Everything's Political: Recent Episodes
Junius Williams
Everything’s Political with Junius Williams examines the politics we don't see that shape our lives. Through conversations about social justice issues, Junius and his guests help the listener connect the dots to reveal the true American experience, as it plays out in the community, or in our living room. Junius Williams is a civil rights organizer, lawyer, community leader, musician, and author of the book Unfinished Agenda: Urban Politics in the Era of Black Power. Join us for a conversation about the hidden side of politics.
What can we do with a little money to make a big difference in the community — particularly with regards to food? In Episode 2, "Food for Thought," Junius and Francesca sit down with Tobias Fox, Founder & Managing Director of Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc., and Pamela Gonzalez, a Puerto Rico-based attorney, board-certified massage therapist and community activist to discuss food sovereignty and empowering communities in a period of scarcity. What can Black, Brown and vulnerable communities do to adjust to a growing period of food scarcity? How can these communities get the money to pay for the development and maintenance of self-developed farms and gardens in inner cities and rural areas?
Now that marijauna is legal in New Jersey, who gets to profit from weed – which was responsible for placing thousands of people of color in jail or prison. In the Season 3 premire, "Marijuana: Who Makes Money, Who's in Jail?," Junius and Francesca sit down with Joe Grumbine, CEO of Willow Creek Springs, Inc., Dwight Jenkins, Director of Newly Destined, Inc., and former Mayor of Irvington Wayne Smith to discuss the organization, economics and fairness behind the legalization of marijuana in the state. What has the new legalization done so far to effect decriminalization, social equity, and racial justice associated with the drug. What are considerations behind this new legislation that newcomers should be aware of. And at the end of the day, who truly profits from the state's legalization of marijuana.
In the last episode of Everything's Political season two, we're once again challenging our listeners to weigh in on The Power of the Vote! Through 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Black people and their supporters defied death, prison, beatings and bombings for the right to elect their choices for political office. But nowadays, is it still worth the effort to once again fight the racists in certain states who are once again seeking to disenfranchise black and brown people to maintain white supremacy? This past March, host Junius Williams talked with co-host Francesca Larson about his sudden decision to attend the 57th anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. This annual event in Selma, Alabama, commemorates "Bloody Sunday," which occurred on March 7, 1965 when a group of roughly 525 African-American demonstrators gathered at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. and proceeded to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, headed towards Montgomery for the right to vote. Junius sits down with W. Mondale Robinson, principal of the Black Male Voter Project (https://blackmalevoterproject.org/mission-and-vision/), to discuss the current state of voting and to give his take on the relevance of The Vote. We also continue our recap of the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, sharing more clips with Civil Rights leaders and foot soldiers on the ground, and aspiring young votings dealing with the current state of voter disenfranchisement in 2022.
It's the last two episodes of Everything's Political for the season, and in Episodes 7 & 8, we're challenging our listeners to weigh in on The Power of the Vote! Through 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Black people and their supporters defied death, prison, beatings and bombings for the right to elect their choices for political office. But nowadays, is it still worth the effort to once again fight the racists in certain states who are once again seeking to disenfranchise black and brown people to maintain white supremacy? This past March, host Junius Williams talked with co-host Francesca Larson about his sudden decision to attend the 57th anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee. This annual event in Selma, Alabama, commemorates "Bloody Sunday," which occurred on March 7, 1965 when a group of roughly 525 African-American demonstrators gathered at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. and proceeded to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, headed towards Montgomery for the right to vote. Tune in as Junius shares clips of interviews with some of the "foot soldiers" who made that journey, plus Civil Rights and Black Power leaders who were on hand for the celebration and young people from all over the country who made the trip to Selma for the first time. Junius also recounts his own memories as a SNCC volunteer in Montgomery in 1965, once again bringing the lessons of Selma to light in order to answer the question about the relevance of The Vote.
Why is healing important? Through helping each other, do we create the essential platform that promotes a climate for change through healing? In Episode 6, “Healing,” host Junius Williams shows communities undergoing the healing process in Newark and Detroit — and why people can’t just heal alone. Engaging the community through organization is an important step in protecting and energizing organizers, normalizing mental health support and promoting nonviolence…but how do we do it? What does healing mean? Is there one true blueprint for healing? How do we encourage our younger generation to process their trauma? Most importantly, how can we ensure safety & security so that those who've suffered trauma can heal in a healthy way and learn to develop better communities?
The Civil Rights movement took many shapes and forms, often rooted in the hearts of many men, women and children of color. But of those individuals who stood at the front lines, how many were men? How many women? Who organized meetings or worked behind the scenes? And who got the glory of the movement's top leadership roles? Junius and Francesca sit down with Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, Asst. Professor of Religion at the University of Florida and Megan Douglass, Digital Director of For Our Future Michigan, to discuss the present state of community organizing for women — how the experiences of yesterday can help women navigate male chauvinism in grassroots organizations.
"Black": The concept used to conjure up fear in some people. How scary is it today? How useful is racial identity in the youth movement today, compared with 50-60 years ago in the era of "Black Power"? How much organizing was done around being Black in the 60s, and how much now? How important is racial identity in the minds of young people today? Junius and Francesca are joined by Sam Anderson, Darnell L. Moore, and Che Williams to explore the evolution of blackness in organizing today and how intersectionality plays a role in identity politics.
We know when our story hits home because the opposition fights so hard. A dying mule always kicks the hardest. In Episode 3, Junius and Francesca are joined by North Carolina organizers from the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Beloved Community Center and Raise UP for $15 to explore the power of story in organizing. Guests: * Joyce Johnson, Rev. Nelson Johnson, Abigail Mosely, Bridget Rasberry, Laurel Ashton, Lewis Brandon, Rev. Wesley Morris, and Keith Bullard. Hosted By: * Junius Williams and Francesca Larson
How have different circumstances prescribed different definitions of organization and what is the recipe for justice today? In Episode 2, Junius and Francesca are joined by Detroit Will Breathe organizer Praveen Loganathan to talk about the tactics used by organizers today to keep people engaged and governments accountable. Detroit Will Breathe is an integrated, youth-led, militant organization fighting against police brutality and systemic racism in Detroit that formed during the nationwide protests of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and Ahmaud Aubrey. Praveen is also a representative with the Coalition of Policy Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) who formed after the killing of Hakim Littleton in July 2020 by the Detroit Police Department. The mission of CPTA is to expose police misconduct in all forms and demand police transparency and accountability.
For the second round of Everything's Political, Junius Williams will dive into the basics of Movement Building, with guests from his era of political change (the 1960s-70s), and organizers on the front lines of the fight for justice today. Junius will be joined by his podcast producer, advocate and millennial friend, Francesca Larson, as they engage guests in multi-generational conversations about organizing. There are lessons to be learned from those who politically came of age in the 1960s and 70s, but also from an emerging generation of organizers who have found effective ways to tackle social justice issues today.
Four teenagers from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in Denver, Colorado, visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and left as student organizers. Junius Williams will talk to these young women, to learn how Black History and newfound Black Consciousness changed their lives forever, just as it did for young people in the 1960s. Tune in to this episode to see how much has changed from then to now.
I had the privilege of talking about the role of the blues as the foundation for all American commercial music, with Keith “the Captain” Gamble, Jazz Ambassador for the US State Department. We also discuss how power and politics impacted the rights that black artists had over their own music, and how race still controls the money and the narrative.
This episode will include special guests Dr. Chris Pernell and Eddie Glaude. They, along with myself, will go in detail about what we should look for during President Elect Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address. Pay close attention to what he says and what he plans to do for our country.
A part two of perspectives on racism in America. However this time instead of interviewing my black children, I interviewed a few of my white friends; Frank Joyce, Elizabeth Ruebman, and Erik Roberts. These friends are committed to social justice and in this episode they share how they deal with their white privilege. Hear about the issue from a different perspective.
This episode explores the permanence of racism with some of the most powerful people I know - my children! Raised in two different generations, they will talk "dinner table style" with their father about their experiences with racism, ideas about how America can "overcome" and what it's like to have an activist as a father.