Hitting Left

Hitting Left

By Klonsky brothers.Education
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Hitting Left episodes

  • With Flint Taylor.

    Joining Mike in the Lumpen Radio studio today is Flint Taylor. Flint is a founding partner of the People's Law Office in Chicago. His career has spanned more than five decades of legal resistance to state violence and police misconduct. Flint was part of the original legal team that investigated the assassination of Fred Hampton in 1969, and he's been at the forefront of exposing the Chicago Police Department's long history of torture, cover-ups, and racist abuse.

    59 min
  • With Floyd Webb and Fred Klonsky.

    Joining Mike in the studio this week is film maker Floyd Webb. Zooming in from Brooklyn is Fred Klonsky. A brief report on the New York mayoral race is followed by a discussion of the fight against Trump fascism and the role of the Arts in that fight. All this as Trump threatens a military occupation of Chicago and other cities with Black mayors.

    59 min
  • With Dick Flacks.
    On this edition of Hitting Left Mike is joined by legendary sociologist and veteran activist Dick Flacks, whose work has shaped generations of movement thinkers and doers. From SDS to Santa Barbara, Flacks is still asking what it means to make history—and how we do it together. Listen in for a conversation on radical scholarship, cultural resistance, and the unfinished business of democracy.
    1 hr
  • With Fred Klonsky

    Brother Fred joins Mike on this edition of Hitting Left. The brothers engage in a lively conversation about New York politics and the race for mayor now that Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and Muslim, has won the Democratic nomination.

    56 min
  • With Joanna Klonsky and Ray Long.

    Mike is joined in studio on this edition of Hitting Left by co-host Joanna Klonsky. Joanna is a political strategist and consultant. Also joining Mike is Ray Long, recently retired political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

    59 min
  • With two members of Chicago Jewish Voice for Peace, Benjamin Teller and Jimmy Rothschild.
    Joining Mike in the Hitting Left studio are two members of Chicago Jewish Voice for Peace, Benjamin Teller and Jimmy Rothschild. Jimmy Rothschild is a community organizer based in Chicago who's been active with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and other progressive Jewish organizations. Benjamin Teller is among six members of JVP Chicago who started an indefinite hunger strike on June 16, 2025, to protest the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
    1 hr
  • With Sarah Saheb and Lindsay Eanet.

    Joining Mike this episode of Hitting Left are labor organizer Sarah Saheb and writer Lindsay Eanet to discuss Trump's Big Ugly Budget, DOGE, and their impact on Chicago and elsewhere. They have both been on top the new assault on the living standards of poor and working families and cuts to social services here in Chicago and in cities around the country.

    58 min
  • With Ken Cloke.
    Joining Mike on this edition of Hitting Left is Ken Cloke. Ken is a renowned mediator, arbitrator, and expert in conflict resolution. As the Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution, Ken has spent decades navigating complex disputes, fostering dialogue, and advocating for transformative mediation practices. His work spans labor disputes, political conflicts, and community reconciliation, and he's the founder of Mediators Beyond Borders, dedicated to global peacebuilding. With a rich history in activism, dating back to his time at UC Berkeley, Ken brings a deep understanding of both movement politics and conflict resolution. We will be discussing mediation, neutrality, tyranny, and resistance—themes at the heart of his recent writings and ongoing work. How can mediation serve as a tool for social change in an era of heightened polarization?
    59 min
  • With Bill Ayers

    Joining Mike on this edition of Hitting Left is Bill Ayers, teacher, activist, and author. They discuss the current assault on academic freedom.

    59 min

About Hitting Left

From the publisher's feed

Each week brothers Mike and Fred Klonsky, bloggers and activists engage in conversation, often with in-studio guests. Topics may be local, national or international, but always with a Chicago…