Fund Drive Special: Race and U.S. History
john a. powell on racialized logic and its impact over the course of U.S. history.
Against the Grain
12:00 PM Pacific Time: Mondays - Wednesdays
Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.
Clarence Thomas is Donald Trump’s favorite Supreme Court justice, which might confirm the liberal view that Thomas is simply a toady of the right. But scholar Corey Robin argues that Thomas is a complex thinker and skilled rhetorician, whose ideas originate in black nationalism. Robin reflects on how Thomas’ pessimism about the intractability of racism … Continued
Helena Sheehan participated, as an activist, educator, and Marxist philosopher, in a great variety of radical movements and groupings, among them the New Left, the IRA, and the Communist Party of Ireland. She describes her engagements with many of the key ideas and debates around socialism and communism, both in the U.S. and abroad. Helena Sheehan, Navigating … Continued
A century ago, out of the carnage of World War One and the wave of revolutions that swept Europe, came an artistic movement that put personal and societal liberation at its center: surrealism. Penelope Rosemont, a later member of the movement, discusses the art and politics of surrealism — and her own personal history within … Continued
More than 110,00 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to remote concentration camps in early 1942. Photojournalist Paul Kitagaki Jr. has tracked down dozens of camp survivors and their descendants. Charles Wollenberg has written about several key legal cases provoked by this tragic episode and the attorney who spearheaded them. Charles … Continued
The proponents of cultured meat — meat grown in a laboratory — argue that it not only will put an end of the suffering of animals, but could lead us into a world free of the global warming-effects of industrialized animal agriculture. Benjamin Wurgaft discusses how the hopes for cultured meat refract many competing visions … Continued
What should socialists and other leftists do vis-a-vis the 2020 presidential elections? Should they stay on the sidelines, or throw themselves into the anti-Trump coalition? Max Elbaum contends that, given Trumpism’s relentless drive toward racist authoritarian rule, the left’s prospects would be significantly better if Biden prevails. Max Elbaum, “Socialist Strategy and the Biden Debate” … Continued
At a time when national governments are taking little action in the face of the climate emergency, the bicycle seems an ideal, if of course partial, remedy. It allows us to get around our cities and towns without producing greenhouse gases. Often cities that have encouraged biking, by putting in bicycle lanes and other infrastructure, … Continued
How does colorism differ from anti-Black racism? What happens when a person of color’s skin shade doesn’t match ethnic or racial stereotypes? In what ways do women experience skin-color bias differently than men? Nikki Khanna discusses the nature and impact of skin-color discrimination and privilege, both globally and as experienced by Asian American women. Nikki … Continued
When looking back at pandemics in modern history, the 1918 Spanish influenza stands out. It took the lives of somewhere between 50 and 100 million people — and while it devastated the countries of the Global North, it took its greatest toll in the Global South. Science writer Laura Spinney reflects on the similarities — … Continued