In Search of Black Power
In Search of Black Power challenges conventional narratives around Black policy, Black movements, and Black Life. We focus on creating a new language to discuss the issues presenting Black America, with a focus on independent institutional building and seeing Black folks as the solutions to our own problems.
Episodes
74 episodes
Who deserves credit for the decline in murders? Police, Public Health, or the Grassroots?
Despite media fearmongering about crime in cities, violent crimes like shootings and murders have declined nationwide in 2024. In Baltimore, murders have dropped even as police departments claim to be understaffed and demoralized, yet many stil...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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56:18
Beyond the Squad: AOC, Ryan Grim, and Left Media vs. Black Political Analysis
In his book The Squad, journalist Ryan Grim provides an account of the experiences of “The Squad,” a group of progressive legislators elected to the House of Representatives, as they attempted to govern. Their journey—from election victories to...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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1:00:07
The Baltimore Model of Community Controlled Reparations
Over the past decade, reparations have shifted from a fringe issue championed by Black nationalists to a mainstream topic in Democratic and nonprofit circles.In Baltimore, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS) has advanced a reparations...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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50:49
Post Election Panel: Is the Left Ready to Get Serious About Wielding Power?
In the conclusion of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle's Post-Election Analysis, we share a panel discussion hosted by Baltimore Racial Justice Action (BRJA), held the week after the election.Moderated by Julia Scott, the panel featured:<...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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1:30:43
Grassroots Election Recap: Elite Dems Failed Black Folks and Brought Us Trump 2.0
Trump has won the election—again. But why? Lawrence and Dayvon delve beyond the data, drawing on their on-the-ground experience to contextualize the results. They highlight the Democratic Party’s failures on issues like criminal justice, expung...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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47:39
Pre-Election Special: Kamala Harris's Black Male Agenda and Cannabis Legalization
Kamala Harris released her Black Male Opportunity agenda amid discussions about lower support from Black men compared to Black women, with even Barack Obama criticizing "the brothers." In this episode, we examine how Harris balances appealing t...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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57:33
The White Liberals Keep the Score: An African Centered Critique of The Body Keeps the Score (Part 2)
In this episode, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle Director of Research, Lawrence Grandpre, critiques the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework, showing how it centers Eurocentric norms of trauma—focusing on individual and family experie...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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1:15:30
The White Liberals Keep the Score: An African Centered Critique of The Body Keeps the Score (Part 1)
Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score has become a global sensation, shaping mental health services and public conversations by centering trauma...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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1:02:23
Guiding Black Youth: The legacy of African-Centered Rites of Passage
African-centered Rites of Passage is a cultural practice and intervention that uses traditional African culture to facilitate the transition of young people to adulthood. Andre "Akintola" Turner, with over 20 years of experience in education ...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:09:14
Sacrificing “Sum of Us”: Why Black Power Can’t Help Everyone (Part 2)
In part two of our podcast analysis of Heather McGhee’s book “The Sum of Us,” hosted by Lawrence Grandpre, we use a historical lens to examine the effectiveness of multiracial positive-sum politics. We challenge McGhee’s argument that multiraci...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:11:38
Sacrificing “Sum of Us”: Why Black Power Can’t Help Everyone (Part 1)
Heather McGee’s book, The Sum of Us, is touted as a new approach to racial justice. Her arguments, showcased from TED Talks to late-night shows, suggest that framing investments in Black communities as beneficial for everyone can counter white ...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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43:02
Anti-Blackness and progressive approaches to Economic Redistribution
In this episode, Lawrence explores the intersections of race and economic redistribution. Advocates of "race-neutral" economic redistribution policies have rebranded them as "race-conscious," asserting that policies like baby bonds...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:01:00
Baltimore's Fight for Reparations
In May 2023, Baltimore’s City Council unanimously voted to establish the Community Reinvestment and Reparations Commission to oversee the distribution of funds granted by the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, making Baltimore City the fir...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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37:02
Revolutionary Tools: The Practical Applications of African Spirituality for Black Liberation
In this thought-provoking interview, Dayvon speaks with Shawna Murray-Browne, founder of Kindred Wellness, about the intersection of African spirituality and revolutionary struggles for Black Liberation. With a wealth of know...
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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37:50
White Environmentalism Towards Grassroots Environmental Justice
Lawrence and Rasheem discuss the intersection of environmentalism and racism in the United States. They explore the ways in which environmental racism has become a key focus of anti-racist discourse and organizing, drawing on the influential bo...
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Season 3
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Episode 31
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28:04
Building Collective Power for Black-led Social Change
In this interview, Dayvon Love sits down with Jamye Wooten, the founder and CEO of CLLCTIVLY, to explore the critical need for collective economic development and narrative change to challenge myths of Black pathology in our communities. <...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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20:25
Not Just "Food Deserts": Food Sovereignty for the Black Community
Lawrence and Rasheem engage in a stimulating conversation that challenges the "food desert" narrative and explores what true food sovereignty might mean for the Black community. They discuss the dangers of relying solely on grocery stores to fe...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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38:34
The Intellectual Legacy of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Other Political Prisoners
In this insightful interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Todd Steven Burroughs, a renowned author, historian, and expert on the contributions of Black political prisoners to the struggle for freedom and justice. In this video, Todd s...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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1:04:58
2022 Midterms: Reflections & Moving Forward
On this special episode, Lawrence Grandpre hosts a discussion on how the Black community should process the results of the 2022 Midterm Election.
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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1:27:55
The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power
In part two of our interview with Dr. Jared Ball - he discusses his book, “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power”, and addresses the folly of Black capitalism.Jared A. Ball is a father and husband. After that, he is a Professor ...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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27:34
Mass media propaganda against Black liberation
We sit down with Dr Jared Ball - co-founder and host on the Black Power Media (BPM) digital platform. In part one of our interview, he lays out the ways that mass media and propaganda are used against struggles for Black Liberation.Jare...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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29:48
The political impacts of marginalizing Black/Pan-Afrikan Nationalism
In part two of our examination of Black nationalism, we look at the political implications of the marginalization of Black nationalism. We analyze the limitations of current progressive Black political formations through the lens of not learnin...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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36:46
Revolutionary Black/Pan-Afrikan Nationalism: Beyond the Caricature
In the first of this two-part episode, we take a look at some of the historical successes of Black nationalism as a political methodology. We then juxtapose those successes with the caricatures and stereotypes used to marginalize Black national...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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30:45
The Colonial Imagination's impact on African People (Part 2)
In part two of our interview with Dr. Cleo Manago - we discuss the dynamics of intra-racial violence amongst Black people, particularly sexual and gender minorities.Cleo Manago is an African American activist and social architect who co...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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37:20
The Colonial Imagination's impact on African People (Part 1)
On this episode, we sit down with Dr. Cleo Manago - founder of the AmASSI Center in Baltimore, Maryland. We discuss the impact of colonialism and white supremacy on the collective attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of people of African descent.<...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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35:47