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The Laura Flanders Show — Society & Culture
The Laura Flanders Show

Award winning host, author and journalist Laura Flanders interviews forward-thinking people from the world of politics, business, culture and social movements. The show explores actionable models for creating a better world by reporting on the people and movements driving systemic change. We spotlight the solutions of tomorrow, today. The show airs on PBS stations in over 80% of the US market, and airs on 40+ community radio stations, and is available on YouTube and as a podcast. Online subscribers receive lots of video and audio web exclusives. Recent specials include “Indigenous People’s Power”, “James Baldwin: Lessons for the US”, “Building Public Trust for Public Health”, “Countering the Coup From the Grassroots Up”. Recent special guests include Representative Karen Bass, environmental activist Jane Fonda, economist Robert Reich, author/activist Naomi Klein, agrarian reformer Shirley Sherrod, novelist Arundhati Roy, economist Michael Hudson and ’Next System” theorist Gar Alperovitz.

Latest Episodes:

“Progressive Strategy Summit & Fire Drill Fridays” Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

This year at the Progressive Strategy Summit members of Congress and progressive change makers came together to build a movement that won’t only win back the White House in 2020 but also create long term systemic change. Laura interviewed activists and congresswomen to understand how they see this critical moment when business-as-usual politics simply won’t cut it. Will a movement led by women of color—inside and outside Congress—transform the government so that it truly serves the diverse people it purports to represent? Laura also interviewed actor and activist Jane Fonda at a Fire Drill Friday climate crisis rally before they both got arrested as part of an act of civil disobedience. Featured Music in the Middle: “Save It Or Lose It” by Funk Rimini, part of the EARTH NIGHT 2019 compilation curated by DJs for Climate Action courtesy of EarthNight.org, a global initiative harnessing the power of music and nightlife to celebrate and support climate action.

Become a member by year end, https://Patreon.com/theLFShow

“Edge of Democracy”; Brazil, A Cautionary Tale Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

In her latest film, The Edge of Democracy, director Petra Costa tells the story of how Brazil went from a rising star among free nations to a democracy on the verge of collapse. With unprecedented access, Costa documents the rise and fall of Brazil’s Workers Party and its charismatic leader Lula da Silva, the impeachment of Brazil’s first female president, Dilma Rousseff, and the rise of President Jair Bolsonaro who has ushered in, as Costa puts it, a new era of rule by the bible, the bullet, and the banks. In this very personal conversation, Laura and Petra discuss life and politics in the U.S. and Brazil—nations built on land theft, genocide, and extraction. They wonder if democracy can survive in states that fail to reckon with their pasts. “Baiana (A Girl Born in Bahia)” by Gaby Hernandez from her album Spirit Reflection courtesy of Mr. Bongo Records.

Support theLFShow by year end https://Patreon.com/theLFShow

Revolutionary Love: An Interview With Rev. Jacqueline Lewis Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

As 2019 comes to a close, Laura speaks with Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church in New York City's East Village. Rev. Jacqui's public theology focuses on social and environmental justice, community engagement, and the practice of what she calls "Revolutionary Love." In their conversation, Laura asks if love really can sustain our movements for justice in an era characterized by protest, social unrest, and political strife. When we are at our wits’ end, can love renew us so that we may return to our work to repair the world? Reverend Jacqui says yes. Music featured in the middle, “Know I’ve Been Changed” performed live by the Queer Black Men Ensemble featuring a solo by Lee Hill performed live at Middle Collegiate Church.

Become a member by year end https://patreon.com/theLFShow

Youth Climate Activism and the New Non-Violent Resistance Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

In the wake of the 25th UN Climate Change Summit known as the Conference of Partners or COP, scientists and activists are warning that governments are failing to act as quickly as the climate crisis requires. Taking matters into their own hands, youth organizers with Extinction Rebellion have led marches, school walkouts, and hunger strikes around the world. Though digital organizing plays a major role in their movement, non-violent civil disobedience is their primary tactic. How does a new generation of climate organizers understand and employ the tactics of non-violence? And can their movement garner the public support necessary to overcome the inertia of political establishment beholden to fossil fuels? Laura speaks with student climate strikers, Ayisha Siddiqa and Giovanni Tamacas, and veteran activist Libero Della Piana for their perspectives.

Support theLFShow with a year end donation by becoming a sustaining member at https://Patreon.org/theLFShow

Self-Determination Arising from Resistance: Dr. Priyamvada Gopal, Insurgent Empire Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of The Laura Flanders Show, author and scholar Dr. Priyamvada Gopal discusses her latest book, Insurgent Empire, which examines a history of abolition and rebellion under colonial rule to demonstrate how these resistance movements served as active participants in their own liberation, while reshaping ideas around freedom and self-determination during the expansion of capitalism and empire. Liberty can mean many things, not just, for example, the freedom to earn a meager wage. She argues that lessons learned then should serve as models for contemporary action while supporting the need to understand ordinary people as viable agents in their own struggles.

Help us reach our goal of 100 patrons by year end, by becoming a member today at https://LauraFlanders.org/donate.

What Works and What Doesn't in Stopping Gender Based Violence? Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

This week, in her first appearance since fleeing Brazil, women’s rights advocate Debora Diniz joins fellow activists and philanthropists to discuss what works and what doesn’t in stopping violence against women and girls. Music featured:“Cause I’m a Woman” by Muted Soul Featuring Jess King courtesy of Muted Records.

Guests: Debora Diniz,Deputy Director of Rights and Justice; Terry McGovern,Chair of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Medical Center; Kavita N. Ramdas, Director of Women’s Rights Program, Open Society Foundations.

Help us reach our goal of 100 patrons by year end, by becoming a member today at https://LauraFlanders.org/donate.

Minicast: Excerpts from Laurie Anderson's lecture "The Size of the Con" Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

The following minicast features excerpts from Laurie Anderson’s lecture “The Size of the Con”, addressing how to prepare for the 2020 election cycle and the tumultuous year ahead in the United States. Anderson's lecture was commissioned by the Brooklyn Public Library as part of a series “Message from the Library” providing a forum for great minds as they reflect on the most pressing issues of our time. Laurie Anderson’s entire 30minute lecture is available to patrons of the Laura Flanders Show. Help us reach our goal of 100 patrons by year end, by becoming a member today at https://LauraFlanders.org/donate.

Your donations are tax exempt and help us continue to fund the show organically thanks to listeners like you.

Naomi Klein on the Case for a Green New Deal Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

The climate crisis is accelerating faster than expected. This November, 11,000 scientists from 153 countries declared that “We’re reaching potentially irreversible climate tipping points—climate chain reactions that could cause significant disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies...” In this episode of the Laura Flanders Show, author and activist Naomi Klein discusses her new book, On Fire, in which she argues that addressing the climate crisis requires more than simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through a series of essays, Klein makes the case for a Green New Deal that tackles the causes and impacts of climate change while confronting racial and economic inequality. We cannot, she says, address one without the other. Music in the Middle: "Wake Up" by Dawn Drake & ZapOte, produced by Chico Mann and Geoff Mann, courtesy of PMX Records.

Goal, reach 100 Patrons by end of year. You down? For as little as $3 a month support, be a part of our crowd. Sign up today!

Special: Cooperation vs Authoritarianism in Spain Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

Social change and systems change go hand-in-hand. Movements for democracy and human rights are most effective when they aim to transform unjust, unequitable economic systems. In this episode, Laura travels to Spain to learn how people in two of the regions most brutally repressed under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco built the worlds’ largest worker-owned co-ops. From the Basque Country to Barcelona, she speaks with co-op members who explain how humanist models of business helped their parents and grandparents survive dictatorship. She also explores how these models are transforming under contemporary circumstances, including the emergence of digital platforms, the renewal of the regional independence movements, and the growth of the Spanish rightwing. Music in the Middle: "I.D.N.” by Catalan pianist Albert Marquès courtesy of the artist and thanks to Arturo O’Farrell.

Goal, reach 100 Patrons by end of year. You down? For as little as $3 a month support, be a part of our crowd. Sign up today!

F-Word: SayHerName, Impeachment and the Hawk Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

"I was thinking about impeachment when a bird fell out of the sky. ......Dazed, on the sidewalk, she stood perfectly still, protected by gentle cops and generous yards of yellow caution tape...

It happened to be the same week, five years ago, that Tanisha Anderson died on the street in front of her home, when she was having one of her bad days."

The F-Word, Laura Flanders' bi-weekly commentary. For the full transcript goto LauraFlanders.org

Goal, reach 100 Patrons by end of year. You down? For as little as $3 a month support, be a part of our crowd. Sign up today!

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