Unruly Subjects

Rowhome Productions
  • 5.0 (18)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Unruly Subjects is a weekly show about politics and culture hosted by Chenjerai Kumanyika, media professor and Peabody Award-winning audio journalist. Each week, Chenjerai makes sense of the week’s struggles with some of his favorite people - thinkers, journalists, friends, and folks who can help us laugh through the pain. The show is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support Unruly Subjects at Patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

  1. 1H AGO

    How the Informed Consent Coalition is Fighting the Family Policing System in Hospitals and Beyond

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here This week’s show is about informed consent, pregnancy, drug testing, hospitals, and the family policing system. Specifically, we break down a form of surveillance called “test-and-report” that's being used to punish parents and newborns in medical settings. And we hear from a coalition that's been organizing against it. 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  Chenjerai interviews Dr. Erinma Ukoha and Desseray Wright about their work with the Informed Consent Coalition and their fight against the family policing policy of "test-and-report". Desseray Wright is a Parent and Policy advocate at the Bronx Defenders, where she works to challenge and transform the family regulation system. Dr. Ukoha is a board-certified obstetrician, gynecologist, and maternal fetal medicine specialist at the Mount Sinai Hospital. This interview was recorded just before Mother’s Day.  We also give you a sneak preview of the new season of Scene on Radio, which premieres on May 27th.  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Informed Consent New York https://www.informedconsentny.com/ Bronx Defenders  https://www.instagram.com/bronxdefenders/ Movement for Family Power   https://www.movementforfamilypower.org/ Support the show

    47 min

  2. MAY 14

    Locked Up for Being Poor: The Reality of Cash Bail and the Copaganda Machine

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here This week, we hear the story of how the "punishment bureaucracy" uses narrative and media to maintain state violence. We’re looking at the devastating impact of jailing someone simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. We dive into how punishment systems defend themselves and the stories that police, prosecutors, politicians, and media institutions tell in order to make cages sound like safety. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects. First, Chenjerai talks with Alec Karakatsanis, founder of Civil Rights Corps and author of the book Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our News. Alec tells the story of the fight against wealth-based detention—from the devastating reality of the cash bail system to the ways "copaganda" is used to attack reform victories and justify the jailing of people because they are poor. Later, Chenjerai is out for a ride in New York City when his bike breaks down, leading to an encounter that sticks with him. He meets a bike mechanic who is clearly living without much of a safety net, but who carries an incredible archive of skill, a set of tools and a deep willingness to help others. It’s a reflection on the genius that lives all around us, and the uncomfortable reality of the city’s inequality. 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch at unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Alec Karakatsanis’s book: Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our NewsCivil Rights Corps: Learn more about their litigation and advocacy workThe Puerto Rico Report: The Transformation of the Puerto Rico Police BureauThe Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams by Alec KarakatsanisThe California Supreme Court Ruling: The Marshall ProjectDebt Collective: Carceral Debt Support the show

    1 hr

  3. MAY 7

    Being Dope, Staying Unruly: Why We Need Hip-Hop to Understand Power, to Build Power and to Fight the Power

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here Before he was a scholar, journalist, and podcast host, Chenjerai was a rapper. And this week’s show is all about how hip-hop is connected to our larger political struggles.  📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  First, Chenjerai interviews his friend, the scholar, rapper, and UVA professor A.D. Carson. He's the author of Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir. In their conversation, they talk about what it means to take rap seriously on its own terms and why it's worthy of scholarly analysis, and how A.D’s work applies to the Afroman case.  Second, Chenjerai talks with RodStarz, ½ of  the political rap duo Rebel Diaz. They discuss the group's history, their political education, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, and how they understood hip hop not just as music, but as actual infrastructure.  Also, P-Dawg calls in, News Fiend, & more…  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Buy A.D’s book:  Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir https://academic.oup.com/book/61518?login=false A.D. Carson’s hot off the presses article on the use of James Broadnax lyris to sentence him to death. https://theconversation.com/after-the-execution-of-james-g-broadnax-in-texas-questions-persist-over-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-280901 Some of A.D. Carson’s other writing  https://aydeethegreat.com/printed-words/ Rebel Diaz “Chicago Teacher” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k Rebel Diaz on a legacy of activism through music http://bronxink.org/2011/10/12/17578-rebel-diaz-passing-on-a-legacy-of-activism-through-music/ Support the show

    1h 35m

  4. APR 30

    Getting Unruly on May Day: Education Workers, Labor Power, and the Fight Ahead

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here **Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?** Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform Here at Unruly Subjects you know we’re celebrating May Day ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 So this week, we’re featuring two interviews that help us think through this critical question: What does it take to build the kind of power that can actually meet this political moment? 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  In This Episode: First, Chenjerai interviews three major labor leaders: Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a national vice president of American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Jessica Tang, president of AFT Massachusetts and former president of the Boston Teachers Union; and Carl Rosen, who recently retired as general president of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Todd, Jessica, and Carl talk about May Day as more than symbolism. They talk about it as part of building the infrastructure we may need later: labor, civil society, public institutions, community organizations, immigrant rights groups, education workers, and ordinary people finding ways to move together before a crisis hits. Second, Our Unruly homie - the scholar and poet Demetrius Noble - talks with Carla Harris, a public school teacher and organizer in Guilford County, North Carolina. They discuss the everyday realities of working in public education and also about organizing in practical terms: how you talk to a coworker who is tired, scared, skeptical, or has never been asked to act before. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode: AAUP/AFT Platform: A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/Higher_Ed_Vision_and_Policy_Platform_326.pdf May Day Strong https://maydaystrong.org/ Kids Over Corporations https://kidsovercorporations.org/index.html https://www.ednc.org/4-23-2026-state-house-dems-call-for-budget-with-raises-for-educators-and-other-updates-from-the-start-of-short-session/#:~:text=Ben%20Humphries/EdNC-,Senator%20to%20file%20a%20 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Cancelling Classes https://www.instagram.com/p/DXhiOqzEWQ9/?igsh=ZDJ4MWR5YWo5OGx2 Support the show

    1h 30m

  5. APR 23

    When the President Declares Martial Law: What We Can Learn From South Korea’s Struggle to Defeat an Authoritarian Turn

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here This week, we look back at the martial law crisis that happened in South Korea in 2024, the Union-led opposition that organized swiftly, and the nationwide general strike that helped played a key role in defeating martial law and spurring mass mobilization. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  Chenjerai interviews Mikyung Ryu, the International Director of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) about what happened on December 3rd, 2024, how labor reacted, what broader forces made the response possible, and what lessons people in the United States might learn from South Korea's fight to stop an authoritarian turn. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Wikipedia Primer on the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_South_Korean_martial_law_crisis Korean Confederation of Trade Unions https://nodong.org/english/ Support the show

    56 min

  6. APR 16

    Creating Conditions for Black Mothers to Thrive

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here It’s Black Maternal Health Week! So on this week’s show we’re taking a deep look at the conditions Black mothers face before and after giving birth.  🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  We feature an esteemed guest to discuss the mental health dimensions of maternal health: Saadiqa Kumanyika, a psychotherapist who specializes in perinatal and postpartum maternal mental health. (Saadiqa is also the First Lady of Unruly Subjects).  We also share an interview with Malajah Rigsby, a new mother, and her doula Shantice Edwards. They give us an intimate view into what support and care looked like for them through their birthing journey.  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Saadiqa Kumanyika Therapy https://www.saadiqakumanyikatherapy.com/ Should I Have a Baby? 10 Questions to Ask Before You Get Pregnant https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/should-i-have-a-baby-10-questions-to-answer-before-you-get-pregnant-jennifer-jessica/1113650744 Black Women Birthing Justice  https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/ Black Mama’s Justice Alliance  https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Support SisterWeb - the community of Birth Workers and Educators that Shantice works with! https://www.sisterweb.org/ Resources from Black Women’s Health Imperative  https://maternalhealth.bwhi.org/ Support the show

    1h 20m

  7. APR 9

    Steph Curry, Sportswashing, and Why NBA players are investing in Israeli Security Tech?

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai finally gets into sports. Kind of. Recently, it came to his attention that Steph Curry - one of the greatest NBA players of all time - has been investing in Israeli technology that’s linked to military actions that country is taking in Palestine,Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and beyond. What’s up with that? Chenjerai unpacks this situation with Dave Zirin, Sports Editor at The Nation Magazine, and Demetrius Noble, Professor of African American Diaspora Studies at UNC Greensboro. They discuss the “sports-washing” being choreographed by nations and companies perpetuating war and genocides, the real world impacts of these investments, and how seemingly good guys like Steph Curry get tied up in the mess.  Also, we bring back singer-songwriter CoCo Watson and D Noble to dissect a ridiculous video that’s recently been going viral.  And new music from Coco! https://soundcloud.com/hellocollette/unsubscribe2026 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Further reading & sources from this episode Why is Steph Curry Investing in Israeli Security Tech?, The Nation  https://www.thenation.com/article/society/steph-curry-investments-israel-tech-sector/ Here is a video on Sports Washing From Dave Zirin - https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/sportswashing-countries-use-sports-to-distract-from-crimes/ Video of the Singing Server https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTYeWTekj4S/ Support the show

    1h 26m

  8. APR 2

    Jack Harlow’s "Blacker" Comments: Unpacking the Fallout with D Noble

    Text the Unruly Hotline Here This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai is joined by his close friend Professor D Noble to unpack the viral fallout surrounding white rapper Jack Harlow. Following Harlow’s move into Neo Soul with his new album Monica, Chenjerai and Professor Noble dive into the controversy sparked by Harlow’s recent interview on the New York Times’ Popcast, where he claimed he has "gotten Blacker." Go beyond the individual critiques of Harlow and go deeper to analyze how the "post-Not Like Us" landscape has changed the rules for artists, and who actually controls the means of Black cultural production. In other words who really controls access to the "Cookout?” And, of course, it wouldn't be Unruly Subjects without some levity—Chenjerai and D Noble spend some time riffing on the hilarious and biting nicknames that have popped up as the internet trolls Harlow, including Jan 6 Mafia, A Clan Called Quest, and Musiq Rothschild. We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions Support the show

    23 min
See All (25)

Trailer

5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Unruly Subjects is a weekly show about politics and culture hosted by Chenjerai Kumanyika, media professor and Peabody Award-winning audio journalist. Each week, Chenjerai makes sense of the week’s struggles with some of his favorite people - thinkers, journalists, friends, and folks who can help us laugh through the pain. The show is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support Unruly Subjects at Patreon.com/UnrulySubjects 

Information

  • Creator
    Rowhome Productions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unruly Subjects
  • Show Website
    Unruly Subjects

You Might Also Like