Episode 7: “Empty Every Cage, Break Every Chain”

TW: Be advised, this episode includes a sound-byte from Richard Nixon’s chief of staff, Lee Atwater, spewing racial slurs from 22:02–22:22. In this week’s episode of Coffee with Comrades, Bree and Pearson discuss the #August21 Prison Strike and dissect the prison-industrial complex, the abolition movement, and transformative justice. But, first, a look at this week in current events: A migrant child died shortly after being released from detention by ICE Detained migrant fathers and sons stage a strike in Texas Facebook censors antifascists organizing to demonstrate in DC DC Metro union refuses to transport fascists Bree and Pearson then provide a historical context for the prison-industrial complex before diving into the legacy and goals of the abolition movement. Ultimately, the hosts of Coffee with Comrades advocate for a system of transformative justice to truly address the root causes of “crime” and create a more humane and egalitarian society. Get Involved: Educate others about the August 21st Prison Strike, the prison-industrial complex, abolition, and transformative justice Follow and promote the strike on social media using the #August21 and #prisonstrike hash-tags on social media and amplify the voices of incarcerated workers Endorse the strike by emailing your organization’s statement to prisonstrikemedia@gmail.com Spread word of the strike both inside and outside–go to www.incarceratedworkers.org to print out stickers, flyers and posters Organize a phone tree in preparation for phone zaps Start an Anarchist Black Cross chapter Write to political prisoners Support the upcoming strike directly by promoting, attending, and/or creating a solidarity demonstration at a prison near you! Resources: Incarcerated Workers Organizing Community Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander 13th Documentary on Netflix The Empty Cages Collective Critical Resistance Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Outro: “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” by Run the Jewels