Hard Knock Radio

DC Under Occupation: Netfa Freeman on Policing, Poverty, and Resistance

Davey D taps Netfa Freeman of Pan-African Community Action (PACA) and the Black Alliance for Peace to unpack what’s really happening in Washington, D.C. Freeman says the story isn’t a sudden “DC takeover” but an intensification of long-running policies: federal agents augmenting MPD, a crime narrative used to justify containment, and a local government—under Mayor … Continued


Hard Knock Radio

Its Not You, Its Capitalism: Malaika Jabali Breaks Down Economic Gaslighting, Black Liberation, and the Illusion of Wealth (ENCORE)

On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with lawyer, journalist, and author Malaika Jabali to unpack her new bookIts Not You, Its Capitalism. Drawing on her legal background and years of political reporting,Jabalichallenges the myths surrounding capitalism and reframes our relationship to money, struggle, and systemic inequality. Jabali explains that … Continued


Hard Knock Radio

The State of Workers’ Rights

On today’s show, we look at the state of workers’ rights in 2025 with Jennifer Esteen, a nurse and SEIU labor leader. Esteen reflects on the shifting landscape of labor rights in the U.S. and beyond—from new protections for workers in places like California, to the growing attacks on unions and collective bargaining nationwide. We … Continued


Hard Knock Radio

Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later

On today’s show, we mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with journalist and organizer Jordan Flaherty. Flaherty, who has reported extensively from New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast, reflects on the storm’s devastating impact and the decades-long struggle for recovery and justice that followed. We look at how communities—especially Black, working-class, and immigrant … Continued


Hard Knock Radio

Build and Fight Formula 7 for Self-Defense

Today on Hard Knock Radio we bring you a special edition of Rootwork on KPFK, Thandi Chimurenga of Black Liberation Media sat down with Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson to discuss bold strategies for grassroots survival and resistance. Part of the ongoing Build and Fight Formula series, their conversation explored the urgency of self-defense in … Continued


Hard Knock Radio

Progressive Victories and America’s War on the Poor

On today’s program, Thandisiwe Chimurenga hosts a conversation with Dylan Rodríguez, scholar, teacher, and longtime organizer. Rodríguez has been a professor at the University of California, Riverside since 2001, where he teaches in the Department of Black Study. His work interrogates state violence, policing, and the carceral system while amplifying collective strategies of resistance and … Continued