Before it was legal in the United States, some doctors would risk arrest to provide women with access to safe abortions. When that wasn’t possible, some sought abortions from unsafe providers, often with deadly consequences. The Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, and the numbers of people dying after having an abortion dropped, but are we now seeing a return to the past? On this edition, what can the time before abortion was legal tell us about the dangers of restricting access to abortio...
Feb 04, 2015•29 min
You’ve heard of Hip-Hop, but what about Krip-Hop? That’s the name for the international movement of disabled artists, poets, musicians, and MCs. On this edition of Making Contact, we hear the story of Krip Hop from hate mail to worldwide phenomenon.
Jan 28, 2015•29 min
The female body as medium, and as message. How can a woman determine how she is perceived by the world, and even by herself? On this edition, we hear stories of women who are using their bodies for political protest, and as tools of self-empowerment…forcing everyone to reevaluate their perspectives on the female form. Featuring: Neda Topaloski & Xenia Chernyshova, Femen members Galia Ackerman, author of the book “Femen” Catherine King, Executive Producer, Global Fund for Women Yolando Y’Nett...
Jan 21, 2015•29 min
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th 1963, Martin Luther King Jr delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time. But it nearly didn't happen. On this special edition of Making Contact for MLK Day, Gary Younge, author of “The Speech” talks about Martin Luther King Junior's “Dream” and the story behind it. Featuring: Gary Younge, author of “The Speech: Martin Luther King Jr's Dream and the Story Behind It”
Jan 14, 2015•29 min
What are the roots of the historic mistrust between people of color, especially African Americans, and the police? And how does 911 really work? Is slow response time just perception, or reality? During the 2nd half of our 2-part special— The Race to An Emergency , we follow the path of a 911 call, and along the way, encounter decades of mistrust that fuel a lack of confidence in the system....
Jan 08, 2015•29 min
When you call 911, who answers the phone? How do they decide who to send to the scene, and how fast will they get there? We bring you a 2-part special—The Race to An Emergency, produced by KALW radio in San Francisco. We follow the path of a 911 call, and along the way, encounter decades of mistrust that fuel a lack of confidence in the system. Special thanks to KALW Radio. Featuring: Lesley Phillips, Sharena Thomas, Peoples Community Medics co-founders Nikki Anjenique, Sharena Thomas daughter R...
Jan 02, 2015•29 min
In today’s news cycle it’s challenging keeping up with the latest developments around the world. In 2014 we saw pro-democracy protests spanning 75 days in Hong Kong to the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. Often we just get the stories when they first break, then once the height of a conflict diminishes or really when another issue surfaces to the top of the news cycle, that’s it. After that we don’t hear much more about the issue. Even though we know that the issues remain. On today’s sho...
Dec 24, 2014•29 min
Fallen Heroes of 2014 Hundreds of social justice advocates and organizers passed away in 2014, leaving their work behind as their legacy, but often also leaving an irreplaceable hole in their movements.On today’s edition of Making Contact we honor and revisit the lives of just a few of those fallen heroes who passed away this year. Featuring Chokwe Lumumba, former mayor of Jackson MS Morgan Powell, Bronx River Sankofa founder Charity Hicks, Detroit People’s Water Board co-founder Darby Tillis, d...
Dec 17, 2014•29 min
Fossil fuels are a trillion dollar industry but environmentalists say they have a plan to pull the plug on the industry: divestment. The campaign to get institutions to end their investments in oil, gas, and coal companies has won supporters around the US and abroad. But is the strategy working? We hear from students in Boulder, Colorado who have been campaigning since 2012 and we hear about the close relationship between the oil industry and professional soccer. Featuring Jay Carmona, Community...
Dec 09, 2014•29 min
Over 6,000 migrant deaths were recorded on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico between 1998 and 2013. The true number of deaths is likely higher, and thousands of families never hear from their loved ones again. This documentary travels to the desert ranch lands of Brooks County and the border town of Reynosa, Tamaulipas to introduce us to the human cost of “prevention through deterrence,” a border enforcement strategy introduced during the Clinton administration. Featuring: Lori Baker, Prof...
Dec 02, 2014•29 min
Every week since January of 1995, Making Contact has been bringing you voices and perspectives from the grassroots…analysis of the larger structures driving our global economies…and solutions being created by people all over the world. On this special 20th program’s creation by volunteers, and how this little radio show became part of a new generation of media outlets that continues to both counter the mainstream, and transform our conception of who and what is considered newsworthy. Featuring: ...
Nov 26, 2014•29 min
In September of 2014, Women Rising radio rode the People’s Climate train coast to coast, with over 200 activists heading to New York City to join the largest climate change march in history. Featuring: Valerie Love, Center for Biological Diversity, No Tar Sands Campaigner Penny Opal Plant, Indigenous climate activist Lauren Wood, Utah’s Peaceful Uprising co-founder Teresa Jimenez, Urban Tithe organizer Shannon Biggs, Global Exchange Community Rights program director Rosalind Harris, Global Clima...
Nov 19, 2014•29 min
Victims and perpetrators sitting down face to face…it can help heal their wounds, and our society. Incarcerating our way out of crime clearly hasn’t worked, and it’s costing us billions. Meanwhile, school suspensions are reaching record highs. Now, Institutions across US are finally starting to consider problem solving methods other than punishment. Restorative justice is gaining ground–in the schools, and behind bars. Featuring: Paul Jacobsen, Rosa Parks elementary school principal Mekaylah Por...
Nov 12, 2014•29 min
More than a decade after the start of the second Gulf War, the United States has embarked on a bombing campaign targeting Islamic State forces inside Iraq and Syria. It’s the third U.S. military action inside Iraq in as many decades. But the reasons for the new war keep shifting, from protecting ethnic and religious minorities, to preventing terrorist attacks on the U.S. As independent producer Reese Erlich reports from Northern Iraq, this latest conflict, and the future of the region is tightly...
Nov 05, 2014•29 min
In her new book: “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate”, Naomi Klein argues that while it’s too late to stop climate change, we can save our civilization. But it’s going to take radical steps that will transform the way humans interact with the world. Business as usual is no longer an option. On this edition, Naomi Klein speaks about her new book, and points out signs of hope as the global movement to counter climate change matures. Featuring: Naomi Klein, author of This Changes E...
Oct 29, 2014•29 min
It’s election season! But since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, many states have pushed changes to voter laws that raise disturbing connections to the past. On this week’s show, we’ll hear about hard fought battles for voting rights and the implications of new laws. Featuring: Reverend Tyrone Edwards, civil rights historian in Plaquemines Parish Louisiana Tyrone Brooks, Georgia State Representative Clifford Kuhn, Professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill JT...
Oct 22, 2014•29 min
Heroes to many, traitors to some. The internet has put whistleblowers in the public eye, and the government’s crosshairs. With increased access to classified information, and the ability to spread it, the world’s biggest institutions are running scared and cracking down. On this week’s show, we hear about the whistleblowers we don’t see on the nightly news. They’re not named Manning or Snowden, they’re ordinary people who report wrongdoing at their place of employment, and pay the consequences. ...
Oct 15, 2014•29 min
What do our voices say about us? On this edition we explore voice and identity. We’ll hear from someone who nearly lost their voice as well as the challenges that come with ordering a pizza with a speech generating device. Featuring: Mya Byrne, singer-songwriter Kathe Perez, creator of EVA app Samuel Sennott, assistant professor of special education at Portland University Bob Segalman, author “Against the Current, My Life with Cerebral Palsy” April Bryant, UC Berkeley student Hannah Simpson, Nik...
Oct 08, 2014•29 min
Making Contact partnered with the 2014 National Poetry Slam to produce this special open mic highlighting the power of thoughtful, truth telling, community focused poetry. [one_half]Featuring Poets: Chris Cuadrado Lindsay Stone Jared Paul Caitlin Clark Queen T More information, photos and the full 3 hour open mic at: Making Contact
Oct 01, 2014•29 min
One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, yet in pop culture accurate portrayals of real people s stories are rare. In this show we hear about representations of abortion and reproductive decision-making in popular culture, and why those stories really matter.
Sep 24, 2014•29 min
Who's watching you? Nowadays it seems everyone wants to get their hands on our personal data. From the FBI to the welfare department, to some of the country's biggest retailers. On this edition, we take a closer look at the world of surveillance. Featuring Hasan Elahi, artist and Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Charles Duhigg, New York Times journalist and author of “The Power of Habit” Jodie Berger, public benefits lawyer John Gilliom, Professor of Political Science at Ohio Un...
Sep 17, 2014•29 min
More than 150,000 people sign up for the US military every year. Their reasons for joining vary widely, from those hoping for financial help through college, to others looking to follow in the footsteps of parents or grandparents. In recent years getting into the military has gotten harder, with criminal records and low academic scores proving the biggest barriers. As hard as getting into the military might be, getting out may be harder still. On this edition of Making Contact we’ll hear radio a...
Sep 09, 2014•29 min
They say a smart athlete will use their head. But what if using your head cost you everything? That’s a question being asked in locker rooms the world over. Whether it’s boxing, hockey, or soccer, it seems that head injuries are finally being taken seriously. In the United States, lawsuits brought by players, as well as a body of scientific evidence, has lead to growing awareness about the impact American football has on players’ brains. And now a similar debate has kicked off across the Atlanti...
Sep 03, 2014•29 min
Is your children’s schoolyard routinely sprayed with pesticides? How safe your children are might depend on where you live. Today we hear about how and why one pesticide has been banned for household use, but affects the health of farmworkers and their children. Children’s health is especially fragile–so why aren’t we protecting them? Featuring: Kim Harley, Center for Environmental Research in Children’s Health associate director Isabel Arrollo, El Quinto Sol de America organizer Jennifer Sass, ...
Aug 27, 2014•29 min
Nomi Prins, journalist and a former managing director of Goldman Sachs, discusses her book All the Presidents’ Bankers, the hidden alliances that drive American power. Prins retraces the relationship between American financiers and presidents stretching more than a century. From family friends, trusted confidants to the present day; how the relationship has deteriorated and presidents have lost control of the economy. Special thanks to Pirate TV for the original recording from June 17, 2014. Fea...
Aug 20, 2014•29 min
The Zapatistas are a group in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico working to bring democracy to their country and their local communities. 20 years after their founding, the group’s influences has spread far beyond Mexico’s border through music and art. On this edition of Making Contact producer Alejandro Rosas explores how Zapatismo has influenced those in the U.S. –including himself. Special thanks to Claire Schoen and the University of California Berkeley, School of Journalism. Featuring: H...
Aug 13, 2014•29 min
The official Day to Commemorate Agent Orange victims is August 10th and marks the start of the US military’s decade of massive chemical warfare in Vietnam in 1961. Combat, chemicals, and corporations. We’ll look at the legacy of Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant. Featuring: Ngo Thanh Nhan , co-coordinator Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign; Fred Wilcox scholar and author: Waiting for An Army To Die and Scorched Earth; Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange featured in the KQED seg...
Aug 06, 2014•29 min
Nationally, American prisons release more than 650,000 people into society every year. That’s equivalent to the entire population of Memphis or Boston. On this edition, producer Aaron Mendelson followed ex-prisoner Kevin Tindall on his journey out of prison. Special thanks to Claire Schoen and the University of California Berkeley, School of Journalism. Featuring: Gordon Brown, ex-prisoner Monta Kevin Tindall, ex-prisoner Jerry Elster, ex-prisoner Tom Gorham, Program Director Options Recovery Se...
Jul 30, 2014•29 min
On last week’s show we brought you to Idaho and Montana, where hundreds of trucks were routed to haul gigantic mining equipment to the Tar Sands oil fields of Alberta Canada, but an alliance of citizens and community groups was able to block the transport through environmentally sensitive land. This week we continue the saga of the megaloads heading to the Tar Sands through the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. We also follow two more tendrils of the Tar Sands project stretching from Alber...
Jul 23, 2014•29 min
The Canadian Tar Sands is the largest industrial project on earth. And the potential environmental consequences have brought together citizens from across borders, to fight its rippling effects. This is the first of a two part special, on the growing resistance to the tarsands, produces by Barbara Bernstein. Featuring: Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United conservation director Linwood Laughy, writer & historian Borg Hendrickson, Clearwater Country co-author Andrew Nikiforuk, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil...
Jul 15, 2014•29 min
