On this episode of Street Vibes: Pulse of the Street, Renaldo McKenzie sits down with an outspoken and passionate Jamaican citizen at the airport in Jamaica for a candid conversation about the state of the nation, leadership, history, economics, and the future of the Caribbean.The discussion explores Jamaica's political journey from the era of Michael Manley and Edward Seaga to the present day, examining questions of self-reliance, education, social welfare, foreign influence, economic dependency, and public accountability. The guest reflects on a period when education, school meals, and social support were widely accessible and contrasts it with contemporary challenges facing ordinary Jamaicans.The conversation also touches on Haiti's history and economic decline, the role of foreign powers in Caribbean affairs, Jamaica's relationship with Cuba, Chinese investment in Jamaica, labor issues, political patronage, and whether today's leaders truly serve the interests of the Jamaican people.Most importantly, this Street Vibes episode captures the unfiltered voice of an everyday Jamaican reflecting on what has been lost, what remains, and what must change if Jamaica is to build a stronger future.Street Vibes is a special series of The Neoliberal Round Podcast where Renaldo McKenzie speaks with ordinary people from around the world to capture the pulse of the street and hear directly from those whose voices are often overlooked.The Neoliberal Round Podcast is a production of The Neoliberal Corporation, founded by Renaldo McKenzie.Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.Visit:www.theneoliberal.comwww.renaldocmckenzie.comFollow and subscribe:The Neoliberal Round PodcastCreator/Hosted by Renaldo McKenzieEmail us at [email protected] to us at https://donate.stripe.com/7sYcN48uybAA2OEb9V93y06

This is an excerpt to Caribbean Thought facilitated by Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, Professor at Jamaica Theological Seminary and Creator and Host of The Neoliberal Round Podcast, President of The Neoliberal Corporation and Author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income INequality, Poverty and Resistance. Renaldo graduated with two masters from The University of Pennsylvania and publishing a second book Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered.This Lecture is not the full Lecture but is an excerpt of some relevant discussion on Caribbean Independence and explores whether the Caribbean is truly independent and the strategy that maintains colonialism, and the power dynamic in the world that places black and brown people at the bottom. Students are come from all over the Americas and is facilitated via the zoom platform.Subscribe for free on ay stream. Find your stream at https://anchor.fm/theneoliberal. Visit us at https://theneoliberal.com or https://renaldocmckenzie.com Visit Jamaica Theological Seminary⁩  https://jts.edu.jmCall The Neoliberal at 445-260-9198Email us at [email protected] Donate to us https://donate.stripe.com/7sYcN48uybAA2OEb9V93y06

After more than a century of advocacy and decades of federal struggle, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been officially recognized as America's 575th federally recognized American Indian tribe. In this important episode of The Neoliberal Round Podcast, host Renaldo McKenzie is joined by Phoenix Moon and Dr. Nolan Fontaine to discuss the historic passage of the Lumbee Act (S.107), the significance of federal recognition, and the role the Urban Indian Heritage Society played in supporting Indigenous advocacy and visibility.The conversation explores the Lumbee people's long journey from state recognition in 1885 to federal recognition in 2025, their history as the "People of the Dark Water," and broader questions surrounding Indigenous identity in America. The guests also discuss the work of the Urban Indian Heritage Society, Indigenous education, cultural preservation, reclassification efforts, and the ongoing debate over identity, ancestry, and belonging.Are African Americans, Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, or some combination of these identities? How do history, genealogy, race, and politics shape the way we understand ourselves? This episode tackles these challenging questions while examining the intersections of Native American and African American history.Join us for a thoughtful discussion on history, identity, recognition, and the continuing struggle for Indigenous visibility in America.Hosted by Renaldo McKenzieA production of The Neoliberal Corporation and The Neoliberal Round Podcast.Visit:The Neoliberal CorporationRenaldo McKenzie Official WebsiteSubscribe to The Neoliberal Round Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Street Vibes: Pulse of the Street is back on The Neoliberal Round this summer!In this episode, Renaldo McKenzie vibes with Margo at the African American Herbal Store in Maplewood Mall, Germantown, Philadelphia. Margo is a dynamic creator offering African herbs, scents, clothing, textiles, and all things holistic and African.The experience was powerful. The moment you walk in, the space breathes catharsis, therapy, peace, and culture. Margo is indomitable, pleasant, radiant, and welcoming, with a beautiful smile and a spirit that makes the room feel like home.Joining Renaldo on this Street Vibe is Benjamin Graves, a local Philadelphian who helped facilitate the discussion.Street Vibes is a production of The Neoliberal Round Podcast by Renaldo McKenzie and The Neoliberal Corporation.Visit: https://theneoliberal.com or https://renaldocmckenzie.com

Part 2: In today’s lecture, students were asked to define the Caribbean and their place within it. The class began exploring questions of identity, heritage, belonging, and the meaning of Caribbean existence within the modern world system. Students reflected on their own heritage while examining the idea that the Caribbean itself may be an invention shaped by colonialism, imperialism, and external power structures.The lecture questioned whether the Caribbean is truly independent given its economic dependence, reliance on aid, and the continued challenges to its sovereignty within the postcolonial order. The Professor argued that life is fundamentally about people and human relationships, yet life is also shaped by structures of power and by what societies make of themselves. Within this framework, the Caribbean’s position in the global order has often been constructed to maintain the region in a position of servitude, dependency, and vulnerability.Students explored the ideas of Mutabaruka, particularly his statement that “God is a creation of man.” The Professor discussed this position as emerging from the colonial experience and from the imposition of European religious traditions upon Indigenous and African peoples as though they possessed no spiritual systems of their own. This led to broader discussions about colonization, faith, spirituality, and the psychological effects of colonial domination.The class also examined the continued divisions within the Caribbean and questioned whether Caribbean unity may provide a path forward. Responding to a student’s question about solutions, the Professor connected the discussion to the work of Ama Mazama and the Afrocentric paradigm, arguing that one of the Caribbean’s major problems is the dominance of Western frameworks and ideas that cloud the minds of colonized peoples. The lecture emphasized the need to reconceptualize Caribbean thought and identity outside of inherited colonial assumptions.The Professor, Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, argued that Caribbean peoples have always possessed a roadmap toward development and liberation, but have often privileged European models, institutions, and values instead. At the same time, local elites and institutional powers within the Caribbean have historically acted to preserve the existing order and prevent transformative regional change.The lecture concluded by emphasizing that these structures are strategic and that Caribbean peoples must themselves become strategic in determining how to truly free themselves, grow, and develop. The Professor pointed to Cuba as an example of a nation that attempted to pursue its own path despite international pressures and economic punishment. While this choice affected Cuba’s wealth and development, the argument was made that Cuba sought to preserve dignity, sovereignty, and an alternative vision of life rather than fully surrendering itself to external powers and global capitalism.This is an excerpt of the full Lecture made available for The Neoliberal Round. The Lectures are held at Jamaica Theological SeminaryThis is published by The Neoliberal Corporation. The text for the class is Neoliberalism by Renaldo McKenzieVisit JTS at https://jts.edu.jmVisit The Neoliberal at https://theneoliberal.com

Part 1A: In today’s lecture, students were asked to define the Caribbean and their place within it. The class began exploring questions of identity, heritage, belonging, and the meaning of Caribbean existence within the modern world system. Students reflected on their own heritage while examining the idea that the Caribbean itself may be an invention shaped by colonialism, imperialism, and external power structures.The lecture questioned whether the Caribbean is truly independent given its economic dependence, reliance on aid, and the continued challenges to its sovereignty within the postcolonial order. The Professor argued that life is fundamentally about people and human relationships, yet life is also shaped by structures of power and by what societies make of themselves. Within this framework, the Caribbean’s position in the global order has often been constructed to maintain the region in a position of servitude, dependency, and vulnerability.Students explored the ideas of Mutabaruka, particularly his statement that “God is a creation of man.” The Professor discussed this position as emerging from the colonial experience and from the imposition of European religious traditions upon Indigenous and African peoples as though they possessed no spiritual systems of their own. This led to broader discussions about colonization, faith, spirituality, and the psychological effects of colonial domination.The class also examined the continued divisions within the Caribbean and questioned whether Caribbean unity may provide a path forward. Responding to a student’s question about solutions, the Professor connected the discussion to the work of Ama Mazama and the Afrocentric paradigm, arguing that one of the Caribbean’s major problems is the dominance of Western frameworks and ideas that cloud the minds of colonized peoples. The lecture emphasized the need to reconceptualize Caribbean thought and identity outside of inherited colonial assumptions.The Professor, Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, argued that Caribbean peoples have always possessed a roadmap toward development and liberation, but have often privileged European models, institutions, and values instead. At the same time, local elites and institutional powers within the Caribbean have historically acted to preserve the existing order and prevent transformative regional change.The lecture concluded by emphasizing that these structures are strategic and that Caribbean peoples must themselves become strategic in determining how to truly free themselves, grow, and develop. The Professor pointed to Cuba as an example of a nation that attempted to pursue its own path despite international pressures and economic punishment. While this choice affected Cuba’s wealth and development, the argument was made that Cuba sought to preserve dignity, sovereignty, and an alternative vision of life rather than fully surrendering itself to external powers and global capitalism.This is an excerpt of the full Lecture made available for The Neoliberal Round  @RenaldoMckenzie  YouTube Channel  @YouTube  The Lectures are held  @jtsintersection  This is published by The Neoliberal Corporation. The text for the class is Neoliberalism by Renaldo McKenzieVisit JTS at https://jts.edu.jmVisit The Neoliberal at https://theneoliberal.com

It’s approaching June 14th. It’s not only Flag Day or Odunde Festival, but also the birthday of twin brothers Ricardo and Renaldo, hosts of The Neoliberal Round series, The Pulse.Today, they sat down and discussed:June 14th and June 19thSports:The conversations were deep and powerful. The twins engaged in intense debate that listeners will fully enjoy on this episode of The Neoliberal Round – The Pulse, with Ricardo and Renaldo discussing sports, culture, legacy, and the moments shaping our time.This is a production of The Neoliberal Round by Renaldo McKenzie.Subscribe on any streaming platform and find us at:https://anchor.fm/theneoliberalVisit:https://theneoliberal.comhttps://renaldocmckenzie.comEmail us at:[email protected] to us: https://donate.stripe.com/7sYcN48uybAA2OEb9V93y06

"Time with God is wealth". That's according to Bishop Lipton McKenzie who had a conversation with me about the power of prayer and shared a testimony about a woman in his church who blind and whose sight was restored.Bishop McKenzie is the Pastor of the National Church of God, Washington Park Florida.This is a production of The Neoliberal Round, part of The Neoliberal Corporation.Visit us at https://theneoliberal.com and Https://renaldocmckenzie.comDonate to us at: https://donate.stripe.com/7sYcN48uybAA2OEb9V93y06

I have written and come to a realization, which has become a motif of sorts for me. Perhaps “motif” is not the perfect word, but it returns again and again. Nevertheless, I have written and come to the realization that life is about people and how people relate to one another.Yet life is what you make it, or allow others to make of it for you.I have come to discover that reality.Kierkegaard once said, “Once you label me, you negate me.” Hmmm? This is a profound point. This echoes true then, that life is about people and how people relate, yet life is what you make it or allow others to make of it for you.We are talking about the dynamics of it. Yet we are caught in a dynamic. The life that we have created is one that involves a dynamic—a dynamic that affects the relationship that exists between people based on one’s position. Yes.But nevertheless, life—and so therefore, it becomes true then—that life is about people and how people relate. Yet life is what you make it, or make of it, or allow others to make of it for you.So the dynamic that you are in is a creative space. Yes? By who? By people themselves, who continue to make something of life that God has given us.God has given us life to make something of it.Life is to be lived.But how it is lived—you can either... you can either live it, or live in it, or live the life others want you to live.And I said, life is about people and how people relate. Yeah. Life is what you make it. What you make it. Or life is what you make it, or allow others to make of it for you. Others.I mean, I want to be a thermostat, not a thermometer.What about you?Rev. Renaldo C. McKenzie is the Author of the Neoliberalism Book Series.Book 1: Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance, 2021Book 2: Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered, Neo-Capitalism and The Death of Nations (Out in 2026)Visit us at Https://theneoliberal.com, https://renaldocmckenzie.com

In this special two-part conversation on The Neoliberal Round Podcast, Dr. Nolan Fontaine joins Renaldo McKenzie to discuss two urgent struggles unfolding in America today: environmental justice in Chester, Pennsylvania, and the fight for Indigenous recognition and visibility.In Part 1, (this episode) Dr. Fontaine discusses the growing movement opposing Philadelphia’s practice of sending its trash to Chester to be burned at the Reworld/Covanta incinerator — one of the largest incinerators in the United States. He speaks about the recent protest at Mayor Cherelle Parker’s budget meeting in West Philadelphia, allegations surrounding political and corporate interests, the health impacts on Chester residents, and why activists describe the situation as environmental racism. The conversation explores decades of organizing by Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL), community resistance, youth activism, and the broader struggle over power, pollution, and accountability.In Part 2, which is scheduled to release on Memorial Day, May 24th, Dr. Fontaine shifts to his role as President of the Urban Indian Heritage Society (UIHS), where he discusses updates surrounding the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and its movement toward federal recognition as the 757th federally recognized tribe in America. The discussion explores Indigenous identity, urban Indigenous communities, cultural survival, political recognition, and the importance of visibility in a society that often treats Native peoples as relics of the past rather than living communities.This is a powerful conversation about resistance, identity, justice, survival, and the communities America too often ignores.Dr. Nolan Fontaine is a member of the CRCQL and is the Coordinator of the YouTh Arm. Dr. Nolan is also the President of the Urban Indian Heritage Society. Dr. Nolan Fontaine is also a brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.Rev. Renaldo McKenzie is the Creator and Host of The Neoliberal Round and The Neoliberal Round YouTube Channel, Founder and President of The Neoliberal Corporation, and Author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance. Renaldo has a second book coming out soon entitled Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered, Neo-Capitalism and The Death of Nations. Renaldo is a Professor in Caribbean Thought and is a Visiting Professor at the Jamaica Theological Seminary an international 4-year college in Religious Education and Social Work.Subscribe to The Neoliberal Round Podcast and visit The Neoliberal Journals for more interviews, commentary, and analysis.The Neoliberal Round is available on any stream. Find your stream at https://anchor.fm/theneoliberal. Visit The Neoliberal main site at https://theneoliberal.comor https://renaldocmckenzie.com. Renaldo's book is available at https://store.theneoliberal.comDonate to us at https://donate.stripe.com/7sYcN48uybAA2OEb9V93y06Email us at [email protected].