Sojourner Truth Radio

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 occ

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 loggi

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 bo

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

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 wi

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,

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

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 D

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 the

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 th

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 a

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 regu

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.