Interdependent Study

It's time for part two of our conversation about abolition. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the second half of We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba, and examine the idea of what justice could be beyond our current criminal punishment system, the principles of abolition, harm, and accountability, what should be centered in activism and orga...

While we've discussed abolition many times on the podcast, it's now time to dedicate two episodes to this important topic. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba, and the key takeaways from the first half of this book around prison-industrial complex abolition and a vision for social justice and collective lib...

We've all engaged in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work and trainings, but is it effective? Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss two articles on the DEI industry and its history and effectiveness, and examine a new approach to this work that emphasizes relational and culture change within organizations and may revolutionize this work.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! I...

Voter suppression is a violation of our basic rights and dangerous to our collective liberation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary "All In: The Fight for Democracy" featuring Stacey Abrams, which examines the history and present day conditions of voter suppression in this country, current work and activism to combat it, and steps each of us can take to stand against voter suppress...

Maryland has become the first state in the nation to repeal its Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a couple of articles from The Washington Post about the history and recent repeal of the Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights in Maryland, police accountability, and the differences between reform and abolition in the conversation about policing and reima...

HB 1 is now the law of the land in Florida, and it is fundamentally wrong. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a handful of articles and media and react to the recent passing of HB 1, an anti-protest law that criminalizes peaceful protesting, silences dissent, demonstrates how established power structures fight back against movement work, and stands in direct opposition to our collective civil and...

It's been six years since Freddie Gray tragically died in police custody in Baltimore. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the HBO documentary “Baltimore Rising”, which follows activists, police officers, community leaders, and the city of Baltimore in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death, and showcases the peaceful protests and uprising that took place as the city (and the country) awaited the trial v...

Amplifying the stories and humanity of people with disabilities will help to both change hearts, minds, and attitudes and push us along on the path towards liberation for all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary "Crip Camp", which spotlights a groundbreaking and transformative summer camp for teenagers with disabilities and showcases the beginnings of t...

We firmly believe that reform is not enough---abolition is the only way that we will finally have safety and liberation for all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an opinion piece by The Washington Post's editorial board called "Reimagine Safety" and an article on the People’s World website called “Prison and police abolition: Re-imagining public safety and liberation” in a conversation abo...

We need to embrace a culture of healing to help address the crisis of masculinity in our society. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks and their own lived experiences to both address the ways that patriarchal culture harms all of us and examine masculinity and love.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter...

There are many parallels between this country's history and the work for social justice and collective liberation today. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the HBO documentary "The Soul of America". Based on Jon Meacham’s 2018 bestseller of the same name, the documentary examines America’s current political and social circumstances by exploring its past and the many lessons that can be learned fro...

Let's talk about cancel culture. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss adrienne maree brown's book We Will Not Cancel Us, which examines what cancel culture means and how it does and does not align with transformative justice, as well as provides a shared vision for a future beyond our current so-called justice system.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Faceb...

Is redemption possible for this country? Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the HBO special "Seeing America", which features a conversation between Megan Rapinoe, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Hasan Minhaj about the challenges we face as a nation, the Black Lives Matter movement, the pandemic, the 2020 election and American politics, and where we are and where they hope we are...

Reparations are a key step in this country's path towards equality, justice, and collective liberation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a piece in The New York Times Magazine by Nikole Hannah-Jones called "What is Owed" which makes the strong case for the need for reparations.  Learn more about H.R. 40, the federal bill that will establish a commission to examine the impacts of slavery and...

Niceness isn't enough, and it sure ain't liberation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss three articles on the concept of whiteness and niceness, the harm that can be done by "nice white people" if their words and actions aren’t in alignment with anti-racism, and the importance of critical self-analysis to move towards social justice and collective liberation.  Follow us on social media and vi...

The COVID-19 pandemic, racism, police violence, economic hardships, white supremacy, and social injustice were some of the unfortunate cornerstones of 2020. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss Marc Lamont Hill's book We Still Here and use it as a resource for how we might work towards an abolitionist future.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Web...

There is no debate that Black lives matter and that this country needs to do better by Black boys and men. Listen as Aaron and Damien talk about the documentary Black Boys, which illuminates the humanity and lived experiences of Black men and boys in America.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Website

It's difficult to discuss the impact of the 2020 U.S. presidential election---and all of the events and years surrounding it---on our country and our everyday lives. With the 59th Presidential Inauguration behind us, listen as Aaron and Damien talk about the election, inauguration, insurrection, and more from the lenses of social justice and collective liberation.  Follow us on social media a...

We are long overdue for a true reckoning with this country's history. Listen as Aaron and Damien explore The 1619 Project as a powerful tool for reframing American history and pushing us towards collective liberation.  Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Website

We recorded a brief discussion on the coup from January 6th, 2021 that appears before this episode begins.  Finding a path towards healing and liberation amidst our individual and collective traumas can be a daunting process. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Kazu Haga from Waging Nonviolence and how to apply Haga's proposed actions as a guide in doing this work.  Follow u...

Much of the work of social justice is personal. Listen as Aaron and Damien share aspects of our identities to give you a sense of who we are and why the work of social justice and collective liberation is important to us. Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Website

Our preview episode features clips of upcoming episodes to give you a sense of what Interdependent Study is all about. We hope you'll join us! Follow us on social media and visit our website! Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , Website