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Hitting Left

Mike gets together each week, often with special guests in studio and from around the country, to discuss current topics involving politics, education and social justice "from the Left side of the plate." The topics covered may be local, national or international but always with a Chicago sensibility and perspective.
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Now displaying: Page 8
Apr 6, 2018

Author Pat Thomas joins the Klonsky Brothers to talk about his new book on Jerry Rubin. Did it! Yippie to Yuppie. Jerry Rubin, American Revolutionary. Then the brothers talk about schools, strikes and stuff.

Mar 30, 2018

Dr. Jeffreen Hayes and Dr. Therese Quinn join us for a conversation about the lack of representation of women and people of color on boards, management and curatorial positions in art museums and museums in general. #MuseumsSoWhite.

Mar 24, 2018

We talk about the Tuesday Illinois primary.

Mar 21, 2018

Looking back at the 1968 Rainbow Coalition of the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords Organization and Students for a Democratic Society with Chicago leaders of all three organizations.

Mar 16, 2018

Jitu Brown is a long-time Chicago community, schools and social justice activist. Several years ago he led a successful hunger strike to prevent Rahm Emanuel's closing of Dyett High School on Chicago's south side. Now he is expanding his work nationally through his Journey for Justice. Kady McFadden, deputy director of Illinois' Sierra Club recently made headlines exposing the culture of sexual assault in Springfield.

Mar 9, 2018

The day after International Women's Day. Women led the wildcat strike in West Virginia. We are joined by Lorraine Forte, veteran Chicago African American woman journalist, newly hired to sit on the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board. 

Mar 2, 2018

We spend some time talking about the teachers' strike in West Virginia and then it's all Marie Newman. Marie is running against an old blue dog Democrat and current incumbent congressman from the Illinois 3rd District, Dan Lipinski. Dan has never seen a bill defending women's reproductive choice that he likes. He is a son of the old Chicago Democratic Machine, it is time for a change and national attention has focused on this race. And Marie Newman seems to be the new face of the Democratic Party on the south west side of Chicago.

Feb 23, 2018

This week we talk about the issue of gun violence and then we turn to movies. The Oscars are coming up and The Black Panther is heading for a billion dollars at the box office. Dr. Kerns teaches film at Chicago's Columbia College and is an organizer of the Chicago Feminist Film Festival. Floyd Webb returns to our podcast. Floyd is an accomplished film maker, producer and writer of all things film. On the show he joins us in discussing the impact and the reaction to The Black Panther in the African American community.

Feb 16, 2018

Niketa Brar and Elizabeth Greer are school and community activists fighting to prevent the closing of the National Teachers Academy. Scott Smith is from the south side 19th Ward and a member of the Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative. Our conversations centers on school closings. We start out with talk about the tragedy of school shootings. 

Feb 9, 2018

Marijka Stoll fills us in on the protests by students, faculty and alumni at the University of Chicago over their invite to Steve Bannon. Bill Ayers and Crystal Laura talk about teaching, learning and unions and their book with Rick Ayers, You Can't Fire the Bad Ones, 18 myths about teachers, teacher unions and public education.

Feb 7, 2018

We don't usually broadcast on Wednesdays. But we did today and had a great conversation with Anne Shaw, attorney and candidate for the 4th State Representative on Chicago's north west side. Her dad knew Martin Luther King in Atlanta as a wrestling coach. Her dad, that is. Not Martin Luther King.

Feb 2, 2018

After some conversation about the week's events - Trump, Rahm, Stormy Daniels, Fairfax high school basketball - we turn to the story of Eddie Balchowsky. Eddie was a pre-mature anti-fascist, volunteer of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. 3,0000 American volunteers went to Spain to support the Republic fight against insurgent fascist generals backed by Hitler. Half came home. Eddie came home without an arm.

Jan 26, 2018

We talk about Paul Vallas. Or brother Michael does. Vallas has left everything he touches in shatters and now he wants to be Mayor of Chicago. Oy vey. Most of the hour is spent talking with Aaron Goldstein, 33rd Ward Democratic Party Committeeman and candidate for Illinois Attorney General. A real progressive.

Jan 19, 2018

On this episode of Hitting Left on the eve of the second Women's March, we welcome disabilities advocate and activist, Amber Smock.

Jan 12, 2018

Delia Ramirez, community activist, is running for state rep from the 4th district in Chicago's Humboldt Park. We talk Trump, what is a Progressive and her vision for equity.

Jan 5, 2018

CTU political organizer, radio commentator and now candidate for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Brandon Johnson, joins us for the third time on Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. What does the County Board do? Why is it important who sits on it. And how do political radicals and progressives use political office to build a street movement while creating a progressive governing coalition providing results to constituents? We talk about this and more.

Dec 31, 2017

Teacher, union activists and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Kenzo Shibata joins the Klonsky brothers for a wide-ranging conversation about politics in the Trump/Rauner era. And socialism as an alternative.

Dec 15, 2017

This week the boys are back in town and chatting with Emma Tai, the Executive Director of Chicago United Working Families. They kibitz about the Democratic party, the elections in Chicago, Illinois and Alabama and Fred announces his switch to becoming a member of the hard-right Republican Freedom Coalition.*

This is the penultimate episode of 2017 as Lumpen Radio's on holiday break next week, so why not listen to this one twice? Jerry would do it. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas, etc!

*Jamie's joking about this last one.

Dec 8, 2017

The Klonsky Daughters come in and upend this entire show with their whip-smart takes on, well, just about everything. Jamie's thinking of sacking the other two guys and just having Joanna and Ann do this show from now on, and after you listen to this one, he's pretty sure you'll agree.

Dec 1, 2017

Delmarie Cobb is a long time political strategist, consultant and media person. She advised the Hillary Clinton campaign. She is now organizing the Ida B. Wells Legacy project to encourage Black women to seek political office.

We are also joined on record from the strike lines at Columbia College. P-fac president Diana Vallera, and adjuncts Andrea Dymond and Prexy Nexbitt.

Nov 17, 2017

This week, The Klonskys talk to Fritz Kaegi about his candidacy for Cook County Assessor. The boys talk about sports a little bit too, which is a shame since everyone knows Jamie's the sportswriter. Jerry's back in the chair, guess he didn't quit after all. And don't come here looking for a new show next week: Lumpen Radio is closed for Turkey Day.

Nov 10, 2017

This week: UIC profs Josh Radinsky and David Stovall from Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE), a network of education researchers from area universities, stop by to chat about school closings, teacher testing and much more. No sports questions this week as Fred is just so upset with the NFL. And who isn't, really? Jamie's back in the chair, but never fear, it only took him 2 minutes to quit today.
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Nov 3, 2017

Juanita Irizarry stops by to talk about the failed George Lucas Museum lakefront project that her group, Friends of the Parks, successfully opposed. Some guy named Ed also drops by, I wonder how he got in the building. There is no joy in Mudville as the Doyers struck out.

Oct 27, 2017

World Series baseball, film and the sixties with radical film guys Peter Kuttner and Floyd Webb.

Oct 20, 2017

A lively discussion with veteran ABC African American reporter Charles Thomas. He just retired after 25 years.

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