U.S. Empire “Shrinking,” But Demise is “Not Imminent”
There is an antagonistic contradiction between U.S. imperialism and the interests of the vast majority of the people of this planet,” says Anthony Monteiro, Professor of African American Studies at Temple University, in Philadelphia. “North Africa and West Asia now become a center of resistance to American empire,” while “South America can no longer be considered a safe haven for neoliberal economic policies.” Prof. Monteiro spoke at a BAR panel at the Left Forum, New York City, last weekend.
Medical Bankruptcies Will Remain High Under Obama Health Plan
The Obama administration’s health care legislation will not prevent Americans from going bankrupt in large numbers due to illness, says Dr. David Himmelstein, an author of a study of the “almost identical” Massachusetts health care program implemented in 2005. “People get insurance but, basically, they got such lousy insurance that they ended up bankrupt if they got sick,” said Himmelstein. “For states “like Texas, Louisiana and California,” which have far worse health coverage than Massachusetts, “we’re not going to see much improvement” under the Obama plan.
Mass Female Incarceration Destabilizes Black America
The mass imprisonment of Black males has been a disaster, but “when a sister gets locked down, it rends the fabric of our community,” says Efia Nwangaza, of the Back Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations. “The children, if they are lucky, go to their grandmothers” when the mother is imprisoned, but many are “set adrift” because such support systems are increasingly unavailable. Ms. Nwangaza will address mass Black incarceration at the Black Is Back Coalition’s “National Conference on the Other Wars,” March 26, in Washington.
BAR’s Dr. Jared Ball explores “The Ten Commandments of Crunk,” promulgated by female rappers as part of a “feminist mode of resistance.”
Black Agenda Radio on the Progressive Radio Network is hosted by Glen Ford and Nellie Bailey. A new edition of the program airs every Monday at 4:00pm ET on PRN. Length: One hour.
This week’s featured author is Miguel Valerio. Valerio is Assistant Professor of Spanish at Washington University in St. Louis. His book is Sovereign Joy: Afro-Mexican Kings and Queens, 1539-1640.
The Congressional Black Caucus has strayed far from the politics of its original members. Once called the "conscience of the congress," the group is made up of Democratic Party loyalists living off…
The governor of Missouri refused to grant clemency to Kevin Johnson and the state Supreme Court denied motions to halt his execution. The US Supreme Court refused to hear his case. Kevin Johnson was…
Racial inequity is the result of racist and capitalist policies and can't be defeated by the self-interested Black political class.
There is a long and terrible history of exploitation and abuse of Haitians and Haitian descended people in the Dominican Republic's sugar industry.
