Shelley’s Plumbline

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.