Author Dani Burlison speaks about disaster and renewal in “Red Flag Warning: Mutual Aid and Survival in California’s Fire Country” (AK Press, 2025)
housing
Many assume the majority of people living on the streets struggle with mental illness or just need jobs — and that homelessness is unfortunate, but intractable. Longtime advocate for the unhoused, Mary Brosnahan, argues that these are myths, and that much of what we assume about homelessness is wrong. She posits that at its root … Continued
Few things are more necessary than a roof over one’s head, and yet few things feel as precarious as housing. Rents have skyrocketed across the country, far outstripping wages, and homelessness has risen to an historic high. Fellow tenant organizers Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis argue that this is the latest chapter in a century-long … Continued
Tenant organizing and housing rights as Buncombe County eviction courts resume, Asheville Community Bail Fund on conditions in the county jail during and since Hurricane Helene, and Yousef of Sumud Collective speaks about disaster and recovery.
Every year, more than 80,000 African Americans die prematurely. The medical establishment relies on genetics or dietary patterns to explain such appalling numbers. But sociologist George Lipsitz argues that black people, as well as Native Americans and Latinos, are made sick by where they live — and that the most important cause of health hazards … Continued
Shut ‘Em Down 2024 + Monsour Owolabi
Courtney from IWOC and Roc (a communication bridge for Jailhouse Lawyers Speak) talk about the 2024 Shut ‘Em Down prison strikes and outside demonstrations called for by JLS this December and the JLS transitional housing project. Then, Monsour Owolabi talks about solitary confinement as counterinsurgency and the need for Movement transitional housing.
Affordable Housing
In the Hard Knock Radio conversation host Davey D spoke with Ayanna Davis of Healthy Black Families and Michael Trujillo of the East Bay Community Law Center, about the displacement of Black communities in Berkeley due to historical and contemporary housing issues. ### **Displacement and Economic Impact** The 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly … Continued
It is the height of California’s annual budget wrangle, and Governor Newsom is planning severe cuts to programs we depend on. These programs include In Home Supportive Services, CalFresh, nutrition support, housing & homeless assistance, and others. It’s pretty dire. We have until June 15, just two more weeks, to let our Sacramento representatives know … Continued
Andrew Lee on Defying Displacement
An interview with author and activist Andrew Lee on his recent book, “Defying Displacement: Urban Recomposition and Social War” (AK Press, 2024) on gentrification, financialization of housing and community defense.
We speak with author MAJORA CARTER (an urban revitalization expert, real estate developer, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster) about her new book, RECLAIMING YOUR COMMUNITY: YOU DON’T HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO LIVE IN A BETTER ONE. Carter offers up a powerful rethinking of poverty, economic development, and the meaning of success … Continued