From Below Podcast

We are continuing to mirror Black Autonomy Podcast on our feed ... This episode of Black Autonomy discusses building a poor people's survival movement to mobilize the multi-racial masses of working class and poor people around immediate needs while building towards revolution.  JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation. Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party. This podcast is produced by a collaboration between writer William C. Anderson (@williamcson) and members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation (@BRRN_Fed). Artwork by Third Aye (@Thirdayetheory). Introduction music is an instrumental version of "Song 33" by Noname. Interlude music is "I Used to Love Hip-Hop" by Audiobinger.

From Below podcast will continue to mirror episodes of the Black Autonomy podcast ... Dual power can be explained as the building of a transitional program for political, social, and economic transformation. It creates survival programs to oppose state power and creates a new type of autonomous public sector when the state fails the people. This is how to go beyond protest to building an anarchist societal infrastructure.  JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation. Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party. This podcast is produced by a collaboration between writer William C. Anderson (@williamcson) and members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation (@BRRN_Fed). Artwork by Third Aye (@Thirdayetheory). Introduction music is an instrumen

A special announcement From Below Below listeners! We apologize for our absence but we are back with a new and exciting collaboration project, Black Autonomy Podcast, which will host discussions on the intersection of anarchism and black liberation movements. Our comrade Ambar introduces the series which we will be mirroring here on our feed but be sure to subscribe using these links: iTunes / Spotify / Libsyn In this premier episode of Black Autonomy Podcast, JoNina and Lorenzo introduce the podcast and discuss elections, the Democratic Party, political power in Black politics, proposing direct democracy as an alternative.  JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation. Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party. This podcast is produced by a

This episode features an interview with Warren McGregor, an activist born in the townships of the Cape Flats and now a resident in Johannesburg where he is involved in working class and union education and a member of the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF). The interview offers an overview of the post-apartheid political landscape and details the current state of social movements and the labor movement under two decades of neo-liberal rule by the ANC. Warren also discusses the work and political influences of the ZACF.  Related links: Livestream: International Panel Discussion on Covid-19 - An international panel of anarchist organizations focused on the response to Covid-19 which Warren is featured. Interview: Building Black Working Class Counter-Power in South Africa Elections and Class Struggle in South Africa: The Question of State Power and the Anarchist Response Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front —- Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can als

Welcome to a special episode on COVID-19 where hosts Pedro and Markie discuss how the outbreak and resulting social crisis is effecting working class people's lives and the way that people are fighting back. This Episode was recorded on the last week of March. If you are looking for resources on tenant organizing and how to organize a rent strike see our Recommended Rent Strike Resources. Lifting the Mask of Capitalist Disaster: The Coronavirus Response Coronavirus Stories: Crisis, Response, Resistance Coronavirus Sparks Wave of Walkouts and Wildcats Also, be sure to check out Quarantine Livestream!, a new series of live webinar panels hosted by Black Rose / Rosa Negra. The first session April 10th will be a panel of tenant organizers, the second will be April 11th featuring a panel of a half dozen anarchist-communist organization speaking to the impact of COVID-19. ---- Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can also help us reach more listeners by lea

This special episode features excerpts from a panel on Anarchism and Black Struggle hosted in conjunction with the 2019 national convention of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation held in Champaign–Urbana, IL. The panelists featured are Servio in Providence, RI, Ambar in Miami, FL and Marvin in Little Rock, Arkansas who are members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra.  This is a condensed version so be sure to check out our YouTube channel for the full video including an additional speaker on the 2019 uprising in Sudan. We also recommend reading our Black Anarchism reader which highlights fourteen historical and contemporary writings by Black anarchists and is available for free download. ---- Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can also help us reach more listeners by leaving us a positive review on iTunes. Connect with us on social media: Facebook or Twitter Send us feedback by visiting our website at: www.frombelowpodcast.com Sign-up for our email list for

In this episode we look at neighborhood based tenant organizing with what is easily described as the leading tenant organization in the U.S., the Los Angeles Tenants Union. LATU describes itself as an “autonomous housing movement” and is organized through a dozen assembly based neighborhood chapters. They are intentionally not organized as a non-profit, do not have paid staff, and are funded by member dues. The group has helped lead numerous rent strikes and fights around housing, and spearheads the Autonomous Tenant Union Network of similar tenants led organizing projects across the U.S. The interview was conducted by Markie with Chrysanthe, an integrating member of Black Rosa/Rosa Negra who is active with the VyBe or Vermont Beverly neighborhood local.   Related Links and Resources:  Los Angeles Tenants Union “These Tenants Are Leading the Largest Rent Strike in LA History,” The Nation L.A.’s Class Struggle Looks Like This: The Tenants Movement Resources on Tenant Organizing, Housing and Gentrification

UPDATE 2: The initial version we released accidentally left out certain portions of audio and our updated episode had a new but small issue. Our editing team had some extra challenges working on this long episode with three different interviewees - thanks for your patience and we've corrected all the issues. Enjoy! In the second of our two part series we return with guests Mark, Miranda and Tanya to discuss the April 2018 rebellion in Nicaragua. In this episode we go into more depth on the movement itself and respond to various narratives on the left on Sandinista leader and Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega.     Mark is from the primarily indigenous and Black Atlantic/Caribbean coast region of Nicaragua and has deep family ties to the Sandinista movement. Miranda lives back and forth between the US and Nicaragua and was a student in Managua during the rebellion and authored several pieces about his direct participation. Tanya is a Los Angeles based artist, photographer, and member of Black Rose/Rosa Negra,

In this first of a two part series we interview three guests looking at the recent rebellion in Nicaragua which began in April 2018 as a series of student protests in the capital of Managua and snowballed into a several month nationwide rebellion. Our three guests are either Nicaraguan or Nicaraguan-American and each share their different insights on the rebellion.  Mark is from the primarily indigenous and Black Atlantic/Caribbean coast region of Nicaragua and has deep family ties to the Sandinista movement. Miranda lives back and forth between the US and Nicaragua and was a student in Managua during the rebellion and authored several pieces about his direct participation. Tanya is a Los Angeles based artist, photographer, and member of Black Rose/Rosa Negra, who comes from a Sandinista family.  Part two of this interview will be released in two weeks. We apologize for the delay in releasing these episodes and wanted to thank everyone for their support and patience. We have some great content lined up to kic

In this episode we take a deep dive into the challenges of tenant organizing in the heart of capitalist Silicon Valley. In the first in-depth coverage of the campaign we interview former local journalist Daniel DeBolt who played a key role with the Mountain View Tenants Coalition. Skyrocketing rents and mass displacement led to a coalition of renters and allies to wage a bitter battle against well funded landlords and a hostile city council to pass a rent control ballot measure that also rolled back rents for thousands of tenants.  In the post interview commentary, hosts Markie and Pedro relate this to broader conversations around organizing and struggles over displacement in the Bay Area and Los Angeles - including Prop 10, a failed ballot measure in California that sought to repeal state restrictions on local cities enacting rent control.  Related Links and Resources: Slideshow presentation on the Measure V campaign with timeline and photos  Learn more on the Mountain View Tenants Coalition and the Los Ang

The second part of our interview and discussion with historian and author Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook and Translating Anarchy on the Occupy movement. The episode begins with an update on our "Grow Our Roots" fundraiser followed by hosts Markie and Pedro discussing listener feedback. This show introduces our new segment "Forgotten Histories," which introduces the personal histories of lesser known revolutionary figures. This first segment features Mexican anarchist, feminist, and PLM organizer, Elisa Acuña Rossetti. In this portion of the interview Mark Bray discusses the differences between horizontalism and anarchism, looking critically at movements transitioning into electoral politics. He also discusses two different approaches of defining anarchism, one based on a historical approach and another based on a myth generated by the anarchist movement itself.  Related links: "Horizontalism: Anarchism, Power and the State" blackrosefed.org, 2018.  Mark Bray on Revolutionary Left Radio

In this special episode of From Below Podcast we review and analyze the Game of Thrones series with a focus on themes of power and gender. The episode features commentary from three Black Rose/Rosa Negra members: show host Markie, from the first episode on feminism in Latin America, Romina, and one of the show editors, Silvia. Consider donating to our Grow Our Roots online fundraiser to help send two comrades to South America which will also support this podcast. We are also selling several original shirt designs as part of the fundraiser. Here’s several recommended GOT related media referenced in the show: History of Westeros Podcast Girls Gone Canon Podcast Alt Shift YouTube Channel “For The Throne” - Album inspired by GOT —— Consider leaving us rating and review on iTunes to help us reach more listeners. For more on From Below Podcast, or to share your thoughts, visit our website: www.frombelowpodcast.com Sign-up for our email list for episode announcements. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter

The first in a two part interview and discussion with historian and author Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook and Translating Anarchy on the Occupy movement. The interview begins with taking a behind the scene look at the reaction and reception to Bray's book on anti-fascism from mainstream media and progressive media. Next we move to the Occupy movement discussing Bray's assessment as both a participant and writer on the Occupy movement as well the narratives that have begun to take hold within the larger left around Occupy's supposed failures.  Hosts Markie and Pedro reflect on Bray's interview giving their own reactions to Occupy and relate this to the challenges of being revolutionary organizers and building a left that relates to everyday working class people. The second part of the interview with Mark Bray will focus on horizontalism, power and that state as well as defining anarchism. Be sure to check out the "Grow Our Roots" fundraiser by Black Rose/Rosa Negra which will help send

Interview and discussion with historian Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on the history of anarchism and socialism in Puerto Rico covering the early 20th century, the rise of urban and rural workers movement, feminism and figures such as Luisa Capetillo, the rise of the nationalist movement and discussion of contemporary activism since the impact of Hurricane Irma. Hosts Markie and Pedro relate the discussion to themes of historical memory, woman in the Sandinista revolution and more. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo is a historian and assistant professor at Dartmouth University focusing on the global circulation of radical ideas from the standpoint of working-class intellectual communities in the Caribbean and Latin America. He is the author of “Voces libertarias: Orígenes del anarquismo en Puerto Rico.” (PDF version)   Related links: Women in the Revolution: The Forgotten History of Las Sandinistas Interview with Alondra in “Feminism Against Capitalism” episode Voces Libertarias: The Economic, Political and Social Discourse

Hosts Markie and Pedro start the episode introducing the goals and themes of the podcast and then interview each other on their personal stories of how they became politically active.  Pedro talks about growing up in a religious school in rural Brazil, reading figures like Bakunin and Malatesta in the public library of Rio de Janeiro, and finding himself working in a chocolate factory after he came to the US. Markie discusses watching 9/11 on television as a key political moment for her, attending anti-war marches with her uncle and becoming involved politically as a working class community student in East Los Angeles.    Related links International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 6   http://www.ilwu6.org/ Article discussing formation of the Círculo de Estudos Libertários Ideal Peres (CELIP) in Rio de Janeiro http://anarkismo.net/article/21909 Anti-Capitalist Feminist Coalition (Los Angeles) Twitter - https://twitter.com/acfc_la/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acfcla/ Koreatown Popular A

For our first episode, released on International Women's Day 2019, Markie and Pedro discuss two examples of anti-capitalist feminism. The discussion starts around the work of the Anti-Capitalist Feminist Coalition (ACFC) in Los Angeles with Markie speaking on her involvement and then interviewing Romina Green of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Los Angles on the background and roots of ACFC. Next is an interview and in-depth discussion with Alondra Carrillo of Santiago, Chile who is a vocera, or spokesperson, for the March 8 Feminist General Strike Coordination. Alondra is also a member of the libertarian communist organization, Solidaridad.   Related links and readings: Follow the Anti-Capitalist Feminist Coalition: https://twitter.com/acfc_la Solidaridad's publication: http://www.periodico-solidaridad.cl/ Feminism for the 99%, A Manifesto by Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, and Nancy Fraser: https://www.versobooks.com/books/2924-feminism-for-the-99  For background on some of the concepts discussed we recommend "A F