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


  • Summit of the Americas or Summit of the United States of America?
    Bertony Dupont
    Summit of the Americas or Summit of the United States of America?
    31 May 2022
    The U.S. is using the upcoming Summit of the Americas to bully the rest of the region. The current puppet leader of Haiti must follow U.S. dictates yet is invited, while legitimate leaders…
  • Pan-Africanism Yes! U.S. AFRICOM and NATO No!
    Abayomi Azikiwe
    Pan-Africanism Yes! U.S. AFRICOM and NATO No!
    31 May 2022
    Pan-African solidarity and the struggle against imperialism are key in advancing the condition of African states and peoples.
  • Black Agenda Radio May 27, 2022
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio May 27, 2022
    27 May 2022
    East New York Community Land Trust reports on NYPD use of vacant land, John Parker's fact-finding trip to Russia and Ukraine, and a Greenville, North Carolina organizer explains the significance of…
  • East New York Community Land Trust Reports on NYPD Use of Vacant Land
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    East New York Community Land Trust Reports on NYPD Use of Vacant Land
    27 May 2022
    Boris Santos is Treasurer of the East New York Community Land Trust Board of Directors, and Debra Ayck is the Board’s Secretary. The Land Trust held a press conference on May 21st at which they…
  • John Parker's Fact-finding Trip to Russia and Ukraine
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    John Parker's Fact-finding Trip to Russia and Ukraine
    27 May 2022
    John Parker is a member of the Socialist Unity party and a senatorial candidate on the Peace and Freedom party ticket in California. He just returned from a fact-finding trip to Russia and Ukraine.…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us