Movement Memos

“A lot of people in power view knowledge as dangerous,” says organizer Mariame Kaba. In this episode, Kelly speaks with Maraime and organizers Alison Macrina and Katie Clark about why public libraries matter, not just as places to borrow books, but as vital public infrastructure. They discuss libraries as spaces where people can gather without spending money, learn together, and build the kind of shared intellectual life that authoritarianism seeks to destroy. The conversation explores book bans, censorship, austerity, AI, political education, and the bipartisan defunding of public goods, while making a powerful case for libraries as sites of struggle, possibility, and collective survival. Music: Son Monarcas & Jobii You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

Lewis Raven-Wallace, journalist, author, and abolition activist, outlines radical unlearning as uprooting habits and identities rather than mere persuasion. He discusses neuroplasticity, trauma, somatic practice, and how relationships, rupture, and shared struggle create openings for transformation. Practical community practices, play, and invitations into action are highlighted as paths toward collective change.

In this episode, Kelly talks with journalist Andrea Pitzer, author of One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps, about what it means to live under a concentration camp regime — and how people can fight back. Pitzer explains how mass detention systems are built through “end runs” around the law, how they become normalized, and why the rapid expansion of U.S. detention infrastructure signals a dangerous escalation. Music: Son Monarcas, Ballpoint, and David Celeste You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

“Our days are riding on the learning edge of a whirlwind — crisis management, harm mitigation, helping everyone come to terms with new conditions and new impossible choices that they're faced with,” says Minneapolis organizer Andrew Fahlstrom. In this episode, Andrew and local organizers Jordan and Susan Raffo talk with Kelly about community defense in Minneapolis, the social fabric of collective care under federal occupation, and how people around the country should be gearing up for the long struggle ahead. Music: Son Monarcas, Daniel Fridell, and Katori Walker You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

“The best way to respond to fear and intimidation tactics is to just show we're not afraid. We're going to keep showing up. We're going to keep speaking out,” says musician Jocelyn Walsh, who is facing federal charges for protesting ICE activity in Chicagoland. In this episode of “Movement Memos,” Walsh and Chicago organizers Gabe Gonzalez and Rey Wences talk with host Kelly Hayes about what activists have learned from months of raids, repression, and escalating authoritarian violence.  Music: Son Monarcas & Songs for Liberation You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

Tamara K. Knopper, a sociologist and educator focusing on policing and abolition, shares her insights on political education amidst rising fascism. She stresses the importance of connecting critiques of policing with practical skills for activists. Tamara discusses the surge of political organizing in Chicago and the role of communities resisting ICE. The conversation highlights the necessity of counter-recruitment efforts and rethinking solidarity in labor movements, all while emphasizing accessible education to empower grassroots actions.

What happens when our movements start to run on empty? In this episode, Kelly talks with organizer and WildSeed Society strategist Aaron Goggans about trauma, dysregulation, burnout, and the myth that we can just push through. They discuss why nervous system regulation is a crucial part of political strategy, how neurodivergent organizers hold essential wisdom for this moment, and why rest, ritual, and mutual care must be built into our fight against fascism. Whether you’re feeling frozen, overwhelmed, or simply exhausted, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a reminder that we’re not alone — and we don’t have to earn rest to deserve it. Music: Son Monarcas, Ballpoint, and David Celeste You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer and activist, discusses vital lessons from her book, Theory of Water, and her community work against ICE in Chicago. She shares insights on how water connects global struggles and emphasizes the need for active anti-fascist engagement. Leanne highlights the importance of collective responsibility and mutual aid, offering advice for organizers to center calmness and honor sacrifices. She also explores joy as essential fuel for movements and announces her new record, Live Like the Sky.

In this engaging discussion, Mariame Kaba, a dynamic author and prison abolitionist, teams up with Red Schulte, an activist and zinester, to explore the power of zines in political education. They argue for the significance of tangible resources in a digital world, discussing zines as tools for marginalized voices. The duo shares insights on collective courage, the challenges of organizing under repression, and the importance of community connection. They emphasize learning from mistakes while advocating for kindness and political support for all, particularly in tough environments.

"You're either on the side that is singing and showing up and holding other people, or you're on the side of the helicopters and the gas canisters and the guns,” says Eman Abdelhadi. In this episode, Eman, Maya Schenwar, and Kelly discuss immigration raids and the violent repression of protesters in Chicago, the administration’s war on free speech and the organized left, and lessons from the upcoming book, Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis. You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter