Black Agenda Radio – 11.16.15

Welcome, to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. 

 – A bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats is backing a bill that would shorten some mandatory minimum prison sentences. The Sentencing Project, a Washington-based prison reform organization, held a teleconference. Glen Ford attended the teleconference. He challenged the idea that President Obama has been an ally of prison reform. That was the voice of political consultant Bob Craemer answering.

- Sentencing Project executive director Marc Mauer said much more needs to be done to re-integrate former prison inmates back into society.

- Also in Washington, the Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations gathered at Howard University for a national conference under the theme “Black Power Matters.” Black Is Back Coalition chairman Omali Yeshitela said Russia did the right thing by helping Syria defend itself from U.S.-backed jihadists.

- Black Agenda Report senior columnist Margaret Kimberley also addressed the Black Is Back conference. Kimberley says Black people need to build a political movement with a global perspective.

- BAR executive editor Glen Ford is a founding member of the Black Is Back Coalition. He talked about the critical importance of making demands of Power – like Coalition’s demand for Black Community Control of the Police

- Herdosia Benton is straight-outa-Ferguson, Missouri, and a key organizer in the Uhuru Movement, part of the Black Is Back Coalition.

- Bruce Dixon, the Managing Editor of Black Agenda Report, is glad to see that there’s a whole new crop of Black activists out there. The problem is, many of them can’t seem to figure out how to formulate demands, of power.