Movement Memos
Truthout
An ongoing call to action for movement work and mutual aid efforts around the country. Kelly Hayes connects with activists, journalists and others on the front lines to break down what’s happening in various struggles and what listeners can do to help.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 5, 2021 • 32min
A New Wave of Jim Crow Laws is Here. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Republicans are waging a nationwide attack on voting rights and the right to protest. Kelly compares these efforts with the laws and conventions that ushered in the Jim Crow era, and talks with voting rights organizer Toni Watkins about how targeted communities are fighting back. For a transcript, audio and show notes, you can check out our website: https://truthout.org/series/movement-memos/
Apr 28, 2021 • 54min
Police Convictions Are Not the Goal. Minneapolis Abolitionists Have Bigger Dreams.
After a year of upheaval and pandemic, and the unlikely conviction of a police officer, Minneapolis organizers Jonathan Stegall and D.A. Bullock talk with Kelly about what they have built and learned in the last year, what Derek Chauvin’s conviction does not accomplish, and what they hope people will do now as the struggle against policing continues. For a transcript, audio and show notes, you can check out our website: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/
Apr 21, 2021 • 57min
You Cannot Divorce Policing From Murder
“There are so many ways the system robs people of life, and police are out there daily, enacting that theft.” Kelly talks about the Chauvin verdict and the murder of Adam Toledo, and discusses the history and current state of policing with Alex Vitale, author of the book, The End of Policing. You can find a transcript, audio and show notes on our website: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/
Apr 14, 2021 • 43min
Resuscitating Normalcy Will Kill Us. What We Need is a Just Recovery.
Our pre-pandemic "normal" was a deathtrap. So what should we be building instead? And how should we talk about it? In this episode, Kelly talks with artist and organizer Jayeesha Dutta about letting normalcy die and creating something new. You can find a transcript, audio and show notes on our website.
Apr 7, 2021 • 50min
Work Isn’t Fulfilling Because Capitalism is a Death March
Capitalism is a death march, but it’s one we’re told we should find fulfilling. In this episode of Movement Memos, Kelly talks with author Sarah Jaffe about the manipulation, surveillance and criminalization of workers under capitalism, and what we can do about it. You can find a transcript, audio and show notes on our website.
Jan 27, 2021 • 55min
From Survival to Solidarity: Emerging From the Wreckage of the Trump Era
As we navigate the wreckage of the Trump administration, how can we respond to crisis from a place of power? In the season finale of Movement Memos, Kelly Hayes and Ejeris Dixon talk about the dangers we still face, the relationships we need, and how we can help each other do more than simply survive these times.For a transcript, audio and show notes, you can check out our website.
Jan 20, 2021 • 40min
Bent on Revenge, The Far-Right Will Rage Against Reality in the Biden Era
“Now that Donald Trump is going to be out of the office, and the narrative is that he is out of office illegitimately, it gives them a defining cause. They now live in a stolen country, a failed state where they're the renegade truth tellers. And that's the kind of bonding that can last for years." Kelly talks with Shane Burley about confronting far-right violence in the Biden era.For a transcript, audio and show notes, you can visit our website.
Jan 14, 2021 • 36min
What to Expect in the Final Days of Trump's Fascist Reign
As Trump’s reality TV presidency comes to an end, Kelly Hayes and author Sarah Kendzior talk about what to expect in these final days, and what the future might hold.You can find audio, a transcript and show notes on our website.
Dec 31, 2020 • 33min
2020 Turned Our Worlds Inside Out. Here’s What We Learned.
2020 was a year of catastrophe and collective struggle. Now, we have a new era of organizing and action to gear up for. In this special New Year's episode of Movement Memos, Kelly revisits some of the lessons we learned this year from guests like Mariame Kaba, Shane Burley, Brant Rosen and L.A. Kauffman. You can find audio, a transcript and show notes on our website.
Dec 23, 2020 • 26min
Chicago Teachers Pledge Collective Action as January Reopening Approaches
The second wave is killing 130 people per day in Illinois. So why are Chicago Public Schools reopening on January 11? Kelly talks with Chicago public school teacher Silvia Gonzalez about the perils of Chicago’s hybrid reopening plan and why “simultaneous instruction” simply doesn’t make sense.You can find a transcript audio and show notes on our website.
