Today on our weekly broadcast, we dive into Donald Trump's first week in office, marked by an onslaught of executive orders that have sent shockwaves across the political landscape. From his sweeping decisions on immigration and trade to his staunch insistence on loyalty from his administration and allies, we explore the immediate and long-term implications of these actions. Tune in as we analyze the broader impact on governance, democracy, and the nation's trajectory under his leadership.

Today on Sojourner Truth’s Weekly Broadcast we mark MLK Day which was celebrated on his national holiday on Monday January 20th. Long held political prisoner and Indigenous leader Leonard Peltier’s was released from prison after his sentence was commuted by Joe Biden. Our guest is Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of Indigenous Environmental Network. Black historic figure Marcus Garvey was finally granted a pardon by Joe Biden. Also, we are joined by SoCal artist Michael Massenburg about the interrelationship between art and politics, including an update on a permanent memorial for the scores of Black women victims of serial murders in South LA.

Today the Southern California fires, its impact on an historic Black community and the role of prisoners who are fighting the fires. Our guests are influencer and blogger Jasmyne Cannick and former prisoner firefighter Ingrid Archie.

On January 1, 1804, Haiti achieved a milestone that would forever change history, becoming the first free Black republic after a grueling war for independence that began in 1791. This pivotal moment declared not only Haiti’s liberation from colonial rule but also inspired enslaved people and independence movements across the Americas. Join us as we explore how Haiti's victory became a beacon of hope and resistance, challenging Western powers and igniting a revolutionary spirit that resonates to this day.

In our latest episode, we tackle one of the most pressing international stories: how potential tariff threats from the incoming presidency could shape U.S.-Mexico relations. To help us unpack the complexities, we’re joined by Mexico-based journalist and expert Laura Carlsen. Together, we explore: The history and impact of trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico What these threats mean for diplomacy and economic stability Insights from Mexico's perspective Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion on the future of North American relations.

Today on Sojourner Truths Weekly Broadcast we spend the hour with professor and author Dr. Gerald Horne for a wide-ranging discussion on his reaction to the 2024 election results what can movements for change do now? What do Trumps picks for his administration indicate about his policies from immigration to Gaza to people of color in the US and more? Also focus Africa: President Bidens trip to Angola, whats that about? Whats going on in Chad, Niger, Mali and the wider implications. Some African countries are cutting ties with previous colonial powers, what are the wider implications

Today on our weekly broadcast a roundtable discussion on what we have learned thus far as Trump moves beyond campaign promises to what of those promises he intends to implement given his nominees for cabinet and other positions. And what do we know about how the state with the largest immigrant population preparing for Trump’s treat of mass deportations. How is the public, in particular registered voters, responding to what Trump has done thus far? Also, further thoughts on election results. Our panelists are Dr. Penial Joseph Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin; Jackie Goldberg President of the Los Angeles School Board, and Mexican based journalist Laura Carlsen.

In an action alert issues by the Haiti Action Committee they state that nearly 220 years ago, on November 18th, 1804, Haitian revolutionaries under the command of the legendary General Dessalines fought against the French army sent to restore slavery. A courageous Haitian commander, Francois Capoix, exemplified bravery by charging a fortification in the face of massive cannon and gunfire. Napoleon’s army was finally defeated in this Battle of Vertieres, securing Haiti's independence. Haiti Action asks that people around the world mark this anniversary known as Flag Day to demand an end to US intervention and foreign occupation. They further state that twenty years after the US-backed coup against the democratically elected President Jean Bertrand-Aristide and the popular Fanmi Lavalas government, Haiti remains under US/ UN occupation. And that there is not a single elected official left in the country. Hunger in Haiti has reached a historic high, with 50% of the population now facing acute hunger. According to UNICEF data, by 2023, “nearly one in four children in Haiti also suffer from chronic malnutrition, known as stunting, which has long-lasting physical consequences.” The leadership of Fanmi Lavalas, the political party in Haiti based in the poor majority, has referred to this violence and suffering as a slow-motion genocide. Haitians who flee this are being subjected to ruthless deportations both from the US and from the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations. Refugees are being forced to return to the life-threatening conditions from which they fled. On November 18, 2024 activists and organizations in the Caribbean and their supporters hae issued a statement in solidarity with the people of Haiti.

On the ST Weekly Broadcast, a round table discussion/analysis on the election results, international implications, Trump nominees thus far; what they see as way forward for social change. Our panelists are Jackie Goldberg, Laura Carlsen, Bill Gallegos

The Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a key player in the Civil Rights and Labor Movements and a close advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away last week at the age of 95. Lawson was a proponent of non-violent direct action as a means for social, political and economic change. His teachings were instrumental in the strategy and execution of non-violent Civil Rights-era protests in the American South. He also played crucial leadership and advisory roles in labor movements across the US, including the Memphis sanitation workers strike of 1968 and the Justice for Janitors campaign in Los Angeles.

Today on our weekly broadcast a deep dive into Haiti, not only the situation now on the ground, how the people are resisting and continuing to fight for democracy, the role of the international community, but the history of the role of the so-named core group, and the latest on Haiti’s Transitional Government with Haitian human rights campaigner Pierre Labossiere. Also, we hear the voice of Congresswoman Maxine Waters as she weighed in over the years on the situation in Haiti, including an historic clip of her speaking at a Congressional Hearing on Haiti at the time of the US backed coup vs Haiti.

Has an all-out war broken out between Israel and Lebanon? If so, what are the impacts and wider implications? How is this extension of conflict in the region related to the ongoing genocide by Israeli forces in Gaza? And what is the latest from the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank? Our guest is Middle East expert and author Phyllis Bennis. And there is an explosion of voter suppression efforts being put in place by the Republican Party mainly targeting must win battle ground states in this year’s presidential election. What’s going on? What are the attacks? How can voters be protected? Barbara Arnwine an attorney and decades long voting rights expert beaks it down for us.

Today on Sojourner Truth, a deep dive into the August 29th 1970 Chicano Moratorium, where tens of thousands of Chicanos and their supporters took to the streets in East Los Angeles to protest the war in Vietnam and the oppression of Chicano people. Similar marches took place in several other states, but the one in EastLos was by far the largest. Police attached peaceful marchers, many were injured, and 3 were left dead. We are also marking the anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain which is celebrated on September 16th. Our guest is Bill Gallegos, a veteran Chicano liberation activist and author.

Special Earthwatch episode. An update on the struggle to save the shawnee forest at the same time cut through the jobs versus nature debate our guests are John Wallace Karen Furley and Sam Sterns, All campaigners based in southern Illinois.

Today on the Sojourner Truth Weekly Broadcast: We get an update on the Presidential election, a look at the contrast between the candidates of the two major political parties; key moments at the Democratic National Convention; and analysis on the race. Our guest is Jackie Goldberg. And for our annual Labor Day Special we focus on the labor union activism as we mark the upcoming 45th anniversary of the LA/Long Beach/Harbor Coalition whose theme is “Fighting for the Future of Labor”. Our guest is the award-winning writer Alex O’Keefe who has written for the TV hit show “The Bear”. Alex is a member of the Writers Guild of America.

PDA conference Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and our country. We seek to build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites-with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. As a grassroots organization operating inside the Democratic Party, and outside in movements for peace and justice, PDA has played a key role in the rise of the progressive movement. Our inside/outside strategy is guided by the belief that a lasting majority will require a revitalized Democratic Party built on firm progressive principles. For many decades, the Democratic Party declined as its leadership listened more to the voices of corporations and the donor class than those of average Americans. PDA strives to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up " from every congressional district to statewide party structures to the corridors of power in Washington, where we cooperate with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In its short history, PDA has succeeded in shaking up the political status-quo with its stated opposition to the Iraq war and to excessive military budgets; advocacy for universal single-payer healthcare, racial and economic justice; fighting environmental racism and the climate emergency; support for voter rights and the Equal Rights Amendment; and, notably, being the first national organization to ask Bernie Sanders to run for President as a Democrat, launching the Run Bernie Run campaign in early 2014.

Bernice Johnson Reagon, a civil rights activist who co-founded The Freedom Singers and later started the African American vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, died Tuesday at the age of 81. Her daughter, the acclaimed musician Toshi Reagon, shared the news of her mother's passing Wednesday night in a public Facebook post. It is impossible to separate liberation struggles from song. And in the 1960s — at marches, and in jailhouses — the voice leading those songs was often Bernice Johnson Reagon. Her work as a scholar and activist continued throughout her life, in universities and concert halls, at protests and in houses of worship. The future songleader was born in southwest Georgia, the daughter of a Baptist minister. She was admitted to a historically Black public college, Albany State, at the age of 16 and studied music. Albany, Ga., would become an important center of the civil rights movement when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested there in 1962, causing the media to descend on the town.

The left-wing alliance in France won the most seats in parliament in a dramatic election, dealing a surprise blow to the far-right party of Marine Le Pen. Meanwhile the push for electoral reform in the UK has received a shot in the arm after the “most disproportionate election in history”, according to campaigners and academics. Longstanding reform campaigners have become uneasy bedfellows with Reform UK’s Nigel Farage in recent days after Labour secured a 174-seat majority with just 34% of the popular vote. “This election has thrown the spotlight on to the electoral system as the result was the most disproportional on record,” said Darren Hughes, the chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society. “We have already had a growing chorus of calls for PR [proportional representation] in the aftermath.” Farage said the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system was “unfair” after Reform took 14.3% of the popular vote – making it the third biggest party by vote share – but won only five seats. The Green party received 6.8% of the vote for its four seats. Tune in every Tuesday at 7AM on KPFK.org

Slavery still exists in California and several other states across the US, its not what we generally think of when we hear the word slavery, as in chattel slavery, but slavery inside prisons. What we are taught in history books is that slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment in the US which was ratified on December 6th, 1865. However, this did not apply to prisoners. Today on “Sojourner Truth”, we focus on the movement to finally abolish what is known as involuntary slavery in prisons in CA and other states. Our guests are Dorsey Nunn a founder of California Prisoners with Children and Stanley Thermidor with A New Way of Life.

The Rev. James M. Lawson, a United Methodist minister who became a principal tactician of nonviolent protest during the civil rights movement, leading sit-ins, marches and Freedom Rides that withstood attacks by mobs and police throughout the 1960s, died June 9. He was 95. He died of cardiac arrest en route to a Los Angeles hospital, said his son J. Morris Lawson III. As a young Methodist missionary, Rev. Lawson traveled to India, where he studied the principles of civil disobedience practiced by the anti-colonialist leader Mohandas K. Gandhi in his campaign against repressive British rule.