Last week, Black male leadership gathered on Capitol Hill to protest the largest attack on voting rights since the civil war and reconstruction. An epic lineup delivers inspiration and hard truths about what’s at stake as we look to the next midterm and presidential elections. We close out the event with words from our very own Mark Thompson. After the speakers concluded, Mark and the other demonstrators were arrested for standing up for the right to vote. Speakers: Ty Hobson Powell, Community A...
Jul 29, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 370
Last week, Black male leadership gathered on Capitol Hill to protest the largest attack on voting rights since the civil war and reconstruction. An epic lineup delivers inspiration and hard truths about what’s at stake as we look to the next midterm and presidential elections. Speakers: Francys Johnson; Hollis Lewis, Co-Chair of West Virginia Black Caucus; Rep. Troy Carter, LA-02; Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change; Cornell William Brooks, Harvard Kennedy School; Rep. Hank Johnson, GA...
Jul 28, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 369
Last week, Black male leadership gathered on Capitol Hill to protest the largest attack on voting rights since the civil war and reconstruction. An epic lineup delivers inspiration and hard truths about what’s at stake as we look to the next midterm and presidential elections. Speakers: Cliff Albright, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter; Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, MO-5; Wes Bellamy, National Co-Chair of Our Black Party; Rep. Ron Reynolds, TX-27; Rep. Jarvis Johnson, TX-139; Rep. Al Green, TX-9; Rep. J...
Jul 27, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 368
Grant Stern is the Executive Editor of Occupy Democrats as well as host of the Only In Miami Show on Jolt Radio. He breaks down what’s happening in Cuba where the economic crisis, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in massive electricity outages and food and medicine shortages--and now, people are protesting the communist regime. Grant also gives us the inside scoop on Floridian politics, including why he thinks Rep. Val Demings can win the senate seat she’s running for, and what he t...
Jul 26, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 367
This is a summer rerun episode! Mark returns next week, and until then, we're taking a look back at some of the year's best episodes. What would it look like to engage in nonviolent direct action consistently, through strategic organizing? That’s what Kai Newkirk (Founder of For All www.forallorg.us) and Rev. Stephen Green (Pastor, Scholar, and Activist) explain in today’s episode, as they discuss the piece they co-authored, “Why Kingian democratic socialism is the best path forward for the prog...
Jul 23, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 365
This is a summer rerun episode! Mark returns next week, and until then, we're taking a look back at some of the year's best episodes. In today's throwback, Rev. Dr. Willian J. Barber II of the Poor People’s Campaign joined Mark in Selma to draw the startling connection between poverty and voting rights. Rev. Barber reminds us of the racist Southern Strategy from the 1960s and how it played out with not just Trump’s win, but continues to appear in the GOP’s ongoing efforts to suppress the vote of...
Jul 22, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 364
This is a summer rerun episode! Mark returns next week, and until then, we're taking a look back at some of last year's best episodes. We start with a tribute to the inimitable John Lewis, who passed one year ago on July 17th. 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...
Jul 21, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 364
This is the third and final part of The Poor People Campaign's “Season of Nonviolent Direct Action,” which calls on congress to end the filibuster, pass all provisions of the For the People Act, restore and expand the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour. In this series finale, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor Peopls’ Campaign, moderates this session that gives specific instructions on how to move forward, organize, and accomplish the goal...
Jul 20, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 363
This is part two of The Poor People Campaign's “Season of Nonviolent Direct Action,” which calls on congress to end the filibuster, pass all provisions of the For the People Act, restore and expand the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour. Head back to Friday, July 16th for part one of this inspiring event. Speakers: Rev. Leonina Arismendi, Iglesia Del Pueblo; Attorney Barbara Arnwine, Transformative Justice Coalition; Ezra Levin, Indivisible; Rev. Ji...
Jul 19, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 362
Earlier this week, Bishop William Barber and The Poor People’s Campaign held an event in Washington D.C. to launch a season of nonviolent direct action, supported by a coordinated effort of clergy and moral leaders and organizations, including SEIU, the Sunrise Movement and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. In today’s episode, we listen in on the first portion of that event, with inspiring words and harsh realities from some of the most powerful voices in the movement. National Moral Monday rallys wil...
Jul 16, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 361
Dr. Amara Enyia is a strategist, social Innovation and social Impact professional, and public policy expert on city and state policy as well as international affairs/foreign policy with expertise in Central Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. But today, she comes to us as a representative for the Movement for Black Lives, and helps us understand the difference between the BREATHE Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. What she and Mark explore is that there is no justice ...
Jul 15, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 360
You know Brittany Temple as the Producer behind the scenes of Make It Plain, but she’s also a writer and publisher of a bi-weekly newsletter, Write All Along. Her most recent issue was inspired by Bill Cosby’s release from jail--she wasn’t surprised it happened, and felt frustrated with the continued fixation on big headline stories, when sexual assault is happening in our communities every day. She chose to share her story in hopes of contributing to the collective strength of survivors who are...
Jul 14, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 359
Eric Boehlert, Publisher of Pressrun.media, is back for our monthly dissection of political press coverage, and as usual, things are a sexist mess. Politico is on a mission to push VP Harris’ office as chaotic and inaccessible; whether or not that’s true, Eric can’t find any evidence of male politician’s offices being examined in the same way--and certainly not Pence or any VP before her. Eric also unravels the story surrounding award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and the anti-Clinton d...
Jul 13, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 358
It’s time for our monthly analysis of the most recent job report with Chad Stone, Chief Economist at the Center on Budget and Policy and Priorities. Chad helps us understand the numbers in the report, as well as what makes the unemployment rate misleading. Chad explains why we are in desperate need of unemployment insurance reform, as Republican Governors across the country prematurely end the fully federally funded unemployment insurance benefits, which are scheduled to run until September.June...
Jul 12, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 357
Depending on where you live in America, it might be hard for you to imagine that some people in this country are without access to high-speed or broadband internet (or in some cases, they can’t afford to buy access). That’s why HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge thinks these guarantees are necessary components of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, which invests $65 billion dollars in expanding broadband access to all Americans, reduce the prices of high-speed internet, and complete overdue expansi...
Jul 09, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 356
On the heels of Mark’s conversation with Prism’s Editor-in-Chief Ashton Lattimore, we now bring in Reporter and Copy Editor Carolyn Copeland, who recently spearheaded a series on racial reckonings. In the last year, following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, many statements were made by organizations and individuals that showed support for Black Lives Matter and related causes that seek to end racism in America. But as Carolyn points out, there is statement versus ...
Jul 08, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 355
Ashton Lattimore is the Editor-in-Chief at PrismReports.org, a non-profit independent news outlet by and for communities of color. They focus on cutting through disinformation surrounding social justice issues with the hope of empowering readers to solve problems within their communities. In today’s episode, Ashton discusses her piece on the Juneteenth holiday, explaining how the symbolism of the holiday does not mean actual progress has been made for Black Americans. And Republicans continue to...
Jul 07, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 354
Throughout the course of the pandemic, there was a collective cheering for essential workers, but those workers never truly felt essential. April Verrett is the President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 2015, and in today’s episode, she explains how we’ve heavily relied on workers in the service industry but have not given much in return. Some worked without PPE during the height of coronavirus, had no time off from work, and some were without health insurance. April was h...
Jul 06, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 353
In observance of the 4th of July, and in honor of Frederick Douglass, Mark Thompson brings you a Make It Plain special segment: The 4th of Their Lie. In today’s episode, Mark passionately recites the beginning of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech, “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” And on this holiday, we especially honor the slaves who did not know of their freedom until June 19th, 1865. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additi...
Jul 05, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 352
Right now there’s a tense race for the NYC Democratic mayoral primary, with new information seemingly hitting us every hour and still an unclear victor. Joseph Geevarghese is the Executive Director for Our Revolution, the largest national grassroots funded progressive political organization in the country, and he joins today to explain ranked-choice voting, how it preserves the democratic process, and why the organization chose to back candidate Maya Wiley. He also discusses Nina Turner’s run fo...
Jul 02, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 351
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is of growing concern to the medical community and the country-at-large, as the number of those infected are spiking, mostly in areas where vaccination numbers are low. Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the U.S., joins the show to dispel some myths surrounding the vaccine as well as an update on the potential need for boosters and how long our current vaccines’ protection is lasting. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Ent...
Jul 01, 2021•9 min•Season 1Ep. 350
Arena’s mission is to convene, train, and support the next generation of candidates and campaign staff. The organization rose up after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, in an effort to put their frustration to good use, and they’ve now trained 5,500 people since the beginning of 2019. Lauren Baer is a Managing Partner with Arena, and today she explains how getting involved in local races is a game-changer, as the effects inevitably ripple out into national politics. And as a former Obama adminis...
Jun 30, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 349
During the final stretch of the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride, Mark checks in with LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright, Co-Founders of Black Voters Matter. The co-founders look back on their historic journey to do the hard work on the ground to fight voter suppression through strategic organization and awareness. They also look ahead, knowing the work is far from done but the network is expanding and there’s democracy to defend this summer. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Te...
Jun 29, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 348
New movie “In the Heights” was initially considered an important step for more Latino representation in movies, but a controversy has risen regarding colorism and the film’s cast. The movie takes place in a New York neighborhood, Washington Heights, which is predominantly Afro-Dominican. But, as our guests explain today, the cast does not include dark-skinned Latinos. Yvette Modestin is a writer, poet and activist who focuses on shedding light on the Afro-descendant experience in Latin America, ...
Jun 28, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 347
It’s the last leg of the Freedom Ride on the Black Voters Matter bus, and in today’s episode, we hear from constituents and politicians from North and South Carolina. Are they happy with their leaders? How have their local industries been impacted? The people have hit the streets to spill the tea while standing up for voting rights. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com Advertising Inquiries: https://red...
Jun 25, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 345
As the journey continues on the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride, Mark talks to one of the original Freedom Riders, Dr. Mary Jean Smith. She shares the story of her early days of activism, joining up with John Lewis from Nashville, which led to her eventual arrest. These courageous humans risked their lives on a daily basis in the name of racial justice, and we must do our part to preserve their names and fortitude in history. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distribut...
Jun 24, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 345
What would this country look like without racism? That's what LaTosha Brown wants you to envision today, as we hear from her and Cliff Albright, Co-Founders of Black Voters Matter, speaking to a crowd in Georgia about voting rights and fighting against racism, oppression, and suppression. Mark is participating in the Freedom Ride with Black Voters Matter, and he also lets us know where the bus is headed so you can join in on the events if they're hitting your city. Executive Producer: Adell Cole...
Jun 23, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 344
Mark is on the road with Black Voters Matter, as they recreate the historic 1961 Freedom Rides and to fight for voting rights and against voter suppression. In today’s travels, Mark talks with Tennessee State Senator Brenda Gilmore on what they are doing in the state to protect voting rights, including restoring that right for convicted felons. But before we hear from Mark on the bus, we first get word from the CDC’s Director of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Dr. Henry Walke. He fills us ...
Jun 22, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 343
It took 2 years and six months for slaves to learn of their freedom--because what we know all too well in this moment, is that passing legislation is often more symbolic than it is transformative. As Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday, we must be reminded that actual justice does not come with the signing of a bill, it comes with persistent and strategic action by the people. In today’s episode, we get a world-class history lesson from Majority Whip James Clyburn, a former history...
Jun 21, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 342
21 House Republicans voted against awarding Congressional Gold Medal to all police officers who responded at the Capitol on January 6th, and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett knows they did that because it would force them to admit there was an insurrection. Since they’re still denying that truth, Rep. Plaskett explains how things have changed on the hill between colleagues. She also discusses her legislation, H.R. 3434, which provides equity to people living in the territories, specifically seeking...
Jun 18, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 341
