Voices From The Front Lines Voices From The Frontlines

Voices Radio; United All Workers for Democracy, and Defund Police in LA City Schools. by Eric Mann

On this day, Voices From the Frontlines Radio puts our beloved Paul Robeson on his rightful pedestal! Paul Robeson is a writer, scholar, athlete, film star, Pan Africanist, activist, and brilliant vocalist. A person of such magnitude, he and W.E.B DeBois fought the color lines of US imperialism on the global scale and were punished unmerciful for their proletarian internationalism; the US government withdrew their passports in an attempt to prevent them from continuing their work all over the world. Tune in to listen to clips of Paul Robeson’s Portraits of the Artist box set and Eric Mann’s Playbook for Progressive, The 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer, Katrina’s Legacy. We also have Alan Minsky and Channing Martinez in the studio joining us for this amazing conversation about the masterful life, and work of Paul Robeson!

How do we stop the Biden administration from creating and implementing a new imperialist cold war against The People's Republic of China? Also, as we create a Black and Brown, South Central Los Angeles, Third-World Alliance we talk about what it will take to bring oppressed people of the world together in solidarity, working toward peace and self-determination.

Good Morning Voices listeners! Tune in today at 3pm PST for a conversation with Eric Mann, Channing Martinez, and Jessica Meany from Investing in Place. Jessica and Channing will discuss the recent motion passed by the Metro Board for fareless transportation for k-12 and community college students and the newly introduced Bus Riders Union Motion for Free Public Transportation. Please find the full text of the Bus Riders Union Motion below. Please read the full text of the Bus Riders Union Motion and consider signing up to become a dues paying member of the Bus Riders Union Today. The Bus Riders Union Motion for Free Public Transportation The Bus Riders Union calls on Metro to implement complete free public transportation on buses and trains until January 2022. Thereafter we urge Metro to continue Free Public Transportation permanently. We urge board members who are not ready to continue the program to at the very most implement a $26 cap on any monthly passes indefinitely on the way to implementing a univers

This week on Voices From the Frontlines we hear from Marcy Winograd of Code Pink on the US's war economy, and California's recall election. We also get an update on Channing Martinez' work with the Police-Free Schools Coalition and their defunding of LA schools by 35%. Then Eric talks with us about the work that he is doing with China's Not the Enemy.

This week on Voices From the Frontlines, Eric and Channing speak with @DesireéLuckey, Director @URGE_org - Unite For Reproductive & Gender Equity, about Texas' new SB 8 anti-abortion law that went into effect last week, and may be a foreshadow of the Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade., thus amplifying and nationalizing the war on women.  We also hear Eric's recount of his friendship with the late Ed Asner and their work with United Auto Workers. Eric plays clips of Ed Asner’s narration, from the Film Tiger by the Tail, where he narrates the story of a union (United Auto Workers) trying stop GM from closing the Van Nuys plant.

We hear from Eric Mann speaking about his book Comrade George, and another excerpt from Angela Davis on her thoughts on George Jackson. Opening the show we hear a ballad from Matt Callahan and Yvonne Moore who wrote a book about the 99 books series. We recap last weeks show, Part 1, and Eric goes through the 99 books that were found in George Jackson’s prison cell after he was assassinated.

This week on Voices From the Frontlines, Eric and Channing speak with Claude Marks and Nathaniel Moore of the Freedom Archives, about the life and legacy of George Jackson. We celebrate Jackson on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. George Jackson was assassinated in San Quentin prison on August 21, 1971. The following week, the prison released an inventory of the items in his cell, including his library of 99 books.

FREE KEVIN “RASHID” JOHNSON AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS Eric Mann and Channing Martinez in Conversation with Shupavu Wa Kirima, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Intercommunal Black Panther Party, and wife and comrade of Rashid.

Eric Mann is in conversation with James Burke about lessons learned from the Just-Concluded New York City Mayor and City Council Elections: - On June 22nd, New Yorkers voted across the state in primary races New York City the largest city council in the U.S. (51 council members) voted to elected a new Mayor, new council members, borough presidents, District Attorney, and Comptroller - DSA and progressive/left groups worked from Buffalo to Brooklyn to elect socialist candidates aligned with Defund the Police, Green New Deal, and other key issues like social housing and funding for mass transportation - New York City voters experimented with Ranked Choice Voting which for the first time allowed voters to choose up to 5 candidates on their ballots - AOC and her affiliated PAC made key endorsements but failed to win the Mayor's race in which Eric Adams and former NYPD officer won on a campaign built on public safety - Progressive organizations put forward various slates of City Council endorsements, often over

This week Voices Radio rebroadcasts this incredibly important interview with Mary Louise Patterson. She’s speaking with us about her book that she co-authored with Evelyn Louise Crawford, Letters From Langston; From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond! Mary Louise Pattesron will in conversation with Eric and Channing about growing up with famous and most heroic parents, William L. Patterson and Lousie Thompson Patterson!  This interview is very moving. Mary tells us how she became aware of who her parents were in the world as she, herself,  grew into the world. At different times her father was imprisoned and Mary was VERY grateful to have such political heavyweights in her life as extended Auntie’s and Uncle’s; Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. De Bois, Altheus Huntons, James Jackson, Luis Bernum, etc. They were the best in the Black radical tradition who were comrades, friends, and extended family who were very close to Mary as she was growing into the world. As a Black person myself

This is SUCH an amazing show! This week on Voices From the Frontlines, Eric and Channing have a guest star; THE GREAT Mary Louise Patterson!!! She’s speaking with us about her book that she co-authored with Evelyn Louise Crawford, Letters From Langston; From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond! Mary Louise Pattesron will in conversation with Eric and Channing about growing up with famous and most heroic parents, William L. Patterson and Lousie Thompson Patterson! This interview is very moving. Mary tells us how she became aware of who her parents were in the world as she, herself, grew into the world. At different times her father was imprisoned and Mary was VERY grateful to have such political heavyweights in her life as extended Auntie’s and Uncle’s; Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. De Bois, Altheus Huntons, James Jackson, Luis Bernum, etc. They were the best in the Black radical tradition who were comrades, friends, and extended family who were very close to Mary as she was growin

George Jackson, political prisoner, member of the Black Panther Party, author of the celebrated book Soledad Brother, was murdered by prison guards on August 21, 1971. This year, 2021, and this August, there will be celebrations of his life and work. Eric discusses the life and work his comrades and Soledad Brother George Jackson.

While we think the Metro tried to do a good thing in passing the Fareless transportation initiative for K-12 students and for Community College students, we realize that in fact Metro board members simply can’t help themselves; they must have a “but”, the excuse for their infamous oppressive policies in everything they do. This is why in the same program includes the addition of self attestation of poverty, forcing 70% of its riders to prove poverty, an obvious civil rights and human rights violation. Then Board members go on to say yes, but only if we can find the money, and that's not counting the money for the shitty rail project in my district.

This week on Voices From the Frontlines: Channing Martinez who is the Director of Organizing for the Labor Community Strategy Center, joins Eric remotely from the frontlines! In front of the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters Channing is leading a rally in an effort to defund the police from Los Angeles schools and end the racist MTA apartheid. The rally is calling for two things; #1 An expansion of the Black Student Achievement program, and an increase in the number of schools in the program. #2 Defund the Los Angeles Police Department from Los Angeles Unified School District schools entirely!  The Labor Community Strategy Center is at the intersection of challenging the police state, war-fare state, the climate justice liberation, and fighting for Black Liberation!  Eric shares with us a soon-to-be-published story that he wrote called The Black Moses and the Civil Rights Organizer; A Beautiful Connection, but Worlds Apart.  We also hear from listeners who are intersted in speaking up abou

Today on Voices From the Frontlines, we learn that Derek Chauvin, the finally convicted murderer of our dearly departed George Floyd, charged with three counts of second degree murder. Following the verdict, we outline our organizing efforts and next steps in removing police from LAUSD schools, and abolishing the police in general. We also speak with Noel Hanrahan from Prison Radio. She gives us an update on Mumia Abu Jamal, who had open-heart surgery on Monday. We learn that Mumia's surgery was said to be a success, but we await his confirmation in that regard. We also outline our demands for Mumia's human rights to be restored which will allow for his healing; remove the shackles from his hands and feet, let him speak to his family, lawyers, spiritual council, and friends, give him proper healthy food, water, and healing medications if necessary... to name a few.  We continue the hour addressing the culture of militarized brutality in local police as well as the construction of the jails and prisons in th

This week on Voices from the Frontlines: We honor Reese Erlich! Our dear friend Reese helped to initiate the Stop the Draft Week in Oakland, who worked for the Unity Newspaper of the League of Revolutionary Struggle, and became a well-respected journalist in support of the people of the Third World, died on April 6th, 2021. Eric & Reese remained friends for more than 40 years and Eric will be playing the last interview they did together, telling his reminiscences of him and Reese. Reese was a prolific author, with his most popular publication being Dateline Havana: The Real Story of US Policy and the Future of Cuba. Eric will also tell the story of how he organized a successful group insurgency at the DMV.

“What kind of a police state we live in, that the FBI is in every organization, that everyones phone is tapped, that any organization is infiltrated by its very nature, and its virtually impossible to carry out good work without informants… with informants who are coming there purposely to intervene in the internal affairs of your organization, to take advantage of the conflicts, the so-called intelligence they’re getting, they’re watching… and of course, the very destructive role they played in the murder of Fred Hampton.” Eric Mann Jacobin Magazine published an article attempting to seemingly provide an excuse or a reason for Fred Hampton's murder. Yet another one of America's smear campaigns against the prominent Black Panther leader. It's interesting how no smear campaign are created about the FBI who are entirely responsible for the murder of most if not ALL prominent Black leaders in the US and around the world... even today.

Madison Tang of Code Pink's "China is not the Enemy Campaign" speaks with Eric Mann about the challenge of changing the US' racist, imperialist, disinformation, and propaganda tactics regarding China's position on the global economic stage, relative to that of the the US', and its people. Barbara Lott Holland, of The Bus Riders Union joins Eric in discussion regarding the "Call Out" for community members to speak out against the MTA Apartheid; MTA's proposed tests to see how a "no-fare" system would work, by requiring that riders prove their level of poverty. This will result in increased, radicalized transit-harassment, police brutality, and intimidation.

This week on Voices from the Frontlines, Eric Mann reflects on Sunday's Cold War Truth Commission panel discussion. Beginning with talks from: Gail Walker/IFCO Pastors for Peace: The Historic Legacy of My Father: Rev. Lucius Walker, Medea Benjamin/Code Pink: The U.S. Cold War vs. African Liberation Struggles, Jodie Evans/Code Pink: Historical and Current U.S. Cold War Against China. We then hear from Eric Mann: The Labor/Community Strategy Center Fighting Democratic Party Imperialism from Kennedy/Johnson to Clinton/Obama/Biden today: The Challenge to the Movement We are deeply appreciative of the visionary leadership and generosity of Frank Dorrell of Addicted to War and Rachel Bruhnke of Witness for Peace for their steadfast hosting of the 9 hour marathon of brilliant and deeply moving testimony of some of the best anti-imperialist fighters challenging the Endless Wars of the U.S. imperialist white settler state Tune in every Tuesday at 3:00p.m on 90.7 FM KPFK, and www.kpfk.org/player. Comments/question