Episodes

  • Ep. 110 - Democratic National Convention: From 1968 to 2024, Pt. 1 ft. Bill Ayers

    Ep. 110 - Democratic National Convention: From 1968 to 2024, Pt. 1 ft. Bill Ayers
    Aug 18 2024
    BrownTown is honored to be joined by an OG in the game -- activist, organizer, and professor Bill Ayers. The gang discusses the similarities, differences, and peculiarities of Chicago hosting the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and in 2024. Bill bears witness to the socio-political context leading up to the 1968 Convention while they analyzes the role of grassroots movement-building (or the "fire from below") on electoral politics, anti-war/genocide activism, and building towards revolution. Originally recorded August 12, 2024, a week before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. "Two things that are never on the ballot are war and capitalism." --Bill Ayers GUESTBill Ayers is a long-time activist, organizer, and is formerly a Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago, (now retired). Bill has written extensively about social justice and democracy, education and the cultural contexts of schooling, and teaching as an essentially intellectual, ethical, and political enterprise. His books includeTeaching toward Freedom, Fugitive Days: A Memoir; Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident, Race Course: Against White Supremacy, Demand the Impossible! A Radical Manifesto, and most recently When Freedom is the Question, Abolition is the Answer: Reflections on Collective Liberation.Read more about Bill on Influence Watch or his website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Listen to his podcast Under the Tree and follow it on Instagram, and Twitter. Mentioned in or related to episode:Views from the front lines of Chicago's 1968 DNC protests (Chicago Sun-Times)Pro-Palestinian activists prepare to rally at Democratic convention in Chicago (LA Times)Will this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago be a repeat of 1968? (WBEZ)March on the DNC 2024F*** the GNC Convention from the Dissenters--CREDITS: Intro soundbite from Martin Luther King's Jr.'s last speech "I've been to the Mountain Top". Outro music Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P by Ric Wilson. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by unknown.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Ep. 109 - Existential Quandaries on Hope, Relationships, & Resistance to American Hegemony ft. CA Davis

    Ep. 109 - Existential Quandaries on Hope, Relationships, & Resistance to American Hegemony ft. CA Davis
    Aug 6 2024
    BrownTown gets philosophical with return guest CA Davis, multimedia storyteller and creator of a LATTO Thought, an audio docuseries revolving around the history of race in America. Halfway through 2024, the team discusses intimate journeys of introspection in the context of fractured and generative interpersonal relationships, current events, and cultural work in an effort to create a better world. From experimenting with psychedelics to familial proximity to the military industrial complex to Black Buddhism, BrownTown and CA unpack the uncertain future of the American experiment...and their place in it. After all, “The horrors of the world persist and yet so do we.” Originally recorded July 2, 2024. GUESTCA is, above all else, a storyteller. His mediums range from filmmaking to sound design, documentaries, composing music, and essaying, all of which revolve around the history of race in America as well as broad existential queries and experiences of human life. Having taken a hiatus from his audio documentary series, a LATTO Thought, as well as from filmmaking as a whole, CA is currently rekindling a project about his dad’s and grandfather’s legacies of being Black in America and their roles (and benefits) being in the US military.--Follow CA on his site CADavis.me, LinkedIn, and Instagram!Follow and listen to a LATTO Thought Podcast on your application of choice; learn more at LATTOthought.com; follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; and toss the bag on Patreon!--CREDITS: Intro soundbite from Michael Pollan's "Same Brain" metaphor. Outro music Schism by TOOL from the movie's soundtrack. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles and Kassandra Borah. Episode photo by Joe Martinez.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Ep. 108 - Whiskey & Watching: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022) ft. Alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez & Jessie Fuentes

    Ep. 108 - Whiskey & Watching: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022) ft. Alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez & Jessie Fuentes
    Jul 1 2024
    BrownTown takes on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) with Alderhomies Rossana Rodriguez (33rd) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) in the first for Whiskey & Watching installment of 2024! BrownTown and the return guests breakdown the film and its predecessor’s social impact and commentary on imperialism, geo-politics, science and spirituality, diasporic traditions, Black and Brown solidarity, and so much more. Originally recorded May 30, 2024.Mentioned in episode:BnB Alum Ricardo Gamboa on Chicago’s Gaza Ceasefire resolution#TreatmentNotTrauma campaign and planUS-Indian Boarding School History2020 Cicero & Cermak: Black & Brown Tensions (1, 2, 3)--GUESTSAlderwoman Rossana Rodriguez (33rd), now in her second term, is the Chair of the Committee on Health and Human Relations for the Chicago City Council. Rossana was born and raised in Puerto Rico and started organizing at six years old when her community had to fight for access to running water. Organizing soon became a fundamental part of her life and remains her main tool within her work in government. Rossana came to Chicago after austerity and budget cuts forced her to leave her job as a drama teacher in Puerto Rico. She originally moved to Albany Park to work as a theatre director with a youth theatre company 14 years ago and chose to stay and organize around housing, education, immigrant rights, and mental health. She is the chief sponsor for the Treatment Not Trauma legislation and continues to organize with grassroots organizations to transform Chicago. Follow Rossana on Facebook, Instagram, (personal, political) and Twitter (personal, political). Stay up to date with her City Council work and 33rd ward services at Rossanafor33.org.Alderperson Jessie Fuentes (26th) is a queer Latina grassroots organizer, educator, and public policy advocate with over a decade of experience in education, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, community development and sustainability. A lifelong Chicagoan and resident of the Northwest side, Jessie spent most of her formative years growing up and working in Humboldt Park. Through personal resilience, community support and restorative justice, Jessie turned her most traumatic life experiences into tools to uplift others facing similar circumstances. In her previous roles as an educator and Dean of Students at Roberto Clemente Community Academy and as an organizer around issues of violence prevention, housing affordability, and re-entry for returning citizens, she convened and connected community stakeholders to create community-driven solutions to the biggest problems facing Humboldt Park. Jessie recently served as the Director of Policy and Youth Advocacy at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. She Co-chaired the Violence Prevention program of the Illinois Latino Agenda and is also a Founding Member of the Illinois Latino Agenda 2.0, focusing on community development and Latine equity. Follow Jessie on Facebook (personal, political), Instagram (personal, political), and Twitter (personal, political). Stay up to date with her City Council work and 26th ward at Jessiefor26thward.com. Opinions on this episode only reflect David, Caullen, Rossana, and Jessie as individuals, not their organizations or places of work. CREDITS: Intro soundbite and episode photo from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer and outro music Con La Brisa by Ludwig Göransson from the movie's soundtrack. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles and Kassandra Borah.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • Ep. 107 - Creative Jobs, Life Balance, & Working towards a Liberatory Future within Capitalism 3.0

    Ep. 107 - Creative Jobs, Life Balance, & Working towards a Liberatory Future within Capitalism 3.0
    May 20 2024
    BrownTown on BrownTown. Once again, our comrades build on previous discussions from 2019 (Ep. 39) and 2020 (Ep. 59) on the interrelationship between working within and outside of the movement media landscape while balancing a healthy personal life, financial well-being, and everything in between. The duo situate what recent growth means for SoapBox as an entity while also attempting to navigate the inherent contradictions of trying to dismantle capitalism while working within it. In this moment colored by genocide in Gaza, mass migration due to decades of neoliberal policy, and revanchist regressive public policy across the US, we are reminded of the necessity of liberation work as well as the toll it takes on our everyday. How do organizers, activists, creators, and freelancers at large sustain the self in order to sustain the work? How do we do fight the power while avoiding burnout and paying the rent? Here's BrownTown's take. Originally recorded April 17, 2024. Other topics mentioned:Ep. 95 - HomeEp. 64 - Non-Profit Industrial Complex ft. Lizette GarzaOne Fair Wage Ordinance Approved by Chicago City Council (NBC)One Million Experiments (2023)No Cop Academy: The Documentary (2023) CREDITS: Intro sound bite from The Boondocks. Outro song Thank you, Goodbye by GENTA. Audio engineering all by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by Glitter Guts.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Ep. 106 - Independent Media Creation in the Age of Spin (& Memes) 2.0 ft. Camila Cuevas

    Ep. 106 - Independent Media Creation in the Age of Spin (& Memes) 2.0 ft. Camila Cuevas
    May 3 2024
    BrownTown talks memes, mass mobilization, and more with Camila Cuevas (AKA @ComradeCami), Chilena expat living in Florida, USA. She uplifts liberation struggles and provides social movement resources through memes and social media via what she calls "thirst-trapping the masses into class consciousness." The team dissects our current moment in the social media landscape, the influence of TikTok on Palestine and other issues, how to push radical politics in a policed tech-world controlled by billionaires, and breakdown their favorite political memes. Originally recorded April 17, 2024. "Dude. They have all the money in the world to make propaganda…AND WE GOT MEMES!" Follow Camila on Instagram @comradecami (backup @issacommiemami), Twitter, and listen to the 805 Uncensored Podcast. Mentioned in episode:Ep. 77 - Independent Media Creation in the Age of Spin (& Capital) ft. Sophie Elizabeth JamesUS-backed coup in Chile: Salvador Allende & Augusto Pinochet (NPR)The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states (Vox)MEMES: Communist Squidward, 9/11 (slide 7), Brandon v. Vallas, rubbing hands dudePolitical meme/video accounts to follow:@this_is_memecoreJames Rehwald@blackleftiss@buddyhead_@peachteacommunist@cocktailsandcapitalism@abnormalize.being@anfemwaves@wlotspod@thisamericanleft@seedingsovereigntyCaitlin Johnstone (IG, Twitter, YouTube) CREDITS: Intro soundbite from @seansvv on TikTok. Outro music Harlem Shake by Baauer. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Ep. 105 - Bring Chicago Home ft. Dixon Romeo

    Ep. 105 - Bring Chicago Home ft. Dixon Romeo
    Mar 11 2024
    BrownTown chops it up with Dixon Romeo, Executive Director of NotMeWe and organizer with the Bring Chicago Home campaign. On March 19th, 2024, Chicago voters have the opportunity in the state primary elections to restructure the already existing, one-time Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) "on properties when they are sold to create a substantial and legally dedicated revenue stream to provide permanent affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness" (BringChicagoHome.org). The gang breaks down the years of organizing it took to get here and the ballot measure itself which increases the existing flat tax from .75% for the total price of all homes to 2% on the home price over $1 million and 3% for on the home price over $1.5 million, yet decreases for all homes under $1 million (~93% of new home buyers). BrownTown and Dixon also push back on real estate lobby-backed lies and places this moment in broader social and political context regarding the mere existence of homelessness in the richest, most powerful country in the world. Get in loser, we're Bringing Chicago Home! Originally recorded March 1, 2024. GUESTSDixon Romeo is a lifelong South Shore resident and executive director of Not Me We, a grassroots community group building power for poor and working-class folks in the neighborhood. Dixon is also an organizer with the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, which includes organizations across Chicago and residents at risk of being displaced by the Obama Center and the University of Chicago. Follow Dixon on Instagram and Twitter; and NowMeWe on Facebook and Instagram!Support Bring Chicago Home on their website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Vote now until March 19, 2024. Watch the SoapBox Micro-doc on Bring Chicago Home! Mentioned in episode and more information:Lightfoot’s Promises to Use Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds to Transform Chicago Falling Short (WTTW)Bring Chicago Home referendum info (WGN, Video)Chicago Coalition for the HomelessFebruary 23rd lawsuit and March 6th appeal win for BCHOpinions on this episode only reflect David, Caullen, and Dixon.CREDITS: Intro soundbite from ABC Chicago. Outro music from Journey by Tobe Nwigwe. Episode photo from Chicago Coalition for the Homeless' website. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Ep. 104 - Voter Guides, Electoralism, & the 2024 Cook County Primaries ft. Stephanie Skora & Raeghn Draper

    Ep. 104 - Voter Guides, Electoralism, & the 2024 Cook County Primaries ft. Stephanie Skora & Raeghn Draper
    Feb 21 2024
    BrownTown sits down with co-authors of the "Girl, I Guess" Progressive Voter Guide, three-peat guest Stephanie Skora and newcomer Raeghn Draper to talk all things 2024 Cook County Democratic Primary Elections. From ethics and attitudes in long-form opinion journalism to new endorsement standards surrounding Palestinian liberation, the gang situates the relationship between electoralism and the Left in this moment and extrapolates its potential for the future. Originally recorded February 8, 2024. GUESTSStephanie Skora is a writer, educator, speaker, organizer, and non-profiteer based in Chicago, Illinois. She lives as a Stone Top hard femme trans Lesbian and working-class anti-Zionist Ashkenazi Jew, and mobilizes her identities to work in solidarity with Palestinians, to queer Jewish spaces, and to fight for justice and liberation for all trans people. Stephanie is the Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of Brave Space Alliance, serves as Board Treasurer for the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, and is the co-author and editor of the "Girl, I Guess" Progressive Voter Guide. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.Raeghn Draper is a Chicago-based writer, community organizer, and hospitality professional originally from Milwaukee, WI. Since 2019, they have been involved in the Chicago social justice scene and co-founded the Chicago Hospitality Accountable Actions Database (CHAAD) Project. This commitment extends to their current role at Futures Institute as the Lead Storyteller, where they blend creativity with a drive for social change. Through their activism and advocacy, they strive to raise awareness of the issues that affect workers of color in the industry and work toward meaningful change. Follow them on Instagram. Mentioned in episode and more information:Previous episodes. 80 & 60 with Stephanie SkoraKim Foxx's trajectory (1, 2, 3, 4)Rossana Rodriguez: Passing the Chicago Ceasefire vote & 2019 election winHow the U.S. Drove Venezuelans North (In These Times)New endorsement standards regarding PalestineBring Chicago Home & its Golden Shrug!Injustice Watch's 2024 Cook County Judicial Primary Election GuideOpinions on this episode only reflect David, Caullen, Stephanie, and Raeghn as individuals, not their organizations or places of work.CREDITS: Intro and outro music from Polls by Piff Marti. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 55 mins
  • Ep. 103 - New Years 2024: A Retrospective ft. Kiera Battles

    Ep. 103 - New Years 2024: A Retrospective ft. Kiera Battles
    Jan 20 2024

    BrownTown on BrownTown. BnB audio engineer Kiera Battles is back with her behind-the-scenes insights on the podcast as the team discusses the episodes of 2023. Last year brought the continuation of the Whiskey and Watching series, a host of episodes surrounding the 2023 Chicago Municipal Elections, a resurgent discussion of #NoCopAcademy in the midst of the #StopCopCity struggle in Atlanta, and plenty of reflective conversations on the podcast, SoapBox at large, and the direction of the movement media ecosystem. For better or worse, here's to 2024!

    With 17 total full episodes, 2023 brought 15 guest episodes (6 repeat guests; 8  with 2+ guests), only 1 with no guests, only 2 virtual recordings, 6 series-type episodes, and 2 bonus episodes. In addition to the breakdown, BrownTown chops it up about recording in different locations before settling into the new SoapBox office, their favorite episodes, and their hopes for 2024. Originally recorded December 19, 2023.

     

    GUEST: Kiera Battles is the BnB audio engineer and a music industry hopeful. Starting on the stage with choir and orchestra and later transitioning to life behind the scenes, music has always been with her. She began her audio journey during her junior year of high school as part of a vocational program to later get her BA from Columbia College Chicago in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Audio Arts with a concentration in live sound as well as Music Business. She continues to work in the audio and business side of the industry while earning her MA in Music Business at Berklee College of Music to later gain the tools and knowledge to start her own company.

     

    CREDITS: Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by Aidan Kranz. Listen to all the episodes on your chosen podcast application! For more information on the podcast, check out Bourbon 'n BrownTown on the SoapBox website.

    --

    Bourbon ’n BrownTown
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    SoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3
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    1 hr and 16 mins