The Jessica Burbank Show

Jessica Burbank

Sometimes Journalism. Sometimes Joking. kaburbank.substack.com

Episodes

  1. The Comforting Wisdom Of An Elder: Conversation With Baba Akili, Black Activist for 55 Years

    JAN 27

    The Comforting Wisdom Of An Elder: Conversation With Baba Akili, Black Activist for 55 Years

    If a crow is eating your neighbor’s corn, you shoo it away. It doesn’t matter that it’s your neighbor’s corn. If you don’t shoo it, that crow is going to be eating your corn next. When Black Lives Matter Grassroots debated getting involved in the anti-ICE movement, some members were upset. They argued, “this isn’t our fight.” Baba Akili, the National Field Coordinator, told them this: fascism and hate are like fire. Fire doesn’t choose where it spreads next. It spreads wherever it can. That’s why we have to put it out whenever it starts. Baba Akili has been a Black activist for over 50 years. He lived through the Jim Crow south, he remembers Emmet Till. When another ICE agent shot a protestor on Saturday morning, I wanted to have a long talk with Baba Akili. This episode is for everyone who could use the comforting wisdom of our elders, who know what it’s like to fight for our rights and win, and lose. This isn’t the first time people are taking to the streets to fight for our rights and dignity. Sure, a lot is different about our world, but hate is the same. As Baba Akili puts it: Racism is not new. White supremacy is not new. The hate pushed today by Charlie Kirk, Nick Fuentes, Stephen Miller, and others is the same poison I’ve heard my whole life. They’re just like their fathers, grandfathers, and all their fathers before them going back to this country’s founding-narrow-minded and, more often than not, cowards. This is a direct contrast from our most recent episode, where we heard from Dr. Tom Hall, an Army Ranger based in Minneapolis. Tom worked in Intelligence Operations for oil & gas to counter protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline. He confirmed what many of us already know, that law enforcement escalates peaceful protests into violent turmoil. After hearing a rare account of protest response tactics from the belly of the beast, I got on this call with Baba Akili. Get full access to The Counterprogramming Club at kaburbank.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 8m
5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Sometimes Journalism. Sometimes Joking. kaburbank.substack.com

You Might Also Like