millions of people around the world is calling a genocide happening in Gaza, this as we discuss the support for the Israeli actions by of conservative religious fundamentalists including some within the Black church. Our guest is Lawrence Ware, co-director of the Oklahoma State University Africana Studies Program, he is also a journalist and commentator. And breaking news from south of the border. Argentina has overwhelmingly elected a new President who is a fan of Donald Trump who promises, he is extreme even to some on the right. How did this happen, what is he promising to do, what are the implications for Argentina as well as for other governments and countries in the region. Our guest is Mexico City based journalist Laura Carlsen.

Today on our Weekly Broadcast we continue our coverage of Israeli’s invasion of Gaza, its impact on Palestnian civilians including children and growing protests around the world calling for a cease !re. Our guests are Zeiad Abbas of the Middle East Children’s Alliance and Phyllis Bennis a Jewish writer and political commentator based in the US. She is an expert on the Middle East. Let us go to sound from one of the thousands of protests that have been going on around the world calling for a cease !re and a stop to the slaughter now going on in Gaza, this one from Chicago on Monday Nov a13th

Palestinian rights groups say about 1.5 million people are internally displaced in Gaza amid unrelenting Israeli bombardments, “the largest mass displacement of Palestinians in such a short period of time since the 1948 Nakba”. United Nations says no life-saving fuel has been allowed into Gaza since October 7, risking the lives of 2.3 million Palestinians as essential services close.

March 1st marks the anniversary of the US backed 2004 coup vs Haiti’s first democratically elected government under Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border. The United States helped orchestrate the coup against him. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. The tactics that were used to remove Aristide from power twice are almost identical to the ones being used against Venezuela’s Maduro today. Today 19 years later, Haiti continues to be destabilized under de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the country is facing a resurfacing of cholera and an uptick in gang crime. We speak to organizers on the ground in Haiti to hear their perspectives: including Edouard “Pacha” Vorbe, founder and co-director of Fanmi Lavalas. Since 1998, Pacha Vorbe has been an active member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political organization headed by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide and supported by the vast majority of impoverished people in Haiti. As well as Pierre Labossiere, one of the most respected progressive voices on Haitian politics. Pierre Labossiere has dedicated his entire adult life advocating for the working poor in Haiti. Through the Haiti Action Committee, an organization that he co-founded, Labossiere has tirelessly championed grassroots efforts to improve education, bring about social justice, and develop a stable democracy for the people of his native country.

Workshop with Vijay Kumar: How Nature Regulates the Climate & How Natural Farming Can Help. International Gathering: END WOMEN'S POVERTY - A Guaranteed Care Income for all caregivers for people & planet

In the wake of Georgia’s indictments of 61 people targeted for allegedly being part of the movement to #StopCopCity, we look at the intersection of the Black and Palestinian struggles.

Part #1 Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, led a discussion with economists and public health policy practitioners on poverty and hunger in America during a three-day summit in Washington, D.C. They discussed a variety of issues, including the causes for poverty in America, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income and minority populations, economic drivers of inflation, and how best to mitigate poverty in the country

Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, led a discussion with economists and public health policy practitioners on poverty and hunger in America during a three-day summit in Washington, D.C. They discussed a variety of issues, including the causes for poverty in America, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income and minority populations, economic drivers of inflation, and how best to mitigate poverty in the country

Today, we are bringing you a special broadcast on the environment: Hoodwinked in the Hothouse: Would Build Back Better Burn Billions? This is the third panel of a series that builds on the momentum created by the most recent report on the impact of climate change on indigenous and frontline communities titled, Hoodwinked in the Hothouse (Third Edition) : Resist False Solutions to Climate Change. As part of President Bidens infrastructure plan, federal and state governments are providing billions in so-called climate subsidies, policy incentives and tax breaks to dangerous and dirty energy industries. These include: biomass and waste incinerators; nuclear power, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure for fossil-fuel facilities; frontline and environmental justice communities are facing increased pollution burdens and toxic threats. Todays panel discussion highlights emergent threats of climate false solutions across U.S. federal and state policy landscapes. Panelists are community campaigners, community leaders, researchers, and frontline organizations who are fighting the myths associated with carbon capture and storage, nuclear, hydrogen, biofuels and waste incineration. Along with debunking what they see as false climate crisis solutions, they also highlight inspiring stories of success led by environmental justice communities. They point out that to effectively move money away from dangerous policy directions and towards real climate justice solutions, coalition building is needed amongst national green groups, labor unions, climate philanthropy, and policymakers who should work with frontline communities in opposing these schemes.

Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and civil rights activist who broke down racial barriers, has died aged 96. As well as performing global hits such as Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), winning a Tony award for acting and appearing in numerous feature films, Belafonte spent his life fighting for a variety of causes. He bankrolled numerous 1960s initiatives to bring civil rights to Black Americans; campaigned against poverty, apartheid and Aids in Africa; and supported leftwing political figures such as Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. The cause of death was congestive heart failure, his spokesman told the New York Times. Figures including Joe Biden, the rapper Ice Cube and Mia Farrow paid tribute to Belafonte. The US president said Belafonte was a “groundbreaking American who used his talent and voice to help redeem the soul of our nation”.

Sojourner Truth continues its coverage of Black History Month coverage with our one-hour special broadcast on Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture. He is known by a generation that popularized the cry of "Black Power." We speak with Dr. Peniel Joseph about his book, "Stokely: A Life. And discuss several questions including: how the concept of Black Power as a political strategy developed. How and why did Stokely Carmichael move from civil rights worker to U.S. based Black Power leader, to Pan-Africanist and socialist. What price did he pay in making this move? Stay tuned for a wide-ranging conversation on Stokely's life, impact and contributions with host Margaret Prescod.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from the Alliance for Global Justice Eco Solidarity series titled: “Climate change disasters in the Caribbean and around the world,”moderated by Aminta Zea and James Jordan. Panelist speakers include: Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Banbose Shango of the National Network on Cuba, and Camille Landry, co-director of AFGJ's Human Rights School, as well as a highlights interview with Peruvian Journalist Lucho Garate, and an interview with Jayeesha Dutta of the Climate Justice Alliance. In 2022 alone, climate related disasters took place in Vietnam, Pakistan, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Florida, Japan, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Alaska. A series of heavy rains, hurricanes, typhoons, and floods that have hit these areas have all been attributed to climate change. These global warming catastrophes began even as leaders from across the world gathered for the annual Cop 27 conference. Today you will hear a bit more on these climate change disasters including the privatization of private utilities in Puerto Rico. Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party will explain why Puerto Ricans are calling for the immediate reinstatement of the PREPA public utility company, and its union, which was busted as a result of this privatization.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from the ideas 42 Policy Labs Policy for Shared Prosperity virtual webinar Basic Income Programs: Successes, Challenges, and Policy Solutions. Where panelists discuss the successes of basic income programs implemented throughout different parts of the nation, some of the challenges and propose tips for improving and expanding these programs. Panelist speakers include: Sarah Stripp, Managing Director for Springboard to Opportunities, Lesa Gilbert, Director for the Center for Economic Support, City of Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services, Lori Pfingst, Senior Director, for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. This panel is moderated by Nicole Russo, Principal Behavioral Designer in Economic Justice for Ideas42. Guaranteed basic income programs are an effective way to support families. Guaranteed basic income programs have been implemented in more than 50 cities across the United States. Households with low incomes receive a monthly, unconditional cash payment to help make ends meet. Evidence confirms the positive impacts of guaranteed income on economic and overall well being; yet, policy questions remain about how to best scale and operate these programs moving forward. This panel of experts examine the impact of city-level basic income programs and the potential benefits of state-wide basic income program implementation. Panelists discuss the policy challenges associated with basic income programs proposing informed tips based on practice for advocates and policymakers interested in improving and expanding these programs.

Activists and co-founders of the Shawnee Forest Defense John Wallace and Karen Frailey join host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss recent developments in their campaign towards making the Shawnee Forest a national park and climate preserve. The Shawnee National Forest is located in Southern Illinois. The Shawnee National Forest encompasses a 289,000 acre area in southern Illinois stretching from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River which contains some of the most ecologically bio-diverse areas in the United States. Three decades ago, in the summer of 1990, activists from Earth First! occupied the Fairview Timber sale site in the Shawnee Forest which is located in Southern Illinois for 79 days — using their bodies to block the logging equipment and using legal strategies to challenge the harvesting of the lumber in court. This historic action has come to be known as the Shawnee Showdown. This relatively small group of activists were successful in stopping commercial logging in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for 17 years. But in 2013, the Forest Service won a motion to lift the injunction. But logging is back in Shawnee. Currently, thousands of acres at the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois are scheduled for logging operations. Shawnee is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which allows logging on public lands. The fight to save the Shawnee Forest continues today, with the most recent attempt by organizers to transfer the Shawnee National Forest out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s control and into the hands of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with a proposal that would establish Shawnee as a National Park and designate it as the nation’s first climate preserve. The biggest gain from converting the forest into a national park and climate preserve is the elimination of commercial logging efforts and resource extraction.

Today on Sojourner Truth, author, organizer and anti-capitalist campaigner, Selma James joins host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss the history of her involvement in organizing for fair wages for women, and her continued organizing at 92 years old. In 1972 Selma put forward Wages for Housework (WFH) as a political perspective that redefined the working class to include all who work without wages, starting with women, the primary carers everywhere. The International WFH Campaign she founded (which celebrates its 51st anniversary in 2023) coordinates the Global Women's Strike.

conversation with Professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Black feminist theorist and theoretical physicist and Selma James, long-time feminist activist and Wages for Housework co-founder to discuss, "Our Time is Now," an anthology by Selma James and the legacies of intergenerational feminism.Selma James is a women's rights and anti-racist campaigner and author. From 1958 to 1962 she worked with C.L.R. James in the movement for West Indian federation and independence. In 1972 she co-founded the International Wages for Housework Campaign, and in 2000 helped launch the Global Women's Strike whose strategy for change is Invest in Caring, Not Killing. She coined the word unwaged, which has since entered the English language. In the 1970s she was the first spokeswoman of the English Collective of Prostitutes. She is a founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. She co-authored the classic The Power of Women and the Subversion of the Community, which launched the domestic labor debate.Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and dark matter. She additionally does research in Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein is also a columnist for New Scientist and Physics World. Nature recognized her as one of 10 peoplewho shaped science in 2020, and Essence magazine has recognized her as one of 15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers. A cofounder of Particles for Justice, she received the 2017 LGBT+ Physicists Acknowledgement of Excellence Award for her contributions to improving conditions for marginalized people in physics and the 2021 American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award for her contributions to particle cosmology, including co-founding Particles for Justice. Her first book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred received the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category and was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian Magazine, and Kirkus. It has been a finalist for several awards including the 2022 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. The Disordered Cosmos was also long-listed for the OCM Bocas Prize in Caribbean Literature. Originally from East L.A., she divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

4.6.2023 Reclaiming our Sisters by Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

3.31.2023 Round Table Discussion by Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

Today on ST we recall Randall Robinson who died on March 24th at 81 years old. It was just last week on ST that I played a clip of Randall Robinson during a show focused on Haiti. Randall Robinson was the founder of TransAfrica, he led the organization from its founding in 1977 until 2001. During his tenure there he led protests opposing the SA apartheid regime, thousands were arrested during these protests including notables such as Stevie Wonder. And when President Aristide was deposed in the 1991 US coup vs his Presidency of Haiti, Randall went on a hunger strike in protest and to demand Aristide’s return and for asylum for refugees fleeing Haiti following the coup. He also strongly opposed yet another US backed coup vs Aristide which took place this time in 2004 on the anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Randall, alongside Maxine Waters and others in tandem with a massive grassroots movement on the ground in Haiti, worked tirelessly for Aristide’s return to Haiti. He was the author of several books including “The Debt: What America Owed to Blacks”. Today we will share the words of Randall Robinson taken from speeches he gave on Haiti including from events at Marcus Books, a Black owned bookstore in Oakland California. These speeches are not generally known, and we want to thank Marcus Books for allowing us to share this sound with you.

Intro Pierre Labossiere and Seth Donnelly and discuss Haiti, We Continue discussion with Pierre and Seth followed by Earth Watch and Michael J Kellett, founding Executive Director of RESTORE: The North Woods(12 min segment)

Round Table Discussion with Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Gerald Horne.

Climate change is a global phenomenon that affects all parts of the world, and its impacts are far-reaching and varied. Some of the potential implications of climate change include rising sea levels, increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and health risks for humans and wildlife. Rising sea levels can cause coastal flooding, which can damage infrastructure, homes, and businesses. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on communities, leading to loss of life, property damage, and displacement of people. Food and water scarcity can cause conflict and instability, particularly in regions where resources are already scarce. Loss of biodiversity can disrupt ecosystems and reduce the ability of the natural world to provide the services that humans rely on, such as clean air and water, and fertile soils. In addition to these impacts, climate change can also have significant economic consequences, affecting industries such as agriculture, tourism, and insurance, and potentially leading to job losses and reduced economic growth. It is important that individuals, governments, and businesses take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change. This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, investing in green technologies, and adopting sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and other industries.

Today on Sojourner Truth we continue our Women’s Month coverage with a special Friday round panel program devoted to the women who organized with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC, or Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, was founded in 1960 in the wake of student-led sit-ins at segregated lunch counters across the South and became the major channel of student participation in the civil rights movement. SNCC played a large part in the Freedom Rides aimed at desegregating buses and in the marches organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC. SNCC also created Freedom Schools and played a key role in registering black voters throughout the south. SNCC played a leading role in the history and fabric of the US influencing movements around the world and the women of SNCC played a central role. Our guests for the hour are Martha Prescod-Noonan, who was a fundraiser and a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and worked with Bob Moses. She is one of the editors of a book we will also be discussing about SNCC women’s experiences in the movement, titled “Hands On The Freedom Plow.” We are also joined by civil rights icon and Professor Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, who was a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the South, as well as the head of friends of SNCC, and ally in the civil rights movement Helen Jacobson.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Nell Myhand, organizer and member of the Bay area Poor People's Campaign. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Phoebe Jones, women's rights campaigner in Philadelphia. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: State Chair for the Michigan Welfare Rights organization, Maureen Taylor. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Emiliana Guereca, entrepreneur and organizer with the Women's March LA. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod: Anna Aurilio, campaign Director of the Economic Security Project Action. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guests joining host Margaret Prescod: Anna Aurilio, campaign Director of the Economic Security Project Action, Phoebe Jones, women's rights campaigner in Philadelphia, Emiliana Guereca, organizer with the Women's March LA, state chair for the Michigan Welfare Rights organization, Maureen Taylor, as well as Nell Myhand, organizer and member of the Bay area Poor People's Campaign. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.

Today on Sojourner Truth we kick off women's herstory month with an all female round panel discussion focusing on women's work and contributions as caregivers and their central role in movements towards bringing visibility to the labor of women that has been undervalued for centuries. Women and girls spend about 12.5 billion hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work. If we were to monetize this for women aged 15 and older, it adds up to $10.8 trillion a year—three times the size of the world’s tech industry. Unpaid work is essential for households and economies to function globally, yet it continues to be valued less than paid work. In 2023, women in the labor force continue to earn less than their male colleagues across the board. Our panelists are Laura Carlsen, Director of the Americas Program and regular contributor to Americas Updater, Foreign Policy in Focus, CounterPunch and several Spanish-language publications, and, Jackie Goldberg, governing school board member for the Los Angeles Unified School District joining host Margaret Prescod for the hour to weigh in on these issues and lift up women in herstory that have inspired their work including: Ida B Wells, Sojourner Truth, Emma Goldman and Marge Percy.

Today on Sojourner Truth we honor women's history month with the voices of women of color that contributed to progressive change in the world as writers, scientists and entertainers. We share speeches from Wangari Maathi, Paule Marshall and Dorothy Dandridge and excerpts from an exclusive Sojourner Truth interview with world renowned writer Toni Morrison.

March 1st marks the anniversary of the US backed 2004 coup vs Haiti’s first democratically elected government under Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border. The United States helped orchestrate the coup against him. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. Today 19 years later, Haiti continues to be destabilized under de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the country is facing a resurfacing of cholera and an uptick in gang crime. We speak Edouard "Pacha" Vorbe, an organizer on the ground in Haiti to hear his perspective on the current events unfolding in Hait. Edouard “Pacha” Vorbe is founder and co-director of Fanmi Lavalas. Since 1998, Pacha Vorbe has been an active member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political organization headed by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide and supported by the vast majority of impoverished people in Haiti.

March 1st marks the anniversary of the US backed 2004 coup vs Haiti’s first democratically elected government under Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border. The United States helped orchestrate the coup against him. Aristide was later forced into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa. Today 19 years later, Haiti continues to be destabilized under de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the country is facing a resurfacing of cholera and an uptick in gang crime. We speak to organizers on the ground in Haiti to hear their perspectives: including Edouard “Pacha” Vorbe, founder and co-director of Fanmi Lavalas. Since 1998, Pacha Vorbe has been an active member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political organization headed by former President Jean Bertrand Aristide and supported by the vast majority of impoverished people in Haiti. As well as Pierre Labossiere, one of the most respected progressive voices on Haitian politics. Pierre Labossiere has dedicated his entire adult life advocating for the working poor in Haiti. Through the Haiti Action Committee, an organization that he co-founded, Labossiere has tirelessly championed grassroots efforts to improve education, bring about social justice, and develop a stable democracy for the people of his native country.

Today on Sojourner Truth our Friday roundtable is back. Each of our panelists select people they'd like to honor as we kick off the month of African American History. Our panelists are: journalist Laura Carlsen, LA Unified school board member Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies. We cover a wide range of topics including: figures from curriculum, history and in particular Black history under attack in Conservative states across the country, international affairs in China, as well as the forces at play regarding the recent rise in violence in Israel-Palestine conflict.

Sojourner Truth in partnership with the Global Justice Ecology Project present our weekly Earth Minute segment on the science behind the actual impact of carbon offsets corporations claim.

The month of January culminates in what is being proclaimed globally as the deadliest period of fighting between Israel and Palestine in years in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports Israel has killed at least 42 Palestinians in this month alone, including 8 children and an elderly woman. The deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank took place on Thursday January 26, when Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, killing 10 people. It was the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in two decades. We discuss these latest developments in the Israeli-Palestine conflict with Michael Kalmanovitz, founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

We are joined by civil rights icon Zoharah Simmons who will be discussing the response from educators and civil rights organizers to the rejection of an advanced placement course on African American studies for high school students last month by Florida's department of education, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Initially Florida tried to ban the course entirely, but after weeks of backlash and even a potential lawsuit the College Board released the official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month. However, critics point out that the newest iteration of the course is now missing several themes and voices from Black scholars that were originally presented in a pilot program already being taught at dozens of schools this year across the country.

Our Global Justice Ecology Project Earth Watch guest joining us to delve into a deeper discussion of carbon offset and its impact on climate change is researcher Jutta Kill, whose current research focuses on analyzing the role of carbon markets in the emergence of the Green Economy concept where natural complexity and diversity are transformed into "natural capital" – the re-defined "nature" of the Green Economy. Her recent writings explore how in the process, rules-based environmental legislation and fines for violation of environmental regulation are being replaced with incentive-based regulation and fees that buy the right to destroy or pollute.

Today on Sojourner Truth we begin by paying homage to the life of Tyre Nichols as civil rights leaders including: Reverend Al Sharpton, speak at his funeral on Wednesday, contextualizing the significance of his death at the hands of black police officers. We are joined by civil rights icon Zoharah Simmons who will be discussing the response from educators and civil rights organizers to the rejection of an advanced placement course on African American studies for high school students last month by Florida's department of education, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Initially Florida tried to ban the course entirely, but after weeks of backlash and even a potential lawsuit the College Board released the official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month. However, critics point out that the newest iteration of the course is now missing several themes and voices from Black scholars that were originally presented in a pilot program already being taught at dozens of schools this year across the country. The month of January culminates in what is being proclaimed globally as the deadliest period of fighting between Israel and Palestine in years in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports Israel has killed at least 42 Palestinians in this month alone, including 8 children and an elderly woman. The deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank took place on Thursday January 26, when Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, killing 10 people. It was the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in two decades. We discuss these latest developments in the Israeli-Palestine conflict with Michael Kalmanovitz, founding member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. We will also hear our weekly Earth Minute segment from the Global Justice Ecology project on carbon offset realities for major U.S. corporations. Our Earth Watch guest joining us to delve into a deeper discussion of carbon offset and its impact on climate change is researcher Jutta Kill, whose current research focuses on analyzing the role of carbon markets in the emergence of the Green Economy concept where natural complexity and diversity are transformed into "natural capital" – the re-defined "nature" of the Green Economy. Her recent writings explore how in the process, rules-based environmental legislation and fines for violation of environmental regulation are being replaced with incentive-based regulation and fees that buy the right to destroy or pollute.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we kick off Black History Month hearing the words of James Baldwin and WEB Dubois. Hakeem Jeffries is causing quite a stir in his new leadership position in the Democratic Party, so why are some worried about his positions on foreign policy, in particular controversy on his positions re the Israeli Palestinian conflict? Our guest is Stephen Zunes Professor of politics at the University of San Francisco who will be elaborating on this. And Anna Aurilio with the Federal Campaign Director of Economic Security Project Action joins host Margaret Prescod to discuss the latest on the expanded Child Tax Credit on Federal and State levels providing an update on the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and the movements for a guaranteed income and a basic income.

Today on Sojourner Truth we discuss the wrongful killing of Tyre Nichols, a 29 year old black man who was beaten up and tased by five black police officers and later died in the hospital. According to the family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, an independent autopsy was done by a forensic pathologist, which determined that Nichols died of “excessive bleeding caused by a severe beating.” Police claim to have stopped Nichols for a traffic violation and that he became aggressive and tried to reach for one of the officers' guns, however video footage showed that police lied in their report. Videos of the beating that involved five black officers who at one point laid on top of Nichols all at once, was released Friday January 27th, leading to widespread national protests and putting a national spotlight on Memphis,TN police and the wider conversation around systemic failures and racism in policing. A 6th police officer, Preston Hemphill, who is white, has been let go from the police force as the investigation on the killing of Tyree Nichols continues. Hemphill’s attorney confirmed he was the 3rd officer at the initial stop and the body cam footage was from his body cam. Hemphill’s body camera captures part of the initial confrontation with Nichols. In the video, Hemphill can be seen using a Taser on him. Later, a voice on the body cam that seems to be Hemphill’s says, “I hope they stomp his a--” after Nichols escaped. The sheriff in Shelby County, Tenn., which includes Memphis, said two of his deputies were relieved of duty amid an internal investigation, citing “concerns” after they “appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols.” The Memphis Fire Department has also said it pulled two personnel from duty in response to the case and launched an internal investigation. Days before Tyre Nichols passed three men were killed by the Los Angeles Police Department within 48 hours. Our guests joining us for the hour to unpack the aftermath of the death of Tyre Nichols as well as the recent killing of three men by Los Angeles Police include: Ash-Lee Henderson, the first Black woman to serve as the co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center. Ash-Lee is an active participant in the Movement for Black Lives. Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston, and organizer Mic Crenshaw. Mic Crenshaw is an independent hip hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist and the lead U.S. Organizer for the Afrikan Hip-Hop Caravan who uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod our Friday roundtable is back with our panelists: foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen, Los Angeles school board member Jackie Goldberg and historian Dr. Gerald Horne. Only one month into 2023 and the nation is experiencing an uptick in state and gun violence. We begin with the recent police killing and brutality of a young black man in Memphis Tennessee, and as well as three back to back killings by police of black men in California. We are also facing a series of mass shootings happening in America in the month of January 2023. We then turn our conversation to international affairs: the continued war between Ukraine and Russia. Russia launches over 50 missiles in response to Germany and the U.S. decision to send war tanks to Ukraine to continue militarized action vs Russia in what many experts refer to as the newest US ‘"proxy war." We also discuss the latest Israeli police attacks in Palestine and the ongoing protests in Peru since the replacement of President Pedro Castillo.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod we delve into the nurse protests going on around the country and internationally. Joining us to tell us more about the largest nurse strike in recent NY history at New York City hospitals Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center is Mount Sinai Hospital Emergency Room registered nurse and union delegate Erin Hogan.

Is the CA desert tortoise going to make it to the 22nd Century? The desert tortoise that has been called the closest species to the dinosaur is at serious risk of becoming extinct, joining Sojourner Truth host Margaret Prescod to discuss the factors behind this growing extinction risk and what can be done, is naturalist educator Pat Flanagan. In her current position as Desert Naturalist at The 29 Palms Inn, Oasis of Mara, she educates an international audience on the local history going back 9,000 years and desert ecology.

Today on Sojourner Truth with host Margaret Prescod we delve into the nurse protests going on around the country and internationally. Joining us to tell us more about the largest nurse strike in recent NY history at New York City hospitals Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center is Mount Sinai Hospital Emergency Room registered nurse and union delegate Erin Hogan. And is the CA desert tortoise going to make it to the 22nd Century? The desert tortoise that has been called the closest species to the dinosaur is at serious risk of becoming extinct, joining us to discuss the factors behind this growing extinction risk and what can be done is naturalist educator Pat Flanagan. In her current position as Desert Naturalist at The 29 Palms Inn, Oasis of Mara, she educates an international audience on the local history going back 9,000 years and desert ecology.

As the Biden Administration approaches its halfway mark. We know that Blacks put this Administration in office just off of the South Carolina primary alone. But they expected to see something from the Biden Administration in the areas of: voting rights, reparations, and addressing white supremacist violence, yet very little if anything in these areas has come from the Biden Administration. We are joined by two members of the Movement for Black Lives, Dr. Amara Enyia and Montague Simmons who will share their take on these shortcomings and what the Movement for Black Lives is doing to build the power to get these priorities accomplished, in spite of a conservative House.

On Wednesday January 18th, Atlanta Law enforcement officers shot and killed Atlanta forest defender and activist Manuel Tortuguita Terá. Atlanta Police — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside a proposed $90 million training facility known as “Cop City,” inside Weelaunee Forest, a public forest in Georgia. Kamau Franklin, the founder of Community Movement Builders, a grassroots organization dedicated to creating sustainable Black communities through organizing and cooperative development, joins guest host Nana Gyamfi to discuss the opposition from community members to “Cop City” and what organizers and community members are calling for since this violent raid.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made it clear from press conferences from NYC to Texas and back that he doesn't want any more asylum-seekers coming to the City. New York City has seen 36,400 asylum seekers arrive as of Jan. 4th this year, but keeping asylum seekers out of NY is not a real solution so what can be done? Guest host Nana Gyamfi is joined by Carl Hamad Lipscombe, the Executive Director of Envision Freedom Fund, an organization committed to dismantling and transforming the immigration and criminal legal systems in NYC. We discuss this issue and contextualize past and present immigration reforms that disqualify recent arrivals from Africa and African descent from being able to acquire asylum or fix their immigration status in the U.S.

Today on Sojourner Truth hosted by guest host Nana Gyamfi, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made it clear from press conferences from NYC to Texas and back that he doesn't want any more asylum-seekers coming to the City. New York City has seen 36,400 asylum seekers arrive as of Jan. 4th this year, but keeping asylum seekers out of NY is not a real solution so what can be done? We are joined by Carl Hamad Lipscombe, the Executive Director of Envision Freedom Fund, an organization committed to dismantling and transforming the immigration and criminal legal systems in NYC. We discuss this issue and contextualize past and present immigration reforms that disqualify recent arrivals from Africa and African descent from being able to acquire asylum or fix their immigration status in the U.S. On Wednesday January 18th, Atlanta Law enforcement officers shot and killed Atlanta forest defender and activist Manuel Tortuguita Terá. Atlanta Police — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside a proposed $90 million training facility known as “Cop City,” inside Weelaunee Forest, a public forest in Georgia. Kamau Franklin, the founder of Community Movement Builders, a grassroots organization dedicated to creating sustainable Black communities through organizing and cooperative development, joins us to discuss the opposition from community members to “Cop City” and what organizers and community members are calling for since this violent raid. As the Biden Administration approaches its halfway mark. We know that Blacks put this Administration in office just off of the South Carolina primary alone. But they expected to see something from the Biden Administration in the areas of: voting rights, reparations, and addressing white supremacist violence, yet very little if anything in these areas has come from the Biden Administration. We are joined by two members of the Movement for Black Lives, Dr. Amara Enyia and Montague Simmons who will share their take on these shortcomings and what the Movement for Black Lives is doing to build the power to get these priorities accomplished, in spite of a conservative House.

Today on Sojourner Truth we start with a brief update on the present political and civil crisis in Peru. And time is running out on the public comment period to give feedback on the distribution of genetically engineered (GE) trees in U.S. forests. The USDA has put out a draft impact statement asking permission to deregulate the distribution of a GE American Chestnut Tree, with a draft decision approval that requires little to no monitoring from agencies. We spend the rest of the hour Global Justice Ecology Project executive Director Anne Petermann who has traveled all over the globe speaking to UN delegations and community groups about the social and ecological dangers of GE Trees and industrial tree plantations, including the exacerbation of climate change. We discuss the role of GE trees in preserving forests, who the forces pushing for GE Trees are and the true dangers of what some are calling a massive irreversible experiment for U.S. forests.

Today on Sojourner Truth, activists and co-founders of the Shawnee Forest Defense John Wallace and Karen Frailey join host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss recent developments in their campaign towards making the Shawnee Forest a national park and climate preserve. The Shawnee National Forest is located in Southern Illinois. The Shawnee National Forest encompasses a 289,000 acre area in southern Illinois stretching from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River which contains some of the most ecologically bio-diverse areas in the United States. Three decades ago, in the summer of 1990, activists from Earth First! occupied the Fairview Timber sale site in the Shawnee Forest which is located in Southern Illinois for 79 days — using their bodies to block the logging equipment and using legal strategies to challenge the harvesting of the lumber in court. This historic action has come to be known as the Shawnee Showdown. This relatively small group of activists were successful in stopping commercial logging in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois for 17 years. But in 2013, the Forest Service won a motion to lift the injunction. But logging is back in Shawnee. Currently, thousands of acres at the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois are scheduled for logging operations. Shawnee is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which allows logging on public lands. The fight to save the Shawnee Forest continues today, with the most recent attempt by organizers to transfer the Shawnee National Forest out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s control and into the hands of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with a proposal that would establish Shawnee as a National Park and designate it as the nation’s first climate preserve. The biggest gain from converting the forest into a national park and climate preserve is the elimination of commercial logging efforts and resource extraction.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we are joined by father and son duo David Trujillo and David Edward Reyes who will share details about the play they've directed and produced titled, "Vincent" that has just added a final week of shows due to its popularity. Breaking out of the norm, this play is staged inside Margaret Garcia's art studio. The play is a one man show starring David Edward Reyes on the the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Their depiction of this renowned tortured artist touches on a side of van Gogh rarely discussed, the poverty that Vincent van Gogh endured in addition to his battle with depression and mental health, and the role of his brother Theo as his caretaker.

In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the bald eagle from endangered to threatened in the lower 48 states. Populations continued to recover enough that, in 2007, the bald eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal. This majestic species of birds generally represent strength, pride, and courage. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird was the reason it was selected as a symbol of the strength and freedom of America when European settlers first came across one. For indigenous people the bald eagle represents the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, Native Americans have chosen the eagle and its feathers as a symbol of what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. The bald eagle is indigenous to North America. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. And in Potter Valley, Mendocino CA, a 150 foot pine tree nesting bald eagles for the last 25 years is under threat of being cut down by PG&;E before the nesting season begins and it becomes illegal to cut the tree this week. PG&E contract workers showed up with wood chippers and County Sheriffs intimidating and shoving tree protectors who were lined up protecting the 150-foot tall pine tree harboring the eagles’ nest. PG&E has refused to consider alternatives such as installing automatic shut-off switches on their antiquated lines or putting the lines underground. Eagle supporters have offered to raise the $200,000 estimated cost of removing the hazardous lines instead of the tree, and are continuing to be overlooked, our guest is Pauline Girvin, an elder married into the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, in whose ancestral territory the eagle tree stands. She is an Indian law attorney, a veteran of the 1990s northern California Timber Wars, a youth mentor and nonviolent warrior for the Earth.

Today on Sojourner Truth what is the caretakers survey and how is it impacting the narrative around care-taking around the globe? We hear testimonials from caretakers in Myanmar, Scotland, Canada and the U.S. Our guest is Peggy O' Mara an independent journalist, and the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine for over 30 years. Her work can be found at peggyomara.com. O'Mara joins us to delve into the importance of care-taking and viewing it as a global effort.

Today on Sojourner Truth what is the caretakers survey and how is it impacting the narrative around care-taking around the globe? We hear testimonials from caretakers in Myanmar, Scotland, Canada and the U.S. Our guest is Peggy O' Mara an independent journalist, and the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine for over 30 years. Her work can be found at peggyomara.com. O'Mara joins us to delve into the importance of care-taking and viewing it as a global effort. In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the bald eagle from endangered to threatened in the lower 48 states. Populations continued to recover enough that, in 2007, the bald eagle was officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List. The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal.This majestic species of birds generally represent strength, pride, and courage. The fierce beauty And proud independence of this great bird was the reason it was selected as a symbol of the strength and freedom of America when European settlers first came across one. For indigenous people the bald eagle represents the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, Native Americans have chosen the eagle and its feathers as a symbol of what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. The bald eagle is indigenous to North America. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico.It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. And in Potter Valley, Mendocino CA, a 150 foot pine tree nesting bald eagles for the last 25 years is under threat of being cut down by PG&;E before the nesting season begins and it becomes illegal to cut the tree this week. PG&E contract workers showed up with wood chippers and County Sheriffs intimidating and shoving tree protectors who were lined up protecting the 150-foot tall pine tree harboring the eagles’ nest.PG&E has refused to consider alternatives such as installing automatic shut-off switches on their antiquated lines or putting the lines underground. Eagle supporters have offered to raise the $200,000 estimated cost of removing the hazardous lines instead of the tree, and are continuing to be overlooked, our guest is Pauline Girvin, an elder married into the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, in whose ancestral territory the eagle tree stands. She is an Indian law attorney, a veteran of the 1990s northern California Timber Wars, a youth mentor and nonviolent warrior for the Earth. Finally we are joined by father and son duo David Trujillo and David E Reyes who will share details about the play they've directed and produced titled, "Vincent" that has just added a final week of shows due to its popularity. Breaking out of the norm, this play is staged inside Margaret Garcia's art studio. The play is a one man show on the the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, their depiction of this renowned tortured artist touches on a side of van Gogh rarely discussed, the poverty that Vincent van Gogh endured in addition to his battle with depression and mental health, and the role of his brother Theo as his caretaker.

Today on Sojourner Truth we bring you our King Day special program paying homage to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s radicalism. Dr. Martin Luther King became increasingly vocal about his views against the war the U.S. was waging at the time– the war in Vietnam. He delivered a speech entitled, “Beyond Vietnam: Time to Break the Silence,” exactly one year before his assassination. Dr. Martin Luther King declared: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” He went on to name the U.S. government as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world and preached that nonviolent direct action is our greatest hope and the best tool to bring about change. Over 54 years later, in this powerful speech, Dr. King provides both a diagnosis and a cure that remains fully relevant today. As the U.S. finds itself encroached in yet another war enabling the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. Today, in partnership with the CA High Desert residents and the CA Poor People's Campaign, Sojourner Truth brings you audio from this public reading of “ Beyond Vietnam.” This event was part of 54 public readings— for each year since Dr. King’s assassination— taking place across the state of California. The CA Poor Peoples’ Campaign has picked up Dr. King’s unfinished work, weaving the interlocking injustices—systemic racism, systemic poverty, environmental devastation, militarism and the war economy and a distorted moral narrative of Christian nationalism—into one “moral fusion” campaign. We hope you'll enjoy this live reading of Martin Luther King's speech "Beyond Vietnam" read by the CA high desert residents honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today on Sojourner Truth, our Friday round table discussion featuring governing board member for the LA school district, Jackie Goldberg, foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen, and Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston. Today we discuss the 118th Congress, new Democratic minority Hakeem Jeffries, and his contextualizing of Democrat's policies in alignment with women's reproductive rights and workers rights drawing a clear contrast with the conservative Republican party agenda. And what does Rep. Kevin McCarthy's eventual election as house speaker mean for the greater picture in Congress? We also delve into Israel's most conservative government in history and the U.S. involvement in it. We also discuss the political upheaval in Latin America: Over 50 protestors have died in Peru, where Peru's working class is leading protests to reinstate former President Castillo's government, who they feel was ousted for speaking up vs. government corruption, meanwhile Haiti is facing a set of intersecting catastrophes: famine, cholera, devastating gang violence, fuel shortages and economic collapse, what does this mean in context of the new asylum policies announced by the U.S. capping humanitarian parole visas at 30,000 per month to eligible people from Haiti, as well as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Today on Sojourner Truth, author, organizer and anti-capitalist campaigner, Selma James joins host Margaret Prescod for the hour to discuss the history of her involvement in organizing for fair wages for women, and her continued organizing at 92 years old. In 1972 Selma put forward Wages for Housework (WFH) as a political perspective that redefined the working class to include all who work without wages, starting with women, the primary carers everywhere. The International WFH Campaign she founded (which celebrates its 51st anniversary in 2023) coordinates the Global Women's Strike.

Today on Sojourner Truth with guest host Nana Gyamfi, we discuss the failed insurrection in Brazil with foreign correspondent Laura Carlsen who covered the election, President elect Lulu and Brazil's recent shift of power. There have long been barriers set up by US Administrations that have impeded the ability of asylum-seekers at the border from easily making their asylum claims in the US. And in the second half we are joined by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) Legal Director Tsion Gurmu, to discuss the expansion of the parole program that President Biden recently announced, and review the pathways available in the US to people who are seeking protection from violence in their country.

Today on Sojourner Truth, after only two weeks in power, the most religious and conservative government in the history of Israel is already cultivating divisions at home and rushing towards conflict with the Palestinians and Israel’s allies abroad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters his 16th year in power with an ultra nationalist agenda that includes banning displaying the Palestinian flag and a proposed legal assault on Israel’s Supreme Court that could alter the foundations of Israel’s democracy. We speak to world renown peace activist and director of the New Internationalism Project at The Institute for Policy Studies, Phyllis Bennis on the situation in Israel. Meanwhile the U.S. enters its 118th Congress with changes across party lines. Representative Hakeem Jeffries was elected to succeed longtime Democratic leader as the House Minority leader. A position held by Rep. Nancy Pelosi for over 20 years. Rep. Nancy Pelosi was also the first woman Speaker of the House in U.S. history, who led the Democratic Party, who held the house majority for four presidential terms. Republicans are now the majority in the house and the process of replacing her with Republican CA Senator Kevin McCarthy turned into a week long saga taking over 15 rounds of votes, until he finally received the 20 votes he needed from his party to be elected, having to make several controversial concessions to far right MAGA Republicans that initially voted vs him. We discuss the imminent danger of these concessions, as well as the aftermath of widespread voter suppression during the 2022 midterm, the shift in the house and of course the ardent speech that has since gone viral, delivered by Representative Hakeem Jeffries as he opened the 2023 118th Congressional session, with civil rights legend, President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and attorney, Barbara Arnwine.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we bring you excerpts from “Black Women Bringing It All Back Home,” a webinar discussion series organized by the organization Black Women Radicals. We spend the hour in conversation with organizers for Black Women Radicals honoring host of Sojourner Truth, Margaret Prescod for her work as an activist, discussing her ongoing commitment to covering the West’s incessant destabilization in Haiti, while covering the work being done by organizers on the ground. Black Women Radicals activists cover Margaret’s commitment to independent media, and her history of involvement and activism with Women for Fair Wages and founding the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders to bring attention to the serial murder of Black Women in Los Angeles in the last 40 years.

Since the early 1980s, at least 200 Black women and girls were victims of serial murders or mysteriously disappeared in South Los Angeles. Many were victims of the multiple serial killers (including the notorious “Grim Sleeper” who preyed on vulnerable and impoverished Black women, including sex workers, homeless women, and those with addiction issues. You may be familiar with the Grim Sleeper documented by Director Nick Broomfield in the HBO film, “Tales of the Grim Sleeper.” However, most media outlets paid little or no attention to these murders, taking their cue from the police which shockingly and horrendously labeled the victims No Human Involved (NHI). Most city and county officials made little attempt to raise the alarm. All of this resulted in more women continuing to die. This compelled Sojourner Truth host Margaret Prescod and a cohort of people to found the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders to continue to raise awareness in Los Angeles, among its residents, the Los Angeles Police Department, and other government agencies on the continued devaluation of our lives, particularly but not only by law enforcement.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we bring you excerpts from “Hookers in the House of the Lord,” a webinar discussion series organized by the US Prostitutes Collective, Global Womens’ Strike, Women of Color Global Women’s Strike and In Defense of Prostitute Womens’ Safety Project in coalition with St. Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco, where the event was held live in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the 1982 English Collective of sex workers, occupation of the church of holy cross in England. We spend the hour with speakers including: Pastor Bea Chun with the St Francis Lutheran Church who opens the discussion with a historical account of the church as a place of sanctuary for street workers throughout time, Rachel West, of the US PROStitutes Collective, who will be filling us in on the latest statutes in San Francisco resulting in targeted police crackdowns on prostitutes that result in further endangering street workers forced out into industrial areas where they are prone to fall victim to theft, rape or assault. You will also hear from Jane Welford, with the Global Women’s Strike who will discuss the mother-led campaigns to address the growing number of mothers going into sex work to feed their families, and Nell Myhand from Women of Color Global Women’s Strike, who will be discussing present laws in California negatively impacting Black & Brown prostitutes at a disproportionate rate.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from the Alliance for Global Justice Eco Solidarity series titled: “Climate change disasters in the Caribbean and around the world,”moderated by Aminta Zea and James Jordan. Panelist speakers include: Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Banbose Shango of the National Network on Cuba, Camille Landry, co-director of AFGJ's Human Rights School, as well as a highlights interview with Peruvian Journalist Lucho Garate and an interview with Jayeesha Dutta of the Climate Justice Alliance. In 2022 alone, climate related disasters took place in Vietnam, Pakistan, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Florida, Japan, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Alaska. A series of heavy rains, hurricanes, typhoons, and floods that have hit these areas have all been attributed to climate change. These global warming catastrophes began even as leaders from across the world gathered for the annual Cop 27 conference. Today you will hear a bit more on these climate change disasters including the privatization of private utilities in Puerto Rico. Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party will explain why Puerto Ricans are calling for the immediate reinstatement of the PREPA public utility company, and its union, which was busted as a result of this privatization.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we share excerpts from a recent Positive Money webinar entitled, "Tackling Fossilflation: A Toolkit for Price Stability and a Just Transition, that explores the historically high inflation taking place in the U.S. and its direct ties to the war in Ukraine, powered by fossil fuels. Speakers will discuss inflation in food and goods and its ties to jobs and wages. Presenting sustainable solutions that take into account the present and future state of climate change and what it would take to transition to renewable energy sources in the U.S.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we bring you voices from a virtual press conference on the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal and the recent amicus brief in the Abu-Jamal Case filed by the UN Working Group on people of African descent. The International Body Observes that Racial Bias has tainted the judicial process up to now citing new evidence of innocence and misconduct by Judges and Prosecutors. Mumia Abu-Jamal’s lawyers say evidence in boxes discovered in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office by the new DA at the time, Larry Krasner in 2019 that show his trial was tainted by judicial bias and police and prosecutorial misconduct, including: withholding of evidence, and bribing or coercing witnesses to lie. As of the airing of this show, the plea for a new trial in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal went before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Lucretia Clemons on Friday December 16th. Judge Clemons asked the commonwealth if they could confirm that there is no new evidence in the 32 boxes that relate to Brady and Bateson claims. The commonwealth did not confirm. So now Mumia’s lawyers will be making arrangements to see those boxes and Judge Clemens said she would issue her ruling in 60-90 days. The press conference held on December 13th included: Moderator Associate Professor Johanna Fernandez who has researched Mumia’s case at length and is executive producer of the film Justice on Trial: the Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Ms. Fernandez is presently Associate Professor of History at Baruch College, CUNY; the Honorable Wendell Griffen, state court trial judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Arkansas, Dr. Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, New Delhi, and São Paulo; Julia Wright, founder of the Mumia Abu-Jamal Health Committee and Board of the Richard Wright Civil Rights Center in Elaine, AR., Linn Washington, Jr.-- a Philadelphia-based investigative reporter who has covered the Mumia Abu-Jamal matter since Abu-Jamal’s arrest on the morning of Dec. 9, 1981, as well as Mumia’s grandson Jamal Jr.

Today on Sojourner Truth in partnership with the Global Justice Ecology Project our Earth Watch guest is Anne Petermann, Executive Director of the Global Justice Ecology Project and international coordinator of the campaign STOP GE Trees. Researchers at the State University of NY College of Enviornmental Science and Forestry are developing genetically engineered (GE)American Chestnut trees that are blight resistant, and hope to win government approval for its unregulated release in the environment. GE trees are being lauded as the biotech solution for forest conservation, however the reality is that should GE trees be approved they would be mass produced and used for commercial production of timber, pulp and bio-fuels, instead of forest conservation. The GE American Chestnut could be the first GE forest tree species planted specifically to spread freely through forests, and the dangers of this could be catastrophic to existing forest ecosystems. Not only does the US regulatory system have no specific regulations to deal with the release of GE trees into forests, but the highly experimental introduction of GE trees could create new problems and worsen existing pressures on forest ecosystems, already strained from unsustainable logging practices, invasive species, introduced pests and pathogens and the surmounting impacts of climate change. Anne Petermann has played a key role in the global effort to stop the release of genetically engineered trees into the environment in the last 22 years. In 2008 she led a campaign demanding a global ban on GE trees that won an historic decision on GE trees from the UN Convention on Biological Diversity warning countries of the dangers of GE trees and urging them to use a precautionary approach.

Today on Sojourner Truth we bring you our weekly Earth Minute in partnership with the Global Justice Ecology Project. This week's topic the international organization Bio Fuel Watch released a new report titled: Carbon Capture from Bio Mass and Waste Incineration Hype vs Reality. The report analyses the climate change mitigation strategy known as bio energy with carbon capture and storage (BECC) and its conclusions may surprise you.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we discuss the very real possibility of incorporating genetically engineered American Chestnut trees into wild forests, and the corporate and special interests pushing this forward as a false solution to address forest conservation with our guest, Executive Director of the Global Justice Ecology Project, Anne Peterman. We will also feature our Global Justice Ecology Project Earth Minute segment. We conclude the program with our guest, journalist Tina Gerhardt who covered the recent Cop 27 UN conference for The Nation magazine. We will discuss the public comment by the Tuvalu representative in response to the loss and damage funds agreement and its impact on countries in the global south.

Today on Sojourner Truth with guest host Nana Gyamfi, Professor Christopher Gaffney joins us at the top of the hour to talk about the injustices masked behind the mega sports event being hosted by Qatar, the World Cup. From unsafe working conditions to displacement, what is the environmental and economic impact that mainstream media is obscuring? Dr. Amara Enyia joins us in the second half of the program to discuss the forthcoming UN Permanent Forum on Peoples of African Descent and her role spearheading the permanence of this forum to help continue the legacy of efforts by the Global Black Diaspora to address global anti-Black racism and its vestiges to the world body. Finally we conclude with the recent announcement by a federal district Court in Washington DC that ordered the Biden administration to end its use of Title 42, an archaic health policy weaponized by President Trump, to prevent asylum-seekers from entering the United States. Over a million migrants have been expelled at the border without an asylum hearing under the policy. The Biden administration set a record, expelling over 26K Haitians in just the past year alone. Joining us to talk about the impact of Title 42 and what we might expect next is Ronald Claude, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).

Today on Sojourner Truth civil rights icon attorney Barbara Arnwine joins Margaret Prescod at the top of the hour to share the work she and along with a coalition of organizers and organizations continue to do on the ground to ensure voters in Georgia are able to cast their vote despite the hurdles that have been put in place to deter voters, in attempts by the GOP to suppress the Black vote during one of the most contentious races in the nation. And Sara Hussein, a PhD graduate student worker in the history department at UCLA joins us for the second half of the program to discuss the nation's largest strike of higher education workers in the University of California system.

Today on Sojourner Truth we discuss the UN Climate Summit held in Egypt, or Cop 27, that culminated Sunday November 20th after two weeks of arduous negotiations. This victory is a direct result of mounting pressure from global civil society organizations present in Sharm el-Sheikh and in cities and capitals around the world, combined with strong leadership, 30 years in the making. A breakthrough deal is the establishment of a loss and damages fund to help poorest countries most impacted by climate change. Rich countries are agreeing to contribute to this fund but what will this actually look like? It will likely still be several years before the fund exists. Major lingering questions include: who would oversee the fund, how the money would be dispersed – and to whom. Many countries said they felt pressured to give up on tougher commitments for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in order for the landmark deal on the loss and damage fund to go through. And the richest countries largely contributing to fossil fuel pollution, made no real commitments to curb their use, in fact the loss and damage funds deal also included a reference to "low-emissions energy," raising concern among some that it opened the door to the growing use of natural gas - a fossil fuel that leads to both carbon dioxide and methane emissions. Joining us to discuss and contextualize the gains and concessions that took place at Cop 27 are, Shereen Talaat is Co-director and one of the founders of The Arab Watch Regional Coalition for Just Development that covering issues in the Middle East and North Africa, Tina Gerhardt, journalist and Cop 27 correspondent covering the UN conference for The Nation magazine and Luiz Vieira coordinator for the Bretton Woods Project. The Bretton Woods Project is a civil society watchdog of the IMF and World Bank, advocating for a multilateral system that is democratic, inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsive to people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.

Today on Sojourner Truth our Friday Panel guests: historian Dr. Gerald Horne, journalist Laura Carlsen and LAUSD school board member Jackie Goldberg join us for the hour to discuss the G20 conference that just wrapped up and the role of the participating countries in the world contrasted with the Cop 27 conference on climate change where the wealthiest countries in the world made no real resolutions to address the climate crisis. We also discuss the midterm election winners and the impact these bicameral victories could have on the future of the House and Senate.

Today on Sojourner Truth we bring you our weekly Earth Minute in partnership with the Global Justice Ecology Project: You'll hear from Nnimmo Bassey, an award winning, storied environmentalist and Global Justice Ecology Project Board Member on his take on the United Nations Cop 27 conference.