Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, says the phenomenon of today in Black America is the working poor: great jobs, prestigious degrees, but salaries that haven't kept up with inflation and therefore keeps Black people earning an average of $30,000 dollars less than white families per year. And that's just one piece of the pie, as we're facing a health crisis that is spurring on an economic crisis, and simultaneously is the racial justice crisis. Ahead of this Saturday's March on...
Aug 26, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 131
DeAndra Dycus' son was just 13 years old and attending a birthday party when he was shot in the back of the head, which took away his ability to walk and speak. After she got her son home from the hospital, DeAndra was mobilized and sprung into action, linking up with Everytown Survivor Network and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to share her story and the word on gun safety. In today's episode she tells her tale of tragedy-turned-to-activism, and what might be in the cards for her i...
Aug 25, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 130
There's a lot of criticism and theories on millennials -- entitled, wasteful, lazy...but Jill Filipovic is subverting these assumptions in her new book "Ok Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind." The millennial generation is living on the edge of poverty not because of avocado toast, but because of a country with a faulty structure of poor policies, created largely by the Baby Boomer generation -- and millennials are taking the hit for it. But as Jill discusses in today's episode...
Aug 24, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 129
At the top of the show Mark talks to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner who breaks down Steve Bannon's arrest (which was handled by the Postal Inspection Service, also known as the Post Office Police...as Mark calls it, "poetic justice"). We then get to hear from two of the keynote DNC speakers: first is Tennessee State Senator Raumesh Akbari on Marquida Bradshaw making history as the first black woman to be the nominee for a major party in a statewide race in Tennessee, followed by ...
Aug 21, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 128
"When I think about Black women, we're not allowed to stumble," says Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. But she also recognizes the strength it takes to be Black in America, and she sees that in Senator Kamala Harris, making her that much more hopeful for a Biden/Harris victory in November. She joins the show to discuss the Democratic Convention, for which she is acting as a surrogate for the Biden/Harris campaign, and also shares some interesting in information on the RNC, happening in her city next wee...
Aug 20, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Listen to Black women, win with Black women -- that's our strategy for the 2020 election. Each week we'll hear from powerful Black women on their strategies, concerns, and plans of action leading up to November, because we don't just want the presidency, we want the whole dang hill. We're kicking this series off with a killer lineup, featuring Jotaka Eaddy, Convener of the #WinWithBlackWomen Movement, Founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, Mamee Groves, Hospitality Professional for the large...
Aug 19, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 126
It's Democratic National Convention week and today's episode features two distinguished Black female congressional leaders who are currently serving as surrogates for the Biden/Harris campaign. First you'll hear from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who thinks that, in light of Senator Kamala Harris' appointment as Biden's running mate, this is an important moment to understand the history of Black women in the United States. We also hear from Congresswoman Terri Sewell who pulls no punches whe...
Aug 18, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Until recently, Igor Volsky, Executive Director of Guns Down America, considered himself an expert on the level of corruption happening inside the NRA; but when he read the details of New York Attorney General Tish James' lawsuit against the organization, he admits to being completely floored -- he had no idea it ran this deep. In today's episode you'll hear all the ways that Wayne LaPierre got reimbursed with NRA funds, also known as the money made off members, for all sorts of egregious behavi...
Aug 14, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Today's episode features a panel of three powerful Black women discussing Senator Kamala Harris' appointment as Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 election. Guests include Errin Haines, Founder and Editor of The 19th News, Reecie Colbert, Founder of BlackWomenViews Media, and Sharon Pratt, Former Mayor of Washington D.C.. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...
Aug 13, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Congresswoman Maxine Waters predicted Senator Kamala Harris would be Joe Biden's pick for Vice President, and now she's celebrating that nomination in today's episode. She looks ahead to the Biden/Harris 2020 campaign and how Senator Harris might handle the inevitable criticisms ahead. On the subject of Trump, the congresswoman directly confronts his most recent dangerous behavior, including his embrace of Russia and Putin, his erratic Tweeting, and his use of military force against protestors i...
Aug 12, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 121
The jobs report is more complicated than just how many jobs were added. That's an important piece of the conversation, says Chad Stone, Chief Economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, but considerations must be made well beyond that marker. Gaining 1.8 million jobs in July is definitely a good thing--but we're still in a MASSIVE deficit (to the tune of 12.9 million jobs) since February. And it should come as no surprise that ALL of this has been harder on the Black community. Mark...
Aug 11, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Jaime Harrison knows South Carolinians concerns, because he grew up with similar ones. In his bid for Lindsey Graham's senate seat, he's been connecting with voters on the issues that matter most to them: access to quality healthcare (especially in rural areas), small businesses burning out and job losses from coronavirus, and food insecurity that was prevalent even before the pandemic hit. In today's episode, he not only addresses how he plans to take on the state's biggest challenges, but he a...
Aug 10, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 119
The word "fascism" gets thrown around a lot these days -- but do we know exactly what we're saying? Dr. Jason Stanely, professor and author of the book "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them," has studied the patterns of behavior throughout history, including the likes of Hitler, Putin, and now Trump. He breaks the ideology down into 10 pillars that make it easy to recognize and identify, and now especially in the midst of a pandemic, we can see how it is coming to life here at home. Ma...
Aug 07, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Mark Sumner, author and writer at DailyKos, has been writing about coronavirus since December of 2019, before the U.S. had even counted its first case. He's written more than 100 stories on the virus, and he remembers the day of March 13th when Donald Trump, flanked by multiple big-box CEOs, promised extensive testing and tracking across the country. But as we know now, that didn't happen -- not even close. So, now we must ask: did Trump commit criminal negligence or genocide through malice? Mar...
Aug 06, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Confederate Cindy is not just another clever Internet meme -- it's the nickname for Mike Espy's opponent; you might remember her for saying she'd attend a public hanging if invited. Mike Espy, the former Secretary of Agriculture and Representative of Mississippi's 2nd District, is now the Democratic nominee to take the Senate seat away from the Trump sycophant who considers the Confederacy to be the "best part of Mississippi's history." But in addition to opposing Cindy Hyde-Smith's blatant raci...
Aug 05, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 116
The mission of the Black Voters Matter Fund (BVMF) is to increase power in communities, and they know that starts with voters. Co-Founders LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright join Mark today to discuss mobilizing and organizing for 2020, what the priorities and targets are, and what we're up against in the more challenging southern races like Amy McGrath in Kentucky, Lucy McBath in Florida, Mike Espy in Mississippi, and Senator Doug Jones in Alabama. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brit...
Aug 04, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Nabilah Islam ran for the Democratic nomination in Georgia’s 7th District and earned the endorsement of AOC’s Courage to Change PAC, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and Congressman Ro Khanna, to name a few. Despite her strong backing, she didn’t win her primary, but that did not stop her quest for justice. She’s just launched her own PAC called The Progressive List to ensure future candidates don’t fall to the same fate she did, and she’s on today's episode to tell us about it. Executive Producer: Ade...
Aug 03, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 114
With vivid details, Bernard Lafayette shares three of the seminal moments of the Civil Rights Movement he shared with John Lewis. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy...
Jul 31, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 113
The Trump campaign and the RNC once had a massive fundraising advantage over Biden and the DNC--that was just three months ago. But now, that advantage is no more. Not only did BIden's fundraising close the gap, but the Trump campaign made some specific mistakes to boost his own efforts, but have now left Republican House members without a penny (and some, without a fighting chance to win re-election). Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, joins the show to break down some of those f...
Jul 30, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Majority Whip Clyburn met Congressman John Lewis back when they were just John and Jim, marking the beginning of 60 years of friendship and activism that eventually propelled them both to Capitol Hill. Whip Clyburn recalls the day they met in 1960, not surprisingly brought together while organizing for action, as well as "one of the most memorable weekends" of his entire life that happened with John at his side. Hear their stories and Clyburn's dedication of this election year to John in today's...
Jul 29, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Teachers, parents, and kids all have the DESIRE to go back to school, but only one thing matters: is it SAFE? Randi Weingarten is the President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and her team has been working on a slew of back-to-school scenarios since April, and they have identified the three key things that need to happen BEFORE we can consider putting students, teachers, and administrators at risk. She outlines these important items and also gives us an update on what the Trump admi...
Jul 28, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 111
There are 99 days until Election Day, and as Mark states plainly, "this is it." The Democratic Party is set to assemble virtually to officially nominate Joe Biden, and Chairman Tom Perez joins Mark to discuss strategy and what the convention will look like in this unprecedented format. As for the election itself, the Chairman says there is "no overconfidence" on the democratic side, as he thinks we took too much for granted in 2016 and does not want to see a repeat. He also touches on our chance...
Jul 27, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Dr. Brittney Cooper is an Associate Professor of Women, Gender, and Africana studies at Rutgers University, as well as the author of two books, "Beyond Respectability" and "Eloquent Rage." She's recently brought attention to the term "necropolitics," but it's more than just a buzzword, and that's what she's on the show to discuss today. Did you know that one in every 1,450 Black people have died from COVID-19? Not just the ones that contracted COVID-19, but out of ALL Black people living in the ...
Jul 24, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 109
If you've listened to #ThursdayKos before then you know that Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, was once gung-ho for Elizabeth Warren getting on the Biden ticket. But now he's changed his mind, and there's a strategic reason for it. So, who should the VP pick be? He discusses that, the strategy behind it, and why the tactic that pushed Trump to success throughout his entire life is absolutely failing him now. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor:...
Jul 23, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Eugene Jarecki is an award-winning director and filmmaker and he is also the creator of the Trump Death Clock. What's the Trump Death Clock, you ask? It's a real-time tally of the cost of human lives to coronavirus, aimed directly at Trump and his administration's reckless handling of the pandemic. Eugene believes that the American people need to demand more responsible leadership and this traveling clock draws direct attention to the consequences of Trump's inaction. In today's episode Eugene e...
Jul 22, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 107
The Rev. Robert R.A. Turner describes being attacked by anti mask protesters last Wednesday during his weekly Repentance & Reparations Rally at Tulsa City Hall. The Pastor of Historic Vernon Chapel AME Church explains why he is demanding reparations for the Greenwood Massacre--the 1921 bombing of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Editor: Andrew Marshello Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com See acast.com/p...
Jul 21, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 106
At the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee in 2006, Rev. Mark mic'd John Lewis, so he could describe what happened every step of the way on Bloody Sunday. From Brown Chapel, where the March 7, 1965 march began to the other side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, here is raw audio of John Lewis describing the 1965 March during the 2006 March. You will hear the voices of Martin Luther King, III and the SNCC Freedom Singers. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Editor: Ryan Woodha...
Jul 20, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Leshia Townsend, McDonald's worker AND agitator for a union at McD's, describes the company's war on its own workers and joins Allyn Umel of fightfor15.org to make the case for the Monday, July 20 Strike For Black Lives. j20strikeforblacklives.org Charisma Troiano of democracyforward.org reacts to Pompeo's July 16 speech, and updates on several lawsuits that have Trump hemmed up. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: ma...
Jul 17, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Rev. Jackson recounts the experience of his first act of civil disobedience as a part of the Greenville Eight at the Greenville, SC whites-only public library on July 16, 1960. Daily Kos Founder Markos Moulitstas talks Trump's dwindling numbers, Biden's ad buy in Texas, Sen. Doug Jones chances after Tuesday's primary and he urges Sen. Lisa Murkowski to leave the GOP. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Associate Producer: Ryan Woodhall Distributor: DCP Entertainment For a...
Jul 16, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 103
What kind of power does your boss have over you? What does it mean, in this pandemic world, to think about the conditions under which we work? Are we even conscious of these conditions? This is what Mark explores today with Professor of Sociology and Author Erin Hatton. While researching her book, “Coerced: Work Under the Threat of Punishment,” Dr. Hatton interviewed four groups of people: prisoners, student athletes, welfare recipients, and graduate students. These groups are extremely differen...
Jul 15, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 102
