Ep. 14 - Chi DNA: Electoral & Radical Politics ​ft. Camille Williams

This is the fourth Chicago Drill and Activism (AKA "Chi DNA") installment of Bourbon ’n BrownTown. Chi DNA is an ongoing documentary and multimedia project, which also features interviews, micro-documentaries, and editorial pieces on drill rap and the activist resurgence in Chicago.GUESTCamille Williams is a Chicago activist who believes in grassroots organizing to bridge the gap between cultures and communities, and utilizing restorative justice practices. She has organized with both local and national campaigns as well as advocated for legislation and policy. When she’s not organizing, she practices radical self care and love by utilizing the tools of mindfulness, yoga, and urban gardening. Camille lives by the mantra “know the truth, speak the truth, be the truth” as a way to acknowledge the divine within all people. With her experiences organizing for Black liberation with BYP100 (Black Youth Project) and working to create a more inclusive electoral democracy by putting power in the hands of new young leaders across the city with Chicago Votes, she offers a nuanced and multifaceted perspective on what's been deemed "radical" politics within electoral processes and state voting infrastructure.CHI DNAThe Chicago Drill and Activism project explores the creation, meaning, perspectives, and connections between drill rap and the resurgence of grassroots activism since the early 2010s through the eyes of the people involved. It focuses on contemporary Chicago as an intentional place for the resurgence of these two formations of cultural and political resistance during relatively the same time period. It examines how authenticity, community, and other important values to the subjects are impacted and promoted via technology, social media, and a rejection of traditional means of movement politics and corporate structures. As told by activists and drill rappers alike, the project situates the the subjects’ experiences and actions into a broader theoretical and empirical history of systemic inequality and resistance in Chicago. Follow the ongoing project at Chi-DNA.com for more.--CREDITS: Intro song F.U.B.U. by Solange ft. The-Dream and BJ the Chicago Kid. Outro song Django Jane by Janelle Monáe. Audio engineered by Genta Tamashiro.--Chicago Drill and ActivismSite | Twitter | Micro-Docs | SupportBourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Support