In the Hard Knock Radio conversation, host Davey D and Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson delve into the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency, particularly in the context of his inauguration and the direction of U.S. policies. Akuno critiques Trumps rhetoric and his focus on reinforcing white supremacy, discussing the exploitation of marginalized groups, including Black and immigrant communities. He emphasizes that the so-called “Golden Age” Trump speaks of has historically never been golden for Black people, with systems of oppression like penal labor and sharecropping persisting in modern forms.
Akuno stresses the importance of organizing in response to the policies Trump is pushing, especially in areas like immigration and economic strategies that disproportionately affect poor communities. He also discusses the contradiction in Trumps economic proposals, such as his intention to roll back environmental protections while simultaneously relying on the exploitation of labor, particularly migrant workers in agriculture, which underscores the U.S. economys dependency on cheap labor.