Hitting Left

This week we talk about the issue of gun violence and then we turn to movies. The Oscars are coming up and The Black Panther is heading for a billion dollars at the box office. Dr. Kerns teaches film at Chicago's Columbia College and is an organizer of the Chicago Feminist Film Festival. Floyd Webb returns to our podcast. Floyd is an accomplished film maker, producer and writer of all things film. On the show he joins us in discussing the impact and the reaction to The Black Panther in the African American community.

Niketa Brar and Elizabeth Greer are school and community activists fighting to prevent the closing of the National Teachers Academy. Scott Smith is from the south side 19th Ward and a member of the Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative. Our conversations centers on school closings. We start out with talk about the tragedy of school shootings. 

Marijka Stoll fills us in on the protests by students, faculty and alumni at the University of Chicago over their invite to Steve Bannon. Bill Ayers and Crystal Laura talk about teaching, learning and unions and their book with Rick Ayers, You Can't Fire the Bad Ones, 18 myths about teachers, teacher unions and public education.

We don't usually broadcast on Wednesdays. But we did today and had a great conversation with Anne Shaw, attorney and candidate for the 4th State Representative on Chicago's north west side. Her dad knew Martin Luther King in Atlanta as a wrestling coach. Her dad, that is. Not Martin Luther King.

After some conversation about the week's events - Trump, Rahm, Stormy Daniels, Fairfax high school basketball - we turn to the story of Eddie Balchowsky. Eddie was a pre-mature anti-fascist, volunteer of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. 3,0000 American volunteers went to Spain to support the Republic fight against insurgent fascist generals backed by Hitler. Half came home. Eddie came home without an arm.

We talk about Paul Vallas. Or brother Michael does. Vallas has left everything he touches in shatters and now he wants to be Mayor of Chicago. Oy vey. Most of the hour is spent talking with Aaron Goldstein, 33rd Ward Democratic Party Committeeman and candidate for Illinois Attorney General. A real progressive.

On this episode of Hitting Left on the eve of the second Women's March, we welcome disabilities advocate and activist, Amber Smock.

Delia Ramirez, community activist, is running for state rep from the 4th district in Chicago's Humboldt Park. We talk Trump, what is a Progressive and her vision for equity.

CTU political organizer, radio commentator and now candidate for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Brandon Johnson, joins us for the third time on Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. What does the County Board do? Why is it important who sits on it. And how do political radicals and progressives use political office to build a street movement while creating a progressive governing coalition providing results to constituents? We talk about this and more.

Teacher, union activists and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Kenzo Shibata joins the Klonsky brothers for a wide-ranging conversation about politics in the Trump/Rauner era. And socialism as an alternative.