Babylon Makes The Rules

The Revolution Will Be Broadcast: Jamal Muhammed & the Legacy of KUCB Radio

What happens when a community takes control of the airwaves? In this episode, Dr. Negus talks with Jamal Muhammed — author, activist, and co-founder of the legendary KUCB Radio movement in Des Moines, Iowa. They discuss revolutionary organizing, Black media, resistance, community power, and the fight to create independent voices outside the system. Before podcasts… there was liberation radio.

Dr. Negus & Dr. Yusef Ben-Levy | Ancient Egypt and the Bible

In this episode, Dr. Negus sits down with Dr. Yusef Ben-Levy, a scholar of ancient Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, and Gnostic literature, for a deep dive into what the Bible actually says in its original languages. From the true pronunciation of “Amen” to the feminine grammar of God’s name, to the African roots embedded in the Greek alphabet, this conversation dismantles centuries of mistranslation and reveals truths that most churches never teach. Dr. Negus and Dr. Ben-Levy trace the hidden histories and linguistic realities behind familiar scripture, unpacking how translation, culture, and power have shaped belief for thousands of years. This is not just biblical scholarship — it’s a lens into African heritage, philosophy, and the stories that have been lost or obscured over time. Whether you’re exploring theology, African history, or linguistic truth, this episode challenges assumptions and opens a new way of seeing the Bible’s African and feminine foundations. 00:03:38 – “Without Hebrew and Greek, you cannot be a reliable interpreter of the Word of God” 00:08:17 – “Amen” in Egyptian vs. Hebrew: they don’t mean the same thing 00:17:56 – Genesis 1:26 “Let us make man”: what it actually says in Hebrew 00:29:45 – “Yahova is a feminine word. When did God become a man?” 00:43:08 – The Negative Confessions vs. the Ten Commandments: “I have not” vs. “Thou shalt not” * Hebrew and Egyptian language insights into scripture * The feminine grammar of God’s name * Origins of the Greek alphabet in Africa * Translation, mistranslation, and cultural erasure * African and Egyptian influence on biblical texts * Moral philosophy: Declarations of innocence vs. commandments Many of the words and concepts we take for granted in scripture have been mistranslated, misunderstood, or culturally reframed over centuries. This episode uncovers the African roots, feminine grammar, and philosophical insights hidden in the Bible, giving listeners a fresh lens on faith, history, and identity. Dr. Negus and Dr. Ben-Levy’s discussion invites you to question what you know and explore the truths that have been overlooked or erased. It’s challenging, eye-opening, and absolutely essential for anyone interested in the intersection of African history, linguistics, and religion. Subscribe to Babylon Makes the Rules for bold, unfiltered analysis on culture, history, religion, and identity. Key TimestampsTopics CoveredWhy This Episode Matters

"I Became What I Hated" | A Street Kid's Mission to Save Des Moines Youth

Savoy, founder of Focus Inc. in Ankeny, Iowa, sits down with Dr. Negus on Babylon Makes The Rules to unpack a decade on the front lines of youth mental health in Polk County. His story is raw, complex, and unflinching — a mirror of the struggles many communities quietly face every day. Growing up in an environment marked by addiction and neglect, Savoy faced choices that no kid should ever have to make. He hated the streets. He hated the drugs. He hated what his circumstances were forcing him into. And yet, somehow, he became what he most despised. That lived experience — messy, painful, and real — is what now fuels his mission to guide the next generation away from the same traps. In this conversation, he dives deep into: * The pandemic’s hidden toll on youth: How COVID-19 amplified mental health crises, leaving schools, families, and social services scrambling to catch up. * The school-to-prison pipeline in the Midwest: Why systemic failures are particularly stark here, and how policies often punish kids instead of supporting them. * Moments that define a life: The unforgettable story of handing a book to a teenager — an act so simple yet powerful it literally stopped a suicide. * Leadership and loneliness: Why being the person everyone turns to for guidance can feel isolating, and what it truly costs to step up for your community. * Community accountability and redemption: What it takes to confront failure — both personal and societal — and still make real change happen for the kids who need it most. This episode is more than a memoir. It’s a blueprint for understanding the complicated intersections of environment, choice, trauma, and service. It’s about how one man’s journey from the streets to leadership offers lessons, hope, and challenges for all of us who care about youth, equity, and community. Recorded last year and released now as part of Babylon: Unearthed, these conversations are raw, unfiltered, and urgently needed.

Dr. Negus Solo | Africans, the African Diaspora & the White Jesus Syndrome

In this solo episode, Dr. Negus reads and unpacks his nine-page article on what he calls “The White Jesus Syndrome” — a psychological and spiritual condition rooted in European colonialism that reshaped African identity, theology, and self-perception for generations.This is not a surface-level critique of imagery. It is a deep examination of how power works.Dr. Negus traces how Christianity — a faith with early African foundations — was recast through European imperial expansion, producing a racialized image of Jesus that functioned as more than art. It became hierarchy. It became theology. It became psychological conditioning.Drawing from thinkers like Frantz Fanon and scholars such as David W. Noble, the episode connects colonial religion to internalized inferiority, disrupted cultural memory, and the erasure of African-centered spiritual systems.Dr. Negus argues that the “white Jesus” construct was not accidental — it was strategic. A tool that aligned faith with empire and equated holiness with European identity. Over time, this visual theology reshaped imagination, self-worth, and even our understanding of God.But this conversation is not just critique.It is reclamation.The episode calls for decolonization of the African mind, restoration of historical truth, and spiritual healing rooted in cultural authenticity. It closes with a powerful personal reflection on what it means to speak boldly in Des Moines and embrace the responsibility of leadership in real time.“I guess that’s my job — to be the Black man that Des Moines really needs.”This is history.This is psychology.This is identity work.And it’s a necessary conversation.

Dr. Negus Solo | Crime and the American Africans / The George Junius Stinney Story

Dr. Negus sits down solo on Babylon Makes The Rules to trace a harrowing line from the 1944 execution of 14-year-old George Junius Stinney — the youngest person ever executed on death row in the United States — to the systemic discrimination facing African-American men today.In this episode, Dr. Negus unpacks how structural racism, compounded by “double discrimination” — being Black and carrying a criminal record — continues to exclude millions from economic opportunity. With 6 million jobs open across the country, countless qualified Black men remain shut out, illustrating how America wastes both human potential and moral responsibility.Listeners will learn:George Junius Stinney’s story: A 14-year-old boy executed for a crime he did not commit, and the chilling historical context surrounding his death.Crime and structural racism: How systemic barriers have historically shaped disproportionate rates of incarceration and surveillance of African Americans.Double discrimination today: The intersection of race and criminal records in employment, and why the U.S. economy is failing millions of workers.Resilience despite oppression: How communities survive, adapt, and resist even when “Babylon makes the rules.”This episode is a hard but necessary conversation about history, justice, and the ongoing consequences of systemic inequity. It challenges listeners to confront the past while understanding the moral and economic costs of letting talent go to waste.Part of Babylon: Unearthed, this solo episode is as urgent today as when it was recorded.Key Timestamps00:01:07 | George Junius Stinney: The youngest person executed on death row00:04:25 | Crime rates and structural racism in America00:11:57 | Millions locked out of opportunity00:12:42 | “Double discrimination”: complexion plus criminal record00:18:43 | “Babylon makes the rules, but yet we live on”