There are many ways to talk about inequality. In this show, we’ll hear about three. The first, people known as the Black Overlanders: African Americans who were part of the pilgrimage across the Overland Trails. Sacramento State Emeritus Professor Shirley Ann Wilson Moore traced some of this history. Second, Oscar Grant’s death at the Fruitvale Bart Station in Oakland became an ugly chapter in American history. The 10th anniversary of his shooting by a police officer was Jan. 1, 2019. You’re going to hear part of an interview with Oscar Grant’s father which was featured in the podcast "Uncuffed." And finally, Sacramento hip hop artist and activist POOR Majesty talked with CapRadio’s Nick Brunner about his new album "Dreamer." It includes the single “S.O.S” about police violence against unarmed people of color.

Sweet Freedom’s Plains

The pilgrimage across the Overland Trails in the mid-19th century represents a critical point in American history. Over a 30-year period, nearly half a million people traveled over 2,000 miles in search of new opportunities. But the story of thousands of African Americans who were part of that journey has largely been untold. Shirley Ann Wilson Moore is a historian and emeritus history professor at Sacramento State University. She describes the trials and tribulations faced by black Americans, both free and enslaved, in her book titled Sweet Freedom’s Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails -1841 to 1869. The book won History Colorado's 2018 Barbara Sudler Award for the best work of nonfiction on a western American subject by a female author.

Oscar Grant’s Father Speaks

Jan. 1, 2019 marked the 10th anniversary of Oscar Grant’s death at the hands of a police officer at an Oakland BART station. His killing sparked protests and inspired the ongoing movement for greater police accountability. Until now, no one had interviewed his father, Oscar Grant, Jr. He’s incarcerated at Solano State Prison, where fellow inmate Julian Glenn Padgett recorded an emotional conversation with Grant’s father for "Uncuffed," a program that teaches radio production skills inside the facility. KALW producer and trainer Eli Wirtschafter shared the piece and explained how his students use radio to tell each others’ stories.

POOR Majesty, Mahtie Bush And N.O.M.E Nomadd: Racism And Its Intersection With Criminal Justice

Sacramento hip hop artist and activist POOR Majesty has a new album out called Dreamer with a new single “S.O.S.,” about police violence against unarmed people of color. POOR Majesty reached out to his friends Mahtie Bush and N.O.M.E. Nomadd to contribute feature performances to the track. For Mahtie Bush, the subject matter was ripe for lyrical exploration. N.O.M.E. Nomadd says putting his feelings into “S.O.S.” was a more potent way to speak out against casual racism in daily life, which is inextricably intertwined with racism in the criminal justice system. CapRadio’s Nick Brunner recorded this interview with POOR Majesty, Mahtie Bush and N.O.M.E. Nomadd earlier this year.