From Below Podcast

We are continuing to mirror Black Autonomy Podcast on our feed ... This episode of Black Autonomy discusses building a poor people's survival movement to mobilize the multi-racial masses of working class and poor people around immediate needs while building towards revolution. 

JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation.

Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party.

This podcast is produced by a collaboration between writer William C. Anderson (@williamcson) and members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation (@BRRN_Fed).

Artwork by Third Aye (@Thirdayetheory). Introduction music is an instrumental version of "Song 33" by Noname. Interlude music is "I Used to Love Hip-Hop" by Audiobinger.

From Below podcast will continue to mirror episodes of the Black Autonomy podcast ... Dual power can be explained as the building of a transitional program for political, social, and economic transformation. It creates survival programs to oppose state power and creates a new type of autonomous public sector when the state fails the people. This is how to go beyond protest to building an anarchist societal infrastructure. 

JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation.

Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party.

This podcast is produced by a collaboration between writer William C. Anderson (@williamcson) and members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation (@BRRN_Fed).

Artwork by Third Aye (@Thirdayetheory). Introduction music is an instrumental version of Song 33 by Noname.

A special announcement From Below Below listeners! We apologize for our absence but we are back with a new and exciting collaboration project, Black Autonomy Podcast, which will host discussions on the intersection of anarchism and black liberation movements. Our comrade Ambar introduces the series which we will be mirroring here on our feed but be sure to subscribe using these links:

In this premier episode of Black Autonomy Podcast, JoNina and Lorenzo introduce the podcast and discuss elections, the Democratic Party, political power in Black politics, proposing direct democracy as an alternative. 

JoNina Abron-Ervin is a former editor of The Black Panther newspaper, author of Driven by the Movement: Activists of the Black Power Era, and a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation.

Lorenzo Komboa Ervin is the author of Anarchism and the Black Revolution, a co-founder of the Black Autonomy Federation, and a former member of the Black Panther Party.

This podcast is produced by a collaboration between writer William C. Anderson (@williamcson) and members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation (@BRRN_Fed). Introduction music is an instrumental version of Song 33 by Noname.

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This episode features an interview with Warren McGregor, an activist born in the townships of the Cape Flats and now a resident in Johannesburg where he is involved in working class and union education and a member of the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF). The interview offers an overview of the post-apartheid political landscape and details the current state of social movements and the labor movement under two decades of neo-liberal rule by the ANC. Warren also discusses the work and political influences of the ZACF. 

Related links:

Livestream: International Panel Discussion on Covid-19 - An international panel of anarchist organizations focused on the response to Covid-19 which Warren is featured.

Interview: Building Black Working Class Counter-Power in South Africa

Elections and Class Struggle in South Africa: The Question of State Power and the Anarchist Response

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front

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Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can also help us reach more listeners by leaving us a positive review on iTunes.

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Welcome to a special episode on COVID-19 where hosts Pedro and Markie discuss how the outbreak and resulting social crisis is effecting working class people's lives and the way that people are fighting back. This Episode was recorded on the last week of March. If you are looking for resources on tenant organizing and how to organize a rent strike see our Recommended Rent Strike Resources.

Lifting the Mask of Capitalist Disaster: The Coronavirus Response

Coronavirus Stories: Crisis, Response, Resistance

Coronavirus Sparks Wave of Walkouts and Wildcats

Also, be sure to check out Quarantine Livestream!, a new series of live webinar panels hosted by Black Rose / Rosa Negra. The first session April 10th will be a panel of tenant organizers, the second will be April 11th featuring a panel of a half dozen anarchist-communist organization speaking to the impact of COVID-19.

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This special episode features excerpts from a panel on Anarchism and Black Struggle hosted in conjunction with the 2019 national convention of Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation held in Champaign–Urbana, IL. The panelists featured are Servio in Providence, RI, Ambar in Miami, FL and Marvin in Little Rock, Arkansas who are members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra. 

This is a condensed version so be sure to check out our YouTube channel for the full video including an additional speaker on the 2019 uprising in Sudan.

We also recommend reading our Black Anarchism reader which highlights fourteen historical and contemporary writings by Black anarchists and is available for free download.

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Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can also help us reach more listeners by leaving us a positive review on iTunes.

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In this episode we look at neighborhood based tenant organizing with what is easily described as the leading tenant organization in the U.S., the Los Angeles Tenants Union. LATU describes itself as an "autonomous housing movement" and is organized through a dozen assembly based neighborhood chapters. They are intentionally not organized as a non-profit, do not have paid staff, and are funded by member dues. The group has helped lead numerous rent strikes and fights around housing, and spearheads the Autonomous Tenant Union Network of similar tenants led organizing projects across the U.S.

The interview was conducted by Markie with Chrysanthe, an integrating member of Black Rosa/Rosa Negra who is active with the VyBe or Vermont Beverly neighborhood local.

Related Links and Resources:

 Los Angeles Tenants Union

"These Tenants Are Leading the Largest Rent Strike in LA History," The Nation

L.A.'s Class Struggle Looks Like This: The Tenants Movement

Resources on Tenant Organizing, Housing and Gentrification

UPDATE 2: The initial version we released accidentally left out certain portions of audio and our updated episode had a new but small issue. Our editing team had some extra challenges working on this long episode with three different interviewees - thanks for your patience and we've corrected all the issues. Enjoy!

In the second of our two part series we return with guests Mark, Miranda and Tanya to discuss the April 2018 rebellion in Nicaragua. In this episode we go into more depth on the movement itself and respond to various narratives on the left on Sandinista leader and Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega.    

Mark is from the primarily indigenous and Black Atlantic/Caribbean coast region of Nicaragua and has deep family ties to the Sandinista movement. Miranda lives back and forth between the US and Nicaragua and was a student in Managua during the rebellion and authored several pieces about his direct participation. Tanya is a Los Angeles based artist, photographer, and member of Black Rose/Rosa Negra, who comes from a Sandinista family. 

Listen for update at the end of the episode where we mention our upcoming content for 2020. The From Below Podcast collective would like to thank our listeners and everyone who supported our show as we launched in 2019. 

 Links and resources:

Between Rum and Bullets podcast with Mark and Miranda

NEW: Nicaragua Encachimbada: A Popular Uprising by Cristina Awadalla

NEW: One Year Later: Reflections on the Nicaraguan Uprising by Tanya HF and Mark A.

Recent events:

Siege of Nicaragua's Catholic Cathedral Eases as Hunger Strikers Leave - Nov 19, 2019

Recommend background articles:

One Million Hands Flourishing: Nicaragua and the Neverending Task of Planting by Tanya H.F.

It's No Longer About Social Security: Inside the Nicaraguan Student Protests by Miranda

Capitalist Development in Nicaragua and the Mirage of the Left by William I. Robinson Women in the Revolution: The Forgotten History of Las Sandinistas by La Virgen

The Sandinista Labor Paradox by Jonah Walters, NACLA

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In this first of a two part series we interview three guests looking at the recent rebellion in Nicaragua which began in April 2018 as a series of student protests in the capital of Managua and snowballed into a several month nationwide rebellion. Our three guests are either Nicaraguan or Nicaraguan-American and each share their different insights on the rebellion. 

Mark is from the primarily indigenous and Black Atlantic/Caribbean coast region of Nicaragua and has deep family ties to the Sandinista movement. Miranda lives back and forth between the US and Nicaragua and was a student in Managua during the rebellion and authored several pieces about his direct participation. Tanya is a Los Angeles based artist, photographer, and member of Black Rose/Rosa Negra, who comes from a Sandinista family. 

Part two of this interview will be released in two weeks. We apologize for the delay in releasing these episodes and wanted to thank everyone for their support and patience. We have some great content lined up to kick off 2020. 

Links and resources:

Between Rum and Bullets podcast with Mark and Miranda

Recent events:

Siege of Nicaragua's Catholic Cathedral Eases as Hunger Strikers Leave - Nov 19, 2019

Recommend background articles:

One Million Hands Flourishing: Nicaragua and the Neverending Task of Planting by Tanya H.F.

It's No Longer About Social Security: Inside the Nicaraguan Student Protests by Miranda

Capitalist Development in Nicaragua and the Mirage of the Left by William I. RobinsonWomen in the Revolution: The Forgotten History of Las Sandinistas by La Virgen

The Sandinista Labor Paradox by Jonah Walters, NACLA

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Help spread the word by telling your friends, comrades, and co-workers about our show. You can also help us reach more listeners by leaving us a positive review on iTunes.

For more on From Below Podcast, or to share your thoughts, visit our website: www.frombelowpodcast.com

Sign-up for our email list for episode announcements.

Connect with us on social media: Facebook or Twitter

In this episode we take a deep dive into the challenges of tenant organizing in the heart of capitalist Silicon Valley. In the first in-depth coverage of the campaign we interview former local journalist Daniel DeBolt who played a key role with the Mountain View Tenants Coalition. Skyrocketing rents and mass displacement led to a coalition of renters and allies to wage a bitter battle against well funded landlords and a hostile city council to pass a rent control ballot measure that also rolled back rents for thousands of tenants. 

In the post interview commentary, hosts Markie and Pedro relate this to broader conversations around organizing and struggles over displacement in the Bay Area and Los Angeles - including Prop 10, a failed ballot measure in California that sought to repeal state restrictions on local cities enacting rent control. 

Related Links and Resources:

Slideshow presentation on the Measure V campaign with timeline and photos 

Learn more on the Mountain View Tenants Coalition and the Los Angeles Tenants Union

"Why Non-Profits Can't Lead the 99%" by Warren Marr

"From Reform to Revolution" by Ian Martin in the collection "An Anarchist Reader, For Effective Organising" by Zabalaza Books

We highly recommend the collection "Resources on Housing, Tenant Organizing and Gentrification" on the Black Rose/Rosa Negra blog with analysis on gentrification and rent control, interviews with organizers, organizing manuals and resources, models of socialized housing and more.  

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