In part 2, we explore the history of the Third World with the Soviet Union, the different characters of a one party state post-national liberation, and the activity in the Sahel region of Africa including the most recent coup in Niger. Vijay lays out the historical context that has led to the current coups in the region. He also clarifies how the Third World became known as an impoverished, backward place for missionary-like charity. "Niger is the fourth country in the Sahel to experience an...

We interview journalist, historian, and Marxist intellectual Vijay Prashad. We discuss the myth of the third world as a site of poverty and degradation instead of the global anti-colonial movement it once was. To gain a better understanding of the history and how it became co-opted we analyze Prashad's book "The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World." Bio Vijay is an Indian historian and journalist. He is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over...

For Pt. 2, we speak with former entrepreneur and current writer Joshua McCoy. We use his experience as a business owner for over 10 years to show the limitations of black business, how the (myth of the) circulating Black dollar does little to impact the day-to-day operations of Black business, and some socialist alternatives to the traditional aspects of Black business.   https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we debunk the myth circulating Black Dollar at DePaul University in Chicago. We track the original claim stating "the lifespan of the dollar in the African-American community is approximately six hours." We show its questionable origins, deconstruct the concept of community, and most importantly we explore the concept of circulation.  Sign up for patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

Myth: Prisons Rehabilitate (Reacting to the Pendleton 2   In this episode, we discuss the documentary The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up directed by our co-host Too Black and TheKingTrill. The film chronicles the story of Indiana political prisoners Christopher "Naeem" Trotter and John "Balagoon" Cole who got 200 plus years for intervening to save the life of a fellow prisoner who was being brutally beaten to death by the prison guards at Pendleton prison. Our frequent listeners will be...

In this episode, we re-explore the Pendleton 2—Indiana political prisoners Christopher "Naeem" Trotter and John "Balagoon" Cole. Recently, a documentary film entitled The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up (directed and produced by TheKingTrill and our very own BMP host Too Black) debuted on Breakthrough News.  In this film, the Pendleton 2 and witnesses who were present for the '85 uprising discuss the events that led to their imprisonment and their subsequent time in solitary confinement. However,...

In this episode we cover the myth of "tough on crime." Utilizing the work of civil rights lawyer and author, Alec Karakatsanis, we explore how the tough on crime policies fail on their own premise and are therefore not not met to solve the needs of the people. Instead, tough on crime policies and as an extension "crime" itself, is largely a tool of the ruling class.    We also explore policies that will help reduce what the State labels as crime such as food, housing, education, and job...

In this episode, we continue with our conversation on the Kwame Toure vs Molefi Asante debate. We look into modern times to discuss the recent Pan-African Summit in Ghana and how it stands up to Nkrumah's version of Pan-Africanism. We also do a brief examination of the developments in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.    00:00:51 - opening  00:03:04 - Debate continued 00:24:34 - Pan African Summit? 00:43:51 - Back to Africa 00:51:43 - Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso

  00:00:51 - Opening  00:07:08 - What is afrocentricity? 00:23:03 - What is pan africanism? 00:44:43 - Debate: Kwame Toure vs Molefi Asante  01:20:01 - Asante response 01:46:51 - Close For this episode, we examine the distinctions between Afrocenticity and Pan-Africanism that are often conflated as one and the same with our guest Dr. Layla Brown. Dr. Layla Brown is a member of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party-GC and currently works as an Assistant Professor of Cultural...

For part two, we cover the events after Congolese Independence including mutiny, Belgian occupation, the U.N., and most importantly CIA meddling that led to the assassination of Lumumba.   White Malice https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/white-malice/ Support our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we investigate the assassination of the late Patrice Lumumba. Patrice Lumumba was a leader of the Congolese movement for independence from Belgium and subsequently became the first democratically elected prime minister of the country. 62 years ago 1961, January 17th, he was gunned down thereby changing the course of history.    We honor him by offering a history of the conditions that led to his assassination and how the United States via the CIA used the inaccurate claim...

We review the myths we covered throughout the year 2022.  An extended version of this conversation exists on our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

This is a special crossover episode with The Malcolm Effect hosted Momodou Taal. BMP Host Too Black was interviewed by Momodou and ME special host Deej about his 2 part essay "Laundering Black Rage." The essay was discussed prior on BMP on our "profiting off of Black Death" myth/episode. In this engaging conversation Black Rage, the function of the Black Elite, and some of the means to reverse launder Black Rage. Essays https://www.blackagendareport.com/laundering-black-rage ...

For part 2, we continue our sit down with Dr. Jemima Pierre investigating the situation in Haiti. In this episode we delve into the so-called "gang activity" in Haiti, leftist governments who have failed Haiti, the Global Fragility Act, and what is to be done to bring peace to Haiti.  Jemima Pierre is Associate Professor in the Departments of African American Studies and Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an editor and columnist for Black Agenda Report. She is...

For this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jemima Pierre to discuss Haiti and its history of foreign intervention. Dr. Pierre explores the historical foundations that led to the influx of "gangs" in Haiti that the UN and US is now attempting to exploit as a justification for intervention. She demonstrates how Haiti has been under constant meddling since it's revolutionary inception.   Jemima Pierre is Associate Professor in the Departments of African American Studies and Anthropology at the...

For part 2, we delve deeper into part 2 of co-host Too Black's essay, "Laundering Black Rage." We cover the three phases in which Black Rage is laundered to serve white capital via the state. We explore how the tragedy of Black Death is used to funnel Black Rage into commodity form. Throughout this process, we note how class interests within the African diaspora are fundamental to laundering Black rage into a flattened form. In our modern time, Black Rage becomes situated around Black...

In this episode, we discuss the (partial) myth of profiting off Black Death. Although Black Death is certainly profitable, the claim is often an incomplete critique that misses other critical elements driving the profit—particularly, Black Rage. Using the recent essay published by co-host Too Black—"Laundering Black Rage"—as a framework, we investigate how regularly Black Death occurs and how many of the opportunities created to profit and benefit from Black Death are also generated by...

For part 2, we speak with Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly & Dr. Jodi Dean about their edited volume, "Organize, Fight, Win: Black Communist Women’s Political Writing." We discuss the writings of Grace Campbell, Williana Burroughs, Maude White, Thyra J. Edwards, Ella Baker, Marvel Cooke, Louise Thompson, Marvel Cooke, Claudia Jones, Lorraine Hansberry. We analyze the select writings of Black communist women to further demystify Marxism by focusing on their day-to-day organizing. What is...

In this episode, we examine the myth that marxism is Eurocentric. Recently, Marxism has seen a resurgence of interest and criticisms across the political spectrum. We want to understand how most Marxists in the world are not white and not men yet some still view Marxism as Eurocentric. We are not interested in mounting a defense for a "dead white man" or converting you to be a cult follower of him. Our inquiry into whether Marxism is Eurocentric is not reducible to an intellectual question....

We discuss the myth of the crack baby that emerged from the MD Ira Chasnoff study on cocaine-exposed children and the subsequent media blitz on crack in 1985. We demonstrate how the crack baby is a media myth founded on bad science. We also examine how the crack baby myth fits within a larger counter-insurgency strategy emerging from the cold war.  Reading https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c7CxOGLGE148gVSDLMPmppYDDBJNfuJt?usp=sharing

In part 2, we discuss the deeper mechanisms of how African Wildlife Conservation operates in Africa including the ecological factors. We dig into the neo-colonist components of how indigenous rights are co-opted to pit Africans against each other. We also discuss the necessary means to empower indigenous Africans to struggle to regain their land.  Dr. Aby Sène-Harper is a faculty of Parks and Conservation Area Management. She is a trained interdisciplinary environmental social researcher...

We sit down with Dr. Aby L. Sène to discuss African wildlife conservation as it's practiced by the west in Africa. Sène covers how African Wildlife conservation is another extension of European colonialism including militarization, enclosure, and primitive accusation. Essentially conservation serves as a front for colonialism.  Dr. Aby Sène-Harper is a faculty of Parks and Conservation Area Management. She is a trained interdisciplinary environmental social researcher whose work advances...

We're taking a month off due to scheduling but we'll be back in July. Until then we want to leave you with this episode, “What’s Africa Got to Do with Me? This myth corresponds with some of the new episodes we have coming up so we thought this would be a good time to re-air it. Enjoy! Original description "Regardless of how one identifies, the facts are clear that the state of Africa has a tremendous impact on our daily lives. The resources stolen from Africa are sold as products in...

In part 2 of the myth Rooting for Everybody Black (Pt.3 overall of the Myth of Trickle Down Blackness), we continue our talk with Georgetown University Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, about his new book Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else). This episode picks up right where we left off. Continuing with elite capture as our philosophical lens, we discuss the pitfalls of two additional popular phrases "All Skin Folk Ain't...

In this episode, we talk with Georgetown University Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, about his new book Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else). In early 2021 we interviewed Taiwo about his essay of a similar name (Identity Politics and Elite Capture) to debunk the myth of trickle-down blackness --the concept that if a select group of Black people can gain access to elite spaces then the fruits of that access will magically...