On this weekend’s show: Why is the patriotism of African Americans questioned? Tune in for the feisty conversation on this topic with:

22-year veteran of the military, Mustapha Rahim; he served in Iraq and Bosnia and he’s a Republican.

Dr. David Campt, who’s joined us before, his expertise: those testy social questions that make you want to duck out of the room.... he’s known as the RACE DOCTOR, and he’s the author of “The Little Book of Dialogue For Difficult Subjects” with co-author Dr. Lisa Schirch. www.davidcampt.com

Commentator and author, Janus Adams, who was one of four children selected to end de facto segregation in New York in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education. Today she is a frequent lecturer and on-air guest, and her commentaries are heard on NPR. www.janusadams.com

Chris Owens takes on John McCain’s odd news week (from Viagra to economic psychology), plus Rev. Jesse Jackson’s nutty gaffe ... with NY Post columnist and conservative friend-of-show, Robert George.

Chris will dig deeper into generational tensions in the black community and notions about "passing the torch," with Dr. Benjamin Chavis (who knows a lot about the perils of leadership, he ran the NAACP back in 1993 at the tender age of 45) and now he's working in "black" media, as President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, working to get the vote out. Visit http://www.voteforit08.org to learn more.

And, Chris will have a broader discussion about black media with journalist Kristal Brent Zook, who just penned a new book on the topic called I SEE BLACK PEOPLE: The Rise and Fall of African American-Owned Television and Radio.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

This week on The Best of Black Politics:

Calming your mind – with Jenny Phillips, she’s a practicing psychotherapist and the filmmaker behind “THE DHAMMA BROTHERS,” which tells the story of prisoners finding freedom through mediation. She explains how anyone can work towards “spiritual development” through meditation.

Chris will also be joined by journalist Gilbert King, author of “THE EXECUTION OF WILLIE FRANCIS: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South” with his story on cruel and unusual punishment and the outrageous case that sparked his interest in the criminal justice system.

On today’s show

Chris Owens talks with Katrina Browne, who made a ghastly discovery about her family: she’s the descendant of one of the largest slave-trading families in U.S. history... and they were Yankees.

Browne is the filmmaker behind “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North,” which was just shown at the New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival this week but can be seen this summer on PBS, check local your local listings for “P.O.V.’s 2008 Season.” Visit http://www.tracesofthetrade.org/ to learn more.

Also joining Chris, Harold Fields – He is active in restorative justice and racial reconciliation projects across the nation and is featured in the film.

Plus, hear Chris’ take on this week’s news in politics.

Chris Owens previews next week’s election in Zimbabwe, that beautiful country in Southern Africa, bordered by Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. The focus is the controversy surrounding its leader, Robert Mugabe, who’s been a magnet for much press attention and criticism. Representing two sides of the debate over Mugabe are NYC Councilman Charles Barron, an outspoken supporter of the president of Zimbabwe, and Carolyn Norris, Acting Deputy Director of the Africa division, Human Rights Watch. Both have very different views on what’s happening there.

Plus, check out our new online feature: We’ll also have posted online Chris’ interview with Boston Globe religion reporter Michael Paulson, with his report on the oppression of Anglicans in Zimbabwe below.