Block & Build

Cayden is joined first by Publisher for The Forge, Miski Noor and Senior Director of Strategy and co-founder of The Action Lab, Andrew Friedman. We’ll be discussing their recently co-published report on organizing toward progressive power titled The Power to Win Report. Then I’ll be joined by interim Executive Director of the Kairos Fellowship, Jacky Brooks to talk about the ways big tech works to disrupt progressive and left organizing and the User Error series of reports provided by Kairos to teach organizers what to watch out for and how we fight back.

Other links

Support Convergence

On the show this week, Cayden is joined by Sandra Tamari, Executive Director of Adalah Justice Project, and Ramah Kudaimi, who is the Director of Crescendo at the Action Center on Race and the Economy, to discuss their new research project, Genocide Gentry, which exposes the intimate links between war profiteers and many prominent educational, cultural, and other institutions across the US.

Then, investigative journalist Jen Byers joins to discuss her reporting on the criminal cases being brought against a movement journalist in the Pacific Northwest for covering anti-fascist activists.

Resources from today's show

Support Convergence

In this episode we explore how far-right extremists and neo-Nazis strategically infiltrate small communities, like Springfield, Ohio, and leverage hateful rumors in and about the community. Since JD Vance and Donald Trump brought those rumors and lies to a national stage this week, these groups have celebrated their contribution to the story's ascendance to mainstream discourse as a top GOP talking point.

To learn more about these groups and their activity in Springfield, Cayden is joined by security expert Kate Ross (@kate_ross_), whose research on anti-government and racially motivated violent extremists has led her to study the activities of extremist groups in Springfield, Ohio for the past several months. Their activities have culminated in this week's viral, racist lies about Haitian migrants which Donald Trump amplified to millions of viewers in this week’s Presidential debate.

Resources from today's episode:

The Haitian Times - White supremacist’s “warning” against Haitians in Ohio triggers fear and calls for action

Haitian Bridge Alliance

Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence

Executive Director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Chris Melody Fields Figueredo joins to discuss the critical work our movements are undertaking this year to move ballot initiatives state-by-state, and how direct democracy can be a specific antidote to legislative gridlock.

Then our print editor, Marcy Rein, recently interviewed Florida Rising’s Campaign Director Ivanna Gonzalez, who is helping lead the campaign for Amendment 4 in Florida to restore abortion rights and healthcare access in the state, to show us what state ballot initiative strategy looks like in action.

On the show today, Cayden is joined by the Director of Civic Engagement and Leadership Development at the Murphy Institute at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Dr. Alethia Jones. Next week, Dr. Jones and her colleagues are hosting a free, one-day conference focused on the task of block & build in the current period. Convergence Magazine Board Chair Max Elbaum is a featured guest at the event. Dr. Jones provides a preview of the upcoming gathering, as well the story of her life and work as a scholar, teacher, and writer in the labor movement.

Learn more about the September 6th event: Ensuring Democracy's Future

As expected, this week's Democratic National Convention saw a variety of protests on the streets outside, mostly from groups demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza. Inside the convention, delegates in the Uncommitted Movement pressed their demand that a Palestinian be allowed to deliver a vetted speech from the main stage. The Democrats turned them down--so they sat in overnight on the sidewalk in front of the convention hall. They may not have been on the program, but the movement's voice was heard, and will continue to be.

Mother Jones ran the speech that Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, who is Palestinian American, intended to deliver. You can read it here.

This week Cayden is joined by the Executive Director of Court Accountability, Alex Aronson (@alexaronson), to dive deeper into the right-wing capture of the courts and what we can do about it. Before that, Jacobin staff writer and journalist Branko Marcetic (@BMarchetich) joins to discuss his research for In These Times into how AIPAC spends its money.

This week, Kamala Harris surprised many by choosing the most progressive pick on her "veep-stakes" short list, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Excitement and momentum on the left didn't last long as many are critiquing Harris' response to protestors in the crowd at a Michigan rally in which she equated their protests to stop the genocide in Gaza as a vote for Donald Trump. Joining the show to discuss the Uncommitted National Movement, which organized earlier this year to earn 30 uncommitted delegates at the Democratic National Convention later this month demanding ceasefire in Gaza, are Layla Elabed and Elianne Farhat.

Before that, Cayden is joined by Executive Director of Seed the Vote, Emily Lee, to discuss the importance of continuing the work of progressive electoral ground game and deep canvassing around the country through the remaining months of this election season. And we take a ride along the campaign trail with a feature of one of Seed the Vote's ground game canvassers in St. Louis, who spent the past few months working to re-elect Cori Bush.

In another historic news week, President Joe Biden forfeited his upcoming nomination as the Democratic Party's candidate for President, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. An immediate cascade of endorsements by other major Democratic Party figures followed, and Harris gathered enough delegate pledges to make her the party's presumptive nominee. Organizing energy surged; we saw a blizzard of social media memes from supporters and trolls alike. Cayden provides some analysis on how left organizers and movements might approach this moment and how we should think about the presidential nominee and election.

Then Hegemonicon podcast host William Lawrence joins to discuss and preview the show's upcoming season, which will focus on left internationalism.

Subscribe to Hegemonicon now to hear the first episode of Season 2 when it premieres on Tuesday, July 30th.

Support this show and others like it by becoming a member at convergencemag.com/donate

Contact us at [email protected]

After the mass-shooting, assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last Saturday, the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee continued as scheduled. Truthout.org news writer Chris Walker (@chriswalker) was on the ground in Milwaukee this week. He shares some of his reporting on the event—especially the heavy imprint of the Heritage Foundation—and on the protests around downtown Milwaukee that most media simply ignored. 

Then 22nd Century Initiative Deputy Director Sue Hyde joins us to discuss the launch of the Anti-Authoritarian Podcast, a new project produced by Convergence and co-hosted by her and Scot Nakagawa.

You can subscribe to the Anti-Authoritarian Podcast and listen to the trailer now on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts.