On Hard Knock Radio, Davey D spoke with Professor Butch Ware—hip hop artist, activist, and Green Party vice presidential candidate—about the deep links between culture, politics, and resistance.
Ware opened the convo by emphasizing that music and hip hop aren’t just art—they’re tools for spiritual and political survival. Drawing on West African griot traditions, he called out what he terms an “epistemicide”—a systemic effort to erase Black and brown ways of knowing, from defunding arts to censoring DEI initiatives.
He warned Californians not to get comfortable. Despite its progressive rep, the state is seeing ICE raids on campuses, university crackdowns on protests, and bipartisan support for repression. “This is a war on culture and resistance,” he said.
Ware spoke on the power of student encampments, comparing them to past movements that helped end apartheid and the Vietnam War. What made them dangerous? They were organized, not just mobilized.
He also broke down how both major parties have failed the people, especially the working class and youth. “We don’t just need votes—we need to build community power,” he said. His gubernatorial campaign blends mutual aid with electoral strategy, drawing on the legacy of the Black Panthers.
Ware called on listeners to:
- Support mutual aid and direct action
- Get involved in organizing, not just elections
- Push back on both parties’ corporate agendas
“There’s enough for everyone—we just need the will to redistribute power,” Ware said. “If we don’t fight back now, comfort won’t protect you later.”
Follow Butch Ware at butchware4gov.org or on Instagram for more.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.
