Steve Nash wearing the Los Suns jersey

The world of sports and politics don’t always mix. But sports writer Dave Zirin has made a career of documenting revolutionary athletes from baseball’s legendary Jackie Robinson to the modern-day NBA’s Steve Nash. On this edition, Dave Zirin tells the tale of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, who took a stand against Arizona’s anti-immigrant bill SB1070.

Featuring:

Dave Zirin, author of People’s History of Sports in the United States, Sports Editor for the Nation Magazine; Amare Stoudamire and Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns players.

For more information:

Arizona State Legislature – SB1070

Move the Game

The Official Site of the Phoenix Suns

AltoArizona

Articles, Blogs, Films, Reports, Other:

Edge of Sports
The Weekly Sports Column by Dave Zirin

Suns on AZ immigration bill

Phil Jackson’s Immigration Stance Draws Protest

Music:

The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun 

Protestor at Oscar Grant rally. Photo by Geoffrey King http://www.geoffreykingphotography.com/

Who polices the police? Do you or your neighbors have any say in the way your town’s cops and sheriffs do business? For more than 35 years, cities around the country have been creating civilian oversight agencies – trying to make local police and sheriffs accountable to the communities they serve.

On this edition we take a look at the police killing of Oscar Grant in Oakland, and the debate over who gets to decide when an officer has done something wrong.

Featuring:

Barbara Attard, civilian oversight consultant, former San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints investigator and former Berkeley Police Review Commission Director; Marcel Diallo, artist and victim of police harassment; Rashidah Grinage, PUEBLO Executive Director; Jason Wechter, National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement Board Member; Reginald Lyles, BART consultant and former Berkeley Police Officer; Gary Gee, BART Police Chief; Jesse Sekhon, BART Police Officers Association President; Quintin Mecke, California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s Communications Director; Greg Kaufory, attorney; Omar Osirus, Jan, and Bo, protestors; Daniel Buford, Allen Temple Baptist Church Reverend; Joyce Hicks, San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints Director and former Oakland’s Citizens Police Review Board Director; Patrick Cacares, Oakland Citizens Police Review Board acting director; Paulette Hogan, tasered Oakland resident who filed complaint with Internal Affairs; Chris Shannon, Oakland Police Lieutenant; Cephus Johnson, Oscar Grant’s uncle; Mark Kroeker, Portland Police Chief.

For more information:

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police

Berkeley CopWatch

Berkeley Police Review Commission
Berkeley, CA

California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano
Sacramento, CA

IndyBay –Oscar Grant coverage

Oakland Citizens’ Police Review Board
Oakland, CA

Oakland General Assembly for Justice for Oscar Grant

National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE)
Indianapolis, IN

New Year’s Movement

People United For a Better Oakland (PUEBLO)
Oakland, CA

Portland Copwatch
Portland, OR

San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints
San Francisco, CA

Articles, Blogs, Films, Reports, Other:

NACOLE list of Civilian Oversight Agencies

US Dept of Justice Report:
Citizen Review of Police: Approaches and Implementation. March 2001

City of Berkeley Police Review Commission 2004 report

Justice for Kendra James Community Information

From Oscar Grant, Where? Seeking Structural Change

Photography by Geoffrey King of the Streets of Oakland after the Mehserle Verdict

Music:

KRS-One – Sound of the Police

Women from the Peoples Freedom Caravan arrive marching into the U.S. Social Forum. Credit: Lisa Rudman

This June, thousands of grassroots activists converged on Detroit, Michigan to attend the United States Social Forum. Participants said it wasn’t a conference, but a movement building process toward ecological and economic justice. We were at the forum, and on this edition of Making Contact, we’ll bring you some of the local and international voices we found there.

Featuring:

Lidy Nacpil, Freedom from Debt Coalition Vice President in the Philippines; Liepollo Pheko, The Trade Collective in South Africa policy & advocacy director; Invincible, Detroit-based hip-hop artist; Gloria House, Detroit-based professor and long-time activist.

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Lidy Nacpil, Vice President of the Freedom from Debt Coalition addresses the global economy.

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Liepollo Pheko speaks about the recent global financial crisis and its impact on women in Africa.

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Detroit-based hip-hop artist Invincible says grassroots movements are alive in Detroit.

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Gloria House or ‘Mama Gloria’ offers 10 poetic lessons-learned from Detroit social movements.

—

For more information:

Freedom from Debt Coalition
Manila, Philippines

Invincible
Detroit, MI

James & Grace Lee Boggs Center
Detroit, MI

South African Civil Society Information Service
(Trade Collective)
Johannesburg, South Africa

US Social Forum 2010
Detroit, MI

Articles, Blogs, Films, Reports, Other:

FLYP Media – Breath of Hope in Detroit
A Multi-Media site highlighting good works in Detroit

Music:

Shapeshifters by Invincible
Ai Bine by Ali Farka Toure

United Methodist pastor and activist Rev. James Lawson. Credit: Angelo Lopez via Photobucket

The 1960 lunch counter sit-ins catapulted civil rights into the nation’s consciousness. But they weren’t just spontaneous protests; they came after years of planning and studying techniques of non-violent civil disobedience. The chief architect of the strategy was James Lawson, who worked along side Martin Luther King Jr., and was with him only hours before Dr. King was killed. On this edition, we sit down with Reverend James Lawson to get his reflections on the past, and his assessment of the current movements for justice in the US.

Featuring:

Reverend James Lawson, civil rights leader and United Methodist Pastor.

***WEB EXCLUSIVE***

Andrew Stelzer’s extended interview with James Lawson:

For more information:

International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC)

Narco News

Articles, Blogs, Films, Reports, Other:

Veterans of Hope biography of James Lawson

Library of Congress timeline of African-American history

International Civil Rights Museum and Memorial

National Civil Rights Museum

Fellowship of Reconciliation

Music:

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

Del Martin, 87, center left, and Phyllis Lyon, 84, center right, are married by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom , center, in a special ceremony at City Hall in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, Pool)

From California to Rhode Island, the question of gay marriage is an issue of national debate. Currently a few key states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, now grant marriages to same-sex couples. But there is a long way to go. And for many people in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, the struggle to legalize gay marriage across the U.S. remains the priority political battle. But others in the community disagree. They question whether gay marriage should be the central issue of their movement. Believing that, as this hot social issue sizzles, other important issues have been put on the backburner.

On this edition we present freelance producer Lisa Dettmer’s documentary, “Beyond Gay Marriage,” co-produced by freelance producer Elena Botkin-Levy.

Thanks to freelance producer Lisa Dettmer and co-producer Elena Botkin-Levy for producing this show.

Featuring:

Brian Basinger, San Francisco AIDS Housing Coalition executive director; Lisa Duggan, New York University Social and Cultural Analysis Department professor; Kenyon Farrow, Queers for Economic Justice executive director; Tommi Avicolli Mecca, SF Housing Rights Committee volunteer housing coordinator; Andrea Shorter, Equality California Deputy Marriage and Coalitions Director.

For more information:

AIDS Housing Alliance
San Francisco, CA

Equality California
San Francisco, CA

FIERCE
New York, NY

Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Human Rights Campaign
Washington, DC

NYU Social and Cultural Analysis Department
New York, NY

Queers for Economic Justice
New York, NY

San Francisco Mayor’s Office
San Francisco, CA

Articles, Blogs, and Reports:

Beyond Gay Marriage
A website Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: A New Strategic Vision For All Our Families and Relationships

Human Rights Campaign – ‘A Year to Win’
‘Human Rights Campaign’ outreach ad on YouTube

Music:

“We are Family” by Sister Sledge
Sand Castle Instrumental

SALGA activists at NYC Gay Pride Parade, 2007. Credit: SALGA (via Flickr)

While the country waits to see if the U.S. Congress will fix the broken immigration system, more than 11 million undocumented people are left in limbo. Over the past few years, those living in the shadows have begun to organize, but still more hurdles lie ahead.

On this edition, we hear from LGBTQ immigrants in the U.S. who not only have to hide their legal identity, but their sexuality too. Their stories demonstrate why living illegally in the U.S. is not only their refuge, but also their biggest fear.

Featuring:

Un Jung Lim, gay immigrant; Aries Liao, Q-Wave steering committee member reading story of gay immigrant from Egypt; Rev. Noel Bordador, gay immigrant; Sadat Iqbal, reading for queer immigrant friend from Bangladesh; Trishala Deb, Arcus Foundation National LGBT Rights Program Officer.

Special thanks for this audio to OUT-FM, A multi-racial, progressive LGBT public affairs and culture show on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York

Hear the testimonies in our show:

Un Jung Lim, a US citizen, is a gay immigrant in a binational relationship whose partner is citizen of India.

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Aries Liao, a member of Q-Wave’s steering committee, reads a story of a gay immigrant from Egypt.

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Rev. Noel Bordador, gay immigrant.

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Sadat Iqbal reads the story of a queer immigrant friend from Bangladesh.

—

Trishala Deb, Arcus Foundation National LGBT Rights Program Officer, discusses immigration rights through lens of policy makers.

—

For more information:

Anti-Violence Project
New York, NY

Arcus Foundation
New York, NY

Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS
New York, NY

Audre Lorde Project
Brooklyn, NY

Barangay NY
New York, NY

Center for Community Change
Washington, DC

Gay Asian & Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY)
New York, NY

Immigration Equality
New York, NY

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Washington, DC

National Immigration Forum
Washington, DC

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Washington, DC

Out-FM: A multi-racial, progressive LGBT public affairs and culture show on WBAI
New York, NY

Queer Asian Spirit

Q-Wave: LBTQQ Asian Pacific-Islander community
New York, NY

South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association NYC (SALGA-NYC)
New York, NY

Stonewall Democrats National
Washington, DC

Music:

Indonesia by Jazz Liberatorz
Indian Flute by Timbaland and Magoo

Panelists of the open internet panel. Top: Eloise Rose-Lee of Media Alliance Broadband Access Project. Bottom: Malkia Cyril, Center for Media Justice. Photo credits: http://www.freepress.net

Right now, telecommunications companies are pursuing a restrictive pay-for-play business model for online access that many say will only further the digital divide, discriminating between those who have Internet access and those who do not. On this edition, excerpts from “Race, Immigration and the Fight for an Open Internet,” a panel discussion presented by the G.W. Williams Center for Independent Journalism and New America Media.  The topic? Net neutrality. What is it? Who will it impact most? And why should we care?

The ‘Race, Immigration and the Fight for an Open Internet’ panel discussion was sponsored by G.W. Williams Center for Independent Journalism, New America Media, Center for Media Justice, Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Featuring:

Sandip Roy, panel moderator, New America Media editor and KALW radio host.

Malkia Cyril, Center for Media Justice Executive Director & Founder:

James Rucker, ColorOfChange.org Co-founder & Executive Director:

Eloise Rose-Lee, Media Alliance Broadband Access Project Director:

Eric Arnold, hip-hop journalist:

For more information:

Center for Media Justice
Oakland, CA

Citizen Engagement Laboratory

Color of Change – Changing the Color of Democracy

Media Alliance
Oakland, CA

New America Media
San Francisco, CA

UNITY: Journalists of Color

Articles, Blogs, Films, Reports, Other

Dismantling Digital Deregulation: Toward a National Broadband Strategy

National Broadband Plan Must Promote Competition, Openness and Access

New America Media
A Blog by Sandip Roy

Putting the Angels in the Details: A Roadmap for Broadband Stimulus Success

Washington is listening. Tell your Internet Story.
The FCC should hear why the Internet is important to you, how you use the Internet, and what barriers you face to broadband access.

Roundtable guests Max Rameau, Annie Flores and Shereen D'Souza in the "Making Contact" studios. Photo: Khanh Pham

When we hear about human rights violations in the news, it’s often about genocide, war, and politically induced famine.  But what about the basic human needs that we, here in the US, not in a developing nation, need in order to go about our daily lives? On this edition, a round table discussion about the right to healthy food, the right to housing, and the right to healthcare.  Do Americans have these, and if not, what’s standing in the way?

Featuring:

Annie Flores, Womens Economic Agenda Project; Max Rameau, Take Back the Land Founder; Shereen D’Souza, California Food and Justice Coalition Director.

For more information:

California Food and Justice Coalition
Berkeley, CA

Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
Cleveland, OH

Take Back the Land
Miami, FL

Women’s Economic Agenda Project (WEAP)
Oakland, CA

From top: Minister Christopher Muhammad, Bayview Hunters Point Nation of Islam School; Dereca Blackmon, Aya Solutions and Coalition Against Police Executions; Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Youth Speaks Artistic Director. Sources: www.sanfranciscosentinel.com; leadershipexcellence.org; www.actorstheatre.org

Does a black president equal black power? Will Obama’s presidency create lasting change for African-Americans? Or will anything change at all? On this edition, we present a round table discussion, featuring three African-American community leaders, about how Obama’s election, and presidency, has changed their perspective on what black power is…and what it isn’t.

*Special thanks to Esther Manilla of KPFA for guest producing this program.

Featuring:

Dereca Blackmon, Aya Solutions and Coalition Against Police Executions co-founder; Minister Christopher Muhammad, Bayview Hunters Point Nation of Islam School Executive Director; Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Youth Speaks Artistic Curator of Life is Living Convenings; Aimee Allison, KPFA Morning Show host.

For More Information:

Aimee Allison

Aya Solutions

Black Agenda Report

The Black Commentator

Coalition Against Police Executions (CAPE)

Green for All

KPFA Radio

Life is Living

Nation of Islam

Pacifica Radio Archives

Youth Speaks

Additional information:

Black Panther

Free the SF8

Justice For Oscar Grant Committee

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation

Featuring music by:

DJ Sprinkles
Sons of Slum

Live From Main Street host Laura Flanders.

Election Coverage 2008, your streets, your stories. We bring you “Live From Main Street,” the third of five town hall meetings that will take place across the U.S. this election year. Hosted by popular radio personality, Laura Flanders and produced by the Media Consortium and adapted for radio by Making Contact.

On this edition, so you say you want change? But what does this buzzword really mean and what does real, sustainable change look like? Laura Flanders hit the streets of Denver at the Democratic National Convention to find out.

Event will feature:

Laura Flanders, Free Speech TV’s GRITtv host; Van Jones, Green for All founder and president and Ella Baker Center founder; Rep. Donna Edwards, MD-4th District; Karen Pope-Onwukwee, 2008 DNC delegate (MD); Jim Hightower, National Radio Commentator, Public speaker and “Swim Against the Current” author; Faye Wattleton, Center for the Advancement of Women founder; David Barsamian, Alternative Radio founder.

Live From Main Street is a tour of the U.S. in election year 2008, hosted by Grit TV’s Laura Flanders, produced by The Media Consortium and adapted for radio by the National Radio Project.

Live From Main Street Crew
Host: Laura Flanders, Grit TV
Produced by: The Media Consortium

Making Contact Crew
Executive Producer: Tena Rubio
Producer: Andrew Stelzer
Associate Producer: Puck Lo
Interns: Elena Botkin-Levy and Aubrey Green
Executive Director: Lisa Rudman
Associate Director: Khanh Pham

For more information:

Alliance for Sustainable Colorado – Denver, CO

Alternative Radio – Boulder, CO

Center for the Advancement of Women – New York, NY

Color of Change

Comedy of Laughing Liberally Lee Camp – New York, NY

Free Press – Washington, DC

Green for All – Oakland, CA

Grit TV

Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA) – Denver, CO

Live From Main Street

David Sirota – Los Angeles, CA

Jim Hightower – Austin, TX

Rep. Donna Edwards – Largo, MD or Washington, DC