EPISODE · May 5, 2026 · 1H 40M
Rafales: Black Autonomy & Prefigurative Politics (In Conversation in Montreal)
from The Dugout | a Black anarchist podcast · host The Dugout
Recorded live at Rafales (the anarchist learning camp hosted by ORA (Organisation Révolutionnaire Anarchiste) in Montreal).We sat down with Zoya, one of the organizers, to dig into what Black autonomy actually looks like in practice: as theory, as daily organizing, and as a framework that refuses to wait for someone else's revolution to be finished first. From prefigurative politics to Afro-pessimism, from the Black Liberation Army to Cooperation Jackson, from Standing Rock to the Anarchist Group in Sudan, this conversation traces the lineage of Black radical struggle across generations and geographies. We also get into what it means to show up as Black folks in a diaspora full of contradictions; navigating immigrant families, queer identity, settler land, and the ever-present question of who solidarity is actually for.Edited by BadgerWant extended show notes? Check out our Patreon post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rafales-black-in-157439680About Rafales: https://ora-rao.org/rafales-en/Organisation Révolutionnaire Anarchiste: https://www.instagram.com/ora.rao.rev/Support independent bookstores by purchasing with our affiliate link on through Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/lists/what-we-re-reading-at-the-dugout Media MentionedBooksLose Your Mother — Saidiya HartmanAfropessimism — Frank B. Wilderson IIITip of the Spear — Orisanmi BurtonThe Autobiography of Malcolm X — Malcolm X & Alex HaleyAssata: An Autobiography — Assata ShakurIn Defense of Looting — Vicky OsterweilFear of the Black Nation — David AustinAn Afro-Indigenous History of the United States — Kyle T. MaysSeven Fallen Feathers — Tanya TalagaHow Europe Underdeveloped Africa — Walter RodneyDocumentariesDope Is Death — dir. Mia Donovan (Young Lords & acupuncture in North America)The Takeover — on the Young Lords' hospital occupationThinkers & Figures ReferencedKuwasi Balagoon (New Afrikan anarchist, BLA, Panther 21)Saidiya Hartman & Sylvia WynterRuth Wilson GilmoreJames BaldwinAmílcar CabralW.E.B. Du Bois & Marcus GarveyKwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)C.L.R. JamesOrganizations & ProjectsRafales / ORA — the conferenceCooperation Jackson: https://cooperationjackson.org/Malcolm X Grassroots Movement: https://freethelandmxgm.org/Anarchist Group in Sudan (fundraiser at opencollective.com/support-sudanese-comrades)In the Belly — abolitionist prison media publication: https://transformharm.org/ab_resource/in-the-belly/Black Queer and Intersectional Collective (Columbus, OH): https://bqic.net/-------------------------------------------------Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more:🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/🔗 Substack: https://tdugout.substack.com/ 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod🔗 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod🔗 OUR LINKS: https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast🔗 Watch Prince Shakur on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug--------------------------------------EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 Intro09:33 – What Does Black Autonomy Actually Mean to You?19:29 – How Does Black Autonomy Push Beyond Liberal Inclusion Politics?30:01 – What Are Prefigurative Politics and Why Do They Matter?35:30 – What Does Prefigurative Organizing Look Like in Real Life?40:53 – How Do Black Autonomy and Indigenous Sovereignty Connect?47:48 – What Does Real Solidarity Look Like Beyond Symbolic Support?52:06 – Which Political Thinkers Shape Your Vision of Black Liberation?56:43 – What Does Afro-Pessimism Get Right—and Where Does It Fall Short?01:00:54 – How Do Gender, Queerness, and Disability Shape Liberation Struggles?
What this episode covers
Recorded live at Rafales (the anarchist learning camp hosted by ORA (Organisation Révolutionnaire Anarchiste) in Montreal).We sat down with Zoya, one of the organizers, to dig into what Black autonomy actually looks like in practice: as theory, as daily organizing, and as a framework that refuses to wait for someone else's revolution to be finished first. From prefigurative politics to Afro-pessimism, from the Black Liberation Army to Cooperation Jackson, from Standing Rock to the Anarchist Group in Sudan, this conversation traces the lineage of Black radical struggle across generations and geographies. We also get into what it means to show up as Black folks in a diaspora full of contradictions; navigating immigrant families, queer identity, settler land, and the ever-present question of who solidarity is actually for.Edited by BadgerWant extended show notes? Check out our Patreon post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rafales-black-in-157439680About Rafales: https://ora-rao.org/rafales-en/Organisation Révolutionnaire Anarchiste: https://www.instagram.com/ora.rao.rev/Support independent bookstores by purchasing with our affiliate link on through Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/lists/what-we-re-reading-at-the-dugout Media MentionedBooksLose Your Mother — Saidiya HartmanAfropessimism — Frank B. Wilderson IIITip of the Spear — Orisanmi BurtonThe Autobiography of Malcolm X — Malcolm X & Alex HaleyAssata: An Autobiography — Assata ShakurIn Defense of Looting — Vicky OsterweilFear of the Black Nation — David AustinAn Afro-Indigenous History of the United States — Kyle T. MaysSeven Fallen Feathers — Tanya TalagaHow Europe Underdeveloped Africa — Walter RodneyDocumentariesDope Is Death — dir. Mia Donovan (Young Lords & acupuncture in North America)The Takeover — on the Young Lords' hospital occupationThinkers & Figures ReferencedKuwasi Balagoon (New Afrikan anarchist, BLA, Panther 21)Saidiya Hartman & Sylvia WynterRuth Wilson GilmoreJames BaldwinAmílcar CabralW.E.B. Du Bois & Marcus GarveyKwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)C.L.R. JamesOrganizations & ProjectsRafales / ORA — the conferenceCooperation Jackson: https://cooperationjackson.org/Malcolm X Grassroots Movement: https://freethelandmxgm.org/Anarchist Group in Sudan (fundraiser at opencollective.com/support-sudanese-comrades)In the Belly — abolitionist prison media publication: https://transformharm.org/ab_resource/in-the-belly/Black Queer and Intersectional Collective (Columbus, OH): https://bqic.net/-------------------------------------------------Stay connected with The Dugout! Follow us for updates, exclusive content, and more:🔗OUR WEBSITE: https://www.thedugoutpodcast.com/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dugoutpodcast/🔗 Substack: https://tdugout.substack.com/ 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedugoutpod🔗 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDugoutPod🔗 OUR LINKS: https://bio.site/thedugoutpodcast🔗 Watch Prince Shakur on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMgrSHWLLU4U_FnJ1u10Ug--------------------------------------EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 Intro09:33 – What Does Black Autonomy Actually Mean to You?19:29 – How Does Black Autonomy Push Beyond Liberal Inclusion Politics?30:01 – What Are Prefigurative Politics and Why Do They Matter?35:30 – What Does Prefigurative Organizing Look Like in Real Life?40:53 – How Do Black Autonomy and Indigenous Sovereignty Connect?47:48 – What Does Real Solidarity Look Like Beyond Symbolic Support?52:06 – Which Political Thinkers Shape Your Vision of Black Liberation?56:43 – What Does Afro-Pessimism Get Right—and Where Does It Fall Short?01:00:54 – How Do Gender, Queerness, and Disability Shape Liberation Struggles?
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Rafales: Black Autonomy & Prefigurative Politics (In Conversation in Montreal)
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