The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Revolutionary Love

Sep 23, 2021

Valarie Kaur, an author, activist, and filmmaker known for her transformative work on love and community, dives deep into her experiences with racism following 9/11. She introduces 'revolutionary love' as a powerful antidote to division, emphasizing love's role in social justice and resilience. Kaur discusses how grief and community solidarity can foster healing and justice. She advocates for processing anger and embracing love as a fundamental approach to life's challenges, encouraging listeners to build anti-racist communities and affirm human dignity amidst adversity.

57:17

Episode guests

Valarie Kaur

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Revolutionary Love and Social Justice

14min

Revolutionary Love and Resilience

9min

The Intertwining of Love and Grief in Community Resilience

5min

Revolutionary Love in the Face of Adversity

12min

The Power of Revolutionary Love in a Diverse Society

5min

Redefining Patriotism Amidst Complexity

5min

Embracing Revolutionary Love as a Life Experiment

2min

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with author, activist, and filmmaker Valarie Kaur about her memoir See No Stranger and the Revolutionary Love Project. They discuss Kaur's personal experiences of the racism that followed 9/11, the idea of responding to violence and hatred with love, and why, two decades after 9/11, her project is more relevant than ever.

Host: Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Guest: Valarie Kaur (@valariekaur), author, activist, and filmmaker

References:

See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur (One World; 2020)
Divided We Fall, dir. by Valarie Kaur (2008)
"Indianapolis Sikh Community Mourns 4 Of Its Members Killed In Shooting" by Jeannette Muhammad (NPR; Apr. 18)
"How 9/11 convinced Americans to buy, buy, buy" by Emily Stewart (Vox; Sept. 9)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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