The Dugout | a Black anarchist podcast

The Dugout
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The Dugout is a weekly Black anarchist podcast hosted by Prince Shakur & Jordan. We bring radical, decolonial, and queer takes on politics, movements, and media—covering everything from Black anarchism and Afro-pessimism to uprisings, direct action, and liberation struggles worldwide. Have ideas, reading recs, or want to be a guest? Email us. Consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod

  1. Honoring Political Ghosts With Elia Ayoub

    4D AGO

    Honoring Political Ghosts With Elia Ayoub

    In this episode of The Dugout, we’re joined by Lebanese writer, researcher, and podcast host Elia Ayoub, founder of The Fire These Times. Together we unpack Lebanon’s sectarian political system, the long shadow of the Lebanese Civil War, and the global political frameworks that shape how people interpret struggles in SWANA today. Elia reflects on growing up in post–civil war Lebanon and how events like the 2006 Israeli invasion and the 2019 October uprising shaped his political thinking. The conversation explores how sectarian governance, regional geopolitics, and foreign intervention—from the United States to Iran—intersect with grassroots organizing and everyday survival. We also dive into campism, a political tendency that reduces global politics to simplistic “sides,” often erasing local movements and struggles. Elia explains why this framework has distorted how many Western audiences understand conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Throughout the conversation, we discuss memory, nostalgia, and political “hauntings” in post-conflict societies—drawing on thinkers like James Baldwin and the concept of hauntology to understand how nations shape identity through the stories they tell about the past. Finally, we explore the possibilities of international solidarity, asking how Black radical traditions, abolitionist politics, and anti-imperialist movement -------------------------- Check out Elia's work https://eliaayoub.com/about-2/ https://thefirethesetimes.com/ https://thefirethesetimes.com/lebanonclass/ -------------------------- Chapters 00:43 What is a Young Elia like 01:17 what were some formative experiences for you? 02:16 What is writing like for you 03:39 What languages were the book you were reading in? 04:26 what did expanding your writing and The Fire These Times into a media ecosystem look like? James Baldwin influence 06:08 how has your relationship to Baldwin changed over the years? 07:47 Back ground on Lebanese political order 10:38 Perspective of Lebanese grassroots 11:45 a breakdown of Hauntology's and nostalgia 23:18 How do you see memory being used in different communities when self identifying with or beyond oppressors? 37:47 What of Baldwin's pieces does Elia have an affinity for? 40:59 What about campism limits solidarity and engagement in international struggles 53:51 how do you engage with the "Axis of Resistance" labeling? 1:00:08 Has grassroots formations begun challenging Hezbollah's monopoly on resistance 1:02:50 how should people imagine organized armed actors in local civil society? 1:05:39 How do you root you anti-imperialism and what other frameworks has that led you to? 1:12:51 what are some roles of the diaspora in local struggles. what ways to they show up 1:20:17 What is the state of ecological conditions Lebanon is facing? especially with Israel ecocidal tendencies 1:24:26 Context on southern Lebanon 1:30:18 What is the impart of the war on migrant workers? 1:33:10 Some ways migrant workers are organizing themselves 1:36:10 What are the characteristic of the ruling classes and authorities? 1:40:15 How does non sectarian thought show up in resistance movement spaces 1:43:31 Elia's masterclasses on Lebanon -------------------------- Mentioned Media: BOOKS  📚Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism – Benedict Anderson 📚Interlopers of Empire: The Lebanese Diaspora in Colonial French West Africa – Andrew Arsan 📚Anarchist Modernity: Cooperatism and Japanese-Russian Intellectual Relations in Modern Japan – Sho Konishi 📚The Mnemonic Imagination: Remembering as Creative Practice – Emily Keightley & Michael Pickering Support independent bookstores by purchasing with our affiliate link on through Bookshop.org. -------------------------- NEWS ARTICLES 🔗The Holocaust, the Nakba and Reparative Memory 🔗Condemned to Be an Optimist: Celebrating James Baldwin OTHER MEDIA MEDIA Sleepless Nights (2012)

    1h 47m
  2. Iran, Lebanon, the Failure of Campist “Anti-Imperialism”, and the Need for Solidarity

    6D AGO

    Iran, Lebanon, the Failure of Campist “Anti-Imperialism”, and the Need for Solidarity

    We spend some time unpacking the recent US/Israel strike on Iran and Lebanon. With tensions rising between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, many are getting pulled into spewing out takes that delegitimize the complexity of diaspora and the struggles of folks on the ground opposing authoritarian regimes . In this episode, we slow things down and ask some questions: what's happening in this moment? What are the dangers of campism and how can it be reaction to imperial guilt? And what does international solidarity look like? 00:00 Intro02:15 Why we waited to record this episode05:40 The escalation around Iran and U.S. aggression11:10 Feeling powerless under empire17:30 Naming powerlessness and reclaiming collective power25:50 Internationalist solidarity and accountability34:20 Why this conversation requires long-term thinking42:00 Closing reflections ------------------------------------------------------------------ Folks we follow to get more info rn... https://www.instagram.com/anarchofggt/ https://www.instagram.com/decolonize_anarchism/ https://www.instagram.com/eliajayoub/ Read from this episode… How Campism Mirrors the Fascist Geopolitics by Hein Htet Kyaw https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/hein-htet-kyaw-how-campism-mirrors-the-fascist-geopolitics Iran:  Campism and the Erasure of Theocracy https://anticapitalistresistance.org/iran-campism-and-the-erasure-of-theocracy/ Why the Left Is Failing Iranians: Against Campism, by Paria Rahimi – 15 January 2026 https://leftrenewal.org/articles-en/why-the-left-is-failing-iranians/ Places to Support https://linkin.bio/migrantworkersaction/ www.instagram.com/p/DVb6iULCXKl/ https://www.patreon.com/qmalebanon

    1h 6m
  3. An Interview with Peyman Vahabzadeh: Revolution, Shuras, and the Politics of Self-Rule

    MAR 7

    An Interview with Peyman Vahabzadeh: Revolution, Shuras, and the Politics of Self-Rule

    In this episode, we speak with Dr. Peyman Vahabzadeh, Iranian-born sociologist, theorist of radical phenomenology, and author of For Land and Culture, about the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the largely erased Turkmen Council (Shura) movement that briefly flourished in its wake. Having participated in the revolution at age 17, Vahabzadeh reflects on the intoxicating rupture of revolutionary time—when the state’s grip loosens and new possibilities emerge—and asks whether freedom can exist outside such moments of upheaval. We center the Turkmen Shuras: nearly 300 grassroots councils that organized land redistribution, education, women’s participation, and self-defense during a fleeting dual-power moment before being crushed by converging forces of the nascent Islamic Republic, vanguardist leftists, and counter-revolutionary actors. The conversation bridges revolutionary Iran, Kurdish autonomy in Rojava, Black self-defense traditions, and global anti-imperialist struggles—offering a meditation on nonviolence, violence, autonomy, and what a truly free society might look like. At a time when nationalist rhetoric once again disguises authoritarian consolidation across the globe, this episode reminds us: anti-imperialism without autonomy can reproduce tyranny at home. ------------------------------------------------------------- READ HIS HOOK - For Land and Culture: The Grassroots Council Movement of Turkmens in Iran, 1979-1980 https://bookshop.org/a/109212/9781773636658 “Internationalism, Anti-Imperialism, and the Origins of Campism” — Dan La Botz https://anticapitalistresistance.org/internationalism-anti-imperialism-and-the-origins-of-campism/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more: 🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/ 🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠ 🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠  🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠ 🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠ 🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠ 🔗 Watch Prince Shakur  on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug ---------------------------------------------------------------- Keywords:Iran politics, Iran protests, Iran authoritarianism, US imperialism, US–Iran relations, Israel Iran conflict, Israel Hezbollah conflict, Lebanon politics, Middle East geopolitics, campism explained, anti-imperialism, international solidarity, global left politics, authoritarian regimes, grassroots resistance movements, Middle East history, radical political analysis, anti-authoritarian politics, Black internationalism, The Dugout podcast

    1h 56m
  4. Sudan From Below: Women, Revolution, and the Anarchist Group in Sudan

    FEB 28

    Sudan From Below: Women, Revolution, and the Anarchist Group in Sudan

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE | Sudan’s current way is the latest chapter in a decades-long fight between grassroots revolution and military power. In this episode, we break down how women, workers, and resistance committees built a movement from below — and how it was pushed into counter-revolution. ----------------------- To donate to comrades in Sudan... https://opencollective.com/support-sudanese-comrades Watch our ON SUDAN playlist on Youtube to learn more: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTSf-b7rj7Kierq08hactDYbqI6qTDiPy&si=f8kc15xiBPvdq_9y What's Happening In Sudan | Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL0nz1ZeX_k The Role of Women in the Struggle for Sudan: Activists and Leaders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqF9-TqOD4 Sudan: the women at the heart of the revolution | FIFDH 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRhotPnNofU

    1h 33m
  5. Understanding Antisemitism in Black America (from James Baldwin to Kanye West)

    FEB 14

    Understanding Antisemitism in Black America (from James Baldwin to Kanye West)

    This episode we examine antisemitism in the black community. What is antisemitism, how does it function, and how does it show up within Black communities? We begin with a reading and reaction to James Baldwin’s essay “Negroes Are Anti-Semitic Because They’re Anti-White.” Baldwin challenges us to think about proximity to power, resentment, and how racial hierarchy shapes perception. His analysis helps clarify how anger at structural oppression can become misdirected toward visible groups rather than systems. We then turn to contemporary controversies, including recent comments from Kanye West and narratives about “Jewish media.” We discuss how conspiracy thinking simplifies complex systems of power into ethnic blame and how this connects to certain strands of Black conservatism 0:00 – Opening / Cold Open 0:49 – Introduction 2:24 – What Is Your Relationship to Antisemitism? 9:37 – Reading & Reaction: “Negroes Are Anti-Semitic Because They’re Anti-White” By James Baldwin 15:26 – How Do We Approach Standing Up to Antisemitism in Our Communities? 16:26 – More Reflection on the Baldwin Piece 21:57 – Kanye Interview 27:11 – Reflection on Clip 30:49 – Kanye’s Point on BLM and Where It Misses 32:18 – Prince’s Party Story 36:34 – Black Antisemitism and Black Conservatism 43:39 – Outro Mentioned Media: James Baldwin Essay “Negroes Are Anti-Semitic Because They’re Anti-White” https://nykolami.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2017/12/James-Baldwin-Article.pdf Kanye West Interview Clip Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more: 🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/ 🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠ 🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠ 🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠ 🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠ 🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠ 🔗 Watch Prince Shakur on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug Chapters

    45 min
  6. Mini Ep: Intro to Zolo Azania

    FEB 11

    Mini Ep: Intro to Zolo Azania

    This episode centers on Zolo Agona Azania, a former political prisoner, artist, and organizer who spent more than three decades incarcerated before his release in 2017. Drawing from an interview published as a zine, the episode follows Zolo’s account of his early life, imprisonment, political study, and the challenges of reentry. Support Zolo at https://www.patreon.com/zoloazania/ Cahshapp: $ZoloAzania Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more: 🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/ 🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠ 🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠  🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠ 🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠ 🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠ 🔗 Watch Prince Shakur  on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug

    8 min
  7. How Communities Are Resisting I.C.E. Terror With Rapid Response

    FEB 7

    How Communities Are Resisting I.C.E. Terror With Rapid Response

    In this episode, we reflect on recent rapid response movements, what it's felt like to process the rising state violence (especially the threats of more I.C.E. raids in Springfield, OH). Then we move on to unpack community defense and rapid response movements in Twin Cities area and beyond with the following pieces... Rapid Response Networks in the Twin Cities (CrimethInc) – How organizers built decentralized, trust-based networks to respond quickly to ICE raids and police escalation. https://crimethinc.com/2026/01/15/rapid-response-networks-in-the-twin-cities-a-guide-to-an-updated-model From Minneapolis: I’ve Never Seen Unity Like This (Margaret Killjoy) – A firsthand account of collective refusal and mutual aid under federal repression. https://margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/from-minneapolis-ive-never-seen-unity Crossing the Line: It Really Is Safer in the Front (CrimethInc) – On crowd defense, solidarity, and confronting ICE and federal agents together. https://crimethinc.com/2026/01/29/crossing-the-line-it-really-is-safer-in-the-front-surrounding-the-portland-ice-facility The Noise: Demonstrations Keeping ICE Awake (CrimethInc) – Why unpredictability and escalation matter in confronting federal power. https://crimethinc.com/2026/01/27/the-noise-demonstrations-keeping-ice-agents-awake-at-their-hotels-a-model-from-the-twin-cities Eight Things You Can Do to Stop ICE / Seven Steps to Stop ICE (CrimethInc) – Practical guides for resisting deportation and building collective defense. https://crimethinc.com/zines/8-things-you-can-do-to-stop-ice https://crimethinc.com/zines/seven-steps-to-stop-ice When the Feds Come to Your City (CrimethInc) – Lessons from Chicago organizers on preparing for federal escalation. https://crimethinc.com/2025/12/03/when-the-feds-come-to-your-city-standing-up-to-ice-a-guide-from-chicago-organizers Our Neighbors in Minneapolis (Margaret Killjoy) https://margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/our-neighbors-in-minneapolis ------------------------------------------ EPISODE CHAPTERS 07:50 READING & REFLECTIONS onRapid Response Networks in the Twin Cities (Crimethinc) 30:49 READING & REFLECTIONS on Crossing the Line: It Really Is Safer in the Front (Crimethinc) 39:08 READING & REFLECTIONS on The Noise: Demonstrations Keeping ICE Awake (CrimethInc) 50:00 READING & REFLECTIONS on From Minneapolis: I’ve Never Seen Unity Like This (Margaret Killjoy) 55:30 READING & REFLECTIONS on Our Neighbors in Minneapolis (Margaret Killjoy) -------------------------------------------- Topics include: ICE surges and repression • TPS and immigration enforcement • Rapid response networks • Protest tactics and escalation • Solidarity under state violence • Organizing in moments of crisis -------------------------------------------- Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more: 🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/ 🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠ 🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠  🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠ 🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠ 🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠ 🔗 Watch Prince Shakur  on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug

    1h 3m
  8. Rojava Today: Reflections on Existential Moments in an Enduring Movement

    JAN 30

    Rojava Today: Reflections on Existential Moments in an Enduring Movement

    In this episode, we’re joined by Isabella, an internationalist who has been involved in multiple institutions of the Rojavan Revolution and is currently on the ground in Syria. Together, we trace her personal journey into the revolution and explore the political, social, and feminist structures that have sustained Rojava through years of war, pressure, and transformation. We discuss the foundations of the Rojavan Revolution and DAANES, the role of Mala Jin, Jinwar, and Jineology, and the development of Kongra Star as the vanguard of the women’s revolution. Isabella shares insights into how revolutionary structures endure, how patriarchal attitudes are challenged in practice, and what strategies have proven effective over time. The conversation also turns to the present moment: the media ecosystem in Rojava, the role of democratic confederalism, current conditions on the ground, and the evolving political landscape involving the Syrian Transitional Government, DAANES, and the SDF. We close with reflections on lessons from the Kurdish Freedom Movement and where listeners can go to stay informed. 02:59 — Who Is Isabella04:04 — What Was Isabella’s Youth Like04:54 — What Is the Rojavan Revolution & DAANES10:25 — Mala Jin Introduced11:35 — Jinwar Introduced14:38 — Introduction to Jineology19:53 — Jineology as Structure & Publication23:24 — Kongra Star as the Vanguard of the Women’s Revolution27:11 — How Kongra Star Started27:22 — What Structures Have Helped the Revolution Survive / How Do You Get Men to Listen?31:54 — Strategies for Shifting Patriarchal Attitudes35:05 — The Media Ecosystem in Rojava38:00 — How Independent Media Is Being Received40:32 — Democratic Confederalism in the Region48:22 — Current Conditions in Rojava55:56 — The Syrian Transitional Government & Its Relation to Syria and Kurdistan60:00 — DAANES / SDF Narratives & Conditions Under the Assad Regime01:03:09 — Response to STG Decree on Kurdish Rights & Political Demands of DAANES/SDF01:04:23 — Final Reflections & Lessons from the Kurdish Freedom Movement01:07:00 — Where to Stay Informed The Women’s War (iHeartRadio)https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-womens-war-59464911/(Includes reporting on Jinwar and the women’s revolution in Rojava) Kongra Star (Women’s Movement)https://kongra-star.org/eng/homepage/ Mala Jin (Women’s Houses)https://kongra-star.org/eng/mala-jin/ Jinwar – Women’s Villagehttps://mesopotamia.coop/coops/jinwar/ https://jinwar.net/ Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor a Kurd)https://heyvasor.com/en/ Rojava Information Centerhttps://rojavainformationcenter.org/ Revolution in Rojava: Democratic Autonomy and Women’s Liberationhttps://www.plutobooks.com/product/revolution-in-rojava/ Rojava: Revolution, War and the Future of Syria’s Kurdshttps://pmpress.org.uk/product/rojava-revolution-war-and-the-future-of-syrias-kurds/ Rojava in Focus (AK Press)https://www.akpress.org/rojava-in-focus.html Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – Twitter/Xhttps://twitter.com/SDF_Syria Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more: 🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/ 🔗 ⁠Instagram⁠: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/⁠ 🔗 ⁠Substack⁠: ⁠https://tdugout.substack.com/⁠  🔗⁠YouTube⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod⁠ 🔗 ⁠Patreon⁠: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod⁠ 🔗 ⁠OUR LINKS⁠: ⁠https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast⁠ 🔗 Watch Prince Shakur  on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug ChaptersResources & Further ReadingPodcastsOrganizations & ProjectsMedia & InformationBooks Social / Updates

    1h 8m
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The Dugout is a weekly Black anarchist podcast hosted by Prince Shakur & Jordan. We bring radical, decolonial, and queer takes on politics, movements, and media—covering everything from Black anarchism and Afro-pessimism to uprisings, direct action, and liberation struggles worldwide. Have ideas, reading recs, or want to be a guest? Email us. Consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod

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