On The Ground
On The Ground
Journey For Justice Alliance
In 2019, a Black person can walk in Walgreens and they cannot refuse you service because of the color of your skin. We can run schools, organizations and corporations. Delta Airlines cannot say, "we don't serve Black people." We can attend any college or university that we like and they cannot openly deny us access because of our race. Why? The answer is simple. As Black people in the United States, every right that we have is a direct result of community organizing. Community organizing is the people directly impacted by a problem, strategizing and building power to win policy change, or resources to improve their quality of life. For our entire history in this country there is a long and committed record of people speaking power to power in order to change their living conditions. Today, we see a resurgence of black led grassroots community organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Join the On the Ground family to learn the difference. This podcast hosted by Jitu Brown, National Director of the Journey for Justice Alliance, is dedicated to "spreading the gospel" of community organizing to the public. We are not in an ivory tower, intellectualizing about what Black people need to do. We are in these streets, waging our struggle for liberation. We are ON THE GROUND.
On The Ground: It Ain't Necessarily So
Join our host as we talk with 2 leaders from Oakland and New Orleans about school privatization and the gentrification of America's urban spaces.
Nov 25, 2019
38 min
On The Ground: Count it Up!
Jitu Brown chops it up with New Jersey community organizers Rosie Grant, Johnnie Lattner and Faheem Lee. The right to elect school boards was snatched away from Black NJ Cities. Determined coalition building & organizing won it back. Don’t slip! Listen in!
Nov 9, 2019
47 min
On The Ground: I Know I Can
Jitu Brown chats with Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, national field organizer at the Dignity in Schools Campaign & Jonathan Stith, national director at the Alliance for Education Justice, about work to dismantle the school to prison pipeline!
Oct 28, 2019
54 min
On The Ground: You Must Learn
A silent epidemic happening across the US is the purge of black teachers from public school classrooms. Jitu Brown talks with 2 leaders who are fighting back: Tara Stamps from the Chicago Teachers Union and Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price from PULSE in Newark NJ.
Oct 21, 2019
55 min
On The Ground: Mind Blowing Decisions
Brother Jitu Brown talks to Shawni Robinson and Anna Simonton about the"Atlanta Cheating Scandal" and incarcerated black teachers! As Public Enemy said years ago; Don't believe the hype!
Oct 13, 2019
42 min
On The Ground: Mind Power
Jitu Brown spends time with Warriors from Grassroots Arkansas, who are waging a campaign to not only win back their right to vote but to finally force Arkansas to realize equity in public education. Racism knows no Shame.
Oct 6, 2019
33 min
On The Ground: Go Up Moses
What is the alternative to school closings & the charter school industry? Sustainable community schools! Jitu Brown talks with Kyle Serrette of the NEA & John Projansky, resource coordinator at Drake Elementary, a sustainable community school in Chicago!
Sep 29, 2019
45 min
On The Ground: Heartbeat
Jitu Brown talks with Sharon Smith & Johnnie Latner, co-founders of PULSE (Parents Unified for Local School Education), to discuss the monumental impact this grassroots organization has made on the education justice movement in Newark & across New Jersey.
Sep 22, 2019
38 min
On The Ground: Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Join Brother Jitu as he builds with education justice warriors Mike Hutchinson and Megan Bumpus. They discuss the Oakland teacher’s strike and the power of authentic coalition building between community and union to win equity in public education.
Sep 17, 2019
32 min
On The Ground: Ain't No Half Steppin'
Jitu Brown is joined by NJ organizers Genese Dean, Byheijja Sabree & Ronsha Dickerson. They discuss the sabotage of public education in Camden where a manufactured budget deficit of 27 million dollars is being used as an excuse to shut down public schools.
Sep 8, 2019
46 min
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