In this episode, Mark is diving into the life of WEB DuBois with the author of the book, The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War, Chad Williams.

Today, Mark and Dr. Sekou Franklin discuss Tennessee's recent political spotlight after the General Assembly voted to expel three of its members, who were leading a protest against gun control laws after a mass shooting in Nashville. This episode highlights the rarity of expulsion and the possible racism involved in the expulsion of two black representatives, while a white representative was not expelled. Dr. Franklin also points out that political activity by conservative legislatures in the states is a battleground for maintaining or rolling back civil rights, labor rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and all gains made toward democracy.

The Texas Rangers are celebrating their 200th year, and are widely known as a rugged and upright law enforcement agency that symbolizes Texas. However, the book "Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers" presents a more ruthless, racist, and barbarous history of the organization, and highlights their close ties to moneyed groups and powerful politicians. This book challenges the widely held view of the Texas Rangers and prompts important conversations about their role in law enforcement.

In this episode, Mark had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Gay Byron about Christianity in Ethiopia and its deep roots on the African continent. Dr. Byron explained that Ethiopia has a unique history with Christianity, being one of the first nations in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century. Overall, this was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the deep roots of Christianity in Ethiopia and Africa, as well as the ongoing importance of Christianity in contemporary African society.

On this episode of The Parlay in All Blue Power history and culture collide. And yes, we're gonna talk about voting because voting is the first step. It is an essential tool for building wealth and obtaining and retaining power in the United States. The voting power of black people now is under attack. It is being attacked by Republican legislatures in the states of Louisiana and Alabama.

In this episode, Mark is talking with Anna Wolfe about Mississippi's Welfare Scandal. Anna Wolfe is an investigative reporter for Mississippi Today, a nonprofit newsroom founded in 2016. Her coverage of poverty, public assistance and debtors prisons has received national recognition, including the Goldsmith Prize, the Collier Prize and the National Press Foundation’s Poverty and Inequality Award.

On the season finale of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Dr. Stephen Finley who is the inaugural chair of African and African American studies at LSU. Dr. Finely is an associate professor of religious studies at LSU, as well. He's gonna walk us through how religion, the religion of "whiteness" fuels attacks, or the religion of white nationalism and white supremacy fuels attacks like that in Buffalo at Tops grocery store or at the Tree of Life Senegal in Pittsburgh or at the Walmart in El Paso Texas where the mass shooter, in that case, was specifically looking for Mexicans or Mexican immigrants. Dr. Finley will also discuss what religious studies mean and how it comes into play in today's society.

Today is part 2 of the conversation about the shooting that took place at Jackson State in May 1970. We have a very special guest, Vernon Steve Weakley, who is here to give us a firsthand account of what happened that tragic night at Jackson State University. Vernon is an alumnus of Jackson State University and a graduate of the University of Houston. He was also a member of the Jackson State University, Houston Alumni Chapter.

Mark is thrilled to have Dr. Nancy Bristow on the podcast today to discuss her book, "Steeped in the Blood of Racism: Black Power, Law and Order, and the 1970 Shootings at Jackson State College." The book sheds light on the tragedy that occurred on May 14, 1970, at Jackson State University, Mississippi.

Our guest this week is Dr. Mary Emma Graham, who's written a thorough, detailed and outstanding biography on the life of Margaret Walker, titled, The House Where My Soul Lives. Margaret Walker, an award-winning poet, writer, and institution builder, is brought back into the spotlight in the first comprehensive biography of her life. Though she did not label herself as a radical or feminist, Walker embodied the role of a traditional artist and catalyst for societal transformation. She was a prominent figure in American culture throughout the 20th century.

In this episode, Mark is joined by Charlie Cobb to discuss his  book, "This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible." Charlie discusses how guns were an essential tool for self-defense during the Civil Rights Movement, particularly in the South where white supremacist groups used violence and intimidation to maintain segregation.

On this week's episode of the Parley in All Blue Podcast, Mark sits down with Spellman professor Dr. Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, co-founder of the West Atlanta watershed alliance and who also serves on the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory counsel. Today's discussion is about climate change, environmental risk, solutions, and the troubling menace of Urban Heat Islands. The duo also discuss environmental habits and how we can help improve the climate.

On this week's episode of the Parley in All Blue Podcast, Mark sits down with Howard W. French, an author and a professor of journalism at Columbia University. Today's discussion delves deep into Professor French's book: Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War.

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Leon A. Waters. Mr. Waters is a New Orleans native, historian, publisher and social activist. Waters attended Xavier University for Business Administration and graduated from St. Augustine High School. He serves as the Board Chairperson of the Louisiana Museum of African American History (LMAAH).

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Curtis Austin, an associate professor at Arizona State University where he focuses on civil rights and black power movements. This episode advances the history of black empowerment from our previous episode with Taylor Branch, which focused on civil rights. This episode focuses on black power, the Black Power Movement, and the vanguard of the Revolution, which is the Black Panther Party for self defense.

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Taylor Branch. A native to Atlanta Georgia, Mr. Branch is also a National Book award recipient, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner for his books; America in the King Years ( Parting the waters, Pillar of Fire, and At Canaan's Edge). A trilogy which covers the life of the late great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement person by person (from 1954-1968). They'll be discussing his book and also the civil rights movement and its importance.

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Entrepreneur, and the founder of Cxffeeblack (Coffeeblack), Bartholomew Jones. Bartholomew isn't only an entrepreneur, he's also a hip hop artist and a filmmaker (Cxffeeblack to Africa) which you can check out on his YouTube page. A proud Memphian, who is also a husband, father, and activist, who coined the phrase "Make Coffee Black again." He's also apart of the Anti Gentrification Cxffee Club (AGCC) right there in Memphis Tennessee which is a social experiment based on using history, art, and imagination to shed light on the rich history of coffee in African history with a modern twist.

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by Dennis DeShields. Dennis is a fourth-generation descendent of Bellevue, where his father and aunt continue to reside. While visiting his grandparents in the 1980s, Dennis was consistently taken by Bellevue’s location on the Chesapeake, its community spirit, and its history. Eventually, Bellevue became a holiday and weekend retreat for Dennis, his wife Dr. Mary De Shields, and his young family. In 1998 it became their home. Since this time, the De Shields family have become committed to preserving Bellevue’s rich culture and heritage and are leading the effort to establish the Bellevue Passage Museum, a place where this history can be presented to wider audiences and serve as a center of cultural conservation for the community.

On this episode we are joined by John Graham Jr. John Graham’s professional passion is helping global companies uncover who they are at their core. Through award winning employer brand and employee value proposition development, Graham has discovered innovative ways to bring the humanity of employee stories to life. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner and culture transformation consultant, his work centers on improving the lived experiences of marginalized employee populations through bleeding-edge approaches that disrupt the status quo and create equitable and inclusive environments. Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in African Studies and master's degree in Education from Lincoln University. He holds an executive certificate in Fostering Diversity and Inclusion from the Yale School of Management. John is also the best-selling author of Plantation Theory: The Black Professional’s Struggle Between Freedom & Security.