Shelley’s Plumbline
In construction, a plumbline is a weight suspended from a string used as a tool to find the true reference line. A plumbline will always find the vertical axis pointing to the center of gravity, ensuring everything is right, justified, and centered.
Pulling from a library of more than 3,000 shows from his storied career in broadcasting, Shelley's Plumbline leads us in a search for the truth, opening the channels of communication and understanding on tough social topics that are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago.
Join us as we explore the past, compare it to today, and craft a better future.
Episodes
149 episodes
Has Civil Rights Lost Its Bite?
This week's episode of Shelley's Plumbline explores the opposition to Human Rights progress, including the anti-DEI movement and the inaction of the Black bourgeoisie, prompting a call for a desperate resurgence of the movement for freedom.&nbs...
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Season 14
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Episode 3
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34:50
Has the Role of Black Churches Changed?
This week Shelley's Plumbline covers a debate on the Black Church's role in community unity and institutional strength, questioning if its historical influence on the community and youth still remains strong today. Shelley shares hi...
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Season 14
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Episode 2
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34:34
Which Golden Rule Do You Follow?
The week's discussion centers on the pursuit of power, with Ricky and Shelley questioning the sustainability of the integration model and discussing the need for new political approaches, including "voluntary separation." We pay tri...
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Season 14
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Episode 1
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31:14
Shelley's Back
In this episode, we dive into the pivotal moments that shaped our world—from the blackouts and segregation of the 1940s and post-war era, to the political earthquakes of Maynard Jackson’s and Coleman Young’s mayoral elections in Atlanta and Det...
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Season 13
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Episode 10
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39:15
Erasing History
This episode concludes a four-part series on Dr. Carter G. Woodson and centers on the loss of the Black Old Guard, specifically honoring Reverend Jesse Jackson. A key point of discussion was the denial of Reverend Jackson lying in honor at the ...
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Season 13
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Episode 9
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33:14
Woodson's Challenge: Should Funding Dollars Make Decisions?
This week's episode continues our Black History Month series on Dr. Carter G. Woodson, whose rejection of the NAACP begs the question: Does the influence of funding to Black movements trigger the need for a "leadership audit" within...
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Season 13
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Episode 8
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32:46
Carter G. Woodson and the Challenges of Black Leadership
This week's episode continues the focus on the life and ideology of Dr. Carter G. Woodson as part of a four-part Black History Month series. We open by marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Negro History Week and...
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Season 13
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Episode 7
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32:16
Have You Earned the Right to Celebrate BHM?
In this special Black History Month episode of Shelley's Plumbline, executive producer Mark Jamroz and host Dr. Ricky Jones—son of the Radio Hall of Famer Shelley Stewart—share a conversation on Carter G. Woodson and the origins of Black...
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Season 13
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Episode 6
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37:37
Dr. Ricky Jones' MLK Speech: Holding a Mirror of Truth to America's Face
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Season 13
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Episode 5
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41:41
Some Truths About Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks (Rebroadcast)
We join the nation in mourning the loss of civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin, who passed away on January 13, 2026, at the age of 86. In her honor, we are rebroadcasting this interview with her sister, Gloria Laster, originally broadc...
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Season 13
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Episode 4
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38:21
A Review of Our Favorite Plumblines of 2025
Join Shelley's Plumbline for this powerful year-end recap, reflecting on the most impactful conversations of 2025, a year marked by the addition of co-host Dr. Ricky Jones. Jones’s arrival brought a new voice of depth and truth that...
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Season 13
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Episode 3
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42:56
Racism Today (Rebroadcast)
Hello, Plumbliners!Shelley, Mark and Ricky are going to take a break going into the holiday season. So today, we (re)present the most downloaded Plumbline episode of 2025, titled "Racism Today."In this episode, She...
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Season 13
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Episode 2
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34:36
Whatever Happened to Rosa Parks?
Today, Shelley and Ricky focus their discussion on the ongoing disregard for both Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks after the bus boycott, noting Parks' financial struggles and the general minimization of women's contributions by male movement le...
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Season 13
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Episode 1
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33:00
Some Truths About Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks
This episode of Shelley's Plumline, explores the 70th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott with special guest Gloria Laster, the older sister of Claudette Colvin. The discussion centers on the overlooked role of Colvin, the 15-year-old arr...
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Season 12
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Episode 10
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38:21
Shelley's Role in The Children's March
In this episode, Shelley and Ricky discuss the key role that Shelley played in the Children's March. The scene is Birmingham, Alabama, April and May of 1963.Martin Luther King Jr.’s advisors had deliberately chosen the city to confront t...
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Season 12
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Episode 9
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35:51
Shelley's Encounters with the KKK
In this episode, Shelley recounts his conflicts with the Ku Klux Klan in Birmingham in the 1950s, intensified by his refusal to adhere to segregated customs in local stores. Shelley reveals that many Klan members were police officers and local ...
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Season 12
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Episode 8
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39:15