Interview | Ajamu Baraka on BLM Uprisings, Racial Justice, and Fighting Neoliberalism Under Biden Admin

We spoke with Oakland based activist, playwright, poet, radio host, and former mayoral candidate, Cat Brooks. Brooks talked about her work with the Anti-Police Terror Project — a coalition dedicated to the eradication of police terror in communities of color — the trauma that police terror and unjust systems inflict on people and communities, and why she believes so-called radical policies like defunding the police are in reality rational.

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We spoke with Jessica Ostroff, a tree-sitter involved with the movement to save the last 2.7% of old-growth forests in unceded Pacheedaht and Ditidaht territory on Vancouver Island. Jessica spent eight days suspended around 200 feet off the ground in an ancient cedar tree until Canadian police arrested her from a helicopter. A small group of other tree-sitters were extracted from other locations on the same day. She explains how her team strategically selected the trees to obstruct clear-cut logging and the dangerous manner in which their arrests took place.

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

We spoke with Palestinian journalist Budour Hassan about how media narratives influence popular conceptions about the struggle for Palestinian liberation.

We spoke with Srećko Horvat, a philosopher, activist and cofounder of the Democracy in Europe Movement, DiEM 25, where he is currently leading many activities as a member of the coordinating collective. We discussed DiEM25's work, the media outlet they launched at the start of the pandemic, and Srećko’s latest book, After the Apocalypse. 

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

We spoke with Morgan Harper about the connection between our political landscape and monopoly power and why it's imperative to reign in big tech and other monopolistic companies. Harper is a former Justice Democrat candidate for Ohio's third congressional district, a consumer protection lawyer, and the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project.

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

We spoke with Robert McChesney about the decline of journalism and the political and societal consequences of ISP and internet monopolies. McChesney is the cofounder of the media reform organization Free Press, the author of many books on media and politics, and a retired professor of communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

Marxist economics professor Richard D. Wolff debunks seven common capitalist myths for us. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the host of the weekly radio program Economic Update, and the co-founder of Democracy at Work.

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

We spoke with Anand Mallik, the longtime web developer turned indie game developer who’s building The Promised Land, a forthcoming farming game that will donate 60 percent of its revenue to fund climate justice groups like the Sunrise Movement and COVID relief organizations.

We spoke with Beth Bourdon, a public defender and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawyer known for her work with journalists Ken Klippenstein and Talia Lavin. Bourdon talks about FOIA, past and current cases, criminal justice during COVID-19 and being a progressive in Florida. You can read the full transcript at riftmag.org. 

Music by Commodore1983: https://soundcloud.com/commodore1983

An interview with Ajamu Baraka, an Associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and the former Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2016 election. Ajamu currently serves as the national organizer and spokesperson for the Black Alliance for Peace.

We spoke to Ajamu about BLM uprisings, racial justice, and how we continue to fight neoliberalism under the incoming Biden administration.