Sojourner Truth Radio Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod

Today on ST we recall Randall Robinson who died on March 24th at 81 years old. It was just last week on ST that I played a clip of Randall Robinson during a show focused on Haiti. Randall Robinson was the founder of TransAfrica, he led the organization from its founding in 1977 until 2001. During his tenure there he led protests opposing the SA apartheid regime, thousands were arrested during these protests including notables such as Stevie Wonder.

And when President Aristide was deposed in the 1991 US coup vs his Presidency of Haiti, Randall went on a hunger strike in protest and to demand Aristide’s return and for asylum for refugees fleeing Haiti following the coup. He also strongly opposed yet another US backed coup vs Aristide which took place this time in 2004 on the anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Randall, alongside Maxine Waters and others in tandem with a massive grassroots movement on the ground in Haiti, worked tirelessly for Aristide’s return to Haiti. He was the author of several books including “The Debt: What America Owed to Blacks”.

Today we will share the words of Randall Robinson taken from speeches he gave on Haiti including from events at Marcus Books, a Black owned bookstore in Oakland California. These speeches are not generally known, and we want to thank Marcus Books for allowing us to share this sound with you.

Intro Pierre Labossiere and Seth Donnelly and discuss Haiti, We Continue discussion with Pierre and Seth followed by Earth Watch and Michael J Kellett, founding Executive Director of RESTORE: The North Woods(12 min segment)

Round Table Discussion with Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Gerald Horne.

Climate change is a global phenomenon that affects all parts of the world, and its impacts are far-reaching and varied. Some of the potential implications of climate change include rising sea levels, increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and health risks for humans and wildlife.

Rising sea levels can cause coastal flooding, which can damage infrastructure, homes, and businesses. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods, and droughts can have devastating effects on communities, leading to loss of life, property damage, and displacement of people. Food and water scarcity can cause conflict and instability, particularly in regions where resources are already scarce. Loss of biodiversity can disrupt ecosystems and reduce the ability of the natural world to provide the services that humans rely on, such as clean air and water, and fertile soils.

In addition to these impacts, climate change can also have significant economic consequences, affecting industries such as agriculture, tourism, and insurance, and potentially leading to job losses and reduced economic growth.

It is important that individuals, governments, and businesses take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change. This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, investing in green technologies, and adopting sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and other industries.

Today on Sojourner Truth we continue our Women’s Month coverage with a special Friday round panel program devoted to the women who organized with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC, or Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, was founded in 1960 in the wake of student-led sit-ins at segregated lunch counters across the South and became the major channel of student participation in the civil rights movement. SNCC played a large part in the Freedom Rides aimed at desegregating buses and in the marches organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC. SNCC also created Freedom Schools and played a key role in registering black voters throughout the south. SNCC played a leading role in the history and fabric of the US influencing movements around the world and the women of SNCC played a central role.

Our guests for the hour are Martha Prescod-Noonan, who was a fundraiser and a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and worked with Bob Moses. She is one of the editors of a book we will also be discussing about SNCC women’s experiences in the movement, titled “Hands On The Freedom Plow.”

We are also joined by civil rights icon and Professor Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, who was a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the South, as well as the head of friends of SNCC, and ally in the civil rights movement Helen Jacobson.

Today on Sojourner Truth, we present our International Women's Day program with our featured guest joining host Margaret Prescod:
Nell Myhand, organizer and member of the Bay area Poor People's Campaign. We discuss the work being done to address the most pressing issues women face today: reproductive rights, and economic disparities for women and mothers in the workplace.