Tangazo

I always enjoy talking with candidates running for elected office against,”Status quo,” especially when it’s an effort to bring positive change, to a distressed disadvantaged black city.——  Such was the case a couple of nights ago when I had the opportunity to speak with, “Team Franklin,” a determined group of East St. Louis residents, who have had enough, of watching their once proud city, continue its slide into despair. ——- The team is lead by community organizer, Marie Franklin, whose energy and determination is infectious, she is a candidate for mayor, of East St. Louis. ------  Lorenzo D. Savage, architect and founder of the, “I Am East St. Louis” magazine, is also a candidate for a council seat, along with Paris Grimmett, a young educator, with a special interest in uplifting the youth in  his troubled city. ——— Stating the need to improve educational opportunities, for black children in district 189, the slate features two young women candidates, for seats on the district school board. ——— Kianna Gri

Solidarity was our theme for last evening’s recording of the KDHX podcast, Tangazo. ——— I was joined in studio by some of St. Louis’s, “finest,” four African American lawyers including Celeste Dotson, Chairman of the iconic Mound City Bar Association. ——— Esteemed veteran defense Attorney Charles Kirksey, Attorney Celeste Dotson, Attorney Ruby Bonner, who spent four years in the St. Louis Prosecutors office and social justice activist, Attorney Jerryl Christmas, were my guest for a riveting discussion, on the latest attempt to remove St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, from office. ——- Attorney Christmas, who’s UTube video garnered close to five thousand views, destroying the pretext, that Missouri State Republicans, are using in their latest attempt to remove St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, from office. ——— We discussed our dismay with,”careerist,” black elected officials, who rushed to support Republican efforts , to usurp the rights of St. Louis voters, to elect candidates of their own choosing

Last night I was treated to a cup of Carla Coffee Wright and an Alisha Sonnier, two dynamic candidates, for seats on the StLouis Board of Aldermen. ——— Wright, is a well known social justice activist and advocate for numerous causes, including the restoration of North StLouis and wants more funding and more attention paid to supporting small businesses in the new 11th ward.  Carla, say’s hundreds of home owner’s in the ward, are in desperate need of grants,in the range of three to four thousand dollars for home repairs. Coffee is a strong supporter of the embattled StLouis Circuit Attorney, Kim Gardner and one the organizers for the “Women’s March and Rally,” for Kim Gardner scheduled for Sunday, March 12th at the downtown StLouis Old Courthouse, at 11am. ——- StLouis public school board member, Alisha Sonnier, is running for the aldermanic seat in the newly drawn 7th Ward, in south central StLouis.  She is another young activist inspired by the 2014 murder of Mike Brown, in Ferguson Missouri. ——— She has nume

It’s been a busy last few days highlighted by the StLouis Metropolitan Urban Leagues,”Salute to Blacks in Media,”downtown Luncheon. ———  It was the awards ceremony that was more than you could have ever imagined it would be! A special thanks Urban League President Michael Patrick McMillan and Vice President of Communications, Patricia Washington and their wonderful support staff.—— Congratulations to all of my fellow awardees. it was a great honor to have been selected with such a legendary group of radio, television and media professionals! —— Last evening we put the finishing touches another Black History Month , with a few special friends from the arts and entertainment community. ——— Robert Lawrence Salter aka Scotty Lawrence, joined us to talk about his new musical pursuits, including the release of his inspirational cd titled,”Scotty’s Journey.” ——— Bob credits divine intervention, as his pathway toward fulfilling his life’s destiny. ——- The ever amazing Bosman Twins, Dwayne an Dwight Bosman, have taken

The legacy of Lewis Reed, former President of the StLouis Board of Aldermen,is no doubt forever tainted, after being convicted of corruption and bribery. ——— He should also be remembered for overseeing ward reduction and producing a map that offers an opportunity, for the African American community  to have parity, on the St.Louis Board of Aldermen. ——— Parity means an equal number of votes, when determining the distribution of resources and making critical decisions about the future of St.Louis City.  That’s a power that black St.Louis, has never experienced on the Board of Aldermen, the legislative branch of city government. I was privileged last evening to spend close to a hour via zoom with four black candidates, wishing to represent the newly created 14th ward, which combines the old 5th and 3rd wards. Those candidates include, 5th Ward alderman James Page, 3rd Ward alderman Brandon FrAzier-Bosley, 5th Ward businesswoman Ebony Washington and State Representative Rasheen Lamont Aldridge of the 78th legis

On this past Monday evenings episode, of the KDHX podcast Tangazo hosted by Tim Person and St. Louis American editorial columnist, Michael Wesley Jones. ——— The discussion centered on the upcoming aldermanic races, in the newly configured wards in St. Louis City. ——- Incumbent 20th ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer, displayed the composure and poise expected of a seasoned campaigner, who came very close to winning the last mayor’s race in the city of St. Louis. ——— She currently represents a ward that is 80% African American, which says a lot about her political savvy, as she campaigns for the aldermanic seat in the new 8th ward, which encompasses downtown St. Louis. ——— Alisha Sonnier, currently serves as a member of the St. Louis City School board and is now a candidate for the newly drawn 7th Ward. She was well versed on critical issues facing St. Louis city, with special interest, in supporting our public schools system. ——— Tim and Mike, with over 4 decades each of St. Louis City and County political experien

Tonight on this episode of the KDHX podcast Tangazo, we asked the question, are we losing the importance of preserving our black culture, in our mad dash for assimilation into white America. —— Our distinguished panel all purveyors of black culture included Ron Himes, founder and director of our magnificent St. Louis Black Repertory Theater company and Victor Little, of the iconic Afro World. ——— Lauren A. Parks, founder and CEO of the east sides, House of Miles and Owen K Woodard, producer of the short film, ”The Mink Slide.” ——— On our last episode of Tangazo, we discussed the legacy of civil rights icon, the late Dr. Martin Luther King jr. We agreed that King's push for total integration, had many negative consequences, especially for a once-thriving black community, in the city of St. Louis. Including contributing to the mass exodus, of the Black middle class, into St. Louis county. ——— Understanding that the basic components, of our black culture, are rooted in our African heritage, with unity and a comm

Monday night’s discussion on the kdhx podcast Tangazo, was appropriately devoted to the legacy, of Dr. Martin Luther King jr. Our panel, of some of StLouis’s finest included Malik Ahmed, founder and former CEO of Better Family Life , Robert Green, founder of the Frederick Douglass Museum and the Juneteenth celebration commission. Attorney Randall C Cahill, of the Cahill partnership law firm and Robert A Powell founder and CEO of the Portfolio Arts and Education Gallery. ——— Our discussion on Kings legacy, led to some heated debate, ie. was Kings, “I Have A Dream,” speech his defining moment, are was too little attention paid to his anti Vietnam war positions and his focus on human rights, as opposed to just civil rights for African Americans. ———— Are we as African Americans, better off today through Dr.Kings efforts towards integration, are have we loss the spirit of unity and a common cause,as a result of successfully integrating American society. Finally, have we as black folks arrived to the,”promised la

This episode of the KDHX podcast Tangazo, was dedicated to the memory of the late Demetrius Johnson. ——— Last evening, we had our annual year end review discussion, with an in-depth analysis of the most important events of 2022. ——— Our panel of Tangazo commentators, included cohost Tim Person, StLouis Post Dispatch Columnist Bill McClellan and Michael Wesley Jones, award winning columnist, for the StLouis American Newspaper. ——— Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, topped our list of global events as expected but national events brought more variety of opinions. Mike Jones, says the January 6th investigative commission and its findings were of great importance to our American Democracy, such as it is. Tim Person, thought the November elections, with Democrats retaining Senate, while Republicans were the winning the house was the most notable event of 2022. ——— There was much debate on the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe V Wade and its impact on the November elections. ——— Venerable Post Dispatch columnist, Bill McC

Small city  mayors in north StLouis County,  express their continued opposition to any plans to consolidate their municipalities are talks of mergers with StLouis city.---- Mayors E G Shields of Pagedale and Mayor Brian Jackson of Beverly Hills mo., shared their views with their StLouis County Council representative,  Senator Rita Heard Days  Chairman of the County Council, on this week’s episode of the kdhx podcast. ——

I’ll title this episode of the kdhx podcast Tangazo,” To be are Not To be!” ------ Is it better for St. Louis to maintain status quo, in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County, fragmented with 90 plus municipalities, with each having their own individual government structures. ——— is that good for the city or county are indeed the St. Louis region, is the question we addressed on this week’s episode, of the kdhx podcast Tangazo. ——- Tim Person and I were your host for this discussion, our guest included Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones and St. Louis Cities 27th ward Alderwoman, Pamela Boyd, chairman of the Aldermanic Black Caucus, both offering the pros and cons of consolidating, the city and county into a single entity. Along with StLouis Post Dispatch Columnist, Bill Mcclelland and old friend Attorney Forriss Elliott Sr., who added some historical perspective, on past efforts to discuss merging StLouis City, into St. Louis County and racial obstacles, that prevented those discussions from advancing. ——— Attor

Jaco as in Charles Jaco, award winning radio and television broadcast journalist ,Jones as in Michael Wesly Jones, award winning political columnist and former government official, along with Person as in Tim Person, political consultant and excellent radio host, on this week’s episode of the Kdhx podcast Tangazo.——— Our subject this week is of course, the recently held 2022 midterm elections. ——— Tangazo takes an in-depth look into the historical midterm outcomes looking for the nuances that prevented a so called,”Red Wave.” ——— Mikes Jones sees the midterms in the context of White America, choosing Democracy over extremism, but by a small margin whereas, Jaco is cautious about the overall impact of the elections on Donald Trumps base. ——— It’s also noted that house “progressives,” stood down as to not inflame are invigorate the right during these critical midterm elections. ——— This is a cerebral discussion for those of us, who really want to understand what really occurred in these 2022 midterm elections.

Tim Person, is your host for this episode of the kdhx podcast Tangazo, with another discussion on the importance of the upcoming November the 8th, midterm elections. ——— Our guest for this episode of Tangazo, are the African American leadership, of the St. Louis County Council. County Council Chairman, Rita Heard Days of the 1st district and County Council Vice Chairman, Shalonda Webb, of the 4th St. louis County Council district. —— Tim, does an excellent job, of discussing the various races in St. Louis county and St. Louis city, including the race for County Executive and President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, all while stressing the importance of, black voter turnout. ——— There’s also much discussion about the importance of the race, for the US Senate between Democrat, Bush Valentine and her MAGA supported Republican opponent, Missouri State Attorney General,Eric Schmidt. ——- Surprisingly, neither County Council Chairman Days, nor County Council Vice Chairman Webb, have been asked to lend their sup

You might have noticed that for the last several weeks, our focus on the Kdhx podcast Tangazo, has been on the November 8th midterm elections.   I believe these upcoming midterm elections, to be the most critical elections, in my lifetime!   The phrase “lying politicians,” doesn’t apply here to Republican candidates, who are for the most part telling the nation upfront, just who they are and the real danger they will pose to our American democracy.   A wise person once said, “When people show you who they are, you should believe them.” Tim Person, the host for this episode of the KDHX podcast Tangazo, also believes that American democracy is threatened, by right-wing MEGA candidates. Tangazo.kdhx.org   Social justice activists Reverend Stephanie T Wilkins from Houston Texas and community organizer, Alicia D Smith, of Minneapolis, are Tim’s guests for this week's discussion on the importance of African American voters showing up at the polls, on November the 8th.   Learn what these two dynamic African Amer

Three critical races for the US Senate, in the southeast region of the country, who’s outcomes could very well determine the fate of our American democracy. ——- Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, offer intriguing opportunities for the Democratic Party, to expand its slim majority in US Senate. Our panelists of commentators, are drawn from from the above mentioned states, because of their personal experiences with the campaigns and are their involvement with the politics of those states. ——— Another interesting fact about these three close senatorial races, is that they involve four African American candidates, including incumbent Georgia Senator, Reverend Raphael Warnock. ——— Attorney Forriss Elliott Sr., longtime Regional Director of the NAACP Legal Fund’s Redress office in the St. Louis, before relocating to Atlanta some 30 years ago, speaks candidly of his disdain for Trump backed candidate, Herschel Walker’s’ effort to unseat, Senator Warnock in the November midterm elections. Elliott also discusses th

The November 8th midterm elections are described by many as one of the most “consequential elections,” in American history! The bedrock of American Democracy, is no doubt the right to vote, that essential right to vote is now encumbered by new voter ID and absentee laws enacted in many states, across the nation. -----    Social justice activist Reverend Darryl Gregory Gray, cohosted a lively, informative discussion on new voting laws in the red state of Missouri. ------    Our panel included former Greendale mayor Monica M. Huddleston, of the St. Louis Area Voting Initiative aka SLAVI, Missouri State Senator Brian Williams and Attorney Jerry Hunter, Republican Chairman of the Stlouis City Board of Elections Commission. -----   Our distinguished panel agreed that voter education, in preparation for the midterm elections, is essential now more than ever, with so much at stake. ------    Massive voter registration and education efforts are happening across the country including Missouri, in response to the n

The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, is a poverty fighting nonprofit that has been serving St. Louis county residents for 53 years, as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s , “War on Poverty,” initiative that was headed by the late Sargent Shriver. —— Cenia Bosman, President and CEO, joins Tangazo cohost Tim Person and social justice activist, Reverend Darryl Gregory Gray, to talk about her agency’s history and commitment to helping to eradicate poverty in St. Louis County. —— Also joining us is poverty expert, Dr. Adam Green PhD. Associate Professor of American History at the University of Chicago, a longtime collaborator of the Sargent Shriver Peace Institute and leading the efforts to edit and annotate the forthcoming memoir by Sargent Shriver, “We Called It a War.” The memoir outlines Sargent Shrivers efforts to lead the War on Poverty, declared by President Johnson in 1964. —— Dr. Green, will be the keynote speaker at the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County’s, 7th Annual “Doors of Opport

Last evening on the kdhx podcast Tangazo, we continued our tour of Upcoming cultural and artistic events, in the Stlouis metro area. Of course the bedrock for the Stlouis African American culture scene, has to be the magnificent St. Louis Black Repertory Theater company and its iconic founder and director Ron Himes. —— The Black Repertory opens its 46th season September 7th, with “The African Company Presents Richard 111,” written by Carlyle Brown and directed by Ron Himes. ——— The legendary Bosman Twins, are without a doubt the face of jazz music in the metro area and are now taking Chicago like a storm, they along with Super star jazz vocalist Denise Thimes, are regularly featured at the Winters jazz club, in downtown Chicago. ——— The iconic twins, Dwayne and Dwight Bosman are excited about their upcoming appearance, at the “Music At The Intersection,” event at Grandel Square, with 50 acts across 4 stages scheduled for September 10-11. ——— We are also joined by Hana S Sharif, Artistic Director of Repertory

Last nights taping of the KDHX podcast Tangazo, was more than uplifting, it was encouraging, it was a reminder that black people doing great things, can also be selfless and magnanimous! ——— I felt refreshed after an hours conversation with writer, filmmaker and podcaster Nicole Franklin and Tom Bailey, Vice President of Development and Special Events, for the St. Louis Metropolitan Urban League. Tangazo.kdhx.org. Nicole, is the daughter the late Don Franklin, one of the founders of the GSLABJ and one of the first black journalist, employed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She shares the story of how her father an East St. Louis resident, approached the newspaper asking for more coverage of east side events, while noting the lack of people of color at the liberal leaning daily. Mr. Franklin who wasn’t a journalist at that time, so impressed the newspaper that they provided a journalism fellowship, leading to his employment as one of the first African American journalist hired, by the St. Louis Post Dispatch Ne

Another in-depth political discussion on this week’s episode of the KDHX podcast Tangazo. —— Adolphus Pruitt, long-time President, of the Stlouis city branch of the NAACP, along with Michael Wesly Jones of the Stlouis American and my broadcast partner, political insider Tim Person, joined me for a recap of this past Tuesday’s primary elections in Stlouis City and County. —— There’s a general feeling of disappointment that the turnout was so low in both the city and county. All agreed that Bush v Robert’s, race for the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District House seat was really over before it started. The race wasn’t competitive as had been expected. ——— Nor was the race for the Stlouis County Council seat, in Stlouis counties 1st district, featuring Jennings Councilman Terry Wilson, attempting to defeat Stlouis County Council Chairman, Rita Heard Days. Wilson was thoroughly trounced in spite of receiving support from County Executive, Sam Page and his Democratic allies on the County Coun