Naptown People’s Radio

In our final segment in our May Day series, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford ask: How and why did May Day (or International Workers' Day), which originated in the U.S. in the late 19th century, only reappear in popular U.S. consciousness 20 years ago? But first, the Naptown Breakdown follows up on several stories we've covered. The first is the IDOC settlement of roughly $1.2 million to 31 inmates who were forced to live in dark, dank cells with covered windows and no lights. Some of the cells had live wires hanging from the ceiling, resulting in electric shocks. The ACLU of Indiana filed the lawsuit around five years ago. Next, we pay tribute to two of our previous guests, Veronika Williams and Keanda Young who, at an April 2 press conference at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, broke the real story about the March 7 downtown robbery. Since then, the media has covered news of IMPD terror and brutality with at least a little bit of skepticism. Finally, we remind our listeners about who exactly VOP Osili is, the sexist regime he upheld, and his support for data centers. Our main segment features an in-depth lesson and conversation on the history of May Day and the reasons for its resurgence in the U.S. exactly 20 years ago. We travel from the Chicago Haymarket Affair to the Founding Congress of the Second International all the way to the Sensenbrenner Bill. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

As we prepare for May Day 2026, producer Dakota Fronterhouse joins the show to discuss a recent incident in which several of his fundamental rights were defended by his union. First, co-hosts Dani and Derek turn to recent regional labor struggles, and particularly the historic 2011 battle in Madison, Wisconsin. During the early months of that year, workers occupied the Capitol Rotunda and took to the streets for 29 consecutive days to protest anti-union legislation. Along the way, they debunk some common myths about unions. Derek interviews Dakota about his experience in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union. After working for several days on the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium, Dakota was questioned about his political affiliation. A union representative came to his defense almost immediately. Next, Dani and Derek discuss just how expansive the concept of "worker" was for Marx and is for us. Contrary to the mythology that "Marx only cared about white male industrial workers," they show how, even in his book, Capital, Marx's concept of the working class includes those with or without jobs, with or without waged work, incarcerated or "free," etc. Finally, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Danny Ortiz. We had Danny on the show a few episodes in which he let us know about the medical neglect taking place at Miami Correctional Facility, also known as the Speedway Slammer. It takes guts, it takes revolutionary optimism, to speak up against the cops but even more so when you are behind enemy lines. He didn’t just speak about his own struggles–his enforced inability to get out of his bed for months, the cancelled visits–but about the other inmates, including the ICE inmates. He told us they banded together and that they were the ones who looked out for each other. Not only has he made a difference for listeners by raising our consciousness but there is now a lift in the facility. A few days ago we received this word from Danny’s close friend, the last one to visit him: "Danny a/k/a Jose Ortiz and I want to thank everybody for calling/and or emailing the IDOC regarding the broken Hoyer Lifts as the problem has now been rectified as a new Lift came in this week at Miami for the medical unit inmates." There are still so many changes that need to be made towards the treatment of our brothers and sisters behind enemy lines, but Danny has shown us an amazing example of what it can looks like, what it takes to be a revolutionary. And for our listeners, never forget that small acts like making calls and emailing can result in victories that are both small and significant. Shout out to Danny Ortiz!

Kayla Cowels, an organizer in Elkhart, Indiana joins the show this week to discuss the Feb. 8 killing of 17-year-old Bryan Ramirez Gomez, who died after cops Nicholas Ragsdale and Thomas Breneman shot him in a park. Prompted by the April 8 nationwide day of action against the U.S. war on Iran, Dani Abdullah opens up our Naptown Breakdown by asking her co-host Derek Ford why, with all of the issues we face in this city, it's still necessary to keep up the fight to end the war. Their discussion brings out several reasons why we must keep the global situation in mind in our analysis and actions. They also cover the long-standing epidemic of fires in Indiana State Prison that have killed several inmates and are finally getting media attention before touching on Joe Hogsett's attempt to put the final nail in the coffin on Indianapolis' public schools. For our main segment, Dani speaks with Kayla Cowels. A mutual and direct aid organizer in the Elkhart area and a PSL member, Kayla are other comrades are working closely with the family to get justice for Bryan Ramirez Gomez. That justice includes countering the Elkhart police department's lies and attempts to slander Gomez. Kayla speaks about who Bryan really was, describing his compassionate nature and outgoing personality, before addressing ways that listeners can help in the struggle. Dani gives the Circle City Shout out to Haki Kweli Shakur, an organizer, historian, and revolutionary leader in the New Afrikan Independence Movement. In addition to serving as the National Spokesperson for the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika and for the August 3rd Collective, Haki is playing an active role in building the New Afrikan Freedom Campaign, a new initiative that is increasingly attracting younger people to the struggle for liberation. Support Justice for Bryan: Petition for an Independent Investigation for Bryan Axel Ramirez-Gomez Family GoFundMe Volunteer Signup Form Volunteer Contact: [email protected] Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

We're honored to have Veronika Williams and Keanda Young, loved ones of Jamar and Lamonte Thomas, join Naptown People's Radio this week to debunk the IMPD's lies and correct the media's narratives about the March 7 shooting downtown. Our Naptown Breakdown covers IMPD Patrol Officer Gary Francis Hadden's assault on Noah Leininger, one of the organizers of the anti-ICE protest over the weekend. After an unknown man grabbed Leininger "rudely and insolently" before stealing his microphone, he saw it was a cop. Hadden told Leininger to give his badge number (H8306) and doubled-down when nearby City-County Councilor Jesse Brown asked him to do the same. As an organizer with a decade of experience in the city, Leininger told the cops “I'm sure this is not going to go anywhere. I have I have no faith in this, resulting in any discipline for this guy, but sure, I’ll try.” Hadden tried telling Leininger he needed a permit for the assembly, which wasn’t true. Nor was the demonstration blocking any points of ingress or egress for passersby and the roads were open for pedestrians. It was clearly the topic of the protest that triggered Hadden and his blue line. There's good reason to keep in the streets against ICE. On April 27, ICE confirmed Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old immigrant, died the at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana. According to an ABC News analysis of ICE data, this marks the 46th documented death of an immigrant detainee held in federal custody during the first 14 months of the second Trump presidency. We emphasize documented because we have heard from previous show guest Josi "Danny" Ortiz that he has seen his fellow inmates of whatever status rolled out as he was told it was "natural causes." Our main segment features Stephen Lane, of the Indiana Black Librarians Network and PSL Indianapolis, interviewing Veronika Williams and Keanda Young about the story the police tried to bury and the media made no efforts to contest. The enlightening interview occurred just after the press conference organized by the Thomas family and the Indianapolis Liberation Center on April 2, which was the first time the media heard the truth. Veronika and Keandra came tot he Center to get the truth out there because after the shooting on March 7, one of their loved ones is dead, another is in police custody, and the still-unidentified white man who shot and killed Jamar Thomas is walking the streets as a free man. The IMPD's narrative is simple: Jamar and Lamonte allegedly tried to rob a man with a gun. The shooter, still unidentified, claimed self-defense. And as a result, Jamar is dead, and Lamonte is locked up. In this interview, Lane dives into the remarkable discrepancies in the IMPD's accounts. We learn their "eyewitnesses" were friends of the shooter (although he met them as early as that night) while Veronika and Keandra affirm that the IMPD made no attempt to get any testimony from the Thomas family. Together, they reveal the numerous reasons why the IMPD's narrative, which the media has up until now parroted, is 100 percent false. Jamar and Lamonte Thomas engaged in an act of bravery against a drunk man brandishing a weapon in downtown Indianapolis at 2:00 am and threatening to "kill whoever." Jamar died a hero, Lamonte remains locked up as a hero, and the real criminal and his conspirators (the IMPD) continue walking the streets with guns and arms.  Dani gives this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Sammy Penaloza, the featured artist this month in the Fonseca-Du Bois Art Gallery powered by Arte Mexicano en Indiana. Sammy was born in LA but has called Naptown his home since 2006. He has been painting since childhood and has had his work featured at the Harrison Center. During a time of turmoil within the world as a whole, Sammy’s work challenges us to stay in touch with our humanity–to feel—to confront the things that are hard to put into words and experience them intensely. Come by the Center anytime during open hours to spend time with this beautiful yet demanding body of work. As always, before wrapping up we mention some upcoming events at the Indy Liberation Center. We encourage you to sign up for our weekly newsletter not only to stay updated but in case we or another member-group have to mobilize our people for another emergency actions, demonstrations, or other interventions. Events: The Whispering Shelf and Indy Hope Packages Team Up Final Meeting: Collective Study of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup Emancipatory Motions: Yoga for Liberation Intern with the Liberation Center this Summer! Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

Director, clinical psychologist, actress, model, paralegal, and activist Dr. Meleeka Clary joins the show this week to discuss her 16-year long battle against her ex-husband and the Indiana courts. Our Naptown Breakdown starts with two encouraging updates. First we hear a message from Shaka A. Shakur that he sent after finally receiving a copy of his book, Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes (1804 Books). Up next is an update from our phone zap for Jose “Danny” Ortiz, who alerted us to ongoing medical neglect at Miami "Correctional" Facility. We received confirmation that an Ombudsman is going to Miami prison to investigate the situation. However, we need to keep the pressure on so be sure to keep calling, emailing, and sharing the phone zap. Finally, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss another incident of the IMPD lying and highlight a press conference by the family of Lamonte and Lamar Johnson hosted by the Indy Liberation Center on April 2. For our main segment, Dr. Clary speaks on what compelled her to write, direct, and act in her award-winning film, "Three Corners of Deception," which is partially based on her own experience and available for streaming on Prime. For over 16 years, her ex-husband, Attorney Michael Gosh, has conspired with various judges to stalk, attack, and bankrupt Dr. Clary. This entire time, she has fought vigorously. In 2024, ANSWER Indiana and other member-groups of the Indy Liberation Center joined her struggle. Dr. Clary is now going on the offensive, and she and Derek discuss how Gosh and his latest collaborator, Attorney Jane G. Cotton, illegally and absurdly used a copyrighted image of Dr. Clary against her. As the interview was recorded before her March 27 court date, toward the end of the show we receive an update based on one of our organizers who attended the hearing with Dr. Clary. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to the Quills Coffee Shop workers who recently unionized their shop on 941 N. Meridian St. Baristas are now  part of Service Employees International Union branch 32BJ SEIU. Quills' workers remind us of what people can do when we come together and organize. Events: Phone Zap: End Medical Neglect at Miami CF First Friday: Exploring the Extremes with Sammy Penazola Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Collective Study Meeting 3 Sunday Yoga for Liberation Summer ’26: Intern with the Indianapolis Liberation Center Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

Our third episode celebrating Women's History Month feature includes co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss more of their women revolutionary heroes and an urgent segment of "Dispatches from Behind the Wire" where we hear from an inmate at Miami Correctional Facility about the horrendous and routine medical neglect he and his fellow inmates–including ICE detainees–face on a daily basis. First, our Naptown Breakdown pinpoints two ways the state is preparing for possible social and political unrest. Gov. Mike Braun signed HB 1343, enabling him to command a police force that answers directly to him through our National Guard. Starting July 1, Braun can use these forces without the consent of local elected officials. The state of Indiana does not need even one more cop, especially here in Indianapolis with our regular increases to the police budget. This will give more money to the cops who tailed 17-year-old Trevion Taylor, a Black youth, and his friends after they left an anti-ICE protest at Warren Central School. They pulled the car over and immediately threatened to kill him. Out of the 11 cops involved, only one is under "internal investigation" for aggressively yelling "I will kill you!" at Taylor. As of the last reporting, the cop remains protected behind the shield of anonymity. Further, the officers involved have 809 uses of force incidents per the IMPD. We know that thanks not to the IMPD’s intentionally misnamed transparency portal but through MaskOff12.com. Dani and Derek dive deeper into the prison boom in Indiana that's flying under the radar of the mainstream press. When they broke ground in late 2023 on the New Northwest Correctional Facility, the budget already skyrocketed from $600,000 to $1.27 billion. DOC officials said it would replace the current Northwest Correctional Facility and the notorious Indiana State Prison just under 20 miles away in Michigan City. Now, DOC officials are walking that statement back. According to the Indianapolis Capital Chronicle, they intend to keep ISP fully operational for an indefinite period of time. That means they intend to lock even more of our neighbors for longer periods of time. The IDOC website makes perfectly clear, writing their "population numbers will go back up" and their "releases are decreasing." For the main segment, Dani and Derek share more of the women revolutionaries who inspire them the most. This week, Dani picked Nguyễn Thị Bình, who fought as a leader and diplomat during the French colonial occupation and later joined the National Liberation front (or Viet Cong), rising to join the Central Committee and to serve as Vice-Chairperson of the South Vietnamese Women's Liberation Association. Once the Vietnamese won the war, she was part of the delegation to the Paris Peace Conference and is the sole woman who signed the 1973 Peace Accords officially declaring the Vietnamese triumph over U.S. imperialism. She is still politically active today. Inspired by Haki Kweli Shakur, a New Afrikan organizer, historian, and fellow-member of the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign, Derek picked Queen Mother Audley Moore. Her life, which spanned from 1898 to 1997, witnessed a century of the Black (and later, New Afrikan) Liberation struggle in the U.S., and played a pivotal role in linking the earlier phase of the Black struggle in the 1920s-30s to the next iteration in the 1960s-1970s. Derek discusses the basics and social conditions of her political development, from her attraction Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association and her long membership in the Communist Party USA, which she joined after the International Communist Movement adopted the "Black Belt Thesis" in 1928. Within two years, she was one of the most important members of the CPUSA's Upper Harlem Branch, a role she used to forefront the struggles of Black people and women. She built personal and political relationships with Claudia Jones and other leading Black women. However, as this progressive trend within the Party grew the Party leadership started downplaying the Black Belt Thesis, eventually liquidating the line altogether. She left in 1950 and the exact reasons remain unknown. After all, this was long after the Party retreated from their revolutionary line on Black and women's liberation. Dani and Derek discuss her key role in determining the designation of "New Afrikans." As one former escort to Queen Mother recalled, she would often say: "Chinese are from China, Germans from Germany," but there is no "Black country," so our territorial basis for our nation is Afrika, but one formed throughout a particular social development. They also touch on the many ways she expressed her feminism, from her presence and command to her belief that the new nation should include polygamy and the right of men to marry multiple women. development. Finally, they touch on how the CP's political form of organization continued to inform her organizing efforts throughout her life. Stay with us for an urgent segment of "Dispatches from Behind the Wire," where we speak directly with Jose "Danny" Ortiz who details the inhumane medical neglect he and his fellow inmates continue suffering at the Miami "Correctional" Facility's medical ward. The Hoyt lifts have been down since December 2025. The first time Ortiz got out of his bed was for a visit in March where several guards had to help him into a wheel chair. Around 10 inmates have been impacted by this situation, which deprives them of attending church, interacting with fellow inmates, accessing the law library, participating in educational programs, and more. His fellow inmates are forced to lie in their own urine and fecal discharge for days. Meanwhile, the ICE detainees don't have access to toilets at all. The guards told them not to interact with the detainees, but in a minor yet significant act of solidarity they let them use their restrooms as they please. Their attempts to divide inmates are failing but this does nothing to alleviate the intense suffering of callous "Correctional Officers," and prison administrators. We can change this! See the show notes for a phone and email-zap campaign to ensure our people behind bars are treated with dignity and respect! This is a longstanding and easily-correctable issue. We won a minor victory after discovering an inmate subjected to similar treatment at the same prison in May 2025.  Events: Phone/Email Zap: End Medical Neglect at Miami Correctional Facility! Pedagogy of the Oppressed Reading Group (pt. 2) Sunday Liberation Center Yoga Summer ’26: Intern with the Indianapolis Liberation Center Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

In our second episode celebrating Women’s History Month, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford bring one of the women revolutionaries they study and admire to the table, women who made significant contributions to the anti-imperialist struggle through united fronts, in the theoretical and practical terrains. They didn’t share their choices with each other, so what results is a spontaneous and authentic dialogue that is informative, relevant, and at times amusing. As Dani says, this episode of Naptown People’s Radio hopes to inspire a new struggle of women in America and across the world and heighten their consciousness of the need for a militant, unified campaign around the burning demands of the day. First, however, our Naptown Breakdown starts with the massive $4 billion data center approved by the Metropolitan Development Commission on March 18. Our hosts note how even a quick scan of media coverage on data centers in Indianapolis shows widespread opposition and zero support from the people. The Sabey Corporation’s petition to build a massive center in Decatur Township—a proposal that the Decatur Township Civic League rejected last month with a vote of 95 opposed and two in favor—passed narrowly with the support of Indy Economic Development Inc., an entity tied to the city government and chaired by Mayor Joe Hogsett. The only remaining procedural obstacle concerns the precise economic incentives Hogsett and his economic development gang will offer Sabey; what kind of obstacle the people will pose remains an open question. The escalating U.S. war on Iran hit home on March 12 when a service member from Indiana was killed during a refueling mission to support operations against Iran. Seth Koval of Mooresville is among the hundreds of U.S. service members killed and thousands wounded as the war enters its third week. To defend its sovereignty, in the first week Iran destroyed 150 missile launch platforms, 23 Patriot Air Defense Systems, 36 aircraft and helicopters, and almost 50 percent of the U.S.’s weapons stockpiles. At the time of recording, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet operating in Iranian airspace. Iran’s military also struck down over 100 drones since the latest attack began and the U.S. is set to deploy thousands more “boots on the ground” in an unpopular and illegal war that is directly against the interests of the people of the U.S. The contemporary moment in which the U.S. no longer maintains unipolar dominance over the world order is similar to the era in which our two featured revolutionaries organized. In the main segment, Derek leads a discussion about Naptown’s own Shirley Graham before Dani turns to one of Graham’s contemporaries, Trinidadian-born Claudia Jones. The two concentrate on Shirley Graham’s influence on her second husband, W.E.B. Du Bois (particularly her role in correcting his early support for Japanese colonialism in China and Korea) and position Graham as a mother who helped shepherd the next generation of New Afrikan/Black revolutionaries in the U.S. Shirley Graham and Claudia Jones were not only good friends but close comrades in the Communist Party. Across this part of the segment, Dani highlights Jones’ theoretical work, including her theory of “super-exploitation” of Black women workers, and its political implications. Dani and Derek show the key distinctions between Jones’ politics and contemporary “politics” of intersectionality before discussing her comradely political critiques of the CPUSA during its later years when it abandoned the struggle for Black liberation in the U.S. Throughout the segment, our co-hosts highlight how Graham and Jones can help inform today’s efforts to organize a revolutionary socialist and anti-imperialist movement. Finally, the Indy Liberation Store (which is part of and helps support the Indy Liberation Center) is honored to be among the 37 bookstores featured in the 2026 Indy Indie Book Crawl between March 18 – 22. Listen to the end to hear about this weekend’s extended Store hours and special programming at the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Events: Indy Liberation Store: Indie Indy Book Crawl Extended Hours Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Study Group I Patriarchy, War, and Homelessness: Indy Hope Packages Assembly Poetry as Protest Open Mic Night Liberation Forum: War is a Women’s Issue at Home and Abroad Summer ’26: Intern with the Indianapolis Liberation Center Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

Our first episode in celebration of Women's History Month features social worker and Indy Hope Packages coordinator Rissa Wilson. After co-hosts Dani Abudllah and Derek Ford provide a quick history of the socialist origins of Women's History Month, Rissa and Dani provide an overview of Indy Hope Packages before getting into the finer details. They discuss how they took inspiration from the Black Panther Party's community outreach program, the distinction between mutual aid and direct political-aid," and their 10-Point Program and how it guides their work. Because Hope Packages was born after the successful defeat of a local anti-homeless ordinance in fall 2020, the two also provide updates on Indiana Senate Bill 285. The Bill, which became a law on March 5, criminalizes homelessness and gives the cops free reign to fine, arrest, and harass our homeless neighbors. Indy Hope Packages and other organizations are fighting back. One way for young people to get involved is to intern at the Indianapolis Liberation Center this summer. Applications are open and will be considered on a rolling basis. Apply today! "The Breakfast for Children program. We are running it in a socialistic manner. People came and took our program, saw it in a socialistic fashion not even knowing it was socialism. People are gonna take our program and tell us to go on to a higher level... Not theory and theory alone, but theory and practice. The two go together." - Fred Hampton on the Black Panther Party's community programming. Show Notes: Donate to Indy Hope Packages Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

On this special episode, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford provide the broader context necessary for understanding why progressives must take a firm anti-war stance and support Iran's right to self-determination. And after several months Shaka A. Shakur is back for another segment of "Dispatches from Behind the Wire" to remind us to defend oppressed nations in the u.s. and urges us to learn from the people of Minneapolis. On the heels of the latest U.S. acts of war against Iran, one of which included the illegal assassination of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the people of Indianapolis mobilized emergency demonstrations days apart. Both were part of nationwide coordinated days of action across the country to demand an end to U.S. aggression against Iran and to defend Iran's right to self-determination and national sovereignty. Given Iran's political, military, and economic strength, as well as their historical record of defying attempts at foreign intervention, the prospects for a regional or even larger-scale war are real and dangerous. At the same time, both Democratic and Republican parties not only support but have engaged in acts of war against the Iranian people. As recent as 2024, the Biden administration agreed with, if not supported, Israel's illegal bombing of the Iranian Consulate in Syria, which killed dozens of Iranians. In 2021, Biden's administration dropped bombs on Iranian military advisers in Syria. The only matter up for debate concerns the means to overthrow the legitimate government Iran and replace it with one subservient to U.S. interests. Abdullah and Ford discuss the reasons why, ever since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the U.S. political establishment has maintained a consensus that it must be reversed. They also cover the contradictory character of the revolution and the current Iranian government, covering both its progressive and reactionary character and history. Along the way, they bring to light unknown and downplayed acts of solidarity between Iran and oppressed nations across the world and here in the u.s. We are excited to hear from our comrade Shaka A. Shakur, who returns for our "Dispatches from Behind the Wire" segment after several months spent on lockdown at River North Correctional Facility. Shaka calls for education about and organizing against the new $1.2 billion prison under construction in Westville, Indiana, the site of the world's second Super-Maximum Security Prison. Shaka and Derek discuss the relationship between mass incarceration, imperialism, and ICE terror. Finally, Shaka provides talking points to help bring everyday people outraged at the Trump regime into the struggle, thereby creating the broader mass movement required to achieve the social transformation we need. If you support Indy's only independent, anti-war, and socialist podcast, please like, leave a comment, share, and donate to help build the struggle! Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

One year ago on February 25, IMPD cop Grant Snyder shot and killed Adam Sykes, a young father. February 25, 2026 marks one year since IMPD officer Grant Snyder shot and killed Adam Sykes on the Near Eastside of Indy. Anniversaries risk becoming rituals of mourning, but this episode marks it as the first time in recent history that the people organized to take on the IMPD. Stephen Lane, who worked closely with Adam's mom, Nikki Schumpert, joins the show to discuss the independent investigation that exposed the police's lies. First, for this this week's Naptown Breakdown co-host Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford cover the recent death of an ICE detainee at the Miami Correctional Facility, the U.S.'s increasing military aggression against Iran, and the latest with the proposed Metrobloks AI data center. Our Circle City Shout Out goes to Gabriela Mojica, a Mexican-born artist and an 18-year resident of Indy. With over 30 years of painting experience, Gabriela’s work is deeply inspired by her heritage, expressing a vibrant love for Latin culture through color and texture. Recently, Mojica had an event at the Indy Liberation Center with our Fonseca-Du Bois Gallery in which attendees not only learned how to make pinatas but were able to transform a beloved tradition into a powerful tool for justice by creating ICE officer pinatas, shaping paper, paste, and purpose into symbolic pieces against ICE terror. Whether you’re an artist, an ally, or someone ready to stand up, your hands are needed in this movement too. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

This week we have a special episode featuring a discussion between Derek Ford and our comrade Leon Benson—an artist, author, producer, exoneree, and a good friend of the people joins the show ahead of the official launch of "The Solitary Justice Project." Before pivoting to the launch, which will take place at the Shri Thanedar Community Center in Detroit on February 28, they discuss the unfortunate circumstances that brought Leon to Indianapolis this weekend: the celebration of for comrade Kwame Shakur. About three years his junior, Leon recalls them growing up together. He tells one particular story in which Kwame attacked to Correctional Officers for mistreating a prisoner. He was charged with attempted murder and beat the case pro se. After his release, they kept in touch and Kwame dedicated his autobiography to Leon.  Leon served 25 years incarcerated for a crime the IMPD knew he didn't commit and was the first person exonerated after the Marion County Conviction Integrity Unit's founding. Much of that time was spent in solitary confinement, which brings the two to a discussion about the terror and trauma of the practice that is widely regarded as a human rights abuse and a violation of the UN's Mandela Rules. While the stories of making it through solitary are inevitably triumphant, the degradation and suffering the state subjects our people to must be put to an end. Leon and Derek discuss their own trauma as Leon breaks down the different kids, including chronic and vicarious, as well as collective. Be sure to keep an eye on the Solitary Justice Project, make it to their Detroit debut if you can, or wait until it makes its ways to Indianapolis as it inevitably will. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center Coalition to Free Vernon Bateman

This week, Jay Grillo gives a first-hand account of the sustained anti-ICE uprising in Minneapolis. In the first segment, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford signal the potential danger in a likely alliance between Indiana and ultra right-wing Turning Point USA. Turning Point, founded by Charlie Kirk, is a project dedicated to silencing dissenting research and silencing faculty and teachers who stand up for justice by threats of violence. They next turn to the IMPD's violent assault and threats to kill 17-year-old Trevion Taylor, a Black student who was driving a car with friends after participating in an anti-ICE walkout and protest on Feb. 6 near Warren Central High School. They put IMPD's refusal to immediately release the bodycam footage of the attack to the family and public in recent historical context. They end on a positive development: Shaka A. Shakur is awaiting transfer away from River North Correctional Facility, where he and other inmates have been on Marshall-law lock-down for months, to a lower-security prison. Derek references how Shaka ends the recent statement we just received, titled "Can Anyone be Illegal on Stolen Land?" Shaka calls for the struggle to connect ICE, killer cops, national oppression and national liberation struggles together with a revived anti-mass incarceration movement. After all, ICE has subjected our people to since its founding in March 2003, the cops have been subjecting our communities to on a greater scale for a longer period of time. We're excited to hear from PSL Indianapolis member and videographer Jay Grillo, who recently returned from supporting the people of Minneapolis as they continue standing defiantly in the face of ICE's murderous rampage. After discussing Grillo's background and how they got involved in activism and the Party, Grillo relays the high level of energy and sophisticated degree of spontaneous organization and structures the people there quickly collectively built, the impact of the “No Business as Usual” tactic, and the issue of safety at mass uprisings. Finally, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Hear Her Voice and particularly its founder, Tyrah Kingcade, or Nairobi X. Hear Her Voice is a transformative healing space dedicated to empowering individuals impacted by trauma, addiction, incarceration, and systemic injustice. They especially focus on issues of re-entry and fighting the impacts of the racist mass incarceration system in the U.S. They recently released a new workbook, titled Hear Her Voice Recover Workbook: She Rises, Her Time, Her Turn, available as an affordable paperback here and on Amazon. Events: Capital Class: Session 6 Circle City Sangha Liberation Yoga Show Notes: Hear Her Voice Store Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Indy Liberation Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center Coalition to Free Vernon Bateman

Vernon T. Bateman joins the show to discuss the latest developments in his fight for exoneration. This week's Naptown Breakdown highlights a recent Mirror Indy/Indy Star investigation uncovering that, for more than a decade Mayor Joe Hogsett, used no-bid contracts that benefited his friends and those with ties to the Democratic Party. Hogsett won his first term as Mayor with a proposal called “Disclose Indy," which directly targeted then-Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican whose non-competitive bidding practices were regularly covered in the press at the time. In 2015 he promised that "betray the public trust, you deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Disclose Indy also included a two-term limit for the Mayor. Guest co-host and organizer Lindsey Holtgrave sheds additional light on the situation before turning to the recent inspiring anti-ICE protests. She highlights positive developments in the movement over the past two years, particularly in terms of the people's consciousness and leadership. Artist, author, and community advocate Vernon T. Bateman joins co-host Derek Ford to discuss a major breakthrough in his fight for freedom. On January 13, the Lake County Prosecutor's Office headed by Bernard Carter admitted the State tried and convicted Bateman in 1998 without any evidence tying him to the alleged "crime." This contradicts trial testimony from the Prosecution's witnesses during the trial. Shockingly, however, the Judge sided with the Prosecution and denied Bateman's motion for DNA testing to confirm his innocence. Nonetheless, the State's admission they sent Bateman to jail for 30 years without any DNA evidence is a major step forward. Sign the petition to support Bateman here! Finally, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to the youth of Minneapolis, the country, and here in Indianapolis for walking out to protest ICE, even without any legal rights to do so. However, young people have always been at the forefront of social change and even revolutions. When Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto, they were only 29 and 27 years-old respectively. Leila Khaled was just 15 when she joined the Arab Nationalist League and at age 23 was the first woman to join the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP. Huey P. Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party when he was 24. That’s why we view everything here as an opportunity to train a new generation of fighters and activists. And we have several ways to do so this week. So shout-out to the youth eager to learn how to best fight for justice and to those willing to teach (and learn from) them! Events: Capital Class: Session 4 (virtual) Heart and Heritage: New Hispanic Cultural Hub Debuts with Group Show Circle City Sangha Sunday Liberation Center Yoga Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center Coalition to Free Vernon Bateman

In this episode, Lucas Lee joins co-host Dani Abdullah to discuss the upcoming mayoral elections and analyze the unknown history of working-class solidarity and uprisings in the Midwest. The Naptown Breakdown discusses so-called “Voice of Progress” Vop Osili’s announced mayoral candidacy. Although current Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett will not seek re-election, Osili and Hogsett maintain close ties and Osili continue to defend Hogsett’s culture of patriarchy and misogyny. Osili’s ongoing silence and his 2025 removal of Lauren Roberts during a June 9 City-Council hearing. In today’s main segment, Dani and Lucas discuss the pivotal uprisings of the Midwest that have happened in the last 20 years, from Ferguson to Minneapolis. While some may refer to this region as the ‘flyover states’ as organizers we know that almost anything is possible. Often labeled as slow and uneventful cities, the Midwest experienced some of the largest uprisings that later spread to the rest of the U.S. and the world. They analyze Indiana’s history of uprisings like the 1919 U.S. Steel Strikes, which saw workers of different national identities uniting for the benefit of the working and oppressed classes. Despite a common narrative that this uprising was plagued by “race riots” that pitted workers against each other, the real history is an exceptional one of solidarity the ruling class wants buried. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

Wildstyle Paschall joins the show in advance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to reclaim the real legacy of Dr. King by situating his organizing, leadership, diplomatic moves, and theories in their proper context. The Naptown Breakdown begins with Saturday's emergency demonstration in solidarity with Renee Nicole Good and all those killed by ICE and the State. The Indianapolis demonstration was one of hundreds across the country and, at the protest, one speaker asked where our "city" "leaders" are and what they plan to do about ICE's reign of terror. The people forced Hogsett to respond, as reported in Mirror Indy on January 9. Hogsett refused to take any responsibility and said it is "somebody else's decision." He ended by saying "people are frightened and I'm aware of that." But as our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford note, the people are not afraid, which is why so many took to the streets on January 8. Perhaps it won't be Hogsett's decision after all: it will be the people's decision. The guest in the main segment is Wildstyle Paschall, a community advocate, skater, and Indiana historian with whom the PSL and groups at the Indy Liberation Center have been honored to struggle alongside for years. Paschall and Abdullah chop it up about the real history of Dr. MLK Jr. They show in detail how, as Lenin put it: "During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. After their death, attempts are made to convert them into harmless icons, to canonize them, so to say, and to hallow their names to a certain extent for the 'consolation' of the oppressed classes and with the object of duping the latter, while at the same time robbing the revolutionary theory of its substance, blunting its revolutionary edge and vulgarizing it." This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to all of the donors and sustainers for PSL Indianapolis, the Liberation Center, and our fellow member-organizations there. We just launched a fund drive to help cover the costs of our recent move and increasing costs in general, so please give what you can, become a sustainer, and ask a friend to become one. We don't accept foundation or government grants. The only way we can maintain our political independence is by relying on our people, and we thank you for showing out so far! A few of the events mentioned at the end of the episode include: Wed., Jan 14, 6 pm @ Indy Liberation Center: "New Year's Resolution: Let's Build a New System!" An info session hosted by the PSL. Sat., Jan 17, 9:30 am @ Indy Liberation Center: "Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup." Sat., Jan 17 @ 2 pm @ Indy Liberation Center: "Reading Capital: A Collective Study (Session 3)." Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

We are proud to present 'Season 2' of Naptown People's Radio. We hope everyone got some rest over the holiday break because the struggle is heating up more than ever! Our first episode this season covers the launch of MaskOff12, a new independent police accountability mechanism, Indianapolis' solidarity with the Venezuelan people, as well as the present and future of the artistic scene in Indy. Absent Dani Abdullah, host Derek Ford is joined by guest host Lucas Lee. Lee takes on the Naptown Breakdown, focusing on Trump's military action against Venezuela, including the illegal kidnapping of its democratically-elected President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.  Within hours, Indianapolis joined over 100 cities to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and show their solidarity with the people of the country. We hear from protesters at the January 3 action on Monument Circle organized by ANSWER Indiana about why they felt compelled to show their solidarity with the people of Venezuela. The local protest was covered by WTHR, WRTV, FOX, and other outlets For our featured segment, we're joined by Akhim Abdullah and Noah Leininger, two Center volunteers who have been organizing against police terror for a combined eight years. Abdullah and Leininger delve into their important project launching today: MaskOff12.com. Killer cops are rarely held accountable for their crimes against our communities because other state agents do everything they can to protect them. With MaskOff12, they can no longer hide behind the comfort of anonymity. Finally, we hear from local cultural worker James Cramer, a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union about his work in the entertainment industry. Cramer speaks about the recent annual Yuletide Celebration show he just finished working, as well as about the past, present, and future of the arts in our city. Events: From Indy to Minneapolis: Stop ICE Terror! Phone Zap: Support Disabled Inmates! Artist Workshop with Oscar Toloza Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup Collective Study of Capital (Vol. 1): Session 2 Stock the Shelves: Community Donation Drive Political Yoga: Emancipatory Motions Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

This week, our co-hosts are joined by NPR's producer, Dakota Fronterhouse, as they look back at the past year of struggle in Naptown. They begin with late 2024, as groups in and around the Indianapolis Liberation Center started preparing for a heightened era of repression and resistance. They cover in detail the people's fight-back movement against ICE, police terror, mass incarceration, and attacks on oppressed nationalities, drawing out their connections and the lessons we can take with us as we move into the new year. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

This week's episode features Sam Shr and Iris of Starbucks Workers United, who remind us of the reason for the season: living wages, dignity, and justice. With our co-producer, Lucas Lee, they cover the unionization attempt, their reasonable demands, the challenges they've confronted and overcome, and the reason for unions in the first place—because they are the only way to protect workers from the dictatorship of the workplace. Our Naptown Breakdown transitions from workplace to the political dictatorship exercised by the local Democratic Party led by Joe Hogsett and his henchmen. By creating the "Indianapolis Local Education Alliance," constructed to do the opposite of what its name implies, the right-wing is trying to bulldoze their way to privatize our public resources and dismantle all public control over public institutions. But finally, the people are fighting back and challenging the pro-corporate and anti-people narrative that's dominated Indianapolis unchallenged for over a decade. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss the evolution of public schooling in the United States, showing how it emerged as a direct result of the Radical Reconstruction Era until that revolution was overthrown. After providing a brief history of the militant struggles of working and oppressed people to gain access to education and the reactionary responses to undo that progress (including placing corporate businessmen on school boards in the 1890s), they detail exactly what the ILEA is: an unelected body appointed by Mayor Hogsett that will further erode power from the people via the Indianapolis Public School Board. This history matters as we continue the struggle, the outcome of which will be determined not in the Council Chambers but in the streets. That was on display just before the vote at a press conference spoke at the press conference organized by the Indianapolis Education Association and Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America (with support from the Indianapolis Liberation Center). For our main segment, co-producer Lucas Lee interviews two leading organizers with Starbucks Workers United Mass Ave. They touch on a range of crucial issues that demand our attention as support for unions is, finally, on the rise once again. They also inform our listeners how they can support their winning campaign. Finally, Dani gives this week's Circle City Shout Out to none other than Sena Kürk. Born and raised in Türkiye, Sena holds a bachelor’s degree of Psychological Counseling and Guidance from Ankara University and an associates degree in Visual Communication & Design from Ivy Tech. Shas has over five years of experience as a certified yoga instructor. Sena leads "Emancipatory Motions: Yoga for Movement Building," a member-organization at the Liberation Center. They meet every Sunday from 6-8 pm to engage in a yoga that repairs the damages done by capitalism to our entire bodies by reconnecting us with our selves as beings in complex motion together. We hope to see you as we move to build the movement! To help Sena and the Center out, we ask for a sliding scale donation of $10 - $15 but no one is turned away from a lack (or excess) of funds! Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store Indianapolis Liberation Center

This week's episode pays tribute to our fallen soldier Kwame Shakur, a brother who was consistently fighting for the freedom and liberation of all people. Our Naptown Breakdown focuses on the recent defeat of the far-right in their redistricting efforts and speculation that "Vop" Osili's announcement he won't seek re-election for the City-County Council means his sights are set on a Mayoral run. The real reasons why a majority of Senate Republicans joined Indiana's 10 Democratic state senators to reject the proposal, despite immense pressure from Trump and groups like the Heritage Foundation. While the overwhelming majority of Hoosiers rejected the redistricting campaign, the reality is that the ruling class in Indiana is divided on the issue. Seeking to avoid an intra-class conflict whose eruption could have serious consequences, they chose to call Trump's implausible threats. Our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford also question whether Osili, who has enforced the culture of misogyny that defines Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration for years, really represents the voters in District 12. To keep Kwame Shakur's spirit and words with us, we let Kwame speak for himself. In a concise clip from our August 2019 Liberation Forum filmed by Critical Thought Critique, Kwame talks about his life, political development, ideological outlook, and hope for the future. Abdullah takes the Circle City Shout Out as an opportunity to honor Kwame and recall the time he spent fighting in the streets with us since we met him in late 2018. Kwame was a leading figure in the 2020 response to the IMPD's 8-hour killing spree. While the protests that erupted were certainly spontaneous, they were also organized after a "Free Them All" Coalition protested prison conditions throughout the winter and spring. While he wasn't a member of the PSL, he was a dear friend of the Party and a welcome presence at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, where he hosted the inaugural ceremony of the Black Liberation Party. Kwame Shakur, ¡presente! Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store

This week, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford dive into the housing crisis in Indianapolis, detailing how unnecessary and absurd it is by comparing it with how a socialist government could not only easily fix the problem but prevent its occurrence in the first place. The Naptown Breakdown covers the convergence of two protests this past Saturday. The first, called by ANSWER Indiana, was part of a nationwide day of action that involved more than 60 cities across the U.S. showing their solidarity with the Venezuelan people. The second protest, organized by “We the People: Indiana United,” was held to oppose redistricting efforts. While these two events may seem unrelated, interviews with “We the People” Director Amy Kleyla and other protesters show this is not the case.  Last week's Breakdown discussed the misogynistic murder of Amanda Jones, and this week, we unfortunately have to cover a similar preventable tragedy. On December 6, Brittany Kavanaugh was murdered by her ex-boyfriend even though, like Jones, she repeatedly filed police reports and got a restraining order. The investigation is still ongoing, and Kavanaugh’s ex-boyfriend is helping with the investigation. Speaking of Indiana’s war against women, our hosts turn to Gov. Mike Braun’s “Family First Workplace” decree by Executive Order on December 2. Several government offices are piloting the program, which effectively forces women to take their children to work for the first six months after birth. Not even accounting for the many caregivers and parents excluded from the order, is it really “pro-family” or “anti-worker”? Finally, before diving into the local housing crisis, our hosts turn to the paychecks that haven’t kept up with rising rents, as full-time work far from guarantees decent shelter. A 2025 report by Out of Reach – Indiana found that one has to earn $22.18/hr to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment at “fair market rent,” but the average Hoosier earns just $18.05/hr. The main segment takes up Joe Hogsett’s 2018 plan to end homelessness by 2023, which we critiqued last episode. It’s one thing to critique these plans clearly produced for public consumption. What we need to do is demonstrate that the housing crisis can easily be solved; we need to present a positive vision for the future and what is possible when ordinary people, everyday people like you and me, are mobilized to do something that we care about: provide for ourselves, each other, and our communities. They compare the homelessness crisis facing Indiana and our city to an “evil government” the politicians and media consistently demonize: the Bolivarian government in Venezuela. Since coming to power, Hugo Chávez immediately began two great housing projects: one focusing on the city and the other on the primarily indigenous populations in the countryside, who were gifted the land they worked by the government. Nicolás Maduro continued the initiative that continues to this day. One major recent breakthrough came in 2022, when the Great Housing Mission of Venezuela delivered 4 million homes to the people. Then last year, the day after International Workers’ Day (May 1), the government announced an additional 4.9 million homes, developed by a woman-led initiative. Among the other milestones, you can watch live footage from our featured speaker Grand Opening Night, Gloria La Riva, who was on the ground when the 2019 Housing Mission Initiative went public. Abdullah and Ford detail the vacancy rates of luxury condos in downtown Indianapolis. The most conservative estimates place the vacancy rate at 22 percent, which means there are 1,100 luxury units we could (and eventually will) immediately move homeless people into. Considering many of our homeless neighbors are part of families and other units, we could easily accomplish this. Yet if we take into account the larger Marion-County vacancy rate, that leaves an additional 2,416 units available for the approximately 1,800 homeless people in Indianapolis on any given night over the past year. And we would still have more homes than homeless people! After explaining and identifying that contradiction, our hosts translate it into common language we can use to explain the root causes of our “homelessness crisis” to co-workers, neighbors, and everyone in our lives. Finally, this week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to Wayne Kidd, who stays busy but still finds time to attend and even dedicate his cooking chops to the Center. Wayne first attended our 2023 PSL Black August Forum feat. Jamil Cambell. He approached us about hosting Yessal Gui’s (The Renewal’s) celebration of Mawlid Al Nabi Muhammad, the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, before our new Center before it officially opened. We were excited one of the first events would be a spiritual, political, and community event. Yessal Gui is a charitable religious organization dedicated to demonstrating the divine love of God worldwide in all areas of life. They are headquartered in Indianapolis, although they have multiple branches in different states. As a Sufi community, they function not only to worship and celebrate God but to practice it in real life. Locally, they engage in various food distribution and other community projects. You can find Wayne at all of them. Wayne and his son graciously provided excellent vegetarian and vegan meals at our 2023 and 2025 Grand Openings. And while he stays busy, expect to see him and eat his food more often when you're at the Center. Shout out to Wayne Kidd! Upcoming Events: Before concluding, we run through another upcoming week of events for everyone looking to plug into the struggle at any level and from any angle. On Thursday, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Indy Hope Packages will assemble winter survival kits at the Center to distribute to our homeless neighbors at Lugar Plaza on Saturday. You can click on the show notes to donate, buy specific items, and all are welcome to the Center that evening. Then, on Sunday from 1 – 2:30 pm, they’ll be distributing the survival kits at Lugar Plaza. Throughout, they’ll be raising consciousness about two points from their 10-Point Program. You can catch Mirror Indy’s coverage of the two events, as well as donate, become a sustainer, or sign up to volunteer! On Friday, stop by between 6:00 – 9:00 pm for the opening of our first art show at your new Center. Arte Mexicano en Indiana proudly features the work of Salvadoran-American painter Oscar Toloza at the Fonseca Du Bois Gallery. I’ve seen the artwork and it’s striking and quite interesting, and Friday’s a great time to check it out, see our new space, and also check out our new store, of course. Saturday from 9:30-11 we have our next Circle City Sangha mindfulness meetup, and Sunday from 6-8 pm we have our next Emancipatory Motions political yoga session. And if you’re in New York City or by a computer Saturday at 6:30, be sure to catch the launch of Shaka A. Shakur’s first book, Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes, which you can pre-order here. The event will take place at The People’s Forum and will be livestreamed and stored on their website, will feature what is sure to be an informative, fun, and energizing call to action with the panelists we’ve lined up: Vernon T. Bateman, Dr. Akili Shakur, Dani Abdullah, Leon Benson, and Derek Ford, who closely co-edited the book with Shaka and Tessa Kockhert, one of Derek’s students. Now that we’ve released the new Shaka A. Shakur documentary globally, the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign is now scheduling screenings in any territory featuring different panelists for each event. It’s a way to continue raising awareness about Shaka’s case, all political prisoners, building a movement to tear down the prison walls for good, and fundraising for the hefty legal dues involved in the campaign. To schedule an event in your area, simply fill out this form on the SSFC website! You can also visit the new Liberation Center Store to pick up our new “Free Shaka Shakur and All Political Prisoners” tees and a range of other accessories that support the Campaign. As you can see, we stay busy here, so no need to skip back, you can just go to our website to check out the events. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store Shop the Shaka Shakur Store

Ahead of the global debut of the documentary, "Across Enemy Lines: Shaka A. Shakur" and the release of Shaka's book, Manifestations of Thought, Cecilia Gomez interviews NPR co-host Derek Ford, who co-directed the film and helped edit the book. This week's Naptown Breakdown focuses on housing, policing and patriarchy, and the upcoming grand opening of your new Indianapolis Liberation Center. Bracing for a loss of $10 million in federal grant money for long-term housing projects, city leaders are playing the victim. In fact, in 2018 they released a report about "ending homelessness in 2023." The City-County Council entertained the infamous "Sit-Lie" Ordinance, which would have criminalized homelessness, the same year. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Ford send their solidarity and love to the family of Amanda S. Jones who, on November 24, was killed by an abusive partner. Jones' families says she had been trying to leave the abusive relationship for a while, filing multiple police reports and obtaining a restraining order. Relatives say Amanda told officers more than once “you’ll not do something till somebody’s dead." Less than nine hours after Amanda called the police, she was murdered. While the city leaders and cops don't care about the masses, the groups and volunteers at the Indianapolis Liberation Center dedicate their time, energy, money, and other resources to struggling against the rotten systems that cause so much suffering in our lives. That's why we're excited to invite everyone to the grand opening of your new Liberation Center this Friday, December 5 between 5:00 - 10:00 am. We’re not only celebrating our new headquarters where activists, organizers, collectives, and organizations can collaborate and extend their capacity; we’re celebrating the next chapter in our mission to create a world without exploitation and oppression. Cecilia Gomez, a leading organizer with the Indianapolis Liberation Center, joins the show this week to interview Ford about the documentary on Shaka A. Shakur he co-directed and about the forthcoming book by Shaka Ford helped edit. The two discuss the significance of Shaka's life, theory, and organizing; the process of editing the book throughout numerous disruptions to Shaka's ability to communicate, and more. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Devon Rush from Live Free Indiana, which is the home to the Black Church Coalition, Validus Movement, and Indy Action Coalition. Devon previously worked at Mental Health for America, putting in work around the clock to make it possible for incarcerated parents to spend time with their children who were in Child Services. Most of Devon's work is behind the scenes; it's not glamorous and he's not in it for any recognition. He's an unsung hero of Indianapolis. Shout out to Devon Rush!

Bryce Gustafson, an organizer with Citizens Action Coalition since 2009, joins this week's show to explain the proliferation of AI data center proposals in the city and state and update us on the struggles to defeat them. First, for the Naptown Breakdown co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford address Gov. Braun's Nov. 19 order to deploy 300 Indiana National Guardsmen to Washington D.C. in December. While they train at Camp Atterbury, which is slated to be an ICE detention center, their deployment depends on the outcome of a federal court decision. Veterans and active-duty soldiers are organizing against ICE's reign of terror, like About Face's "Right to Refuse" campaign that organizer Lucas Lee announced in a previous episode. Next, they turn to the recent "swatting" of multiple Republican senators and City-County councilor Nick Roberts, which entails the threat or use of violence against those who oppose Trump's redistricting efforts. The current swatting controversy is one instance of a long history, dating back to the counterrevolution that overthrew Reconstruction in the late 19th Century. As early as 1938, a Supreme Court justice noted "less than half of one percent" of cases of 14th Amendment cases concerned the rights of Black people. Today's redistricting push is another attempt by the ultra-right to roll back the social gains made during the 1960s-70s. Having just returned from a Martindale Brightwood organizing meeting to keep Metrobloks out of our city, Bryce Gustafson helps us understand the specifics of AI data centers, the reasons behind the recent rush for their development in Indiana, as well as the looming trillion-dollar economic bubble that even Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai anticipates is on the verge of bursting. Gustafson, who has decades of experience fighting to protect Hoosiers from rising costs of energy, utilities, and health care—not to mention the racism and corruption plaguing the Public Library Board of Trustees—shares his outlook and what every person in Naptown can do to protect our people and city. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Nikki Shumpert, a community member who you can find helping our neighbors in need on a daily basis. Nikki is also a foster mom who has adopted and raised multiple children who have gone on to do amazing things with their lives. Unfortunately, on February 25 of this year, cop Grant Snyder killed one of her children, Adam Sykes. Under Nikki's leadership, PSL Indianapolis and other community members revealed evidence the IMPD was trying to hide from the public. Two days ago, on November 24, Adam would have turned 34. We send our love and heartfelt solidarity to Nikki and the family of fighters she raised. Rest in Power, Adam Sykes! Before closing out the show, we remind listeners of Circle City Sangha's weekly gathering at the Center this Saturday at 9:30 and announce our new partnership with Emancipatory Motions, a political yoga practice for movement building. Join them this and every Sunday at 6:00 pm at the Center. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store

This week, Pastor Denell Howard and Ms. Faye Johnson join the show to discuss the struggle against Metrobloks' proposed data center and who the real criminals are in U.S. prisons. Our Naptown Breakdown starts with the recent admission by local energy monopoly AES that they imposed outrageous "deposit fees" on customers who already had trouble paying the prices they set. Tyler Fenwick of Mirror Indy reports that one woman was charged nearly $800 before a customer service representative cleared the matter up. Yet she still owed almost $200. Meanwhile, a recent study found the majority of workers in the U.S. couldn't come up with $500 for an emergency, up from 56 percent in a 2017 study. To put that in perspective, Jeff Bezos "earns" $8 million in a single hour. It's no wonder consciousness is changing on a mass scale, even here in Indiana. Last week, people packed a BMV hearing in support of transgender rights and our right to change our gender on state-issued IDs. WFYI obtained written public comments before the first public hearing, which included 1,674 pages of emails in support of that right and only 19 in favor. Pastor Denell Howard of Hovey Street Church of Christ joins co-host Dani Abdullah for an update on the struggle against Metrobloks and all data centers in our communities. After defeating Google’s data center, Metrobloks tried to squeeze in by claiming their “smaller” and “sustainable.” However, Metrobloks hasn’t built a single data center and they won’t be, at least not in Martindale Brightwoood. Howard and Abdullah highlight the racist forces at play while calling for multinational unity in what is sure to be an ongoing and broadening fight to protect our communities. Our “Dispatches from Behind the Wire” segment returns this episode. Co-host Derek Ford speaks with Ms. Faye Johnson about a near-deadly November 2 attack by Correctional Officers at River North “Correctional” Facility that put her son Christopher in the infirmary. She was notified about the attack by another inmate, Timmy, who detailed how four guards and a goon squad fired rubber bullets, beat, and used mace against her son because he didn’t want to eat raw chicken. Faye, a nurse at a local hospital, has seen first-hand how guards treat prisoners. She’s witnessed prisoners enter her hospital dead on arrival or in immense pain while guards refuse to let the patient speak and laugh at their injuries while claiming “no one saw what happened.” Chris is in the infirmary with Shaka A. Shakur, and Faye and Derek discuss how, despite the best efforts of health care workers there, the inmates have to band together to help one another do the most basic things, like use the restroom. This week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to transgender freedom fighter Connie Thompson. If you’ve come to PSL events in the past, you’ve likely seen Connie. She organized our first drag show fundraiser and past Trans Day of Remembrance events and was the lead organizer for Hope Packages during 2021-2023. While Connie left the Party to pursue her acting career, she’s still a comrade and activist, adding to the liberation of our people through the arts. She is currently filming for a project called Nyarlathotep and she was most recently in the live performance of “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.” Events: Don’t forget to stop by the Liberation Center now located at 1619 Prospect St. for the Fonseca-Du Bois Gallery’s Trans Day of Remembrance event Thursday from 6-9. On Saturday, join Circle City Sangha at the Center at 9:30 am for their weekly mindfulness meetup. Later that day, Indy Hope Packages will be assembling and distributing their political direct-aid packages at University Park on Meridian St from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. While Saturday is the New York City premiere of the new documentary about Shaka A. Shakur at The People’s Forum, the worldwide release is set for Thursday, December 4 at 8:30 pm ET. People are organizing watch parties for the global debut of “Across Enemy Lines: Shaka A. Shakur” across the country. You can join the Liberation Center’s watch party that day, learn about the struggle and show your support for Shaka and all political prisoners (doors open at 7:30 pm). Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store

This Thursday is the Trans Day of Remembrance when, at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, the community will gather to remember our fallen trans comrades and recommit ourselves to the liberation of all people. To explain the origins and significance of the annual commemoration, local activist Brooke joins the show. This week’s Naptown Breakdown covers a wide range of topics, from Todd Rokita’s lawsuit against the Indianapolis Public School system for its policies that he claims disrupt ICE’s ability to terrorize and kidnap our young people, to the racist murder of ​​Maria Florinda Rios Perez. Perez was shot and killed after she and her husband–with whom she ran her cleaning business–accidentally tried entering the wrong house. The homeowner–whose name the police have not yet released–shot her through the front door. The assailant has hired “gun rights” attorney Guy Redford, although no charges have yet been filed. Next, Brooke joins the show in advance of the 26th Trans Day of Remembrance. Brooke, who has engaged in the struggle to remove the cops from the Indy Pride celebration, educates us on the history of the commemoration and the connection between this memorial event and the struggle to remove the cops out of pride. As Leslie Feinberg said: “Genuine bonds of solidarity can be forged between people who respect each other’s differences and are willing to fight their enemy together. We are the class that does the work of the world, and can revolutionize it. We can win true liberation” Finally, this week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to our dear comrade from Detroit, Leon Benson. Benson spent almost 25 years falsely imprisoned–10 of them in solitary confinement, considered a human rights abuse by the international community–for the August 8, 1998 murder of Kasey Schoen in downtown Indianapolis. When he was 47-years-old, he walked out of the notorious Pendleton prison in early March 2023 as a free man, exonerated on all charges. Exactly one year later, Benson returned to Indianapolis for the first “Common Unity” celebration and book release held at the Liberation Center. This year, the second “Common Unity 2.0” press conference and concert. After a press conference where Benson and the victim’s sister, Kolleen Bunch, spoke for the first time about their joint lawsuit against the IMPD officers who framed him, the Athenaeum was filled with the sounds of El Bently 448 (Benson’s stage name), Foosie, Mr. Ward 317, and others. Benson continues to inspire us day in and day out, and you can hear his mantra at the beginning of every episode of Naptown People’s Radio: “The Truth Never Dies!” Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store

November 11 marks 129 years since revolutionary artist, organizer, theorist, and teacher Shirley Graham Du Bois was born right here in Indianapolis. Stephen Lane of the Indiana Black Librarians Network joins the show to discuss her life and legacy, which is unfortunately overshadowed by her second husband, the great W.E.B. Du Bois. Tupac Shakur said it best in an interview during the early 1990s: "They got money for wars but can't feed the poor." Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford begin the Naptown Breakdown with an analysis of the 42 million people on the verge of losing SNAP benefits while the government pours millions into a possible military intervention in Venezuela as it amasses immense naval resources in the Caribbean. We next turn to the IMPD's "Strategic Draft Plan," which fits on half a sheet of paper, cost taxpayers about $250,000, and, unsurprisingly, does nothing to get at the root causes of IMPD terror. We break down the three strategic priorities in the draft. Finally, we turn to the war on free speech and Jim Rodenbush's lawsuit against Indiana University. IU fired Rodenbush in October for his failure to align the independent student newspaper with the Braun-controlled IU Board's priorities. Next, Stephen Lane, Treasurer of Indiana Black Librarians Network and volunteer with the Fonseca Du Bois Art Gallery, joins the show to celebrate Hoosier Shirley Graham's life and legacy. Learn about this remarkable revolutionary who is largely responsible for radicalizing her second husband W.E.B. Du Bois and never stopped struggling until her death in 1977 in the People's Republic of China. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Le’Deanna Brown, founder and editor of Midwest Leak Magazine, for her nonstop work advocating for what's right, whether it's popular or not. Finally, our co-hosts announce that within two weeks the Indianapolis Liberation Center will be moving to a large, accessible store-front property on Prospect St. With the move, the Center's regular programming will resume and expand, and the Liberation Store will have an attractive home where you can cop books, stickers, shirts, and other gear for organizers and activists in today's struggle. Show Notes: Support Naptown People’s Radio Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store

As Trump considers using the "Insurrection Act" to justify his deployment of National Guardsmen, many of whom are surrounding our state pending Court proceedings, veterans and active-duty servicemen in Indiana are already organizing to refuse any illegal and unconstitutional orders to participate in the reign of terror against immigrant, working-class, and oppressed communities. Lucas Lee, an anti-war veteran organizer with About Face and a volunteer with the Indy Liberation Center joins the show to discuss the new campaign. Indiana now has an annual "Day of LOVE," which was announced at a celebration at Newfields to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture's placement at the art museum. Appallingly, Mayor Joe Hogsett, who has been embroiled in one sexual assault and harassment scandal after another, issued the proclamation on October 22. That same day, the Historic Irvington Community Council sent Hogsett a letter asking him not to attend their community's annual Halloween Festival "out of respect for survivors of sexual assault." Meanwhile, his colleagues in the City-County Council are using their individual $1 million from this year's budget to finally take care of the city's atrocious potholes--at least the ones in front of their houses. Finally, the last issue co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss in this week's Naptown Breakdown hits on is the recent confirmation by the Indianapolis Airport Authority that ICE is using our airport to three times a week to facilitate their war on immigrants. As the war escalates, so does the resistance. This week's guest, military veteran Lucas Lee, announces a new organizing effort amongst other veteran and active-duty service members to commit to refusing any deployment orders by Braun or Trump. Lee and Ford discuss the importance of organizing resistance in the military's rank-and-file, the rights of servicemembers to resist unconstitutional orders, why the campaign is starting now, and why it's imperative we stand united in this struggle. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to the Indy Gay Market! Indy Gay Market made history in Indianapolis as its first all LGBTQ+ market July 31, 2021. Indy Gay Market uplifts LGBTQ+ artists, makers, and small business owners by providing equitable, artist-led vendor big gay markets in Indianapolis. Through inclusive events, strategic partnerships, and year-round advocacy, they work to create economic opportunities, foster community engagement, and celebrate queer identity. By uniting art, commerce, and activism, Indy Gay Market empowers and strengthens our queer community. The Indianapolis Liberation Center is proud to be one of their community partners. Finally, Abdullah and Ford urge listeners to call and demand clemency for Kofi Ajabu before November 5!

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called for a General Strike. General Strikes are routinely called for, but what do they entail? There’s a lot of work to be prepare for one but, as Dani Abdullah reminds us by recounting the historic 1919 Seattle General Strike, our ancestors made sure we aren't starting over from scratch. Our Naptown Breakdown starts with the new battleground over ICE, with Todd Rokita inviting "Border Czar" Tom Homan to push for the "Fairness Act" this upcoming general session. The legislation would tie law enforcement agencies to ICE. Rokita tried getting it through last session under HB 1531, but it stalled in the Senate after passing out of the House. Rokita also suffered another blow this week after a St. Joseph County judge dismissed Rokita's lawsuit against Sheriff Bill Redman for allegedly violating state law by implementing policies and practices prohibiting staff from cooperating with immigration officials when undocumented immigrants were arrested. We don’t know whether Rokita will appeal or not, but this is a battle that won’t be won only in the courts. Chicago is a prime example. "Operation Midway Blitz", a campaign launched by the Department of Homeland Security that has so far resulted in over 1,500 arrests in the metropolitan area and multiple deaths in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. Yet the people are fighting back. Business owners are refusing service to ICE and banning them from their restrooms, citizens are following them with microphones and whistles, and school teachers and staff escorting students to and from the building. On October 13, Mirror Indy opened up another dam exposing the wanton corruption of the Hogsett administration, showing how the Democratic Party has taken on the vibe of a cult. Over a year after indisputable evidence emerged that Hogsett fostered and even encouraged a culture of misogyny and sexual abuse and harassment, we're now learning that when he was finally forced to fire his right-hand man, Thomas Cook, the money kept flowing both ways. Cook got a job at a law firm with close ties to Hogsett and worked with a city agency led by Scarlett Andrews (one of Cook's sexual partners) to secure $80 million in public incentives to projects with ties to Cook’s clients. She even threw her support behind developers against widespread neighborhood opposition – again, showing you who these politicians really serve. And she gave luxury apartments loop holes to get out of provisions requiring affordable housing. The money is flowing both ways, as Cook's clients became contributors to Hogsett's reelection campaigns. Meanwhile, only five out of the 25 City-County Councilors have called for Hogsett's resignation. That tells you something: the system, their system, isn’t broken – it’s just slightly embarrassed right now. I’m amazed they’re weathering through it but I am confident that rank-and-file voting Democrats are disgusted and will be open to third-party candidates, ones who don’t bow down to Hogsett or VOP (Voice of the Predators) Osili but stay true to their principles, next election season. But we don’t have to wait for elections to make changes. Change happens when people come together, unite, and take public space. That’s what happened in two powerful displays this past week. The first was a truly inspiring protest against the Metabloks proposed data center in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood where we shut down the intersection of Sherman and 25th for over an hour. Then on Saturday thousands of people came out to protest the Trump Administration’s assault on workers. Signs brought to the protest highlighted a number of issues affecting Indiana today, including the attacks on immigrants from ICE, the global climate crisis being exacerbated by AI, and the gutting of essential services. Shout out to Stuart Mora, a former guest on this show and longtime organizer here, for inviting PSL to table at their activist fair. Because the massive outpouring of outrage against the Trump administration is one step, but what to do when the rally is over? How can we keep the energy, enthusiasm, righteous indignation, and collective desire to not only resist but actually transform the conditions under which we’re forced to live? That is exactly why the PSL exists and why we support the Liberation Center. In our next segment, Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss the history and details of a General Strike. Dani tells the story of the multi-national 1919 Seattle Strike, explaining the particular factors that produced it, how it even resulted in producing pro-Bolshevik sentiment among the masses, and more. Together, Dani and Derek show the General Strike is a powerful weapon because it shows that we have power not only in our ability to withhold our labor but, more importantly, to directly engage in production without the bosses. In this sense, general strikes are socialism in embryonic form. Finally, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to our comrade Eduardo Luna, who founded Arte Mexicano en Indiana in 2020. As part of the Liberation Center, Arte Mexicano en Indiana powers to Fonseca Du-Bois Gallery and ensures our city's oppressed and marginalized have a dedicated space to show their work and build community.

The Black Panther Party, formally founded on October 15, 1966, is often romanticized, subjected to disproportionate scrutiny, or viewed only as an activist organization. In this week's episode, we hear a speech Dakota Fronterhouse—the producer of Naptown People's Radio—delivered on 59th anniversary of the Party's founding. Fronterhouse provides the historical and material context that birthed the organization, defined its context, and posed immediate obstacles in its pursuit of achieving "Black Power," or "All Power to the People." Placing the group's rise and fall within the international context of the decline of the era of global revolution, Fronterhouse delves into the ideological and political contributions to the struggle while drawing out lessons we can learn from their experience today.

Jada Trainor and her husband, Jonathan, join the show this week to discuss their October 1 trial where they defeated trumped-up felony charges of attempting to disarm a police officer and battery against a cop. Last week's Naptown Breakdown mentioned how Joe Hogsett's Indiana Economic Development Corporation was serving corporate interests and actively opposing the people's. This week, Co-Hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss a recent audit that found rampant luxury travel expenses, undisclosed conflicts of interest, no-bid contracts worth millions of dollars, a lack of transparency, and more. Next we turn to BlackRock's bid to buy energy monopoly AES through a subsidiary named Global Infrastructure Partners they bought last year for $12.5 billion. Minnesota and other states are also under the gun. Why should the world's largest asset manager with $12.5 trillion in the bank control our energy, instead of the people who actually need and use it? In our last section, we turn to higher education. While Pamela Whitten has rightfully been scrutinized for plagiarizing significant portions of her dissertation, poor academic work characterizes the majority of higher education administrators. We focus on DePauw University's Sarah Steinkamp, who serves as Vice President for Communications and Strategy and Chief of Staff. Her 2017 dissertation from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, argues that improving success rates for pregnant students requires "devoting resources to preventing pregnancy in 18-19 year olds, and students of color in particular." Next, Derek interviews Jada and Jonathan Trainor just days after Jada and her family won a significant and rare victory against the police and their prosecutors. They unveil what happened that day, why the Jury didn't buy it, how the prosecutor's witnesses contradicted each other, why Prosecutor Mears dragged the trial on for over a year, how Eskenazi lied about having video footage pertinent to the event, and how the most aggressive officer, Anthony Sisco, was later fired from Eskenazi. Unfortunately, he is now an ICE officer and a cop with the Southport Police. While the was acquitted on the most serious felony charges, she was convicted of resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor. Her attorney immediately filed a motion to appeal that bogus charge. So the victory is secured but we will remain by the Trainor's side as they squash this final bogus charge. This week, Dani Abdullah gives the Circle City Shout Out goes to Minister Jamil Campbell. A Haughville native and a Minister at Light of the World Christian Church. Minister Campbell has been a friend of the party and involved with the Indy Liberation Center since August 2023 in which he spoke at our Black August liberation forum. Minister Campbell’s life work centers on liberation not just through the bible but also through his actions. He shows up for the community not just on Sundays but every day of the week through volunteer work in the community and takes special note of working with and for the youth of our community. Most recently he was a participant at our Youth Safety in Indy Town Hall Meeting at the Liberation Center. Minister Campbell is a great example of what it looks like to show up for the community and how liberation looks different for everyone depending on what your calling is. Show Notes: "IEDC Audit Details Undisclosed Conflicts, 'Potential for Favoritism,'" Lauren Chapman, Indiana Public Media "BlackRock Unit Close to $38 Billion Deal for US Energy Firm AES," Martina Markosyan, Renewables Now "The Effects of Pregnancy on Student Progress," Sarah Steinkamp (Dissertation), Southern University of Illinois - Carbondale "Jada Trainor Wins Victory against Medical Racism and Police Terror," Dani Abdullah, Indianapolis Liberator "U.S. Veteran Speaks after Startling Police Attack," Destiny Glover, Indianapolis Liberator "Attacked by Cops in 2024, Jada Trainor Waits for Day in Court," Derek Ford, Indianapolis Liberator "Black August and Black Liberation Theology," Jamil Campbell, PSL Indianapolis "Free Darius (Hakim) Printup from Unjust Solitary Confinement!" Indianapolis Liberator "October Levitt LIVE Music Series," Arte Mexicano en Indiana, Indianapolis Liberator "As the Summer Ends, Let's Take the Fight to New Heights!" Indianapolis Liberation Center Volunteers, Indianapolis Liberator

After discussing how Indianapolis Development Inc., a creation of Joe Hogsett, was actively lobbying elected representatives on behalf of Google while the people united to keep their data center out of Franklin Township, this week's Naptown Breakdown focuses on a stunning silence in local mainstream media. Not one single local news outlet published an article or story about the passing of Black communist Assata Shakur. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford spend the episode discussing this major international development, beginning with their relationship to her autobiography. They cover her radicalization and eventual commitment to communism, her journey through the Black Panther Party to the Black Liberation Army, and from prison to exile in Cuba, where she lived for decades before passing away on September 25. Throughout, they draw lessons Assata can teach us about how we can all get free. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Umeed-Hope, a coalition of marginalized communities committed to dismantling systems of oppression and fostering a world grounded in justice, collective care, and liberation. They are a Sikh-led organization but serve all marginalized people. Founded in 2022, they initially operated as a nonprofit organization, but in 2024, transformed into a mutual aid group to more effectively address the interconnected issues affecting our communities. Their mission is rooted in the belief that true change comes from collective action and solidarity among those most impacted by systemic injustices. Rest in Power to Assata Shakur and Chuniece Patterson!

Dr. Akili Shakur, an organizer, retired professor, and wife of Shaka A. Shakur joins the show to discuss the expansive impacts of mass incarceration. This week's Naptown Breakdown begins with a glimpse of our ability to transform our city-when we're organized. On September 22, after months of struggle, our power was on full display we forced Google to withdraw their plans for a new data center. As we celebrate this victory, we stay ready to fight new potential proposals and continue to fight the monopoly energy corporation's latest request for a rake hike, one that would impact residents more than businesses. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss the arrest of a Herron student for bringing a gun to school, how the students acted to protect their fellow classmates, and why cops and metal detectors are not the answer.  Akili Shakur stopped by the studio while she was in town for the preview of the new Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign documentary, "Soul in Exile." Akili and Derek cover the significance of Shaka's forthcoming book, Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes (2025) and Akili details the devastating and inhumane impacts of the Interstate Corrections Compact. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Indianapolis-based artist Gina Lee Robbins, a visual and teaching artist who creates sculptural objects and installations that currently shed light on the prison system. Her exhibit, "On the Count," is on display alongside "Prison Reimagined: Presidential Portraits" at the Indy Art Center until October 5. Over the weekend, she helped bring together incarcerated curator Caddell Kivett, Death Penalty Action Executive Director Abe Bonowitz, local art-ivist Vernon T. Bateman, and Derek for an action panel on prisons, art, and transformative justice. Dani closes out by reminding us again that organizing and engaging in activism look different for everyone. Show Notes: Southsiders Prevail in Fight Against Google Data Center Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes, by Shaka A. Shakur Gina Lee Robbins Prison Reimagined Free Vernon Vernon's Versions Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign Support the Show! Support Naptown People's Radio! Support the Indianapolis Liberation Center Shop the Liberation Center Store

New Afrikan Revolutionary and political prisoner Shaka A. Shakur joins the show this week to break down the ongoing fight for the liberation of the Black/New Afrikan nation within the U.S. Introduced by producer Dakota Fronterhouse, this episode features a longer segment of “Dispatches from Behind the Wire” is part of our build-up to the release of the new documentary, “Soul in Exile: Shaka Shakur,” produced by the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign and Directed by Derek Ford and TheKingTrill. This segment provides important background to Shaka’s political evolution and the New Afrikan Independence Movement of which he is a leading theoretician and organizer. Derek and Shaka cover the origins of New Afrikans as a people, why the question of land is so central to their fight, the evolution of the fight for a national territory, and the distinction between national oppression and racism. In honor of George Jackson’s birthday, the Indiana chapter of the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign, PSL Indianapolis, and others are hosting at the Indianapolis Liberation Center on September 23 at 6:00 pm. Those present will hear from the filmmakers and special guest speakers, including Akili Shakur, Nairobi X, and Maurice Robinson. Show Notes: Exclusive Preview of “Soul in Exile:” https://www.shakashakur.org/shaka-doc-preview-indy/ Citizens Action Coalition Campaign: No Data Centers! https://www.citact.org/ai-data-centers Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ccs-2025-09/ Hope Packages Monthly Assembly: From Indy to Palestine, Food Apartheid is a Crime: https://indyliberationcenter.org/indy-palestine-hp2509/ “On the Count,” Art Exhibit by Gina Lee Robbins: https://indyliberationcenter.org/on-the-count/ Prison Reimagined: Action Panel Discussion on Art and Justice: https://indyliberationcenter.org/prison-reimagined-panel/ Liberation Center Store: https://www.IndyLiberationCenter.org/Store Support Naptown People’s Radio: https://www.support.PSLIndianapolis.org

Kristopher Nelson, aka FTF KD, joins this week's show to share the reality of life in a city with a data center. Nelson is from West Memphis, Arkansas and speaks not only about the negative impacts it had on his community but about what we can do to Indianapolis to stop Google's data center before September 22. In the Naptown Breakdown, our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford get beyond the headlines of Gov. Braun's confirmation he's deploying National Guardspeople to help carry out ICE's terror against immigrants. They show Braun wants to strike more fear into the population and show his submission to Trump's agenda in what is mostly a symbolic act. It is an act that isn't inevitable, as veterans an active-duty soldiers recently met in Martinsville, IN to strategize about their role in the movement. The day before the announcement, community members gathered at the Guru Nanak Sikh Society for an event organized by Umeed-Hope and the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Covered by the Associated Press, they wrote letters to detainees in English, Haitian Creole, and Punjabi while building community and strengthening their ties. Affirming we have more in common with each other than the ruling class, we cover the latest revelations of the atmosphere of intimidation and silencing Mayor Hogsett is still cultivating and most City-County Councilors are still defending. But the Councilors are still contending with the power of the people, particularly regarding the growing struggle to stop Google's data center. Kristopher Nelson joins the show to supplement the facts of data centers with his own experience living by one. Most crucially, he and Derek chop it up about the need for unity in struggle without setting aside our differences. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Edith Conchas, an organizer with Touch Grass Indy, a member-organization of the Liberation Center), an artist, and founder of Good Job Signs. Edith is also a first generation Latina–both parents being from Mexico–who specializes in free-handed chalk art for local businesses including Amelia’s, Bluebeard, Stomping Ground, and others. If you have ever been to the Liberation Center, to your right is a mural of Shirley Graham-Du Bois Edith painted. Before wrapping up, we draw your attention to a few events. The first is “On the Count” by Gina Lee Robbins, an exhibit at the Indianapolis Arts Center that serves as a meditation on the U.S. carceral system. That's on display until October 11. The second is Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the City-County Council at 5:30 to protest the IMPD-the city's most well-funded and well-armed gang-from getting even more of our tax dollars. The third is a reminder to come to Circle City Sangha this and every Saturday between 9:30-11:00 am at the Liberation Center. Show Notes: Data Center Slap in Face to Franklin County: https://indyliberationcenter.org/data-center-zoning/ Kristopher Nelson IG: https://www.instagram.com/ftf_kd/ FTF KD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ftfkd Associated Press Covers Umeed-Hope Liberation Center Event: https://indyliberationcenter.org/video-letters-to-immigrants/ Franklin Township Organizes against Unpopular Data Center: https://indyliberationcenter.org/franklin-township-organizes/ Events "On the Count" by Gina Lee Robbins: https://indyliberationcenter.org/on-the-count/ Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ccs-2025-09/ Exclusive Preview of New Shaka A. Shakur Documentary: https://indyliberationcenter.org/premiere-shaka-documentary/

Stuart Mora, a longtime-organizer currently involved in the immigration justice movement, joins the show this week and helps highlight the joy of building together and resisting in community. Our Naptown Breakdown begins with Trump's recent cuts to the National Institutes of Health, which are projected to result in the loss of $128 million and 554 jobs in Indiana by 2026. Unfortunately, Mayor Hogsett's proposed $1.7 billion budget will do nothing to offset these losses, with the majority of the money set aside for the cops and courts. Hogsett's claim that  gifting more money to the cops will increase "public safety" comes just after ex-IMPD officer Myron Howard was found not guilty of raping a victim of domestic violence. After arresting the woman's boyfriend, Howard immediately returned to the house and turned his body camera off. He's not off the hook yet, as he has a Sept. 25 trial for raping a woman in the back of his police car in 2023. Hogsett's budget also comes after the cops handcuffed a 13-year-old Black girl in Irvington for rough-housing with her friends. As co-host Dani Abdullah's wide-ranging discussion with organizer Stuart Mora demonstrates, however, there's plenty of reasons to remain optimistic. Mora is a lead organizer of the upcoming Sept. 7 rally at Congressman Jefferson Shreve's Greenwood Office to protest turning Camp Atterbury into Camp Atterschwitz. A leader in the immigrant rights movement, Mora helped start its latest iteration earlier this year by calling friends who shared his concerns and values. Since then, his network and others have continued to engage in a variety of actions to defend our communities that, as he reminds us, we intentionally cultivate with joy and love. Dani and Stuart show how everyone has something to bring to the movement, that it takes all of us working together, and that we can unite without uniformity. On that note, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Pastor Denell Howard of Hovey Street Church of Christ. Pastor Howard is a true community leader who shows up for our people, provides space for organizing, and leads his Congregation in the pursuit of justice for all. For years, PSL Indianapolis has had the honor of building with Howard to struggle for justice for victims of police and prison terror.  This returns us to the necessity of alliances. Naptown People’s Radio is a product of the Indianapolis branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Pastor Howard is a Republican. One's political affiliation doesn't matter as long as you're willing to fight for the people. Pastor Howard is a wonderful reminder that solidarity comes in all kinds of forms. Salute to Pastor Denell Howard! Show Notes: Protest: Housing, not Concentration Camps! https://indyliberationcenter.org/shreve-atterbury-protest/ Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance: https://www.facebook.com/undocuhoosier/ Live Free Indiana: https://www.instagram.com/livefreeindiana/?hl=en Understanding and Building on George Jackson's Legacy: https://indyliberationcenter.org/george-jackson-today/ The Origins and Future of the Republic of New Afrika: https://indyliberationcenter.org/haki-kweli-shakur-rna/ The Haitian Revolution: Lessons for Organizers Today: https://indyliberationcenter.org/cecilia-gomez-haitian-revolution/ Liberation Center Store: https://www.indyliberationcenter.org/store  

Now that Black August 2025 is over, Naptown People's Radio starts September with a special episode to ensure we use the additional knowledge, discipline, and commitment we cultivated last month to advance the struggles ahead.   On August 27, Derek Ford, one of the show's co-hosts, gave a presentation that provided the historical context for George Jackson, explaining why he remains an iconic figure today, talking about his political evolution, and detailing his relationship to the different factions of the Black/New Afrikan movement at the time (including within the Black Panther Party that Jackson joined at the end of his life).   They demonstrate the key lessons of Jackson's politics and break down how we can continue building on them today.   You can watch some of the other presentations from the event at the show notes below.   Show Notes: Haki Kweli Shakur: "The Origins, Development, and Future of the Republic of New Afrika:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/haki-kweli-shakur-rna/   Cecilia Gomez: "The World-Historic Significance of the Haitian Revolution: Lessons for Today:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZN1mdi23zI   Pictured: Derek meeting former political prisoner Eddie Conway as a free man the first time in 2015 in Philadelphia, after working for his freedom campaign years earlier.

Nino Brown of Jericho Chicago joins the show for the last episode of Black August to discuss the prison movement and his recent essay, "The Case for Proletarian Multinational Unity," published recently in From the Academy to the Streets by Iskra Books. The Naptown Breakdown spotlights how the rich might use charter schools as an avenue to steal more of our public resources before delving into the battle over DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford place Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's attacks in their historical context to question whether or not it is even worth trying to "save" DEI. This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Circle City Sangha, a group of mindfulness practitioners in the Plum Village tradition of Buddhism founded in 2021. Created by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh during the Vietnam War a response to violence, colonialism, and oppression, Plum Village practices Engaged Buddhism in an effort to encourage practitioners to apply Buddhist ethics to our communities and the world around us. Show Notes: From the Academy to the Streets: Notes from a Working-Class Think Tank (book): https://www.iskrabooks.org/hampton-reader Bootleg Rehab: Still Laundering Black Rage: https://www.blackagendareport.com/bootleg-rehab-still-laundering-black-rage Circle City Sangha: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ccsangha/ Chicago Jericho Chapter: https://www.thejerichomovement.com/chapters/chicago-jericho State Targets "Discriminatory" DEI Practices: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/08/25/attorney-general-governor-target-discriminatory-dei-practices-as-state-cancels-minority-business-conference/ Events Until Victory: Black August from the U.S. to the Sahel: https://indyliberationcenter.org/2025-08-forum/ Black August Film Screening: "Free Angela and All Political Prisoners:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/black-august-film-2025/ Summer School for Socialism: What is to be Done? https://indyliberationcenter.org/summer-school-for-socialism-what-is-to-be-done/

The people take the fight against ICE to the military-industrial complex and Citizens Action Coalition leads the struggle to prioritize energy for the people and planet, not for profit. Our hosts start this week by breaking down the successful struggle that culminated in the first Pride event in Decatur, Indiana. Despite a month of opposition and threats, the organizers stood tall and around 1,000 people came out over the weekend. Next they turn to the ongoing struggle led by Citizens Action Coalition (CAC) against AES Indiana and the steep rate hikes they’re proposing to compensate for their new Google data center, covering a recent CAC organizing meeting. After a workshop the night before, dozens of people drove to Camp Atterbury for a protest outside the military camp on the morning of August 15. The protest against the collaboration between ICE and Camp Atterbury took place the last day of the T-REX (Technology Readiness Experimentation) war exercises and exhibition. William Wagner, an organizer with the Indianapolis Liberation Center and one of the main leaders of the demonstration, joins the show to speak about the demonstration and upping the fight against ICE. Our Circle City shout out goes to our friends at Indiana AID (Assistance to Immigrants in Detention) who, for years, have been doing critical work—against immense challenges—to build lasting infrastructure to support our immigrant neighbors. Show Notes: Indiana AID: https://www.indianaaid.org/ Citizens Action Coalition: https://www.citact.org/ CAC Campaign: https://www.citact.org/aes-rate-hike-2025 Behind Bars, Beyond Borders: Political Prisoners and Global Solidarity: https://indyliberationcenter.org/global-prisoner-solidarity/ Indianapolis Speaks out: Confronting Police Terror: https://indyliberationcenter.org/indianapolis-speaks-out-confronting-police-terror/ Socialism in the U.S. Study Group: https://indyliberationcenter.org/socialism-in-the-u-s-study-group-part-2/ Electric Bills and Data Centers: Who Pays for Corporate Greed? https://indyliberationcenter.org/electric-bills-data-centers-corporate-greed/  Until Victory: Black August from the U.S. to the Sahel: https://indyliberationcenter.org/2025-08-forum/ Haki Kweli Shakur: https://linktr.ee/HakiShakur  Top Gun for Drones: https://breakingdefense.com/2025/07/top-gun-for-drones-pentagon-plans-august-exercise-with-fpv-drone-units/  

The struggles for socialism and national liberation cannot be separated. There is no possibility of organizing a socialist revolution in the U.S.—the modern-day prison house of nations—without organizing for the independence, autonomy, and self-determination of all oppressed peoples within and beyond its borders. Black August is a time to double-down on our collective commitment to freeing political prisoners and all Black/New Afrikan and oppressed peoples. In this week’s episode, our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford engage in a conversation about the past, present, and future of Black August. Black August was first celebrated in California’s San Quentin prison in 1979 to commemorate the assassination of Black Panther Party Field Marshal George Jackson by San Quentin Prison guards on August 21, 1971 and to celebrate another decade in the fight. While we celebrate Black August every day of the year, during this month we focus particularly on the Black/New Afrikan Liberation struggle. Tune in to learn about George Jackson, his political ideology and organizing efforts (plus what books they retrieved from his cell), the historical weight August carries for the Black struggle in the U.S., and what you can do to free them all! Show Notes: A Common Enemy of the Sun: George Jackson and Samih Al-Qasim: https://indyliberationcenter.org/george-jackson-samih-al-qasim-enemy-of-sun/ Exclusive: Official Inventory of George Jackson’s Prison Cell Library: https://liberationnews.org/09-08-21-exclusive-official-inventory-ge-html/ Black August: Study, Fast, Train, Fight, edited by PSL Indianapolis: https://indylibcenter-shop.square.site/product/black-august-study-fast-train-fight/225 Black August 2025 Bundles to Study, Fast, Train, and Fight: https://indyliberationcenter.org/black-august-2025-bundles-to-study-fast-train-and-fight/ Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign: https://www.shakashakur.org/

Every Black August, we re-dedicate ourselves to the struggle to free political prisoners, prisoners of war, and to finish the struggle for Black/New Afrikan liberation. In our first episode, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford touch on contemporary struggles against prison and police repression in Indiana, as well as the role that the production of food plays in the movement for Black Freedom. Adrian Jamal Shelman of Bodi Buzz joins Dani Abdullah to discuss self-reliance and self-determination as key aspects of Black liberation, focusing particularly on Food. Bodi Buzz, a catalyst for getting into farming, originated during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when Adrian couldn’t get food from regular grocery stores. Like the Indianapolis Liberation Center, Bodi Buzz operates without grant funding yet still manages to contribute to the community by providing food, educational classes, field trips, each of which are acts of resistance to transform our local food ecosystem and eliminate food apartheid in the city. This week’s Naptown Breakdown starts with two ways Indiana’s prison-industrial complex, which includes individuals and entities pretending to “help” inmates.” First, although GTL/ViaPath were supposed to cap phone rates at 6 cents/minute as of July 1, 2025, they have not yet done so. Calls within Indiana are still 15 cents/minute and calls out of state are 19 cents/minute. Moreover, as of July 1, 2025, they’ve reduced free phone calls from 2 5-minute calls/week to one 5-minute call/month. Second, individuals like Brandon Harper and his organization “Post-Conviction Relief Associates” continue preying on political prisoners and all incarcerated people. Derek discusses a new struggle to get Brandon Harper, who falsely represented himself as an attorney, to fulfill his agreement to refund the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign $7,500. Finally, they discuss Mike Braun’s recent embrace of federal and local law-enforcement partnerships to ramp up the war on immigrants before highlighting how one small town in Illinois successfully defeated these attempts. This week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to our United Food and Commercial Workers Local 700, which represents our local Kroger Union Workers, supporting their struggle for a fair contract. You can learn more and get involved in these struggles by visiting the show notes below! Show Notes: Bodi Buzz: https://www.bodibuzz.com/ New ICE "partnerships" Latest Tactic in War on Immigrants: https://indyliberationcenter.org/indiana-ice-partnerships/ ICE and Local Cops Join Forces: How to Fight Back against the 287(g) Program: https://liberationnews.org/ice-and-local-cops-join-forces-how-to-fight-back-against-the-287g-program/ Hamilton County: Prosecute Rapist Dorothy Nicole Scales! https://indyliberationcenter.org/hamilton-county-prosecute-rapist-dorothy-nicole-scales/ Phone/Email Zap: Demand Necessary Medical Treatment for Royal Amos: https://indyliberationcenter.org/royal-amos-zap/

It turns out the local Democratic Party's strategy of systematically abusing women, rallying around their abusers, and trying to bury the truth in dark is not paying off. How could the "best and the brightest" think that following a playbook written 75 years ago could possibly breed success in 2025? In this episode, we'll get to some of the apparent "thinking" behind their strategy. Jesse Brown, our City-County Councilor representing District 13 joins the show to try to untangle the corrupt and undemocratic nature of the Democratic Party establishment. Brown, who beat Zach Adamson, the third highest-ranking Democrat in the city in the last primaries as an open socialist, has used his seat on the Council as a tribune for the people. He was the first to call for Hogsett's resignation after survivors' revealed the culture of misogyny he created and, after a failed attempt, was also the first to be kicked out of the Democratic Party Caucus. Jesse joins co-host Derek Ford for the latest on this one aspect of the collapsing Democratic Party establishment. He also gives his take on the new punitive curfews his "colleagues" are placing on young people and their guardians/parents, showing the easy and effective solutions to youth violence that could easily be implemented here immediately. The two also touch on the bi-partisan effort to continue privatizing public education through charter schools and "school choice," a movement that emerged as a racist response to the 1954 "Brown v. Board of Education" ruling, and highlight that the fight is not over. Co-host Dani Abdullah dedicates this week's Circle City Shout Out to Bryce Gustafson, an organizer with the Citizens Action Coalition, which has helped Hoosiers save $10 billion on utility bills through organizing. One can also find Bryce wherever the power of the people is needed, like the year-long struggle to implement the people's choice for Library CEO: Nichelle M. Hayes. At the end of the show, find out about upcoming events, including the July 30 Liberation Forum, "The Power of Organizing Together," the August 1 First Friday with Vernon T. Bateman that closes out his two-week long "Art for Exoneration" experience at Gallery Forty-Two, and encourage listeners to stop by the Indianapolis Liberation Center to check out the phenomenal exhibit at the Center's Fonseca-Du Bois Gallery, "Frida by Colors," a group show of artworks inspired by Frida by local Black, indigenous, Mexican, and artists of color and oppressed identities. Lastly, Dani and Derek issue a call to action to demand the arrest of Dorothy Nicole Scales, an Aramark worker for IDOC who raped Vernon T. Bateman in 2017. You can learn more about that and take action in the show notes below. Show Notes: Hamilton County: Prosecute Rapist Dorothy N. Scales! https://indyliberationcenter.org/hamilton-county-prosecute-rapist-dorothy-nicole-scales/ Citizens Action Coalition: https://www.citact.org/ Frida by Colors: https://indyliberationcenter.org/frida-by-colors-annual-art-open/ Liberation Forum: The Power of Organizing Together: https://indyliberationcenter.org/july-25-forum/  Indy's "Epstein Island" by Jesse Brown: https://www.jesseforindy.com/emailarchives/071325indys-epstein-island Central Indiana DSA: https://www.centralindsa.org First Friday: A History of Resilience with Vernon T. Bateman: https://www.freevernon.org/first-friday-the-history-of-human-resilience/  

"Vern, can you imagine, man, us sitting and talking in F Dorm about the art show we're going to have in downtown Indy at some point?" After not thinking they'd ever see each other again, in this special episode of Naptown People's Radio, Matthew Gunning and Vernon T. Bateman get an opportunity to reflect on the time they spent together in New Castle "Correctional" Facility. Joined by the show's co-host Derek Ford, Matthew and Vernon talk about how they developed their relationship, their perspectives on art and prison, and how they both used art to transcend the physical barriers unjustly imposed on them. Listen for an inside view of their story and how, as Matthew puts it, the Vernon we know on the outside is exactly who Vernon was while held captive behind prison bars. We're releasing this special episode halfway through the two-week show, "Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience," which runs from July 21 - August 2 at Gallery Forty-Two. Show Notes: Vernon's Versions: https://www.vernonsversions.art Coalition to Free Vernon T. Bateman: https://www.freevernon.org Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience: www.vernonsversions.art/art-for-exoneration/ Capitalizing on Justice: An Art Exhibit Featuring Incarcerated Artists: https://worthrises.org/capitalizingonjustice Sam's Square Pie: https://www.instagram.com/sams_square_pie  

Honesty Gleaves, one of the organizers for this past weekend's rally to support women In Indianapolis and throughout the country who have survived sexual violence, joins the show this week. As people across the county celebrated the achievements of women like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and other groundbreaking women in basketball during the WNBA All-Star weekend, organizers spotlighted the growing epidemic of sexual assault and harassment within Mayor Hogsett’s administration, the City-County Council, and at the state level.  When 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police for fear of retaliation or the police themselves this begs the question, who do you report to when your assailant is a cop? During the Naptown Breakdown, co-hosts Derek Ford and Dani Abdullah discuss the recent arrest of IMPD cop Nicholaus Cauley for stalking of his ex-wife through the use of police equipment. Cauley earned $93,823.08 in 2024 despite having 46 documented "uses of force" complaints against him, with the overwhelming majority of his victims being Black. Ford breaks down the homelessness encampment that was broken up in preparation for the WNBA All-Star weekend. Local authorities have told organizations for homeless intervention and activists that they do not do sweeps in preparation for large events such as All-Star weekend; however we know this is a lie. Today’s Circle City Shout Out goes to founder of Cultivate, food educationalist, and activist Sierra Nuckols. Sierra founded Cultivate in 2016. Through food justice, Sierra reminds us that everyone has a seat at the table when it comes to fighting for the abundance for everyone. Show Notes: "Indianapolis City-County Council Democrat Accused of Physical and Sexual Abuse:" https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/09/indianapolis-city-county-council-democrat-accused-of-domestic-physical-abuse/84391305007/ "Indiana Senator Greg Taylor: How the Capitalist System Shields Sexual Predators:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/indiana-dems-fail-women/ "How Hogsett's 'compliance' Keeps Abusers off the Hook and on the Payroll:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/hogsett-investigation-released/ Cultivate: https://www.cultivateindy.org Stand with Survivors: Rally for Accountability and Justice:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/stand-with-survivors-rally/ "'Frida by Colors:' The New Indianapolis Tradition Continues:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/frida-by-colors-annual-art-open/ IMPD Abuser Nicholas Amir Cauley's Profile: https://www.maskoff12.com/officer/indianapolis/nicholas-cauley-32081/

Robert Taylor, the brother of Eric Taylor who was killed by the IMPD during the 2023 shooting spree, joins this week’s show to talk about who Eric was–as a brother, a father, a community member, and a human being gunned down by the cops for walking with a phone in his hand. For the Naptown Breakdown, Co-Hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford first delve into the Google Data Center being built on the city’s Southside, and discuss the history of data centers that go unchecked through backdoor deals and the energy rate increases that happen because of the corporate monopoly on our energy supply. They turn to the state’s monopoly on the use of force when they discuss the July 14 Press Conference, “Art and the Power of the People: Vernon T. Bateman’s 27-Year Long Struggle for Freedom Almost Over.” Hear from Vernon’s mother, Donna Franklyn, as well as the litany of injustices that have kept Bateman in one form of prison or another since he was 18-years-old in 1998. This week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to someone who has been helping comrades in the PSL support Vernon, Maranda Williams of the REFORM Alliance. After working in case management for IDOC, Maranda left the system to help reform it through the REFORM Alliance. An organization and coalition that has made it their mission to work for a justice system that promotes accountability and supports people in rebuilding through work and well-being helps strengthen families and create safer communities. Instead of trapping people in a revolving door between supervision and prison. Show Notes: “We’ve Had Enough:” After Press Conference, Community Wants Answers Now REFORM in Focus: Maranda Williams REFORM Alliance Coalition to Free Vernon T. Bateman

Organizer Lexie Chaffin and artist Matthew Gunning join co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford this week to explore efforts to expose the real criminals in our community and creative ways to protect ourselves and each other, including one that just launched today: MaskOff12.com. Our Naptown Breakdown begins with the July 7 City-County Council meeting, before which Councilor Jesse Brown announced he would introduce a proposal to remove President Samuel Osili and Vice President Ali Brown. We salute Crista Carlino for her bold decision to step down from the Democratic Party caucus rather than bow down to the whims of Osili and Hogsett. The primary development they address is Proposal 232, introduced in response to the tragic deaths of two teenagers last weekend. They explain how the cops, politicians, and media are using the weekend as an opportunity to create strife and hysteria to justify further criminalizing and oppressing our youth (and their guardians/parents). Drawing parallels to the history of redlining in the city and the new youth curfews, increased surveillance cameras, and additional police forces they plan to roll out in Mile Square to displace certain kinds of crime. Lexie Chaffin pulls up to the podcast to talk to Dani about the new Mask Off 12 project (www.MaskOff12.com), which removes the anonymity these racist killer cops hide behind, and promotes the people’s right to know the identities of the real criminals terrorizing our neighborhoods. Derek chops it up with Matthew Gunning, who was wrongfully convicted and unjustly imprisoned for five years. Gunning reveals how he rekindled his love for art in prison and the role it played for him and other prisoners. Mathew also talks about his friendship with Vernon T Bateman, who gets this week’s Circle City Shout Out. Bateman was wrongfully convicted and jailed for 26 years, despite the victim recanting her testimony three separate times. Bateman still lives in social confinement and suffers from unconstitutional and inhumane parole restrictions. But the fight for his exoneration is heating up, and you can contribute to it by attending “Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience.” If you are there opening night on Monday, July 21, you’ll also get to meet Matthew Gunning! Show Links: www.MaskOff12.com Petition: Exonerate Vernon Bateman Now! https://www.freevernon.org/petition/ Art for Exoneration: The Vernon T. Bateman Experience: https://www.vernonsversions.art/art-for-exoneration/ Art for Exoneration Grand Opening: https://indyliberationcenter.org/exoneration-grand-opening Town Hall: Youth Safety in Indy: https://indyliberationcenter.org/town-hall-youth-safety-in-indy/  

In 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech on the 76th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence titled, “What, To The Slave, Is The Fourth Of July?” This week’s episode of “Naptown People’s Radio” asks a series of similar questions 173 years after Douglass’ speech: What, to Black/New Afrikan people, prisoners, women, immigrants, and all oppressed people is the Fourth of July? Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford are joined by Stephen Lane, treasurer of the Indiana Black Librarians Network and New Afrikan political prisoner Shaka A. Shakur to answer these questions 249 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Our Naptown Breakdown dissects the Democratic Party’s public act of misogyny against fellow Councilor Crista Carlino, the only woman to call for Mayor Joe Hogsett’s resignation and to take Councilors Samuel Osili and Ali Brown to task for their role in protecting his administration. The Republican Party, meanwhile, remains curiously silent. Why are they refusing to exploit these fractures for their own gain? The media is already looking to the 2027 Mayoral elections, identifying Osili  Prosecutor Ryan Mears as likely candidates. Mears is currently prosecuting a Black woman who was brutalized for seeking medical treatment at Eskenazi Hospital last July. His office has repeatedly dragged the ordeal out in an attempt to wear the victim, veteran and mother Jada Trainor, down. Stephen Lane joins the show after returning from the July 1 nationwide sick-out in support of immigrant rights, as the Supreme Court denies millions of migrants due process by granting Trump the authority to deport them to third countries. Lane discusses the background to the day of action, how he and his fellow Haughville residents resisted the IMPD’s attempts to pit Black and Latino neighbors against each other and, after looking back to the 2006 immigrant rights uprising, what’s next for the struggle. Shaka A. Shakur details the  little-known Interstate Compact—or the “modern-day Fugitive Slave Act”—that deprives prisoners of due process by allowing states to essentially kidnap inmates and transfer them across the country. Indiana used the Compact against Shakur in December 2018 in a failed attempt to hamper his organizing efforts, shipping him to Virginia where he remains captive to this day. Dani and Derek inform listeners what they can do right now to defend Jada Trainor against bogus charges and how they can build a statewide anti-racist and anti-war struggle before Dani dedicates their Circle City Shout out to Jauston Huerta (a/k/a Jok or TheKingTrill), a founding member of the Liberation Center, Director of FOCUS Initiatives LTD., an abolitionist re-entry program, and Director of "The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up." Show Notes: Call Now! Demand Mears Drop Bogus Charges Against Jada Trainor: https://indyliberationcenter.org/trainor-phone-zap/ Attacked by Cops in 2024, Jada Trainor Waits for Day in Court: https://indyliberationcenter.org/trainor-interview/ ANSWER Indiana to Build New Statewide, Coordinated Anti-War Movement: https://indyliberationcenter.org/answer-statewide/ Sold Off the Plantation: The Fugitive Slave Act Today: https://www.shakashakur.org/sold-off-the-plantation-the-modern-fugitive-slave-act/ TheKingTrill: https://www.youtube.com/@thekingtrilltv6728 Indiana Black Librarians Network: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ibln/ International Potluck: https://indyliberationcenter.org/international-potluck/ Sick of ICE: https://sickofice.org/ The Indianapolis 2027 Mayoral Race has Already Started as Hogsett’s Grip Fades: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/25/indianapolis-2027-mayors-race-is-open-season-as-hogsetts-grip-fades/84320101007/ Indiana AID: https://www.indianaaid.org/ The Pendleton 2 Defense Committee: https://www.pendleton2.com/

Our theme this week is freedom: the struggle for it, the forces holding us back from achieving it, and the contradictions that groups inevitably negotiate on their path to self-determination, sovereignty, independence, and autonomy. Last weekend, Naptown was filled with Juneteenth celebrations and commemorations. Despite attempts to “co-opt” Freedom Day, our Naptown Breakdown argues it represents a starting point to educate ourselves and others about the reality of the Civil War and the present state of Black people in the U.S. Locally, the state of Black oppression was recently on display in the IMPD’s recent and brutal assault on Devin Hunt. The cops had the audacity to respond to the assault, which was captured on several cameras, with a series of outright lies. We review some of those lies uncovered in an analysis (see show notes). Lindsey Holtgrave, a lead organizer with ANSWER Indiana, joins the show for an interview about two emergency protests her group organized against war with Iran last week. In addition to discussing the role of the U.S. anti-war movement, we debunk some myths circulating about Iran and explain why we refuse to participate in Iran’s demonization. Along the way, we outline some points of unity between Iran’s struggle against U.S. imperialism and our own, including Iran’s support for the Black movement in the U.S. Shaka A. Shakur joins the episode for his segment, “Dispatches from Behind the Wire.” In this segment, Shaka calls for prisoner solidarity, explaining why unity between prisoners and between our people on the outside and the inside is needed now more than ever. Finally, Dani previews upcoming actions before giving our second Circle City Shout Out to Michael Torres, AFSCME Local 3395 Union President and longtime library worker.   Show Notes Video Evidence Captures IMPD Assault on Devin Hunt: https://indyliberationcenter.org/impd-assault-devin-hunt ANSWER Coalition - Indiana: https://www.AnswerIndiana.org Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign: https://www.shakashakur.org Demonstrators Gather in Broad Ripple, Downtown Indianapolis after U.S. Executes Airstrikes in Iran: https://fox59.com/news/demonstrators-gather-in-broad-ripple-downtown-indianapolis-after-u-s-executes-airstrikes-in-iran Trump is Failing at Everything. We Must Hope he Succeeds against Iran: https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/06/19/trump-iran-war-strike/84265811007 Shaka A. Shakur: Seizing on the Contradictions of Juneteenth: https://indyliberationcenter.org/juneteenth-contradictions A People’s Victory: Racist CEO Jackie Nytes Resigns! https://indyliberationcenter.org/a-peoples-victory-racist-ceo-jackie-nytes-resigns Public Forum Brings Shared Experiences and Support Together: https://www.indystar.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2021/07/22/indianapolis-public-library-systemic-racism-discussed-public-forum/7908151002

The Pacers aren’t the only ones who beat the odds this past week. This episode features Cecilia Gomez, one of the lead organizers of the June 11 anti-ICE protest outside before the Pacers played–and won–Game 3 of the NBA Finals to discuss the revival of the immigrant rights struggle after a brief period of relative stagnation. Tune in and get behind the scenes of the largest and most disciplined pro-immigration action since 2006 and find out the real motivations behind the statement on the protest by Rick Snyder, President of the local Fraternal Order of Police. Our Naptown Breakdown touches on Indy Pride and answers the questions other media outlets aren’t asking as the Democratic Party’s sexual assault saga continues unraveling. Find out who gets the first Circle City Shout Out and learn about this Friday’s Juneteenth event at the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Show Notes “Stand with Siakam, not ICE:” Indy Protests Outside the NBA Finals: https://mirrorindy.org/indianapolis-ice-protests-pacers-nba-finals-los-angeles-trump/ A Tale of Two Protests? https://indyliberationcenter.org/a-tale-of-two-protests/ Indianapolis Report Confirms the Cops, not Protesters, Started the Riots in Summer 2020: https://indyliberationcenter.org/report-confirms-impd-started-2020-riots/ Not Just Hogsett, the Whole System Needs to Go: https://indyliberationcenter.org/joe-hogsett-must-resign/ We need a Mayor who Doesn’t Protect Sexual Abusers! https://indyliberationcenter.org/brown-calls-for-hogsett-resignation/ The Truth behind FOP President’s “Praise” of Indy Anti-ICE Protest: https://indyliberationcenter.org/truth-behind-snyder/ Juneteenth with Shaka Shakur: How to Continue the Fight: https://indyliberationcenter.org/juneteenth-2025/   Naptown People's Radio is recorded at the Indianapolis Liberation Center and produced by Dakota Fronterhouse with music by John Prysner. This episode features a clip from "Assata Taught Me" by Agent of Change (Carlos Martinez).

This evening, the Indianapolis Police Department (IMPD) will hold its sixth "listening session" at Southeast Community Services. However, just like the first five sessions, not a single IMPD representative will be there to listen to the community or, in their words, hear our "valuable perspectives and help inform IMPD's strategic plan." Instead, the IMPD paid over $200,000 to Taylor Advising, a local consulting firm, to organize and host the events. In this episode of Naptown News Radio, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford put these developments into perspective by examining current and recent acts of IMPD terror and the struggles against them. To inform the ongoing campaigns for Adam Sykes, Jada Trainor, and Eric Taylor, they look back to the 2023 IMPD shooting spree and the movement against it, as well as the historic 2020 uprisings against the War on Black America. Joining the show this week is Aubrey Whiteman, who testified in the 2024 lawsuit against Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears and his landlord for selectively locking the doors on her and her fellow community members as they tried to have a simple conversation with the elected official. Show Links: “It’s the system:” Families of IMPD victims on Taylor’s resignation: https://indyliberationcenter.org/impd-victims-families-say-its-the-system  IMPD Shoots, Kills Adam Sykes who was Defending Woman from Attackers: https://indyliberationcenter.org/impd-kills-adam-sykes  News Round-Up: Adam Sykes and Family Uncover Hidden Evidence in Police Shooting: https://indyliberationcenter.org/sykes-news-roundup Indianapolis Police Shooting Spree Intensifies; Victims' Communities Build a New Movement: https://liberationnews.org/indianapolis-police-shooting-spree-intensifies-victims-communities-build-a-new-movement 

In this debut episode, co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss their personal histories and how and why they transitioned from being activists to revolutionary organizers. They explain what you can expect from Naptown People’s Radio each Wednesday and what they mean by saying they are "objective but partial." New Afrikan Political Prisoner Shaka A. Shakur introduces his semi-regular segment, “Dispatches from Behind the Wire.” For more on Shaka A. Shakur visit www.ShakaShakur.org To support the podcast and the Indianapolis Liberation Center in which the studio is located, visit: www.support.PSLIndianapolis.org www.IndyLiberationCenter.org/Support To show your support while copping the latest radical tees, buttons, posters, pamphlets, and books you can’t find anywhere else in the city, check out www.IndyLiberationCenter.org/Store.