Interdependent Study

Liberation for all is undoubtedly the prize. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground”, which pays tribute to the original documentary series that chronicled the civil rights movement and Black experience in America, and connects it to our present day liberation and movement work and ongoing fight for social justice.  Follow us on social media and...

The personal is political when it comes to the experiences of and fight for liberation for Black women. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and what we can learn from the Combahee River Collective’s vision for Black feminism and Black women's liberation to apply to today’s struggles and our fight f...

The reality is that the recent attacks on critical race theory are manufactured nonsense and not actually about critical race theory at all. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article from The New Yorker by Benjamin Wallace-Wells called “How a Conservative Activist Invented the Conflict Over Critical Race Theory”, which describes the efforts of Christopher Rufo to spark the ongoing conservative...

There’s so much we need for our society to experience the kind of social transformation necessary for true liberation for all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an interview published on Public Books titled “‘There’s No There There’: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor on the Future of the Left”, which features a wide-ranging conversation between Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Raychel Gadson about Dr. Tay...

The world should know the name and legacy of Pauli Murray. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “My Name is Pauli Murray”, which looks at the personal and professional life of Pauli Murray, a non-binary Black poet, author, lawyer, activist, priest, and trailblazer who, despite being largely overlooked throughout history, has been instrumental in the advancement of social justice and...

“Assassinating the reality of the past assassinates the reality of the present (and creates a new simulated reality)”. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Ibram X. Kendi in The Atlantic called “The Second Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, which outlines the parallels between Dr. King’s physical assassination and the ongoing mischaracterization of who he was and of his work, a...

In our collective push for abolition, we must keep disability issues and justice at the forefront of our work. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a piece by Derecka Purnell called “Police Violence is a Disability Justice Issue” that was featured on the Boston Review website (and is an excerpt from her new book), which examines historical and recent examples of the experiences of disabled Black fol...

Police foundations are private organizations that are bankrolling police departments and contributing to anti-Black violence in this country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a report from Color of Change and LittleSis called “Police Foundations: A Corporate-Sponsored Threat to Democracy and Black Lives”, which examines the history and influence of police foundations and corporate sponsors that...

​​Our collective vision for prison industrial complex abolition must be unwavering in order to break free from our society’s destructive carceral systems. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the film “Re-Visions of Abolition: From Critical Resistance to A New Way of Life”, which addresses the need for prison industrial complex abolition through the work of two incredible organizations and the lense...

There’s no doubt in our minds that abolition is the only way forward to embrace the positive change we need for our society. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Mariame Kaba, Dan Berger, and David Stein called “What Abolitionists Do”, which addresses some of the misguided critiques of prison industrial complex abolition, highlights the history of abolitionist movements, and shares som...

Lawyer, author, and activist Bryan Stevenson said: "I know our system is capable of executing innocent people, of turning a blind eye.” Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary "True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality", which follows Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative's work to create greater fairness in the criminal punishment system, how racial injustice has af...

The lies and misconceptions that were spun in the aftermath of the 2020 election are still having a negative effect on our country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a couple of articles from the Brennan Center for Justice, including “The For the People Act: Separating Fact from Fiction” and “Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021” to understand the purpose of this important and milest...

The recent release of the 2020 Census data has sparked a renewed concern about gerrymandering and the threat it poses to our democracy. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by John Nichols on The Nation called “The Next Gerrymandering Nightmare Has Begun”, which highlights the role that gerrymandering could play in future elections and its implications on voting, representation, and socia...

Fred Hampton’s vision for justice, liberation, revolution, and freedom was powerful and bigger than all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the critically-acclaimed movie "Judas and the Black Messiah", the biographical drama film about the surveillance and untimely assassination of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party at the hands of the FBI and Chicago P...

Our education on and discussions about police and government surveillance of journalists, activists, and organizers in this country continues. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Wendi C. Thomas called “Police have been spying on Black reporters and activists for years. I know because I’m one of them.” This article reports on both the history and present day efforts of the Memphis Pol...

White supremacy is powerful, pervasive, and affects all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Tema Okun called “White Supremacy Culture - Still Here”, which defines white supremacy and white supremacy culture, and describes the various characteristics of white supremacy culture and the potential antidotes for the characteristics as we all engage in the work to recognize and disma...

One of the many lessons that Ta-Nehisi Coates has given us is the importance of listening with an open mind and an open heart. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss "Between the World and Me", the HBO adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ bestselling book by the same name, and what this dynamic and incredible film teaches us about humanity and the Black experience in this country.  Follow us on social...

We are collectively organizing and building a vision for our North Star. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the Movement for Black Lives' takeover issue of In These Times magazine which chronicles the work currently going on across the movement, and the many lessons we have learned and are taking away from it in our continued pursuit of social justice and collective liberation.  Follow us on...

There is clear evidence and examples of government surveillance of organizers and activists in this country throughout history. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary "MLK/FBI", which exposes new information about the US government and the FBI's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, and the significant campaign they engaged in to discredit him and the wor...

“I think if you care about someone and you got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothin' you can’t get through together.” Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the television comedy Ted Lasso, which features an American college football coach who is unexpectedly recruited to coach an English Premier League team despite having no experience in association football, and the many themes from the...

#SayHerName is a social movement that highlights the Black Women who have been victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence in the United States. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary "Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland", which shares the story of Sandra Bland’s tragic death in police custody back in July 2015 and the local and national protests and activism that...

It’s important to think about the ways in which our so-called universal rights in this country aren’t distributed equally. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Carol Anderson in The Guardian called "America’s Gun Obsession is Rooted in Slavery" and an interview featuring Carol Anderson on NPR's Fresh Air called "The Racist Roots Of The 2nd Amendment", and examine the connections that e...

The race riots and massacres in the early 20th century did not happen in a vacuum and teach us a lot about our country's history and present day. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary "Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer", which follows Washington Post reporter Deneen Brown and her efforts to investigate the discovery of a mass grave site made after the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, as w...

The rise in conservative attacks on Critical Race Theory in our society is astounding and troubling. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a number of articles and media responding to the mounting attacks and critiques of Critical Race Theory, and the real and present dangers of these misguided efforts to social justice and our collective liberation.  Follow us on social media and visit our webs...

At its core, the nature of modern policing is flawed and not in alignment with social justice and collective liberation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss The End of Policing by Alex Vitale, with a focus on how reforms to policing (and law enforcement and the criminal punishment system) are largely ineffective, often serve to continue or expand the reach of policing, and simply do not keep all of...