The Black Myths Podcast

We return with for part 2 to discuss how Caribbean leadership bends to the rules of the west, the importance of Haiti, the BAP Zone of Peace Campaign and how imperialism in the Caribbean can teach us about Africans in the US. Austin Cole is co-coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace, and one of the co-coordinators of BAP’s Haiti/Americas Team, and I’m based in the Boston area.  Erica Caines is a writer and organizer in Baltimore and the DMV. Caines is the Field Operations and Membership coordinator of The Black Alliance For Peace, an editor of Hood Communist Blog, and founder of #LiberationThroughReading, providing African children with books that represent them. https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

We discuss how negative stereotypes about Africans in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, create a rationalization for US imperialism throughout the region. To help us discuss this topic we are joined by organizers Austin Cole & Erica Caines.    Austin Cole is co-coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace, and one of the co-coordinators of BAP’s Haiti/Americas Team, and I’m based in the Boston area.    Erica Caines is a writer and organizer in Baltimore and the DMV. Caines is the Field Operations and Membership coordinator of The Black Alliance For Peace, an editor of Hood Communist Blog, and founder of #LiberationThroughReading, providing African children with books that represent them.   patreon.com/c/blackmyths

This episode will focus on how the city of New York created the conditions for Hip Hop. We also discussed the meeting between rival gangs in the South Bronx that helped create the conditions for what became Hip-Hop to operate. We end with how we should understand Hip Hop with these new reveals in history.  https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

Friend if the show Rasul Mowatt returns to discuss his new book "The City of Hip-Hop: New York City, The Bronx, and a Peace Meeting" and how the birth of Hip Hop needs to be reexamined. We explore the material conditions that produced Hip Hop (housing, public policy, city planning, etc) and how they don't correspond with the mainstream history Hip Hop's origins.  Book https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516 Patreon https://www.amazon.com/City-Hip-Hop-Rob-Swift/dp/1032835516

We debunk the myth that body cams hold the police accountable. To help us break it down, we interview civil rights lawyer, and social justice advocate Alec Karakatsanis about his recent paper "The Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams."  We explore the origins of body cams, how they help launder genuine outrage, and some of the alternatives to solving the issue of policing in the United States. https://campuspress.yale.edu/yjll/volume-4/3/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We review the Myths we explored in 2024.    https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

We return for part 2 with organizer Max Rameau. We discuss his most recent piece, "Smash the Dupololy and Build Dual Power" and keys to organizing our movements structurally.  Max Rameau is a Haitian born Pan-African theorist, campaign strategist, movement scientist and organizer. Max is the National Coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace and is an organizer with Pan-African Community Action. He travels the country facilitating workshops, engaging in campaign strategy sessions and developing models for community control over land and the human right to housing. Smash Duopoly and Build Dual Power https://pacapower.org/duopoly-dual-power Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the faux phrase "It’s easier to organize under democrats" and all its complimenting lesser evil slogans. The phrase essentially argues that political organizing is better situated to take place under a democratic administration than a republican one. This is not a post-election episode but instead, a deep dive into the flaws of this framing, particularly how it relates to Black/Afrikan people. We discuss the proponents of the argument, radical community organizing, historical conditions for organizing in the US, and how better organizing conditions may be achieved. What Does It Mean To Be A Radical (Black) Organizer Today https://grassrootsthinking.com/2024/07/11/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-radical-black-organizer-today/ Show Stats https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGOZdwZsJ72GOiJCRb-ZfYQt-u3teCeV2c0QjwOY26c/edit?usp=sharing Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths  

We return for part 2 with Dr. Felicia Denaud to delve specifically into the history of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and what it can teach us about today. We explore how the MFDP came into fruition through local efforts, the challenges it faced nationally, and how these challenges impact the Democratic party and organizing more broadly in our current political moment.    SNCC Legacy Project  https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer    Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths    Study Guide    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this episode, we interview Africana Studies professor, Dr. Felicia Denaud. Our myth is "All Politics is Local." The Idea that all politics is local ultimately focuses on local (and regional) matters as opposed to national (or international) matters. All Politics is Local or other dismissive retorts to electoral criticism such as "do know your local congressman?” or “local politics is where the real power is” distorts the influence that national (and international) power plays in what happens locally.    The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party is an historical example that highlights the power of local organizing and also the limitations. Thus, on this episode we will use the MFDP as a case study to demonstrate the limits of this myth but also what we can learn to build beyond the limits.    SNCC Legacy Project  https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths   Study Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk