The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865 - a book discussion

words by charles brooks

Book Discussion: “The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865” by Gerald Horne

What myths are shattered with his newest work?

The current political moment compels a clear analysis of history to understand the forces shaping today's material and political conditions. 

Dr. Horne’s analysis, research and intellectual production bring clarity to a moment defined by uncertainty, confusion and chaos. His diverse body of work includes over 40 books as settler colonialism, (racial) capitalism and white supremacy became the focus of his scholarship in recent years. 

He is frequently interviewed as a recurrent guest on several radio shows and podcasts to share his observations and analysis of recent developments in national and global politics. 

Dr. Horne recently visited Sista’s Place in Brooklyn, New York to discuss his newest book, “The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865”.  The book is another installment in his body of work, highlighting the counter-narratives and contradictions dispelling those strongly held myths of American history, particularly around the nation’s founding.   

For over two hours, Dr. Horne framed the discussion around his long-standing thesis/analysis, incredible insights from the book as well as his observations and analysis of current events in both national and global politics.  

Book insights 

His book, "The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865”, is in direct opposition to the groundswell of literature that Dr. Horne maintains, seeks to retell a romanticized view of the founding of the United States of America. 

He points to the “cyclonic burst of propaganda” already in motion in preparation for next year's 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, “...It's already begun…with regard to some of the attempted distortions of the history of this country up to and including circumscribing the Smithsonian Museum, action our history of Washington DC, to it including trying to remove photographs of beaten Africans with scars on their back because it doesn't comport with the historic narrative of the founding of the United States…” 

Dr. Horne describing Raoul Peck’s 2021 documentary, “Exterminate All the Brutes” as a “sweeping castigation of settler colonialism”, allowed him to segue to his long-standing critique/thesis on the setter colonialism and class collaboration question where he calls out the white left.  

“...Interestingly enough, this is rather disheartening that the term settler colonialism is increasingly being used to describe historic Palestine but I'm sure the Israel patriates and the Israeli lobby in this country are prime to accuse those who used that descriptor for historic Palestine, don’t use it for America. They start to shout anti Semitism, in terms of using it for Israel but not the United States of America…” 

Dr. Horne extended his analysis to include the connection he typically makes between anti-Black racism and what has happened in the Israeli West Bank settlements. “...Those of us who examine settler colonialism know that inherent in settler colonialism is class collaboration, Horne continues, “Look at the settlements in the West Bank, for example…there is a kind of parallel between what's happening in the West Bank, and what transpired in the United States of America. I would likely think that the proliferating movement into this country, in solidarity with the Palestinians has to do with the parallelism between these two movements. 

In addition to Peck’s work, Prof. Horne recommended similar works of counter-narratives such as, Tyler Stovall’s, “White Freedom: The Racial History of an Idea", Ishmael Reed’s, The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Belle, the 2013 movie depiction of Dido Elizabeth Belle, and “The Book of Negroes”.   

In sharing details from the book, he tells an intriguing story of the War of 1812 fought on two fronts, one from the British, the red coats. and the other, from Black people, the unpaid and free. He dissects what he describes as the “ticking time-bomb” - a series of events leading up to eventual collapse of the nations' capital in August 1814.  

This is where Dr. Horne directs attention to the large population of Blacks in the DMV area, the Haitian revolution that ignites not only a crisis of the entire slave system, but slave revolts as well. 

He highlights a contradiction - one grounded in fear, such as in the post office where there was a  “real nervousness” of Black postal workers using the postal system to send, abolitionist literature, anti-slavery literature, and seditious literature, “...and as I point out in the book, there was a real fear of this population that the enslavers were depended upon. so that obviously a toxic combination when you're fearing those who were propelling your economy. On the one hand, you want to exploit them to their last breath, on the other hand, you want to get rid of them….”

Dr. Horne also outlined several of the ugly realities of slavery - the exploitation and treatment of black women, the afterlife of slavery, that includes rape culture, sex slaves, house of prostitution and breeding.  To underline his analysis, he points to Amrita Chakrabarti Myers' book, “The Vice President’s Black wife; The Untold Life of Julia Chinn” a study on the life of Julia Chinn, the Black enslaved wife of Richard M. Johnson, who served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren.

Recent developments

He went on to discuss the precedent set with reparations being paid to owners of the enslaved to England’s colonies like Jamaica and Barbados while highlighting the connection of uncompensated expropriation of private property, to the rise of Klan terrorism. Dr. Horne amplified the parallels between the collaboration between liberals and conservatives enabling anti-communism and the Red Scares of the past to today’s iteration that now includes a "Blue" Scare.   

This is where Dr. Horne transitioned from discussing his book to sharing his acute observations and analysis of the recent developments on both the national and global stage. 

He began to outline what he described as the “graphic of crisis” - a montage of threats that paints a picture of American imperialism in crisis, seemingly centered on the rise of China. 

He points to nervousness and anxiety over China’s recent military parade coupled with threats to restrict their exports of rare earth minerals. They’re a critical element used by several industries, including artificial intelligence as threats pose enormous global implications. Prof. Horne also brought into the discussion the significance of recent meetings between China’s president, Xi Jinping and Pres. Trump. 

Dr. Horne’s analysis this October evening is both an example and a critical reminder of the analysis needed today to inform our political life. His analysis compels a different discussion about American history, American imperialism, racial capitalism and fascism. 

Dr. Horne's work reminds us that understanding our history is a weapon in the fight against fascism.  

Additional Reading

Notes from Around the Horne, weekly updated list of articles reviewed by Dr. Horne for his weekly show. 

Around the Horne, You-Tube channel from the Activist News Network

Gerald Horne's interviews, De Facto Podcast

Is the first step to take a Second Look?

words by Charles Brooks 

One of Maryland's newest laws can drastically alter the racial disparities in Maryland’s state prison system caused by years of mass incarceration of Black by people. 

On October 1st, Maryland joined a steadily growing list of states along with the District of Columbia, and the federal government that will now provide a process to review the sentences of those who served at least twenty years for possible sentence reduction.  

In Maryland state prisons, the racial disparity is particularly profound in the overall prison population and the prison's aging population. Although statistics paint a disturbing picture for Black folks in Maryland who make up about 30% of the state population and 71% of the prison population, the law’s eligibility criteria actually limits its potential reach to fully address these disparities. 

 How did we get here?

Aligned with the tough wave of law-and-order trends in the mid-90s, Maryland’s Governor at the time, Parris N. Glendening (D), in 1995 infamously said, “A life sentence means life,” which essentially abolished any means to parole for those with life sentences. 

Thirty years later, the results are alarming. 

According to a 2024 analysis by the Sentencing Project, 2,072 are serving life with parole in Maryland’s state prisons with 424 serving life without parole while an additional 1,132 are serving 50 years or more. That adds up to 3,628 lifers or 23% of the total prison population serving these extremely long sentences. 

Meanwhile 2025 statistics indicate there’s 1,738 who have served 20 or more years of which 1,303 are serving life sentences and 331 are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. 

How limited is the reach?

Maryland’s new law has restrictions such as the age at time of offense, how much time was served, along with the type of conviction. For example, those serving at least twenty years are eligible for sentence review, and between 18 and 25 years old when the offense was committed. However, convictions for sexual crimes, first responder murders in the line of duty, and those sentenced to life without parole are excluded. 

A sentence of life without parole (LWOP) means there is no opportunity for release under Maryland’s parole system. This sentence is typically reserved for the most serious crimes, such as first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances.

The life without parole restriction is particularly concerning considering the criteria narrows the impact to just 38% or approximately 656 incarcerated individuals.  For the 424 convicted to life without parole, there is no path for a sentence review for them.

Yet, similar legislation such as the Juvenile Restoration Act passed in 2021 along with Second Look laws passed in Washington DC and for federal prisoners does not exclude those with life without parole sentences. 

Since Maryland abolished the death penalty back in 2013, life without parole is the most severe punishment for the crimes determined to be ineligible for a second look.  

Maryland follows the “felony murder” doctrine, which allows for life sentences even for those who didn’t commit or intend to commit murder.  Although there are no specific data that counts convictions using the felony murder doctrine available from Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, estimated counts indicate the prisons may hold 500 citizens with felony murder convictions. 

What about the victims?  

This new law is typically viewed through the lens of sentence reform versus victims' rights. 

It’s an issue where fear and emotional trauma has been weaponized and used to oppose sentence reform despite the extensive public and private network of victim resources and supports, the programs of restorative practices, or the victim's involvement throughout the sentence review process that is provided by the new law. 

In addition, there’s data showing the low rates of recidivism as well as the research establishing how ineffective long sentences really are.  For example, a 2022 report by the Maryland Office of the Public Defender showed, “The first year of the Juvenile Restoration Act shows that, with an available court mechanism and robust re-entry planning and support services, many individuals who have served long sentences can be safely released….” 

In fact, under the Juvenile Restoration Act, 200 who were convicted of violent crimes such as first degree murder, rape and felony murder were eligible for sentence review. As of March 2024, the recidivism rate for new convictions is a low, 3.5% for the 200 released from Maryland state prisons. 

Although the restrictive eligibility compromises the path for sentence review, it remains a clear reminder that Maryland’s Second Look Act is just the first step.  

Additional Resources:

FACT SHEET: Second Look Laws Are An Effective Solution to Reconsider Extreme Law

The Juvenile Restoration Act Year One — October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, Maryland Office of the Public Defender 

U.S. Criminal Justice Data, The Sentencing Project compiled state-level data to provide a snapshot of key indicators of mass incarceration’s impact in the United States.

Maryland Second Look Coalition, a group of previously incarcerated individuals, family members of incarcerated people, and justice system advocates working to create second chances in Maryland.

How are community-based organizations addressing crime in Baltimore City?

words by charles brooks 

“…the power of the community is demonstrated in the decline of crime…”, Maryland State Public Defender, Natasha Dartigue

From 2015 through 2022, the murder rate exceeded 300 bodies every single year. Then the murder began to decline. Significantly. In 2023, there were 262 bodies. In 2024, barely 200. At the June half-year mark in 2025, the count sits at 68.  

There’s a different story unfolding in Baltimore with a new chapter being written. Not by Hollywood scripts or media narratives, but by a network of committed organizations dedicated to their community and neighborhoods. Their story starts with meeting the moment with a heightened sense of urgency in the neighborhoods and communities where trauma is amplified yet muted. 

Today’s reporting of crime, particularly when concentrated in Black neighborhoods, draws a lot of attention from elected officials, media outlets, and even from Hollywood.  But what often escapes the headlines are the self-determined actions taken by people who live in these neighborhoods. 

Those actions were highlighted during a recent public discussion held in Baltimore City that asked, and answers a critical question; What’s actually reducing crime? Community power. 

The Maryland Office of Public Defender (OPD) brought together Tyrone Kent, who serves as director of Roca Baltimore, and Anthony Muhammad, the community engagement specialist with the We Our Us Movement, to talk about the efforts taking place in neighborhoods around the City to save lives by changing the street culture. 

For nearly two hours they talked about the daily investment being made through a wide range of activities and actions taking place in neighborhoods across Baltimore City. Their responses to the moderator’s line of questioning provided deep insight into the steps taken to reduce crime and stabilize neighborhoods in Baltimore. 

As Mr. Muhammad explained, “…when we show up on your block, at your door, on your corner with 100 men, 200 men, with a message of hope, a message of inspiration, and services and resources that can improve the quality of life - that has an impact. That makes a difference…”  

They described a community-based framework with the capacity to meet the immediate material needs of people by providing the key services and resources to support their personal economies such as employment, housing, food, or drug treatment. Mr. Kent talked about the difficulty in engaging with people when their immediate needs are not being met, and how important meeting their most immediate needs are, “The first conversation is the most crucial conversation…”

He went on to say, “…coming into the community, satisfying needs, it’s hard to get people to receive services or even to entertain a conversation about services when they have a lot of needs. When they have a need, it's not a need that can wait until next week.  They have an immediate need, but you are trying to have a conversation about a program. But what can you do for me right now.”

An essential component in their work around saving lives starts with recognizing the very real challenges that people experience in their personal economy. They recognize that addressing urgent needs like food, rent or just keeping the lights on helps to reduce the anxieties, and distress that comes with trying to make ends meet. When comfort and trust develop, the people are more receptive to a message of peace, and open to becoming an active participant in resolving conflicts. 

Mr. Muhammad spoke about establishing the “Stop the Beef” hotline, and made this point,  “…and even though the hotline is active over the last five years, it has evolved into really a movement, a network of people who collaborate the work all around the city, where when the citizens are having problems that they themselves cannot resolve, we ask them to call the hotline to call us and let us come and mediate that conflict.” He went on to say, “…and over the last five years, we have earned the credibility, the respect of the people who are out in the community, who know us and know us very well, and they know that when they call us, they are not calling BPD (Baltimore Police Department). 

Mr. Kent talked about the importance of providing wrap-around services along with addressing the critical behavioral and emotional needs of young Black men. He spoke about using and applying the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the young men who pass through Roca’s doors in not only building the personal skills of young men but redirecting their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

He described the benefits these young men experience when they are able to identify and change their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

To underline his point, he painted a picture of what happens when negative thoughts and behaviors are

left unchecked, “…and now I have this handheld machine, and all I have to do is pull the trigger to eliminate what’s causing my discomfort because nobody ever told me how to regulate my emotions…”.  Mr. Kent continued the conversation, discussing the different tools and support Roca uses to transform lives.  

The conversation was important because it provided a window to the activities and actions taking place in Baltimore City.  Actions and activities that clearly dispels the notion that Black people are okay with crime and are not taking self-determined measures to address crime and safety in their communities and neighborhoods. 

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM MAY 13TH?

words by charles brooks

Mother's Day is just not the same for this working-class community in Philadelphia, where 6221 Osage Avenue sits. The people remember May 13th, 1985. 

The people remember the tragedy of May 13th, 1985, ensuring its place as one of those days that will never be forgotten. May 13th occupies a strong hold on our collective memory because it’s not just another typical reminder of another typical routine episode of police terror and state violence.  

Forty years ago, Philadelphia’s political leadership, Mayor Wilson Goode, Police commissioner Gregore Sambor, Fire Commissioner William Richmond and managing director Leo Brooks collaborated in their decision to orchestrate a destructive military style attack, targeting a group of Black revolutionaries. 

They made a politically calculated decision to not only unleash 500 police officers to fire 10,000 rounds of ammunition, disperse teargas, and forcefully pump thousands of gallons of water into the home where MOVE members lived but to drop powerful C4 explosives there as well. A decision that cost the lives of 11 Black people including 5 children, where over sixty homes were destroyed and over 250 people were now unhoused. A decision to allow the fire to spread as firefighters were relegated to mere spectators, taking no action as they watched the fires burn one house after another.  

The Mother's Day attack was actually the result of recurring episodes of police terror exercised against MOVE, who engaged in a political life and political activities staunchly opposed by both the Mayor and the police. For several years before Mother's Day 1985, there were a series of confrontations between MOVE and the police that led to the August 1978 shooting in Powelton Village. 

The charging of nine MOVE members with the death of one police officer at Powelton, triggered their transformation from Black revolutionaries to the MOVE-9, political prisoners.  All were sentenced 30 years to life; Merle and Phil Africa passed away in prison. The remaining seven collectively served over 280 years in prison before their release; Debbie Sims Africa (over 39 years), Mike Africa Sr,  (40+), Janine Phillips Africa (40+), Janet Holloway Africa,  (40+), Eddie Goodman Africa (41), Delbert Orr Africa, (41+), and Chuck Sims Africa, the last to be released after serving over 41 years.

The contradictions continue. 

Despite two investigations of the Mother's Day attack, no indictments were handed down. No prison time. None. 

Except for Ramona Africa.  She was the only adult survivor from the Mother's Day attack along with her younger brother, Birdie Africa. But it was Ramona who was arrested, charged, and convicted before serving seven years in prison as a political prisoner.  

The Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, also known as the MOVE Commission, was created less than two weeks after the attack. They investigated, and held televised public hearings before issuing their report, where they stated in part: "…The Mayor abdicated his responsibilities as a leader when, after midday, he permitted a clearly failed operation to continue which posed great risk to life and property. The report outlined 38 suggestions or recommendations for future improvements. 

A year later in 1986, a grand jury was convened to determine whether criminal charges should be levied against any of Philadelphia’s leaders. Two years later in 1988, the grand jury found no evidence of anyone acting with “criminal intent, recklessness or negligence under Pennsylvania law, and therefore no criminal charges could be brought.”

Year after year, for 35 years there would be no apology forthcoming. None. Not from the mayor’s office, the Police Department, Fire Department, or Philadelphia’s City Council. This finally came to an end in November 2020 with the Philadelphia City Council's hollow recognition of May 13th as “annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment.”

But just a few months later in early 2021, new revelations emerged shedding light on what happened to the forensic remains after the MOVE bombing. 

Anthropological collections maintained by the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University contained the forensic remains of one or two MOVE members. The remains were used as a case study in their research and study of forensic anthropology, as well as in their online course, “Real Bones: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology”

The controversial revelations not only raised serious questions and concerns but provided a window to the long history of medical experimentation and exploitation on Black people beyond the likes of Henrietta Lacks and the notorious Tuskegee Experiment. 

The May 13th assault is often seen through a lens that’s particularly focused on the sordid history of policing in Philadelphia - typical of policing in Black working-class communities throughout the nation.  Focused on the manner in which law and order is practiced in Black communities, particularly in their reaction to the pursuit of Black liberation via revolutionary activities.  Through a lens wide enough to observe the menacing intrusion of state surveillance that often resulted in the harassment and political imprisonment of not just men, but women, as well. 

The significance of May 13 continues to grow and resonate with working class Black folk people because they can see the contradictions on public display, the current political conditions shaping their political lives, their political reality.  

Harriet Washington makes this point to think about in her book Medical Apartheid, “It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks.”

Additional information

West Philadelphia Collaborative History - MOVE

Philadelphia & MOVE - LibGuides at Community College of Philadelphia

What are the conditions facing workers on May Day?

words by Charles Brooks 

The current moment is best described by the experiences of today’s working class. 

This year’s International Workers Day, commonly known as May Day, happens to fall on the day after the popular political benchmark of 100 days.  

The actions taken by Trump during his first 100 days in office have caused widespread chaos, disappointment, confusion, and even anger.  Deregulation, privatization along with budget cuts to Medicaid, and implementing tariffs that will raise prices on everyday goods as the cost of living continues to rise negatively impacting personal economies 

One hundred days of a litany of executive orders, actions, and decisions widely viewed as a war, an assault on the working- and middle-class folks. 

His actions to reduce the federal government by dismantling agency after agency as thousands of federal workers are now facing unemployment, as their collective bargaining and union rights are stripped.  The Institute of Policy Studies made this point, “Through a series of executive orders, Trump has also removed long-standing job protections for federal career employees, making it easier to fire these workers for no reason and taking away the rights of federal workers to collectively bargain.”

While Trump's recent and those pending makes him an easy target, the crisis to the personal economy did not suddenly emerge on January 20th, Trump’s inauguration day. 

May Day in 2025 is yet another reminder that today’s workers suffer from a crisis aggravated by the policies of the incoming president.  

Before January 20th, there was a crisis to the personal economy as the household debt suffers from credit card debt. Medical and health care debt. The rising costs of living as rent, and utilities continue to increase along with increases to the cost of public transportation and local fees and fines that typically rise on Jan 1, with more coming due on July 1. 

This is where the spotlight is cast on the political misleadership that remains unresponsive to the needs of working people. 

Today, there are twenty states that pay a minimum wage of no more than $7.25 an hour; The federal minimum hourly wage is just $7.25 and has not increased since 2009. 

Nearly 30 million are uninsured. 

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that 14 million workers earn less than $15 per hour, accounting for about 10% of all wage and salary workers. As 14% of Black workers compared to 8% of white workers.

Meanwhile, in the legislative graveyard are the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 — commonly known as the “PRO Act” and The Raise the Wage Act of 2025.  The PRO Act expands labor union protections while the Raise the Wage Act, would incrementally raise the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2030. 

Meanwhile, in 2024, corporate profits reached $4 trillion dollars - a 54% increase over the last five years (2019 to 2024). 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has posted solid gains in 2024, rising more than 12%. 

While nationwide protests are scheduled in the US, May Day (International Workers' Day) 

highlight and bring attention to these issues as well as the worker conditions and issues here and across the world.  May Day (International Workers' Day) amplifies the solidarity with workers in other nations of the global south for workers to protest a range of issues. with similar experiences, similar struggles, making similar decisions to their personal economy.

At this political moment, we’re reminded of its socialist beginnings - how International Day came to be, its roots in the struggle for what we know today as the eight-hour workday when the typical workday was from sunrise to sunset.  Socialist and radical beginnings grounded in labor activism, strikes, protest, bloody and violent. 

May 1st was the date set by the International Socialist Conference as a reminder of the events of May 1st, 1886, in what is known as the Haymarket Affair - a union demonstration that was part of the larger blood stained struggle over the 8-hour day.  

Today, two hundred and thirty-six years later, International Workers Day continues to resonate with working people, particularly at this moment as the contradictions on public display become clearer, and sharper.  As working people face increases to their cost of living, as their personal economies confront crisis, they also read the news reports and commentary about the rising corporate profits, along with staggering military and police budgets. At a moment when federal legislation, containing tax cuts, will ensure a massive transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top makes its way through the legislative process in Congress. 

International Workers Day reminds us of the material and political conditions that are shaped and influenced by imperialist forces.  On May Day in 2025, we’re able to witness in real time, not only demonstrations taking place across the world but workers striking in California as well as in Panama, and in Canada.  

On this day, we’re reminded that May Day/International Workers Day 2025 draws our attention to the alignment of capital on a global scale making up the forces of power driving inequality, exploitation, and low wages - here and across the world. 

Mahmoud Khalil’s Attorney: “This Is the McCarthy Era All Over Again”

 By Majorie Cohn, TruthOut

A federal judge in New Jersey will soon issue a ruling on where the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student who led the student encampment at Columbia University last year, can be litigated. On March 8, Khalil was abducted in New York by agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who told him his lawful permanent residency status had been “revoked.” He is now languishing in a notorious Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jail in Louisiana, more than 1,000 miles from his U.S. citizen wife who is over eight months pregnant, while U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz decides where his case will be heard. Khalil has been charged with no crime.

House rejects GOP amendments, gives final approval to bill creating Reparations Commission

 By William J. Ford 

Maryland would become fourth state with a commission; it would study ‘appropriate benefits’ for those affected by ‘historical inequality’

It’s done.

The House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday evening to a bill that would create a Maryland Reparations Commission, sending the measure to the governor for his signature.

Measure that amends Florida’s compensation law for the wrongfully incarcerated passes Senate

 By Mitch Perry

A bill that would make it much easier for individuals wrongfully incarcerated to receive compensation has cleared the Florida Senate, and needs just one final vote in the House before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

Basic Reforms to New York’s Legal Code Are At Risk as Democrats Lurch Rightward

 By Schuyler Mitchell

A push to claw back a process-oriented change in New York’s criminal legal code shows just how readily Democrats will capitulate to carceral demands in 2025.

Here Are the Texted War Plans That Hegseth Said 'Nobody Was Texting' on Signal

 By Jon Queally

In response to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claiming on live television earlier this week that "nobody was texting war plans," The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday morning published the "war plans" that were, in fact, shared on the private sector messaging app Signal by top members of President Donald Trump's national security team, including Hegseth and national security advisor Mike Waltz.