Episode 5 - Economic, Racial, and Immigrant Justice: A Progressive Congressional Agenda In 2021

Episode 5 - Economic, Racial, and Immigrant Justice: A Progressive Congressional Agenda In 2021

Author: CUNY SLU November 14, 2020 Duration: 25:49
This episode benefits from the exciting public programming we do at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. Since the corona virus surged last spring, we’ve been hosting a series of virtual forums on the subject of Covid capitalism. These talks examine what the pandemic has come to reveal about contemporary capitalism, the chronic racial and economic inequality faced by millions of Americans, and the prospects for structural change. A conversation featuring Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal marked a high point in these discussions and forms the basis for today’s podcast. Jayapal discusses her trajectory from grassroots organizer to strategic organizing within the halls of Congress to create a moral economy and a democratic and humane society.

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…