Join Randi Gill-Sadler, a scholar of African American literature, as she unpacks the powerful legacies of Toni Cade Bambara and Gloria Naylor. The discussion highlights their anti-imperialist themes and community activism, emphasizing their critiques of Hollywood and their commitment to authentic storytelling. Randi reveals the challenges these writers faced in academia while fostering cultural representation. The conversation also connects their contributions to contemporary Black narratives, urging a deeper exploration of Black women's experiences in literature and film.

Nihal El Aasar, an Egyptian writer and researcher based in London, dives into the intricate connections between the Palestinian struggle and broader anti-imperialist movements. She emphasizes the critical historical context of the 1967 defeat and its impact on Arab identity and nationalism. By referencing Palestinian intellectual Ghassan Kanafani, El Aasar critiques the narrow framing of Palestine within a larger narrative of Arab liberation. Highlighting the role of reactionary regimes, she discusses the need for solidarity and political engagement among Arab masses amidst current geopolitical tensions.

In this engaging discussion, C. Crowle, a contributor to the newly expanded edition of 'The Spirit of Freedom,' examines Ireland's national liberation struggle through a radical lens. They delve into significant historical events, including the revitalization of the armed movement in the 1960s and Bobby Sands' hunger strikes. Crowle critiques the failures of anti-imperialist solidarity efforts in Britain while drawing parallels with contemporary struggles like Palestine. The conversation invites critical reflection on identity, conflict, and global colonialism.

Mohamed Khatib, a Palestinian refugee and European coordinator for the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and Thomas Hofland, coordinator of Samidoun Netherlands, discuss the urgent need for solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. They highlight the recent sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Canada aimed at suppressing political organizing. The conversation touches on the complexities of repression in the Palestinian solidarity movement and the necessity for global collective action against colonialism and injustice, urging listeners to engage in supporting the Palestinian struggle.

Kali Akuno, co-founder of Cooperation Jackson, shares his insights on the urgency of community resilience following Trump's re-election. He emphasizes the need for proactive organizing, community defense, and food sovereignty. The conversation critiques the disconnect between the stock market and everyday struggles, urging collective action against complacency. Akuno calls for building sanctuary spaces and international solidarity in social justice movements, advocating for grassroots strategies to empower marginalized communities and create meaningful change.

In this episode we interview 20 year old organizer Calla Walsh to talk about her experiences as a co-founder of Palestine Action US, as well as the political repression she and others have faced in the case of the Merrimack 4. She talks about why we should view their case as a win, and underlines the need for continued escalation for Palestine thirteen months into the genocidal response to Al-Aqsa Flood In this interview she offers in-depth discussion of the importance of risk-taking, and the problems of defeatist narratives about taking direct action. It is also a sober set of reflections, criticisms, and self-criticism about the last year in the Palestine solidarity movement in the US. There are also reflections on the lack of strong ethics around movement defense in this time and principles of basic solidarity towards those facing repression even if there may be legitimate criticisms people may have of their actions. Calla also offers an analysis of some of the distinctions between Palestine Action UK and Palestine Action US and how Calla thinks we need to re-orient approaches to direct action for Palestine given these differences. It is important to note that Palestine Action UK continues to face a lot of repression and continues to have significant successes as well in the UK. We have a recent discussion with Huda Ammori which we encourage you all to listen to, in order to learn more about that, and see ways you can support Palestine Action in the UK. I really encourage people who listen to this, to write to Calla and other members of the Merrimack 4 while they are in jail.  All of their contact information is below. If you like what we do please become a patron of the show. You can do so for as little as $1 a month and we can only do what we do with the support of our listeners. We have an upcoming study group on George Jackson’s Blood In My Eye which will be starting up soon. Information on that will be available in the next week, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss that opportunity the best place to keep up to date with that and all our other work is by becoming a patron at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Related Discussions: Ed Mead and Shaka Shakur Support the Merrimack 4 in jail! (Mailing information) On 14 November 2024, four Palestine actionists will begin their 60-day sentence in Valley Street Jail, Manchester, NH as punishment for dismantling the Elbit Systems facility in Merrimack, NH on 20 November 2023.  Originally they were facing 5 felonies and 37 years in prison. See below information on how to send them letters, books, and commissary $ in jail! Make sure to follow all the jail's mailing guidelines or your letters won't be received. Bridget's Address: Bridget Shergalis #67968, 445 Willow St, Manchester, NH 03103 Calla’s Address: Calla Walsh #67970, 445 Willow St, Manchester, NH 03103 Book wishlist: tinyurl.com/callabooklist Paige’s Address: Paige Belanger #68132, 445 Willow St, Manchester, NH 03103 Book wishlist: tinyurl.com/paigebooklist Sophie's address: Sophie Ross #67969, 445 Willow St, Manchester, NH 03103 They would love to receive books, letters, poems, and updates on the movement and world events.  Mailing Guidelines: https://hcnh.org/Departments/Department-of-Corrections/Administration “Items considered contraband include, but is not limited to, the following: postage stamps, letter writing supplies, mail order catalogs, Polaroid photos, paintings, perfumed paper, use of any marker, crayon, highlighter, or any questionable inks, tape, glue, Whiteout, glitter, stickers, body hair or fluids, newspaper/magazine clippings, pages cut/ripped out of any publication, unauthorized inmate to inmate correspondence, third party mail, gang graffiti or tagged correspondence (i.e., language, signs, symbols), anything laminated or spiral bound, posters and wall calendars. Newspapers – Must be delivered via the US Postal Service and must include the inmate’s name and CCN otherwise it is considered undeliverable and will be disposed of. Photos – only photos deemed acceptable for inmate possession will be forwarded to the inmate. Photos depicting gang symbols/signs, illegal activity, nudity, partial nudity, or exposure of genitalia is not allowed. Books/Magazines – must be in NEW condition and directly from the publisher or a book store that sells ONLY new publications shipped via the US Postal Service. Used booksellers or third party retailers will not be accepted and returned to sender. Inmates are allowed only a minimal amount of books and magazines at a time. Any books or magazines received that exceed the amount allowed will be placed in the inmates property and can be requested by the inmate at a later date. [i.e. only ship from Amazon and Barnes & Nobles] Publications that contain articles or subject matter considered detrimental to the good order of the facility, contain nudity, partial nudity or exposure of genitalia, or publications that are oversized or considered bulky are not allowed and will not be forwarded to the inmate but placed in their property until their release. Soft cover books are recommended.” Commissary – Add money at accesscorrections.com (NH -> Hillsborough County -> search inmate name or CCN) All letters are inspected before delivery; do not discuss any details of their case or anything you would not want to be read by a cop.

In a compelling discussion, Jason W. Moore, a historical geographer from Binghamton University, tackles the troubling notion of 'substance fetishism' in Marxian theory. He critiques how this perspective can obscure the real issues of labor relations and environmental dynamics. Moore explores the ties between fossil fuel consumption, class dynamics, and imperialism, advocating for a more integrated approach to socioecological crises. He emphasizes the importance of cooperation in both historical socialist movements and contemporary social activism, underscoring a need for revolutionary change driven by historical materialism.

In this discussion, Jason W. Moore, an environmental historian from Binghamton University, dives into the elite-driven roots of American environmentalism, tracing it back to the post-Civil War era. He critiques mainstream movements for serving capitalist interests and highlights the impact of the professional-managerial class on climate discourse. Moore challenges climate doomism and explores how organizations like the Ford Foundation have co-opted radical efforts, emphasizing the need to recognize systemic inequalities within the environmental narrative.

In this episode we interview Austin McCoy to discuss his piece “'Disorganize the State': The Black Workers Congress’s Visions of Abolition-Democracy in the 1970’s", which Austin wrote for the Labor and Employment Relations Association’s publication A Racial Reckoning in Industrial Relations: Storytelling as Revolution from Within.  Austin McCoy is a historian of the 20th Century United States with specializations in African American History, labor, and cultural history.  He is currently working on two books:   The Quest for Democracy: Black Power, New Left, and Progressive Politics in the Post-Industrial Midwest and a cultural and personal history of De La Soul. The conversation allows us to once again return to the current of radical anti-imperialist, anti-colonial, anti-racist labor organizing that emanated from organizations like DRUM (the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement), the League of Revolutionary Black Workers and - the focus of McCoy’s essay - the Black Workers Congress.  In this episode we talk about the BWC’s radical vision, which McCoy describes as in the tradition of what W.E.B. Du Bois called “abolition democracy.” And we discuss some of the organizing history of the various individuals and organizations associated with the League of Revolutionary Black Workers as well as what happened to their vision over time.  We recorded this discussion on December 18th of 2023 so while we discuss the solidarity that these revolutionary Black organizers had with Palestinians and discuss the UAW’s ceasefire call and their proposal to examine divestment, there are some notes that are important to add as we release this discussion almost a year later (a delay that is entirely my fault).  The UAW has endorsed Kamala Harris despite her role in the genocide of Palestinians and her refusal to call for an arms embargo and they did so with no concessions whatsoever on that issue. This stance by the UAW in this moment in many ways reflects the very currents of racist and imperialist union organizing that groups like the League and the BWC were organizing against. So while we can talk about the folks within the UAW who organized for those statements and resolutions within their union as operating within the traditions we discuss in this episode, it is important to note - at least in my view - that the UAW as a whole has ultimately shunned that radical legacy and replicated the historical role of the labor aristocracy in this moment as they and other major unions in the US have done over and over again.  Nonetheless, I do think that it is important to not dismiss the power or potential of labor organizing in moments like this, even if that potential remains unfulfilled. I think about the lessons that Stefano Harney and Fred Moten pull from people like General Baker when they called us to “wildcat the totality” several years ago.  I’d like to send much appreciation to Austin McCoy for this discussion. If you would like to support our work please become a patron of the show for as little as $1 a month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Links and related or referenced discussions: Our two part conversation with Herb Boyd about this period and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers (Part 1, Part 2)  "Finally Got the News" (film about the League) Some archival documents related to the League of Revolutionary Black Workers (visit FreedomArchives.org for more)  Our discussion with J. Moufawad-Paul on "Economism" which deals with some of the imperialist and racist trends within the labor movement (and within Communist or Socialist approaches to organizing the labor movement within empire at various times). 

In July of 2023, we published a conversation on the Iskra Books translation of Domenico Losurdo’s Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend with Henry Hakamäki and Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro (book/listen to part 1 here). We found the book really fascinating and had lots of questions, so we were only able to cover about half of our questions in our first conversation. This conversation is essentially the part 2 of that conversation, in which Henry and Salvatore are joined by Iskra editors David Peat and Ben Stankhe. Of course by the time we got around to recording this episode in late October, we were three weeks into Israel’s genocidal counterinsurgency campaign against Palestinians, after the heroic uprising known as Al-Aqsa Flood. Obviously, I didn’t intend to delay the release of this episode for almost a year, but at the time I kept telling myself there would eventually be a ceasefire and a new normal would be established. One year later that hasn’t happened yet, and doesn’t necessarily seem and closer than it was a year ago. All that is really by way of an apology to Ben, David, Henry, and Salvatore for not getting this episode out sooner. It absolutely warrants your attention and it actually relates in many ways to not only the struggle of Palestinians today, but to all struggles for national liberation, socialism, and communism.  We also just hosted another conversation on Domenico Losurdo’s work last week on our YouTube channel. In that one, Gabriel Rockhill discusses the English translation of Losurdo’s ‘Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn,’ which he edited and was just released on Monthly Review Press (book/episode). There are a number of references in the episode which I have tried to link in the show notes. First and foremost head over to Iskra books and check out their catalogue of books. As Henry mentions all of their books are available as free pdfs, but I definitely also encourage you to support their work. They’re doing really important stuff, and we plan to highlight more of their work going forward.  I’ve also linked a conversation we had a couple months ago on another Iskra Books release Ruehl Muller’s Building a People’s Art which is about the role of art and artists in the Vietnamese liberation struggle (book/episode) As Henry and Salvatore mention at the end of the episode, Communism: The Highest Stage of Ecology, which is an agroecological history of the Soviet Union and Cuba, which will be out via Iskra later this year. You can follow all of Iskra’s releases on Iskrabooks.org and just a reminder that free PDFs are available for this book and all of their others on their website. We plan to highlight more Iskra Books publications going forward. Including a soon to be scheduled episode on a book they published on Yugoslavian film, and on October 28th at 10 AM EDT we’ll host Conor McCabe to discuss The Lost & Early Writings of James Connolly, the Irish revolutionary (book/livestream) And lastly, this is our third audio episode of October, and we are trying to get back to releasing audio content with more regularity. To that end it would be really helpful if some of our listeners who do not yet support the show on patreon, became patrons for as little as $1 a month. The main purpose of becoming a patron is of course to support our work, but we do have a recent patreon-exclusive episode with several folks from Black Liberation Media including Jared Ball from IMIXWHATILIKE, Renee Johnston from Saturday’s with Renee, and Geechee Yaw from Earn Your Liberation. Shout-out to all of them and if you become a patron of the show you will get access to that recent conversation which primarily focuses on social media, YouTube and censorship. Sign up at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Guest bios: Henry Hakamäki is best known as the co-host of the Guerrilla History podcast. And of course among many other things, he is also the co-translator and editor of the book we will be discussing today. You can follow him on Twitter at @huck1995. Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro is Professor at the Geography Department of SUNY New Paltz and is chief editor for the journal Capitalism Nature Socialism.  His book Socialist States and the Environment is available from Pluto Press.  Ben Stahnke is an educator, organizer, and artist working on the intersection of political ecology, education, and print. Ben holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in environmental studies, a M.A. in political philosophy, and is currently pursuing a second doctorate in education. David Peat serves as an editor and copy-editor for both Iskra Books and Peace, Land, and Bread, is a student of Marxism-Leninism from Lancashire, England, who organises with Red Fightback. He has a B.A. in philosophy and is interested in political economy, ecology, and revolutionary education.