Wanda's Picks at BlogTalkRadio.com

Today was a little smoother than weeks past. I know, after a month and then some, I should be a pro, but I am still struggling with the music uploads and I'm still not savvy when it comes to uploading recorded interviews. I'm paying my brother for his time, but this past Wednesday, Sept. 24, I didn't play a prerecorded interview. It was live, and I was nervous.

I'm always nervous, and I'm always anxious. I wonder if the butterflies ever go away? I'll have to ask one of my veteran radio friends whom I admire like Greg Bridges and Walter Turner and Safi wa Nairobi, and Ayanna Aisha and Kiilu Nyasha...I know plenty of folks who sound so competent on the air. I wonder how much preparation they put into each show. I prepare two hours in advance on the day of, and for weeks leading up to the day. I prepared too much. I almost had too many guests.

I thought I had 30 extra minutes so invited Robert Stewart onto the show, then had to uninvite him. He is playing at Yoshi's in San Francisco Monday, Sept. 29--the Robert Stewart Experience, which is sold out :-)He'll be my guest October 24.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the stretch and the challenge radio gives me. It was great talking to Ramona Africa, MOVE 9 and International Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal, this morning and Pam Africa. But Ramona was the surprise guest. I'm sorry Ida McCray, Families with a Future, wasn't able to call in. Hamdiyah Cooks, California Coalition for Women Prisoners and All of Us or None, was great. It was kind of her to squeeze us in in the window she had open before she went to her conference.

Author and political activist, Robert King, Angola 3, was feeling more expansive than usual as he told us about the break through in the case facing Albert Woodfox (A3) and by ripple effect perhaps Herman Wallace (A3). The judge ordered the court to retry Albert of let him go in 120 days! That's like phenomenal and so encouraging!

Emory Douglas, the great political artist, was on the line today also and it was great speaking to him about the Black Panther Party and his inspiration for the art...society and the need for justice. He spoke about the FBI's abduction of BPP co-founder, Bobby Seale to Chicago for the Chicago 10 Trial, where he was bound and gagged and shackled, unprecedented in US history. The parallels were within reach--slavery. All Seale wanted to do was represent himself at a trial where the organizers of a protest against the Republican National Convention in Chicago 1968 were being cited.

It's a basis of a new film airing on PBS.org affliates (ITVS) this fall season. Check the listings at the website.

I am looking forward to Critical Resistance 10. It's great seeing all the folks opposed to the prison industrial complex under one roof, especially in an election year.

I spoke to Jahmela Biggs and Amaya Alonso Hallifax after I finished speaking to Ramona and Emory. The two women are currently in the play Yellowjackets at Berkeley Rep. It was a pleasant conversation.

I ended the show with Sherri Young, Executive Director of the African American Shakespeare Company, which has been around 15 years this year. It's an amazing feat to have such longevity--black theatre too? I think this reflects the strong leadership the organization has in Sherri, her vision is consistent and with Bonnie and now Victoria, Artistic Director, the organization continues to move forward.

Get out to see MacB and Yellowjackets before they close. MacB or the MacBeth Project closes October 5. The Yellowjackets closes October 19.