Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

After Winning the Election Do We Govern the Place or Transform It? Kali Akuno on the Lessons of Jackson MS So Far
Bruce A. Dixon, BAR managing editor
26 Oct 2017
🖨️ Print Article

This is a hasty and cleaned up version of Kali Akuno's remarks at the Movement School for Revolutionaries, which was hosted by Cooperation Jackson in Jackson Mississippi on October 21, 2017. My apologies for the previous less accessible version and for this one too. Haven't edited video in a long while. Will do better next time, I promise.

Among much else, Akuno summarizes the long history of struggle, including electoral struggle to which Jackson MS and Cooperation Jackson are heirs. He outlines the factors behind Cooperation Jackson's break with City Hall in Jackson and with the Democratic party. He examines the problems encountered by left movements which win elections in this neoliberal era -- can the limited powers of local government be harnessed to transform the economy and peoples lives, or are local officials merely rubber stamps and friendly faces for the forces of austerity, perpetual war and privatization. Akuno also touches upon the connection between local and global politics, and frankly assesses the prospects of human, economic and social transformation from the front lines of Jackson Mississippi.

Cooperation Jackson

Related Podcasts

Cooperation Jackson's Kali Akuno: Elections Don’t Necessarily Change a Damn Thing
Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
Cooperation Jackson's Kali Akuno: Elections Don’t Necessarily Change a Damn Thing
06 December 2017
A key strategist among the Black radicals that were behind the election of two Black mayors in Jackson, Mississippi, says his fellow activists have
Coope ra tion Jackson: Reclaiming Democracy and Building a Solidarity Economy in Mississippi and Beyond
This Is Hell
Cooperation Jackson: Reclaiming Democracy and Building a Solidarity Economy in Mississippi and Beyond
01 November 2017
Kali Akuno and Ajamu Nangwaya discuss building a solidarity economy at Cooperation Jack

More Stories


  • Too Black
    Unburdened by Palestine: Shedding Black liberalism for anti-imperialism
    04 Sep 2024
    Liberals are demanding that Black people in the U.S. put aside our long tradition of anti-imperialism to support Kamala Harris and sacrifice Palestine in the process.
  • Tamara Nassar
    Israel’s intensifying killing can’t defeat West Bank resistance
    04 Sep 2024
    Israel has increased its attacks in the West Bank as it pushes to expand its settlements and attempt to expel Palestinians from their lands.
  • Hanna Eid
    Review: Cabral Writings
    04 Sep 2024
    Amilcar Cabral's work and writings are still as relevant today as they were when he walked the earth. The struggle for liberation in Palestine and across the continent of Africa is still alive and…
  • Brasil de Fato
    Venezuela suffers national blackout, government denounces “sabotage” to electrical grid
    04 Sep 2024
    The outage began at 4 am on August 30 and affected several states in the country, including the capital Caracas.
  • Jemima Pierre
    Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor
    Reclaiming the Narrative on HAITI with Dr. Jemima Pierre
    04 Sep 2024
    Dr. Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor spoke to The Other Narrative about why Haiti is paying a price - 220 years after it won Independence from the jaws of colonizers. She discussed…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us