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Uncovering The Movement:
An Interview With
Rev. N. H. "Fireball" Smith
In this episode, Shelley shares an interview from January 1993 with Rev. Nelson H. Smith, also known as "Fireball" Smith. Smith was another unknown yet highly influential foot soldier in the fight for human rights for all, participating in The Movement before the 1960s and marching side by side with Dr. King during the '60s.
Throughout his ministry, Smith preached the importance of higher education, financial management, and economics. He founded the New Pilgrim Credit Union in 1965 and led his church in the development of a bookstore and the New Pilgrim Towers apartments, to name a few of his accomplishments.
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Happy 89th Birthday to Shelley Stewart!
Today, we celebrate Shelley's 89th birthday with a recording of a speech Shelley made 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.
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Yvonne Turner: A True
Human Rights Shero
This week, Shelley continues to explore some of the lesser-known yet powerful foot soldiers in the Movement.
One such person is Yvonne Turner.
Who is Yvonne Turner? Well, well before the Human Rights Movement of the 60s, the true Movement began in the mid-1950s, and people like Yvonne Turner, Georgia Price, and others were instrumental in organizing voter education drives and meetings. Visit shelleysplumbline.com to see one of the voter education documents Yvonne created and shared so Blacks could be prepared to answer questions in order to vote.
She was often referred to as the most loved and hated woman in Birmingham because she helped the Movement so much but also spoke to a truth that many would rather not hear.
Rare Speeches of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
To kick off Season 3 of Shelley's Plumbline, we went through his archives, and Shelley rediscovered some rare recordings of #MLK that he had forgotten about.
These are speeches MLK made in Birmingham! Why are they rare? Because for his protection and to keep Bull Conner guessing, Dr. King would often show up to churches unannounced to make speeches.
Shelley Stewart was in attendance recording the choir when Dr. King showed up. They left the recorder running when he made these speeches. You can hear them both in this week's podcast.
Very timely given that September 15 is the anniversary of bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.
In Season 3, Shelley sets the record straight on the "Movement" and how only the media and politicians called it the "Civil Rights Movement." It was, and is, a Movement for the freedom of all people.
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The Plantation Ghost
Today Shelley shares an interview from 1995 with Ezekwa Abdullah. Ezekwa argues that Blacks still repress themselves and suffer a form of psychological slavery in the collective subconscious psyche because attitudes of repression have been preserved and passed from one generation to the next. The ghost of the plantation exists today because not enough has been done to condemn this point of view.
Free By Choice Inmates Share Their Stories
Today, Shelley replays an interview from the Free By Choice program, which brought inmates from Alabama prisons on the air to speak openly about their crimes and the decisions which led to them. These Free By Choice inmates had a strong desire to share their stories so their suffering could serve to help others avoid making the same mistakes.
Shelley Stewart
