You know the bed feels warmer Sleeping here alone You know I dream in color And do the things I want

In this episode, Imam Tariq talks with Rev. Brian E. Smith about the importance of interfaith cooperation in the Black community. They talk about potential opportunities for growth, such as the grant Rev. Smith administers (see below). 


 Reverend Brian E. Smith, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Chicago Theological Seminary where he is the administrator of a Henry LUCE Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant providing leadership and resources to over 40 Chicago-Southside faith leaders. Rev. Smith also pastors the North Shore Faith Community Church. 


Guest- Rev. Brian E. Smith
Host/Producer- Imam Tariq I. El-Amin
Music-
Epidemic Sound- Got Real
J-Serius-- Muslim Black American
Image- Tariq I. El-Amin

The Black Glue Podcast

Ep. 22 Rev Brian E. Smith: Black Interfaith [06-23-2021]

Our guest is writer and social justice activist Mahal Lofton Emenari, who recently penned an open letter, following a two-and-a-half-year period of visiting masaajid/mosques throughout the Chicagoland area that left him feeling unwelcomed. Br. Emenari reads the letter in its entirety at the outset of the program. We discuss the nuances of culture and its potential impact on the perceptions of hospitality and also suggest that Black people (in general) have relied on sacred spaces to provide more than ritual, but have needed them to be places that affirm their identity also. 


Guest- Mahal Lofton Emenari
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin
Epidemic Sound- Got Real
J-Serius-- Muslim Black American
Image- Tariq I. El-Amin

 Black Glue Podcast

Ep. 23 Mahal Lofton Emenari: Black in The Masjid [06-29-2021]

Ijeoma Ukenta, a Black Muslim Nigerian American woman, was accosted by Abigail Elphick, a white woman, at a Victoria’s Secret in the Milborn mall in Short Hills, New Jersey. Ms. Ukenta began recording the interaction which showed Ms. Elphick go from--what appeared to be an attempted strike to laying down on the floor in the store crying, asking why no one was defending her? She (Elphick) was the clear aggressor, but history has shown that the lives of Black people are put in jeopardy when white women are moved (or move) to tears. 
Tariq is joined by Layla Abdullah Poulos to talk about the implications of those tears, and the responses of mall security, the police, and Victoria’s Secret employees. 

Guest- Layla Abdullah Poulos
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin
Image- Tariq I. El-Amin
Music

Ep. 24 When Karen's Cry [2021-07-15]

My guest is Clyde El-Amin, former president of Kennedy-King & Olive Harvey city colleges (Chicago), and current organizational and development consultant. His leadership and talents have benefited many. Growing up during the civil rights movement, originally from Alabama, before moving to Detroit and finally making his way to Chicago, you'll appreciate his perspective on the state of Black history month. 

Guest- Clyde El-Amin
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin
Image- Clyde El-Amin(modified by T. El-Amin)
Music-Benjamin Banger- Whistle (Instagram (@BenJaminBanger) smarturtit/hit20)

Black Glue Podcast

Ep. 26  Clyde El-Amin: Perspectives on Black History

My guest is Briana Payton, a policy analyst with the Chicago Community Bond Fund, and a leader with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice.  We discuss Ms. Payton's path to community justice work as a career, the origins of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, and some exciting legislative victories of The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. 

Guest-  Briana Payton
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin
Image- Chicago Community Bond Fund
Music-Benjamin Banger- Whistle (Instagram (@BenJaminBanger) smarturtit/hit20)

Ep. 28  Briana Payton: Chicago Community Bond Fund

Ep. 34  Ustadh Adrian Ashir Kirk

Clyde tells the story of his upbringing in Montgomery, Alabama during the civil rights movement, and his journey with the Nation of Islam.  His message is one of adaptation creating change at the community level.  Clyde encourages young generations to trust their own instincts, and to believe in their own ability to create change. This story was recorded in partnership with StoryCorps and MALA.

Clyde Amin: The Ability to Create Change

Muslim Black American, a song by artist J-Seriyus (Jameel F. Karim) represents the intersecting identities of Muslim and African American. Tariq talks with him about issues of race within the Muslim community, the importance of Black male artist moving beyond typical expressions of masculinity, the importance of sharing painful or traumatic experiences in art, and what he hopes to achieve through his music.

Jameel F. Karim aka J- Seriyus is a Chicago Native who began rapping at the age of 15 and has performed abroad and across the United States. Early in his career, he released projects as a member of the group MPAC. In 2018 J-Seriyus co-founded Elite Regime Entertainment and released his first solo album "Tested." You can find more of his work on YouTube at Elite Regime.

Benjamin Banger-- Whistle (Instagram (@BenJaminBanger)http://smarturl.it/hjfi20) 
J-Serius-- Muslim Black American; Do You Love Me

Image
LifeStar Communications

Ep. 6 J- Seriyus: Muslim Black American [02-17-2019]

NOTE-- Our apologies for the variations in the audio level. There were technical difficulties that weren't caught until the interview had been completed, however we felt the conversation was too important to not share. 

Kim Foxx is a first in  the history of the Cook County State's Attorney's office. Her distinction is not only a result of her being the first African American elected to lead the 2nd largest State's prosecutors office in the nation, but because of the stance she has taken in making an office that has historically been associated with little more than trying and convicting people--one that can be an advocate for social justice. 

SA Foxx was a major contributor to the legislation that expunged the criminal records of individuals convicted of certain marijuana related crimes, now that its sale has been legalized by the Illinois state legislature (Jan 01, 2020). Prior to state legislation that went into effect this year (2020), her office stopped prosecution of individuals charged with driving on suspended license, due to failure to pay parking tickets back in 2017. And her stance on bond reform, where she advocates that people who pose no threat to the public should not languish in jail because they are poor.

We talk about the office, how her life experiences impact the way she approaches her position, the need to confront the problem of race, the F.O.P., the Jussie Smollet case--how it has been politicized and what it really means, and what it means to be a public servant.   

Guest- Kim Foxx, Cook County States Attorney
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin

Music
Allston Night Owl by Blue Dot Sessions  https://bit.ly/2Pb3Ms1

Image
Tariq I. El-Amin

Bridging The Gap with Tariq I. El-Amin

Ep. 14 State's Attorney Kim Foxx [01-22-2020]

Our guest is Jimmie C. Gardner. After spending 27 years wrongfully imprisoned, he has emerged as an advocate for other wrongfully imprisoned men and women who have felt the sting of this country's systemic and racial injustices throughout the criminal justice system. He also advocates for prison reform and inmate rights all over the country. He is an active motivational  speaker,  engaged by high schools, colleges and universities, including the Georgetown School of Law,  churches, community, as well as  civic organizations throughout the country. He has also spoken in prisons such as Lee County State Prison and Autry State Prison in Georgia, in his effort to expose ongoing injustices and bring about prison reform for inmates. Jimmie offers prisoners hope through specific insight and encouragement as only he can share given all that he has endured. Jimmie C. Gardner's constitutional fortitude  is a living testament to individuals striving to overcome in any walk of life, be they inmate or civilian. His story is triumphant,  compelling and he is a living  example of steadfastness, perseverance and  strength. Since his release he has hit the ground running and he looks forward to completely embracing his new life and living in his calling. (Taken from https://www.jcgardnerspeaks.com/about/)

Guest- Jimmie C. Gardner
Host/Producer- Tariq I. El-Amin

Music
Benjamin Banger-- Whistle (Instagram (@BenJaminBanger)http://smarturl.it/hjfi20) 
J-Serius-- Muslim Black American

Image
Jimmie C. Gardner (modified by Tariq I. El-Amin)

Ep. 19  Jimmie C. Gardner: I Knew I'd Be Free [04-29-2020]

Centering Black  & Black Muslim experience(s) in America.  Committed to honest conversations that inform, inspire, and heal. 
Hosted by Imam Tariq I. El-Amin, listen to hundreds of his former interviews & commentary on @RadioIslamUSA

Ep. 19 Jimmie C. Gardner: I Knew I'd Be Free [04-29-2020]

Black Glue Podcast

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