Bishop Talbert Swan II: The Spoken Word – A Return to Jim Crow?

In this episode of “The Spoken Word” on WTCC radio, Bishop Talbert Swan II delivers a powerful analysis of current social and political issues through the lens of the African-American experience.

Key Themes and Discussions

• Critical Race Theory (CRT): Bishop Swan clarifies that CRT is rooted in critical legal theory and highlights the belief that white supremacy has historically subjugated Black people and other people of color [05:42]. He contrasts the resistance to teaching CRT in schools with the unchallenged propagation of historical inaccuracies [06:22].
• Second Amendment and the Black Panther Party: Bishop Swan recounts how the Black Panther Party’s exercise of their Second Amendment rights by openly carrying firearms at the California capital prompted then-governor Ronald Reagan to enact the Mulford Act, a gun control measure supported by the NRA due to the race of those armed [07:59], [08:55].
• Jim Crow by Executive Order: The central argument of the show is that executive orders and congressional/judicial inaction are pushing the nation back toward the Jim Crow era [12:50]. Bishop Swan interprets the phrase “Make America Great Again” as a desire to return to that period [17:21].
• Project 2025: Bishop Swan warns about “Project 2025,” a 900-page manifesto outlining a plan to reinstate Jim Crow-era caste systems, control Black people, criminalize immigrants, and provide unfair advantages to white people [31:33].
• Travel Ban (“Black Ban”): The Bishop discusses Trump’s travel ban, which disproportionately affects countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, labeling it a “black ban” due to its targeting of Black and brown individuals [38:15].
• Complicity of the Christian Church: Bishop Swan criticizes white evangelical Christians for their silence and complicity in supporting unjust policies, drawing parallels to their historical justification of slavery and silence during Jim Crow. He states, “whitenized Christianity has baptized oppression and crucified justice” [43:06], [44:20].
• Internal Divisions: Bishop Swan acknowledges the issue of non-white individuals collaborating with white supremacy [48:25]. However, he stresses the need for unity among marginalized groups, arguing that division weakens their collective fight against systemic oppression [51:20]. He uses the example of missing Black women and girls to illustrate the system’s neglect of their plight [50:01].
• Call to Action: Bishop Swan emphasizes that silence equals surrender and urges a multi-racial, multi-faith coalition to resist authoritarianism and fascism [53:50].

References

• Martin Niemöller’s Poem: “First they came for the Communists” [55:44] – Used to illustrate the dangers of remaining silent in the face of injustice.

Actionable Steps

Bishop Swan urges listeners to take action by:

• Registering and mobilizing voters [01:09:35].
• Volunteering with human rights organizations [01:09:56].
• Donating to bail funds and mutual aid networks [01:10:07].
• Boycotting corporations that retreat from DEI initiatives and supporting Black-owned businesses [01:10:17].
• Challenging silent churches and faith communities [01:10:38].
• Speaking out loudly on all platforms [01:11:14].

This episode serves as a call to recognize and resist the resurgence of systemic oppression and to work towards a more just and equitable society.