Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

After Winning the Election Do We Govern the Place or Transform It? Kali Akuno on the Lessons of Jackson MS So Far
Bruce A. Dixon, BAR managing editor
26 Oct 2017
🖨️ Print Article

This is a hasty and cleaned up version of Kali Akuno's remarks at the Movement School for Revolutionaries, which was hosted by Cooperation Jackson in Jackson Mississippi on October 21, 2017. My apologies for the previous less accessible version and for this one too. Haven't edited video in a long while. Will do better next time, I promise.

Among much else, Akuno summarizes the long history of struggle, including electoral struggle to which Jackson MS and Cooperation Jackson are heirs. He outlines the factors behind Cooperation Jackson's break with City Hall in Jackson and with the Democratic party. He examines the problems encountered by left movements which win elections in this neoliberal era -- can the limited powers of local government be harnessed to transform the economy and peoples lives, or are local officials merely rubber stamps and friendly faces for the forces of austerity, perpetual war and privatization. Akuno also touches upon the connection between local and global politics, and frankly assesses the prospects of human, economic and social transformation from the front lines of Jackson Mississippi.

Cooperation Jackson

Related Podcasts

Cooperation Jackson's Kali Akuno: Elections Don’t Necessarily Change a Damn Thing
Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
Cooperation Jackson's Kali Akuno: Elections Don’t Necessarily Change a Damn Thing
06 December 2017
A key strategist among the Black radicals that were behind the election of two Black mayors in Jackson, Mississippi, says his fellow activists have
Coope ra tion Jackson: Reclaiming Democracy and Building a Solidarity Economy in Mississippi and Beyond
This Is Hell
Cooperation Jackson: Reclaiming Democracy and Building a Solidarity Economy in Mississippi and Beyond
01 November 2017
Kali Akuno and Ajamu Nangwaya discuss building a solidarity economy at Cooperation Jack

More Stories


  • Karin Stanford
    Afterlife of a Hijacker
    11 Aug 2026
    Former Black Panther Deputy Minister of Defense Byron Booth's journey from Compton to Cuba, Algiers to Lagos, reveals the global reach of Black radicalism in a 2016 interview.
  • Orinoco Tribune
    ‘To the Victor Belong the Spoils’: Trump Flaunts US Plunder of Venezuela
    11 Aug 2026
    The U.S. is not shy about proclaiming its control of Venezuela and its resources.
  • Kit Klarenburg
    Collapsing Empire: US Creates New African Psyops Unit
    11 Aug 2026
    From boots on the ground to battles for the mind, an examination of the Pentagon's new psychological operations unit illustrates Washington's bid to reclaim influence in Africa.
  • Ali Ridha Khan
    The Assassinated Word: Kanafani at 54
    11 Aug 2026
    "54 years after his assassination by the Zionist entity, Ghassan Kanafani’s career, politics, and dedication to the Palestinian Liberation struggle remain instructive for anti-imperialist struggle in…
  • Coalition for the Elimination of Imperialist in Africa
    Declaration Expressing Pan-African Solidarity with the Republic of Cuba
    11 Aug 2026
    "Cuba has remained a shining example of internationalism and holds a special place in the history of people's struggles against imperialism."
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us