Making Contact

We take a look at the police killing of Oscar Grant in Oakland, and the debate over who gets to decide when an officer has done something wrong.

Venezuela is undergoing a modern day revolution.  Workers, small farmers and the poor consistently vote for socialist President Hugo Chavez. Economically better-off citizens denounce the president as a communist who is destroying the country, but even some on the left criticize Chavez.

We'll hear from experts who insist the U.S. has a lot to learn from social movements in Latin America -- especially in times of crisis.

This June, thousands of grassroots activists converged on Detroit, Michigan to attend the 2010 United States Social Forum.  We were there and on this edition of Making Contact, we'll bring you some of the local and international voices we found.

In a special collaboration with “Feet in 2 Worlds,” we hear the story of an immigrant family torn apart after an immigration raid in Phoenix, Arizona.  And we report on a successful grassroots effort to change policies at “Hutto.”

It’s been decades since the U.S. has had a powerful labor movement and recent efforts to revive it have mostly fallen flat. But there is hope for a new labor movement that goes beyond the unions.

An interview with James Lawson, the chief architect of the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins, and confidant to Martin Luther King. Lawson touches on everything from Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez to the modern gay rights and environmental movements.

For many people in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, the struggle to legalize gay marriage across the U.S. remains the priority political battle.  But others in the LGBT community disagree.

Art is everywhere...but why do we do it? On this edition we speak with young artists of diverse backgrounds who use their independent experiences and creative impulses to talk about race, identity, and politics...and along the way to self-reflect.

This June, the US Social Forum will be held in Detroit, Michigan.  We look at how Domestic Workers got organized at the last US Social Forum and we ask, what can we learn from the fall and rise of one of America’s great industrial cities?

State budgets are strapped and deep cuts to public programs continue. On this edition, we look at the crisis in K through 12 education. While the Obama administration pushes states to “Race to the Top,” teachers, parents and students are resisting budget cuts from the bottom up.

We’ll hear part two of a documentary called Heavy Weather, produced by freelancer Barbara Bernstein.  She’ll look at how climate change is creating new challenges in urban communities as they recognize the need to think and act sustainably.

On this edition, we hear from LGBTQ immigrants in the U.S. who not only have to hide  their legal identity, but their sexuality too. Their stories demonstrate why living illegally in the U.S. is not only their refuge, but also their biggest fear.

We’ll hear part one of a documentary called Heavy Weather, produced by freelancer Barbara Bernstein.  She’ll explore the connections between the increase in extreme weather and our changing climate and landscapes.

We take a look at tax revolt movements you might not have heard about, including upper income folks asking for tax increases on themselves.  And we compare the tax burdens and benefits in Europe and the United States.  

The business model of journalism is collapsing. Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs, newspapers are folding, and major dailies are in bankruptcy. This week we hear a discussion about government subsidies and new funding models to save the Fourth Estate.

Author Paul Loeb is re-releasing his book, ‘Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times’. He’s collected stories of everyday people working for social justice.  On this edition, we’ll hear from Loeb and two people profiled in the book.

We present a panel discussion that looks at net neutrality and the digital divide. What is it? Why should we care? What’s at stake for immigrant communities and communities of color in the fight over who controls the Internet?

The climate talks at Copenhagen closed in 2009 with no binding agreements or timetables for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Only pledges were made to avoid more than a two degree Celsius temperature increase and avoid dangerous climate change. On this edition, we hear from climate justice activists who went to Copenhagen. They say we need a system change, not climate change.

Social programs have been cut, living wage jobs are scarce and our economic system is in upheaval. On this edition, we bring you the ColorLines TV special “Race and Economic Recovery,” featuring untold stories of how racism hurts all of our economic futures.

Dr. Joanna Macy is a long-time peace, justice, and ecology activist.  A celebrated Buddhist teacher, Dr. Macy’s wide-ranging work spans Eastern and Western thought. She spoke at the 2009 Bioneers Conference held in San Rafael, CA. 

We continue our series, How We Survive . This week? It’s a time of crisis in higher education. And as administrators cast an eye toward privatization, students are mobilizing for change…and a voice in the system.

Are food, housing, and health care human rights? A round table discussion about the right to healthy food, the right to housing, and the right to healthcare. Do Americans have these, and if not, what’s standing in the way?

It's a time of economic transition, and systems that may have seemed stable over the past few decades are proving to be far from it. But how did we get here? This week, we hear from three people who've been sounding the alarm about capitalism's house of cards for years.

In the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in recent history, we look at Haiti’s history with the United States, the militarization of American relief efforts, and the economic policies that have contributed to the devastation.