BrownTown shares virtual space with friend of SoapBox and socialist organizer Taylor Maness as they dissect the origins of Labor Day and May Day, talk labor movement history and the fight for workers' rights, as well as the importance of class and racial solidarity in the fight against racial capitalism then and now. Originally recorded August 19, 2020.
BrownTown shares virtual space with friend of SoapBox and socialist organizer Taylor Maness as they dissect the origins of Labor Day and May Day, talk labor movement history and the fight for workers' rights, as well as the importance of class and racial solidarity in the fight against racial capitalism then and now.
BrownTown starts by reflecting on some August 2020 events in Chicago -- jail support training, recent actions, and give reminders on how to stay safe at protests, especially with heavy police presence. Caullen and Taylor provide background on growing up together and being radicalized during the Iraq War and fallout of Hurricane Katrina. The gang then unpack the differences between Labor Day, the hand-picked, pacified holiday, and May Day, a homage to the Haymarket riots in Chicago and struggle for workers' rights. From there, Taylor and BrownTown sift through related topics including the very meaning of “work”, class solidarity during the neoliberal shift, grassroots work versus armchair intellectualism, movement atrophy, the expansion of inequality during COVID-19/quarantine (1, 2, @hasbezosdecided), nationalizing private corporations for the public good (1, 2), and more. How do we actualize liberatory struggles against oppressive apparatuses and reclaim our everyday lives to build a better society? Here's their take. Originally recorded August 19, 2020.
GUEST
Taylor Maness is a socialist organizer who has spent years building power with labor unions and community organizations. He spends his downtime suffering in cold Minnesota winters and studying mathematics, science fiction, and history.
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CREDITS: Intro clip of Fred Hampton layered onto a track by Fiendsh. Outro song Which Side Are You On? by Tom Morello. Audio engineering by Genta Tamashiro. Episode art and Bourbon 'n BrownTown (masked) logo by Desirae Gladden.
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