TRGGR Radio : Sistas Cypher and convo with Beats Rhymes & Life co-founder – July 12, 2013

Peace! Welcome to another edition of what you’ve been missin: TRGGR Radio. We kick off this episode with a powerhouse panel featuring four feminist warriors: Dr. Tanisha Ford, Assistant Professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at UMass, Amherst, Dr. Sonya Donaldson, Assistant Professor of World Literature at New Jersey City University, and Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UMass, Amherst, moderated by Rosa Clemente.

The second hour features a convo on Rap Therapy with Beats Rhymes and Life co-founder and CEO, Tomas Alvarez. Enjoy.

TRGGR Radio – Moral Mondays and the Supreme Court – 6.28.2013

Beginning in late May in North Carolina, activists have gathered in several cities to protest the cuts in education, increased taxes on the middle class, cuts in employment benefits, the repealing of the Racial Justice Act of 2009, and many other injustices reflective of increasing right-wing political power. Joining us from Durham are activists and educators Holly Jordan and Bryan Proffitt, two educators and members of People’s Durham organizers directly involved in what is known as the Moral Mondays protests in Raleigh and Durham. A strength of this growing movement is the broad scope in its goals and strategies, which collectivizes the struggles of many disconnected groups. The protests unite around educational justice, affordable housing, and accessible jobs within and beyond electoral governance. In a state that is flooded with right-wing money, both on the ground organizing – such as civil disobedience, protests and strikes – and as well as Black left political representation.

The challenge from this point forward is the sustainability of people-power and political bases in order to achieve the lasting, progressive demands. Connecting each Monday protest to the next, the NAACP documents the movement, participating in media to make each Monday swell greater than the last. However, at some point the legislative session will end, and with it the movement might falter. Yet the needs of our communities of color and working class people are more needed than ever. This speaks to the need for alternative forms of education that keeps our demands at the forefront of our every day struggles. As Bryan Proffitt states, this is the realization of how education is not a neutral force, that making connection between school subjects and current political structures needs to be seamless.

Our second interview features commentator and scholar Dr. Annalise Fonza, and Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste who joined us to comment on recent Supreme Court rulings, the Zimmerman trial, and related issues. CHECK IT OUT!

part 1: featuring Holly Jordan and Bryan Proffitt; and Annalise Fonza

Part 2:

photo credit: dr. whitney battle-baptiste