Unruly Subjects

This week, we look back at the martial law crisis that happened in South Korea in 2024, the Union-led opposition that organized swiftly, and the nationwide general strike that helped played a key role in defeating martial law and spurring mass mobilization.

🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

Chenjerai interviews Mikyung Ryu, the International Director of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) about what happened on December 3rd, 2024, how labor reacted, what broader forces made the response possible, and what lessons people in the United States might learn from South Korea's fight to stop an authoritarian turn.

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Wikipedia Primer on the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_South_Korean_martial_law_crisis

Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

https://nodong.org/english/

Support the show

It’s Black Maternal Health Week! So on this week’s show we’re taking a deep look at the conditions Black mothers face before and after giving birth. 

🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

We feature an esteemed guest to discuss the mental health dimensions of maternal health: Saadiqa Kumanyika, a psychotherapist who specializes in perinatal and postpartum maternal mental health. (Saadiqa is also the First Lady of Unruly Subjects). 

We also share an interview with Malajah Rigsby, a new mother, and her doula Shantice Edwards. They give us an intimate view into what support and care looked like for them through their birthing journey. 

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Saadiqa Kumanyika Therapy

https://www.saadiqakumanyikatherapy.com/

Should I Have a Baby? 10 Questions to Ask Before You Get Pregnant

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/should-i-have-a-baby-10-questions-to-answer-before-you-get-pregnant-jennifer-jessica/1113650744

Black Women Birthing Justice 

https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/

Black Mama’s Justice Alliance 

https://blackmamasmatter.org/

Support SisterWeb - the community of Birth Workers and Educators that Shantice works with!

https://www.sisterweb.org/

Resources from Black Women’s Health Imperative 

https://maternalhealth.bwhi.org/

Support the show

This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai finally gets into sports. Kind of. Recently, it came to his attention that Steph Curry - one of the greatest NBA players of all time - has been investing in Israeli technology that’s linked to military actions that country is taking in Palestine,Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and beyond. What’s up with that? Chenjerai unpacks this situation with Dave Zirin, Sports Editor at The Nation Magazine, and Demetrius Noble, Professor of African American Diaspora Studies at UNC Greensboro. They discuss the “sports-washing” being choreographed by nations and companies perpetuating war and genocides, the real world impacts of these investments, and how seemingly good guys like Steph Curry get tied up in the mess. 

Also, we bring back singer-songwriter CoCo Watson and D Noble to dissect a ridiculous video that’s recently been going viral. 

And new music from Coco! https://soundcloud.com/hellocollette/unsubscribe2026

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Why is Steph Curry Investing in Israeli Security Tech?, The Nation 

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/steph-curry-investments-israel-tech-sector/

Here is a video on Sports Washing From Dave Zirin - https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/sportswashing-countries-use-sports-to-distract-from-crimes/

Video of the Singing Server

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTYeWTekj4S/

Support the show

This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai is joined by his close friend Professor D Noble to unpack the viral fallout surrounding white rapper Jack Harlow. Following Harlow’s move into Neo Soul with his new album Monica, Chenjerai and Professor Noble dive into the controversy sparked by Harlow’s recent interview on the New York Times’ Popcast, where he claimed he has "gotten Blacker."

Go beyond the individual critiques of Harlow and go deeper to analyze how the "post-Not Like Us" landscape has changed the rules for artists, and who actually controls the means of Black cultural production. In other words who really controls access to the "Cookout?” And, of course, it wouldn't be Unruly Subjects without some levity—Chenjerai and D Noble spend some time riffing on the hilarious and biting nicknames that have popped up as the internet trolls Harlow, including Jan 6 Mafia, A Clan Called Quest, and Musiq Rothschild.

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Support the show

This episode is all about the fight against data centers. Specifically, we’re sharing the story of how the residents of Monterey Park, California waged a successful campaign against the construction of a data center in their town. Chenjerai interviews Hrag Balian and Steven Kung, co-founders of No Data Centers in Monterey Park and Claire Wang, an independent journalist who has been covering the anti-data center movement for The Guardian and other outlets. 

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  Go there now to hear Chenjerai and his friend D Noble dissect what's going on with the "rapper" Jack Harlow. 

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode:

Rage against the machine: a California community rallied against a datacenter – and won, The Guardian 

After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area, Capital B News

Trump releases AI policy for Congress to pre-empt state rules, Reuters

Trump’s AI Order Is More Bark than Bite

While the executive order has created uncertainty for the many states that have passed artificial intelligence policies to protect their residents, its impact falls short of its menacing rhetoric.

Data Center Watch  

Support the show

This week, Chenjerai drives down to Philly to break bread with his friend - community activist and advocate April Lee. They visit Black Dragon, an innovative takeout spot in West Philly featuring Black Chinese cuisine from the mind of Chef Kurt Evans. Over noodles and spring rolls, April gives her analysis of the family policing system and talks about survival, structural violence, parenting, and about what real community care actually requires. 

Also, Chenjerai calls up his friend Professor D Noble to find out what’s going on with the white rapper Jack Harlow and his comments about “getting Blacker” for his new album. 

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Go there now to hear Chenjerai’s interview with New York assembly member Phara Souffant. 

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Learn more about April Lee’s organization Philly Voice for Change

https://phillyvoiceforchange.org/

Inside Black Dragon, the New Black American Chinese Takeout in West Philly

https://philly.eater.com/2024/8/29/24231141/black-dragon-new-american-chinese-food-takeout-west-philly

Support NYU ‘s Contract Faculty

https://nyucontractfacultyunion.org/

Center for Family Representation 

https://cfrny.org/

See Clips from Family Advocacy Day on C4FR’s Instagram page 

 https://www.instagram.com/p/DVOrs-EEcf_/

Support the show

This week, the show features a long conversation between Chenjerai and his good friend Ronald Young Jr. Ronald is the creator and host of Weight For It, an award-winning narrative podcast that explores the ways we think about our bodies. They talk about the latest season of the show, which gets deep into questions of identity, safety, and what health even means. And they also have a long discussion about how people argue - the consequences of debate as sport, how to build better arguments, and maybe how to come out the other side of these situations feeling okay. 

Also, Chenjerai gives an update on the Contract Faculty negotiations at NYU, attends a special screening of an episode of Ms. Rachel’s show (and meets the legend herself!), and NPR’s Gene Demby enthusiastically shares an ice cream recipe. 

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Buy Engineered Conflict at Haymarketbooks.com. Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Listen to Weight For It

https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/weight-for-it

Follow Ms. Rachel

https://www.instagram.com/msrachelforlittles/

Learn from Ms. Rachel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dDpryw3z5w

NYU Professors Vote ‘Yes’, authorizing strike action

https://www.amny.com/education/nyu-professors-vote-strike-02232026/

Contract Faculty Set Strike Deadline for March 23rd

https://nyunews.com/2026/02/28/contract-faculty-set-strike-deadline-for-march-23/

Iran After Khamenei 

https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/iran-after-khamenei/

Support the show

This week, we have an episode all about the Trump administration's attack on federal workers and how people are mobilizing to fight back. We feature an interview with two prominent organizers with the Federal Unionist Network: Paul Osadebe and Chris Dols. 

Paul Osadebe is a former Civil Rights attorney from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He’s a union steward with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and an organizer with the Federal Unionist Network. Chris Dols is a former cost engineer and district value officer at the US Army Corps of Engineers. He was also the president of IFPTE Local 98 from 2021 until this year. He’s currently the executive director of the Federal Unionist Network. 

Also, we also hear an excerpt of Chenjerai’s live interview with US Representative Summer Lee from Western Pennsylvania. As she seeks reelection, she discusses why history matters in this moment of rising fascism. Listen to the full conversation on the Unruly Patreon page.   

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Buy How We Get Free at Haymarketbooks.com. Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Learn more about the Federal Unionist Network 

https://www.federalunionists.net/

HUD Fires Two Whistleblowers Over Trump Admin’s Efforts to Dismantle Civil Rights Enforcement

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/30/headlines/hud_fires_two_whistleblowers_over_trump_admins_efforts_to_dismantle_civil_rights_enforcement

Virginia State Terminates 6 Professors Without Due Process 

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/tenure/2026/02/25/vsu-terminates-6-professors-without-due-process

Sign the Petition to Reinstate the Fire Six at VSU

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/save-the-vsu-six/

Support the show

This week, we have an episode all about what’s happening right now in Brazil - and how we got here.  

We feature an interview with Gilberto Porcidonio, a journalist, screenwriter, and writer from Brazil. He is a reporter and fact-checker for Piauí magazine and narrator of Chumbo & Soul, an Audible podcast series produced by Rádio Novelo about the Brazilian dictatorship from the perspective of the Black population. Chenjerai and Gilberto have a wide-ranging discussion about what’s happening in Brazil right now -  from the history of Black politics and policing in Brazil, to the current situation on the ground and the corrupt paramilitary groups who control much of the country. 

Also, we also hear an excerpt of Chenjerai’s interview with Pedro Borges, a journalist and the co-founder of Alma Preta, an agency specializing in the coverage of racial issues in Brazil. Listen to the full conversation on the Unruly Patreon page. 

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Buy Cold War on Five Continents at Haymarketbooks.com 

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Follow Gilberto Porcidonio on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/puppet_gram/

Listen to Gilberto’s podcast Chumbo & Soul

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chumbo-e-soul/id1853091993

Check out Alma Preta

https://almapreta.com.br/

Here’s How We Pressured An Airline To End Its Contract with ICE

https://truthout.org/articles/heres-how-we-pressured-an-airline-to-end-its-contract-with-ice/

Jesse Jackson Knew Better Than To Forget 

https://www.theringer.com/2026/02/18/national-affairs/jesse-jackson-obit-civil-rights-legacy-martin-luther-king-jr

Support the show

This week, we feature an interview with journalist Gillian Brockell who recently wrote a story published in Mother Jones that breaks down what’s happening onboard ICE deportation flights, the private-equity airline that’s profiting off the cruelty, and more. 

Also, Chenjerai has an update on  labor struggles happening across the country and across sectors including the health care workers in NYC, the public school teachers on strike in San Francisco, and we share an excerpt of Chenjerai’s interview with Elisabeth Fay, a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU and an elected member of Contract Faculty United-UAW's bargaining committee. They discuss the stalled contract negotiations with the university, the CFU-UAW's call for a strike authorization vote this week, and why this is an issue everyone should care about (listen to the full interview on Patreon).

Chenjerai talks with singer and musician Collette “Coco” Watson about her new album “Sanctuary”. Support her work here: https://gofund.me/bdc70e100

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! Free and paid members get access to bonus content, discounts on merch (coming soon), & more:  https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].

Buy No Neutrals There at Haymarketbooks.com 

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

ICE Deportation Flights Are Getting Crueler and Longer

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/omni-ice-deportations-charter-flight-stonepeak-private-equity/

Gillian Brockell’s Website
https://gillianbrockell.ghost.io/

Why We’re Calling a Strike Authorization Vote

https://nyucontractfacultyunion.org/2026/02/04/why-were-calling-a-strike-authorization-vote/

AAUP Statement on Oklahoma’s attack on tenure at regional universities and community colleges

https://www.aaup.org/news/elimination-tenure-oklahoma-regional-universities-and-community-colleges

Support the show