32. The Forrest Gump of Black Radical Politics with Zach Kirk

Double-Agent. Chessmaster. Trickster. Genius. Snitch. Louis E. Tackwood was the "Forrest Gump of Black Radical Politics" and there's no record of his life after 1975. But a careful eye can still find Tackwood in the footnotes of history—as Zach Kirk, a Bay-Area activist, did last year. After frequently seeing Tackwood as a reference in books he was reading, Zach decided to investigate this mysterious figure and discovered one of the most bizarre, interesting, and unknown stories in California history. In this episode, Zach details the amoral activities of Louis Tackwood and explains how his understandings of history, politics, and organizing have changed since learning of this story. Listen to answer for yourself whether Tackwood was the lion of history he thought he was or just a strange pawn for the government. Real Ballers Read website Real Ballers Read on Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support