In this episode, Niki interviews Kei Prister , co-director of The Encampments , to discuss the new film, the impact of the student intifada a year later, and what this fight signals for the future of the US empire and most importantly, what it says about young people's thirst for liberation. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this Valentine's Day special episode, Niki interviews Dean Spade , a queer and trans organizer, attorney, and an author. They ground the conversation in Dean's new book, Love in a F*cked up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together. The two discuss how oppressive systems impact our relationships (romantic and otherwise), the role of conflict, and what we must learn from less alienated societies to survive ongoing crises. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this episode, Niki interviews Vivien Sansour , founder of Palestine Heirloom Seed Library . In this conversation, the two discuss the ritual of seed saving among colonized peoples and the many ways in which saving the land's fruits is a way of returning to our humanity and our dignity. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this episode, Niki interviews Eugene Puryear, an author, journalist, and host of Breakthrough News . In this conversation, the two discuss the incoming Trump administration and its implications on the Palestinian struggle, the global south at large, and what we can expect these next four years. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, Niki interviews Marina Magloire, Atlanta-based Black Feminism scholar, professor, and author of We Pursue Our Magic: A Spiritual History of Black Feminism . In this conversation, the two discuss the complicated relationship between two iconic queer Black feminist poets, Audre Lorde and June Jordan, and their opposing views on Zionism for the majority of their lives. You can read Marina's essay, Moving Towards Life: Exploring the correspondence of June Jordan and Audre Lorde, Mar...
In this episode, Niki interviews Jamie Tyberg, organizer with Nodutdol to discuss why the Korean War is so unknown amongst Americans, why there are "two" Koreas, the US' continued and increasing aggression against the Korean peninsula and what that means for the region and the rest of the world, why a ceasefire is not enough, and the fight for reunification of Korean families. Nodutdol's latest campaign, US Out of Korea launches all over the US on July 27th. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this episode, Niki interviews Mika Erskog , South African researcher with Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and host of the podcast The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast Dongsheng Collective . They discuss the relationship between China and the African continent, while dispelling the accusations that China is "imperialist," and what young progressive people in Africa are looking towards in this historical moment of self-determination. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this episode, Niki interviews journalist Kurt Hackbarth , the two discuss Mexico's upcoming historic election, why the US insists on smearing the Mexican president with media lies, and how the future of Mexico has major impacts across the Latin America and the globe. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, Niki interviews acclaimed journalist and author, Vincent Bevins . In this conversation, the two discuss the trend of mass protests across the globe often resulting in the opposite of what people were demanding in the streets in the first place. They weave the history of anti-communism, US-backed right-wing coups, the weaking and demobilization of leftist organizations and parties, and the role of media. Vincent Bevins is the author of The Jakarta Method and If We Burn: The Mass ...
In this episode, Niki interviews Ghanian-American doctor, Dr. Samira Addrey, Graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. In this conversation, the two discuss the legacy of not only the Latin American School of Medicine, but how Cuba has managed to develop some of the world's best doctors, biotech innovations, and their commitment to medical solidarity, despite the US blockade and all the crises it creates for Cuba and its people. Additional note regarding the situation in Cuba: "...
In this episode, Niki interviews Palestinian labor organizer and author, Zaina Alsous , where the two discuss the history of Palestinian and Arab worker-led revolts, the significance of the largest US labor unions calling for an immediate ceasefire, and the limitations of our current ability to hold general strikes in the US and what is required to make this more possible. You can read more editorial work by Zaina here . ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this interview, Niki interviews historian and journalist Vijay Prashad , where the two discuss the history of Palestinian resistance throughout Zionist occupation, why the US may have the power to destroy countries but cannot win wars, and where the seeds of hope lie in this revolutionary moment. Vijay Prashad is the Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, the Chief Editor of Leftword Books, and the author of forty books. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
"The lesser of two evils politic has not served working class people." In this interview, Niki interviews presidential candidate for PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation), Claudia De la Cruz . The two discuss the unfolding crises in the US - unemployment, inflation, housing/rent crisis, climate collapse, the threat of war, among other issues and how both Democrats and Republicans refuse to address these crisis and bring about solutions to most Americans. As a relentless genocide takes place o...
In this episode, Niki is interviewed by their best friend and comrade, Sabrina Beydoun. Niki reflects intimately on what themes have been anchoring her this past year of sabbatical and hiatus - the challenges of what it means to leave home and build anew, being in a place of transition and uncertainty, and unprecedented personal challenges, while reckoning that the only path forward is collective care and interdependence. Sabrina Beydoun is a Lebanese-American chef, writer, and cultural worker. ...
In this episode, Niki interviews Fariha Róisín , author of Who Is Wellness For? In the conversation, the two discuss the role of dignity in affirming one’s healing in the face of trauma, colonialism, capitalism, and other systems of oppression. They also unpack the relationship between spiritual warfare, commodification of wellness, and the corporate industries that intentionally invisibilize the violence behind popular wellness trends and practices. Audio disclaimer: I encourage you to listen o...
In this episode, Niki interviews Elea Chang , disability justice advocate, community organizer, and artist. The two discuss the capitalist notion of the "pandemic being over," and the ways in which disability justice offers a pathway of care, solidarity, and safety in these uncertain times. In this, they also discuss the limitations of representation and identity politics in an economy that commodifies it all. Elea is the creator of Disabled and Here , an interview and stock images celebrating d...
*This episode was originally published in May 2021* In this episode, Niki interviews Annika Hansteen-Izora , an art director, poet, and designer. The two reckon with the interests (profit, militarism, white supremacy, ableism - to name a few) that dictate social media platforms, algorithms, and the digital world at large, in a time where we are all spending hours on end on apps. Drawing from Afro-Futurism, Afro-Nowism, and speculative fiction, the two envision what communities centered in care a...
In this episode, Niki interviews Nick Estes , Indigenous scholar, writer, and co-founder of The Red Nation. The two reflect on 2021's Jan 6th insurrection and some notable political differences between the political economy of the US vs socialist economies in the Global South. They also offer some critiques on the new Netflix sensation, Don't Look Up, while centering the need for Indigenous resistance as an antidote to the climate crisis. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
In this episode, Niki interviews Manolo De Los Santos, a Caribbean popular educator and the two discuss the November 15th protests in Cuba, what narratives we should be mindful of in hopes of supporting the lives of Cuban people on the island, and the dangers of advocating for US intervention. Manolo is the co-executive director of The People's Forum in NYC. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, Niki interviews Claudia De La Cruz, Co-Executive Director of The People's Forum. The two discuss the recent events in Haiti, Cuba, and other political crises in the region and what this means for oppressed people globally. They also discuss the continuous historical patterns of what happens in moments like this, and the ways in which US media works in insidious ways to confuse and distract everyday people and ultimately serve elite interests. Support the podcast and become a pat...
In this episode, Niki interviews Clarissa Brooks, an abolitionist movement journalist and organizer. The two discuss the dangers of status quo "objectivity" in journalism and media, and look alternatively, to grassroots examples of Black investigative journalists who hold political commitments and relationships with the communities they write about. They also discuss the attention economy and its impact on which stories are prioritized and centered. Clarissa's writing has been featured in Rollin...
In this celebratory episode, Niki rings in the second anniversary of the podcast by getting into conversation with fellow gemini Mimi Zhu , writer and author of the forthcoming Book, Be Not Afraid of Love. The two discuss the realities that become more possible through storytelling for communities of color, the co-opting necessitated by corporate campaigns such as Stop Asian Hate and Pride, and the ways in which grief, loss, and migrant narratives all create openings for transformation and aboli...
In this episode, Niki interviews Sarah Jaffe , labor journalist and author. The two discuss Sarah's new book, Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted and Alone , which offers historical context on the gendered, racialized, and capitalist history impacting workers, families, and what kind of labor society deems as valuable or not. In this conversation, the two also discuss recent examples of workers resisting, organizing, and shifting the terrain for labor...
In this episode, Niki interviews Fresco Steez , a cultural engineer and organizer who has designed countless slogans, visuals, and communications that center the notion of being Unapologetically Black. In this conversation, the two discuss the role of artists and cultural workers in revolutionary struggles, the potential and necessity behind popularizing radical ideas, and the two get vulnerable around commitments to agitate and organize whenever possible. You can learn more about Fresco's lates...
In this episode, Niki interviews Derecka Purnell, an abolitionist writer, organizer, lawyer. Derecka works to end police and prison violence by providing legal assistance, research, and trainings to community based organizations through an abolitionist framework. In this conversation, the two discuss the limits of identity politics, why anti-capitalism and abolition go together, lessons from the 2020 uprising and what's ahead under a new administration. Derecka's writings have been published in ...
In this episode, Niki interviews adrienne maree brown, the author of Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good and Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds . In this conversation, the two discuss what it means to embody abolitionist values, strategies for discerning differences in movement work, boundaries on and offline, moving towards generative conflict more effectively, adrienne's new book, We Will Not Cancel Us, and dreamy longings for 2021. adrienne maree brown is a longtim...
In this episode, Niki interviews Jenny Odell, author of NYT bestselling book, How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy . The two discuss divesting from the act of personal branding on social media, bioregionalism and re-connecting to the living ecosystems that surround us, the danger behind privatization of public and outdoor spaces, and the racial and class dynamics of leisure and who has access to it. Jenny is a multidisciplinary artist and author based in Oakland, CA. Her work gener...
In this bilingual interview, Niki interviews Liz of Belly of the Beast . The two discuss the US blockade on Cuba and its profound and lasting effect, what the US elections mean for Cubans in Cuba, and they invite nuance into the conversation regarding Cuban politics. They also unpack the emotional and relational challenges that imperialist policies have on family dynamics, friendships, and a strategically divided Cuban community. Support the podcast and become a patreon here . Music courtesy of ...
In this episode, Niki talks to Phil Agnew , former Senior Advisor for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and co-founder of Dream Defenders. As 'content' takes precedence over 'context' for the sake of social media likes and mass re-tweets, the two discuss the nuances of building political power, the necessity to prioritize slow and steady work over urgency, mental health, and which seeds of optimism they're sowing these days. You can learn more about Phil's latest project, Black Men Build her...
In this episode, Niki interviews Fariha Róisín , a Bangladeshi multidisciplinary artist, writer, podcaster, and poet. In light of Fariha's debut novel launch, Like a Bird , the two discuss the commodification of trauma, queerness and Islam, and the ongoing work of healing familial and ancestral wounds. Fariha's work has been featured in Vogue, PAPER, Nylon, Huffington Post, and elsewhere. Her new novel, Like a Bird is out September 15th. Order here . Transcript available here . ★ Support this po...
