Emmanuel and friends engage in some Tuesday evening quarterbacking and a look to the future, discussing the weekend's events and ramifications and the enormous role the internet played in winning the battle.
Sound clips from last weekend's IPNB meeting. Erroll talks about the birth of WBIX.
Mimi discusses the weekend's win: "We just won the largest media batttle in the history really, of this country, for progressive people. We won back more than a radio station, we won back a network. Think of it! Los Angeles - second largest city in this country, Houston - home of the death penalty, D.C. - the belly of the Beast, New York - the belly of Capitalism. We have now linked them together potentially, in Progressive revolutionist thought. Not to mention the affiliates - the new news that has been done by people who were pushed out and exiled - now on 50 affiliate stations - more than the National News of Pacifica has ever been on! The potential to radicalize this country in the face of globalized homogenous media is ours for the taking now. It is monumental - the potential that awaits us. Not to mention that extension that has to be an annex - Radio in Exile - that has to be a training ground - a way of bringing people into this process of creating radio. Mumia, you got a network now!"
Anthony speaks of "The most insidious thing that happened this last year - the forces that attempted to racialize and polarize this whole struggle." He says that "This is a precious institution for liberation, for respect and for justice. I'm into justice - that's what my whole thing is, humanity and justice - is justice being served? And I'm really hoping in this next phase that we can get rid of the money issue, and move this network to womething it's never been - because we have everything in place - the internet's in place, the satellite's in place, the video's in place, the radio's in place, the worldwide network's in place for justice to be done."
Mimi praises Emmanuel for his involvement and interest throughout the struggle, recalling how he broadcast the LAB attempt to enter the station as people were being arrested.
Emmanuel says "I was told what I did was wrong by Management, and I was threatened with all kinds of things. That fear is something that doesn't go away - the fear of what they're going to do to you now if you say this". I think we also have to pay special attention to those out there who were warning us years ago that this was coming. I just hope that next time, because there will be a next time in some way, that we really listen and pay attention and keep this from ever happening again to our network."
Mimi says "We're dangerous" and explains why. "We had five stations before but we weren't a network. Now we're a network."
Ray LaForest: "Not only do we have to bring back the clock to before Dec. 22, but we have to do better, because it's clear that the seeds for destruction existed in the system the way it was before. We have to find the contradictions and we have to create the boundaries."