Make It Plain with Mark Thompson

Dr. Sherice Janaye Nelson is an Assistant Professor at Southern University and A&M College. She’s from Oakland California and has only been educated at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Her research interests include Black political leadership, women as political agents, and the Black experience throughout the Diaspora. In her latest book, “The Congressional Black Caucus: 50 Years of Fighting for Equality,” she aims to make a clear statement on what the Congressional Black Caucus is, what it does, and correct the misinformation fueled by mainstream media that does not accurately convey how critical the Black Caucus is for democracy. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mike Elk was illegally fired from Politico for union organizing, and won a settlement in the aftermath. He used that money to invest in his labor news organization, Payday Report, where they cover the angle of labor unions and workers’ rights that traditional news organizations cannot. It’s through this lens that he examines the MLB owner lockout; Mike helps us understand what, exactly, is a lockout versus a strike, and how the owners are essentially manipulating players by shutting them out--and how a lockout makes the union a “hostage,” because owners get to decide when this charade will end. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We learned last week that the United States Department of Justice is closing the case on the murder of Emmett Till, and will no longer pursue an investigation into his horrific death, which sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement. Deborah Watts is Emmett’s cousin and Founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, and despite the DOJ’s disappointing decision, she is continuing to fight for justice and uphold the memory of Emmett Till. In today’s episode Deborah and Mark discuss the 2017 book by author Timothy Tyson, where he wrote about Carolyn Bryant (the accuser) confessing to lying about Emmett whistling at her--a claim that has since been debated, as her family stepped in to retract the statement. But after all this time, and the murky accusation and retraction, why hasn’t there been a closer investigation of Carolyn Bryant, who, as Deborah argues, is the original Karen? Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvert

Gun violence activists, survivors, organizers and advocates rallied in front of the White House yesterday, demanding President Biden finally take a different approach to the public health crisis that is gun violence. Igor Volsky is the Executive Director of Guns Down America, and in today’s episode, he tells us there's not a single staffer in the White House whose full-time job is to address this crisis, as gun violence continues to take lives. And since Biden pledged from the campaign trail, where’s the action to his proposed plan now? Guns Down America is also asking the White House to conduct a federal review of laws across the country, like open carry and stand-your-ground, to consider how they empower vigilantism like that of Kyle Rittenhouse. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A Politico headline went viral that read “Democrats fall flat with ‘Latinx’ language.” Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos, Civiqs, and Host of “The Brief,” is weighing in with the consideration of his Latino roots (he is from El Salvador), as well as some polling data from within the Latino community, to consider what the best-used term might be, and how President Biden might want to be careful about who he trusts when it comes to the language he should be using. Mark and Markos discuss all angles of the situation, and how, ultimately, it should not be used to make a political point through language. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We know Donald Trump is corrupt, but how deep does it go? David Cay Johnston’s latest book “The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family” answers that question, detailing just how far the Trump family will go with their schemes to steal. David has been chronicling Donald Trump and his family for more than 33 years and dubs him a master con-artist, laying out in his book the ways Donald was America’s “beggar-in-chief.” Will he be indicted for the deeds he’s done? In today’s episode, David explains that it’s only a matter of time. BUY “The Big Cheat” here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Big-Cheat/David-Cay-Johnston/9781982178031 Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Senator Rand Paul’s days in the U.S. Senate are numbered, as far as Charles Booker is concerned: he’s running against Senator Paul in the 2022 midterm elections. Charles wants to make moves on the Hill that will serve ALL Kentuckians, as opposed to the wealthy few that Senator Paul is most concerned with. Charles comes from one of the poorest zip codes in Kentucky, and he realizes that the struggle cuts across party lines. That’s why he plans to build a sustainable future that gives access to prosperity, not just survival. And aside from his plans for prosperity, Charles shows us how Senator Paul is not just an “unserious politician,” but a literal danger to the people of Kentucky. MORE INFO: https://charlesbooker.org/meet-charles/ Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This month is special for our jobs report recap, as we have two experts on the subject. First up is Angela Hanks, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training at the Department of Labor. She details the work her department is doing to develop more efficient pathways to jobs for those who are looking. Next up is MIP’s resident economist, Chad Stone, Chief Economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who helps us understand how the jobs report is so much more than just jobs gained or lost, and he breaks it down in a way that is easily understood. This month is no different, as Chad explains why the November jobs number could potentially be revised substantially (did you know all the jobs reports get revised, anyway?). He also shows us how the virus is still driving our economy--but there is good news, if you’re someone who is still hunting for a job: this is your market, not the employers’. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainmen

Why do Mark and Danielle believe that December do-or-die for Democrats? We’re fighting to save Roe v. Wade, prevent gerrymandering, stop the disintegration of voting rights, and so much more. But that’s exactly why this is NOT the time to get jaded, and Danielle and Mark break down the realities of the moment in order to ignite the fight within each of us. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr. Tony Allen is the President of HBCU Delaware State University, as well as Chair of President Biden’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. 65 HBCU Presidents have sent a letter to the Senate demanding action on President Biden’s historic funding to those universities, and Dr. Allen describes how beneficial that investment is and what needs to be done to make it all happen. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Do you consider education a human right? Kailee Scales is the CEO of Pencils of Promise and she explains in today’s episode that, as human beings, access to education is our birthright. And with Pencils of Promise, she’s leading an organization that is doing the hard work to expand that access, currently working in Laos, Guatemala and Ghana to build more than 500 schools and serve more than 1,000 students. In addition to that, Pencils of Promise seeks to improve and expand education on hygiene programming, clean water and ending menstrual poverty, as these factors all play a part in preventing children from focusing on learning and growing. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ever since Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on charges of murdering two people and injuring another, hostility towards protestors is increasing. Scott Roberts is the Senior Director of Criminal Justice for Color of Change, and in today’s episode he explains that more than 100 bills have popped up in states across the country that seek to strip rights from protestors, and even give more freedom to those who wish to hurt protestors. This response is setting a dangerous precedent, and highlights what we’re already painfully aware of: our legal system has a double-standard problem, and systemic change is overdue. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Eric Boehlert of Pressrun.media says the media coverage of Vice President Kamala Harris is completely out of hand. In fact, their coverage of Democrats and their alleged troubles with “messaging” is an overall disaster, with seemingly no self-reflection of what role the reporters themselves play in demolishing the aforementioned Democratic messaging. There also wasn’t any reporting on the White House easing the supply chain jam--but at least we’re getting the most important news, which is the hot takes from America’s least favorite governor, the wishy-washy-Trump-lover-hater-maybe-supporter, Chris Christie. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mwalim, also known as Dr. Morgan James Peters or even ‘DaPhunkee Professor,’ is a professor of English and Black Studies at UMass Dartmouth and a Mashpee Wampanoag. Wampanoag was the tribe that met with Pilgrims in the story of the “first Thanksgiving,” but that’s about all that traditional American history got right about that first “holiday.” Mwalim gives us the history lesson we should have had in school, starting with the ways colonizers changed tribal affiliations and leading all the way up to capitalism and commerce shaping the way we celebrate Thanksgiving. Come for the amazing storytelling, and stay to find out which celebrity his research leads him to believe is an Apache Indian. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jean-Luc Pierite, Director of the North American Indian Center in Boston and member of the United American Indians of New England, shares with us in today’s episode about the National Day of Mourning, which is an annual celebration that seeks to educate people on the myths of Thanksgiving and raise awareness of the ongoing struggles that Native Americans are still facing today. In addition to the day’s details, Jean-Luc talks about fighting back against historicizing Native Americans, because it’s not just about the injustices that have already taken place--it’s about those that are still happening. And are you unsure if you should say Indian, American Indian, Native American, or Indigenous? Well Jean-Luc helps us understand what the most proper and respectful form of reference can be. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com

Protecting yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 this holiday season goes way beyond good handwashing skills and masking up. Dr. C Debra Furr-Holden, Epidemiologist and Associate Dean for Public Health at Michigan State University and Dr. Shanina Knighton, R.N., Infection Preventionist, Clinical Research Scholar at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, are here to provide the MOST helpful travel tips that you’ve likely never considered, complete with some mind-blowing airport facts (spoiler alert: their research groups have swabbed those bins you put your luggage in, and it ain’t pretty!). This episode has everything you need to know before you head home for the holidays. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Closing arguments are happening today in Ahmaud Arbery’s murder trial, as the prosecution seeks justice through the conviction of father-and-son duo Travis and Gregory McMichael, as well as their neighbor William Bryan Jr.. Attorney Barbara Arnwine, who is also the Founder and President of the Transformative Justice Coalition, has been working with Ahmaud’s family and their community since the beginning, and she reports to us about a trial that has been rife with misconduct and failures of the criminal justice system. Just yesterday, the defense made multiple requests to have the Transformative Justice Coalition removed from the courtroom--this is after he asked for Black pastors to be excluded last week. And that’s just a piece of the misconduct pie, and Barbara breaks it down for us and lets us know what we can expect today. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPri

In 2002, Julius Jones was wrongfully convicted of murdering Paul Howell. Last week, on the day of his scheduled execution for a crime he did not commit, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted the death sentence just four hours before he was set to die. It is a victory that Julius’s life has been saved, but now the work continues to free him from prison. Pastor Mike McBride, Founder of Live Free USA and the Black Church PAC, played a large part in fighting for Julius’s life alongside other faith leaders, and he walks us back through the racism that led to Julius's incarceration, the racism of the death penalty itself, and the juxtaposition of faith leaders assisting in Julius's commutation while simultaneously being scrutinized in the trial of the men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/

Led by the League of Women Voters and People for the American Way, Mark joined forces with protestors in Washington D.C. to demand President Biden FIX OR NIX THE FILIBUSTER. You’ll hear one-on-one conversations with: April Albright, Legal Director and Chief of Staff at Black Voters Matter Fund; Judith Brown Dianis, Executive Director of the Advancement Project; Rev. Tim McDonald, Chair of the Board for People for the American Way; Senator Lena Taylor of Wisconsin; Cliff Albright, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter, and Wes Bellamy, Co-Chair of Our Black Party; and a closing word from Rev. Dr. WIlliam Barber II. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Tuesday, Mark spent the day attended the 8th gathering of Black women and allies, brought together by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation's Black Women's Roundtable and the National Council of Negro Women. We'll hear from two movement leaders and speakers to kick things off: Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and convener of Black Women's Roundtable; and Clayola Brown, Civil, Human and Women's Rights Director for the AFL-CIO. They're followed by one-on-one conversations with Congresswoman Shontel Brown of Ohio, who was elected to replace HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge; Jotaka Eaddy, Host of "Speak Sis" on the Oprah Winfrey Network and founder of #WinWithBlackWomen; Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League; Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: