In this episode, host Manpreet Kaur Kalra invites listeners into a reflective and urgent conversation about the enduring legacy of "divide and rule," one of colonialism’s most insidious and effective strategies of domination. Often treated as a historical tactic, divide-and-rule remains deeply embedded in today’s global systems, from political polarization to economic dependency. Manpreet reflects on how this strategy was not merely about creating divisions, but about surgically engineering hierarchies that pit communities against one another in service of control.

Through a historical lens, the episode examines how colonial regimes fractured societies along religious, ethnic, and social lines to undermine solidarity and resistance. The legacy of these interventions lives on — in borders, in conflict, and in the structural inequalities that underpin the Global North-Global South divide.

🔍 In this episode, we explore:

• Historical examples of divide and rule, including:
  • The 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan
  • The creation of Bantustans under apartheid South Africa
  • Colonialisms use of tribal divisions in Rwanda to weaken collective governance and how that underpinned the Rwandan Genocide
• The evolution of these tactics into modern-day “soft power” mechanisms used by:
  • Global institutions like the UN, IMF, and WTO
  • Multinational corporations that exploit weak regulatory environments and divided societies for profit

The episode draws a direct line from historical divide-and-rule policies to the scapegoating and “othering” seen in today’s politics—from anti-immigrant legislation to the assault on trans rights. These are not disconnected events, but rather the continuation of a well-worn strategy designed to distract and divide, making it harder for communities to organize and challenge dominant power structures.

💭 Reflection Prompt: How do the tactics of divide-and-rule show up in your daily life, your community, or your field of work—and what does it look like to build across those divides?

Whether you’re a student of history, a social justice advocate, or simply curious about the ways power operates in our world, this episode offers a thoughtful, grounded look at how the past continues to shape our present—and how we might start to imagine something different.

Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. 

• Support Art of Citizenry’s Independent Journalism and Advocacy Efforts: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/support
• Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

If you caught Episode 25, you know the story: approximately 250 Guatemalan garment workers are still owed $500,000 in severance from Lucky Brand after the closure of the Industrial Hana factory. But what started as a case study in wage theft quickly revealed something bigger—how private equity is transforming fashion supply chains behind the scenes.

In this follow-up episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra reconnects with Anna Canning of Partners for Dignity & Rights to peel back the layers of fashion’s financial structure. Together, they trace how corporate ownership is intentionally opaque, and how firms like Authentic Brands Group are profiting by fragmenting responsibility. From bankruptcies and brand buyouts to complex licensing deals, together, we unpack how private equity is redefining who owns what—and why that matters for the future of corporate accountability. 

We talk about the companies you don’t see on tags—the ones pulling the strings behind brand names by diving into: 

• How private equity uses debt, licensing, and outsourcing to extract value
• The growing trend of intellectual property empires
• Why bankruptcy is now a business tactic, not a failure
• What Forever 21, Shaquille O’Neal, and mall landlords have to do with all of it

Private equity isn’t just reshaping fashion—it’s financializing daily life. From healthcare to the roads we drive on to legacy fashion brands, this episode is a deep dive into the real cost of profit-maximizing business models—and the urgent need for structural accountability.

“If the goal is to maximize returns on investment at any costs, then the working people at the bottom are always the ones who pay.” — Anna Canning

Meet Our Guest

Anna Canning leads the Worker Rights team at Partners for Dignity and Rights. Prior to that, she was with the Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network. Throughout her career, Anna has led creative campaigns taking on corporate power and the fairwashing used to cover corporate abuses. Anna has over 20 years of experience working in supply chains and in movements for food justice and human rights.

📌 Partners for Dignity and Rights is a non-profit that advocates for human rights, especially the rights to dignified work, housing, and public education.

Read the full show notes: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast/private-equity-in-fashion

Support the Podcast

Art of Citizenry is 100% listener-supported. Every contribution helps us continue producing research-intensive episodes and paying our small but mighty team. If this episode resonates with you, consider supporting our work:

• 💸 One-time contribution: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal
• 💌 Monthly support via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra
• ✍️ Subscribe to our Substack & upgrade to paid: artofthecitizenry.substack.com

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

Around the world, far-right and ultra-conservative movements are gaining power—mainstreaming ideologies once confined to the political fringes. From the recent elections in Germany to the United States, we’re witnessing a rise in extremist rhetoric, the rollback of human rights protections, and a troubling erosion of democratic norms. As these forces grow bolder, many leaders – from businesses to major media companies to higher education – are choosing silence over resistance. But neutrality in moments like these is not apolitical; it’s complicity. When leaders remain quiet, they protect the very systems that threaten the fabric of a just and equitable society.

In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by longtime collaborator and CEO of El Puente, Jette Ladiges, whose voice as a business leader serves as a source of inspiration in the face of political silence. Together, they unpack why “neutrality” is not neutral, and what it means to lead fearlessly in an era defined by rising authoritarianism.

“Choosing to stay silent is just as much a political decision as taking a stand.” – Jette Ladiges, CEO of El Puente

This episode examines how rising far-right ideologies and authoritarian movements threaten not just governments, but the global economy. Manpreet and Jette discuss the recent elections in Germany and how extremist political movements in Germany, the United States, and globally pose a critical need for continuous and collective rebellion against the spread of dangerous ideologies and oppression. Against this backdrop, they argue that silence—especially from institutions with power and influence—is not a neutral position, but a tacit endorsement of harm. 

Together, they discuss how we can rethink current economic structures, the importance of small-medium size businesses, and the role of businesses in advocating for democracy and human rights. The conversation explores the urgent need for leaders across all sectors to drive structural change and lead with values, particularly in the face of today’s mounting global challenges.

They also examine how stakeholder-led governance models can disrupt extractive economic systems and serve as blueprints for systemic transformation. The discussion challenges entrenched Global North–Global South dichotomies, highlights the precarious future of Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, and reflects on the fragility of democracy across borders. This is a conversation about rejecting complacency and recognizing that building ethical, resilient systems requires collaboration, community, and confronting extremism head-on.

Meet Our Guest

Jette Ladiges is the CEO of El Puente, a Germany-based social enterprise and member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). Her work has always been rooted in the social enterprise movement. She also serves on the board of the World Fair Trade Organization and Forum Fairer Handel, the German Fair Trade association and advocacy office, where she advocates for business models that put people and the planet first.

Read the full show notes: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast/a-call-for-humanity-standing-against-extremism

Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. 

• Support Art of Citizenry’s Independent Journalism and Advocacy Efforts: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/support
• Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

April 24th marks the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh—a tragedy that killed over 1,100 garment workers and injured thousands more. It exposed the human cost of unsustainable fashion cycles and sparked global conversations about corporate accountability, worker safety, and supply chain transparency. Over a decade later, workers across global supply chains still continue to fight for basic rights.

In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra speaks with Anna Canning, Worker Rights Senior Program Director at Partners for Dignity and Rights. Anna recently published an article exposing Lucky Brand’s role in severance theft at Industrial Hana, a now-shuttered Guatemalan garment factory. The factory supplied apparel to companies including Lucky Brand, Puma, and American Eagle, yet only two of those brands have contributed to the $1.5 million in severance owed to workers. Lucky Brand continues to stall.

From unauthorized subcontracting to complex corporate structures, we take listeners behind the seams of global apparel production while unpacking the importance of legally binding agreements to protect garment workers in supply chains. We examine how systemic wage theft and labor abuses become “no one’s responsibility,” and what real accountability—rooted in worker-led models—could look like.

“The goal is to build a world where corporate impunity is out and worker-driven corporate accountability is the norm.” - Anna Canning, Partners for Dignity and Rights

Read the full show notes: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast/not-so-lucky-jeans

Read Anna’s article: https://dignityandrights.org/2025/02/not-so-lucky-how-lucky-brand-shein-and-private-equity-fleeced-guatemalan-garment-workers/

Support the Podcast: Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. 

• Support Art of Citizenry’s Independent Journalism and Advocacy Efforts: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/support
• Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

Globalization has set the stage for complex supply chains that allow multinational corporations to geographically and legally distance themselves from the exploitative labor conditions they often incentivize and perpetuate, shielding themselves from accountability while profiting from systemic human rights abuses. Companies such as REI have long cultivated an image of sustainability and progressive values, but how do those commitments hold up when you follow the supply chain?

In this episode, Manpreet Kalra is joined by Clare Hammonds of the UMass Amherst Labor Center and Katie Nguyen of Students for International Labor Solidarity, co-authors of Beneath REI’s Green Sheen, a report that investigates human rights violations in REI’s global production network. From union-busting and debt bondage to sourcing partnerships with corporations known for environmental destruction, their research reveals a pattern of practices that put supply chain workers at high risk of exposure to egregious labor rights abuses with no reliable avenue for recourse or remedy.

We unpack the systemic issues that enable these violations, the limits of corporate impact reports, and the role of worker-driven social responsibility initiatives and student movements in supply chain accountability.

What happens when a brand’s values become a marketing tool rather than a moral compass? And how can we collectively hold companies accountable when harm is buried deep in the supply chain? Tune in for a conversation that unpacks the realities of complex supply chains—and uplifts the people building power to confront it.

Read the full show notes: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast/beneath-the-green-sheen-rei

Support Art of Citizenry’s Independent Journalism and Advocacy Efforts: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/support

Substack: https://artofcitizenry.substack.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

The fate of America’s public lands is at a crossroads. With sweeping federal budget cuts, mass job losses at key agencies like the Department of the Interior and the US Department of Agriculture, and a growing push for resource extraction under the banner of economic security, the future of national parks and trails has never felt more uncertain. At the heart of this shift sits a potential deepening of extractive policies that prioritize industry over conservation.

In this episode, Manpreet Kaur Kalra sits down with Courtney Lyons-Garcia, Executive Director of Partnership for the National Trails System, to unpack what these changes mean for the protection and stewardship of America’s most treasured landscapes. We’ll explore how federal funding freezes are impacting nonprofit partners working on the ground, and what this means for how we experience the outdoors. But beyond these threats, we also discuss paths forward—how Indigenous stewardship efforts are reshaping conservation, what policies we should be keeping a close watch on, and how everyday people can take action to safeguard public lands.

Are we witnessing the systematic dismantling of public lands as we know them? And if so, what will it take to fight back? Tune in for a critical conversation about the intersection of policy, economics, conservation, and the power struggles defining America’s national trails.

Read the full show notes: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/podcast/the-fight-for-national-trails

Support Art of Citizenry’s Independent Journalism and Advocacy Efforts: https://www.artofcitizenry.com/support

Patreon: 

https://www.patreon.com/manpreetkalra

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

In episode 22 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, we’re opting outside by centering REI’s labor fight. Manpreet is joined by Emma Harris, a bike and ski shop technician at REI’s SoHo store in New York City. As a member of REI Union SoHo, she serves as an elected member of the union bargaining committee and is part of the store’s Contract Action Team. REI SoHo was the first REI store to unionize. Since 2022, REI employees across the country have been organizing, demanding that the company live up to the values it so proudly markets. Together, we pull back the progressive corporate veil and unpack the ways in which REI has been undermining its mission and worker power through union busting tactics. We also discuss the role of unions and the challenges workers face when they come together to organize. This episode looks at the history of unions in the United States and the important function they serve in ensuring worker rights.

Behind REI’s glossy green sheen and feel-good messaging, workers are fighting a different battle—one for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to unionize without retaliation.

Meet Our Guest

Emma Harris (she/her) is a bike and ski shop technician at the REI Flagship store in SoHo, New York City unionized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). As a member of REI Union SoHo, she serves as an elected member of the union bargaining committee and is part of the store’s Contract Action Team. The REI Union currently consists of workers who have unionized at 11 REI retail stores across the country with either RWDSU or the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

Labor Organizing

Labor activism in the United States has experienced a significant resurgence over the past three years and it is being led by young people. Workers have launched successful organizing efforts across industries from Amazon to Ben & Jerry’s to REI. Public support for unions has also reached historic levels, with Gallup polls indicating that 70% of Americans—and nearly 90% of young workers—approve of unions, a level not seen since the 1960s. Despite this increase in momentum and the proven success of worker-led movement efforts, increased labor activism has not translated into greater union density because of two primary reasons according to an article published by the Economic Policy Institute: (1) deeply flawed labor laws and (2) relentless corporate resistance to worker organizing.

Corporations are always going to be looking out for their bottom line, even if they like to brand themselves as “progressive” or “a different kind of company.” I want workers to realize the power that they have in their labor and the connections they form with their coworkers. There is incredible strength in collective action and the only way to make real, structural change in the face of Big Business is to band together and rise up! - Emma Harris

REI’s Union Busting Law Firm

Despite none of its unionized stores securing a collective bargaining agreement, REI maintains that it is negotiating in good faith. From June 2022 until switching law firms, REI SoHo was bargaining with REI through a different law firm, and had made some tentative agreements. However, since bringing on the new law firm, progress has slowed significantly.

REI’s new law firm of choice, ​Morgan Lewis, known for its hardline, union-busting tactics, has a long history of involvement in high-profile anti-union efforts. Their dedicated labor practice dates back to the 1950s. By the 1970s, it had become the most powerful management-side labor practice in the country, frequently appearing in the largest federation of US unions AFL-CIO’s "Report on Union Busting." Their extensive experience in "union avoidance" has made them a prominent choice for corporations aiming to maintain non-unionized workforces.

In January 2024, SpaceX, represented by none other than Morgan Lewis, filed a lawsuit against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), introducing a new anti-union playbook.

Over the past year, companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, alongside SpaceX have intensified efforts to weaken labor rights. Beyond their usual union-busting tactics, these corporations are now actively seeking to have the entire National Labor Relations Board declared unconstitutional. Alongside REI, Morgan Lewis represents Trader Joe’s, Amazon, and SpaceX.

Under the new administration, the NLRB is in upheaval. During his first few weeks in office, Donald Trump fired the NLRB general counselor and removed a board member. While the NLRB’s day-to-day work can continue, the board cannot order parties to pay remedies or recognize a union because it needs three members to make a ruling. With the current situation quite volatile, it is likely that we will begin to see a reversal of many of the pro-labor decisions that have been issued by the board previously.

The Co-op Illusion

When REI calls itself a cooperative, it means that it operates under a member-owned business model rather than being a traditional publicly traded corporation. In theory, this means that the company is governed by its members—customers who pay a one-time fee to join—rather than by shareholders. REI uses this structure to differentiate itself from conventional retailers, positioning itself as a community-driven organization that reinvests profits back into the business and its members. To reaffirm this sentiment, REI describes a Co-op as “the people it brings together. The we.”

REI markets its cooperative status as a sign of social responsibility, emphasizing community engagement and sustainability initiatives. However, while this cooperative model suggests a more democratic and values-driven approach, in practice, REI functions like a traditional corporation, with a top-down governance structure and executive leadership making key decisions—not its members or workers.

A Call to Action for REI Members

If you are a member, REI’s board of directors vote is officially open. REI has chosen to offer only their handpicked nominees. I encourage you to select “WITHHOLD” to vote against each of REI’s corporate nominees to block them from joining the board. Get involved in the “Vote No” campaign here.

If you are not a member, please remember your voice has power too. Help us amplify the organizing efforts of REI Union members and workers.

Resources & References

• Learn more about the REI Union and follow the national campaign
• Check out the REI Union’s 10 Essentials for a Better Co-op
• Read more about the REI SoHo ski shop strike in the Nation
• Read more about the REI Board Elections in Huffington Post
• Read about the corporations actively seeking to have the entire National Labor Relations Board declared unconstitutional with the help of Morgan Lewis in The Guardian: ‘Dark forces’: how US corporations turned to courts in fight against unions
• More resources and references can be found here.

Become a Patron

Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Your support directly sustains our podcast, helping cover the wages of our dedicated three-person team. 

• Please consider supporting by visiting: patreon.com/manpreetkalra
• To make a one-time contribution, you can do so here: visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal

Thank You for Listening – please subscribe and leave a five star review! 

Also, if you want to connect, please feel free to follow along and share your thoughts on Substack - artofcitizenry.substack.com

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

In episode 21 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra unpacks Cultural Humility—a lifelong practice of unlearning, deep listening, and rethinking how we engage with difference. Cultural Humility challenges the colonial mindset that knowledge alone is enough to understand another’s lived experience. Instead, it asks us to center the voices of those most impacted, acknowledge power structures, and embrace the discomfort of not knowing. Having grounded Manpreet’s work in social impact, advocacy, and sustainable development for years now, this episode provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of cultural humility and how it can be applied to various areas of cross-cultural engagement and work. Sharing her own personal experiences with social entrepreneurship, this episode challenges us to rethink our approaches. This episode asks us to listen before acting, acknowledge our own biases, and recognize that power and privilege shape the way we navigate the world.

A Note From Manpreet

I really appreciate you being here, and joining me in this conversation. This episode holds a special place in my heart, it is an episode I have been wanting to do since I started the podcast almost five years ago. If you have listened to some of the early episodes of this podcast or attended any of my keynotes or workshops, you know that cultural humility as a framework has grounded my work for years now. I incorporate it into almost every one of my talks because it offers a perspective that challenges the worldview that knowledge transcends (or does not require) lived experience – in other words, it challenges the false notion that you can simply learn enough about another culture to truly understand it. 

What do you mean when you talk about “cultural humility”?

Cultural humility pushes us to challenge our assumptions and prejudices. It encourages us to put aside our judgments about a community or culture, instead approaching others from a place of vulnerability, wanting to learn instead of lead. 

The issue I often see is placing an oversimplified understanding of someone’s unique experiences upon them out of an over-eagerness to find common ground. This results in the single story of how others are defined. Cultural humility is not just about individual experiences, it is also a process of active self-reflection and unpacking of the power dynamics we each encounter. It challenges us to understand how historical systems of oppression (e.g. colonialism) continue to marginalize communities today.

References

Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia, Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (May 1998), p. 117. – The seminal paper published by Dr. Melanie Tervalon and Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia as a critique of cultural competency training, which was widely used in medical education at the time. This paper established cultural humility as a guiding framework in healthcare.

“Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices," is a 30-minute documentary by San Francisco State professor Vivian Chávez, that mixes poetry with music, interviews, archival footage, and images of community, nature and dance to explain what Cultural Humility is and why we need it. The film describes a set of principles that guide the thinking, behavior and actions of individuals and institutions influencing interpersonal relationships as well as systems change. These principles are:

• Lifelong learning and critical self-reflection 
• Recognize and change power imbalances 
• Institutional accountability

Become a Patron

Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Your support directly sustains our podcast, helping cover the wages of our dedicated three-person team. 

Please consider supporting by visiting: patreon.com/manpreetkalra

To make a one-time contribution, you can do so here: visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal

Thank You for Listening – please subscribe and leave a five star review! 

Also, if you want to connect, please feel free to follow along and share your thoughts on Substack - artofcitizenry.substack.com

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

In Episode 20 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by immigrant community organizer Maru Mora-Villalpando, Founder of La Resistencia, and international human rights lawyer Alejandra Gonza, Executive Director of Global Rights Advocacy. Together, they expose the brutal realities of immigration detention—from systemic neglect and punishment to the resilience of those organizing from within its walls. Maru shares how La Resistencia mobilizes communities to challenge deportations and support detainee-led organizing at Northwest Detention Center. Working in direct collaboration, Alejandra sheds light on the intersection of international human rights law and grassroots advocacy, emphasizing the role of storytelling in holding systems accountable. Through the Melting Ice Project, they document the lived experiences of detained migrants, ensuring their stories shape the fight for justice. This episode is a call to action: migrants in detention are not passive victims—they are organizing, resisting, and demanding change. Join us as we explore the power of community-led movements, storytelling as an advocacy tool, and the role of international human rights mechanisms.

Meet Our Guests

Maru Mora-Villalpando is a longtime immigrant and community organizer, dedicated to the fight for immigrant justice. She is the Founder and Advisor of La Resistencia, an immigrant-led grassroots organization working to shut down the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, and end all detentions and deportations in the state. Maru’s work embodies the power of grassroots organizing, direct action, and collective resistance. 

La Resistencia plays a crucial role in amplifying the voices of those directly impacted by the immigration enforcement system. It remains the only organization in Washington State led by individuals targeted by detention and deportation, ensuring that advocacy efforts are driven by the people most affected. 

Alejandra Gonza is an Argentinian human rights lawyer. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Global Rights Advocacy, a Seattle-based non-profit providing pro-bono representation at international bodies. She focuses on defending the right to freedom of undocumented immigrants at the Northwest ICE Processing Center, as well as environmental defenders, political prisoners, and those wrongfully convicted abroad. She believes in the power of storytelling to empower individuals to build their own reparation framework.

Global Rights Advocacy is on a mission to provide victims access to international human rights mechanisms through high quality legal defense and advocacy strategies. GRA has also been doing incredible work in documenting the testimonies of detainees at Northwest Detention Center for the past ten years.

Melting ICE Exhibit

Melting ICE is a visual storytelling project done in collaboration between La Resistencia, Global Rights Advocacy and UW Tacoma that artfully humanizes a problem that often dehumanizes individual narratives – allowing the people most impacted to guide the storytelling process.The exhibition serves as both an artistic and political intervention, engaging the practice of storytelling as an act of living resistance to the oppressive conditions of immigrant detention. 

Take Action

The work of grassroots organizations is crucial. They amplify the voices of those inside, mobilize advocates, and challenge the policies that uphold these violent institutions. But they cannot do it alone. True solidarity means more than just awareness—it requires action. Support grassroots groups doing this work in your neighborhood and donate to mutual aid funds. If you decide to get involved in the fight for immigrant justice, follow the lead of those already doing the work, and use your skills and resources to support their demand for an end to detention as a tool of oppression.

Grassroots Organizations & Partners Fighting for Immigrant Justice

• La Resistencia is a grassroots organization led by undocumented immigrants and people of color who have been oppressed by the immigration enforcement system in Washington State.
• Tsuru for Solidarity is a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to end detention sites and support front-line immigrant and refugee communities.
• Global Rights Advocacy offers access to international human rights mechanisms through representation, reporting and education.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education.
• Detention Watch Network brings together advocates to unify strategy, build partnerships and strengthen the movement to end immigration detention.

Resources

• Immigration Know Your Rights Resources - double-sided posters you can print out.
• Know Your Rights Resource in Punjabi - guidance in both English and Punjabi, including red-cards that can be downloaded and printed.
• National Immigration Legal Services Directory - Search for immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included in this directory.
• Download & Print a Red Card - Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s Red Cards help immigrants exercise those rights and protect themselves in many situations, such as when immigration agents visit our homes. Available in 16 different languages.
• ACLU Know Your Rights - Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them.
• The National Immigration Project - a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members that litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those who are impacted by America’s immigration and criminal legal systems are supported.
• Know Your Rights: For Employers & Community Businesses - Workplace raids are a common immigration enforcement tactic, often targeting industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as agriculture and food service.

Resources

• La Resistencia: #FreeThemAll: Voices from Inside NWDC
• Follow La Resistencia on Instagram
• Conditions at the NWDC: Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Assault - Report by University of Washington Center for Human Rights
• Conditions at Northwest Detention Center - Report by University of Washington Center for Human Rights

Become a Patron

Art of Citizenry is proudly independent. Support us as we critically explore, challenge, and unravel mainstream narratives by empowering listeners with accessible, nuanced perspectives. Your support directly sustains our podcast, helping cover the wages of our dedicated three-person team. 

Please consider supporting by visiting: patreon.com/manpreetkalra

To make a one-time contribution, you can do so here: visit.artofcitizenry.com/paypal

Thank You for Listening – please subscribe and leave a five star review! 

Also, if you want to connect, please feel free to follow along and share your thoughts on Substack - artofcitizenry.substack.com

For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.

In episode 19 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet is joined by Anthony Enriquez, the VP of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at RFK Human Rights. Together, they discuss the complexities of immigration detention in the U.S., focusing on the financial motivations behind privatized detention centers, the historical shifts in immigration policy, and the role of race in shaping these policies. Anthony highlights the significant abuses occurring in detention centers and the need for advocacy and reform to address these issues. This conversation delves into the complex issues surrounding immigration detention centers, their economic impact on local communities, the evolving political narratives around immigration, and the structural challenges within immigration policy. It highlights the importance of local advocacy and the need for oversight and accountability in immigration detention practices, emphasizing the role of community-led movements in shaping a more just immigration system.

Meet Our Guest

Anthony Enriquez is the Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. He is an attorney working to reduce mass incarceration in the United States by exposing and stopping human rights abuses in the criminal legal and immigration systems. Anthony leads a team of advocates fighting in U.S. courts and international human rights mechanisms in solidarity with grassroots campaigns for accountability for state-sponsored racial discrimination, torture, and extrajudicial killings.

“Immigration detention is more than an immigrants' rights issue alone. The power we give to the U.S. government to inflict abuses on immigrants is inevitably used against citizens: from racial profiling to mass surveillance to prolonged civil detention and even deportation itself. The public funds we use to transform rural economies into private prison towns could have been used for investments in small businesses, manufacturing, and vocational and educational training instead of multi-million-dollar CEO salaries.”  

Take Action.

At this moment the safety of many is under threat. With much uncertainty, members of our communities are living in fear of what lies ahead. The current administration is attempting to fast-track deportations without due process and have already passed a series of executive orders that further push hardline immigration policies and threaten Constitutional rights. Moments like this demand our action. Now is the time to support the efforts of local grassroots organizations and immigration legal services. Also, take a moment to know your rights – regardless of status, you have rights under the U.S. Constitution. 

Resources

• ACLU Know Your Rights - Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them.
• Immigration Know Your Rights Resources - double-sided posters you can print out.
• National Immigration Legal Services Directory - Search for immigration legal services providers by state, county, or detention facility. Only nonprofit organizations that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services are included in this directory.
• Download & Print a Red Card - Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s Red Cards help immigrants exercise those rights and protect themselves in many situations, such as when immigration agents visit our homes. Available in 16 different languages.
• The National Immigration Project - a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members that litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those who are impacted by America’s immigration and criminal legal systems are supported.
• Know Your Rights: For Employers & Community Businesses - Workplace raids are a common immigration enforcement tactic, often targeting industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as agriculture and food service.
• Fact Sheet: A High-Level Analysis of Trump's First Executive Actions - An overview of day one executive orders impacting immigration policy.
• For Health Care Workers - ICE can now raid hospitals. Learn about your ethical obligation as a health care provider.

Grassroots Organizations

• La Resistencia is a grassroots organization led by undocumented immigrants and people of color who have been oppressed by the immigration enforcement system in Washington State.
• Global Rights Advocacy offers access to international human rights mechanisms through representation, reporting and education.
• Detention Watch Network brings together advocates to unify strategy, build partnerships and strengthen the movement to end immigration detention.
• Tsuru for Solidarity is a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to end detention sites and support front-line immigrant and refugee communities.
• Southeast Dignity Not Detention is a coalition composed of over 20 organizations in Louisiana with the goal to shut down all immigration detention centers.
• Justice for Migrant Families is a nonprofit agency that promotes justice for migrant families by providing support to individuals in the federal detention facility in Batavia, information and resources to families in the community, and advocacy both within and beyond the local community.
• South Brooklyn Sanctuary empowers New Yorkers to represent themselves in immigration court.

References to Dive Deeper

• End The Gain On Pain - Report exposes rampant abuse in Louisiana ICE detention facilities
• Conditions at NW Detention Center - UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) reports on the conditions at the NWIPC.
• Structural Due Process in Immigration Detention - Law Review article written by Anthony Enriquez referenced in this episode.
• Border & Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia

Thank You for Listening 

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For more, you can find the full show notes of every episode at https://www.artofcitizenry.com/episodes

Thank you to our producer, Aly Honoré, and editor, Noah Kowalski.

The music featured in the podcast was created by Katrina Zemrak.