Rally in support of the Ohio Prevention First Act, photo courtesy of Flickr (cc) user ProgressOhio.

While overall access to contraception and other reproductive health services have increased over the last 20 years, access for low-income women and women of color has dropped.

Since the 2010 elections, anti-abortionists have grown more emboldened in their attempts to restrict not only abortion services, but also to basic reproductive care.

African-American women have been especially targeted in a series of anti-abortion billboards posted across the country. Enraged by this finger-pointing, reproductive justice activist of all colors got together to fight for every woman’s right to health care. On this edition, the fight for access to reproductive health care.

This program was funded in part by the Mary Wohlford Foundation.

Featuring:

Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern University law professor; Loretta Ross, founder and national coordinator of SisterSong; Susan Cohen, director of Government Affairs at Guttmacher Institute; Nicole Gross, single mom; Chloe Heintz, rape survivor; Nicole Safar, public policy director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin; Heidi Williamson, national advocacy policy coordinator for SisterSong; Walter B. Hoye II, founder and president of Issues 4 Life.

Special thanks to Alicia Walters and production intern Lisa Bartfai.

For More Information:
Trust Black Women
SisterSong
Guttmacher Institute
Dorothy Roberts
Planned Parenthood
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice
California Latina Reproductive Justice
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
Black Women for Wellness
The Radiance Foundation
Issues 4 Life

Articles/Blogs/Videos/Audio:
Don’t Cut Planned Parenthood’s Funding!
Are Black Children and ‘Endangered Species’?
Debate Boils Over African-American Abortion
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s Abortion Crusade
Maafa 21
Defending Reproductive Justice

Music:

“Uti vår hage”  by Magnus Martensson
“End Titles” by Atrium Carceri
“Gypsy” by Kelli Rudick
“Saturn Strobe” by Pantha Du Prince
“Freedom Fight” by Shuggie Otis

Tariq Ali in Madrid, Spain. Image by Flickr user Cordoba 2016.

It’s 2012, the world is calling for change, and in the U.S another presidential election is looming.  But, journalist Tariq Ali says the American public’s so-called ‘choices’ don’t present much in the way of options. On this edition, Ali speaks about the ‘extreme center’ and how Occupy and other emerging social movements are challenging the status quo.

Special thanks to the Lannan Foundation.

Featuring:

Longtime journalist and activist Tariq Ali, author of more than 20 books, including The Obama Syndrome, The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power, and Bush in Babylon: The Reconciliation of Iraq.

***WEB EXCLUSIVES***

Full speech by Tariq Ali with an introduction by Avi Lewis, a Canadian television journalist.

For More Information:

Tariq Ali
Lannan Foundation
The Guardian
New Left Review

Books/Articles:

Tariq Ali speaks about his book, “The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad” on Democracy Now

Music:

“Nefsi Atoub” by Lefty-M

'Five Till Midnight or Almost Time for Lunch' by Flickr (cc) user bitzcelt.

From Egypt to Wisconsin, and from Wall Street to any town USA, 2011 was a year in which people raised their voices to call for justice. As we head into 2012, there’s optimism about the possibilities for change. On this edition, we look back at some the most important issues of 2011: attacks on organized labor, the Egyptian revolution, and the struggle to address climate change. We’ll hear highlights from some of the best programs we’ve brought you this year, and get some updates on where those stories stand now.

Shows featured in this program include:

Who Won the Egyptian Revolution?

The Wisconsin Workers Uprising   (Part 1)  (Part 2)

Battle for Workers Rights on the Ballot in Ohio

Climate Change Gridlock: Where Do We Go From Here? (Part 1)  (Part 2)

Featuring:

Shimaa Helmy, Egyptian human rights activist; Pedro De Sa, ILWU local 6 Rank and File organizer; Kris Hirsh, Stand up For Ohio spokesman; Melissa Fezekas, We Are Ohio spokesperson; Larry Cohen, Communications Workers of America President; Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO President; Fred Risser, Wisconsin State Senator; Khalid Shalid, Tahrir square protestor; Salma Shukrallah, Al Ahram Online journalist; Tarek Shalaby, Tahrir Square leader; James Inhofe, US Senator from Oklahoma; Bernaditas Mueller, South Centre climate change special advisor; Patrick Bond, Center for Civil Society Director at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa; Mike Ludwig, Truthout reporter; Brian Edwards-Tiekert, journalist.

***WEB EXCLUSIVES***

What Happened in Durban?

Interview with reporter Brian Edwards Tiekert about the 2011 climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa.

How are Occupy and organized labor Working together?

Interview With ILWU Local 6 rank and file organizer Pedro De Sa about the state of labor in the U.S., and how the Occupy movement is working with unions.

1 year later—what has the Egyptian revolution achieved?

An interview with Egyptian human rights activist Shimaa Helmy.

For More Information:

No Military Trials For Civilians
Shimaa Tahrir
Al-Ahram Online
Muslim Brotherhood
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
ILWU
Occupy Wall Street
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
Workers Independent News
WORT Community Radio-Madison, WI
Wisconsin AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America
We the People Campaign
Campaign Cash
Stand Up For Ohio
We Are Ohio
ALEC exposed
Truthout
The Media Consortium
Durban Platform
Climate Signals-An Inventory of Climate Change Impact Reports
Skeptical Science
Mobilization for Climate Justice
Center for Civil Society, University of Kwazulu-Natal
Indigenous Environmental Network
The South Centre
COP17 in Durban, South Africa

Books/Articles:

Tina Gerhardt: Get It Done! Youth to UN on Internationally Binding Climate Treaty
Scenes From a Revolution

Music:

“Hurt Me Soul” by Lupe Fiasco
“The Coolest” by Lupe Fiasco

Students listen to Angela Davis during a rally against gang Injunctions. Photo by Eric K Arnold courtesy of (cc) Flickr user OaklandLocal.

It’s called a gang injunction.  A controversial crime tool strategy that some people say should be illegal, and others say is a necessary last resort for communities plagued by violence.

On this edition, we go from the birthplace of gang injunctions in Los Angeles, to their newest use in London, England.  Almost 30 years later, communities remain divided about the best way to address youth violence and crime.

This program was crowd-funded on spot.us, a community supported journalism project. 89 individuals contributed micro-donations. At the over $10 level we thank: Annuana Smith, Amy Read, Lyn Headley, Patricia-Anne WinterSun, Maralyn Fisher, Sally Sommer, Renee Feltz, Molly Mitoma, Lauren Cohn, and Panafricanist Sound System. Special thanks to Omnia Foundation, stalwart supporters of our Prison Desk.

Featuring:

Angela Davis, Critical resistance founder; Freddie Hamilton, Oakland police lieutenant; Michael Muscadine, man named in Fruitvale Gang Injunction; Scott Peterson, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce public policy director; Danielle Rocha, Youth Empowerment School senior; K.E.V., Oakland-based MC; Sagnicthe Salazar, Youth Together organizer; Cesar Cruz, Homies Empowerment program co-founder; Kim McGill, Youth Justice Coalition organizer; Rocio Fierro, attorney for the City of Oakland; Kwame Nitoto, Oakland Parents Together parent education project director; Meriea Jones, Cory Jenkins, Destiny McNeil, Mohammad El-Zafri, Santa Fe Elementary School students; Jonathan Toy, Southwark Council head of community safety; Emeka Egbuonu, youth worker at The Crib; Michael Bailey, young person at The Crib; Russell Higgs, Pembury Estate resident.

*** Segments ***

Gang Injunctions in London 

As part of our investigation into how and whether gang injunctions effectively fight crime, we looked to one of the newest places where the crime fighting strategy is being rolled out: London, England Making Contact reporter Daniel Gordon filed this report from London, where the first gang injunctions went into effect earlier this year. The story explores how economics and race are major factors in how society treats crime in England, just as in the US. And just as in Oakland, CA, many advocates and young people themselves say there are better solutions to be found.

This program is reader supported, thanks to spot.us

The History of Gang Injunction in Los Angeles

Interview with The Youth Justice Coalition’s Kim McGill, about the history of gang injunctions in Los Angeles, and the effect they’ve had on low income neighborhoods and communities of color.

The Battle over Gang Injunctions in Oakland

The city of Oakland is divided over whether gang injunctions will help reduce a long-standing problem of street violence.  Making Contact’s Andrew Stelzer reports on a grassroots campaign, aiming to stop what many activists say is a problematic policy of racial profiling, that won’t help make the community any safer.

For More Information:

Youth Justice Coalition
Critical Resistance
Stop the Injunctions Coalition
Homies Empowerment Program-Oakland, CA
All of Us or None
Youth Together
Homies Unidos
Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Southwark Council
Spot.us crowd-funded journalism

Articles, Blogs, Reports and Videos:

Map of North Oakland gang Injunction
LAPD map of Gang Injunctions
North Side Oakland injunction report November 2011

Music:

“Colors” by Ice-T

Prison windows. Image via Flickr (cc) user weirdo513.

From illiterate street kid, to world renowned poet, Jimmy Santiago Baca has lived a long and winding path.  It was in prison that Baca connected with his Native American and Chicano heritage, and began learning the lessons of his people’s past. On this edition, Progressive Magazine editor Matthew Rothschild sits down with Jimmy Santiago Baca.

Special thanks to the Progressive Magazine.

Featuring:

Jimmy Santiago Baca, poet and educator; Matthew Rothschild, Progressive Magazine Editor.

For More Information:

Jimmy Santiago Baca
A Place to Stand
Progressive Radio Show
Safe Streets Arts Foundation
Red Lodge Transition Services
Friends of Red Lodge
American Indian Prison Pen Pals
Prison Education.com
The Progressive Magazine

Articles, Blogs, Reports and Videos:

Jimmy Santiago Baca Reads Selections from his Work Before an Audience at La Jolla’s  Sherwood Auditorium
Healing Earthquakes by Jimmy Santiago Baca
19 poems by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Music:

“Spirits Abandoned” by Dark Noontide

Inter-Faith Protest Rally Against Islamophobia and Peter King's Congressional Hearings on Muslim Radicalization 2011 Credit: asterix611/ Flickr

Featuring:

Veena Dubal, Asian Law Caucus National Security and Civil Rights Program Staff Attorney; Lejla Duka, family member of the Fort Dix Five; Dominick Calsolaro, Albany Common Council Member; Noor Elashi, daughter of Ghassan Elashi of the Holy Land 5; Shaheena Parveen, mother of Siraj Matin; Marlene Jenkins, mother of Tarik Shaw; Sharmin Sadequee, sister of Shifa Sadequee; Tamer Mehanna, brother of Tariq Mehanna; Fred Korematsu, formerly interned Japanese American; John Frank, Clerk to Associate Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black; Tsuyako Kitashima, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress spokesperson; Donald Tamaki, lawyer for Fred Korematsu; Peter Irons, UC San Diego Constitutional Law Professor.

—WEB EXCLUSIVES—

NYC Town Hall on Preemptive Prosecution

Full audio from December 2010 NYC Town Hall featuring family members of “wrongly accused” terrorists. Recorded by Jaisal Noor.

Full-length Interview with Veena Dubal, Staff Attorney with the Asian Law Caucus

Dubal talks about Preemptive Prosecutions, racial profiling, Department of Justice and White House strategies, and the effect they have on Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. Is there a valid comparison to the Japanese internment during WWII?

——

For More Information:

ACLU-Northern California Civil Rights Groups Call on Bay Area Police Departments to Cease Joint Operations with the FBI
Asian Law Caucus San Francisco, CA
Coalition For a Safe San Francisco San Francisco, CA
Council on American Islamic Relations Washington, D.C.
Free the Fort Dix 5 Fort Dix, N.J.
Information on the Newburgh 4 Korematsu Institute San Francisco, CA
Manufacturing the Muslim Menace: A report by Political Research Associates
New York University School of Law Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress Of Civil Rights and Wrongs: The Fred Korematsu Story Project Salam
San Francisco Human Rights Commission San Francisco, C.A.
Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF) Sikh Coalition
10 Years After 9/11: National Priorities Project resources
Surveillance in the Homeland: Investigative reports: Truthout and ACLU project
David Ray Griffin
Noliesradio.org
Patriots Question 911
9/11 Ten Years Later: When State Crimes Against Democracy Succeed
NYPD CIA Anti-Terror Operations Conducted In Secret For Years

9/11 videos:

Beyond the Frame Alternative Perspectives on the War On Terrorism:  Klein Chomsky
Hijacking Catastrophe 9/11 Fear & the Selling of American Empire
Building a Landmark Event in the History of the 9/11 Truth Movement:  Susan Wolfe (19min in)
Making of Out of the Ashes: 9/11 Podcast
Out of the Ashes: 9/11 Trailer
RadioActive: 9/11 reflections by teens and women
Jeff Siddiqui, Pakistani-American, Muslim, blogger on his efforts to combat anti-Muslimism in the US

9/11 Audio (PRX):
Treating heroes still dealing with 9/11 related illnesses
Crockett Grabbe: the World Trade Center collapses were the result of pre-planted explosives
Hasan Elahi, “Hiding in Plain Sight”
Radio Rootz: Racial Profiling of the South Asians: Hear our Voices’

Articles, Blogs, Reports and Videos:

Muslims Reject SFPD Surveillance Program San Francisco Human Rights Commission Hearing:  US Law Enforcement Profiling & Surveillance of Muslims-Arabs-South Asians

Music:

Halou – Seperation
Halou – Alaska
Mark Lingard – In a Lonely Place

Maria Hinojosa; Photo courtesy of Michael Paras.

President Obama promised to change America’s broken immigration system. But the dehumanization of immigrants persists, and the immigration detention industry continues to grow. On this edition, Mexican-American journalist Maria Hinojosa speaks about the United States’ loss of humanity in dealing with immigrants and immigration; the consequence of enforcement only policies and the need to connect with people we have little in common with.
Special thanks to the Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe, NM.

Featuring:

Maria Hinojosa, host of NPR’s “Latino USA” and PBS’ “Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One,” contributing correspondent on PBS’ “Need to Know.”

— WEB EXCLUSIVES —

Maria Hinojosa
Latino USA
Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One
Now on PBS
The Business of Detention
Summary of the 1996 immigration reform laws
Detention Watch Network
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights
ACLU’s Immigrant’s Rights Project
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
National Council of La Raza
Asian American Justice Center

MUSIC:
Santana – Migra
M.I.A. – Pull Up the People

Renowned author Chris Hedges describes a world in rapid economic, environmental, and spiritual decline. He says we have a chance to turn things around—but only if we stand up for our rights, and stop holding out hope that political parties or other global leaders will act in our interests. On this edition, Chris Hedges speaks about his new book, The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress.
Special thanks to KPFA Radio in Berkeley, California.

Featuring:

Chris Hedges, author of The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress, columnist for Truthdig and senior fellow for The Nation Institute.

— WEB EXCLUSIVES —

For More Information:

Chris Hedges
Truthdig
The Nation Institute
New York Times articles by Chris Hedges
Daniel Berrigan
KPFA Radio
Chris Hedges on War is a Force that Gives us Meaning
Chris Hedges on the death of Osama bin Laden
Books by Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges “Empire of Illusion” 2009 video lecture at The NewSchool

MUSIC:
Resurrection by Common
Change The World by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Jason Smith Candlelight Vigil; Photo courtesy of Madeleine Bair

In May 2010, New York prosecutors issued an extradition request for Jamaican Kingpin Christopher Coke – gangster to some, local hero to others. The search for Coke triggered a government crackdown on the neighborhood of Tivoli Gardens in Kingston, leaving 73 civilians dead in a span of just a few days.

The majority of those victims were innocent and their loved ones continue to fight for justice and accountability, despite Jamaica’s long record of police violence and government corruption. Today we bring you a documentary on police violence in Jamaica.

Special thanks to Madeleine Bair for producing this story, with support from Jamaicans for Justice and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Featuring:

Paulette Wellington, mother of Sheldon Wellington, Earl Witter, Jamaican Public Defender, Carolyn Gomes, Jamaicans for Justice, Susan Goffe, Jamaicans for Justice, Monica Williams, mother of Jason Smith and activist, and Dr. Ademola Odunfa, Kingston Hospital.

— WEB EXCLUSIVES —

Victims Voices: Paulette Rose

For More Information:

Jamaicans for Justice
Jamaica Human Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Jamaica

Articles and Books:
A Case Built in New York Against a Jamaican Kingpin
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Jamaica Report
Amnesty International Report 2003 – Jamaica
Amnesty International May 27, 2010, calling for an investigation
Jamaican Forces Accused of Killing Unarmed Men, New York Times
January Jamaica Gleaner article on Witter’s investigations

MUSIC:
Urban’s fight, The Drastics off the album-Chicago Massive
The Alarm, The Drastics off the album-Chicago Massive