Making Contact

Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, spoke words that are all too relevant today. In this episode, we hear archival recordings and excerpts from a new film featuring Fannie Lou Hamer. You'll hear about the context of her life, and the lives of other sharecroppers in Mississippi.

I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond.

Producer Robert Raymond interviews Alex Vitale, author of The End of Policing--a critical examination on the history of the police, and the police's evolution as a tool for social control that exacerbates race and class divisions.

We head to Soseongri, a small village nestled in the mountains of Seongju County.  There, grandmas and grandpas in the 70s, 80s, and 90s are organizing daily protests and blockades to stop THAAD.  THAAD is part of a missile defense system that gives the U.S. the ability to carry out a nuclear first strike.

On this edition of Making Contact, we present Dr. Ibram X. Kendi discussing his latest book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Stamped offers a deeply researched, provocative narrative that is a comprehensive history of anti-Black racist ideas—their origins, and how they became founding principles in our nation's institutions.

Cash is increasingly being replaced with cashless systems including cryptocurrencies. This week, we hear about the political economy of blockchain. And we hear from Greeks who've been using cryptocurrencies since the capital controls of 2015.

President Donald Trump's tax plan may exacerbate wealth inequity in the US. Chuck Collins, Director of the Program on Inequality at the Institute for Policy Studies addresses the complex history of the wealth gap. Also, producers from the Upstream podcast ask: is it time for Universal Basic Income?

On this episode of Making Contact, journalist Juan González discusses his new book, Reclaiming Gotham. He chronicles the evolution of the growth machine in America's cities – from redlining and racial covenants in the early 20th century, to land grabs and privatization in the 21st – and the rise of progressive alliances to reclaim them. Special thanks to Pegasus Books for organizing the event and...

On this edition of Making Contact, we'll explore how the Brave New Voices  International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, particularly queer POC youth,   has challenged mainstream culture and created spaces that welcome and encourage marginalized communities to speak up about their life experiences – all through poetry.

Thousands of local social justice organizers, activists and other leaders passed away this year. People doing crucial work in their communities, whose deaths didn't make the headlines.  On this edition of Making Contact, as we do every December, we'll hear about some of the fallen heroes of 2017.

When one or both parents are in prison the whole family is, in a way, also imprisoned. Family members are negatively affected in ways that worsen existing struggles and inequities. Today we'll go to New York and New Hampshire to hear about programs for inmates and families that encourage relationships -- despite being separated by prison.

This episode explores the past and present of the far right and anti-fascism. We begin with the murder investigation of anti-fascist rapper, Pavlos Fyssas. In the second half, author Mark Bray describes Antifa responses to Hitler and Mussolini.

We head to Soseongri, a small village nestled in the mountains of Seongju County.  There, grandmas and grandpas in the 70s, 80s, and 90s are organizing daily protests and blockades to stop THAAD.  THAAD is part of a missile defense system that gives the U.S. the ability to carry out a nuclear first strike.

Two neighborhoods -- Boyle Heights in Los Angeles and Crown Heights, Brooklyn New York -- are experiencing the gamut of changes associated with gentrification. And some are pushing back against those who would cash in on the eviction and displacement of longtime residents.

In the last three years, Fantastic Negrito, an Oakland-based black roots revivalist has gone from busking at bus stops to winning a Grammy and touring internationally. This week, we learn about Fantastic Negrito's journey, his creative process, and how he's utilizing his artistic platform to advocate for social justice.

What if faith could fuel a movement that supports women and families in having real choices over their lives and their bodies? On this week's Making Contact, we head to the crossroads of faith and reproductive justice.  We'll hear from Dr. Willie Parker, Toni Bond Leonard, and Katie Zeh, who are making these visions a reality.  

I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond.

The Poetic Address to the Nation, brought together poets to speak powerfully against the current administration. Featuring Cam Awkward, Guillermo Gomez Peña, Michelle 'Mush' Lee, and many others.

On this encore edition of Making Contact, we present the final installment in a two-part series on the pressure to transform a region of iconic landscapes and environmental stewardship into a global center for shipping fossil fuels.

On this encore edition of Making Contact, we present the first in a two-part series on the pressure to transform a region of iconic landscapes and environmental stewardship into a global center for shipping fossil fuels.

"From almost every kind of responsibility and tie from engagement and from faith. So the artist--our task is to move ourselves and the rest of us in the opposite direction. Toward more engagement, towards stronger ethics, toward a social that's open and inclusive to all toward seeing each other in full, to challenge us to recognize the debts, and yes, the reparations that we owe to each other." Je...

Fannie Lou Hamer's 100th birthday is Oct 6. She's no longer alive, and may not be as widely known as others in the civil rights movement --- but her words have a relevant ring today.

Making Contact's Community Storytelling Fellows Vincent Medina and Isabella Zizi share deep and personal stories on Native American Organizing and Activism on Ohlone lands.

This week, we begin with the story of a woman who was in flight to the US when President Trump signed his first travel ban. We later hear how immigrant and refugee support groups are responding.

On May 18, 1980, the people of Gwangju, South Korea came together for reunification and an end to an era of martial law imposed by U.S.-backed military dictators. Over the course of ten days, they staged mass protests, battled riot police and soldiers, and were met with brutal repression. Together, they successfully drove the military out Gwangju and governed the city together. Their actions chang...