Following emancipation, the number of people arrested in the Deep South rose significantly as the substance and enforcement of certain laws changed considerably. In stark contrast to the antebellum period, the vast majority of those now arrested were black. To keep up with the rapid pace of arrests, cities and towns that did not have police forces before the Civil War quickly established professional, uniformed forces during early Reconstruction. Atlanta, Augusta, Nashville, Memphis, and Richmond all created formal police departments. The undeniable proportion of race-based arrests caused concern, even during the initial years of freedom. In one petition to the Georgia’s Freedmen’s Bureau, the blatant racism of a particular judge was called into question after he punished several African Americans for speaking “disrespectfully” to whites. Indeed, the petitioners lamented, “the condition of the freed people is worse than slavery.”

In the first episode of the 2020 Election season, I interview Dr. Walter D. Greason, Historian, Educator, and Associate Professor at Monmouth University. We talk about his childhood in a rural, impoverished area, and how he overcame a bad stutter by rhyming along with hip-hop artists. Dr. Greason explains how we should not become solely focused on the upcoming election, but instead see the broader picture and honor the successes of the MOVEMENT. He discusses his experiences as a multi-cultural organizer and lays out a brilliant plan to help save higher education, all while improving the quality of teaching and lowering the cost. I ask him about the importance of art, comics, and Afrofuturism, and he shares his wisdom on the importance of friendship, camaraderie, and community.

***If you enjoyed learning from Dr. Greason please visit his favorite charity, the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation! https://www.tthomasfortuneculturalcenter.org/

In the second episode of the 2020 Election season, I interview Dr. Lisa D. Cook, Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University. She talks about her family’s amazing role in the Civil Rights Movement (her mother was the first African American Professor at Georgia College and State University, and her grandfather worked with MLK, Sr.!). We discuss the field of economics, the need for more Black women to become economists, and the wonderful work being done by groups like the Sadie Collective. I ask Dr. Cook about her role as a White House aide to President Obama and she talks about her experiences living in Russia and post-genocide Rwanda. Dr. Cook provides solutions about how to rebuild a post-Trump America, from fighting COVID to economic recovery to the restoration of democratic institutions.