Message to the Grass Roots was a cable access talk show produced and hosted by activist and former Black Panther Michael Zinzun (b. 1949 in Chicago, IL; d. 2006 in Pasadena, CA) from 1988 to 1998 at Pasadena Community Access Corporation (now Pasadena Media). The program discussed topics that the mainstream media did not dedicate attention to, which directly impacted the lives of marginalized people in the Los Angeles area. A believer in the commonality of struggles, Zinzun also aimed to show how international affairs are directly or indirectly linked to local issues. The show covered topics including police brutality, CIA drug trafficking allegations, apartheid in South Africa, the founding of Namibia, the political atmosphere in Haiti, Black and Latinx solidarity, gang issues, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the Gulf War, among others.
The episode Final thoughts on 10 Years of A Message to the Grass Roots (1998) marked the program’s 10th year anniversary, bringing together highlights from a decade of material and guests who were featured during that time. A wide selection of episodes can be streamed online on Media Burn.
