In the first of a new series of conversations on Black-Asian solidarity, Hard Knock Radio host Davey D sat down with Los Angeles-based artist and activist Eileen Lei, veteran community organizer David Monkawa of PANNA, and community leader Danny Park, whose family-owned market in Downtown Los Angeles has become a hub for neighborhood engagement. Together, they examined the fallout from the controversial Rick Chow verdict in South Carolina and discussed how communities can move beyond division toward meaningful solidarity.
Davey D framed the discussion by noting how social media has amplified tensions between Black and Asian communities following the verdict. Rather than feeding division, the guests emphasized the importance of historical understanding, relationship-building, and confronting systemic inequalities.
Monkawa, a longtime activist who has spent decades organizing in Los Angeles, did not hide his anger over the shooting. Yet he cautioned against reducing the issue to racial blame alone. He argued that broader systems of inequality and white supremacy continue to shape outcomes and perceptions. As he explained, “If we don’t address the racism and white supremacy… it sneaks into the brains of anybody, regardless of your skin.”
Park reflected on the everyday realities faced by small business owners while stressing that healing comes from authentic relationships. Drawing on his family’s experience working in predominantly Black neighborhoods, he highlighted the importance of seeing one another as neighbors rather than strangers. “There is a lot of regular old humanity, friendships, eating together, joking around—that’s all a part of just getting through life together,” he said.
Lei, who has organized multiple Black-Asian unity events in Los Angeles, described how the verdict renewed her commitment to coalition-building. “When I see all the tensions coming from this Rick Chow case, it just made me feel like I have to go back, and I have to continue the work… and gather the folks that really want to be peace builders,” she said.
Throughout the conversation, all three guests emphasized education and the preservation of shared histories. Lei pointed to examples of Black and Asian collaboration, including work between Chinese youth organizers and the Black Panther Party, as proof that solidarity is not only possible but has already existed. “We have responsibility to address racism and anti-Blackness in our community,” she noted, “but I want to share that it is possible.”
The discussion ultimately served as a reminder that while moments of crisis can deepen divisions, they can also become opportunities to strengthen relationships, confront difficult truths, and build lasting solidarity across communities.
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.