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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 4
Apr 3, 2020

Like many we are coming this week from our homes rather than the Lumpen studios, joined by poet, singer and artist of all trades, avery r. young.

Mar 26, 2020

We're back at a distance with Amanda Klonsky, prison activist and advocate talking about COVID19 and the need to release the incarcerated as a public safety issue.

Mar 13, 2020

Appointed to his first term, State Senator Robert Peters represents Barack Obama's former Illinois District. He is a strong proponent of ending cash bail. We talk about that and political organizing in the time of the coronavirus.

Mar 6, 2020

Christina Pacione-Zayas just returned from Puerto Rico. Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez join us to talk about all things Puerto Rico. We take time to commemorate the passing of independista Rafael Cancel-Miranda.

Feb 28, 2020

Jackie Serrato has become a regular on Hitting Left. She's now editor-in-chief of the South Side Weekly. Adeshina Emmanuel also returns to talk about his work at Injustice Watch and the secret reports in a story of a death in an Alabama prison.

Feb 21, 2020

The first half hour is about environmental racism and the 10th Ward in Chicago with Alderwoman Garza and her policy guy., John Harrof The second half Mike and Fred talk politics - national mostly, with some Blago stuff tossed in - and it's fun.

Feb 20, 2020

Diane Ravitch, educational historian and activist joins us (and Mario Smith - host of Lumpen Radio's News From the Service Entrance) for an hour talk about schools and her latest book, Slaying Goliath.

Feb 14, 2020

We sat down with two long-time advocates of democratic education, Monty Neill, retired director of Fair Test, and founder of the ground-breaking Harlem small school - Central Park East - Deborah Meier. 

Feb 14, 2020

We sat down with two long-time advocates of democratic education, Monty Neill, retired director of Fair Test, and founder of the ground-breaking Harlem small school - Central Park East - Deborah Meier. 

Feb 7, 2020

Tribune reporter Greg Pratt is a newspaper Guild organizer battling the hedge fund takeover of the Trib by Alden Capital and Bob Reiter is the President of the Chicago Federation of Labor. A union show!

Feb 7, 2020

Tribune reporter Greg Pratt is a newspaper Guild organizer battling the hedge fund takeover of the Trib by Alden Capital and Bob Reiter is the President of the Chicago Federation of Labor. A union show!

Jan 31, 2020

No guest this podcast. The brothers talk Iowa, presidential politics and the progressive movement.

Jan 24, 2020

Native American educator Patty Loew and film professor, maker of the film, The Return of Navajo Boy. The history and current state of Native people.

Jan 17, 2020

Anton Seals Jr, Chicago community organizer talks equity, community investment, community farming, the "non-606" trail, and Illinois' newest industry: weed.

Jan 10, 2020

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx joins us for a conversation about the criminal justice system, its impact on Black and Brown communities, the role of the prosecutor's office and the cannabis legalization among other topics.

Dec 20, 2019

Floyd Webb is a producer and director, known for The Search for Count Dante (2020), Yasuke-San (2022) and Daughters of the Dust (1991). Susan Kerns is Co-Director of the Chicago Feminist Film Festival and associate professor at Columbia College, Chicago.

Dec 13, 2019

Block Club's Jen Sabella and 39th ward aldermanic chief of staff for Samantha Nugent co-host The Girl Talk at the Hideout each month.

Dec 6, 2019

CTU President Jesse Sharkey joins us to discuss strikes, bargaining and the politics of teacher unionism.

Nov 22, 2019

Four of Chicago's important independent and alternative journalists join us for a conversation about the decline of legacy print journalism and more conversation about Chicago politics.

Nov 15, 2019

Jerry Harris joins us in a conversation about globalism, nationalism, imperialism, neoliberalism and the meaning of each in today's world. 

Nov 8, 2019

This week we create our weekly morning political talks, just the two of us. We talk about the just ended Chicago teachers strike and Mike looks back on seven decades of a political life.

Nov 1, 2019

Chicago poet, teacher and founder of Louder than a Bomb.

Oct 25, 2019

Journalist and film maker Assia Boundaoui joins us in a very unstructured conversation about growing up Muslim in Bridgeview, Illinois where the citizens of the town were under constant FBI surveillance for decades. Boundaoui has made a film about the story of Bridgeview called The Feeling of Being Watched.

Oct 18, 2019

On the second day of the Chicago teacher strike we are joined in studio by veteran political strategist Don Rose and founder of the Civics Lab Tom Tresser. The strike, the mayor, TIFS and even a little national presidential politics are our topics.

Oct 11, 2019

Reporter Jackie Serrato discusses her article for South Side Weekly on the 50th anniversary of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton. Yonnatan Shapira was an Israeli air force polite and refuser. 

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