Shelley’s Plumbline

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, hosts Shelley Stewart, Ricky Jones, and Mark Jamroz explore the persistent challenges of truth-telling in both professional and societal contexts.Key Topics Discussed:The Cost of Truth: An analysis of why individuals often prioritize saying what others want to hear over speaking necessary truths—a pattern observed from the 1950s through today.Barriers to Progress: An examination of how the fear of professional retaliation, selfishness, and the preservation of racial dominance stifle advocacy and collective growth.Responsibility & Literacy: A conversation on the importance of personal and familial accountability, and the growing concern over rising anti-intellectualism and the decline in engagement with historical documentation.Future Challenges: A preview of upcoming discussions, including the societal risks of artificial intelligence and the "illiteracy of America."Join us as we discuss the necessity of individual courage and the critical work required to prevent historical and painful experiences from being ignored.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailToday, we (re)present the most downloaded Plumbline episode of 2025, titled "Racism Today."In this episode, Shelley, Mark, and Ricky Jones launch into a powerful discussion on the enduring struggle against racism, arguing that while overt segregation is gone, it has transformed, with terms like DEI serving as "code words" for veiled racist policies. They explore the historical context of white supremacy, citing Abraham Lincoln's views on racial inequality, and stress the urgent need for continued, honest conversation about justice. The episode also covers modern dangers to society like greed and anti-intellectualism, and examines intra-racial dynamics and miseducation within the Black community. Listen, learn and share your thoughts.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailThis episode of Shelley's Plumbline celebrates the return of Dr. Shelley Stewart to the podcast team! The discussion centers on the systemic challenges facing black academics and educators, including the mental health toll of targeted media attacks, the lack of representation in higher education (where black professors constitute only 5% of the faculty), and the exclusion of black voices from mainstream media platforms. The hosts also touch upon conflicts involving high-profile media figures, critique narratives surrounding black tenure-track faculty, and reflect on historical events to contextualize the ongoing struggle for visibility and equality.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we move beyond the headlines to examine the systemic pressures facing higher education—from the dismantling of DEI initiatives to the political influence on university leadership.We explore the roots of current political polarization, analyze the impact of populist movements on our national discourse, and discuss why critical thinking is under attack. If you’re looking for a substantive, intellectual look at race, power, and the state of American morality, this conversation is for you. We don’t shy away from the hard questions; we pursue the truth that lies between conflicting perspectives.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Mark and Ricky pull back the curtain on the hypocrisy within military leadership, discussing the targeted removal of Black historical figures from institutions and the exclusionary rhetoric permeating the Pentagon. Through the lens of Clint Smith’s The Atlantic piece, "The Betrayal of America’s Black Patriots," they analyze the complex legacy of figures like Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. and the persistent "unrequited love" Black Americans have shown a country that often fails to return it.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn 1993, Shelley hosted the Shelley Stewart Show, Survival in the 90s. It was a talk show on television that ran for 13 episodes. Today, we feature the audio from an extraordinary episode that featured a conversation with three very different people on the same stage.The discussion featured Lamarse Washington, Executive Director of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, William Muhammad, Minister of Nation of Islam and on the other end of the spectrum, William Burchfield, Grand Titan of Alabama for the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.Can you imagine a more diverse group in one place? We believe that you’ll discover the topics between then and today are not that different. But we wonder, could people of such diverse opinions share a stage with civility and respect today?Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, Ricky highlights the erosion of intellectual freedom in Alabama, citing issues at Auburn University and the University of Alabama regarding the dismantling of faculty senates and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They argue that university leadership is either cowed by the threat of losing state funding or ideologically aligned with white supremacist efforts to limit diversity and critical thinking.They challenge the myth that universities are inherently progressive spaces, noting that many never truly committed to integration in the first place.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of "Shelley's Plumline," hosts Mark Jamroz and Dr. Ricky Jones explore the foundational contradictions of American history, using Frederick Douglass’s critique of Independence Day as a starting point. We analyze the systematic erasure of figures like Crispus Attucks from public memory and discuss how lingering ideologies from the Civil War era continue to influence modern society. The episode concludes by encouraging listeners to engage in independent research to critically examine these historical narratives and their ongoing impact on American democracy.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailToday, we continue in the theme of fathers as we rebroadcast a show we released on near his birthday, September 27, 2023. It features a recording of a speech Shelley made on Father's Day when he was 63 years old at Friendship Baptist Church.This Church plays a special role in Shelley's life. As a boy of five, he saw his mother murdered just a few blocks away. In spite of growing up without his parents, he would celebrate his graduation in this same Church. Without a doubt, the Friendship Baptist Church has held a special place in Shelley's heart. In today's podcast, he shares a message that he's shared all his life.A message that tells hard truths but also triumphs love, mutual respect, and human rights for ALL people and that faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible.Today's episode is a heartfelt message from Shelley, one of faith. What we know is if you lose faith, you lose all. Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailYou don't have to be a dad to be a father. Mentor a child. Set a good example. Teach our youth the right direction. Happy Father's Day.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailShelley's Plumbline is on a short summer break. In the meantime, Shelley asked that we rebroadcast some of our most popular episodes on the importance of education. Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailIn this week's podcast, Dr. Ricky Jones calls out modern efforts to roll back Civil Rights gains. The discussion highlights the systematic underfunding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the use of anti-affirmative action and anti-DEI movements to restrict Black student access and support at predominantly white institutions. We discuss how the real value of education is not economic profit, but rather its power to create critically thinking individuals who are capable of examining and challenging the society in which they live. The segment concludes with a consensus that the current lack of critical thinking, fueled by miseducation, is allowing the media to manipulate the masses.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailThis episode of Shelley's Plumbline explores the question of what we, as Black men and a people, have done wrong in the ongoing struggle for equality? Stewart frames this introspection with painful memories of childhood segregation and being told he was "wrong" simply because of his color. Dr. Jones refines the query into two parts: "What is wrong with blackness" that the country treats Black people the way it does, and what tactical mistakes have been made in addressing these issues, such as the push for integration or traditional politics. Shelley also recounts his experience as a broadcaster confronting racism, often facing criticism from others in the Black community who accused him of "stirring up trouble" or being wrong for speaking his mind.The conversation emphasizes the critical difference between external criticism and self-critique, with Dr. Jones warning against the narcissism of people who only discuss wrongs done to them, not wrongs they have committed. Stewart shares a powerful personal story illustrating his decades-long commitment to justice: he was so disturbed by a white preacher using the radio airwaves to promote segregation, arguing that "black birds and white birds" don't fly together, that he eventually bought the station to take the message off the air. The co-hosts connect this generational struggle to modern challenges, noting that the community solidarity seen in the Civil Rights era has fractured, attributing the decline in part to Black people buying "lock, stock, and barrel into American individualism."Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.

Send us Fan MailHey, Plumbliners. As we rewind through some of our most popular podcasts, we couldn’t overlook our very first. It was published on April 17, 2023. And it’s about Internalized Racism. Take a listen.Support the showFollow us and continue the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and  LinkedIn.