#TalkRadio – August 27: The Impact of Black Leadership and Creating Truly Inclusive Movements

SPEAKERS:

Dara Baldwin, MPA: 12:00 PM – 12:35 PM Eastern Time
Founder of, DMadrina, LLC, an equity consulting firm; author of “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement”; Activist, a scholar, and an author with over 20 years of experience in policy and social justice work and has led multiple national and international advocacy campaigns as an expert in disability laws and policy, and works on Housing and Transportation equity, Criminal Justice, and many other issue areas:

Former Director of National Policy for the Center for Disability Rights, Inc. (CDR); serves on the Board of Directors for the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) (Personnel Committee & Membership Chair), the Board of SPAN Parent Advocacy Network (Treasurer), the Board of The Daniel Initiative SET – Supporting, Equipping and Training program, the Board of Curious Communications, Inc. – The Laura Flanders Show and served as a Trustee for the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA) Board of Insurance Trustee (BIT) for two terms; Ambassador for Health Equity Fellow – Cohort III through PolicyLink; Member of the #SheWillRise Collective; serves as an expert advisor on several research projects or policy movements with organizations such as African American Policy Forum, Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Project South, Winning on Equity Working Group at PolicyLink, Smart Growth America, Transit Center, Justice 4 Women Task Force, Interrupting Criminalization, Compact for Thriving Communities – CSH, the Progressive Caucus Action Fund Progressive Governance Project Worker Power Table, One-Fair Wage and Urban Institute; Mentor in Women Changing Transportation Mentor Program hosted by Transit Center, on the Steering Committee of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) and Co-chair of the Transportation Equity Caucus housed at PolicyLink; part of the writing team for: The Problems with Threat Assessments in Schools – K-12 Threat Assessment Processes 2/2022Civil Rights Impact; assisted with writing the disability provisions and was a leader in the advocacy campaign to get the Violence Against Women Act 2013 passed in February 2013; led the work to dismantle a number of harmful amendments and provisions in the 2015 Mental Health legislative package that past with better programs, services, funding and saved the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program; has worked on a number of bills signed by Presidents in the last three administrations; Campaign Manager for the passage of the Latonya Reeves Act; works on Housing, Transportation, Justice Transformation, Education Equity, Hate Crimes, Voting Rights, Violence and Abuse, Immigration and other issue areas; works on fiscal year funding for Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD), Criminal Justice, Education and other appropriations and budgets; former Senior Public Policy Analyst at National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and an ADA Compliance Specialist in the DC Government; former Policy Analyst at The National Council on Independent Living; former Child Advocate in NJ, Sr. Policy Analyst on multiple criminal justice issues such as the Second Chance Act and as an Advocacy Manager at TASH

Dr. Karen McRae: 12:35 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time
President & CEO, Concerned Black Men of America

Edward Ward: 12:35 PM – 12:57 PM ET
TJC Fellow; Restorative Justice Policy Advocate; a Youth Crisis Interventionist; and, Dean of Sherman School of Excellence 

Drake Smith: 12:35 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Transformative Justice Coalition-certified Voting Rights Advocate, Class of September 2022; Student Leader, Lincoln University

INTRODUCTION:

Hi Igniters For Change! The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, August 27th, 2024, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled “The Impact of Black Leadership and Creating Truly Inclusive Movements”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. and will feature special guests Dara Baldwin, MPA; Edward Ward; Dr. Karen McRae; and, Drake Smith. This show will feature an exclusive interview with Dara Baldwin, MPA about her new book “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement” for the first 40 minutes, including her media scorecard for this week. In the last 20 minutes of the show, guests Edward Ward, Dr. Karen McRae, and Drake Smith will discuss the Black women leadership of the DNC.

Igniting Change will start the show with a 35 minute interview with Dara Baldwin about her new book “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement”. The book contains a forward by Keith P. Jones and is “a searing critique of the disability rights movement from within, and a call for collective liberation that is pro-Black and centers disabled people of color.” Dara Baldwin will also be this week’s Igniting Change guest giving the media their scorecard on the new weekly segment called “Election 2024 and Race Media Report Card”. Over the years, Igniting Change has pointed out the many failures and misadventures of the U.S. media’s coverage of racial issues. This journalistic incompetence reaches a new high during political contests, especially during presidential elections. From misguided headlines which thoughtlessly give credence to racial attacks, to the lack of fact checking, and the treatment of racial slurs, tropes, and stereotypes as fair commentary, this period has reeked of abysmal journalism. We will discuss some of these matters and what is necessary to be done to make the overall media more competent. 

“For over 20 years, Dara Baldwin has often been the only person of color in the room when significant disability policy decisions are made. Disenfranchisement of people of color and multi-marginalized communities within the disability rights community is not new and has left many inside the community feeling frustrated and erased.

“In To Be a Problem, Baldwin candidly shares her journey to becoming a disability activist and policymaker in DC while critiquing the disability rights community. She reveals the reality of erasure for many Black people and people of color in the disability community and argues that, in turn, many white disabled people center themselves within the movement without addressing their own white privilege.

“Disability rights groups have been centering white, straight, cisgender people while racial justice groups often fail to center disabled people, leading many Black and Brown disabled people to start their own Disability Justice organizations. Drawing from her unique vantage point, Baldwin calls readers to understand the shortcomings of the disability rights movement while inspiring us to push all movements towards a more inclusive and authentic liberation.” (Source: https://www.beacon.org/To-Be-a-Problem-P2054.aspx )

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807013978?tag=bpress-20 

While Dara’s book discusses what happens when Black women aren’t in the room where it happens, during the last 25 minutes, the show will discuss this year’s DNC and what happens when you have leadership from Black women. Black women literally were the leadership of the DNC and were all trained by Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.: 

• Mignon Moore, Chair of the DNC Convention
• Bishop Leah Daughtery, Chair of the Rules Committee for the DNC
• Donna Brazille, Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation at the DNC
• Yolanda Caraway, Deputy Chair of the DNC

Together, in 2018, they published a book entitled “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics”, which is “a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over thirty years―Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore―a group of women who call themselves The Colored Girls.” (See more and buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Colored-Girls-Have-Considered-Politics/dp/1250137713; learn more about the authors: https://www.nyswritersinstitute.org/post/telling-the-truth-2020-yolanda-caraway-leah-daughtry-minyon-moore) 

This theme was present throughout the DNC. Igniting Change Co-hosts Arnwine and Jones, and Igniting Change guests Edward Ward, Dr. Karen McRae, and Drake Smith all attended this historic DNC and will participate in the discussion. This year’s DNC was decisively different from prior DNC’s in tone, representation, composition, programming, and prominence of women’s issues and voting rights issues, incorporation of civil rights and inclusion of content creators, performers, and music in the roll call. While the guests attended the DNC outside of the scope of their roles for TJC, which is non-partisan; it cannot be denied that many of the causes TJC champions were highlighted during the DNC, including the continued shouting out for the need of the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the Washington D.C. Admissions Act.

QUESTIONS:

12:00 PM – 12:35 PM Eastern Time – Dara Baldwin
12:00 PM – 12:10 PM Eastern Time
SEGMENT TITLE: “Election 2024 and Race Media Report Card”

• For the past week, what grade would you give from A – F of the media’s coverage of the racial aspects of the 2024 election?
• Why did you give this grade?
• How would you grade the media overall on their coverage of disability rights, especially in relating to voting and this election?
• How can our listeners get involved in holding the media accountable?

12:10 PM – 12:35 PM Eastern Time
Dara Baldwin and her book “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement”

• The title of your book, “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement”, is derived from W.E.B. Dubois’ book “The Souls of Black Folks”. Why did you choose this title?
• Tell us why you wrote the book “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement”.
• What are the main themes of your book?
• From your personal experience, what did you find were the most egregious barriers and hostility for BIPOC people, especially those in the policy arena, for effective advocacy?
• We appreciated the focus in your book on the battle for disability rights and the unfinished agenda. Tell our audience more about what they need to know about the current disability rights battle.
• How does racism and White Supremacy play a role in the policy priorities of the disability movement?
• What is the Disability Justice movement?
• Tell us the 10 principles of Disability Justice.
• At the end of your book, you have recommendations for change in the disability movement. Please share these with our audience.
• How can our listeners get involved?
• What are your one-minute final thoughts to our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you and get a copy of your book?

12:35 PM – 12:57 PM Eastern Time- Edward Ward; Dr. Karen McRae; and, Drake Smith (non-partisan)

• Karen, Edward, and Drake. Welcome to the show. All three of you attended the Democratic National Convention. How many DNC Conventions have you attended?
• We just talked with Dara Baldwin about her book “TO BE A PROBLEM: A Black Woman’s Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement” which is all about the absence of Black women and BIPOC people in the disability rights movement and its hostility to change. How did you feel about the prominence of Black women leadership at this convention?
• How was this convention different than what you had experienced or expected?
• This convention was clearly focused on appealing to young voters. Did they succeed?
• TJC Alumni Eldrich just registered 100 people to vote one weekend, and then registered a total of 1,000 people to vote the next weekend in Montgomery, Alabama. Eldrich is also working on TJC’s national “I’ll Rise and Vote” Concert Series, which we will discuss more in upcoming shows. Vote.org reported a 700% increase in voter registration within two days of Vice President Kamala Harris being endorsed by President Biden. 83% of these new registrants were below the age of 35. The majority of new registrants have been aged 18. More recent data reveals that the majority of registrants are women and that Black women are driving the new voter registration trends. However, in the last election cycles, young voter turnout is significantly lower than their registration numbers and than any other cohort. What can be done about this? What do you think is the most important grassroots87654321 organizing that you think needs to happen in order to ensure that we’re following up with voters?
• (Barbara will remind listeners to double check their voter registration as voter purging ended recently.)
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?