This week we discuss the conviction of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke for the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald—the first conviction of a Chicago cop for an on-duty shooting in 50 years. Our two guests are Todd St. Hill, a socialist and anti-racist organizer in Chicago who talks to us about the years of work that laid the basis for this historic conviction, and Seattle public school teacher and activist Jesse Hagopian, who talks about victims of Seattle’s racist police such as Charleena Lyles, and how the Black Lives Matter at School project can bring together the powerful forces of labor and civil rights.

 

Links from this episode:

 

·      Todd’s article on the Van Dyke verdict (http://bit.ly/VanDykeguilty)

 

·      Todd’s article on Chicago violence (http://bit.ly/Rahmgunviolence)

 

·      How Black Friday protests forced out police chief (http://bit.ly/ChicagoBlackFriday)

 

·      Mayor 1%, Kari Lyderson’s book on Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/459-mayor-1)

 

·      The Chicago Teachers Union powerful statement on the Van Dyke verdict (http://bit.ly/CTULaquan)

 

·      Seattle media coverage of the Seattle police pepper spray attack on Jesse  (http://bit.ly/JessePepperSpray)

 

·      More information on the Black Lives Matter at School week of action (http://bit.ly/BLMatSchool)

 

And check out Jesse’s two books:

 

·      More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High Stakes Testing: (http://bit.ly/MoreThanScore)

 

·      Teaching for Black Lives (http://bit.ly/TeachingBlackLives)

 

 

Audio for this episode:

The Boy & Sister Alma, “Lizard Eyes” (Dead Sea Captains Remix)

Noname, “Blaxploitation”

Ty Money, “United Center” (video)

Joey Bada$$, “For My People”

Jay Rock, “Win” :30

Blue Scholars, “Commencement Day”

Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee, speaking the day before his death

James Brown, "Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”