Rethinking Freedom

Ayayi
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This isn’t just a show—it’s a movement. A call to rise above limitations, to reclaim the power that’s already within you. Whether it’s freedom in your finances, your health, your rights, or your voice—we’re here to spark the change that leads to true liberation. With every story, every beat, and every conversation, we’ll inspire you to dig deeper, to challenge the status quo, and to chase the life you deserve. So, buckle up—this is the ride of your life, and inner freedom is our destination.

  1. The Democracy That Never Was: An Afro-Indigenous History of America

    2d ago

    The Democracy That Never Was: An Afro-Indigenous History of America

    We're taught that American democracy was built on liberty and self-governance. But what if it was actually built on two erasures at once — the enslavement of African peoples and the dispossession of Indigenous nations — happening together, by design? In this episode of Rethinking Freedom: The Other Side of Freedom, part of our USA at 250 summer series, we sit down with historian Dr. Kyle T. Mays — an Afro-Indigenous (African American and Saginaw Chippewa) scholar at UCLA — to talk about his landmark book, An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States (Beacon Press). We dig into the arguments that make this book required reading: why enslaved Africans should be understood as Indigenous people in their own right, how antiblackness and settler colonialism worked as a single system rather than two separate histories, the complicated and often painful history of the "Five Tribes" enslaving their own Afro-Indigenous kin, the moments of real solidarity between Black Power and Red Power movements, and what a genuinely honest 250th anniversary of American independence would actually look like. This is a conversation about the freedom struggles that got written out of the official story — and why putting them back in changes how we understand the whole country. 📖 Get the book: An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States by Kyle T. Mays (Beacon Press) 🎙️ Part of our summer series: Rethinking Freedom — The Other Side of Freedom: The USA at 250 🔔 Subscribe for more episodes in this series, where we explore the histories marginalized or erased from the official American story. #AfroIndigenous #BlackHistory #NativeAmericanHistory #USAat250 #KyleTMays #AmericanHistory #Decolonization #BlackPower #RedPower #Podcast Support the show

    57 min
  2. "No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed": Dr. Cynthia Orozco on the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

    Jun 22

    "No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed": Dr. Cynthia Orozco on the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

    In this episode of Rethinking Freedom, part of our summer series The Other Side of Freedom: USA at 250, we sit down with historian Dr. Cynthia E. Orozco, author of No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed: The Rise of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement — the first scholarly history of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens. Dr. Orozco is the National LULAC Historian and Professor Emeritus of History and Humanities at Eastern New Mexico University. She is also the author of Agent of Change: Adela Sloss-Vento, Mexican American Civil Rights Activist and Texas Feminist and Pioneer of Mexican American Civil Rights: Alonso S. Perales. We talk about the origins of the Mexican American civil rights movement in Texas, the segregation signs that gave this book its title, the role of gender and the women written out of early movement history, and the limits of who that movement saw and who it left invisible — including Afro-Mexican American and Afro-Mexicana Tejana communities. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, this conversation asks a question at the heart of our summer series: freedom for whom, and on whose terms? Learn more about Dr. Orozco's work: https://cynthiaorozco.com/ Book: No Mexicans, Women, or Dogs Allowed: The Rise of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement (University of Texas Press) #RethinkingFreedom #USAat250 #MexicanAmericanHistory #LULAC #CivilRights #TexasHistory #ChicanaStudies Support the show

    1 hr
  3. Galveston’s Hidden Slave Markets: The Truth Beneath Juneteenth

    Jun 15

    Galveston’s Hidden Slave Markets: The Truth Beneath Juneteenth

    Juneteenth began in Galveston, Texas, but the story beneath June 19, 1865 is deeper than most Americans are taught. This week on Rethinking Freedom, I sit down with Anthony Paul Griffin — attorney, writer, and author of The Water Cries — for a powerful conversation about memory, justice, and what it truly means to be free. For over three decades, Griffin tried high-profile cases that tested the limits of constitutional principle. He has written about Black cowboys in Texas, Gulf Coast foodways, and the stories that official history leaves out. Now, in The Water Cries, he turns his gaze toward the deepest questions of American life: What does freedom actually cost? Who is still waiting for it? And what do we owe each other across the distance of history? This episode is part of our summer series: The Other Side of Freedom — The USA at 250. 📩 Connect with Anthony Paul Griffin: anthonypgriffin@gmail.com 🔔 Subscribe to Rethinking Freedom: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingFreedom Rethinking Freedom airs Mondays at 7:00 AM Central on KRGN 98.5 FM and KVBM 104.7 FM. #Juneteenth #BlackHistory #GalvestonHistory Support the show

    59 min
  4. The Other Side of History: America at 250 | Gerald Horne on The Counter-Revolution of 1776

    Jun 8

    The Other Side of History: America at 250 | Gerald Horne on The Counter-Revolution of 1776

    What if the American Revolution was not simply a struggle for liberty and independence? What if preserving slavery was one of the driving forces behind the break from Britain? Join us on Rethinking Freedom as we continue our special summer series, The Other Side of History: America at 250, with renowned historian, author, and scholar Dr. Gerald Horne. In this thought-provoking conversation, we examine his groundbreaking book, The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America. Dr. Horne challenges one of the most cherished narratives in American history, arguing that many colonial leaders feared growing anti-slavery sentiment in Britain and viewed independence as a way to protect and expand the institution of slavery. He explores the role of enslaved Africans, Indigenous peoples, European empires, and global economic forces in shaping the birth of the United States. (NYU Press) Together, we discuss: * Was the American Revolution also a counter-revolution? * Why did many enslaved Africans side with the British during the Revolutionary War? * How did slavery, capitalism, and colonial expansion shape the founding of the United States? * What does this history reveal about race, power, and democracy today? * How should Americans approach the nation’s 250th anniversary in light of these historical debates? Whether you agree with Dr. Horne’s conclusions or not, this conversation will challenge assumptions, spark critical thinking, and deepen your understanding of America’s origins. Air Date: Monday, June 8, 2026 Time: 7:00 AM Central Listen on: KRGN 98.5 FM KVBM 104.7 FM Watch on YouTube: Rethinking Freedom About Our Guest: Dr. Gerald Horne is the Moores Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and one of the most prolific historians in the United States. His scholarship focuses on race, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, labor, and global struggles for liberation. He is the author of more than 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776, The Counter-Revolution of 1836, and The Dawning of the Apocalypse. (Wikipedia) #RethinkingFreedom #GeraldHorne #CounterRevolutionOf1776 #America250 #BlackHistory #AfricanAmericanHistory #AmericanRevolution #SlaveryAndFreedom #PanAfricanism #HistoryMatters #Juneteenth #FreedomStruggle #TheOtherSideOfHistory Support the show

    55 min
  5. America at 250: The Freedom Story They Buried

    Jun 1

    America at 250: The Freedom Story They Buried

    THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM (Part 2): UNTOLD HISTORIES OF THE U.S. AT 250  | Featuring E.R. Bills  As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, whose stories are celebrated—and whose stories remain buried beneath the surface of official history? In part 2 of our discussion, host Aya Fubara Eneli sits down with acclaimed Texas journalist and author E.R. Bills to discuss his gripping book, Tell-Tale Texas. Together, they explore the hidden, unsettling, and often forgotten stories that shaped Texas and the nation—stories of racial violence, injustice, corruption, resistance, disappearances, massacres, and the people history tried to erase. From infamous crimes to suppressed truths, this conversation challenges us to reconsider what freedom has meant in America—and for whom. As the nation celebrates 250 years of independence, Rethinking Freedom asks:What happens when we tell the whole story? Join us for the concluding thought-provoking conversation about memory, truth, power, and the importance of preserving the histories that many would rather forget. 📻 Rethinking Freedom airs Mondays at 7:00 AM CST on:KRGN 98.5 FMKVBM 104.7 FM 📺 Watch on the Rethinking Freedom YouTube Channel🎙️ Also available on all major podcast platforms #RethinkingFreedom #ERTBills #TellTaleTexas #TexasHistory #UntoldHistory #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #US250 #FreedomStories #HistoricalTruth #HiddenHistory #MemorialDay #Juneteenth #Texas #Podcast #HistoryMatters Support the show

    1 hr
  6. THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: UNTOLD HISTORIES OF THE U.S. AT 250 |Summer Series Kickoff | Featuring E.R. Bills

    May 25

    THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: UNTOLD HISTORIES OF THE U.S. AT 250 |Summer Series Kickoff | Featuring E.R. Bills

    THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: UNTOLD HISTORIES OF THE U.S. AT 250Summer Series Kickoff | Featuring E.R. Bills As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, whose stories are celebrated—and whose stories remain buried beneath the surface of official history? In this powerful kickoff episode of Rethinking Freedom’s summer series, The Other Side of Freedom: Untold Histories of the U.S. at 250, host Aya Fubara Eneli sits down with acclaimed Texas journalist and author E.R. Bills to discuss his gripping book, Tell-Tale Texas. Together, they explore the hidden, unsettling, and often forgotten stories that shaped Texas and the nation—stories of racial violence, injustice, corruption, resistance, disappearances, massacres, and the people history tried to erase. From infamous crimes to suppressed truths, this conversation challenges us to reconsider what freedom has meant in America—and for whom. As the nation celebrates 250 years of independence, Rethinking Freedom asks:What happens when we tell the whole story? Join us for Part 1 of a thought-provoking conversation about memory, truth, power, and the importance of preserving the histories that many would rather forget. 📻 Rethinking Freedom airs Mondays at 7:00 AM CST on:KRGN 98.5 FMKVBM 104.7 FM 📺 Watch on the Rethinking Freedom YouTube Channel🎙️ Also available on all major podcast platforms #RethinkingFreedom #ERTBills #TellTaleTexas #TexasHistory #UntoldHistory #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #US250 #FreedomStories #HistoricalTruth #HiddenHistory #MemorialDay #Juneteenth #Texas #Podcast #HistoryMatters Support the show

    1 hr
  7. Black Votes, White Fear: The Battle for America’s Political Future

    May 18

    Black Votes, White Fear: The Battle for America’s Political Future

    What happens when Black political power begins to rise in America? History gives us the answer: Backlash. In this explosive episode of Rethinking Freedom, host Aya Fubara Eneli sits down with community activist Dr. Rodney Duckett to expose the long history of white resistance to Black political advancement — from Reconstruction to Jim Crow, from voter suppression to modern redistricting battles happening across the United States today. This conversation pulls no punches. Together, we examine how fear of Black political influence has shaped American laws, elections, media narratives, policing, education, and democracy itself. We trace the deliberate dismantling of protections won during the Civil Rights Movement and ask whether America is witnessing the rise of a new era of legalized disenfranchisement. Topics include: * The true history behind the 1965 Voting Rights Act * White backlash after Black political gains * Racial gerrymandering and the fight over representation * The Supreme Court and the weakening of voting protections * Voter suppression tactics targeting Black communities * The relationship between white nationalism and political power * Why local elections are critical battlegrounds * How Black communities can organize, mobilize, and fight back This episode also confronts a deeper truth: The struggle has never only been about voting. It has always been about power. Who gets heard. Who gets protected. Who gets resources. Who gets representation. And who gets erased. Yet despite centuries of attacks, Black communities continue to organize, resist, build, vote, and rise. From enslaved Africans denied humanity to Freedom Riders risking their lives, from Fannie Lou Hamer to modern grassroots organizers, the fight for political freedom continues. And the outcome of that fight will shape America’s future. 📻 Rethinking Freedom airs Mondays at 7 AM CST 📡 KRGN 98.5 FM | KVBM 104.7 FM 🎙 Available on all podcast platforms 📺 Subscribe to the Rethinking Freedom YouTube Channel for fearless conversations on history, politics, race, law, and liberation. #RethinkingFreedom #BlackVotes #VotingRights #RodneyDuckett #CivilRights #BlackPoliticalPower #WhiteNationalism #JimCrow2 #Democracy #AfricanAmericanHistory #BlackResistance #VoterSuppression #PoliticalPower #SocialJustice Support the show

    1 hr
  8. Mother’s Day Was Never Meant to Be This…

    May 11

    Mother’s Day Was Never Meant to Be This…

    Mother’s Day didn’t begin with flowers, cards, or brunch. It began with war, grief, organizing, and resistance. In this powerful episode of Rethinking Freedom, we uncover the true origins of Mother’s Day—from Ann Reeves Jarvis organizing mothers during the American Civil War, to Julia Ward Howe calling for mothers to unite against war, to Anna Jarvis fighting the commercialization of the very holiday she created. But we don’t stop there. This episode centers the global power of motherhood—from African traditions where Nneka means “Mother is greater”, to Indigenous systems where mothers held political authority, to modern-day movements led by mothers demanding justice for their children. We explore: 👉 The radical history of Mother’s Day 👉 How capitalism transformed a movement into a marketplace 👉 The real cost of motherhood (economic, physical, emotional) 👉 Black, Brown, Indigenous, and global mothers who turned grief into activism 👉 A powerful “Support Mothers” action plan you can apply today Featuring insights connected to The Joys of Motherhood and the lived realities of mothers across generations. This is not just a celebration. This is a reckoning. ✊🏾 FEATURED THEMES & FIGURES Mamie Till-Mobley Coretta Scott King Betty Shabazz Mothers of the Movement Mothers Against Drunk Driving Black Mamas Matter Alliance 🔥 WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS Because mothers are celebrated one day a year… while the systems that burden them operate every day. And if mothers are not supported… are they truly free? 📻 LISTEN + FOLLOW 📅 Airs Mondays at 7 AM CST 📡 KRGN 98.5 FM | KVBM 104.7 FM 🎧 Available on all podcast platforms 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION If this episode moved you: 👉 LIKE 👉 COMMENT 👉 SHARE 👉 SUBSCRIBE Let’s rethink freedom—together. Support the show

    1 hr
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About

This isn’t just a show—it’s a movement. A call to rise above limitations, to reclaim the power that’s already within you. Whether it’s freedom in your finances, your health, your rights, or your voice—we’re here to spark the change that leads to true liberation. With every story, every beat, and every conversation, we’ll inspire you to dig deeper, to challenge the status quo, and to chase the life you deserve. So, buckle up—this is the ride of your life, and inner freedom is our destination.

Information

  • Creator
    Ayayi
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rethinking Freedom
  • Show Website
    Rethinking Freedom