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Groundings

by Groundings Podcast

Groundings is a place where organizing, theory, and history come in contact with dialogue, experience, and storytelling. It's where the past meets the present, and political education happens. The title "Groundings" is in honor of the revolutionary educator Walter Rodney, whose concept of "groundings" as a form of radical, political, and communal education inspires the conversations on this podcast. Groundings: we sit, we listen, we talk, we share, and we learn.

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Episodes

  1. The Worldwide Family of Militant Women

    [RECORDED MARCH 27, 2026] Arlene Eisen joins us to talk about her book In the Worldwide Family of Militant Women (Iskra Books), which she describes as a social history of the 1960s through the early 1980s, tracing her political journey through movements shaped by Black liberation and Vietnam. We...

  2. The Imperialist Health System: An Insider Perspective (Part 1)

    [RECORDED NOVEMBER 2025] Dr. Paris & Dr. Clare join Groundings to discuss: How the capitalist medical school model works, and why it's a racist scam How medical racism harms Black people in many different ways Why 'mandatory reporting' is just another way to police and separate Black families The...

  3. The Radical Practice of Harm Reduction

    Zellie Imani joins the Groundings Podcast and defines “harm reduction” - and how it shows up in the community organizing work of his organization, Black Lives Matter Paterson, in New Jersey. He dispels the mainstream misunderstanding of harm reduction as a voting practice, some of the major…

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  4. The Long Attica Revolt

    Dr. Orisanmi Burton discusses his book “Tip of the Spear”, defining counter-insurgency and describing the prisoner struggle in what he calls the “Long Attica Revolt.” The conversation highlights how prison reform has been used as a tactic to defang the radical demands of those captured at the…

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  5. The Class Warfare In Black Atlanta Primer

    Dr. Augustus Wood discusses his book "Class Warfare in Black Atlanta," defining class warfare and the “Black worker,” arguing gentrification is tied to labor, policing, surveillance, and repression, and criticizing the idea that gentrification equals development. The conversation highlights the...

  6. Michael Parenti, Media Manipulation & Imperialist Propaganda (January 12, 2026)

    January 12, 2026 - In this broadcast, hosts Leyla, Musa, and taylor discussed the ways capitalist media is weaponized as propaganda in support of imperial interests. Using Michael Parenti's framework from Inventing Reality as a key framework, the hosts analyzed current events to discern how media...

  7. The Memoirs of Robert & Mabel Williams w/ Dr. Akinyele Umoja

    In this broadcast, co-hosts taylor, Leyla, and Dartricia discuss the ongoing Atlanta city council elections and the theft of the Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum in France. They are joined by guest Dr. Akinyele Umoja to talk about the book he co-edited, The Memoirs of Robert and Mabel…

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  8. The New Jewel Movement and Grenada's Revolution

    In this broadcast, co-hosts Dartricia and Musa give a history of the New Jewel Movement and the Grenada Revolution and the U.S. Invasion and overthrow in 1983 under the Reagan Administration. The discussion includes wins of revolution including a powerful literacy campaign, better healthcare, and...

  9. The Black Scare, Red Scare & So-Called Terrorism

    We explore the historical strategies of black radicals to resist repression, the evolution of fascism and what it means today, and the importance of mutual comradeship in sustaining movements. The discussion includes an analysis of where anti-communism and anti-Blackness intersect, the Biden...

  10. The Stono Rebellion

    In this episode of Groundings, we talk to guest Erica about the Stono Rebellion. We commemorate the rebellion on its anniversary, explore the harsh conditions faced by our enslaved African ancestors in colonial South Carolina, and their struggle for freedom. Erica provides insights into the role…

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  11. The Groundings (Re)Introduction

    Host Musa and new co-host Dartricia Rollins discuss our backgrounds and motivations for the podcast, our excitement for the upcoming season, and highlight some key episodes and guests we've got coming up. Dartricia introduces herself as an oral historian, archivist, and organizer, and Musa talks...

  12. The 100th Birthday of Frantz Fanon

    In commemoration of Fanon's centennial, the interview covers his biography, many writings, including his books A Dying Colonialism, Wretched of the Earth, Black Skin, White Masks, and more. As well as Fanon’s participation in the Algerian revolutionary struggle and his theories of violence and...

  13. The 'Middle East' is On Fire Because Israeli and US Imperialism Lit the Match

    In this episode of Revolutionary African Perspectives — RAP — the co-hosts discuss the US and Israel’s most recent acts of imperial violence against Iran. They provide a historical timeline of how we got here before interviewing geopolitical analyst and journalist, Ajamu Baraka to provide...

  14. The Khamansha Raphael album, cultural work, and state repression

    This episode includes reflections on the historic tactics to counter the Confederate Memorial Day Rally at Stone Mountain. It also features co-host Musa's recent targeting and detainment by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in early April. RAP interviewed special guest, Atlanta rapper...

  15. The Revolutionary African Perpectives ReLaunch

    This audio is from a live recording on Monday, March 17, 2025 from 7pm to 8pm on WRFG Atlanta 89.3 FM. Hosts: Dartricia, Musa, and Steven Producers: Leyla and Taylor RAP, Revolutionary African Perspectives, is a public affairs program airing every Monday from 7pm to 8pm EST. For more information,...

  16. The U.S. Out Of Korea Campaign

    In this episode of Groundings, I speak with professor Haruki Eda to discuss the Korean struggle for sovereignty, the impact of U.S. imperialism on the Korean Peninsula, and the ongoing U.S. Out of Korea campaign by Nodutdol. Haruki provides a deep historical and political analysis, drawing...

  17. The Panthers & Armed Struggle

    This episode was recorded in the first week of August, 2024. Dr. Gerald Horne discusses his new book, "Armed Struggle: Panthers and Communists, Black Nationalists and Liberals in southern California, Through the Sixties and Seventies." Please forgive the minor audio issues here and there.…

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  18. The Carribean, Haiti, and U.S. Imperialsm

    Activist and professor Tamanisha John joins Musa and Erica to discuss U.S. and Western imperialism in the Caribbean, the U.S.-backed invasion of Haiti by Kenyan forces, and the genocidal U.S. blockade of Cuba. The Walter Rodney speech can be found in full here. Check out Liberation Through…

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  19. The Legacy of Baba Masai Ehehosi

    Activist, journalist, and lawyer Anoa Changa joins to talk about her father, Black Liberation Army (BLA) member and former political prisoner Baba Masai Ehehosi, who transitioned on April 1, 2024. The conversation touches Baba Masai's lifelong commitment to Black liberation, sovereignty, freeing...

  20. The Jericho Movement for Political Prisoners

    Political organizer, community worker, and former political prisoner Jihad Abdulmumit discusses his life, and the Jericho Movement for Political Prisoners.

  21. The Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

    Hussein Al-Rahman Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network discusses the struggle for Palestinian prisoners, some of the resistance tactics imprisoned Palestinians have used, and the importance of uplifting Palestinian prisoners. They also discuss the case of popular Palestinians figure...

  22. The Nonprofit Industrial Complex

    How did we get to an entire grassroots "industry" dominated by billionaire philanthropists? How do they influence and politically limit the "organizing", activism, and advocacy that thousands of people engage in? And most importantly, how does the Nonprofit Industrial Complex act as a force of...

  23. 'The Movement Underestimates Fascism' - Gerald Horne

    The goat 🐐 himself Dr. Gerald Horne joined me for a special bonus episode of the groundings podcast. We discuss the current state of global politics, imperialism in crisis, the potential for a new multipolar world,,growing contradictions and splits among European colonizers,,and the rising…

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  24. The Artists Against Apartheid

    This is audio from a panel discussion about the role of artists against imperialism and apartheid, that took place on November 29, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. Our focus was on the genocide unfolding in Palestine, however the topic spans many relevant points related to art, revolutionary movements, and...

  25. the apocalypse

    "the apocalypse" by Musa Springer, Protean Magazine, Nov. 3, 2020

  26. The Framing of Leonard Peltier

    Nick joins the show to provide a comprehensive and riveting breakdown of the struggles faced by Leonard Peltier, one of the longest held political prisoners in the world, incarcerated for almost five decades. We dive into the history of the American Indian Movement (AIM), the blood...

  27. The COINTELPRO war

    In this episode of the Groundings podcast, host Musa Springer talks with Dr. Akinyele Umoja, a scholar, activist, and author, about the notorious COINTELPRO program. This program was led by the FBI and local police departments, and was an all-out war on Black organizers. This episode delves into...

  28. The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow

    Dr. Gerald Horne, the 🐐historian and author of "Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow”, discusses the intricate history of race and slavery between the U.S. and Cuba, the profound influence of U.S. slavery on Cuban society and politics, and the ongoing consequences...

  29. The Legacy of Imam Jamil Al-Amin

    Activist and musician Baba Bilal Sunni-Ali, of the Jamil Al-Amin Action Network, joins Groundings to discuss the life, legacy, and impact of current political prisoner Imam Jamil Al-Amin. Formerly known as H. Rap Brown, Imam Jamil Al-Amin was once one of the Amerika's most well-known Black...

  30. The Jailhouse Lawyer Known As Sundiata Jawanza

    In this episode, we discuss the story of Sundiata Jawanza, who has been in prison since 1995 on a life sentence. Sundiata has spent the last 28 years working towards self-development and has become a beacon of hope for others in prison; he's a selfless advocate for prisoners' rights, is a peer...

  31. The Pendleton 2

    In this episode, poet and activist Too Black joins to discuss the incredible story of the Pendleton 2. We dive into the details of the 1985 uprising at the Pendleton Correctional Facility and explore the factors that led to this critical event: racial tensions and a violent prison environment...

  32. The 'Nation Time' Sound

    We sit down with Slank and Sunny Ture to discuss their new album, "Nation Time." Throughout the episode, we delve into the creative process behind "Nation Time," discussing the themes, concepts, and inspirations that shaped the album. We examine the samples used throughout the project, including...

  33. The #StopCopCity Movement

    In this episode of Groundings, host Musa Springer is joined by Atlanta organizer Tunde Osazua as co-host; they sit down with local organizer and lawyer Kamau Franklin to discuss the ongoing struggle surrounding the development of Cop City in Atlanta. Kamau provides insightful analysis on the...

  34. The Revolutionary Life of Jalil Muntaqim

    Just two months before his 20th birthday, Black Panther and Black Liberation Army members Jalil Muntaqim was captured by enemy forces along with Albert “Nuh” Washington, and made into one of the longest-held political prisoners in U.S. history. Muntaqim joins the show to discuss his revolutionary...

  35. The Decolonial Feminist Collective

    In this conversation from March 2022, reproductive justice practitioner, organizer, researcher, and educator Jalessah Jackson speaks about decolonial feminism, a framework that forges material feminist solidarities through an examination of the relationship between gender and colonialism. We...

  36. The Struggle For Reproductive Justice

    Reproductive justice practitioner Jalessah Jackson and public health professional Debbie Billings join us to discuss the recent leak by SCOTUS, which showed they are prepared to overturn abortion rights in the U.S. We put this decision by SCOTUS into the overall political context, discussing how…

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  37. The Apokalypse of Settler Colonialism

    Dr. Horne’s books ‘The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism’ and ‘The Dawning of the Apocalypse’ are essential readings in understanding the original sins of empire, the worlds that settler colonialism precluded, and the apokalyptic transformation the world is experiencing today. Our conversation...

  38. The Role of Christianity In African Colonization

    Christian churches are found on virtually every corner across the African world, from the continent to its expansive diaspora, and their role in the affairs of Africans have long been called into question. How did a foreign religious practice gain so much influence across Africa, and why are...

  39. The Legacy of Black Communist Women

    From Claudia Jones and Safiya Bukhari, to Assata Shakur and Dr. Patricia Rodney, the impact of Black women radicals has created monumental shifts in the way we think, organize, and survive. In this episode we're joined by community organizer and writer Erica Caines and professor Charisse...

  40. The Christmas Rebellion

    Armed uprisings across the Caribbean can often be portrayed as spontaneous and isolated events that were largely unsuccessful. In fact, these efforts have informed each other across time and can reshape how we think about imperial domination in Africa and across the Americas. The Christmas...

  41. The US Blockade & Cuban Protests

    On this episode, we talk about the US blockade against Cuba, which we define as a weapon of economic, political, racist, colonial warfare against the Cuban people. We hear from Belly of the Beast producer Daniel Montero, who explains the main character behind these mysterious protests, and then…

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  42. The Palestinian Resistance & Sheikh Jarrah

    The entire world has witnessed israel's naked colonial violence in Sheikh Jarrah, Palestine, where countless Palestinians have been brutalized and forcefully removed from their homes. Palestinian writer and activist Mohammed el-Kurd joins the show to discuss the latest round of ethnic cleansing…

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  43. The Plurality of Abolitionism

    Professor, writer, and activist Dr. Joy James joins the show to discuss her work around abolition. More specifically, we look at what Dr. James calls "academic abolitionism", the role that academics play in halting or co-opting revolutionary organizing, the current state of the prison abolition...

  44. The Work of Dr. Patricia Rodney

    Patricia Rodney, public health expert, researcher, activist, and wife of the late Dr. Walter Rodney, discusses her 1998 book, "The Caribbean State, Health Care, and Women: An Analysis of Barbados and Grenada." We talk about her analysis of Caribbean state healthcare as it relates to women, the...

  45. The Myth of Black Buying Power

    Dr. Jared Ball joins the show to discuss his new book, The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power. We discuss the propaganda used to perpetuate the supposed trillion-dollar "buying power" myth, Black capitalism, and the Black misleadership class of rappers. Writer and organizer Erica Caines…

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  46. The Role Of Artists Beyond Celebrity

    Rapper and poet Noname has spent a bulk of her career rejecting celebrity, and is now taking a turn towards the left to embrace anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and radical politics. Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly and Devyn Springer speak with her to find out what the trajectory towards political...

  47. The 'Residue' of Gentrification

    Guest hosts Yasmina and Tarik interview filmmaker Merawi Gerima, who discusses his new film Residue. The film puts the spotlight on gentrification in DC, and all the racist, violent baggage and displacement that accompanies it. They discuss the process of 'community filmmaking' that helped create...

  48. The Canadian Police State

    Writer, educator, and author of Policing Black Lives: State violence in Canada from slavery to the present, Robyn Maynard joins me to discuss policing, state violence, and prisons in Canada, as well as the connections between Indigenous and Black struggles against state violence. We also talk…

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  49. The Anti-Black, Anti-Communist Academia

    Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly discusses the history and institutionalization of Black Studies, the often overlapping relationship between anti-communism and anti-Blackness, and the 'elision' of political economy in capitalist academia. Moreover, she also talks about 'academic McCarthyism', academic...

  50. The Grassroots VS The Misleadership Class

    Writer and activist Benji Hart discusses the multitude of ways grassroots movements against police in Chicago are challenging the Black misleadership class. We discuss the struggle around the struggle against the construction of a $95 million cop academy in Chicago, the many movements and...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Groundings is a place where organizing, theory, and history come in contact with dialogue, experience, and storytelling. It's where the past meets the present, and political education happens. The title "Groundings" is in honor of the revolutionary educator Walter Rodney, whose concept of "groundings" as a form of radical, political, and communal education inspires the conversations on this podcast. Groundings: we sit, we listen, we talk, we share, and we learn.

HOSTED BY

Groundings Podcast

Produced by Devyn Springer

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Groundings have?

Groundings currently has 73 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Groundings about?

Groundings is a place where organizing, theory, and history come in contact with dialogue, experience, and storytelling. It's where the past meets the present, and political education happens. The title "Groundings" is in honor of the revolutionary educator Walter Rodney, whose concept of...

How often does Groundings release new episodes?

Groundings has 73 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Groundings?

You can listen to Groundings on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Groundings?

Groundings is created and hosted by Groundings Podcast.
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