Interdependent Study

There is no doubt that politics exists in and gets used by the NFL in both powerful and harmful ways. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the new documentary “Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL'', which explores the role that politics plays in the NFL and the history, power, and impact of the NFL on our society, and share what we learn and take away from this incredible film that...

The notion of whether or not prisons and the criminal punishment system should be radically reformed or completely abolished is worthy of rich and critical discussion. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book The Idea of Prison Abolition by Tommie Shelby, and consider what we might take away from this wide-ranging exploration of the movement for abolition in the United States, as well as where...

The climate crisis is a social justice issue and one that will require education and action by all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss Part One of the anthology book All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, and what we learn about the ongoing climate crisis, climate movement work, and environmental po...

White supremacy and racism are dangerous to all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien read and discuss “From Scarcity to Solidarity”, a new toolkit by Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ), which is designed to help white people learn about the Great Replacement Theory and other racist, scarcity-based ideologies and what they can do to engage in and with campaigns for social justice and collective libe...

We must imagine and create conditions and a society that reduces and prevents harm and violence and advances true safety for everyone—a society that doesn’t include the prison industrial complex. Listen as Aaron and Damien explore and discuss “Beyond Criminal Courts: Divest and Defund”, a new digital collaborative project from Community Justice Exchange, Interrupting Criminalization, and Critical...

The role and purpose of public education is under attack in this country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an opinion piece called “School Is for Making Citizens” by Heather C. McGhee and Victor Ray in The New York Times, and what recent attacks on public education have reminded us about the broad purpose of education on our democracy and society, and the need to continue to invest in education...

We shouldn’t be afraid to name and call out fascism when we see it. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss two articles, including “Maybe US mainstream media should begin using the term ‘fascism’” by Robert Reich in The Guardian and “Fear of Fascism” by Tom Nichols in The Atlantic, and what we learn and take away from the calls to understand the various elements of fascism, as well as the impact of da...

We’re ready for part two of this conversation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the second half of the documentary series “Exterminate All the Brutes”, which explores and analyzes the troubling history and tremendous impact of European colonialism throughout the world, and what the implications of this history are for our present day and for our learning and unlearning work for social justice an...

The origins, history, and evolution of colonization, forced migration, genocide, slavery, war, and white supremacy shape our collective history and experiences to this day. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the first half of the documentary series “Exterminate All the Brutes”, which explores and analyzes the troubling history and tremendous impact of European colonialism throughout the world, and...

The term “identity politics” has been co-opted and weaponized and is a victim of elite capture. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, and what we learn about the concept of elite capture, its impact on society, and what we should consider as we fight against it to build the world that we d...

It’s time for part two of our conversation. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the second half of a new resource binder called “So is this Actually an Abolitionist Proposal or Strategy?: A collection of resources to aid in evaluation and reflection” by Interrupting Criminalization, Project NIA, and Critical Resistance, which offers a variety of tools from a range of sources across the scope of mov...

Our learning and unlearning work on abolition and abolitionist organizing continues in this two-episode series. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the first half of a new resource binder called “So is this Actually an Abolitionist Proposal or Strategy?: A collection of resources to aid in evaluation and reflection” by Interrupting Criminalization, Project NIA, and Critical Resistance, which offers...

In the pre-Roe v. Wade era, a group of women risked their lives to support other women in need of abortions and reproducive healthcare. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “The Janes”, which tells the story of a Chicago-based organization that provided safe, affordable, illegal abortions and counseling to approximately 11,000 women in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and what this ab...

Abortion and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss various articles, including The Washington Post Editorial Board’s “The Supreme Court’s radical abortion ruling begins a dangerous new era” and Gwen Snyder’s “The Sinister Connection Between Abortion Rights, White Supremacy, and Covid” in Jezebel, and what this recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade m...

The Electoral College is a flawed and vulnerable institution that played a dangerous role in what took place at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Kate Shaw in The Atlantic called “ The Other Cause of January 6th ”, and what we learn about the history and use of the Electoral College during our country’s elections and in the events leadin...

Our learning and unlearning work about the prison industrial complex continues. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the Chicago Prison Industrial Complex Teaching Collective’s “Prison Industrial Complex 101 Curriculum", which consists of a zine and workshop guide designed to engage and educate folks about the impact of the prison industrial complex on all of us and our society, and how we can use t...

Gun violence and the power and influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) are troublesome and dangerous challenges facing our country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “The Price of Freedom”, which examines the gun violence epidemic in America and the role that the NRA has played in this crisis, and what we learn about the history, evolution, and power of the NRA and the f...

There’s so much to learn from Frederick Douglass. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches”, which showcases the life, words, and legacy of one of the country’s most famous anti-slavery activists, and what we learn from Frederick Douglass’ story, speeches, and work that can inspire us and our continued efforts in pursuit of abolition, social justice,...

The importance of having safe, thriving, and transformative schools requires that we actively work to end the school-to-prison pipeline. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education journal article by Erica R. Meiners called “Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline/Building Abolition Futures”, and what this scholarly work offers us as we continue to learn a...

Thirteen people were shot, ten of them killed at the grocery store in Buffalo, New York on Saturday, May 14, 2022 by an 18-year old avowed white supemacist. Eleven of those shot during this domestic terrorist attack were Black. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an article by Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor in The New Yorker called “American Racism and the Buffalo Shooting”, an article by Kathleen Belew i...

The calls to cancel student loan debt have been national news for years, and the work being done to demand the cancellation of student loan debt is only getting stronger. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a number of media related to this topic, including “Who Really Benefits From Student-Loan Forgiveness?” by Jerusalem Demsas in The Atlantic, “It’s not too late for Biden to become an anti-racist...

Abolition feminism is guiding us towards the liberated future we all deserve. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Abolition. Feminism. Now. by Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth E. Richie, and what we learn from their work to trace and analyze the historical genealogies of abolition, feminism, and abolition feminism, key internationalist learnings, and everyday practice...

It is 2022 and lynching is finally a federal hate crime in the United States. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss media from NPR, USA Today, and Vox about the recent passing of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, and reflect on the history of efforts to pass anti-lynching legislation, the impact of this law, and what this historic moment truly means for reckoning with our country’s history and our c...

Our learning about the abolition of the prison industrial complex and the work necessary for transformative change continues. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss Haymarket Books’ Abolishing Policing, Not Just the Police panel event featuring journalists and authors Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law, and moderated by abolitionist organizer Mariame Kaba. This incredible conversation highlights the need...

John Lewis, or “the boy from Troy” as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. nicknamed him, had a vision that “good trouble” could change the world. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble”, which chronicles the life, career, and legacy of the late U.S. Representative John Lewis, and what we learn from his story, personal reflections, and work that can inspire us in our c...