Laura Flanders and Friends Laura Flanders, Curious Communications

Under the view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, a struggle is being waged over the future of policing and incarceration. Los Angeles is ground zero for fights over the job of District Attorney, Police Chief, and the size of prisons and jails. Corporations that have profited from prison communications are now profiting on electronic monitoring. Can today's Los Angeles change the script?

“Los Angeles has a history of repression, and I think because it's Los Angeles, they're also masters at narrative, so they'll mask it with pictures of palm trees and Venice Beach and all of these other things. But really, when we look at the history of Los Angeles, it's deeply rooted in racism, deeply rooted in racist repression and oppression, and deeply rooted in a system of policing that absolutely descends from slave catching,” - Melina Abdullah

“When we talk about closing Men's Central Jail, yes, we're trying to close that particular building, but what it requires is every jail in our county to reduce its population . . . We're trying to decarcerate globally across the jail system, that will then allow us to close this monument of essentially torture in our communities.” - Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson

“The reason why I've done this work is because I've seen how the system works, and I've seen how it doesn't prevent harm and violence. It only responds to it . . .” - Eunisses Hernandez

“What if something went off and said that I wasn't where I was supposed to be, and all these cops showed up? . . . At [the age of] 15 thinking the cops are going to show up . . . that is one thing that I will always say that shamed me in my life. I felt unworthy. I felt like I was a bad person.” - Sheila Natt

“. . . 94% of the people that are terminated from the electronic monitoring program pre-trial are terminated on technical violations . . . If the point is to use this electronic monitoring to help people stay out of jail and come to court, why are the technical violations leading you right back into jail?” - Anthony Robles


Guests:
• Melina Abdullah: Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles
• Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson: Co-Executive Director, Dignity & Power Now
• Eunisses Hernandez: Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 1
• Sheila Natt: Former Teen Ankle Monitor User
• Anthony Robles: Youth & Community Organizer, Dignity & Power Now

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!

As the Republican National Convention comes to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Laura talks with award-winning reporter and author, Malaika Jabali, author of "It's Not You, It’s Capitalism: Why It’s Time to Break Up and How to Move On”. Wisconsin is one of the most racially unequal states in the country. It’s also seen a precipitous decline in Black voting. Are these things connected?

“It's almost a cottage industry of trying to figure out what happened with the white working class . . . The other side of that is that you have a lot of Black non-voters. A lot of Black people are saying, ‘We don't have any options between the Republican and Democratic party’ . . . So they tend to stay home. It was me trying to understand what was going on behind the numbers. I barely saw any journalism about it.” - Malaika Jabali


“. . . We have a propaganda machine through the US government, media, law and policy that made it illegal to be socialists . . . Martin Luther King, the Black Power Movement, the Black Panthers, they were surveilled for any hint of thinking about any anti-capitalist thought . . . What kind of system is that where it is so hell bent on freedom, but does not give you the freedom to think about other ideas and types of policies? I don't consider that very democratic.” - Malaika Jabali


Guest: Malaika Jabali: Journalist & Author, “It’s Not You, It’s Capitalism”

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!

While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. The following is from our episode Breaking Up With Capitalism featuring Malaika Jabali, on Wisconsin's discouraged black voters. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a member at https://LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: As the Republican National Convention comes to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Laura talks with award-winning reporter and author, Malaika Jabali, author of "It's Not You, It’s Capitalism: Why It’s Time to Break Up and How to Move On”. Wisconsin is one of the most racially unequal states in the country, with rising housing costs outpacing wages and one of the highest Black male incarceration rates in the nation. It’s also seen a precipitous decline in Black voting — for either party. Are these things connected? Back in 2020 Jabali went to Milwaukee to find out and made a short film “Left Out“ in which she spoke to Black elected officials as well as non-voters. In this episode of Laura Flanders & Friends we’ll revisit that film, hear Jabali’s advice for concerned Dems, and answers, when it comes to the RNC, what’s in it for Black Midwesterners? All that and a commentary from Laura. Jabali is the former Senior News and Politics Editor at Essence Magazine.

Full Episode Notes are posted on Patreon.com/LauraFlandersandFriends. They include related episodes, articles, and more.

What does it take to be politically outspoken in Hollywood? You may know Amanda Seales from her role on HBO’s “Insecure”, her stand-up comedy, her podcast and radio show or viral videos on social media. She’s lost agents, her publicist, and had speaking gigs retracted for her commitment to social justice. Hear why Seales is taking backlash from her support for Palestinians as “a badge of honor”.

Guests: Amanda Seales, Artistic Intellectual


This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!

While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. The following is from our episode "Amanda Seales Takes the Heat: Speaking Out About Gaza & Hollywood". These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a member at https://LauraFlanders.org/donate

What does it take to be politically outspoken in Hollywood? You may know Amanda Seales from her role on HBO’s “Insecure”, her stand-up comedy, her podcast and radio show or her viral videos on social media. She’s lost agents, her publicist, and has had speaking gigs retracted for her commitment to social justice. From Black women to Palestinians in Gaza, Seales uses her platform to speak honestly about harm done to others. She talks powerfully about her experiences with the dangers of fame and celebrity in Hollywood, neurodivergence, white supremacy and a whole lot more. In this conversation, Laura Flanders asks Amanda Seales about our progress as a country, what it means to be an “artistic intellectual” and about the educators who’ve helped her along the way. Hear why Seales is “divesting from celebrity” and taking backlash from her support for Palestinians as “a badge of honor”. Plus, go behind the scenes with Seales with the full, uncut conversation from this week’s show. Laura will tell you more.

Guests: Amanda Seales, Artistic Intellectual

Full Episode Notes are posted the Wednesday following the podcast release and are located HERE. They include related episodes, articles, and more.

The business of media is in danger — but it sure isn’t dead. There have been layoffs across the industry and many newsrooms have cut back on the resources available to journalists. But workers have also organized unions, including high-profile campaigns at Condé Nast and The New Yorker, and started worker-owned media like Hell Gate and Defector.
Guests:
• Tammy Kim: Contributing Writer, The New Yorker
• Alex Sujong Laughlin: Supervising Producer & Co-Owner, Defector Media
• Esther Wang: Co-Founder, Hell Gate; Former Senior Political Reporter, Jezebel

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!