Happy 4th of July weekend!

This week on The Best of Black Politics:

Calming your mind – with Jenny Phillips, she’s a practicing psychotherapist and the filmmaker behind “THE DHAMMA BROTHERS,” which tells the story of prisoners finding freedom through mediation. She explains how anyone can work towards “spiritual development” through meditation.

Chris will also be joined by journalist Gilbert King, author of “THE EXECUTION OF WILLIE FRANCIS: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South” with his story on cruel and unusual punishment and the outrageous case that sparked his interest in the criminal justice system.

On today’s show

Chris Owens talks with Katrina Browne, who made a ghastly discovery about her family: she’s the descendant of one of the largest slave-trading families in U.S. history... and they were Yankees.

Browne is the filmmaker behind “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North,” which was just shown at the New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival this week but can be seen this summer on PBS, check local your local listings for “P.O.V.’s 2008 Season.” Visit http://www.tracesofthetrade.org/ to learn more.

Also joining Chris, Harold Fields – He is active in restorative justice and racial reconciliation projects across the nation and is featured in the film.

Plus, hear Chris’ take on this week’s news in politics.

Chris Owens previews next week’s election in Zimbabwe, that beautiful country in Southern Africa, bordered by Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. The focus is the controversy surrounding its leader, Robert Mugabe, who’s been a magnet for much press attention and criticism. Representing two sides of the debate over Mugabe are NYC Councilman Charles Barron, an outspoken supporter of the president of Zimbabwe, and Carolyn Norris, Acting Deputy Director of the Africa division, Human Rights Watch. Both have very different views on what’s happening there.

Plus, check out our new online feature: We’ll also have posted online Chris’ interview with Boston Globe religion reporter Michael Paulson, with his report on the oppression of Anglicans in Zimbabwe below.

In honor of almost-Father's-Day, this week’s show is about Fathers and sons. Chris is talking politics with his dad, Major Robert Odell Owens, who served in the US House of Representatives from 1982- January 2007, among his achievements -- passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And, we’ll have a lively roundtable discussion between Chris, Congressman Owens and Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-35th District). On the table: what’s ahead for the Dems, including the stakes for VP and how Waters feels having initially backed Hillary Clinton, only to have endorsed Obama this past Tuesday.

This week’s show is about something we don’t often talk about directly... fear and politics . . . and how we can come together, despite differences.

We’re talking with our favorite conservative pundit, Robert George, from the New York Post about the-story-behind-the-story on recent assassination comments.

We’re looking at why fear often works in politics with psychologist Joseph L. White. Forty years ago, White helped establish the first Black Studies Departments on an American college campus and he pioneered a new movement, black psychology, which challenged psychologists to understand the unique experiences of people of color.

And Eric Gutierrez joins us. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, he’s a writer and commentator on religion and culture. We’re looking at how Latinos and Blacks have overcome fear and differences, in one case, through a genre of music speaking to them both. He's the author of the new book "Disciples of the Street: The Promise of a Hip Hop Church."

It’s Memorial Day Weekend and if you’re not on the road right now . . . maybe you’re getting ready to chill out and enjoy the time off with friends and family. Our show this weekend is about your health, from three interesting angles:

Attacking Cancer – Dr. Arden Morris, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, tells us about her new study published this month on why more people of color are dying from cancer, even when they have the same access to treatment.

Talking about HIV/AIDS – Avis Jones-DeWeever, of the National Council of Negro Women, tackles what still remains a taboo topic in many communities of color and dispels some lingering myths.

Calming your mind – with Jenny Phillips, she’s a practicing psychotherapist and the filmmaker behind “THE DHAMMA BROTHERS,” which tells the story of prisoners finding freedom through mediation. She explains how anyone can work towards “spiritual development” through meditation.

Listen live at http://www.airamerica.com/blackpolitics/ and now on Facebook.
NYC Listeners can catch us online Saturdays and live Sundays at 7 am on 1600 AM WWRL

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Sam Seder interviews Sen. Feingold on secret law hearings

We're previewing next week’s Pennsylvania Democratic Primary with Rep. Chaka Fattah, from Pennsylvania's Second District.

And Scott Simpson, a Democratic pollster for Hamilton Campaigns, based in Washington, DC tells us what he's learned about what really counts to voters.

And Chris shares his campaign advice, including his insights on the "bitter" story and the spin on the ABC NEWS Democratic debate from this past week.

This week you’ll hear one of the few interviews with the US Olympic torchbearers . . . we’ve got Majora Carter, who on a regular day is Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx, an organization she founded, which works for environmental justice in the South Bronx. But this was an unusual week for her: Majora tells us what it was like to carry the Olympic torch through crowds of protesters this past Wednesday in San Francisco. Plus – hear what happened when she pulled the Tibetan flag from her sleeve...

And, we’ll be joined by conservative columnist Robert George, from the New York Post, reporting on the week’s news, plus Avis Jones-DeWeever, of the National Council of Negro Women, shares her views on how everyday people are coping with what many now admit is our economic recession.

post show comments:

Read Chris' Letter to the Editor this week in the New York Times here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/opinion/lweb07race.html
kinda puts that McCain clip from the show in an interesting light . . .

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