KPFA - Hard Knock Radio

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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On today’s show, we mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with journalist and organizer Jordan Flaherty.

Flaherty, who has reported extensively from New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast, reflects on the storm’s devastating impact and the decades-long struggle for recovery and justice that followed. We look at how communities—especially Black, working-class, and immigrant residents—fought to survive displacement, systemic neglect, and the privatization of public resources in the aftermath.

Two decades later, the lessons of Katrina remain urgent. From climate disasters to housing insecurity and government abandonment, Flaherty helps us connect the ongoing crises of today to the movement stories and survival strategies born out of Katrina’s aftermath.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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Today on Hard Knock Radio we bring you a special edition of Rootwork on KPFK, Thandi Chimurenga of Black Liberation Media sat down with Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson to discuss bold strategies for grassroots survival and resistance. Part of the ongoing Build and Fight Formula series, their conversation explored the urgency of self-defense in the face of rising authoritarianism.

Akuno urged listeners to think critically about recent executive actions taken by President Trump—moves that critics warn signal an alarming expansion of federal power. These include:

National Guard federalization: On August 25, 2025, Trump signed an executive order creating specialized National Guard units to address “civil disturbances.” Unlike traditional deployments requiring governor approval, these units can now be activated directly by the president and the secretary of defense. Critics argue this circumvents the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of federal troops for domestic policing.

Military deployment for immigration enforcement: In June 2025, Trump authorized the use of both National Guard and active-duty troops to protect ICE facilities and personnel from protestors—an unprecedented and controversial expansion of military involvement in civilian affairs.

ICE budget windfall: A Republican-led Congress passed a massive immigration and border enforcement spending bill, allocating $160 billion to ICE, dramatically expanding its resources and reach.

Organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice and People’s World have described these actions as part of an authoritarian “playbook”—not the creation of a separate military force, but the political misuse of existing institutions under legally ambiguous authority.

This conversation situates these developments within a broader strategy of grassroots resistance, offering listeners tools to analyze and confront state repression in this moment of deepening crisis.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA 94.1 FM (airs weekdays 4–5 pm), hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson. As a community-supported station, KPFA operates without corporate underwriting, keeping the focus on people-powered media.

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On Hard Knock Radio, Davey D sat down with Oakland boxing coach and community leader Dalia “La Pantera” Gomez, known affectionately as Coach G. The conversation highlighted her grassroots boxing and wellness program at San Antonio Park, which has become a vital hub for young people and families.

Coach G reflected on her upbringing in Oxnard, where parks provided sanctuary and shaped her love for sports. That experience inspired her to keep her program outdoors, even when kids asked about moving into a gym. For her, being in nature teaches resilience, builds community, and keeps youth connected to traditions often lost in today’s screen-dominated culture.

She and Davey D critiqued the privatization of youth sports, where families are pressured to pay thousands for elite leagues. Coach G argued that capitalism and the “rat race” have replaced community values with profit-driven models, shutting out those without resources. Her free and low-cost training stands as a counterbalance, offering not only boxing but also health education and connections to programs like Homies Empowerment.

The two also discussed challenges working within city parks, where community-led improvements have often been blocked by bureaucracy and red tape. Despite the obstacles, Gomez emphasized the importance of collective care, noting how neighbors came together to provide tents, equipment, and other support when the city would not.

Coach G also celebrated the rise of women in boxing, citing events like Beautiful Brawlers and pioneers such as Martha Salazar and Blanca Gutierrez. As one of only a handful of female coaches in the Bay, she highlighted the detail-oriented approach women bring to the sport.

Beyond boxing, Gomez promotes wellness through nutrition, mocktails, and community fundraisers, framing her work as a pathway to strength, self-knowledge, and collective empowerment.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Fighting for Community: Boxing, Collective Care, and Wellness Movement in Oakland appeared first on KPFA.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Hard Knock Radio – August 25, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s program, Thandisiwe Chimurenga hosts a conversation with Dylan Rodríguez, scholar, teacher, and longtime organizer. Rodríguez has been a professor at the University of California, Riverside since 2001, where he teaches in the Department of Black Study. His work interrogates state violence, policing, and the carceral system while amplifying collective strategies of resistance and liberation. Together, Chimurenga and Rodríguez reflect on navigating U.S. politics in the age of Trump, unpack the failures of both the Republican and Democratic parties, examine the dangers of clinging to a two-party system, and explore pathways for organizing, resistance, and building power beyond establishment politics.

We begin with news from New York, where State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani recently secured a key victory in the New York City elections—signaling the growing influence of progressive politics at both local and national levels.

Later in the program, we turn to Poor News Network (PNN), a grassroots, poor-people-led media, education, and art project based in Oakland. Through storytelling, reporting, and cultural work, PNN lifts up the voices of unhoused and low-income communities while exposing what they call “Amerikkka’s war on the poor.” Their work challenges corporate media narratives and highlights survival, resistance, and resilience from the ground up.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Progressive Victories and America’s War on the Poor appeared first on KPFA.

Fighting Back Against Censorship

On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with Emerson Sykes, senior staff attorney at the ACLU, to unpack the growing wave of book bans and attacks on free speech sweeping across the U.S. The conversation spotlights the federal governments removal of nearly 600 books”includingCant Stop Wont Stop: Young Adult Edition, co-authored by Davey D and Jeff Chang”from Department of Defense-run school libraries.

The Bigger Picture

Sykes draws a direct line between executive orders issued by the Trump administration and an aggressive purge of materials deemed connected to DEI, gender identity, and so-called divisive concepts. He explains how keyword searches”rather than thoughtful review”were used to yank hundreds of titles from circulation, many centering women, LGBTQ voices, and communities of color.

Free Speech Under Siege

Sykes outlines how the ACLU differentiates between broad ideas of free expression and the legal scope of First Amendment protections. He underscores that the First Amendment shields private speech from government censorship”not private moderation by platforms like Twitter. The current censorship campaign, he argues, is a clear violation of constitutional rights and part of a broader authoritarian push to whitewash history and suppress dissent.

Court Battles & Legal Strategy

The ACLU has successfully challenged similar laws in states like Florida and New Hampshire, particularly where public universities faced restrictions on curriculum. Sykes details how the federal government, in the current case, is arguing that it has unchecked authority to pull any material in the name of compliance with the Commander-in-Chief”a stance the courts have not yet upheld.

What’s at Stake

Davey D and Sykes explore how legal definitions”like those attempting to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism”could pave the way for dangerous precedents that criminalize dissent. They warn that the broader implications could extend to banning speech critical of police, the military, or U.S. institutions under the guise of protecting certain groups.

Call to Action

Sykes urges listeners to stay vigilant in their communities”whether in schools, workplaces, or local governments. He stresses the importance of pushing back on censorship at the local level and supporting organizations that are fighting for civil liberties nationwide.

Later Mumia Abu-Jamal discusses the murder of Anas Al-Sharif, a Palestinian journalist working for Al Jazeera, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on a media tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post ACLUs Emerson Sykes on Book Bans, Free Speech, and Government Overreach (Encore) appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, we begin with Frankie Ramos, Director of Campaigns and Organizing at CURYJ (Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice), joined by Mike Muscadine, Community Peace Manager. They share details about this Saturday’s Town Nights event, themed “Fresh for School.” The gathering continues CURYJ’s work to build safety through community, not punishment, with resources, performances, and back-to-school support for local youth.

In the second half, we hear from journalist, author, and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who joins host Kalonji Changa in a wide-ranging conversation recorded by Black Power Media. Marking 40 years since his imprisonment, Abu-Jamal speaks on his health, reflections on movement building in the wake of George Floyd, and the role of revolutionary journalism in amplifying the voices of the people. His words call us to unity, resistance, and renewed commitment to the struggle for freedom.

Together, these conversations highlight the spirit of resilience and organizing that fuels movements for justice—from Oakland’s streets to prison cells across the nation.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Fresh for School and Free Them All: CURYJ’s Town Nights & Mumia Abu-Jamal Speaks appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, author and activist Kalonji Changa fills in for Davey D to speak with poet, activist, and New Orleans native Sunni Patterson, reflecting on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. On August 29, 2005, Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding, widespread destruction, and claiming the lives of over 1,800 people. The storm exposed not only the vulnerabilities of the levee system—which Patterson notes were intentionally breached—but also the deep racial, social, and economic inequities that left Black and low-income communities disproportionately affected.

In the immediate aftermath, reports emerged of armed militia groups forming in certain neighborhoods, including Algiers Point, a predominantly white area, where residents set up barricades and guard posts and used violence against people they perceived as looters. Democracy Now! reported that this group was accused of shooting at least eleven African American men, while local police failed to investigate. Meanwhile, federal response efforts faltered, and FEMA’s failures left many evacuees without support. Patterson recalls finding help and solidarity not from government agencies, but through community networks while evacuating to Houston, and she reflects on her return to New Orleans, the struggles around property recovery, and the long, uneven process of rebuilding.

Two decades later, we revisit Katrina’s enduring impact: the mass displacement of residents, the dismantling of public housing and schools, the gentrification that reshaped the city, and the ongoing trauma carried by survivors. Patterson and Changa examine the political dimensions of the disaster—how government neglect, delayed rescue efforts, and failed recovery policies turned a natural disaster into a man-made catastrophe.

This conversation is not only about remembering loss, but about honoring resilience, exposing systemic and state violence, and highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice in the aftermath of one of the most politically charged disasters in U.S. history.

Kalonji Jama Changa is a seasoned organizer who has worked on various social justice fronts. Kalonji is founder of the anti imperialist organization FTP Movement and the multimedia platform Black Power Media. He is an author and filmmaker and is currently working with veteran freedom fighters to build a United Front Against Fascism.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Katrina 20 Years Later: The Storm, the State, and the Struggle appeared first on KPFA.

On today’s show, we turn our attention to Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels. The United Nations has declared a stage 5 famine, and leading human rights organizations, along with genocide scholars, have nearly unanimously recognized Israel’s assault on Palestinians as genocide.

Here in California, state lawmakers are advancing AB 715 — legislation aimed at stifling criticism of Israel at a time when public opinion overwhelmingly opposes its military actions. As the legislature returns to session, the fight over AB 715 raises urgent questions about free speech, political dissent, and the right to stand in solidarity with Palestinians.

Host Anita Johnson speaks with Mohamed Shehk, Organizing Director for the Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC), about the realities on the ground in Gaza, the motivations behind AB 715, and the growing movement to oppose it.

We’ll also hear from political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal on the killing of Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif by the Israeli military. Al Jazeera reported that Al-Sharif, one of Gaza’s most prominent journalists, was killed along with four staff members in a targeted airstrike. Mumia will also share commentary on the importance of Black August, an annual commemoration that spans the entire month of August. Black August honors Black political prisoners and the long history of Black freedom struggles in the United States and around the world, and uplifts traditions of Black resistance against racial, colonial, and imperialist oppression.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

The post Silencing Solidarity: California’s Battle Over AB 715 appeared first on KPFA.