Chicago Sunnyside Podcast

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May 2025

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The Chicago Sunnyside Podcast is dedicated to raising awareness about diverse, grassroots activists and organizations in the Chicago area. We aim to build bridges between these pillars in our communities and the people they serve. We are telling our own stories and discussing the cultural, social and political realities affecting our lives. Chicago Sunnyside Podcast is presented by The Earth Center.

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35 recent

May 8, 20251 hr 7 min

CHI Sunnyside E35: #HandsOffBurkinaFaso, Africa & Diaspora Stand w Ibrahim Traore, Burkina & AES

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh, Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah The world is coming together to stand up for Burkina Faso and its President, Ibrahim Traore after yet another coup attempt and ridiculous accusations by a American General and head of AFRICOM, Michael Langley. We speak on our activities in Burkina Faso, visits to the Gulmu (Gourmantche) King and the Presidential Palace, and our solidarity with Captain Ibrahim Traore. In this episode, we discuss: 0:00 - 3:30 - Intro: Traoré supporters stand in solidarity 3:31 - 18:26 - Kebtah visits Gulmu (Gourmantché) King 18:27 - 19:55 - Kebtah visits Burkina Faso Presidential Palace 19:56 - 31:16 - AES / West Africa Unites Against Neocolonialism 31:17 - 37:56 - A Sovereign African Currency & Gadaffi's assassination 37:57 - 46:17 - U.S. General Langley Accuses Captain Traoré 46:18 - 54:50 - People of African and the Diaspora Stand Up 54:51 - 1:01:18 - Attacks on Traoré & Briberies 1:01:19 - 1:07:00 - Outro: Get Involved & The People of Burkina Faso anthem

May 8, 202550 min

CHI Sunnyside E34: True Stewards of Black Culture, Misconceptions About Africa

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah After our Annual Pilgrimage to Meritah (Africa), the Sunnyside team revisits the value of Meritah (African) culture and why you won't understand even if you experience it yourself. IYKYK. In this episode, we spoke about: 0:00 - 2:07 Intro 2:08 - 7:28 Misconceptions about Meritah Culture 7:29 - 9:43 Prioritizing Coming Home to Learn 9:44 - 10:53 Culture of Pseudo-Freedom 10:54 - 26:10 Emotional Approach to Life 26:11 - 27:52 Do Black Americans Have A Culture? 27:53 - 31:08 Preservers of Black Culture 31:09 - 34:14 Being Educated into Culture 34:15 - 40:20 Social Order and Royalty in Traditional Societies 40:21 - 47:28 Functioning on Pleasures or Principles? 47:29 - 50:36 Outro

May 8, 20251 hr 1 min

CHI Sunnyside E33: Traditions of African Culture & Attracting the Invisible, 30 Years of Kebtah Pt 2

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh, Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah This is our second installment of our coverage and commentary on Kebtah's (The Earth Center's) 30 Year Anniversary Celebration at the Het Aishat Temple in Togo. This amazing 3 day and 3 night event was part of Kebtah's Annual Cultural and Spiritual Pilgrimage to Meritah (Indigenous Africa). This episode features footage from our travels to Togo, including: Pouring libations to honor the Ancestors Traditional African dance to celebrate initiation (rites of passage) Master drummers and griots bringing proverbs with profound meaning In this episode, we discuss: 100 degree temperature difference between Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso and Chicago Cultural appropriation of the term "Western" Modern day slavery prevents us from investing in our evolution and traveling to enrich our lives The importance of investing in ourselves instead of material gain and how we measure happiness Nuances in culture that you probably wouldn't notice Getting the attention of the invisible Youth taking pride in their culture, traditions and initiations Speech is the most powerful medicine (or poison) Structure, etiquette and hierarchy in tradition Links & Resources: DuSable Museum of Black History & Education Center with The Earth Center on Resistance and Resilience against the Slave Trade: https://fb.watch/y3-dnhXp2D/ Become a Member of the Kebtah Movement: https://www.theearthcenter.org/signupstep1 Learn more about our Annual Pilgrimage: https://www.theearthcenter.org/pilgrimage See more of the 3 day celebrations on the Gate of Gates podcast: Pt 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVWva8J1LcQ&t=954s Pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emncLvvVg3M&t=16874s Pt 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFoXCdF1NHM&t=524s

May 8, 20251 hr 22 min

CHI Sunnyside E32: Kebtah 30 Year Anniversary & Annual Pilgrimage (Misra)

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh, Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah Guests: Elders of Tahbalo, Tem knife dancers & horsemen We just returned from our Annual pilgrimage. Every year The Earth Center hosts an Annual Pilgrimage taking members, students, initiates and guests to tour the cultural and spiritual sites of Kemet (Indigenous Africa). This year, pilgrimage activities were focused on the celebrations we hosted in Central Togo commemorating our 30 year anniversary of Master Naba bringing the Kebtah mission to the West. Join us to learn more about the original tradition of spiritual pilgrimage and some of the activities and profound experiences of this year’s trip. In this episode, we discuss: 0:00 - 4:00 - Intro - "He's Our Prophet" 4:01 - 10:39 - Kebtah Mission 10:40 - 25:16 - Annual Pilgrimage to Niger Valley 25:17 - 35:10 - Material Wealth or Wealth of Knowledge? 35:11 - 47:55 - Mola Clan Royalty - Dangers of Modern Ideology & Religion 47:56 - 1:00:16 - Mastery of Nature 1:00:17 - 1:05:23 - Mastering Iron, Impenetrable Warriors 1:05:24 - 1:07:20 - Kebtah Community Membership 1:07:21 - 1:09:46 - Modern Stigmatization of Africa 1:09:47 - 1:13:01 - Cultural Sell-Outs 1:13:02 - 1:22:35 - Outro - Order & Values of African Societies Links & Resources: 🌍 Become a Member of the Kebtah Movement: https://www.theearthcenter.org/signupstep1 ✈️ Learn more about our Annual Pilgrimage: https://www.theearthcenter.org/pilgrimage 🎊 See more of the 3 day celebrations on the Gate of Gates podcast: Pt 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVWva8J1LcQ&t=954s Pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emncLvvVg3M&t=16874s Pt 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFoXCdF1NHM&t=524s 🇧🇫 DuSable Museum of Black History & Education Center with The Earth Center from Burkina: https://www.facebook.com/DuSableMuseum/videos/1005771514987816

May 8, 20251 hr 26 min

CHI Sunnyside E31: Gathering Your Forces & Valuing Your Elders w/ Genealogist Anthony Cole

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh & Giziribtah Debasah Guests: Elder Anthony Cole We continue our series honoring our Elders, confronting the way we’re encouraged to devalue them. We speak to genealogist Elder Anthony Cole who teaches us how to get started in investigating in our family history. Our first and most important step must be interviewing the living Elders of our families and getting some of the wealth of wisdom and stories they have. By doing so, we start on a journey towards discovering our Ancestors, who and where we come from. Discovering our Ancestors is discovering ourselves, a critical step that must not be neglected as it expands our understanding of ourselves and the world. Elder Anthony gives advice and detailed instructions on getting started with interviewing your Elders. In this episode we talk about: 0:00 - 0:37 - Intro 0:38 - 4:55 - Valuing Our Elders Series 4:56 - 8:39 - Introducing the Episode 8:40 - 13:29 - Happy New Year - Holy Days vs Holidays 13:30 - 18:50 - Welcoming Anthony Cole 18:51 - 22:08 - Confronting the Disconnect with Our Past 22:09 - 30:56 - Genealogy - fastest growing hobby 30:57 - 38:38 - Getting Started in Family History 38:39 - 1:06:16 - Personal Stories 1:06:17 - 1:10:18 - Our Elders are Passing 1:10:19 - 1:14:04 - Writing & Genealogy 1:14:05 - 1:16:04 - Artificial Intelligence & Genealogy 1:16:05 - 1:19:52 - From Special-Ed to University Teacher 1:19:53 - 1:26:16 - Outro & Contact info Links & Resources: storycorps.org https://communitycuration.org Black Roots books - https://a.co/d/c4PX0NS

May 8, 20251 hr 16 min

CHI Sunnyside E30: Thinking Black - Unity, Leadership & Institution Building w Dr. Haki Madhubuti

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh, Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah Guest: Dr. Haki Madhubuti The Sunnyside crew got out to Third World Press to interview its founder and co-founder of the Institute of Positive Education & Betty Shabazz Charter School, distinguished poet, writers, activist and organizer, Dr. Haki Madhubuti. In this Episode, we discuss: His elders and contemporaries who inspired him The meaning of his name and significance of taking a name from ones culture His travels to Africa and meeting African presidents Leadership in Black Chicago The importance of being self-funded Why he's never taken a salary from his enterprises Helping Louis Farrakhan re-establish the Nation of Islam and plan the Million Man March Why not everyone should homeschool

December 2, 202458 min

CHI Sunnyside E29 Black Panther Legacy, Intl Revolutionaries Day w Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Kasabez Maakmaah & Giziribtah Debasah Guest: Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. of the Black Panther Party Cubs The Sunnyside Podcast crew came out to Maywood, Illinois for a tour of The Hampton House, the childhood home of the late Chairman Fred Hampton Sr. of the Black Panther Party Illinois Chapter. On December 4, 1969, the Chicago police raided Chairman Fred's home in the middle of the night and assassinated him in his sleep, also murdering Defense Captain Mark Clark. The 21 year old Chairman Fred Hampton and his 19 year old wife, Akua Njeri (formerly known as Deborah Johnson) were expecting the birth of their son at the time of his murder, which Njeri was present for. We interviewed that son, Fred Hampton Jr. in his father's childhood home that he and his organization, The Black Panther Party Cubs, have recovered and restored. He spoke about: Challenges and support he's received in carrying on his father's legacy He and his mother's participation in informing the production of the movie "Judas and the Black Messiah" about his father's life and death Trauma and abuse in juvenile detention Acknowledging the 55th anniversary of Chairman Fred Hampton Sr.'s assassination, 12/4/24 Get engaged with the Black Panther Party Cubs Schedule a Tour Join the One Prisoner, One Contact Campaign savethehamptonhouse@gmail.com Free Em All Radio YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@chairmanfredjr7032 Social Media Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialchairmanfredhamptonjr/ IG StreetzParty - https://www.instagram.com/chairmanfredstreetzparty/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thechairmanfredjr The Hampton House 804 S. 17th Ave, Maywood, IL https://www.savethehamptonhouse.org/ International Revolutionary Day - Dec 4th, 12pm 2337 S. Monroe, Chicago The Wall - Madison & California Judas & the Black Messiah https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9784798/

December 2, 202457 min

CHI Sunnyside E28: A Black Power Story Pt 2: Message to Future Revolutionaries

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh & Giziribtah Debasah Guest: Elmer Dixon, Co-Founder of the Black Panther Party’s Seattle Chapter The Black Panther Party was a powerful movement of young people motivated by the love of themselves and their communities took responsibility for the protection and well-being of their neighborhoods. Though it’s been demonized by the American government and mass media it has influenced freedom movements around the world. Hear part two from Elmer Dixon, co-founder with his older brother Aaron Dixon of the first chapter of the Black Panther Party started outside of the state of California. In the final episode of this two part series Mr. Dixon talks about his experiences in the Black Panther Party, the Party's global influence and the lessons future revolutionaries and freedom fighters can take from the movement even in today's climate. He talks about what is on the horizon for him in his commitment to justice and freeing communities from oppression. One of his biggest messages is youth need to read more and stay informed so as not to be taken advantage of. Read more in his book, Die Standing: https://a.co/d/7pynx2Y Read his brother's book, My People are Rising: https://a.co/d/0IIS94U Read To Die for the People by Huey Newton: https://a.co/d/5EbXAZ5 All Power to the People!

December 2, 202453 min

CHI Sunnyside E27: A Black Power Story Pt 1 - Making of a Panther

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh & Giziribtah Debasah Guest: Elmer Dixon, Co-Founder of the Black Panther Party’s Seattle Chapter Happy Sunstick Day! The Black Panther Party was a powerful movement of young people motivated by the love of themselves and their communities took responsibility for the protection and well-being of their neighborhoods. Though it’s been demonized by the American government and mass media it has influenced freedom movements around the world. Hear from Elmer Dixon, co-founder with his older brother Aaron Dixon of the first chapter of the Black Panther Party started outside of the state of California. In part one of this two part series Mr. Dixon talks about how his predecessors and upbringing contributed to his revolutionary spirit and his contribution to the movement. He goes over stories with Emmit Till, Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), H. Rap Brown, Bobby Seale, and Bobby Hutton. 0:00 - 5:08 - Intro of Guest: Elmer Dixon 5:09 - 24:04 - Familial Influences 24:05 - 29:37 - A Family's Focus on Diversity & Multiculturalism 29:38 - 32:02 - Childhood Ambitions 32:03 - 35:04 - Seattle: Stokely Carmichael's Black Power Speech 35:05 - 46:57 - Getting Political Consciousness 46:58 - 48:36 - Meeting Bobby Seale 48:37 - 50:29 - Murder of Lil' Bobby Hutton 50:30 - 51:08 - Aaron & Elmer Dixon Start Chapter of Black Panther Party 51:09 - 52:35 - Bobby Hutton's Funeral 52:36 - 53:40 - Ready to Die for the Revolution...

December 2, 202442 min

CHI Sunnyside E26: Magic of Our Motherland - 30 years of Kebtah

Get in touch with us. We love to hear from you! Chicagosunnyside.net Hosts: Nehez Meniooh & Kasabez Maakmaah Happy Charm of Aishat In this episode, our hosts speak about the hypocrisy of the modern world presenting Indigenous People's Day after a thorough extermination of Indigenous People and their Culture. They speak about the calendar and holidays of the Pharaonic Calendar, preserved by indigenous communities in Africa and wish everyone a Happy Charm of Aishat - the original model of Mother's Day. They get into speaking about Kebtah's upcoming 30 Year Anniversary Celebration Event happening in Burkina Faso where Kebtah, a BIPOC organization honors the wisdom keepers, Elders and Dignitaries which allow it to do what it has been doing for the past 30 years. Purchase the Kemetic Sidereal Calendar: https://www.risingfirefly.org/shop/p/kemeticcalendar424 Learn More about Kebtah's Upcoming 30 Year Anniversary Event: https://www.theearthcenter.org/celebrating-30-years Sponsor the Event: https://www.theearthcenter.org/get-involved/become-a-sponsor Travel with us on Pilgrimage: https://www.theearthcenter.org/pilgrimage DONATE to our Children's Education Campaign HERE: http://charity.gofundme.com/ec-childrens-education-project 0:00 - 6:41 - Irony of Indigenous People's Day on Columbus Day 6:42 - 10:11 - Charm of Aishat / Original Mother's Day 10:12 - 22:59 - Celebrating 30 Years of Kebtah 23:00 - 29:24 - Ambassadors of Colonization 29:25 - 35:26 - Message to African Youth 35:27 - 42:04 - Outro: How You Can Support Visit our website: theearthcenter.org Check out our publications and more at: https://www.risingfirefly.org/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kebtah Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kebtah