Unruly Subjects

Rowhome Productions
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Unruly Subjects is a weekly show about politics and culture hosted by Chenjerai Kumanyika, media professor and Peabody Award-winning audio journalist. Each week, Chenjerai makes sense of the week’s struggles with some of his favorite people - thinkers, journalists, friends, and folks who can help us laugh through the pain. The show is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support Unruly Subjects at Patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    Shackled at 30,000 Feet: What You Don’t Know About ICE Flights—and Who’s Paying for Them

    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 ☎️ Call our UNRULY HOTLINE: Have something you want to ask Chenjerai? Something you want us to cover on Unruly Subjects? Have a good joke? Leave us a message here:  215-436-9212 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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. 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

    1h 2m

  2. FEB 5

    Who Polices the Police? with Mac Muir

    This week, Chenjerai is back on one of his favorite beats: policing in America 👮 He has a long conversation with Mac Muir, the author of Cop Cop: Breaking the Fixed System of American Policing. Muir recently served as the Executive Director of Oakland, California’s Community Police Review Agency and before then was a Supervising Investigator at NYC’s CCRB. He shares stories from inside his work as a police investigator and discusses the changes needed to hold bad cops accountable.  We also hear an excerpt from an interview with a nurse and negotiator on the front line of the ongoing massive Kaiser Permanente strike. You can listen to the full interview on Patreon.  We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently. Please 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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz. And be sure to check out A.D. Carson’s music: https://aydeethegreat.bandcamp.com/ Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Patients over Profits: Kaiser Permanente’s Shift in Institutional Priorities and the Dire Consequences to Health Care https://unacuhcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ProfitsOverPatients_2026.pdf Cop Cop: Breaking The Fixed System of American Policing by Mac Muir and Greg Finch https://bookshop.org/p/books/cop-cop-breaking-the-fixed-system-of-american-policing-greg-finch/80787c7f569e3db3?ean=9781638930082&next=t And for a VERY different take on what to do about police read Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News By Alec Karakatsanis https://bookshop.org/p/books/copaganda-how-police-and-the-media-manipulate-our-news-alec-karakatsanis/64c2d92e5fd56320?ean=9781620978535&next=t Being Dope: AD Carson -  https://global.oup.com/academic/product/being-dope-9780197772669 The NYPD Strategic Response Unit  https://www.thenation.com/article/society/nypd-settlement-agreement-police-violence/ The Mollen Commission Report -  https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2017&context=nyls_law_review Support the show

    1h 36m

  3. JAN 29

    What It Takes to Shut It Down: General Strikes, Movement Strategy, Solidarity

    This week, we feature a conversation with veteran labor organizer and strategist Bill Fletcher Jr. all about general strikes.  What do people mean when they say general strike? What makes strike power different from other kinds of protest power? And what kind of conditions actually have to exist for this kind of action to succeed, especially in a moment when the repression is this real? In this episode, we also hear from two workers on the ground in Minneapolis: Dr. Robert Mills III is a pediatrician and Nakia Dunbar is a school administrator. They talked about what it's been like to do their jobs while ICE is terrorizing the city, when families are scared, and when employees are scared to come in.  And Chenjerai takes us to a Salon 50 event in NYC where he interviewed author Sequoia Patterson about her new book, talked to Dana Rachlin about the event series and learned more about the connections between childcare and public safety.  ☎️ Call our UNRULY HOTLINE question: Have you ever had a job that you would describe as a scam? Maybe it’s a role that was clearly bad for society. Or maybe work that was just alienating. Call us here if you had (or have) a job you want to tell us about:  215-436-9212 Writer and scholar Leigh Claire La Berge will join Chenjerai on an upcoming episode to discuss the hotline responses. She’s the author of Fake Work (Haymarket Books), a memoir that looks back at her stint as a management consultant in the late 90s.  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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy books 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 The Citywide General Strike has a Rich History in Americahttps://jacobin.com/2026/01/ice-minneapolis-general-strike-history Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justicehttps://bookshop.org/p/books/solidarity-divided-the-crisis-in-organized-labor-and-a-new-path-toward-social-justice-bill-fletcher-jr/d53c76836f07a2a5?ean=9780520934740&next=t Claim No Easy Victories: The Legacy of Amílcar Cabralhttps://bookshop.org/p/books/claim-no-easy-victories-the-legacy-of-am-lcar-cabral-bill-fletcher-jr/e7c97ba41b2363da?ean=9781942173847&next=t Support the show

    1h 8m

  4. JAN 22

    How Trump 2.0 Built a Vote Purging Machine with Abby Vesoulis

    This week, we feature an interview with Mother Jones reporter Abby Vesoulis, who recently co-authored with Ari Berman the report “Your Private Data Is Building Trump’s Voter Purge Machine”. Vesoulis breaks down the Trump administration’s plans for election interference via voter suppression, the Department of Justice’s role in purging voters, and how we can try to fight back ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.  Also, Chenjerai previews a longer interview with veteran labor organizer and strategist Bill Fletcher Jr. about the purpose and power of general strikes. They discuss this in the context of the ongoing nurses strike in New York City and the statewide walkout planned in Minnesota this Friday, January 23rd in reaction to the violent ICE escalations that are ongoing in Minneapolis.  ☎️ There’s still time to respond to our UNRULY HOTLINE question: Have you ever had a job that you would describe as a scam? Maybe it’s a role that was clearly bad for society. Or maybe work that was just alienating. Call us here if you had (or have) a job you want to tell us about:  215-436-9212 Writer and scholar Leigh Claire La Berge will join Chenjerai on an upcoming episode  to discuss the hotline responses. She’s the author of Fake Work (Haymarket Books), a memoir that looks back at her stint as a management consultant in the late 90s.  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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. 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 NYC Nurses Strike https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/01/20/nysna-nurses-strike-mamdani-sanders/ AARP calls for accountability over DOGE sharing Social Security data  https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5699159-aarp-demands-doge-accountability/ ICE out of Minnesota  https://labornotes.org/2026/01/will-ice-ignite-mass-strike-minnesota https://www.left-horizons.com/2026/01/17/minneapolis-trade-unions-call-general-strike-over-ice/ Register for Labor Notes Annual Conference!  https://labornotes.org/2026 Support the show

    1h 1m

  5. JAN 15

    Debate, Journalism, and Power in the Feed with George “Conscious” Lee

    This week, we feature an interview with George “Conscious” Lee. He’s an orator, educator, and social media influencer who uses his platform to break news and promote dynamic understandings of justice. He’s built a massive, engaged audience on Instagram and TikTok  by highlighting social and political issues that demand widespread awareness. In his interview with Chenjerai, Conscious talks about why analyzing power is the center of his work, how joining his college debate team gave him lessons that organizers, journalists and all of us need right now, how he approaches interpreting the news, and the limitations and risks of social media.  ☎️ We also introduce a new UNRULY HOTLINE question: Have you ever had a job that you would describe as a scam? Maybe it’s a role that was clearly bad for society. Or maybe work that was just alienating. Call us here if you had (or have) a job you want to tell us about:  215-436-9212 Writer and scholar Leigh Claire La Berge joins Chenjerai to set-up the hotline question. She’s the author of Fake Work (Haymarket Books), a memoir that looks back at her stint as a management consultant in the late 90s.  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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy Solidarity with Children 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 Critical Debater’s Handbook - http://www.soonerdebate.com/SoonerDebate/Critical_Debaters_Handbook%21.html Support the show

    1h 9m

  6. JAN 7 · BONUS

    *UNRULY HOTLINE* The Love Struggle

    While we're cooking up our next full episodes of Unruly Subjects, we wanted to re-share our first UNRULY HOTLINE segment that we originally published in Episode 2. In this segment, Chenjerai listens and reacts to callers that responded to the question: "How do you balance your love life with the struggle?” If you have any questions, comments or thoughts to share with Unruly Subjects you can always leave us a message here: 215-436-9212  Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions.  Become a Patreon supporter here: http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects  Support the show

    20 min

  7. 2025-12-18

    How Civil Rights Law Became a Weapon Against Dissent—on Palestine and Beyond

    As the assault on Gaza continues and the crisis deepens, our individual freedom to critique Israel’s actions has become more and more fraught. We have a deep commitment to anti-racism in all its forms on Unruly Subjects, including antisemitism. But we find ourselves in a place where condemning the actions of a country is falsely - and often frighteningly - equated with being anti-semitic. Darryl Li is an anthropologist and lawyer teaching at the University of Chicago. He's the co-author of a new study that puts this current moment in context. The study is titled  “Discriminating Against Dissent: the Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine”, published by the AAUP and Middle East Studies Association. We discuss the history of Title VI, academic freedom, and the ways that both Democratic and Republican administrations have been implicated in the suppression of free speech.  Also in this episode: Following last week’s conversation with Daniel Coates about resisting ICE with Hands Off NYC, Chenjerai and his wife Saadiqa attend an action in Washington Square Park in NYC. Call into the UNRULY HOTLINE: Our current question is “Do you think differences in child rearing have more to do with race/ethnicity - age/generational differences or other factors?” Call us here for a chance to be featured on the show: 215-436-9212 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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy After Savagery at Haymarketbooks.com Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Support the show

    1h 18m

  8. 2025-12-12 · BONUS

    *BONUS EPISODE* News Fiend #3 (Dec 8-12, 2025)

    NEWS FIEND is a weekly segment where Chenjerai offers his commentary and reflections on some of the week's headlines. This is a feature that is offered for all Patreon members of Unruly Subjects, but we wanted to give our listener's here a taste of the UNRULY SUPPORTER perks.  We're a completely independent show! Each new supporter helps us make this project possible.  Become a Patreon supporter here: http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects  Included below are links to some additional articles and resources about the topics covered in this week's segment. Afghan CIA fighters, like National Guard attack suspect, face stark reality in U.S. https://www.npr.org/2025/12/10/nx-s1-5637440/afghan-zero-unit-lakanwal-national-guard More than 200 environmental groups demand halt to new US datacenters https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/08/us-data-centers Louisiana v. Callais and voting Rights https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/section-2-voting-rights-act-supreme-court Spotify Unwrapped campaign calls for boycott over ICE ads and AI music https://www.nme.com/news/music/spotify-unwrapped-campaign-calls-for-boycott-over-ice-ads-and-ai-music-3915774 Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Support the show

    7 min

  9. 2025-12-11

    Giving organizers of color power in electoral politics with Maya Meredith

    This week - on the heels of Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in NYC’s mayoral election - we’re featuring an interview with Maya Meredith, a Brooklyn-based leader in the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus. Maya lets us know about some of DSA’s upcoming campaigns, talks about canvassing and organizing Black voters, and discusses fighting to create a more multiracial coalition within DSA.  Also in this episode: Chenjerai talks with Daniel Coates about resisting ICE with Hands Off NYC, and Brooklyn-based artist Lauren Kaelin - a longtime former ice cream worker - gives advice on how to transport ice cream cones around the city, and more…  ##Call into the UNRULY HOTLINE##  Our current question is: “Do you think differences in child rearing have more to do with race/ethnicity - age/generational differences or other factors?” Call us here for a chance to be featured on the show: 215-436-9212 Further reading & sources from this episode Maya was one of the authors of Will Zohran Mamdani Win Over Black New Yorkers?” in issue #8 of Hammer and Hope.  How the Black Panther’s free Breakfast Program both inspired and threatened the Government https://www.history.com/articles/free-school-breakfast-black-panther-party DSA Afrosocialist and Socialist of Color Caucus https://www.dsausa.org/working-groups/afrosocialists-and-socialists-of-color-caucus/ ----- 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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy Learning to Live in the Dark at Haymarketbooks.com  Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Support the show

    1h 11m

  10. 2025-12-04

    What do we need from the culture? Lovia Gyarkye on writing critically in an age of fascism

    This week, we’re featuring an interview with the writer & culture critic Lovia Gyarkye, an editor at Hammer & Hope, a magazine of Black politics and culture. Lovia discusses her approach to cultural critique, looks back at a 2017 piece she wrote about Trevor Noah, makes a case for why everyone should become familiar with the Jamaican-born cultural theorist Stuart Hall.  Also in this episode: An excerpt of a conversation with Conscious Lee about processing the news as an influencer. And Chenjerai responds to voicemails from the Unruly Hotline. Last week’s question was: “How do you balance your love life with the struggle?” This week’s question is “Do you think differences in child rearing have more to do with race/ethnicity - age/generational differences or other factors?” Call 215-436-9212 to leave your response.  For more Unruly Content, expanded show notes, chat room, polls, & more... 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 unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy Their End Is Our Beginning at Haymarketbooks.com  Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support the show

    1h 16m

  11. 2025-11-21

    The Truth Behind The Joke: Roy Wood Jr. on Comedy and Survival

    This is the very first episode of Unruly Subjects! And we’re featuring an interview with Roy Wood Jr.  Roy is a stand-up comedian and Emmy-nominated writer with a new book out - a memoir entitled The Man of Many Fathers. We talk about fatherhood, dive deep into a segment he did on the Daily Show about Cop City, and the role of comedy in times of political turmoil.  Also, Chenjerai reflects on a few news headlines, takes a phone call, & more.  The Man of Many Fathers – Roy Wood Jr. Roy’s new memoir about fatherhood, manhood, and the many “fathers” who shaped him, blending deeply personal stories with his stand-up sensibility https://roywoodjrbook.com/   On how volunteer medics are trying to care for people in Sudan living with displacement, war trauma, and a collapsing health system. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2622402/middle-east For bonus audio & more exclusive content, support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai.  Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Buy Black History Is For Everyone at Haymarketbooks.com  Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support the show

    1h 3m

  12. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing Unruly Subjects

    Unruly Subjects is a new podcast from Chenjerai Kumanyika and Rowhome Productions about the world as we’re living it, right now. Each week, we’ll check in about what’s happening in the news, and bring on some of the most brilliant, funny, and inspiring people to help us make sense of it all. We’re even opening up the lines so you can be part of the conversation. Leave Chenjerai a message at (215) 436-9212.  We’ll also be finding ways to connect with you and deepen the conversation on Patreon in the coming weeks and months. Unruly Subjects is an independent podcast, so to support the show, consider joining our Patreon starting at $5 a month. You’ll get exclusive premium episodes, ad-free episodes, and access to the chat. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Support the show

    3 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Unruly Subjects is a weekly show about politics and culture hosted by Chenjerai Kumanyika, media professor and Peabody Award-winning audio journalist. Each week, Chenjerai makes sense of the week’s struggles with some of his favorite people - thinkers, journalists, friends, and folks who can help us laugh through the pain. The show is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support Unruly Subjects at Patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

Information

  • Creator
    Rowhome Productions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unruly Subjects
  • Show Website
    Unruly Subjects

You Might Also Like