meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

(2016/06/03) In the shadow of slavery (Racism)

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Jay Tomlinson

Politics, News Commentary, News

4.53.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2016

⏱️ 72 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Edition #1018

Today we take a look at the structures of racism in the US, who put them there, the problems they cause and what we might do to dismantle them

Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Blinded by the White: The Myth of Meritocracy - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 04-22-15

Ch. 3: Song 1: Work Horse - Infantree


Ch. 4: Act 2: Gateway to Freedom: Historian Eric Foner on the Hidden History of the Underground Railroad - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 3-11-15

Ch. 5: Song 2: Underground Railroad - The Deedle Deedle Dees


Ch. 6: Act 3: Study On The Impact Of Nazi Propaganda - @TheYoungTurks - Air Date: 06-19-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: Discrimination - Ancel


Ch. 8: Act 4: Bryan Stevenson: Slavery never ended, it just evolved - Here and Now - Air Date 6-30-15

Ch. 9: Song 4: The Confrontation - Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin


Ch. 10: Act 5: Heidi Beirich on White Supremacy and the Trump campaign - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 3-4-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Racism - MYSTAFYA


Ch. 12: Act 6: Historian Eric Foner on the Elections, Reconstruction, and Racism Today - @theLFshow w @GRITlaura Flanders - Air Date 4-19-16


Voicemails

Ch. 13: Living with little and giving away - Eric from Alabama

Ch. 14: Thoughts on the NV Democratic Convention - Kirk in Los Vegas

Kirk's Nevada Convention video

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics


Ch. 15: Final comments on what's more important than taking offense

Article: "I find this offensive": How "offense" discourse traps us into inaction

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone


Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I live in a state where Confederate Memorial Day is a state holiday, where Jefferson Davis's

0:05.0

birthday is a state holiday.

0:07.2

We do not have Martin Luther King Day in Alabama.

0:09.2

We have Martin Luther King's slash Robert E. Lee Day.

0:16.6

This program is made possible by the members and donors to the show.

0:19.2

If you'd like to support the work we're doing, please visit the Contribute tab at bestofaloft.com.

0:23.8

Now welcome to the award-winning Best of the Left podcast with Hoops today from the majority

0:27.9

report, Democracy Now, The Young Turks, Here and Now, Counterspin and The Loura Flanders Show.

0:34.9

In our society, in a society, let's just put this in general terms, in a society where

0:44.0

a certain group of people have been able to dominate, they set up what the definition

0:53.6

of merit is.

0:56.6

You cannot be superior to one person, cannot be superior to another person in a vacuum.

1:06.1

I mean, I cannot say I am superior to Matt in a vacuum.

1:13.6

I can say I am taller than Matt and I've now set up what the measure is.

1:20.8

We're going to measure who is better based upon height.

1:24.7

We're going to measure who is better based upon weight and it could be you weigh more,

1:29.2

you're better if you weigh less, you know, you're a sumo wrestler, you're doing better,

1:33.8

you're in better shape if you're bigger.

1:38.3

In the context of our society, white males have set up the entire definition of meritocracy.

1:48.7

So to say that people rise based upon their merit is not even enough because if you design

1:58.1

the meritocracy based upon what you happen to be best at, then the entire system is going

2:09.1

to produce the desired results.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jay Tomlinson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jay Tomlinson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.