This Black History Month episode of Count Time Podcast is an excerpt from interview with Charlie Granger as he describes his experiences as a member of the Deacons for Defense and Justice. Includes videos, links to award winning articles and the song "The Deacons" by its founder. LISTEN to the Count Time Podcast episode: "Deacons for Defense and Justice" see notes, transcript, pictures and videos here.

The Deacons were an armed  Black self-defense group founded in November 1964, during the civil rights era in Jonesboro, LA. African Americans were harassed and attacked by white KKK vigilantes in Jonesboro in 1964 including the torching of five churches, a Masonic hall and a Baptist center. The police and sheriff in the south as well as most government organizations were all infiltrated by the Klan. As a result, the only protection the people had against the Klan was the Deacons.

Although the FBI and white media regarded the Deacons as bringers of race warfare, they actually worked closely with CORE in their nonviolent protests as a way to bring about change. Activist Roy Innis said that the Deacons "forced the Klan to re-evaluate their actions and often change their undergarments."