Episode 17 - Reckoning with Race and Class on the Road to Social Democracy

Episode 17 - Reckoning with Race and Class on the Road to Social Democracy

Author: CUNY SLU June 3, 2021 Duration: 37:23
This episode features a debate regarding the role of race vs. class in efforts to advance a Social Democratic politics. It draws on a panel which was part of a day-long conference held in April 2021 considering Joshua B. Freeman’s landmark book, Working-Class New York: Life and Labor Since World War II. Longtime social justice activist Deepak Bhargava and historian Touré Reed concur that race and class identity is, as Deepak put it, “the axis on which the Social Democratic project will turn.” They part ways, however, on whether organizing that springs from and emphasizes racial oppression can propel a movement to achieve economic justice in the 21st century U.S.

What does it mean to stand together in a world that often feels fragmented? Reinventing Solidarity, from CUNY SLU, digs into that question without easy answers. This isn't a lecture series, but a collection of grounded conversations exploring how connection and mutual support are being reimagined right now. You'll hear from organizers, artists, scholars, and community members who are actively building bridges across differences, examining both the triumphs and the stumbling blocks in contemporary collective action. Each episode focuses on real-world examples, from workplace organizing and neighborhood initiatives to cultural projects that challenge old narratives. The discussions are nuanced, avoiding simple slogans in favor of honest talk about the hard work of building lasting bonds in our communities and institutions. Tune in for a thoughtful exploration of the practical and philosophical sides of coming together. This podcast offers a necessary space to consider how solidarity isn't just a historical concept, but a living, evolving practice we all have a stake in shaping.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 67

Reinventing Solidarity
Podcast Episodes
Episode 47 - "The 2023 UAW Strike: A Turning Point in Labor History?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:14
The United Auto Workers achieved a real breakthrough in their 2023 strike against the Big Three automakers. For this episode, our new editor-at-large Micah Uetricht interviews longtime labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein…
Episode 44 - "The New Terrain of Veterans Affairs" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:30
This episode focuses on a discussion of publicly funded and operated health care in the United States. If this might seem a pipe dream with no national precedence, the authors of the recent book, Our Veterans: Winners, L…
Episode 43 - "The Strike: Labor's Most Powerful Weapon" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:51
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies faculty member Stephanie Luce speaks with trade unionists Judy Gonzalez and Bob Master about the conditions which make the strike labor’s most powerful weapon. Drawing on recent exp…
Episode 42 - "Independent Unions: The Allure of a Failing Strategy" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:52
This episode offers a provocative assessment of independent unionism as a strategy for building worker power in the U.S. In conversation with New Labor Forum Consulting Editor Joshua Freeman, Erik Loomis discusses his sp…
Episode 41 - "Labor Power and Strategy" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:26
This episode tackles the big labor organizing questions of the day: What is the relative strategic importance of organizing workers at the commanding heights of the 21st century economy, like the docks for example, versu…
Episode 40 - "The South: Jim Crow and its Afterlives" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:18
In this episode, Adolph Reed, Jr. describes Jim Crow as a result of decades of post-emancipation contention between freed slaves, white farmers and laborers, and the ruling class of white planters and merchants. As an ou…
Episode 38 - "Making Hope and History Rhyme" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:29
Over the past half-century, labor activists Marilyn Sneiderman and Stephen Lerner have been responsible for spurring major strategic advances in union organizing and movement building. Here, they discuss their recent New…