In this episode, the myth that Black voting rights = voting power is analyzed through the lens of internal neo-colonialism following the recent devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais. We are joined by Petros Bein, author of "Internal Colonialism and the Reproduction of Capital", to explore the historical evolution from colonialism (Slavery, Jim Crow) to neo-colonialism.

The discussion focuses on the critical distinction between the right to vote and actual power, using examples like the War on Drugs and the Crime Bill to show how Black elected officials have historically legislated policies that harmed the Black community. The conversation ultimately concludes that while the fight for voting rights must continue, true power requires organizing above and beyond the State and its ballot box, as voting in a colony should not be confused with obtaining real power.

Internal Colonialism and the Reproduction of Capital

https://hoodcommunist.org/2026/04/02/internal-colonialism-and-the-reproduction-of-capital/

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In this episode, we revisit a Black Myths classic: Black People Died to Vote. Due to the recent supreme court decision on (LOUISIANA v. CALLAIS ET AL.) that effectively ends majority Black districts across the south, voting rights is back in the public discourse. Although well-intentioned by most, the often-heard retort that "Black People Died to Vote" distorts the history of struggle around the vote. It reduces Black death to the vote itself, not the broader struggle for liberation. In this episode, we explore the history surrounding the vote throughout Black history with a particular focus on Ella Baker and her work in the civil rights movement. Fun fact: this was actually the first episode the current cast of co-hosts had ever recorded together.

Executive Editor of Grassroots Thinking, J. Ezra McCoy joins Black Myths Pod to Interview Too Black regarding his latest pieces on "Nonviolence is Violence Too". They discuss the process for writing the pieces, the limitations of nonviolence as a concept, how historically violence is a companion to nonviolence, and some of the background editing that went into the piece.

pt. 1 https://www.grassrootsthinking.com/nonviolence-is-violence-too-somebodys-gotta-die/ pt. 2

https://www.grassrootsthinking.com/nonviolence-is-violence-too-part-2-were-all-in-the-gunk/

In this episode, we are joined by guest Momodou Taal, a PhD candidate in the Africana Studies department at Cornell University, host of The Malcolm Effect podcast, and a co-founder member of VoxUmmah. We dive into a critical discussion on the intersections of Iran, global power, and religion.

We open with reflections from our previous episode, including an assessment based on Dr. Bikrum Gill's analysis of "Imperialism as the primary contradiction". We focus on Islam, exploring its material role in the current war against Iran, and analyzing why the left often finds it challenging to integrate Islam and religion into its analysis.

Lastly, we look at Imperialism Today. We examine the utility of debating the roles of the US versus Israel in the war effort, discuss how imperialism has mutated over time, and identify the anti-imperialist forces in the world today—and how to build them up.

In this episode, we are visited by anti-imperialist scholar and professor Dr. Bikrum Gill. We delve into the critical historical and political arguments for why separating the Iranian "people" from the Islamic Republic of Iran at this moment is a dangerous ideological move that reproduces the logic of imperialism. We explore how the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew a brutal, Western-backed client regime and established a state explicitly opposed to U.S. imperialism and Zionist settler colonialism. Drawing on the work of scholars like Bikrum Gill, we challenge the comfortable liberal distinctions that echo imperialist rhetoric, such as "We support the Palestinian people, not Hamas" or "I support civil rights but not like that." Bikrum makes clear why standing against the war and sanctions on Iran requires a clear stand for the resistant, anti-imperialist state structure—internal contradictions and all—that has held the line when others surrendered. Bikrum is a a scholar of international political economy. His research is guided by third world Marxist political and methodological commitments. He is concerned, in particular, with how the contradictions of capitalist imperialism bear upon the sovereign capacity of peoples in the Global South. His research and writings have inquired into this question through a focus on agriculture and development, the climate crisis, sanctions, and anti-colonial/anti-imperialist resistance. His work has been published in a range of academic and non-academic venues, including Politics, Globalizations, Canadian Food Studies, Developing Economics, Red Pepper, and Ebb Magazine. The "Second Sacred Defence": Solidarity, Sovereignty and the Politics of Anti-War

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This podcast delves into the violent contradictions at the heart of mass movements, challenging the idea of "spotless innocence." We explore how tactics of nonviolence function as a form of sacrificial violence, drawing in the State—both as a protector and a predator—and how insurgent violence acts as a "positive radical flank," forcing political concessions. From the Civil Rights Movement's reliance on federal troops to the global legacy of colonialism, discover why violence is the inevitable companion to confrontation, and why movements must seize the power to impose peace.

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This episode challenges the term "nonviolence," proposing that movements for social and political change often succeed by relying on the opponent's violence. We introduce the concept of sacrificial violence: the intentional absorption of an opponent's brutality to gain strategic concessions, a topic explored in the article "Nonviolence is Violence, Too: Somebody's Gotta " written by BMP host Too Black.

The discussion analyzes historical actions like the Freedom Rides and the Albany Movement, drawing on the work of figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and political scientist Erica Chenoweth. It explores the idea that confronting established power inevitably results in conflict and, often, violence.

Nonviolence is violence, too: Somebody's gotta die

https://www.grassrootsthinking.com/nonviolence-is-violence-too-somebodys-gotta-die/Die

In this episode, we talk with the Millennials Are Killing Capitalism podcast about their series on organized white supremacist groups, a series that has centered in particular around the KKK. We also talk about the academic use of the term "white supremacy" in recent years, which has been taken up in many left-wing movement spaces. We discuss the utility of this analytical framework alongside the lack of serious engagement with the politics and ideology of white supremacist, far right, and white nationalist organizations.

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We explore the inconsistent history of the political slogan "America First." We are joined by environmental sociologist and Black Alliance for Peace Comrade, Kim Miller. We delve into the earliest documentation of America First including its use by the nativist "Know Nothing" party in 1855, tracing its evolution through various eras of American policy. Then we examine how the Monroe Doctrine coincides with sentiments. The discussion also covers its contemporary applications, such as in Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "Americas First Foreign Policy," particularly concerning Venezuela. By defining key concepts like nationalism, non-interventionism, and anti-imperialism, we seek to understand the various meanings—or lack thereof—that have been attached to "America First" throughout American history.

Kimberly Dawn Miller is an environmental sociologist who holds a PhD in Global Studies with a concentration in Sociology from Florida International University. Her dissertation, Ecotourism Development in the Nature Isle: Navigating the Politics of Eco-Cultural Sovereignty in Dominica, examines the intersections of ecotourism, post-disaster reconstruction, Indigenous cultural revival, and sustainable land-use politics in the Eastern Caribbean.

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This episode challenges the myth that white supremacy inherently means white unity. We'll explore the various groups that existed before the white power movement unified, their differing politics, and why they haven't always been united. We'll examine how their ideology and aims shifted, what conditions led to these changes, and who they perceived as their enemies. We deal with the ideological differences and how flattening them creates confusion.

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