Dismantling Injustice

In this episode of the Dismantling Injustice podcast, Carl sits down with Gabrielle Inès Souza, the executive director of the Okra Project, to discuss the needs of Black trans New Yorkers and the profound significance of mutual aid in bridging the gaps left by governmental and systemic failures. Gabrielle also shares the upcoming, exciting work of the Okra Project and reminds us why investing in Black trans joy (with no strings attached!) is critical to our personal and collective liberation.

Notes:

To learn more about The Okra Project visit https://www.theokraproject.com/.

Carl is joined by Rose Berry, Co-Director of the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project (BLMP), to discuss the intersection of Blackness, queerness, and migration. Rose shares the importance of centering and building power within this community to create a world where all Black LGBTQIA+ people are free and liberated. Learn how to support and learn more about BLMP's work, during Pride month and beyond!

Notes:

Learn more about BLMP by visiting their webpage and following them on social media at @OfficialBLMP!

We kick off our series for Pride Month with a captivating conversation with Kenyon Farrow, a writer, editor, strategist, activist and the Policy VP at Point Source Youth. Carl and Kenyon go BIG in this episode - tackling everything from the urgency of ending homelessness for LGBTQIA+ youth, to criticisms of gay marriage and the need for abolition. And together they try to answer the question: what is the meaning of Pride?

On this eye-opening episode of Dismantling Injustice, we dive into the impact of the NYPD gang database on the youth of NYC. Our special guest, Anthony Posada, Supervising Attorney at the Legal Aid Society's Community Justice Unit, reveals the inherent racism of this database, how social media is being weaponized by the NYPD and how you can support legislation to #EraseTheDatabase once and for all. 

This week on Dismantling Injustice, we talk to Aaliyah and Mike from Youth Represent, which uses a youth-driven approach to advocacy and peer education in addition to providing legal services. Prioritizing the voices of young people who have experience with criminalization is critical in the fight for youth justice in New York. Aaliyah, a passionate activist since her teens, shares why changing the criminal and juvenile justice systems has always been her priority. Mike explains how Youth Represent's comprehensive approach meets the diverse needs of young people impacted by the system. 

Notes: Visit https://youthrepresent.org/ to learn more about Youth Represent and support their work!

We kick off our series on youth justice with Professor Kristin Henning, activist, youth defender and author of The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. Professor Henning explains how and why America manufactured fear of Black children, how that fear feeds into criminalization today and the ways in which Black children are not allowed the same adolescence as white children. She shares solutions for moving forward and why we must all examine our biases toward Black youth. 

Notes: Order Professor Henning's book today at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623467/the-rage-of-innocence-by-kristin-henning/9781524748906?ref=PRH0A7A42D11B&aid=13521&linkid=PRH0A7A42D11B

On this episode of Dismantling Injustice, we are joined again by Zoë Adel, research & advocacy manager at Envision Freedom Fund, to update us on how New York state leaders passed a budget that includes a third round of changes to the bail laws that will undo the progress made towards pretrial freedom. Zoë breaks down the specifics of these changes and the human toll we can expect. As someone who has been fighting to expand pretrial freedom for many years, Zoë shares her insights on why setbacks like this one are not enough to derail continued organizing and advocacy. Listen to learn more.

Notes:

Check out our 7 Tips for Talking to Your Family & Friends About Bail Reform: https://envisionfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7-Tips.pdf

Envisionaries, we have a treat for you today! Carl sits down with NYC's Comptroller, Brad Lander, to discuss all things NYC budget. Comptroller Lander explains why providing migrants with resources helps all New Yorkers, how we get to the root of public safety issues (hint: it's not investing more in NYPD and DOC) and why you should testify at city council hearings. And finally, he answers the age-old question "How do you pronounce Comptroller?" 

Notes: Comptroller shouted out some of our favorite partner organizations, Freedom Agenda and VOCAL-NY! Visit their websites to learn more about their work: https://fa.urbanjustice.org/ and https://www.vocal-ny.org/

The New York State budget is already a week late and there's one thing holding it up - Governor Hochul's dangerous proposal to rollback bail reform for a third time. Envision Freedom's research & advocacy manager, Zoë Adel, joins the podcast to explain the history of bail reform in New York, the meaning and impact of the Governor's proposal and how you can step in to help save bail reform.  

Notes: Reach out to your legislators today and tell them to hold the line and protect bail reform using this Phone2Action Toolkit! p2a.co/odTjzAr

On this week's episode of Dismantling Injustice, Envision Freedom's communication manager, Julie Mente, steps in for Carl to continue unraveling the mystery of government budgets. Julie is joined by Gabriela Viera, senior advocacy manager at Detention Watch Network. They discuss the federal appropriation process - including Biden's proposed budget for the next fiscal year - and how they impact the rights and dignity of immigrants in the U.S. 

Notes:

To learn more about Detention Watch Network follow them at @detentionwatch and visit their website https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/.

Check out the Defund Hate Campaign at @defundhatecampaign and their website https://defundhatenow.org/.