Groundings

[RECORDED MARCH 27, 2026]

Arlene Eisen joins us to talk about her book In the Worldwide Family of Militant Women (Iskra Books), which she describes as a social history of the 1960s through the early 1980s, tracing her political journey through movements shaped by Black liberation and Vietnam.

We discuss her time with revolutionaries in places like Peru, Cuba, and Vietnam; radical trade union organizing among Indigenous peasants, and an encouraging encounter with Malcolm X at a Harlem rent-strike meeting. She discusses helping found an SDS chapter at Cornell, her work with The Movement newspaper as a Bay Area link between Black liberation struggles and the white New Left, and reporting on revolutionary figures from Cuba like Haydée Santamaría. Arelene argues for a global anti-imperialist women's movement, and emphasizes clarity on imperialism, internationalism, humility, and lifelong struggle.

Purchase a copy of her book or download the free PDF

Find 'The Movement' newspaper at Freedom Archives

Intro song: Move On Over by Len Chandler (1965)

Outro song: Attica Blues by Archie Shepp (1972)

05:13 Arlene Introduces the Book

[RECORDED NOVEMBER 2025] 

Dr. Paris & Dr. Clare join Groundings to discuss:

Part 1 focuses on healthcare domestically, while Part 2 will focus on healthcare internationally. 

Audio heard:

Full speech: Fidel Castro 'Medicos no Bombas' in Buenos Aires (2003)

Cam James: The Fight for Reproductive Rights

About:

Candi Miller

Amber Thurman 

Adriana Smith

Zellie Imani joins the Groundings Podcast and defines “harm reduction” - and how it shows up in the community organizing work of his organization, Black Lives Matter Paterson, in New Jersey. He dispels the mainstream misunderstanding of harm reduction as a voting practice, some of the major stigma they fight to keep people alive, and re-commits to the origins of harm reduction: a community practice in situations that manifest from contradictions of capitalism. Zellie provides listeners with lessons and experiences that can be learned from, and discusses the Paterson mutual aid and harm reduction model for how to practice community-rooted organizing to provide material support. 

Learn more about and support BLM Paterson and their mutual aid work [Learn Here]

Support the Groundings Podcast on Patreon [Support Here]

Dr. Orisanmi Burton discusses his book “Tip of the Spear”, defining counter-insurgency and describing the prisoner struggle in what he calls the “Long Attica Revolt.” The conversation highlights how prison reform has been used as a tactic to defang the radical demands of those captured at the same time pacifying non-politicized prisoners and the ways that political prisoners maneuver through co-optation. Tip of the Spear is a counter-narrative to the popular histories of the Attica Revolt, situating it in the Black Liberation struggle taking place inside and outside prison walls, before, during, and beyond Attica. 

Purchase: Tip of the Spear [Purchase Here]

Support the Groundings Podcast on Patreon [Support Here]

Dr. Augustus Wood discusses his book "Class Warfare in Black Atlanta," defining class warfare and the “Black worker,” arguing gentrification is tied to labor, policing, surveillance, and repression, and criticizing the idea that gentrification equals development. The conversation highlights the role of Black women in grassroots struggles, the impact of the Olympics and metro-area displacement, and Wood’s use of radical newspapers and archives to tell the story from working-class perspectives.

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Purchase: Class Warfare In Black Atlanta [Purchase Here]

Support the Groundings Podcast on Patreon [Support Here]

January 12, 2026 - In this broadcast, hosts Leyla, Musa, and taylor discussed the ways capitalist media is weaponized as propaganda in support of imperial interests. Using Michael Parenti's framework from Inventing Reality as a key framework, the hosts analyzed current events to discern how media tactics are being deployed in coverage of US aggression across the Global South. 

We cover 5 mechanisms colonial media uses to promote imperialist propaganda: (1) Stenographer for the State, (2) Selective Reporting, (3) Active vs Passive Language, (4) Dehumanizing Reporting, and (5) Information Control.

You can find the helpful "Don't Be A Copagandist!" resource at: https://www.interruptingcriminalization.com/projects-all/dont-be-a-copagandist-series

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Revolutionary African Perspectives (RAP) is a public affairs program on WRFG 89.3 Atlanta. Broadcasting politics, community, and revolutionary analysis every Monday 7-8 PM ET.  The show features guests ranging from cultural workers, political organizers, authors, and community members covering local, national, and international news. The hosts provide fresh and critical perspectives on the politics affecting the everyday lives of Black/African people. 

RAP was originally founded by former WRFG airshifter, longtime activist and cultural worker Sobukwe Shukura, in 2002. 

Listen live or check out old RAP episodes at: WRFG.ORG/RAP

In this broadcast, co-hosts taylor, Leyla, and Dartricia discuss the ongoing Atlanta city council elections and the theft of the Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum in France. They are joined by guest Dr. Akinyele Umoja to talk about the book he co-edited, The Memoirs of Robert and Mabel Williams: African American Freedom, Armed Resistance, and International Solidarity. 

They cover topics such as the Williams’ political and personal lives, and their exile in Cuba and China. The collaboration it took to bring this book the fruition and propaganda as a tool for liberation. They also talk about armed self-defense and the people involved in that movement during the Civil Rights Movement. 

To view a list of past programs, visit: https://wrfg.org/show/rap/

In this broadcast, co-hosts Dartricia and Musa give a history of the New Jewel Movement and the Grenada Revolution and the U.S. Invasion and overthrow in 1983 under the Reagan Administration. The discussion includes wins of revolution including a powerful literacy campaign, better healthcare, and the construction of an airport. 

They also make connections to the U.S. Monroe Doctrine and U.S. imperialism across the Caribbean and Latin America including Nicaragua, Guatamala, and Haiti. The show includes an inciting speech give by former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop. 

To view a list of past programs, visit: https://wrfg.org/show/rap/

We explore the historical strategies of black radicals to resist repression, the evolution of fascism and what it means today, and the importance of mutual comradeship in sustaining movements. The discussion includes an analysis of where anti-communism and anti-Blackness intersect, the Biden administration's role in facilitating repression, the historical context of fascistic practices in the U.S., and the global implications of labeling resistance movements as 'terrorist.' The conversation also touches upon the neglected histories of colonial fascism in places like Namibia.

00:00 Crackdown on Foreign Students Supporting Terrorism

01:09 Domestic Terrorism Charges and High-Profile Cases

01:40 Controversial Arrests and Accusations of Terrorism

02:18 US Government's Stance on Terrorism

02:58 Debates on Innocence and Terrorism in Gaza

04:57 US Counterterrorism Policies and Global Impact

11:15 Repression of Black and Palestinian Resistance

18:34 Introduction to Groundings Podcast

20:20 Discussion on Black Scare and Red Scare

22:58 US Capitalist Racist Society Explained

32:05 True Americanism and Marginalization

43:09 Legacy of Black Scare and Red Scare

49:25 Intersection of Palestinian and Black Resistance

50:27 The Rise of Domestic Terrorism

51:57 The 1979 Turning Point

52:49 The Evolution of Terrorism Discourse

57:32 Anti-Communism as Governance

01:03:07 Believing Our Own Analysis

01:07:09 Defining Fascism and Its Implications

01:19:07 Strategies of Black Radical Resistance

01:23:05 Mutual Comradeship in Revolutionary Organizing

01:27:49 Closing Remarks and Shoutouts

In this episode of Groundings, we talk to guest Erica about the Stono Rebellion. We commemorate the rebellion on its anniversary, explore the harsh conditions faced by our enslaved African ancestors in colonial South Carolina, and their struggle for freedom. Erica provides insights into the role of heritage interpretation, the impact of African cultural retention, and the drastic shifts in laws and slavery practices following the mass rebellion, such as the Negro Act of 1740. 

The episode underscores the importance of reclaiming and teaching this history to understand ongoing struggles for African American liberation, and to understand the importance of studying and honoring African uprisings across our diaspora. 

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Follow: Find more from Erica [Follow Here]

Support the Groundings Podcast on Patreon [Support Here]

Support: Lowcountry Action Committee [Follow Here]

Follow: Black & Brown Interpreters Network [Follow Here]

Song: "I Remember, I Believe" by Sweet Honey In The Rock [Listen Here]

Speech: Malcolm X, "We Are Africans" [Watch Here]

Poem: "The Language Poem" by Obi Egbuna Jr. [Watch Here]

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00:00 - Song & Introduction 

03:52 - Meet Erica: Community Organizer and Heritage Interpreter

05:57 - The Role of Heritage Interpreters

09:34 - Historical Context of the Stono Rebellion

10:09 - Catalysts and Conditions Leading to the Rebellion

18:42 - Risks and Consequences of the Uprising

22:48 - Cultural Retention and African Ancestry

35:23 - Timeline of Events of the Stono Rebellion

35:54  - The March Southward and Encounters and Resistance

41:22 - Legal Repercussions: The Negro Acts of 1740

44:44 - Mulatto Class and Social Dynamics

51:52 - Commemoration and Erasure of the Stono Rebellion

01:00:14 - Closing Thoughts and Reflections