Beyond Voting

Do not despair, we have the power to organize, build supportive communities, and challenge harmful policies.

In our special post election edition episode on Beyond Voting. We’re joined by two special guests, Madiba Dennie and Dr. Melina Abdullah. We did a legal lightning round with Madiba Dennie, Deputy Editor of BallsandStrikes.org, to explore how we got here and understand the legal challenges and issues that had such a profound effect on our elections across the country. We also spoke with 2024 VP Candidate, Dr. Melina Abdullah about her experience on the campaign trail with the Justice for All Party, we get her take on the outcome of the election, and learn what activists can do to further resist the deterioration of our rights.  

Have you lost your voice?

On the sixth episode of Beyond Voting, we dive deep with Charlene Carruthers, community organizer, writer, filmmaker, and Black Studies PhD candidate. Charlene is the founding national director of BYP 100, a Chicago -based social justice organization led by Black youth activists. Her work spans more than 20 years of community organizing across racial, gender,and economic justice movements. She is also the author of the 2018 bestselling book, Unapologetic: a Black, queer, and feminist mandate for radical movements. It provides a vision and a framework for young activists to build power, create a more radical and intersectional movement, and grow into the next generation of leaders and visionaries.

We spoke with Charlene today to help us understand what challenges activists face as part of today’s liberation struggles, how we find and build community, how we care for ourselves and others doing the work, and most importantly, how liberation is a global movement that is  interconnected with the struggles of oppressed peoples around the world.

Is the Supreme Court for us or against us?

On the fifth episode of Beyond Voting, we dive deep with Dr. Nicole Nguyen, associate professor of criminology, law, & justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s also a feminist geographer whose research contributes to, and draws on, grassroots struggles challenging racialized policing, war and empire, particularly in collaboration with community organizations.

We spoke with Nicole about how the Supreme Court is meant to function versus how it actually does, why it’s facing a legitimacy crisis, how some of their recent rulings are already eroding our established rights, and how we as activists can hold the highest court in the land accountable. 

Fascism: Modern threat or facade?

On the fourth episode of Beyond Voting, we dive deep with Alberto Toscano, critical theorist, professor in the School of Communications at Simon Fraser University, and also co-director of the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London. 

We spoke with Alberto about what modern fascist movements look like, where we see real examples of anti-fascist resistance, and what we can learn - particularly from Black radical traditions- about how to fight back against the spread of new fascisms in the United States and beyond.

Have you ever considered a third party as an option?

On the third episode of Beyond Voting, we dive deeper with Rosa Clemente, a black Puerto Rican scholar, activist, journalist, organizer, and former vice presidential candidate alongside Cynthia McKinney on the Green Party ballot in 2008.

We spoke with Rosa after she had just interviewed third party presidential candidate with the Justice For All Party, Dr. Cornel West. So third-party campaigns were front and center in her mind.We spoke with her about her introduction to the Green party, how third party campaigns help influence policy, money and political viability, and her perspective on those who are weighing a historic vote for Kamala Harris against concerns about her policies.

So tell us, how are you going to take Rosa’s advice and engage in your local community to make a real impact. Are you going to organize in your community? Are you going to join a local activist group, to drive change from the ground up?  Tell us on IG @arcus.center or drop it in your 5 star review of the show.  And please visit us at …. arcuscenter.kzoo.edu