Make It Plain MIP with Rev. Mark Thompson

The Poor People's Campaign is holding a Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20th; every day leading up to that day of action, we'll be featuring real stories of struggle and poverty to raise awareness and make the subject a priority. That's what you'll find at the top of the episode, and today's speaker is Karla, a deaf student who lost her muc...

The Black community is experiencing a disproportionate amount of deaths from both the pandemic AND a police-demic, and the Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) is at its intersection fighting for justice and searching for solutions. Maurice BP-Weeks, Co-Executive Director, and his colleagues at the organization were already working on the eviction crisis that was sparked by coronavirus out...

Choo choo! All aboard the hot mess express, destination: Georgia. This episode is essential listening for understanding how voter suppression works, with Georgia's primary election as our case study. The state's primary election, which was held on June 9th, was an absolute disaster, with voters mysteriously purged from voter rolls, polling location changes that weren't communicated to...

ICYMI yesterday's announcement, the Poor People's Campaign is holding a Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20th; every day leading up to that day of action, we'll be featuring real stories of struggle and poverty to raise awareness and make the subject a priority. That's what you'll find at the top of the episode, and today's speaker is An...

With historic job losses from coronavirus, the gap has never been wider between the rich and the poor. The Poor People's Campaign is holding a Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20th; every day leading up to that day of action, we'll be featuring real stories of struggle and poverty to raise awareness and make the subject a priority, and that's what y...

"We cannot turn to a new chapter until we have political change and change of law," says Joe Sanberg, entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Aspiration. And in the midst of coronavirus, as we are finally getting a collective grasp on how essential workers are grossly underpaid, Joe is focusing on changing something specific: the minimum wage. And forget about $15 dollars--he says businesses across...

The jobs report is never as simple as some headlines make it seem; yes, unemployment dropped by just over 1-percent, but it went UP for African-Americans, explains Chad Stone, Chief Economist for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. There's other details to consider too, like the fact that the additional unemployment insurance of $600 dollars per week is set to end on July 31st, and we...

In today's episode we travel down to Alabama, where there is a gubernatorial candidate who is currently running on a platform to pubicly lynch convicted drug dealers. "He's throwing red meat to his base," says Benard Simelton, President of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP. Meanwhile, the state is starting to reopen and coronavirus is still a major concern for residents. An...

The work on the ground is not near done, says Irna Landrum, Campaigns Manager DailyKos, as activists in Minneapolis are trying to find a balance in demonstrating and caring for the community. She and other reporters and activists have found accelerants hidden in alleyways and on private property, gasoline in water bottles, and are wary of any sudden and explosive sounds resembling gunfire. But lis...

As our country remains in a state of unrest, Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia's 8th District is not shying away from calling George Floyd's death what it was: murder. In today's episode, he reflects on that as well as his discomfort with the fact that some people seem more upset about property damage than what is happening to human lives. You'll also hear why he calls Trump a mode...

Dr. Conrad Worril, Chairman Emeritus of the National Black United Front, renowned Pan-Africanist, reparationist and mentor to a generation of activists, once minimized the importance of elections in achieving freedom for African Americans. But as he battles COVID-19 and cancer, he says that we have no choice in 2020 but to vote Trump out. Roland Martin co-hosts this important interview with a move...

What do you think Malcolm X and Dr. King would be doing right now in response to the murder of George Floyd? Organize, educate, and agitate, says Dr. Peniel Joseph, author of "The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr." Today's episode gives historical context for understanding how the dangers of being black in the 1960s are not different...

Today we're giving you ANOTHER special double episode starting off with Rep. Eric Swalwell on his Twitter takedown of former acting DNI Richard Grenell and whether Russia will exploit the tension over #GeorgeFloyd. Then comes more Russia talk with Max Bergmann, Director of The Moscow Project, on Trump's desperate grab for a scandal with "Obamagate," the detail you might have missed...

As our country is faced with yet another senseless murder of an innocent black man, we feel it deeper than ever that we must elect officials who understand what it means to protect and serve constituents; that kind of support is what you get with Sybrina Fulton. You may know her as the mother of Trayvon Martin, but you might also know her for her more than 20 years of service to Miami-Dade County,...

Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has started to rise again. And with 31-percent of all cases occurring in the United States, that's concerning to Sam Smith, Publisher of Prorev.com. He gets into the problematic ways some states are reopening, as well as some talk on Biden--why he thinks Elizabeth Warren is not a strategic pick for VP, and how his "you ain't black" comment...

Defying science and not wearing a mask are actions not just synonymous with support for Trump, but also express a specific worldview even bigger than the Donald, says Michael Tomasky, Special Correspondent for The Daily Beast in today's episode. Aside from that, Michael tells us how he thinks the country has transitioned into a "competitive authoritarianism," defined as a country that...

Trump is attacking vote-by-mail and early voting, and Senator Amy Klobuchar wants you to stay ahead of the curve, and she lets us know what you can do to ensure your vote is cast in November. She's also been working on quite a bit of legislation, including a bill she authored that will get new types of job training for people who are out of work due to coronavirus, as well as a bill to help st...

60-percent of black women over the age of 65 live 200% below the poverty line. More than half of black women over 65 live with food insecurity. That's what's on Rep. Stacey Plaskett's mind right now, as she fears those vulnerable populations are falling through the cracks during this pandemic. In today's episode, she discusses this concern as well as overall food insecurity for Ame...

Stacey Abrams or Elizabeth Warren -- which one should be Joe Biden's VP pick? Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, thinks he knows which way Biden is leaning, and he shares that insight on each with us in today's episode. Markos also brings to our attention something else Dems should be aware of--polling shows our party is less unified behind Biden than we were during Hilary&#...

In North Carolina, an armed militia of stay-at-home protestors, complete with what appeared to be a bazooka, first harassed a black family walking outside, then entered a Subway for some sandwiches. Igor Volsky, Executive Director of Guns Down America, wants to know why Subway has remained silent in condemning the group who have direct ties to white nationalism and a specific group that is working...

Catherine Herridge was the "face of Benghazi" for Fox News, says Eric Boehlert, Publisher of pressrun.media, and now she's leading the "Obamagate" charge from her position as National Security Reporter at CBS. But that's not all she's been up to, and Mark gets into it with Eric in today's episode, as well as some other news network behavior that is blatantly wasting...

The conversation around gun ownership is changing after our nation experienced the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery--black families are now considering what their options are to protect themselves, but also recognizing the double standard. Josh Horwitz is the Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Kayla Hicks is the Director of African-American and Community Outreach, and the...

Are you or someone you know struggling to afford food during this pandemic? There's a map for that, says Lorrie Clevenger, Director of US Programs for the Grassroots Action Network. She and Alison Cohen, Senior Director of Programs at WhyHunger, join today's episode to tell us about the Find Food COVID Map (link and phone number below), the change in eligibility requirements, and how their...

Brandon Gassaway, National Press Secretary of the DNC, joins the show to discuss tonight's FREE virtual forum, "Making The American Dream Accessible and Affordable to Black Men" (registration link below). They also talk New Orleans experiencing Hurricane Katrina déjà vu, DNC convention plans, and some thoughts on the Michael Jordan miniseries "The Last Dance." We then hear from...

You might be eligible for SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, because of how the coronavirus has impacted your life (and in some states, they've changed their rules to accommodate the increase in struggling citizens). According to Rose Afriyie of mRelief, a quick 3-minute self-assessment on their site will determine if you are, and if you or someone you know doesn't have internet...