Shelley’s Plumbline

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we re-examine an interview with historian Horace Huntley conducted in 1997 by Dr. Shelley Stewart.  The discussion emphasizes that white supremacy operates like a cancer that continuously mutates across generations, and highlights the heavy public criticism Shelley faced for discussing racial issues openly. We discuss how mainstream networks avoid auth...

Send us Fan Mail As a member of the King's inner circle, Hosea Williams served as the advance man, organizing some of the most important events in the movement. Williams traveled to cities throughout the South, recruiting and organizing volunteers, paving the way for appearances by King, Jesse Jackson, and Andrew Young. Williams and John Lewis led the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Shelley reflects on his journey from a homeless youth in Birmingham to a pioneering radio personality and successful business consultant.  This episode  touches on civil rights history, economic empowerment, education, and the ongoing struggle for equality, offering a powerful look at legacy, fatherhood, and social consciousness. Support the show Follow us and cont...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, Shelley and Ricky discuss how over-reliance on AI for writing and thinking threatens critical thinking and foundational professional competencies, forcing educators to find new ways to verify comprehension.  The conversation also covered the historical ties between literacy and empowerment, current political pressures on educators (such as the dissolut...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the sharp decline in educational literacy across the U.S. and the emerging cognitive threats posed by artificial intelligence.  We examine alarming literacy trends, including 25 million American children reading below proficiency, 61% of low-income families lacking age-appropriate books, and only 2% of adults reading to a child on any given day.  As rea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, hosts Shelley Stewart, Ricky Jones, and Mark Jamroz explore the persistent challenges of truth-telling in both professional and societal contexts. Key Topics Discussed: The Cost of Truth: An analysis of why individuals often prioritize saying what others want to hear over speaking necessary truths—a pattern observed from the 1950s through today. Barriers to Progre...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we (re)present the most downloaded Plumbline episode of 2025, titled "Racism Today." In this episode, Shelley, Mark, and Ricky Jones launch into a powerful discussion on the enduring struggle against racism, arguing that while overt segregation is gone, it has transformed, with terms like DEI serving as "code words" for veiled racist policies. They explo...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Shelley's Plumbline celebrates the return of Dr. Shelley Stewart to the podcast team!  The discussion centers on the systemic challenges facing black academics and educators, including the mental health toll of targeted media attacks, the lack of representation in higher education (where black professors constitute only 5% of the faculty), and the exclusion of...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we move beyond the headlines to examine the systemic pressures facing higher education—from the dismantling of DEI initiatives to the political influence on university leadership. We explore the roots of current political polarization, analyze the impact of populist movements on our national discourse, and discuss why critical thinking is under attack. If you’re l...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mark and Ricky pull back the curtain on the hypocrisy within military leadership, discussing the targeted removal of Black historical figures from institutions and the exclusionary rhetoric permeating the Pentagon.  Through the lens of Clint Smith’s The Atlantic piece, "The Betrayal of America’s Black Patriots," they analyze the complex legacy of figures...

Send us Fan Mail In 1993, Shelley hosted the Shelley Stewart Show, Survival in the 90s. It was a talk show on television that ran for 13 episodes. Today, we feature the audio from an extraordinary episode that featured a conversation with three very different people on the same stage. The discussion featured Lamarse Washington , Executive Director of the National Conference of Christians and Jews,...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Ricky highlights the erosion of intellectual freedom in Alabama, citing issues at Auburn University and the University of Alabama regarding the dismantling of faculty senates and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They argue that university leadership is either cowed by the threat of losing state funding or ideologically aligned with white...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "Shelley's Plumline," hosts Mark Jamroz and Dr. Ricky Jones explore the foundational contradictions of American history, using Frederick Douglass’s critique of Independence Day as a starting point.  We analyze the systematic erasure of figures like Crispus Attucks from public memory and discuss how lingering ideologies from the Civil War era conti...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we continue in the theme of fathers as we rebroadcast a show we released on near his birthday, September 27, 2023. It features a recording of a speech Shelley made on Father's Day when he was 63 years old at Friendship Baptist Church . This Church plays a special role in Shelley's life. As a boy of five, he saw his mother murdered just a few blocks away. In spite...

Send us Fan Mail You don't have to be a dad to be a father. Mentor a child. Set a good example. Teach our youth the right direction. Happy Father's Day. Support the show Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , and  LinkedIn .

Send us Fan Mail Shelley's Plumbline is on a short summer break. In the meantime, Shelley asked that we rebroadcast some of our most popular episodes on the importance of education.  Support the show Follow us and continue the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , and  LinkedIn .

Send us Fan Mail In this week's podcast, Dr. Ricky Jones calls out modern efforts to roll back Civil Rights gains. The discussion highlights the systematic underfunding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the use of anti-affirmative action and anti-DEI movements to restrict Black student access and support at predominantly white institutions.  We discuss how the real v...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Shelley's Plumbline explores the question of what we, as Black men and a people, have done wrong in the ongoing struggle for equality?  Stewart frames this introspection with painful memories of childhood segregation and being told he was "wrong" simply because of his color. Dr. Jones refines the query into two parts: "What is wrong with blackne...

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Send us Fan Mail This week on Shelley's Plumbline, we look into the true meaning of war, questioning the moral center of American conflicts, and suggesting that the biggest challenge today is simply survival in America.  The discussion exposes America's "masterful lie" of liberty and justice for all, highlighting the historical and ongoing racial injustice faced by Black vetera...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's podcast, we continue our interview featuring Candis Bonner, a top writer for the major magazine Black Radio Exclusive . We focus on the history and evolution of the Black radio industry. Bonner explains that Black radio was not homogeneous across the US, and her publication was often ahead of the curve in predicting music trends because it was dedicated to the...

Send us Fan Mail This week's podcast features guest Candis Bonner, who shares a conversation about lifelong friendship and the evolution of Black media. Friendship Loss and Reunion We discuss the pain of losing friends and the rarity of true friendship. Shelley recounts the emotional reunion with his lifelong friend, Jimmy, after 10 years of separation following his homelessness at age 7. Bla...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode of Shelley's Plumbline explores the opposition to Human Rights progress, including the anti-DEI movement and the inaction of the Black bourgeoisie, prompting a call for a desperate resurgence of the movement for freedom.  Shelley and Ricky emphasize the crucial role of education, advocating for widespread reading and critical thinking as a necessary e...

Send us Fan Mail This week Shelley's Plumbline covers a debate on the Black Church's role in community unity and institutional strength, questioning if its historical influence on the community and youth still remains strong today.  Shelley shares his concern about whether Black institutions like the church that once helped navigate racial struggles have weakened in that role.  The discu...

Send us Fan Mail The week's discussion centers on the pursuit of power, with Ricky and Shelley questioning the sustainability of the integration model and discussing the need for new political approaches, including "voluntary separation."  We pay tribute to Reverend Jesse Jackson, remembering his dedication to "Education, hope, and the continuous fight for equality and power. ...