Shadow Politics
Shadow Politics is a grass roots talk show giving a voice to the voiceless. For more than 200 years the people of the Nation's Capital have ironically been excluded from the national political conversation. With no voting member of either house of Congress, Washingtonians have lacked the representation they need to be equal and to have their voices heard. Shadow Politics will provide a platform for them, as well as the millions of others nationwide who feel politically disenfranchised and disconnected, to be included in a national dialog.
We need to start a new conversation in America, one that is more inclusive and diverse and one that will lead our great nation forward to meet the challenges of the 21st century. At Shadow Politics, we hope to get this conversation started by bringing Americans together to talk about issues important to them. We look forward to having you be part of the discussion so call in and join the conversation. America is calling and we're listening… Shadow Politics is about America hearing what you have to say. It's your chance to talk to an elected official who has spent more than 30 years in Washington politics. We believe that if we start a dialog and others add their voices we will create a chorus. Even if those other politicians in Washington don't hear you — Senator Brown will. He's on a mission to listen to what America has to say and use it to start a productive dialog to make our democracy stronger and more inclusive. If we are all part of the solution we can solve any problem.
Guest, Joe Madison
Joe Madison is a radio talk show host and civil rights activist. He can be heard every weekday morning on SiriusXM Urban View.
Joe Madison is a groundbreaking radio personality and civil rights activist who has devoted his career to raising awareness about issues around the world, encouraging dialogue among people of different backgrounds, and raising money to support multicultural education and institutions. Known as“The Black Eagle,” Joe can be heard weekday mornings on SiriusXM’s Urban View.
While majoring in sociology at Washington University, Joe was an All-Conference running back and baritone soloist with the University’s concert choir.
As a young adult, Joe worked in urban affairs at Seymour & Lundy Associates and was active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). At age 24, he became the youngest executive director of the NAACP’s Detroit branch, then rose to the position of director of the NAACP Political Action Department in 1978 before becoming a member of the national board.
Joe’s radio career began in 1980 at Detroit’s WXYZ-AM. In the early 1990s, he joined an otherwise white lineup at WWRC-AM. There, he worked to develop crossover appeal while discussing racial and other issues with the station’s multiracial audience. In the late 1990s, Joe started his own online talk show before moving to Washington, D.C.’s WOL-AM. The popularity of this led to syndication on the Radio One Talk Network and its XM satellite channel.
Joe uses his show as a platform for inspiring action on critical issues affecting the African American community. In 2013 and 2014, he hosted a series about the 1960s civil rights movement, featuring guests like the Reverend Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson. In 2015, Joe set a Guinness World Recordfor the longest on-air broadcast, 52 hours, which raised more than $200,000 for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Joe has also brought international attention to the struggles of the Sudanese people through 90 days of peaceful protests outside of the U.S. Embassy in Washington, D.C. He delivered survival kits to refugees and freed Sudanese people being held as slaves. In 2015, he led a campaign to secure a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame for comedian, activist, and former St. Louisan Dick Gregory.
A Fellow of the William Greenleaf Eliot Society, Joe has generously supported scholarships, athletics, and the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University. He has interviewed students for admission to Washington University for over 20 years.
Joe lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Sharon. The couple has four children and five grandchildren.
