Melissa Harris-Perry: Confronting Stereotypes of the Black Woman
On this edition, author and political science professor Melissa Harris-Perry speaks about the stereotypes black women face, its impacts on their identity and how it has limited the ways in which society views them as true “citizens.”
Gang Injunctions: Problem or Solution?
Gang injunctions are a controversial crime fighting tool 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 L.A., to their newest use in London.
Words As The Way To Freedom: Jimmy Santiago Baca
He went from illiterate street kid, to world renowned poet. But it was in prison that Jimmy Santiago 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.
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...
Presumed Guilty: American Muslims and Arabs (9-11 Encore Edition)
American Arabs and Muslims are under the microscope, and many feel demonized and say they are living in fear of arrest. On this edition, we’ll hear stories about the past 10 years of anti-Arab profiling and prosecution. We also look at parallels with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
The Light Inside: Giving Birth Behind Bars
A look at pregnancy, and motherhood, inside US jails and prisons. What does the huge number of incarcerated women in prison foretell for the next generation of America’s kids?
Presumed Guilty:
American Muslims and Arabs
American Arabs and Muslims are under the microscope, and many feel demonized and say they are living in fear of arrest. On this edition, we’ll hear stories about the past 10 years of anti-Arab profiling and prosecution. We also look at parallels with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
Michelle Alexander on the New Jim Crow
Professor Michelle Alexander, author of ‘The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness’ makes the case that the US’ criminal justice system policies can be traced directly back to slavery. The target then, and now, are African Americans.
California’s Prop 19: The End of the War on Marijuana?
Californians went to the polls this past November to vote on whether to legalize marijuana. On this edition, we look at the damage wrought by the failed war on marijuana, with a focus on the millions caught in the criminal justice system.
Art in Action
Art is everywhere…but why do we do it? On this edition, we speak with young artists of diverse backgrounds who use their independent experiences and creative impulses to talk about race, identity, and politics…and along the way to self-reflect.
