The Lit Review Podcast

Political Process and the Development of the Black Insurgency, 1930-1970 by Doug McAdam presents a political-process model that explains the rise and decline of the Black protest movement in the United States during the time period of 1930 to 1970. Jasson Perez is a Chicago-raised Black scholar and organizer with 16+ years of experience, from labor to the movement for Black Lives. On this episode, Page chats with Jasson in a two-part series discussing McAdam's book.

​Born and raised in Chicago, Dominique Barron has spent the past several years living and organizing in London. She's back in Chicago now and currently a member of Assata's Daughters and the People's Response Team. Joined by special guest host, Bettina Johnson, Dominique talks about Parable of the Sower, a 1993 science fiction novel by the late Octavia Butler, a book that provides chillingly relevant commentary on climate change, corporate greed, and inequality.

Originally from the Maryland suburbs of D.C., B. Loewe was recruited into social justice work by his older sister, and was a key organizer of the 2010 Detroit-based U.S. Social Forum, and currently Mijente's Communications Director. Page chats with B about Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything by Becky Bond and Zach Exley, recently published in November of 2016.

In this episode, Page and Monica chat with Chicago-based intersex activist Pidgeon about the book Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex by Alice Dreger. Pidgeon is a leader in the global intersex movement’s fight for bodily autonomy and justice.

Page May and Monica Trinidad unite for an episode! They sit down with Benji Hart, a Chicago-based author, artist, and educator whose work centers Black radicalism, queer liberation, and prison abolition. Their words have appeared in numerous anthologies, and been published at Teen Vogue, Time, The Advocate, and elsewhere. Page and Monica talk with Benji about the book Transgender History by Susan Stryker, which covers American transgender history from the mid-twentieth century to today.

Monica Trinidad and guest host Bettina Johnson speak with Ramah Kudaimi, a Syrian-American activist and organizer currently living in D.C. Monica and Bettina chatted with Ramah via a video call about the book Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Leila Al-Shami and Robin Yassin-Kassab. Ramah serves on the board of the Washington Peace Center, is a member of the Syrian Solidarity Collective, and the Muslim Women's Policy Forum. She also serves with the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, working as a BDS organizer, and BDS stands for Boycott, Divest and Sanctions.

Nathan Ryan, from Grassroots Collaborative, and Debbie Southorn, of the American Friends Service Committee, delve into W.E.B. Du Bois's "Black Reconstruction in America." They explore the significant yet often overlooked roles of Black individuals during Reconstruction, challenging the prevailing narratives of failure. They discuss resilience amid violence, the systemic oppression faced, and the vital agency of Black communities. Ryan and Southorn draw parallels between Du Bois's insights and today's struggles for justice, illustrating the enduring power of collective resistance.

I've Got the Light of Freedom by Charles M. Payne offers an in-depth history of the early civil rights movement in the South, uplifting the work of Ella Baker, Septima Clark, and community members leading on-the-ground work in places like Greenwood, Mississippi. In this first episode, Monica and Dominique speak with Tess Raser, an organizer with Assata's Daughters and Quinn Rallins, social activist and organizer.

Monica and Page talk about why they started the Lit Review Podcast, what they're reading now, and what to expect (and not expect) from this project!