The more things change, the more they stay the same

Welcome to the flagship voyage of the Podcast for the People, a weekly conversation revolving around the topics of race, politics and history in America. This being the last day of black history month and very early into the Trump presidential term, we felt that an in depth discussion regarding blacks in America would help us and hopefully our listeners navigate our way in this turbulent time.

This initial podcast is taking an in depth look at ideas brought forth in the historic debate between two scholars, James Baldwin and William F. Buckley. The debate was held at Cambridge University in 1965 and the topic of discussion was "Is the American dream at the expense of the American negro?" Baldwin poses the argument that the American Negro is a product of the white establishment and the American government. Mr. Buckley makes the argument that black Americans are not reaching for the American dream and that the only way for white Americans to remedy the disparity is to achieve less. Is the current state of black America the result of 400 years of oppression, or the result of a reduced drive to succeed? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Who has the correct argument? Are they both correct? What steps can white and black Americans take to ensure a brighter tommorrow?

With the election of our nations first black president, many people voiced the opinion that we were in a "Post racial" America. It would be hard to find a person who still holds that same opinion today. 

We welcome you to this weekly discussion and encourage your involvement, tweets, e-mails and calls to offer your opinion to the conversation and to offer ideas for future episodes. 

Enjoy!

Music: Bensound.com

Sound Clips: YouTube.com