We debunk the myth that body cams hold the police accountable. To help us break it down, we interview civil rights lawyer, and social justice advocate Alec Karakatsanis about his recent paper "The Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams." We explore the origins of body cams, how they help launder genuine outrage, and some of the alternatives to solving the issue of policing in the United States.

https://campuspress.yale.edu/yjll/volume-4/3/

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We review the Myths we explored in 2024.

https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths

We return for part 2 with organizer Max Rameau. We discuss his most recent piece, "Smash the Dupololy and Build Dual Power" and keys to organizing our movements structurally.

Max Rameau is a Haitian born Pan-African theorist, campaign strategist, movement scientist and organizer. Max is the National Coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace and is an organizer with Pan-African Community Action. He travels the country facilitating workshops, engaging in campaign strategy sessions and developing models for community control over land and the human right to housing.

Smash Duopoly and Build Dual Power

https://pacapower.org/duopoly-dual-power

Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we explore the faux phrase "It's easier to organize under democrats" and all its complimenting lesser evil slogans. The phrase essentially argues that political organizing is better situated to take place under a democratic administration than a republican one. This is not a post-election episode but instead, a deep dive into the flaws of this framing, particularly how it relates to Black/Afrikan people. We discuss the proponents of the argument, radical community organizing, historical conditions for organizing in the US, and how better organizing conditions may be achieved.

What Does It Mean To Be A Radical (Black) Organizer Today

https://grassrootsthinking.com/2024/07/11/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-radical-black-organizer-today/

Show Stats

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGOZdwZsJ72GOiJCRb-ZfYQt-u3teCeV2c0QjwOY26c/edit?usp=sharing

Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

We return for part 2 with Dr. Felicia Denaud to delve specifically into the history of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and what it can teach us about today. We explore how the MFDP came into fruition through local efforts, the challenges it faced nationally, and how these challenges impact the Democratic party and organizing more broadly in our current political moment. SNCC Legacy Project https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths Study Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this episode, we interview Africana Studies professor, Dr. Felicia Denaud. Our myth is "All Politics is Local." The Idea that all politics is local ultimately focuses on local (and regional) matters as opposed to national (or international) matters. All Politics is Local or other dismissive retorts to electoral criticism such as "do know your local congressman?" or "local politics is where the real power is" distorts the influence that national (and international) power plays in what happens locally.

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party is an historical example that highlights the power of local organizing and also the limitations. Thus, on this episode we will use the MFDP as a case study to demonstrate the limits of this myth but also what we can learn to build beyond the limits. SNCC Legacy Project https://sncclegacyproject.org/#:~:text=Securing%20the%20Ballot,to%20Vote%20in%20Freedom%20Summer Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/blackmyths Study Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj3wkt_TMhP8u-V3iHYcampOFQRO8IcVDtCTXGv5AbY/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this crossover pod, Joshua Briond of Millennials are Killing Capitalism and Momodou Taal the Malcolm Effect join forces with Too Black to discuss the perils of Black liberalism, #FreePalestine, and the primary contradiction of US imperialism. We ground the conversation in the two pieces recently written by Too Black and Taal:

Unburdened by Palestine: Shedding Black liberalism for anti-imperialism

https://mondoweiss.net/2024/08/unburdened-by-palestine-shedding-black-liberalism-for-anti-imperialism/

Dear Black liberals: Palestine TikTok activists aren't the enemy

https://www.newarab.com/opinion/dear-black-liberals-palestine-tiktok-activists-arent-enemy

00:00:00 Opening arguments

00:18:55 Online and offline Discourse

00:34:50 Black Culture and Imperialism

00:59:52 Black Women and Empire

01:20:23 Hope and Fear

01:43:20 Blackness and Imperialism

For this episode, we interview Indiana political prisoner Christopher "Naeem" Trotter of Pendleton 2. Our myth is that Black August is a celebration when it is a commemorative month for Black political prisoners and Black radical history. Naeem shares his case and reminds us about not allowing Black August to be watered down, political prisoner definitions, and time on Supermax. We urge everyone to donate to the P2 Defense Committee legal defense fund. We have been fundraising all month, and it would be greatly appreciated.

Donation https://chuffed.org/project/free-pend... $FreePendleton2 @FreePendleton2 Documentary about case

https://filmfreeway.com/projects/2740088

Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths

In this episode, we discuss the case of current death row prisoner Marcellus "Khaliifah" Williams to examine why the death penalty doesn't work. Marcellus "Khaliifah" Williams is scheduled for execution on September 24, despite DNA evidence proving his innocence. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney has filed a motion to vacate his conviction, citing the exculpatory DNA evidence. A hearing is set for August 21 to review this evidence. The case against Williams was based on unreliable witness testimony, and forensic evidence from the crime scene does not match him. Despite these findings, the Missouri Attorney General is pushing for his execution. This case highlights issues of wrongful convictions and racial bias in the justice system. Please feel out the petition below!

Petition

https://innocenceproject.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-marcellus-williams-an-innocent-man/?p2asource=_madpmo

Case

https://www.freekhaliifah.org/

Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/blackmyths

#FREEKHALIIFAH

In this episode, we return with the full Black Myths Crew to discuss the myth that X-men comic characters Professor X and Magneto of X-Men are based on Martin Luther King Dr. and Malcolm X. We attempted to have fun with this episode. However, research still unveiled some troubling truths about the origin of this myth. We trace the origins of the myth, analyze the limitations of pop culture as a prism for Black political thought, and examine the impact the military-industrial complex plays in the movies we watch.

Readings https://vocal.media/geeks/actually-stan-lee-didnt-base-marvels-prof-x-and-magneto-on-malcolm-x-and-martin-luther-king-jr https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/features/3522/ https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/x-men-wolverine-jean-grey-chris-claremont-five-key-storylines/ Patreon patreon.com/blackmyths