Core of the Matter

Matt Smith is the lead organizer of Food & Water Watch New Jersey. Smith discusses how community members in Edison just voted against a plan to privatize the town’s water and sewage system, becoming one of the first municipalities in the entire country to permanently ban water privatization. Smith also highlights how Piscataway will be voting on a citizens ordinance to get the town off of fossil fuels and onto 100 percent renewable energy. In addition to these campaigns, Smith also discusses the current statewide fights against new fossil fuel infrastructure projects, the importance of movement building, and getting more involved in organizations like Food & Water Watch and the Central Jersey Climate Coalition.

Tina Weishaus is on the steering committee of 350NJ, which is part of the Divest NJ Coalition, an alliance of environmental and community organizations that is organizing to get the New Jersey state pension plans to divest from fossil fuel investments. Weishaus spoke with James Boyle, highlighting the broader trends in the fossil fuel divestment movement and the global climate justice movement, along with how she got into climate activism. In addition to her work at 350NJ, Weishaus discussed her leadership at Sustainable Highland Park, which recently implemented a plastic bag ban in the borough. Weishaus noted the challenges that come with both community-based organizing and going up against large institutions like the state government. She also gave advice to listeners looking to start their own environmental initiatives in their communities.

Walter Herres is the founder and leader of SHILO (Supporting Homeless and Innovatively Loving Others). Herres discusses his own experiences as a formerly homeless person, as well as how he got into activism and started SHILO. He emphasizes the effectiveness of addressing homelessness from a human rights/social justice framework, rather than a charitable/philanthropic approach. In addition, some of the root causes of homelessness are analyzed, including a lack of support for public housing, bureaucratic discrimination, as well as a the diminishing of economic and social safety net structures in the larger society. Herres advises how Rutgers students and community members can get involved in SHILO and other local organizations working around homelessness.

James Boyle speaks with three representatives from the Rutgers chapter of American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT): Physics professor Troy Shinbrot, journalism and media studies professor Teresa Politano, and graduate assistant Soili Smith. The three discussed different structural issues at Rutgers that are affecting many faculty members, including the university's increasing exploitation of a contingent labor force in the form part-time lecturers, lack of diversity among faculty, unequal access to healthcare and benefits (especially for PTLs and TAs/GAs), and the over-funding of the athletics department at the expense of academics. In addition, they highlighted the importance of standing in solidarity in this fight, and informed students and community members how they can get involved and support the union.

James Boyle and Thevuni Athalage speak with two representatives from the Rutgers chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. They discuss the response to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's criticisms of AIPAC, the threats they've faced from other organizations on-campus, the problematic framing of a "two-state solution" in Palestine, and the growing movement calling for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against institutions perpetuating apartheid.

James Boyle speaks with Tate Potts and Olivia Wischmeyer of Rutgers USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) and End Assault at Rutgers. Potts and Wischmeyer discussed the work that USAS is doing on-campus, including their work around the Fight for $15 Movement. In addition, they addressed the backlash the organization has faced from administration, and the impact that this kind of response has had on the larger activism and social justice community at Rutgers. Potts and Wischmeyer also described the origins of End Assault at Rutgers, as well as the demands the coalition is making to fire Nabil Adam, an alleged rapist and administrator in the Rutgers Business School. End Assault is working to remove all harassers, rapists, and people complicit in the university, and institute systemic and structural changes that protect people and empower survivors.

Thevuni Athalage speaks with Rutgers political science professor Lisa Miller about her experience in politics and how the university can better empower students to get into politics. Miller touched upon the importance of engaging with voters beyond election cycles and conducting regular outreach efforts in order to better understand the needs and desires of community members. She highlighted that students with degrees that are seen as outside of the political sphere may actually play important roles on campaigns and shaping public policy.