Renegade Paradise Charleston DSA

In this episode, Charleston DSA Ecosocialist Working Group Co-Chair Taylor Allred reads an adapted version of a speech he delivered at recent SC Sunrise Movement rallies in support of the congressional federal jobs guarantee pledge started by Rep. Ayanna Presley. Taylor discusses why capitalism is inherently unsustainable, why a federal jobs guarantee would fundamentally shift power to workers, and how you can help us get this and other transformative reforms passed by phonebanking for the PRO Act to strengthen protections for organized labor-- the greatest power held by the working class.

In this episode, we discuss the recent presidential election in Bolivia following the US-backed right wing coup that threw the country into chaos for much of 2019. Ace returns to bring us up to speed on what exactly led us to this point, provides more context for the circumstances surrounding the election (including the US’s involvement) and what it means moving forward for the people of Bolivia.

Among the topics discussed are indigenous rights, agrarian reform, the history of US meddling in Latin American elections, the history of the   Movimiento al Socialismo (aka MAS,) and more.

Further reading:

US and OAS help overthrow another government: Behind the coup against Bolivia’s Evo Morales: https://thegrayzone.com/2019/11/14/oas-us-coup-bolivia-evo-morales/

Bolivians Return Evo Morales’s Party to Power One Year After a U.S.-Applauded Coup: https://theintercept.com/2020/10/19/bolivia-returns-evo-morales-party-to-power-one-year-after-a-u-s-applauded-coup/

Silence reigns on the US-backed coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/18/silence-us-backed-coup-evo-morales-bolivia-american-states

Masterminds of 2019 Coup In Bolivia Denounced: https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Masterminds-of-2019-Coup-in-Bolivia-Denounced.--20201201-0019.html

Bolivia parliament approves charges against ex-interim president: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/30/bolivia-parliament-recommends-charges-against-jeanine-anez

And finally, some real interesting wording in this tweet from the New York Times, "Bolivia’s former president, Evo Morales, returned to the country on Monday, a year after his failed attempt to keep power tore the nation apart and sent him into exile. " https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1325868311482163202



Music: "Propaganda" by Peg & The Rejected. Licensed under CC NC-SA 4.0

In this episode, members of Charleston DSA and Marcus from the local BLM chapter discuss the protest that happened in Marion Square downtown in honor of Kenosha, Wisconsin citizen Jacob Blake. We cover some of the demands shared by Charleston BLM, talk specifics about police tactics during the protest and attempted march, and briefly cover the reaction from local media.

We then broaden the discussion to tackle some of the contradictions of how Charleston presents itself as a progressive southern city while still hopelessly clinging to a whitewashed, romanticized notion of the antebellum south.

Support Charleston BLM by following them on Instagram at @chs_blm, or donate to Marcus on Cash App at $adessoent or on Venmo at @marcus-mcdonald-2

Helpful links mentioned in this episode:

1. Charleston Black Lives Matter

2. The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution

3. Black Liberation Fund

4. Charleston Activist Network

Music: "Propaganda" by Peg & The Rejected. Licensed under CC NC-SA 4.0

We talk to teachers from Berkeley and Dorchester counties find out what they think about reopening South Carolina schools. We’ll be discussing their unanswered questions, continuing concerns, and whether or not the government that claims to serve them is listening.

We’ll also be touching on how the lack of broadband access in rural communities plays a role in this crisis, the weaponization of teaching to extract endless concessions and sacrifices from education professionals, and some things our listeners can do to support local teachers.

Thanks for listening to our scrappy little podcast. We work hard to bring you our unique perspective on leftist news, opinion and education from the heart of the Lowcountry. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to leave a comment or rating on the platform of your choice. You can also find Charleston DSA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and at our website at charlestondsa.org.

NOTE: When the episode was recorded, the #EssentialNotExpendable car caravan that will be happening in Columbia was scheduled for Aug 15. It has since been pushed back to Aug 22 due to inclement weather. More info at our Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/essentialnotexpendable-rally-to-keep-schools-closed-during-covid-tickets-116298190017

SC school District Reopening Plans

Children Can Get Severe COVID-19, CDC Says — Especially Black And Hispanic Children

Harvard Epidemiologist: 'Hybrid' Model For Reopening Schools Is 'Probably Among The Worst' Options

Corridor Of Shame Documentary 

Two-thirds of SC educators in Survey Report Pre-Existing Conditions 

SC Teacher Of The Year Responds to Gov McMasters

Broadband Now

How SC Students Can Qualify For Free Internet

SC Teachers United

SC For Ed

Charleston Area Justice Ministry

Southerners On New Ground

Charleston Alliance for Fair Employment

Music: "Propaganda" by Peg & The Rejected. Licensed under CC NC-SA 4.0

In this episode, we're featuring local activists Candace Livingston, Julie Chea and Empress talking about police/prison abolition and building a better world using the principles of investing in our communities, as well as fully understanding the power of transformative justice.

Through Carolina Youth Action Project, they’ve been working on a campaign called Safer Schools Without SROs, which demands the removal of all SROs in Charleston County schools and in every public school across South Carolina. CYAP is an alliance of unstoppable girls, trans youth, and gender nonconforming youth who believe that students deserve to feel safe, supported, and cared for rather than fearful of harassment or arrest by SROs.

CYAP also emphasizes that issues like sex education should go beyond abstinence-only curriculum, and reject South Carolina’s outdated and harmful Comprehensive Health Education Program.

Among the topics covered: the problems with the “8 Can’t Wait” plan, what practicing transformative justice locally looks like, supporting incarcerated people, negative effects of SROs, and how to get involved with the Carolina Youth Action Project.

Further reading can be found below:

Carolina Youth Action Project: https://www.scyouthaction.org/

CYAP campaign work: https://www.scyouthaction.org/campaign-work

CYAP Petition to remove police from Charleston County schools: https://www.change.org/p/charleston-county-school-board-copsoutofccsd-remove-police-from-charleston-county-schools

Candace's commentary in the Post & Courier: Why We Need To Abolish Police In Our Schools: https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/commentary-why-we-need-to-abolish-police-in-our-schools/article_dc7a3dac-ba54-11ea-9906-df7b3c3eb47a.html

Further reading about the Prison Industrial Project: http://criticalresistance.org/

Pew Research Center: Most violent and property crimes in the U.S. go unsolved: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/01/most-violent-and-property-crimes-in-the-u-s-go-unsolved/

Equal Justice Initiative: Increased incarceration does not reduce crime: https://eji.org/news/study-finds-increased-incarceration-does-not-reduce-crime/

In the late 1920's and early 1930's Textile Workers across the country engaged in a series of industrial actions which changed the landscape and fortunes of organized labor in the US forever.  This episode tells the story of two strikes of this period that occurred in the upstate of South Carolina.  In Honea Path and Pelzer, workers fought against local mill owners and anti-union forces for better conditions and several of them paid with their lives.

A part of labor struggles throughout history has always been the music, a joyful and artistic silver lining that sometimes gets overlooked. As part of our Songs Of Liberation series, we'll also talk about many of the artists and songs associated with labor organizing in both South Carolina and the south in general. Below is a list of tunes for this episode:

Joe Glazer - Give Me That Textile Workers Union: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFXIifVQAR8

Dave McCarn - Cotton Mill Colic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCX_iMh6MzQ

Dixon Brothers - Weave Room Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uggT6J-xWjQ

Pete Seeger - The Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues: https://youtu.be/uSg6sIipjMU

New Harmony Sisterhood Band - Cotton Mill Girls: https://youtu.be/9N2wL_xLoAc

Ella May Wiggins - The Mill Mother's Lament (performed by Pete Seeger): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q69onG2nXtg

The Almanac Singers - Talking Union: https://youtu.be/xpWGixCO_9M

Joe Glazer - The Mill Was Made of Marble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79OsTBsVReE

Joe Glazer - Working Men Unite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BjddZvN7N4