The All Politics Are Local radio show is bumping in Newark, NJ

Newark, NJ – Out of the shadows of New York City’s media comes a respected community-based radio show called All Politics Are Local (APAL). It has become the most popular national and international radio show based in Newark, NJ. Every week, on Fridays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm eastern standard time, discussions on politics and Hip Hop can be heard booming over radio airwaves and on their social media sites (Facebook, YouTube, and Periscope). For nearly ten years, elected officials, Hip Hop artists, educators, community activists, and clergy members come from all over the city of Newark, and all over America, to be guests on the APAL radio show. The consistency of the APAL radio show has made it the go-to spot in the Tri-State area. Edward Riley, the show’s creator, and the executive producer, says, “the show is now an institution in Newark.”

After establishing a partnership with the Chancellor’s office at Rutgers University in Newark, and with the school’s radio station, Riley went to work to create APAL. To make it a quality show, Riley asked his best friends, respected educators and community activists Jonathan Alston and Bashir Muhammad Akinyele, to join him in his efforts to establish a professionally run informative consciousness radio show in the city.

Riley, Alston, and Akinyele are all proud African Americans. Over Twenty years ago, they were all in the media business working to create a space for Black media. They were once editors and writers for their own Black independent college Hip Hop magazine called the College Entertainment Magazine during the early 1990s in their college days. A magazine that was created by Riley.

Alston says that he was excited to again work with Riley in the 2000s on a radio show. He once told Riley as they worked together to develop the radio show, “we have a great opportunity to create a unique Hip Hop radio show based upon civil civic discourse using Hip Hop and entertainment for the new millennial generation.”

Akinyele echoed Alston’s excitement. He told Riley, “Our show will be the only Hip Hop radio show in the country that challenges the new millennial Hip Hop generation on the necessity of political power, particularly, the new Black millennial Hip Hop generation.

And it is doing just that at Rutgers University’s Newark Campus radio station called WRNU-FM the Campus Beat. The APAL radio show is the #1 political Hip Hop radio show in America.

But Akinyele also says what makes the show so unique is the fact Riley wanted the APAL radio show to be about social justice as well.

Akinyele says that Riley wanted the airwaves to be open to community activists helping to empower everyday people.

This all came about after watching his friend Akinyele struggle with radio stations outside of Newark to get them to air social justice movements in Newark during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Akinyele says, “I told him (Riley) that I had to play politics to get radio shows in New York City to broadcast to the world our struggles to empower and liberate oppressed communities in Newark. He further says, “because there were no Hip Hop and R&B radio stations in Newark, community activists were at the mercy of the politics of the New York City radio stations.”

But this would all change with the founding of APAL in 2011.

Riley told Akinyele don’t worry about it, my brother. He, Riley, said to Akinyele, “we will create our own free space for community activists on APAL radio every week on Fridays without the game of playing politics.

When Riley established the All Politics Are Local radio show, he created an open door policy for all community activists, whether they agree with the show or not at all.

Leaders in the community come on the show at any time to discuss with the listeners the positive programs, rallies, and demonstrations taking place in Newark and in America. No other Hip Hop and R&B radio shows, or radio stations, are doing this on their airwaves. The APAL radio show is a trailblazer in this area.

But understanding the power of the vote in the democratic American political system, the producers of APAL radio show, have launched its most ambitious new monthly round table talk show segment to date called The Vote. This segment of the APAL show discusses with the listeners, the importance of the vote to communities of color, understanding public policy, and wielding political power. The Vote is moderated by Newark, NJ’s City Hall Chief of Staff Amiri ‘Middy’ Baraka, legendary Hip Hop Minister the Reverend Conrad Tillard, and the National Chair of the Woman’s March Tamika Mallory. The Vote airs every second Friday of the month from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Riley, the show’s creator, executive producer and co-host of APAL, leads the show. However, not only did he recruit his friends to help him produce the show, he has employed the services of other very talented people. The other show co-hosts and co-producers include the following: James Mtume- Legendary Music Producer, Respected Community Activist, and Noted Social Critic; Dr. Lauren Wells; Asia Norton-Board of Education member; Zayid Muhammad-respected community activist; and Donna K. Williams-Orange, NJ Councilperson. All Music directed by DJ Rhino.

The APAL radio show also features special monthly segments with special guest hosts. One of APAL’s segments is called The Payne Report, which is moderated by US Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. His segment airs every First Friday of every month from 6 pm to 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. The second APAL segment is called The Mayor’s Forum moderated by Newark, NJ’s Mayor Ras J. Baraka. His segment airs every third Friday of every month from 6 pm to 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. The Last APAL segment is called The Disciples moderated by Newark City Hall’s Director of the Clergy Alliance Pastor Louise Roundtree, New Psalmist Workship Center Senior Pastor Bryant Ali, and Nation of Islam’s Muhammad Mosque #25 Student Minister Abdul Haqq Muhammad. Their show airs every fourth Friday of every month from 6 pm to 7:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

The lively and intellectually critical round table show discusses various Hip Hop, entertainment, and political issues. The show is broadcasted live from the Rutgers-Newark campus radio station at www.wrnu.info in downtown Newark, New Jersey from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The listeners of APAL come from different countries, political parties, ethnic groups, religions, and cultures. Callers worldwide can chime into APAL at the call-in number (973) 353-5746. (Learn more about the show at their website Allpolitcsrlocal.com)

Since its’ inception, the APAL show has been able to book a variety Hip Hop artists, Hip Hop activists, community activists, clergy members, intellectuals, and political leaders, such as United States Senator Robert Menendez (Democrat) New Jersey; Rev Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network and host of MSNBC’s Politics Nation; Rev Jesse Jackson, Founder and President of the Rainbow/Push Coalition; Tamika Mallory, President of the Woman’s March; Rev Herbert Doughtry, Legendary Civil Rights Activist; US Congressman G. K. Butterfield, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus; Stephen Sweeny, New Jersey State Senate President; New Jersey US Congressman Donald Payne, Jr (Democrat); Camelia Valdes, Passaic County Prosecutor; Sheila Oliver, the Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey; former Chairman of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee John Wisniewski; Ras Baraka, Newark, NJ’s Mayor; Amiri ‘Middy Baraka, Newark City Hall Chief of Staff; Dawn Haynes, Vice President of the Newark Board of Education; Ted Green, East Orange, NJ’s Mayor; Derek Armstead, Linden, NJ’s Mayor; Chris James, East Orange, NJ Councilman; Felipe Luciano, Newark, NJ’s former Communication Director; New Jersey State Senator Sandra Cunningham; New Jersey State Senator Nia Gill; Leroy Jones, Essex County Democratic Chairman of the State of New Jersey, Brittany Timerlake, New Jersey State Assemblywoman; Carol Clark, New Jersey’s former Essex County Freeholder; Dr. Lauren Wells, the former Newark City Hall’s Chief Education Officer; Barbara Buono, NJ State Senator and NJ’s former Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate; Ted Green, East Orange, NJ’s Mayor; Dennis Van Roekel, the former President of the National Education Association; Lily Garcia, the Current President of the National Education Association; Branden Rippey, the former Newark Teachers Union Presidential Candidate; John Abeigon, Newark Teachers Union President; Cami Anderson, the former Newark Board of Education Superintendent; Roger Leon, Newark Board of Education Superintendent; Peter Englot, Vice Chancellor of Rutgers University’s Newark Campus; Tony Vauss, Irvington, NJ Mayor; Raymond Lesniak, former New Jersey State Senator; Rahiel Tesfamariam, Washington Post Columnist; Mildred Crump, Newark Councilwoman-At-Large; Ron Rice, Jr, former Newark West Ward Councilman; Donald Payne, US Congressman; Robert Bowser, former East Orange, NJ’s Mayor; New York State Assemblyman Charles Barron; Mayor Dwayne Warren of Orange, NJ; Darin Sharif, former Newark Central Ward Councilman; Jamel Holly of Roselle, NJ’s Mayor; John Thompson, former candidate for Mayor of East Orange, NJ; Kevin Taylor, former candidate for Mayor of East Orange, NJ; Lester Taylor, former Mayor of East Orange; Eldridge Hawkins, former candidate for Mayor of West Orange, NJ; Newark, NJ’s former Mayoral Candidate Shavar Jeffries; former NJ Communities United Lead Organizer Roberto Cabanas; Junius Willaims, former Rutgers-Newark’s Abbott Leadership Institute Professor; Dhoruba bin Wahad, legendary Original Black Panther Party leader and former US Political Prisoner; Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza; Barry Carter, Star Ledger Columnist; James Loose White, National Gang Intervention and Prevention Specialist; Bob Law, Legendary National radio talk show host; Dan Ivers, former Star Ledger reporter; Walter Hudson, Penns Grove, NJ Community Activist; Tim Wise, Anti-Racist Educator; Keesha Eure, Chairwoman of the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC), Dr. Ron Danials, National President of the Institute of the Black World; Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Retired City University of New York History Professor; Kathy Shorr, Photo-Journalist; William Barbee, Filmmaker; Tamika Mallory, Justice League, NYC; Chicago’s great peace activist Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church; Rodolfo Rodriguez, former candidate for Mayor of West Orange, NJ; Joe Krakoviak, former West Orange, NJ Councilman and Mayoral candidate; Airickca Gordon-Taylor of the Mamie Till Mobley Foundation and the spokesperson for the Emmett Till family; Laura Cohen, Rutgers University Professor of Law; W.R. Bolen, New York Times bestselling author of Total Frat Move; Randi Weingarten, National President of American Federation of Teachers; Newark Education Workers Caucus; Charles Barron, New York State Assemblyman; Ashley Spillane, President of Rock the Vote; Bob Braun former Star Ledger news columnist; the Leaders of the Newark Students Union; Violence Interrupters Executive Director Tioh Hardiman; Imamu Amiri Baraka; Dominique Sharpton (the daughter of Civil Rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton), The National Action Network; Fredrica Bey, founder of the Women In Support of the Million Man March; Dr. Robert Curvin, former Rutgers University Professor; Dr. Tommy Curry, Texas A&M University Professor; Poet Autum Ashante; Larry Hamm, State Chairman of the Peoples Organization for Progress; Salaam Ismial, President of the National United Youth Council; Bilal Qayyum, Co-Organizer of the National Black on Black Conference; the Newark Students Union; Dr. Akil Khalfani, Director of the Africana Institute at Essex County College; Ron Rice, New Jersey State Senator; Dale Russakoff, Author of the Prize: Who’s In Charge of America’s Schools; Mark Diionno, former weekly columnist of the Star Ledger; Ralph McDaniels, Legendary VJ of Video Music Box; Hip Hop artist Rapsody; Hip Hop artist Jamar Giddens of the Sparrow-the Movement; Hip Hop artist Chuck D of Public Enemy; Hip Hop artist The D.O.C; Hip Hop artist Lupe Fiasco; Hip Hop artist Vinny of Naughty By Nature; Hip Hop artist Freekey Zekey of the rap group the Dip set; Hip Hop artist Hakim Green of Channel Live; Hip Hop artist Do It All of the Lords of the Underground; Hip Hop Artist Jasiri X; Hip Hop artist/activist Vigalantee; Hip Hop artist Kid Wiz; Hip Hop artist WhereDough; Hip Hop artist Dougie F; Vincent Guerrero of the former Rawkus Records Hip Hop Label, Victor Trammell, Hip Hop Journalist for Your Black World; Sundown of the Hip Hop group Actual Proof; Conrad Tillard, the former Executive Director of CHHANGE (Conscious Hip Hop Activism Necessary for Global Empowerment and the current Senior Pastor of Nazarene Congregational United Church of Christ in Brooklyn; New York City; Imam Mustafa El Amin of Masjid Ibrahim; Pastor David Jefferson, Senior Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church and the Chairman of Rev Sharpton’s National Action Network in Newark, New Jersey; Donny Nuri Wilson, member and organizer of the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition; Al Tarik Onque of Stop Shootin; Earl “the Street Doctor” Best; Monika Boyd, of Parents of Murdered Children and VOCAL (Voices of Change and Liberation) Coalition member; Minister Ismail Muhammad, National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan; Donald Payne, US Congressman; legendary Hip Hop artist Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew; Jasmine Mans, Newark Poet; James Mtume, world renowned music producer, artist, community activist, and the former co-host of the popular 107.5 WBLS FM’s Open line radio talk show in New York City’s tri-state area; Marquis Aquil-Lewis, the former President and member of the Newark Board of Education Advisory Board; and Mitzi Miller, the former Editor –and-Chief of Ebony magazine!

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