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Organic Histories of Black Power - Zoharah Simmons, Michael Simmons and Dan Berger (Stayed on Freedom Oral History Part 2)

Organic Histories of Black Power - Zoharah Simmons, Michael Simmons and Dan Berger (Stayed on Freedom Oral History Part 2)

FromMillennials Are Killing Capitalism


Organic Histories of Black Power - Zoharah Simmons, Michael Simmons and Dan Berger (Stayed on Freedom Oral History Part 2)

FromMillennials Are Killing Capitalism

ratings:
Length:
79 minutes
Released:
Feb 1, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

This is the second episode in our series on Dan Berger’s new book Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power Through One Family’s Journey.  We welcome back Dan Berger, and Michael and Zoharah Simmons for this discussion. Make sure you check out part one if you missed it. In part 1 Zoharah and Michael Simmons share stories from their childhoods and their early politicization, as well as their first experiences organizing with SNCC in Mississippi and Arkansas. That conversation will enrich your understanding of part 2, but this conversation also works as a standalone discussion. In this episode the focus is on the organizing work that Zoharah and Michael were a part of, how SNCC approached community organizing in Mississippi, Arkansas and then with the Atlanta Project. Building throughout this episode are the influences and experiences that organically developed into what we know as Black Power. We discuss the Black Consciousness Paper also called the Black Power statement by some, which was developed by the Atlanta Project in Vine City, in which Zoharah and Michael organized. Along the way there are very interesting lessons, experiences, and ideas for organizers and an important discussion of what the actual interventions and implications of Black Power were within SNCC and the broader Black Liberation struggle.  Make sure to pick up a copy of Stayed On Freedom by Dan Berger for more depth on many of the stories touched on here in discussion with Dan, Michael and Zoharah. It is a new month, we are fortunate that we hit our goal for 31 new patrons in January on the last day of the month. This month we will set a goal of 28 new patrons. You can become one of them and support our work here for as little as $1 per month. You can join all of our amazing patrons for as little as $1 per month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Our January selection of our book club with Prisons Kill and Massive Bookshop was Joshua Myers book Of Black Study. We want to thank Pluto Press for generously donated 36 copies for those incarcerated readers. We do need to raise a little money for postage for that. So we will include a link in the show notes for how folks can contribute to that effort as well. Links: Our first conversation in this series with Dan Berger, Zoharah Simmons and Michael Simmons Our (previous) conversation with SNCC organizers Jennifer Lawson and Charles Cobb Jr Our (previous) conversation with SNCC organizers Jennifer Lawson and Dorothy Zellner Our previous episodes with Dan Berger  "The Black Consciousness Paper" The Atlanta Project (SNCC Digital Gateway)  
Released:
Feb 1, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

We created this podcast in recognition that there are a number of podcasts for the American “left,” but many of them focus heavily on the organizing of social democrats, progressives, and liberal democrats. Aside from that, on the left we are always fighting a war of ideas and if we do not continue to build platforms to share those ideas and the stories of their implementation from a leftist perspective, they will continue to be ignored, misrepresented, and dismissed by the capitalist media and as a result by the general public. Our goal is to provide a platform for communists, anti-imperialists, Black Liberation movements, ancoms, left libertarians, LBGTQ activists, feminists, immigration activists, and abolitionists to discuss radical politics, radical organizing and share their visions for a better world. Our goal is to center organizers who represent and work with marginalized communities building survival programs, defense programs, political education, and counterpower. We also plan to bring in perspectives on and from the global south to highlight anti-capitalist struggles outside the imperial core. We view solidarity with decolonization, indigenous, anti-imperialist, environmentalist, socialist, and anarchist movements across the world as necessary steps toward meaningful liberation for all people. Too often within the imperial core we focus on our own struggles without taking the time to understand those fighting for freedom from beneath the empire’s thumb. It is important to highlight these struggles, learn what we can from them, offer solidarity, and support with action when we can. It is not enough to Fight For $15 an hour and Single-Payer within the core, while the US actively fights against the self-determination of the people of the global economically and militarily. We recognize that except for the extremely wealthy and privileged, our fates and struggles are intrinsically connected. We hope that our podcast becomes a meaningful platform for organizers and activists fighting for social change to connect their local movements to broader movements centered around the fight to end imperialism, capitalism, racism, discrimination based on gender identity or sexuality, sexism, and ableism. If you like our work please support us at www.patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism