On this episode we speak with Pittsburgh-based critically acclaimed activist and eMCee, Jasiri X on the role of community-based alternative media, the inspirations and directions in his music, and the development of his critical media justice organization, 1Hood. On the second half of the show we welcome TRGGR family, Rosa Clemente, for a multi-pronged discussion including recent news of Chicago school closings, homophobia in Lauryn Hill’s new song “Neurotic Society”, and the recent commencement addresses by President and Mrs. Obama and why they seem to only speak in condescending terms when addressing African American audiences. Enjoy!
Chris and Rec speak with Johanna Fernandez, (pictured above at left/on Mumia’s right) professor of History and Black and Latino Studies at Baruch College of CUNY and writer and producer of Justice on Trial: The Case of Mumia Abu Jamal. Connecting the campaigns to free political prisoners with other movements to attain racial justice, dignity, humanity, and self-definition, this episode of TRGGR Radio discusses Mumia Abu-Jamal’s current situation on Death Row, the state of the international movement for his release, and its relationship to the addition of Assata Shakur to the Most Wanted Terrorist list.
Our second guest is Kim Adino, speaking about the international organization Better Future and the cultural and educational work they engage in with youth in the Dominican Republic through the Women Worldwide Initiative. On the way out we briefly discuss the track, Neurotic Society, that Lauryn Hill was forced to release.
Part 1: Featuring Johanna Fernandez
“Welcome and good morning. You are now tuned to WPFW 89.3 FM, what is supposed to be a liberated masses medium. This is the super funky soul power hour, a newly official member of the Trggr Media Group, aka Trggr Media Collective, aka Trggr Radio South. This exciting development will be discussed later with one of our guests Dr. Chris Tinson. Our other guests this morning activist and artist Jasiri X and Parisa Norouzi of Empower DC, will be with us to, among other things, discuss the state of activism and, in particular, something still referred to by some as “hip-hop activism.” which makes our special introductory song this morning that much more relevant. Common’s A Song For Assata (Shakur) with vocals by Cee-lo Green has had latent contradictions emerge this week as a Black fbi agent, under the auspices of a Black attorney general and a Black president – voted and campaigned for by the artists themselves -announced Assata Shakur as the one woman on their vaunted “most wanted terrorist” list. the “power and pride, so beautiful” whose soul the song prays will be protected has once again been threatened, but this time by an administration many still claim is different, better, and the product of an activist movement and legacy. Obama claimed it, draped himself in it and welcomed the now blatantly foolish claims by some that he is a product – even an extension of – once great activist traditions. But what kind of activism, or in what state must activism of any kind be, that happily produces the very apparatus that would re-inscribe those who resist state terrorism as terrorists themselves? What kind of activism produces that which would condemn an Assata Shakur or the movement from which she emerged? Today we will ask our guests their thoughts on the state and definition of activism and “hip-hop activism” right here on the super funky soul power hour, aka TRGRRadio the remix on WPFW 89.3 fm.”
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TRGGR MEDIA COLLECTIVE 