Posted on 06/27/2017 8:08:52 AM PDT by TigerClaws
We end the show today in Jackson, Mississippi, where just one week from today social justice activist and attorney Chokwe Lumumba will be sworn is as the citys next mayor. He has vowed to make Jackson the "most radical city on the planet." He is the son of the citys former mayor, the late Chokwe Lumumba, who was once dubbed "Americas most revolutionary mayor." We air the mayor-elects speech at the Peoples Summit and speak to him in Jackson about his plans for the city and his fathers legacy.
AMY GOODMAN: We end the show today in Jackson, Mississippi, where just one week from today social justice activist and attorney Chokwe Antar Lumumba will be sworn in as Jacksons next mayor. Earlier this month, Lumumba won the general election in a landslide, after handily winning a primary election in May. This is Chokwe Antar Lumumba celebrating his general election victory with supporters.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Free the land!
SUPPORTERS: Free the land!
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Free the land!
SUPPORTERS: Free the land!
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Free the land!
SUPPORTERS: Free the land!
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: By any means necessary. I need you to stand strong as we go forward. There are people who doubt your resolve, doubt that this city can be everything that it will be. And so, you cant give up now. I say, when I become mayor, you become mayor. So that means yall got some work to do.
AMY GOODMAN: Chokwe Lumumba is the son of the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, a longtime black nationalist organizer and attorney, dubbed "Americas most revolutionary mayor" before his death in 2014. The 34-year-old Chokwe Antar Lumumba supports economic democracy, has proposed a civic incubator fund to support cooperative, member-owned businesses in Jackson. Shortly after his election, Lumumba was a featured speaker, just a few weeks ago, at the Peoples Summit in Chicago.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: I bring greetings from Jackson, Mississippi, where I have recently been named mayor-elect of Jackson, Mississippi. In this process, we defeated a field of 16 people. We were able to secure the general election with 94 percent of the vote. And more important than that, we did so on a peoples platform, on a peoples platform where, from the moment we announced, we did so saying that we were running on an agenda of social justice, of economic democracy andand working with people, making certain that people had a voice. And thats our story, and were sticking to it.
As we look at the condition of our country, as we consider the fact that were in Trump times, we have all kinds of questions of what that means. And when Ive been confronted with the question of "How do you feel in Jackson, Mississippi, after the Trump election?" what I had to share with people is, afterthe Wednesday after the election, I woke up in Jackson, Mississippi. And what that means is, no matter whether our country has experienced great booms or busts, in Mississippi weve always been at the bottom. And so what that means is that we have to decide that we are going to rescue ourselves, that in places like Jackson, Mississippi, we wont allow it to become havens of oppression which endanger all of us.
So what happens in Jackson, Mississippi, impacts each and every one of us. And so we have to make the decision that were going to start controlling the way electoral politics proceeds. And so weve made the decision that were going to be the most radical city on the planet, that were going to make certainthat were going to make certain that we change the whole scope of electoral politics. No longer will we allow an individual to step before us and tell us all of the great things that theyre going to accomplish on our behalf, only to find that nothing in their past demonstrates a sincerity, a willingness or an ability to do so. What we must dowhat we must do in Jackson, Mississippi, in D.C., in Maryland, in Gary, Indiana, in Chicago, Illinois, is we have to start drafting an agenda for ourselves, creating an agenda, creating what we want to see, and then we draft the leadership which represents our agenda.
And so, were excited about this energy which is surfacing, but it is time that we concretize it, that we take it from the mystical, from the mysterious, and put it into action and see what we can demonstrate when progressive people come together and have a plan and decide how were going to change the very scope of this world.
And so, we have to come to the same understanding that Martin Luther King came to in his last days. Martin had a conversation with Harry Belafonte not long before he died. And what Martin told Harry, he said, "Listen, Harry, were going to win this integration struggle. But Im beginning to wonder. Im beginning to wonder if were not integrating into a burning house." He said, "I see a system which is abusing labor and abusing working people." And he said, "Im worried about integrating into a house that looks like that." He said, "If people cant be fed, if people cant take care of their families, then it is useless to walk Mississippi roads together."
And so, ultimately, it becomes greater than a question of color and more a question of ideas and what are the best ideas and what are the worst ideas. And what the worst ideas are, is that you can be oppressive to anyone. And so, we now demandwe now demand that our leadership looks at how we include the peoples voice in the process, and that we have awe have two choices. We have a choice of economics by the people and for the people or economics by a few people for themselves. And so, were demanding, right now, right now, that we begin to rescue ourselves. Right now, as my comrade said, we have nothing to lose but our chains. Thank you so much.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor-elect Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaking earlier this month at the Peoples Summit in Chicago. Well, he joins us now live from Jackson, Mississippi.
Mayor-elect Lumumba, welcome to Democracy Now!
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Thank you so much, Amy. Im happy to be on your program with you today.
AMY GOODMAN: So, one week from today, youre going to be sworn in as the next mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Talk about your plans, what are yourgoing to be your first actions in office.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Well, Amy, were putting togetherwe have a transition team thats in place right now and looking at the issues which Jackson is facing, making certain that we dont make plans just off conjecture, but a fact-based analysis of where we find our city, and bringing together not only people who have the acumen and ability and skill to do the job, but people who have a passion, a passion which goes beyond just the way we see electoral politics, but a passion to change peoples lives. And part of that process is putting together a budget. Shortly after we take office, we have to pass a budget. And so, its important that we have the right people in place.
One of the symbolic measures that were going to take immediately as we take office is a citywide cleanup. Its more than just, you know, taking care of the aesthetic appeal of our city. Its about unifying the city. Its about bringing people from all areas of the city together and taking a collective interest in how our city looks. You know, I hearken back to the words of my mother: "If you dont care for your house, no one else will." And so, were going to take those easy first steps, that is symbolic of where were going and the direction were headed in collectively.
AMY GOODMAN: You referred your mother. Can you talk about the origins of your name, Chokwe, Chokwe Antar Lumumba?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Amy, I couldnt hear you. My earpiece slipped out for a moment.
AMY GOODMAN: Oh. Can you talk about the
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Can you please repeat that question?
AMY GOODMAN: the origins of your name, Chokwe Antar Lumumba?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: So, my father changed his name when he was in law school, and accepted a name that he believed to be more culturally identifiable. Chokwe is the name of a tribe in the Angola region, a tribe that was resistant to the slave trade. The name Chokwe means "hunter." Antar is the name of a historic poet and warrior who died while saving a woman from drowning. And Antar means "poet" and "warrior." Lumumba, given that name from our namesake, Patrice Lumumba, the former prime minister of the Congo. And Lumumba means "gifted."
AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk aboutI mean, your rise to theto becoming mayor of Jackson is very interesting, because the incumbent mayor, Tony Yarber, won the special election against you in 2014, the race that determined who would finish your fathers term after he died in office. Your thoughts about losing to him then but defeating him in this race? What changed?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Well, you know, as Ive shared with many people, hindsight is 20/20. And Im actually grateful that we lost the election in 2014, not because the sincerity was not there, not because we dont believe we could have done a good job, but weve been able to, you know, appreciate far more thats going on with the city of Jackson, and Ive been able to appreciate more within myself. You know, people have to remember, in 2014, not only did I bury my father in a two-month time span and then enter into an election, my wife was pregnant with our first child. And so there was a world of change. You had a first-time candidate, who had not run for junior class president, much less mayor of a city. And so, weve been able to, you know, gather more information and position ourselves better. And so everything happens in a perfect timing. And so, were happy where we find ourselves at this time, to move forward the agenda that my father embarked on, an agenda of a peoples platform, one that was not only, you know, symbolic of his work in his short term as mayor, but symbolic of his work, a lifetime of work, that he subscribed to and also ultimately dedicated his family toward.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go back to your father, Chokwe Lumumba. In June 2013, I interviewed him just after he was elected mayor.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE LUMUMBA: There are some people historically who have always tried to separate the populations and to have a certain portion of the population oppress the rest of the population. Were not going to tolerate that. Were going to move ahead. Were going to let everyone participate in this movement forward. Were going to invite everyone to participate in this movement forward. And we have formed like a peoples assembly, thats key to what weve done here, where we haveevery three months, the population can come out and participate in an open forum to say whats on their mind.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Chokwe Lumumba in 2013, when he was mayor-elect, in the very same studio that you, Mayor-elect Lumumba, are sitting in right now. In that speech we just played that you gave at the Peoples Summit, where I first met you just a few weeks ago, in Chicago, you said, "Were going to be the most radical city on the planet." What does that look like?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: It looks like a plan where we, you know, change the way we view electoral politics. You know, in that speech, I spoke about not accepting someones agenda for our lives, but creating one ourselves. So, giving people more control of their governance is what that looks like. Its an inclusive process. Sometimes when we use the word "radical," people find themselves in fear and question whether theyre a part of that radical agenda. And thats exactly our plan, is to incorporate more people, giving people voice who have not had it. That is a shift from what weve seen in traditional politics. Its usually the lay of the land is given to those who are most privileged. And so, were trying to incorporate more people in the process, give voice to the voiceless.
And it starts with identifying, you know, the areas of greatest need. We need to show our workers, our city workers, and, you know, even the unionized work that we needwe need to show people dignity and respect in their jobs and also see the economic benefit of it. You know, Jackson is like many cities: It does not have a problem producing wealth; it has a problem maintaining wealth. And so, if you put more money in the peoples hands that live and work here, you stand a greater chance of receiving it back. And so were also going to look at practical solutions to our problems. It is about forming relationships. It is about operational unity and making certain that you can work with people who may historically find themselves on the opposite end of a struggle that you may be engaged in, such as the state, such as, you know, a Trump administration. And so you want to identify your common ends and see how you exploit those common goals in order to arrive at the solutions that benefit us all. But its also about how you takemake better use of the resources you have. What we look at as
AMY GOODMAN: Mayor-elect, Im going to interrupt just because we only have a minute
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Yes.
AMY GOODMAN: and I want to ask, Jackson drew a lot of attention earlier this year, when Daniela Vargas, who is a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant, was arrested by ICE after she had just held a news conference. Her pending application for renewal of DACA status, it was pending. Is Jackson going to be a sanctuary city?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: Jackson is going to be a city which protects human rights for human beings. I dont care whether your ancestors arrived on the Mayflower or whether you joined us more recently, you deserve the same protections and respect in this city. And so, I findwe find ourselves in interesting times, where the word "sanctuary" becomes a negative phrase. Im proud of the work my father did in order to secure an anti-racial-profiling ordinance in the city, and we will continue to protect everyone who lives within our city, and make sure that theyre not harassed.
AMY GOODMAN: And the issue of police accountability? In the last weeks, we have seen two police officers acquitted or cases with mistrials around the killing of African-American motorists. Your thoughts?
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: I think we have a criminal justice system in our country which is entirely out of hand. You know, its the largest business going. And the fact that weve made the criminal justice system into more of an industry, it provides or creates a culture that allows for people to be harassed, killed and shuffled in like cattle.
AMY GOODMAN: We have 10 seconds.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: And so, that encourages an environment of police brutality. And so, what we want to do is be ahead of the curve in the city of Jackson. We want to see programs which
AMY GOODMAN: Were going to have to leave it there.
MAYOR-ELECT CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA: which deal with community sensitivity.
AMY GOODMAN: I thank you so much, and well cover yourthe day you become mayor.
He will do wonders for local real estate values. /S
Unlike Fed.gov, he can’t print money and create massive debt in a paper currency with manipulated interest rates to fund his schemes.
Go for it Chokwe - give us all another example of statism and socialism failure. It seems humans need a constant reminder of the evil it is.
Wow. 'Nuff said.
Only until the Indian Immigrant Commie-Babe gets herself elected Mayor in Seattle.
Watch the number of guns multiply
Who remembers Patrice Lumumba of the Congo? Is there a tie here?
The city is 80% black and has poverty rate of 35%. I think I see where he is heading.
It's unfathomable to me that people could be this stupid.
Good luck with those state and federal funds, champ.
Patrice Lumumba was a communist revolutionary. The USSR renamed one of their international terrorism/communism "universities" after him.
Lumumba was a hero in the USSR, they named a University after him, so I guess we know in which direction this Lumumba is going. No Mubuto to run against him. All of a sudden I feel like its the 60’s again.
I read the interview and all I got out of the “great plans” he has for the city is that he’s going to pick up the trash that litters the streets. Nothing else there but the usual hot air.
No kidding. I hope the number of serious gospel believers also multiplies. There’s religion and then there’s that.
Gee, I want to move there! I’m sure they would welcome a white guy with open arms. I always thought I would have to emigrate to Zimbabwe to get this experience.
Jackson, MS is the only place where I’ve ever seen a mall with a 12 foot fence around it with guards at all the entrances and exits.
I remember being young and ridiculously idealistic. Enjoy that moment. That moment soon enough ends.
How does he plan to pay for it?
I wish him luck.
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