7 chapters across the catalog
Record executives like Jerry Greenberg used media buying power to force Top 40 stations to play Motown records by threatening to pull advertising. Dr. Westbrook also discusses how CBS eventually began infusing money into black communities through grants and executives like Baron Taylor. This is compared to modern $100 million grants from Spotify to black podcasters like Charlamagne Tha God.
Political Fundraising, The Black Caucus and Spotify Ownership
Dr. Westbrook recounts producing the first major fundraiser for the Black Caucus in Washington D.C., featuring Isaac Hayes. This established a pattern of record labels using artists to support political candidates, such as Jimmy Carter or later Hillary Clinton. The hosts note that major labels now own significant stakes in Spotify, creating a closed loop of financial and political influence.
The hosts revisit a 2016 speech where Barack Obama told the Congressional Black Caucus he would consider it a "personal insult" to his legacy if black voters did not turn out for Hillary Clinton. They contrast this "scolding" tone with his general public persona. The segment argues that Obama's political capital failed to deliver a victory for Clinton despite his intense personal pressure on the community.
Representative Karen Bass of the Black Caucus challenged the FBI to retract the Black Identity Extremist document, calling it "open season" on young black activists. She compares the current climate to her experiences protesting the LAPD and questions the validity of the leaked document that serves as the basis for the BIE category.
Militarized Policing, Congressional Black Caucus Involvement
The role of the Congressional Black Caucus in supporting the 1994 Crime Bill is examined, noting that local constituents were desperate for a solution to street violence. However, the resulting "mercenary" style of policing and the use of military-grade equipment like tanks exacerbated community trauma. The segment discusses how these policies led to the widespread adoption of stop-and-frisk tactics.
Peter Kirshenow, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, testifies that illegal immigration has a devastating impact on the wages and employment levels of low-skilled Black men. He notes that despite providing this data to the Congressional Black Caucus and President Obama, his findings were met with "crickets."
The term "Black" has shifted in meaning due to mass immigration from Africa and the Caribbean, leading to the coining of the term ADOS by Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore. There is a growing distinction between descendants of American slaves and more recent Black immigrants, exemplified by the inclusion of non-ADOS figures like Ilhan Omar in the Congressional Black Caucus. This separation is often unpopular in mainstream politics because the term "Black" is frequently used as a monolithic leveraging tool.
