Abolition, Liberation, Solidarity: A Here4TheKids Production

Sonali Gulati is a Brown, caste-privileged, agnostic, queer, cis-woman, documentary filmmaker, activist, educator and first-generation Indian immigrant to Turtle Island. She is a Guggenheim fellow who has been making award-winning documentary and experimental films for over two decades that have screened at over 500 film festivals, and public & cable television worldwide.Gulati was born and raised in New Delhi by a single mother who believed that good girls studied hard, kept long hair, and found nice Indian husbands through penpalship. Sonali studied hard, got admission at Mount Holyoke College, majored in Critical Social Thought, graduated in 3 years, shaved her head, and came out as lesbian. You can follow her on Instagram @sonalifilm.Sonali and Saira discuss the role of Hollywood and Bollywood in creating and distributing propaganda worldwide, plus the connections between so many tragedies in our world and the rich and powerful.In this episode, Saira also announces that this podcast will be pausing new episodes after the decision by producer Heath Racela to step back from his role. Heath has been producing podcasts and sharing his writing for more than five years and he has decided he needs some space to process grief at the state of our world.You can read more about Heath’s decision to take an extended break on his recent Substack post. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Saira welcomes Lebanese-American reporter and producer Afeef Nessouli to the podcast.As you’ll hear in today’s conversation, Afeef’s work has brought him to the front lines of the conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon, giving him a first-hand understanding of the current situation.Afeef has produced for The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Show, and CNN. He’s also a contributor to The Slow Factory.Afeef shares what’s happening on the ground in Southern Lebanon, how he and other diaspora Lebanese are getting through their days amidst an expanding genocide, and how the queer scene of Beirut gives him hope.Please make sure to follow him on Instagram and TikTok.  Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Jo Lorenz interviews Joe Williams, a Wiradjuri/Wolgalu First Nations Aboriginal man from Australia. Joe began his career as a professional rugby player and boxer.Although forging a successful professional sporting career, Joe battled the majority of his life with mental health challenges. Along the way, Joe felt his purpose was to help people who struggled with similar obstacles. He founded The Enemy Within, a mental health & wellbeing organization.In this conversation, Joe will discuss how all Indigenous struggles around the world are connected, plus he describes how a reconnection with the Earth and a deep presence is the antidote to so many of the problems with our modern world.Joe’s autobiography is Defying The Enemy Within. Please make sure to follow him on Facebook and X.  Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Saira welcomes London-based actor, writer, and podcaster Kelechi Okafor to the podcast.Kelechi and Saira discuss how in both American and British politics, opposing political parties ultimately represent the same goals. They also talk about the British Monarchy, the role of AI in our internet discourse, and how to keep moving through a world on fire.Kelechi’s book Edge of Here˛combines the ancient and the ultramodern to explore tales of contemporary Black womanhood, asking questions about the way we live now and offering a glimpse into our near future.  Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Saira welcomes author and academic Dr. Mohamed Abdou to the podcast. Abdou describes himself as an interdisciplinary scholar of Indigenous, Black, critical race, and Islamic studies, as well as anti-racism, feminism, gender, sexuality, women, decolonial and post-colonial studies with extensive fieldwork experience in the Middle East-North Africa and Turtle Island.He most recently was a professor at Columbia University and was an outspoken advocate for the students participating in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment this past spring. He was called out in front of Congress during testimony by then-university president Minouche Shafik, becoming the target of harassment. He was fired from Columbia and lost his American work visa, causing him to flee the U.S.Abdou recently filed a wrongful termination suit against Columbia University. From the press release dated August 26th: “Author and scholar Dr. Mohamed Abdou filed a wrongful termination suit against Columbia University yesterday evening, citing prejudice surrounding his anti-colonial academic discourse and vocal support of Palestine. The public awareness campaign, WeAreMohamed, launched today to share Abdou’s story and spotlight the institutional repression and slander faced by those who publicly challenge the United States government’s unconditional support of Israel, and settler-colonialism in Israel and the U.S.”Dr. Abdou is the author of the book Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances.You can connect to his work and social handles through his website. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Saira welcomes Michael Schirtzer to the podcast. Michael Schirtzer is a white Jewish American comedian who’s been loudly anti-Zionist for a long time. Since 2021, he has co-hosted The Palestine Pod podcast and he also performs as a standup comedian.Michael joins Saira to discuss his own anti-Zionist awakening, his thoughts on American Imperialism, and his advice for getting involved at the community level.For more, please follow Michael on Instagram. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Amanda Seales is an actor, comedian, author, podcast host, and so much more. You may know her from the HBO comedy series Insecure, her comedy specials, her radio show The Amanda Seales Show or her podcast Small Doses.While most of Hollywood has been either openly pro-Israel or silent on Israel and America’s genocide of Palestinians, Amanda has been the exact opposite- speaking the truth to her millions of followers on a daily basis. She’s a fierce advocate for social justice, for collective liberation – for those in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and for Black and brown folks here in the USA. In this conversation, Amanda discusses the challenges of building true community in the era of social media and her decision to step away from Instagram.For more, please subscribe to Amanda’s newsletter and her Patreon. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Author and novelist Sunny Singh is widely recognized as a champion for decolonization and inclusion across all aspects of society. Sunny was born in Varanasi, India and has studied in the U.S., India, and Spain. She is now based in London.Her books include the highly acclaimed novel Hotel Arcadia, a study of Amitabh Bachchan for the BFI’s film star series, and her newest book A Bollywood State of Mind.In this conversation, Sunny describes her experience as a teenager in the United States, her view that the Civil War has been ongoing since the 1860s, and her belief that America is on the brink of collapse.This episode also features a quick check in with Frederick Joseph about the presumed candidacy of Kamala Harris. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Frederick Joseph is the award-winning author of The Black Friend, Patriarchy Blues, Better Than We Found It (which he co-wrote with his wife Porsche), and The Courage to Dream, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His new poetry collection We Alive, Beloved is out next week.Fred and Saira discuss the current state of the world, U.S. politics, shadow banning and censorship on social media, and poetry. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Nour Alqaddumi and Layan Alnajjar are recent graduates from the University of Connecticut.They are the co-founders of We Will Return, a nonprofit that provides essential humanitarian relief, fosters social activism, and promotes education for Palestinian families.In conversation with Communications Director of Here 4 The Kids, they discuss the student protests, global oppression, and what solidarity with the Palestinian community looks like. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Naley is a filmmaker, writer, and the founder of NaleybyNature, an independent venture to document extraordinary stories from the most overlooked corners of the world. Born and raised in New York City, Naley studied media and journalism at Iona College, where she completed her bachelor’s degree. After years of questioning how the media reports on or ignores international conflicts, Naley dedicated her life to looking deeper into each story. She found that the truth always emerges when you connect to the people behind these headlines, and so she began to travel the world. Naley joins Saira to discuss the connection between oppression in Palestine, Congo, Kashmir, and elsewhere around the world and how radical community is the antidote to white supremacy and patriarchy. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Alana Hadid is a Palestinian-American fashion designer and film producer.She serves as Creative Director of the new production company Watermelon Pictures, which is aiming to produce, distribute, and finance films and other creative projects from Palestinian filmmakers and artists.Alana joins Saira to chat about Watermelon Picture's new film Walled Off, which tells the story of the Walled Off hotel, an art installation in Bethlehem created by Banksy, which draws attention the story of the Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation.She also discusses her family’s relationship to Palestine and what she has witnessed on her visits there. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Regina Jackson is the co-founder of Race2Dinner, co-author of the book White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better, and the star of the documentary Deconstructing Karen.She joins Saira and Here4TheKids's Communication Director Jo Lorenz to discuss the intersection of American antiracism work and Palestinian liberation. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Joel Leon is an author, storyteller, and performer who was born and raised in the Bronx. As a Black man, his work often focuses on the Black experience in America.But since October 7, Joél has also been openly vocal about the genocide of Palestinians. In this episode, he will connect the dots between Palestine, Black America, and the mistreatment of all globally oppressed people. He’ll also discuss how radical love and community are the keys to liberation.Joél is the author of the new book Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man's Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future, which will be released on June 4. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Asma Abu-Dahab is a licensed therapist, specializing in trauma. Her grandfather was a Palestinian Nakba survivor. She was born in Jordan and came to the U.S. 13 years ago as a student.You may know her from the videos that she posts on social media about Palestine. She often leans into her own lived experience, her training as a therapist, and her time as an Ivy League student to share the truth with her worldwide audience.You can follow her on Instagram @Asma.Therapist. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Jenan Matari is a Palestinian-American was born in the U.S. As a child, her identity as an Arab Muslim was emphasized more than her family’s history in Palestine. It was only as she got older and began asking questions that she learned of her family’s deep ties to Palestine and the trauma that her ancestors endured at the hands of the Israeli occupation.Jenan is the founder of Zaytoun Publicity, which helps brands owned by people of color and other marginalized groups come up with affordable public relations campaigns.She has been making videos online for the last four years and even gave a Ted Talk exploring identity. You can follow her on Instagram @JenanMatari. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison is a Jerusalem born Palestinian activist who now lives and works in the U.S. She serves development director of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and also works with the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights on state level policies around Palestine.She has been an activist and advocate for Palestine and Palestinian rights for decades. She has also been one of the voices in the movement challenging U.S. policy and more recently encouraging Palestinian Americans to refuse to meet with members of the Biden Administration until they show some meaningful movement towards a change in policy on Palestine.Zeina shares about her experience growing up in Palestine, discusses the realities of daily life for Palestinians, and recalls her own difficulties of returning with her young child to visit her parents. Zeina also describes how laws are being enacted in state houses across the U.S. which promote Israeli interests under the guise of halting antisemitism. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Matin Maulawizada was born and raised in Afghanistan and moved to the U.S. as a teenager. He argues that America now has two strategic exports: our military and Hollywood. Our armed forces intervene in conflicts around the world, and our entertainment industry makes those invasions palatable, even heroic, to the general public. Matin has been watching the Israeli genocide of Palestinians and sees a lot of parallels to his family’s own experiences in Afghanistan.Matin works as a celebrity makeup artist whose work has appeared on the covers of Vogue, In Style, and Vanity Fair. His client roster over the years has included  Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, and Cynthia Nixon.Matin is also the founder of Afghan Hands, a nonprofit that helps Afghan widows increase their independence and literacy Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Esther Farmer has spent more than 50 years of her life as an activist, organizing with the Black Panthers, fighting for racial equity on college campuses, and advocating a free Palestinian state.Esther is on the leadership team of the New York branch of Jewish Voice for Peace, which has been one of the groups leading the peaceful protests against the Israeli genocide. She was part of the demonstration recently where Jewish elder women chained themselves to the White House fence to demand action from President Biden.She is also the editor of the book A Land with a People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism, which is a collection of essays, poetry, and art. Esther also wrote and directed the theater project Wrestling with Zionism. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

H4TK’s Communications Director Jo Lorenz welcomes Aja Barber to the podcast to look at the global impacts of our fashion choices.Aja and Jo discuss the scale of global problems, how conditions have progressively worsened over the last two decades, and what responsible fashion choices look like.Aja is an author and stylist based in the U.K. Her book is Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Saira welcomes activist, speaker, and executive coach Sibil Patri to the show. Sibil is the daughter of Indian immigrants to the U.S., who spent the first 20 years of her career climbing the corporate ladder of the financial industry. After speaking out on issues of liberation and justice, she clashed with management and left her company.She is more recently known for a viral video in which she spoke out at a town meeting over Zoom in support of Palestine.In this episode, Sibil shares with Saira what she has learned about speaking up in both corporate spaces and within her community and how all of us using our individual voices for collective change are what is needed to topple oppressive systems. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

Saira welcomes Amanda Gelender to the show, an American Jewish woman now living in the Netherlands. Amanda was raised in a progressive household and synagogue, but that didn’t stop Zionism from becoming one of the main frameworks for how she understood Judaism.In this episode, Amanda describes her early indoctrination into Zionism, what it took for her to uncouple Zionism from Judaism, and her activism for Palestinian solidarity since 2006. She also describes the close alliance between the United States and Israel and how Judaic teachings have been hijacked to benefit the U.S. Military. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe

In this first episode, host Saira Rao welcomes Tina Strawn, co-founder of Here4The Kids for an intimate and heartfelt conversation about the roots of H4TK. Tina and Saira discuss the group’s fast rise on social media and with traditional media coverage, the planning of the first action on June 5 in Denver demanding Colorado governor Jared Polis sign an executive order banning guns, and the disappointment that thousands of white women who had committed to marching did not show up.Tina and Saira discuss the difficult conversations around where to take the group next, realizing that education around oppression and liberation are what are required in this moment.Tina Strawn is the author of Are We Free Yet? and the host of the podcast Speaking of Racism.For five years, she has been leading Legacy Trips, a tour group that travels through Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, walking in the footsteps of Black leaders and regular citizens who fought during the Civil Rights era.Three years ago, she left the United States to join the Blaxit, a combination of the words “Black” and “exit” used to describe Black Americans who are leaving the U.S. because of systemic racism. Get full access to The Connections at theconnections.substack.com/subscribe