In this episode of Real Talk with Jack Tracy, I will examine a novel theory of my own creation. I am convinced that while Black America continues to revere the image and the thought of Martin Luther King Jr., his true person and teaching has been gutted and deceptively replaced with the divisive philosophy of the Socialist/Communist, W.E.B. DuBois.

I assert that following the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, three competing philosophies emerged among Black leaders. Booker T Washington emphasized Christian character, economic self-sufficiency, and vocational education. Martin Luther King Jr. appealed to America's Christian conscience through non-violent resistance rooted in the Gospel. W. E. B. Du Bois by contrast advanced a secular elitist worldview shaped by socialism and later, an explicit admiration for communism.

Today Martin Luther King Jr. stands as the public face of the Civil Rights Movement, he is quoted in classrooms, commemorated on the National Mall, and invoked in political rhetoric. Yet in this episode I argue that W. E. B. Du Bois has become the intellectual foundation guiding modern discourse on race inequality and institutional power. His concepts such as, “the color line”, “double consciousness”, and the "Talented Tenth" dominate in the universities, activist frameworks and media narratives.

Meanwhile Booker T. Washington, once the most influential black leader in America, has largely disappeared from public discussion. His emphasis on moral formation, hard work, and interracial cooperation now conflicts with the prevailing ideological climate of elite institutions.

This episode explores my theory that while these three visions competed in time, today Black America is deceptively led to believe that Martin Luther King Jr. lives in the DuBois philosophy.

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In this Real Talk with Jack Tracy episode, we are starting a new series called, South Bay Civil Debate. Conservative musician Jack Tracy sits down for the first time with Progressive Hollywood influencer Lawrence Chaves for a calm, honest, and respectful debate. From Donald Trump to transgenderism, from health care to religion, from men in women's sports to terrorism and immigration, we will search for common ground and avoid shouting at one another over our differences of opinion.
We expect that this South Bay Civil Debate will be a platform demonstrating that Americans can debate and disagree — and yet still be friendly and civil.

Today on Real Talk with Jack Tracy, I am joined by South Bay local, Lawrence Chaves. Lawrence is often described as “a renaissance man.” Raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, he began college pursuing Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, but his creative drive soon led him across the country to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. There he earned a degree in Communication with an emphasis on screenwriting and a minor in literature, while developing a deep interest in religion and mythology.

After college, he worked in Hollywood talent management before shifting toward his own storytelling passions. A temporary move into elementary education in Hawthorne, CA turned into a decade-long teaching career. Even before completing his credential, he was asked to serve as his school’s union representative—an opportunity that launched him into larger roles with the National Education Association, LA’s Bay Valley Union, and the California Teachers Association. In this work, he discovered his strongest calling: giving a voice to those who need one.

In more recent years, Lawrence has worn many hats: realtor after the 2009 market crash, local president of the Women’s Council of Realtors South Bay Network, campaign volunteer for both Bernie Sanders presidential runs, reading specialist in Compton, and one-on-one aide for children with autism. His gift for communication and organization also led him into event planning, from children’s parties to large-scale corporate fundraisers.

When asked to sum up his life’s motivation, Lawrence’s answer is simple: “I want to help people, and have fun doing it.”

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In this episode of Real Talk with Jack Tracy, Jack interviews his long lost childhood mentor, Mrs. Nellie K. Hartsoe. Now living in her home state of South Carolina, Mrs. Hartsoe was the leader and choir director of the church youth group - Protestant Youth Of The Chapel - in Erlangen, Germany many years ago. Before retirement she was an English teacher, motivational speaker and author of Twelve Miracles Including a Glimpse of Heaven. Now 90 years old, Mrs. Hartsoe shares her astonishing true story of faith in Jesus Christ through crushing circumstances: at age 18 surviving a deadly car crash, being declared 'Dead On Arrival', experiencing an out-of-body glimpse of Heaven in the emergency room, and returning to life with divine permission to pursue her husband Jerry with the promise of eternal life in Jesus. Her book recounts twelve miracles across nine decades — from healing and recovery to love, loss, and the grace of God to keep walking. Through warm memories and honest conversation, Jack and Nellie also reflect on how her faith once changed his life — and still inspires him today.

Part One

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