Naptown People’s Radio

Unite for Trans Liberation: The Truth Never Dies!

This Thursday is the Trans Day of Remembrance when, at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, the community will gather to remember our fallen trans comrades and recommit ourselves to the liberation of all people. To explain the origins and significance of the annual commemoration, local activist Brooke joins the show.
This week’s Naptown Breakdown covers a wide range of topics, from Todd Rokita’s lawsuit against the Indianapolis Public School system for its policies that he claims disrupt ICE’s ability to terrorize and kidnap our young people, to the racist murder of ​​Maria Florinda Rios Perez. Perez was shot and killed after she and her husband–with whom she ran her cleaning business–accidentally tried entering the wrong house. The homeowner–whose name the police have not yet released–shot her through the front door. The assailant has hired “gun rights” attorney Guy Redford, although no charges have yet been filed.
Next, Brooke joins the show in advance of the 26th Trans Day of Remembrance. Brooke, who has engaged in the struggle to remove the cops from the Indy Pride celebration, educates us on the history of the commemoration and the connection between this memorial event and the struggle to remove the cops out of pride. As Leslie Feinberg said:
“Genuine bonds of solidarity can be forged between people who respect each other’s differences and are willing to fight their enemy together. We are the class that does the work of the world, and can revolutionize it. We can win true liberation”
Finally, this week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to our dear comrade from Detroit, Leon Benson. Benson spent almost 25 years falsely imprisoned–10 of them in solitary confinement, considered a human rights abuse by the international community–for the August 8, 1998 murder of Kasey Schoen in downtown Indianapolis. When he was 47-years-old, he walked out of the notorious Pendleton prison in early March 2023 as a free man, exonerated on all charges.
Exactly one year later, Benson returned to Indianapolis for the first “Common Unity” celebration and book release held at the Liberation Center. This year, the second “Common Unity 2.0” press conference and concert. After a press conference where Benson and the victim’s sister, Kolleen Bunch, spoke for the first time about their joint lawsuit against the IMPD officers who framed him, the Athenaeum was filled with the sounds of El Bently 448 (Benson’s stage name), Foosie, Mr. Ward 317, and others. Benson continues to inspire us day in and day out, and you can hear his mantra at the beginning of every episode of Naptown People’s Radio: “The Truth Never Dies!”
Show Notes:
Support Naptown People’s RadioSupport the Indianapolis Liberation CenterShop the Liberation Center Store

Honoring Naptown's Shirley Graham Du Bois

November 11 marks 129 years since revolutionary artist, organizer, theorist, and teacher Shirley Graham Du Bois was born right here in Indianapolis. Stephen Lane of the Indiana Black Librarians Network joins the show to discuss her life and legacy, which is unfortunately overshadowed by her second husband, the great W.E.B. Du Bois.
Tupac Shakur said it best in an interview during the early 1990s: "They got money for wars but can't feed the poor." Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford begin the Naptown Breakdown with an analysis of the 42 million people on the verge of losing SNAP benefits while the government pours millions into a possible military intervention in Venezuela as it amasses immense naval resources in the Caribbean. We next turn to the IMPD's "Strategic Draft Plan," which fits on half a sheet of paper, cost taxpayers about $250,000, and, unsurprisingly, does nothing to get at the root causes of IMPD terror. We break down the three strategic priorities in the draft. Finally, we turn to the war on free speech and Jim Rodenbush's lawsuit against Indiana University. IU fired Rodenbush in October for his failure to align the independent student newspaper with the Braun-controlled IU Board's priorities.
Next, Stephen Lane, Treasurer of Indiana Black Librarians Network and volunteer with the Fonseca Du Bois Art Gallery, joins the show to celebrate Hoosier Shirley Graham's life and legacy. Learn about this remarkable revolutionary who is largely responsible for radicalizing her second husband W.E.B. Du Bois and never stopped struggling until her death in 1977 in the People's Republic of China.
This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Le’Deanna Brown, founder and editor of Midwest Leak Magazine, for her nonstop work advocating for what's right, whether it's popular or not.
Finally, our co-hosts announce that within two weeks the Indianapolis Liberation Center will be moving to a large, accessible store-front property on Prospect St. With the move, the Center's regular programming will resume and expand, and the Liberation Store will have an attractive home where you can cop books, stickers, shirts, and other gear for organizers and activists in today's struggle.
Show Notes:
Support Naptown People’s RadioSupport the Indianapolis Liberation CenterShop the Liberation Center Store

Indiana Veterans and Servicemen to Refuse Deployment

As Trump considers using the "Insurrection Act" to justify his deployment of National Guardsmen, many of whom are surrounding our state pending Court proceedings, veterans and active-duty servicemen in Indiana are already organizing to refuse any illegal and unconstitutional orders to participate in the reign of terror against immigrant, working-class, and oppressed communities. Lucas Lee, an anti-war veteran organizer with About Face and a volunteer with the Indy Liberation Center joins the show to discuss the new campaign.
Indiana now has an annual "Day of LOVE," which was announced at a celebration at Newfields to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture's placement at the art museum. Appallingly, Mayor Joe Hogsett, who has been embroiled in one sexual assault and harassment scandal after another, issued the proclamation on October 22. That same day, the Historic Irvington Community Council sent Hogsett a letter asking him not to attend their community's annual Halloween Festival "out of respect for survivors of sexual assault." Meanwhile, his colleagues in the City-County Council are using their individual $1 million from this year's budget to finally take care of the city's atrocious potholes--at least the ones in front of their houses. Finally, the last issue co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss in this week's Naptown Breakdown hits on is the recent confirmation by the Indianapolis Airport Authority that ICE is using our airport to three times a week to facilitate their war on immigrants.
As the war escalates, so does the resistance. This week's guest, military veteran Lucas Lee, announces a new organizing effort amongst other veteran and active-duty service members to commit to refusing any deployment orders by Braun or Trump. Lee and Ford discuss the importance of organizing resistance in the military's rank-and-file, the rights of servicemembers to resist unconstitutional orders, why the campaign is starting now, and why it's imperative we stand united in this struggle.
This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to the Indy Gay Market! Indy Gay Market made history in Indianapolis as its first all LGBTQ+ market July 31, 2021. Indy Gay Market uplifts LGBTQ+ artists, makers, and small business owners by providing equitable, artist-led vendor big gay markets in Indianapolis. Through inclusive events, strategic partnerships, and year-round advocacy, they work to create economic opportunities, foster community engagement, and celebrate queer identity. By uniting art, commerce, and activism, Indy Gay Market empowers and strengthens our queer community. The Indianapolis Liberation Center is proud to be one of their community partners.
Finally, Abdullah and Ford urge listeners to call and demand clemency for Kofi Ajabu before November 5!

Is Indy Ready for a General Strike?

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called for a General Strike. General Strikes are routinely called for, but what do they entail? There’s a lot of work to be prepare for one but, as Dani Abdullah reminds us by recounting the historic 1919 Seattle General Strike, our ancestors made sure we aren't starting over from scratch.
Our Naptown Breakdown starts with the new battleground over ICE, with Todd Rokita inviting "Border Czar" Tom Homan to push for the "Fairness Act" this upcoming general session. The legislation would tie law enforcement agencies to ICE. Rokita tried getting it through last session under HB 1531, but it stalled in the Senate after passing out of the House. Rokita also suffered another blow this week after a St. Joseph County judge dismissed Rokita's lawsuit against Sheriff Bill Redman for allegedly violating state law by implementing policies and practices prohibiting staff from cooperating with immigration officials when undocumented immigrants were arrested. We don’t know whether Rokita will appeal or not, but this is a battle that won’t be won only in the courts.
Chicago is a prime example. "Operation Midway Blitz", a campaign launched by the Department of Homeland Security that has so far resulted in over 1,500 arrests in the metropolitan area and multiple deaths in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. Yet the people are fighting back. Business owners are refusing service to ICE and banning them from their restrooms, citizens are following them with microphones and whistles, and school teachers and staff escorting students to and from the building.
On October 13, Mirror Indy opened up another dam exposing the wanton corruption of the Hogsett administration, showing how the Democratic Party has taken on the vibe of a cult. Over a year after indisputable evidence emerged that Hogsett fostered and even encouraged a culture of misogyny and sexual abuse and harassment, we're now learning that when he was finally forced to fire his right-hand man, Thomas Cook, the money kept flowing both ways. Cook got a job at a law firm with close ties to Hogsett and worked with a city agency led by Scarlett Andrews (one of Cook's sexual partners) to secure $80 million in public incentives to projects with ties to Cook’s clients. She even threw her support behind developers against widespread neighborhood opposition – again, showing you who these politicians really serve. And she gave luxury apartments loop holes to get out of provisions requiring affordable housing.
The money is flowing both ways, as Cook's clients became contributors to Hogsett's reelection campaigns.
Meanwhile, only five out of the 25 City-County Councilors have called for Hogsett's resignation. That tells you something: the system, their system, isn’t broken – it’s just slightly embarrassed right now. I’m amazed they’re weathering through it but I am confident that rank-and-file voting Democrats are disgusted and will be open to third-party candidates, ones who don’t bow down to Hogsett or VOP (Voice of the Predators) Osili but stay true to their principles, next election season.
But we don’t have to wait for elections to make changes. Change happens when people come together, unite, and take public space. That’s what happened in two powerful displays this past week. The first was a truly inspiring protest against the Metabloks proposed data center in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood where we shut down the intersection of Sherman and 25th for over an hour.
Then on Saturday thousands of people came out to protest the Trump Administration’s assault on workers. Signs brought to the protest highlighted a number of issues affecting Indiana today, including the attacks on immigrants from ICE, the global climate crisis being exacerbated by AI, and the gutting of essential services. Shout out to Stuart Mora, a former guest on this show and longtime organizer here, for inviting PSL to table at their activist fair. Because the massive outpouring of outrage against the Trump administration is one step, but what to do when the rally is over? How can we keep the energy, enthusiasm, righteous indignation, and collective desire to not only resist but actually transform the conditions under which we’re forced to live? That is exactly why the PSL exists and why we support the Liberation Center.
In our next segment, Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss the history and details of a General Strike. Dani tells the story of the multi-national 1919 Seattle Strike, explaining the particular factors that produced it, how it even resulted in producing pro-Bolshevik sentiment among the masses, and more. Together, Dani and Derek show the General Strike is a powerful weapon because it shows that we have power not only in our ability to withhold our labor but, more importantly, to directly engage in production without the bosses. In this sense, general strikes are socialism in embryonic form.
Finally, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to our comrade Eduardo Luna, who founded Arte Mexicano en Indiana in 2020. As part of the Liberation Center, Arte Mexicano en Indiana powers to Fonseca Du-Bois Gallery and ensures our city's oppressed and marginalized have a dedicated space to show their work and build community.

59 Years: All Power to the People!

The Black Panther Party, formally founded on October 15, 1966, is often romanticized, subjected to disproportionate scrutiny, or viewed only as an activist organization. In this week's episode, we hear a speech Dakota Fronterhouse—the producer of Naptown People's Radio—delivered on 59th anniversary of the Party's founding.
Fronterhouse provides the historical and material context that birthed the organization, defined its context, and posed immediate obstacles in its pursuit of achieving "Black Power," or "All Power to the People." Placing the group's rise and fall within the international context of the decline of the era of global revolution, Fronterhouse delves into the ideological and political contributions to the struggle while drawing out lessons we can learn from their experience today.

Jada Trainor Beats Police and Prosecutor Mears

Jada Trainor and her husband, Jonathan, join the show this week to discuss their October 1 trial where they defeated trumped-up felony charges of attempting to disarm a police officer and battery against a cop.
Last week's Naptown Breakdown mentioned how Joe Hogsett's Indiana Economic Development Corporation was serving corporate interests and actively opposing the people's. This week, Co-Hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss a recent audit that found rampant luxury travel expenses, undisclosed conflicts of interest, no-bid contracts worth millions of dollars, a lack of transparency, and more. Next we turn to BlackRock's bid to buy energy monopoly AES through a subsidiary named Global Infrastructure Partners they bought last year for $12.5 billion. Minnesota and other states are also under the gun. Why should the world's largest asset manager with $12.5 trillion in the bank control our energy, instead of the people who actually need and use it? In our last section, we turn to higher education. While Pamela Whitten has rightfully been scrutinized for plagiarizing significant portions of her dissertation, poor academic work characterizes the majority of higher education administrators. We focus on DePauw University's Sarah Steinkamp, who serves as Vice President for Communications and Strategy and Chief of Staff. Her 2017 dissertation from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, argues that improving success rates for pregnant students requires "devoting resources to preventing pregnancy in 18-19 year olds, and students of color in particular."
Next, Derek interviews Jada and Jonathan Trainor just days after Jada and her family won a significant and rare victory against the police and their prosecutors. They unveil what happened that day, why the Jury didn't buy it, how the prosecutor's witnesses contradicted each other, why Prosecutor Mears dragged the trial on for over a year, how Eskenazi lied about having video footage pertinent to the event, and how the most aggressive officer, Anthony Sisco, was later fired from Eskenazi. Unfortunately, he is now an ICE officer and a cop with the Southport Police. While the was acquitted on the most serious felony charges, she was convicted of resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor. Her attorney immediately filed a motion to appeal that bogus charge. So the victory is secured but we will remain by the Trainor's side as they squash this final bogus charge.
This week, Dani Abdullah gives the Circle City Shout Out goes to Minister Jamil Campbell. A Haughville native and a Minister at Light of the World Christian Church. Minister Campbell has been a friend of the party and involved with the Indy Liberation Center since August 2023 in which he spoke at our Black August liberation forum. Minister Campbell’s life work centers on liberation not just through the bible but also through his actions. He shows up for the community not just on Sundays but every day of the week through volunteer work in the community and takes special note of working with and for the youth of our community. Most recently he was a participant at our Youth Safety in Indy Town Hall Meeting at the Liberation Center. Minister Campbell is a great example of what it looks like to show up for the community and how liberation looks different for everyone depending on what your calling is.
Show Notes:
"IEDC Audit Details Undisclosed Conflicts, 'Potential for Favoritism,'" Lauren Chapman, Indiana Public Media
"BlackRock Unit Close to $38 Billion Deal for US Energy Firm AES," Martina Markosyan, Renewables Now
"The Effects of Pregnancy on Student Progress," Sarah Steinkamp (Dissertation), Southern University of Illinois - Carbondale
"Jada Trainor Wins Victory against Medical Racism and Police Terror," Dani Abdullah, Indianapolis Liberator
"U.S. Veteran Speaks after Startling Police Attack," Destiny Glover, Indianapolis Liberator
"Attacked by Cops in 2024, Jada Trainor Waits for Day in Court," Derek Ford, Indianapolis Liberator
"Black August and Black Liberation Theology," Jamil Campbell, PSL Indianapolis
"Free Darius (Hakim) Printup from Unjust Solitary Confinement!" Indianapolis Liberator
"October Levitt LIVE Music Series," Arte Mexicano en Indiana, Indianapolis Liberator
"As the Summer Ends, Let's Take the Fight to New Heights!" Indianapolis Liberation Center Volunteers, Indianapolis Liberator

What Does Assata Teach Us?

After discussing how Indianapolis Development Inc., a creation of Joe Hogsett, was actively lobbying elected representatives on behalf of Google while the people united to keep their data center out of Franklin Township, this week's Naptown Breakdown focuses on a stunning silence in local mainstream media. Not one single local news outlet published an article or story about the passing of Black communist Assata Shakur.
Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford spend the episode discussing this major international development, beginning with their relationship to her autobiography. They cover her radicalization and eventual commitment to communism, her journey through the Black Panther Party to the Black Liberation Army, and from prison to exile in Cuba, where she lived for decades before passing away on September 25. Throughout, they draw lessons Assata can teach us about how we can all get free.
This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Umeed-Hope, a coalition of marginalized communities committed to dismantling systems of oppression and fostering a world grounded in justice, collective care, and liberation. They are a Sikh-led organization but serve all marginalized people. Founded in 2022, they initially operated as a nonprofit organization, but in 2024, transformed into a mutual aid group to more effectively address the interconnected issues affecting our communities. Their mission is rooted in the belief that true change comes from collective action and solidarity among those most impacted by systemic injustices.
Rest in Power to Assata Shakur and Chuniece Patterson!

Indy Defeats Google, Keeps Fighting for Political Prisoners feat. Akili Shakur

Dr. Akili Shakur, an organizer, retired professor, and wife of Shaka A. Shakur joins the show to discuss the expansive impacts of mass incarceration.
This week's Naptown Breakdown begins with a glimpse of our ability to transform our city-when we're organized. On September 22, after months of struggle, our power was on full display we forced Google to withdraw their plans for a new data center. As we celebrate this victory, we stay ready to fight new potential proposals and continue to fight the monopoly energy corporation's latest request for a rake hike, one that would impact residents more than businesses. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss the arrest of a Herron student for bringing a gun to school, how the students acted to protect their fellow classmates, and why cops and metal detectors are not the answer. 
Akili Shakur stopped by the studio while she was in town for the preview of the new Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign documentary, "Soul in Exile." Akili and Derek cover the significance of Shaka's forthcoming book, Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes (2025) and Akili details the devastating and inhumane impacts of the Interstate Corrections Compact.
This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Indianapolis-based artist Gina Lee Robbins, a visual and teaching artist who creates sculptural objects and installations that currently shed light on the prison system. Her exhibit, "On the Count," is on display alongside "Prison Reimagined: Presidential Portraits" at the Indy Art Center until October 5. Over the weekend, she helped bring together incarcerated curator Caddell Kivett, Death Penalty Action Executive Director Abe Bonowitz, local art-ivist Vernon T. Bateman, and Derek for an action panel on prisons, art, and transformative justice. Dani closes out by reminding us again that organizing and engaging in activism look different for everyone.
Show Notes:
Southsiders Prevail in Fight Against Google Data CenterManifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes, by Shaka A. ShakurGina Lee RobbinsPrison ReimaginedFree VernonVernon's VersionsShaka Shakur Freedom Campaign
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The New Afrikan Independence Movement

New Afrikan Revolutionary and political prisoner Shaka A. Shakur joins the show this week to break down the ongoing fight for the liberation of the Black/New Afrikan nation within the U.S.
Introduced by producer Dakota Fronterhouse, this episode features a longer segment of “Dispatches from Behind the Wire” is part of our build-up to the release of the new documentary, “Soul in Exile: Shaka Shakur,” produced by the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign and Directed by Derek Ford and TheKingTrill. This segment provides important background to Shaka’s political evolution and the New Afrikan Independence Movement of which he is a leading theoretician and organizer.
Derek and Shaka cover the origins of New Afrikans as a people, why the question of land is so central to their fight, the evolution of the fight for a national territory, and the distinction between national oppression and racism.
In honor of George Jackson’s birthday, the Indiana chapter of the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign, PSL Indianapolis, and others are hosting at the Indianapolis Liberation Center on September 23 at 6:00 pm. Those present will hear from the filmmakers and special guest speakers, including Akili Shakur, Nairobi X, and Maurice Robinson.
Show Notes:
Exclusive Preview of “Soul in Exile:” https://www.shakashakur.org/shaka-doc-preview-indy/
Citizens Action Coalition Campaign: No Data Centers! https://www.citact.org/ai-data-centers
Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ccs-2025-09/
Hope Packages Monthly Assembly: From Indy to Palestine, Food Apartheid is a Crime: https://indyliberationcenter.org/indy-palestine-hp2509/
“On the Count,” Art Exhibit by Gina Lee Robbins: https://indyliberationcenter.org/on-the-count/
Prison Reimagined: Action Panel Discussion on Art and Justice: https://indyliberationcenter.org/prison-reimagined-panel/
Liberation Center Store: https://www.IndyLiberationCenter.org/Store
Support Naptown People’s Radio: https://www.support.PSLIndianapolis.org

Indy vs. Google: If We Unite, We Win

Kristopher Nelson, aka FTF KD, joins this week's show to share the reality of life in a city with a data center. Nelson is from West Memphis, Arkansas and speaks not only about the negative impacts it had on his community but about what we can do to Indianapolis to stop Google's data center before September 22.
In the Naptown Breakdown, our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford get beyond the headlines of Gov. Braun's confirmation he's deploying National Guardspeople to help carry out ICE's terror against immigrants. They show Braun wants to strike more fear into the population and show his submission to Trump's agenda in what is mostly a symbolic act. It is an act that isn't inevitable, as veterans an active-duty soldiers recently met in Martinsville, IN to strategize about their role in the movement. The day before the announcement, community members gathered at the Guru Nanak Sikh Society for an event organized by Umeed-Hope and the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Covered by the Associated Press, they wrote letters to detainees in English, Haitian Creole, and Punjabi while building community and strengthening their ties.
Affirming we have more in common with each other than the ruling class, we cover the latest revelations of the atmosphere of intimidation and silencing Mayor Hogsett is still cultivating and most City-County Councilors are still defending.
But the Councilors are still contending with the power of the people, particularly regarding the growing struggle to stop Google's data center. Kristopher Nelson joins the show to supplement the facts of data centers with his own experience living by one. Most crucially, he and Derek chop it up about the need for unity in struggle without setting aside our differences.
This week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Edith Conchas, an organizer with Touch Grass Indy, a member-organization of the Liberation Center), an artist, and founder of Good Job Signs. Edith is also a first generation Latina–both parents being from Mexico–who specializes in free-handed chalk art for local businesses including Amelia’s, Bluebeard, Stomping Ground, and others. If you have ever been to the Liberation Center, to your right is a mural of Shirley Graham-Du Bois Edith painted.
Before wrapping up, we draw your attention to a few events. The first is “On the Count” by Gina Lee Robbins, an exhibit at the Indianapolis Arts Center that serves as a meditation on the U.S. carceral system. That's on display until October 11. The second is Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the City-County Council at 5:30 to protest the IMPD-the city's most well-funded and well-armed gang-from getting even more of our tax dollars. The third is a reminder to come to Circle City Sangha this and every Saturday between 9:30-11:00 am at the Liberation Center.
Show Notes:
Data Center Slap in Face to Franklin County: https://indyliberationcenter.org/data-center-zoning/
Kristopher Nelson IG: https://www.instagram.com/ftf_kd/
FTF KD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ftfkd
Associated Press Covers Umeed-Hope Liberation Center Event: https://indyliberationcenter.org/video-letters-to-immigrants/
Franklin Township Organizes against Unpopular Data Center: https://indyliberationcenter.org/franklin-township-organizes/
Events
"On the Count" by Gina Lee Robbins: https://indyliberationcenter.org/on-the-count/
Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup: https://indyliberationcenter.org/ccs-2025-09/
Exclusive Preview of New Shaka A. Shakur Documentary: https://indyliberationcenter.org/premiere-shaka-documentary/

Facing the Moment with the Joy of Resistance

Stuart Mora, a longtime-organizer currently involved in the immigration justice movement, joins the show this week and helps highlight the joy of building together and resisting in community.
Our Naptown Breakdown begins with Trump's recent cuts to the National Institutes of Health, which are projected to result in the loss of $128 million and 554 jobs in Indiana by 2026. Unfortunately, Mayor Hogsett's proposed $1.7 billion budget will do nothing to offset these losses, with the majority of the money set aside for the cops and courts. Hogsett's claim that  gifting more money to the cops will increase "public safety" comes just after ex-IMPD officer Myron Howard was found not guilty of raping a victim of domestic violence. After arresting the woman's boyfriend, Howard immediately returned to the house and turned his body camera off. He's not off the hook yet, as he has a Sept. 25 trial for raping a woman in the back of his police car in 2023. Hogsett's budget also comes after the cops handcuffed a 13-year-old Black girl in Irvington for rough-housing with her friends.
As co-host Dani Abdullah's wide-ranging discussion with organizer Stuart Mora demonstrates, however, there's plenty of reasons to remain optimistic. Mora is a lead organizer of the upcoming Sept. 7 rally at Congressman Jefferson Shreve's Greenwood Office to protest turning Camp Atterbury into Camp Atterschwitz. A leader in the immigrant rights movement, Mora helped start its latest iteration earlier this year by calling friends who shared his concerns and values. Since then, his network and others have continued to engage in a variety of actions to defend our communities that, as he reminds us, we intentionally cultivate with joy and love. Dani and Stuart show how everyone has something to bring to the movement, that it takes all of us working together, and that we can unite without uniformity.
On that note, this week's Circle City Shout Out goes to Pastor Denell Howard of Hovey Street Church of Christ. Pastor Howard is a true community leader who shows up for our people, provides space for organizing, and leads his Congregation in the pursuit of justice for all. For years, PSL Indianapolis has had the honor of building with Howard to struggle for justice for victims of police and prison terror. 
This returns us to the necessity of alliances. Naptown People’s Radio is a product of the Indianapolis branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Pastor Howard is a Republican. One's political affiliation doesn't matter as long as you're willing to fight for the people. Pastor Howard is a wonderful reminder that solidarity comes in all kinds of forms. Salute to Pastor Denell Howard!
Show Notes:
Protest: Housing, not Concentration Camps! https://indyliberationcenter.org/shreve-atterbury-protest/
Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance: https://www.facebook.com/undocuhoosier/
Live Free Indiana: https://www.instagram.com/livefreeindiana/?hl=en
Understanding and Building on George Jackson's Legacy: https://indyliberationcenter.org/george-jackson-today/
The Origins and Future of the Republic of New Afrika: https://indyliberationcenter.org/haki-kweli-shakur-rna/
The Haitian Revolution: Lessons for Organizers Today: https://indyliberationcenter.org/cecilia-gomez-haitian-revolution/
Liberation Center Store: https://www.indyliberationcenter.org/store
 

Building on George Jackon's Legacy Today

Now that Black August 2025 is over, Naptown People's Radio starts September with a special episode to ensure we use the additional knowledge, discipline, and commitment we cultivated last month to advance the struggles ahead.
 
On August 27, Derek Ford, one of the show's co-hosts, gave a presentation that provided the historical context for George Jackson, explaining why he remains an iconic figure today, talking about his political evolution, and detailing his relationship to the different factions of the Black/New Afrikan movement at the time (including within the Black Panther Party that Jackson joined at the end of his life).
 
They demonstrate the key lessons of Jackson's politics and break down how we can continue building on them today.
 
You can watch some of the other presentations from the event at the show notes below.
 
Show Notes:
Haki Kweli Shakur: "The Origins, Development, and Future of the Republic of New Afrika:" https://indyliberationcenter.org/haki-kweli-shakur-rna/
 
Cecilia Gomez: "The World-Historic Significance of the Haitian Revolution: Lessons for Today:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZN1mdi23zI
 
Pictured: Derek meeting former political prisoner Eddie Conway as a free man the first time in 2015 in Philadelphia, after working for his freedom campaign years earlier.