The encampment grows as anarchist organizers introduce radical new ways of making decisions and taking action. Armed with livestreams, smartphones, and social media, participants invite the world to watch—and join. Then, a shocking encounter with police is captured on camera, transforming a local protest into a national story overnight.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

For a primer on how the media repeats talking points from the police, listen to Alec Karakatsanis on Copaganda: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/resist-copaganda-alec-karakatsanis?rq=karakatsa

Listen to this conversation about capturing injustice on camera with Jackie Zammuto at Witness: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/jackie-zammuto?rq=police

To learn about the impact of social media on how Americans interact with politics, tune in to this episode with Alice Marwick: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/building-power-online-alice-marwick?rq=movement

Subscribe to our Patreon for early access to episodes:

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Credits:

Host / Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer / Writer: Maria Luisa Tucker

Audio Producer: Zack Travis

Additional production help: Mia Warren, Erika Gjada, Megan Detrie, Lizzie Jacobs, and Ilya Magazanin

Archival research: Marisa Holmes

Archival material courtesy of: Occupy Wall Street Media Working Group.

Original music: Rude Mechanical Orchestra and Puge Ruhe

Special thanks to T.J. Raphael, Lauren Passell, Arielle Nissenblatt, and Kate Blumenfeld for being our first listeners and sounding boards, and to Tom Koenig for his support.

Distributed by PRX

In 2011, a handful of skeptical New Yorkers answer a call to Occupy Wall Street. What they find feels less like a protest and more like a glimpse of a different world—one where people openly share stories of debt, hardship, and frustration. They start to build an anti-capitalist village in a tiny Manhattan park — under the watchful eyes of police.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

For a conversation on activism with a co-founder of Occupy Wall Street, tune in to this episode with Micah White: 

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/micah-white 

For a recap of how American capitalism evolved into what it is today, listen to this episode with Kurt Andersen: 

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/americas-evil-geniuses-kurt-andersen

On solidarity and mutual aid, listen to this conversation with Manuel Pastor:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/solidarity-and-mutuality-manuel-pastor

Subscribe to our Patreon for early access to episodes:

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https://x.com/milaatmos 

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Credits:

Host / Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer / Writer: Maria Luisa Tucker

Audio Producer: Zack Travis

Additional production help: Mia Warren, Erika Gjada, Megan Detrie, Lizzie Jacobs, and Ilya Magazanin

Archival research: Marisa Holmes

Archival material courtesy of: Occupy Wall Street Media Working Group.

Original music: Rude Mechanical Orchestra and Puge Ruhe

Special thanks to T.J. Raphael, Lauren Passell, Arielle Nissenblatt, and Kate Blumenfeld for being our first listeners and sounding boards, and to Tom Koenig for his support.

Distributed by PRX 

Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible.

In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.

OCCUPY! AN UNFINISHED UPRISING, told through the voices of activists who camped out in Zuccotti Park for almost two months, gets inside the drama of a movement that grew rapidly, felt both transcendent and chaotic, and then violently flamed out. Although the mainstream media labeled it a failed movement, Occupy changed the national conversation about capitalism, popularized the language of the 99%, and inspired a generation of activists. 

As we approach Occupy’s 15th anniversary this September, Occupy offers a reminder that collective action can reshape what seems possible. 

Tune in for the six-part series, coming July 9th.

Subscribe to our Patreon for early access to episodes:

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Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: 

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Follow Mila on X: 

https://x.com/milaatmos 

Credits:

Host/Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer/Writer: Maria Luisa Tucker

Audio Producer: Zack Travis

Additional production help: Mia Warren, Erika Gjada, Megan Detrie, Lizzie Jacobs, and Ilya Magazanin

Archival research: Marisa Holmes

Archival material courtesy of: Occupy Wall Street Media Working Group.

Original music: Rude Mechanical Orchestra and Puge Ruhe

Special thanks to T.J. Raphael, Lauren Passell, Arielle Nissenblatt, and Kate Blumenfeld for being our first listeners and sounding boards, and to Tom Koenig for his support.

Distributed by PRX 

We discuss the intersection of policymaking on economics and democracy, the harm of intense concentration of wealth, and the need for building durable civil society.

Alex's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1. Join an organization in your community

2. Be in community with other people

Alex Hertel-Fernandez is a labor policy scholar and the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He's also the author of State Capture: How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States — and the Nation.

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https://bsky.app/profile/awhf.bsky.social

Sponsor:

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Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Alex Hertel-Fernandez

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss the enthusiasm for civic engagement by right-wing women, which translates to power and victory at the ballot box.

Katie's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Research and know the issues on your ballot

2) Vote in local elections

Katie Gaddini is a sociologist, visiting scholar at Stanford University, and the author of Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right.

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Follow Katie on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/drkatiegaddini/

Read Esther's Army:

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

Sponsor:

Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Katie Gaddini

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss the overlooked and insidious complications from gerontocracy in American democracy.

Sam's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Think of democracy as a political form for transient human beings

2) Evangelize one of these ideas: age quotas, tax code reform, or campaign finance reform

Samuel Moyn is the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, the cohost of the Digging a Hole podcast, and the author of Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth – and What to Do About It.

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https://x.com/samuelmoyn

Read Gerontocracy in America:

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Samuel Moyn

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss the balance of influence between activists and the majority in local politics and how we can reinvigorate democracy at the local level.

Brian's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Identify the problem you want to fix in your community

2) Develop an innovative solution and advocate for it

Brian Adams is professor of political science at San Diego State University and the author of Activism, Majority Rule, and Local Democracy: Rethinking Public Influence.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

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Follow Mila on X:

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Follow Brian on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-adams-4b351a4/

Read Activism, Majority Rule, and Local Democracy (use code 26BKS):

https://tupress.temple.edu/books/activism-majority-rule-and-local-democracy

Sponsor:

Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Brian Adams

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss the case for SWAMP audits, how we can truly build a multiracial democracy, and why we're going to have to fight for it.

Steve's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Find your Minimum Viable Community and engage

2) Do a SWAMP audit!

Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics, and the multicultural progressive New American Majority. His new book is Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

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Follow Mila on X:

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Follow Steve on X:

https://x.com/steveptweets

Read Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?:

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

Sponsor:

Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Steve Phillips

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss the hidden power inside the U.S. Constitution, what it was designed to protect against, and how it can fortify American democracy today.

Melissa's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Commit to voting and follow through

2) Make your demands clear to your elected representatives

Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, and a legal analyst for MSNBC. Her new book is The US Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

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Follow Mila on X:

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Follow Melissa on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/profmmurray/

Read The US Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader:

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

Sponsor:

Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Melissa Murray

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos

We discuss how each of us is a node of possibility for change in the climate crisis, taking us from overwhelm to participation.

Katharine's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Keep telling the truth.

2) Join with others in the climate movement.

Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is the host of the podcast A Matter of Degrees and the author of Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

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Follow Katharine on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/drkwilkinson/

Read Climate Wayfinding:

https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight

Sponsor:

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Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Katharine Wilkinson

Executive Producer: Zack Travis

Executive Editor: Mila Atmos