Shelley’s Plumbline

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

November 19, 2025 39 mins

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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 business owners. His activism escalated on his WEDR radio show, where he publicly discussed the segregated city, education, and incidents of violence and bombing that major whit...

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October 29, 2025 32 mins

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October 22, 2025 39 mins

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October 15, 2025 36 mins

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October 8, 2025 34 mins

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October 1, 2025 37 mins

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September 24, 2025 36 mins

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September 17, 2025 34 mins

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September 10, 2025 34 mins

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September 3, 2025 34 mins

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August 27, 2025 35 mins

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August 20, 2025 34 mins

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August 13, 2025 36 mins

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This week, Shelley chats once again with Dr. Ricky Jones, Professor of Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. Dr. Jones highlights W.E.B. Du Bois's views on broad educational access for African Americans and critiques the negative impact of integration on Black education. 

Shelley and Dr. Jones explore the historical context of Black education and media, the loss of community control, and the challen...

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August 6, 2025 36 mins

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 What’s education got to do with it? Everything. But in a system built to hold us back, education isn’t even the top concern—discrimination is. In this bold and necessary conversation, Dr. Stewart sits down with Attorney Tom Larkin to unpack the roots of educational inequality, the legacy of slavery, and the power of putting fat in the game.

 Listen to this episode of Shelley’s Plumbline—where truth, love, and agitatio...

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🔥 “People who are in control of the country because of racial stratification want to stay in control by keeping people stupid about the country’s history.” — Dr. Ricky Jones

In this compelling episode of Shelley’s Plumbline, Dr. Jones calls out the deliberate silence around slavery and America’s original sins — the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Black people. He and Dr. Stewart ask the h...

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July 23, 2025 31 mins

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This week on Shelley’s Plumbline… a revelation that changes everything.

Dr. Ricky Jones has spent his life speaking truth to power. But in this episode, he shares a truth of his own—one that’s raw, personal, and decades in the making.

For the first time publicly, Ricky reveals the identity of his father.
That man… is Dr. Shelley Stewart.

Yes—our Shelley.
Human Rights icon. Radio lege...

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July 9, 2025 31 mins

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