We are celebrating our second liberation : Kenya s people elect opposition leader Mwai Kibaki. It is the first time an opposition party has won the presidency since Kenya became independent from Britain four decades ago; 75 people protest in front of the Pentagon: some throw blood on the Pentagon and are arrested; Saddam did not close our health clinics! , Ain t no Viet Cong ever called me a nigger : civil rights leader and MLK mentor Rev. James Lawson calls on the peace movement to become a justice movement.
9:00-9:01 Billboard 9:01-9:06: Headlines:In Kenya, opposition leader Mwai Kibaki has won in a landslide vote to become the country s third president after Kenya s founder Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi, who did not seek re-election. The victory by the National Rainbow Coalition party ended 40 years of control by the ruling Kanu party. Kibaki won by a 2-to-1 margin over Moi s handpicked successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya s founding president. In his inaugural speech today before hundreds of thousands in central Nairobi. Kibaki said, "Our task will be to advance Kenya's interests and ensure they are well served." Kibaki promised sweeping reforms - free primary education, better healthcare, a stronger economy - as well as ending corruption. Other winners in Friday s election included former political prisoner and human rights activist Koigi wa Wamwere. We re joined on the telephone by Wamwere from Nairobi. He has just been elected to Kenya s Parliament. Guest: Koigi Wa Wamwere, Kenyan human rights activist 9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break 9:07-9:10 : Today, some 75 people protested in front of Pentagon. Three of them threw blood on the Pentagon, and were arrested. The activists are from the Atlantic Life Community, a gathering of faith-based activists who travel from all over the country to Washington, D.C. at the end of the year. There, they teach and learn about nonviolent civil disobedience, as well as about feeding the hungry and caring for the poor. Last night in Washington D.C., I spoke to Liz McAlister. She was at the protest today. She also protested in front of the White House on Saturday and was arrested. Guest: Elizabeth McAlister, faith-based activist with the Atlantic Life Community 9:10-9:20 : We turn now to a speech given by the famous civil rights leader, Reverend James Lawson. Rev. Lawson is considered to be one of the leading architects of the civil rights movement and was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lawson s activism began during the Korean War when he was jailed as a conscientious objector. In 1957 he met Dr. King and they joined forces to realize their dream of starting a non-violent mass movement. That same year, Lawson went to Nashville to teach the mechanics of nonviolence to budding civil rights activists. Lawson continued to work with Dr. King until his death. For 14 years, Rev. Lawson served as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization founded by King to end racial segregation through nonviolent protest. Rev. Lawson is currently pastor emeritus at Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Lawson spoke at the United Nations Church Center on December 9, the day before dozens of church leaders marched on the United Nations on International Human Rights day. 9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break 9:21-9:40 Lawson, Cont d 9:40-9:41 One Minute Music Break 9:41-9:58 Lawson, Cont d 9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits Democracy Now! is produced by Kris Abrams, Mike Burke, Angie Karran, Ana Nogueira and Alex Wolfe. Mike Di Filippo is our music maestro and engineer.
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