The Kansas City Defender

Race, Science, and the Carceral State with Dr. Brandon Ogbunu

rdot0113@gmail.com (Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 17:18:59 +0000

Dr. Brandon Ogbunu's background and journey to becoming an evolutionary biologist and epidemiologist
The role of advocacy in the Black Press and its contrast with scientific objectivity
How the legacy of Black scientists has approached the expectation of scientific objectivity
The importance of data science in uncovering and addressing systemic racism
The racial impacts of COVID-19 on the criminal legal system and how it amplified underlying racial disparities
Understanding the carceral state as a complex adaptive system and the various actors involved in perpetuating systemic racism
The importance of scientific communication in making complex ideas accessible to different audiences
The future of data science and the opportunities it presents for Black and brown communities to create change

We hope you enjoy this episode and gain valuable insights from Dr. Brandon Ogbunu's work and perspectives. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and leave a review to help us continue creating content that is of interest to you.

From the Battlefield to City Council: Johnathan Duncan Talks Horrors of War, Organizing w/ KC Tenants & City Council Race

rdot0113@gmail.com (Johnathan Duncan, Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 22:11:21 +0000

In this riveting episode of The Kansas City Defender Podcast, we sit down with Johnathan Duncan, a military veteran who bravely served in Iraq at just 17 years old. Join us as we delve into his deeply personal struggles with PTSD, night terrors, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and learn about the transformative journey that led him to seek help and ultimately find his calling in community organizing and politics. Hear how Johnathan overcame immense challenges to access essential services for veterans, and how this experience sparked his passion for advocating for universal healthcare for all. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Johnathan joined forces with KC Tenants, Kansas City's citywide tenant union, and played a pivotal role in preventing evictions during a time of crisis. Inspired by his experiences and determined to create lasting change, Johnathan is now running for City Council in the 6th district. In this exclusive interview, we explore his bold vision for Kansas City, as he seeks to champion policies that uplift poor and working-class communities and ensure the effective implementation of progressive legislation. Don't miss this inspiring story of resilience, advocacy, and hope for a better future for all Kansas City residents.

The Death of Objectivity & How Solidarity Journalism is Taking Its Place

rdot0113@gmail.com (Dr. Anita Varma, Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 13:02:33 +0000

In this riveting and deeply thought-provoking episode, host Ryan Sorrell is joined by Dr. Anita Varma, a leading Journalism scholar renowned for challenging traditional, white supremacist values in media. Currently she is an Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism and Media at UT Austin, and leads the Solidarity Journalism Initiative at the Center for Media Engagement. Dr. Varma shares her journey and what led her to work in journalism, particularly in solidarity work. Her recent, unprecedented paper Solidarity Reporting on Marginalization, challenges the notion of journalistic objectivity and provides a new framework rooted in traditions like the Black Press, ethnic press and labor press. The conversation turns to the history of white American journalism and its role in white supremacy, including how white media enabled and empowered white supremacist fascism and racial terror during slavery and Jim Crow. Dr. Varma discusses how solidarity reporting, such as the Black press, differs from traditional journalism (what she terms “monitorial reporting”) and its importance in centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. The podcast also delves into the issue of police departments and their use of state-sanctioned disinformation, particularly in the case of the Kansas City Police Department. Dr. Varma provides insights on how news outlets can cover police departments and hold them accountable. This episode provides an insightful and thought-provoking discussion on the importance of solidarity journalism and its role in addressing systemic issues affecting marginalized communities.

The Rise & Fall of Twitter, ChatGPT & Black Radical Imagination Featuring Dr. Andre Brock

rdot0113@gmail.com (Andre Brock, Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Wed, 1 Mar 2023 15:07:51 +0000

In this riveting episode, host Ryan Sorrell interviews Dr. André Brock, Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, who is a leading scholar in the field of Black Cyberculture, race and Black people on social platforms. The discussion covers various topics ranging from the rise and fall of twitter, where Black people will go if Twitter collapses, the benefits and also the inherent racism of ChatGPT and more. The conversation begins with Dr. Brock describing his journey as a college dropout, before re-entering university nearly a decade later. He attended Carnegie Mellon and began his research in Black Cyberculture and Internet Studies. He works especially at the intersection of radical Black politics and technology. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the use of technology for radical resistance and joy. Dr. Brock highlights exciting projects that a team of Black women students in his class are working on. The podcast offers a rich and thought-provoking dialogue on the intersection of technology, race, and identity, highlighting the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.

Jenay Manley Talks City Council Campaign & the Future of Housing

rdot0113@gmail.com (Ryan "X" Sorrell, Jenay Manley) — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:38:26 +0000

In the latest episode of "The Kansas City Defender" podcast, host Ryan Sorrell sits down with Jenay Manley, a Housing Justice community organizer and candidate for city council in Kansas City. Jenay talks about her upbringing in poverty, raised by a single mother, and how that inspired her to get involved in the fight for housing justice. She emphasizes that housing is a fundamental human right that affects every other aspect of our lives. As a mother of two children, Jenay explains how her own experiences as a mother with housing insecurity and facing discrimination in the rental market forced her to become an organizer and advocate for her community. She also discusses her vision for participatory governance, where community members have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. Jenay delves into her campaign for city council and the changes she hopes to bring about. She emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability, and stresses the importance of building power with the people. Overall, the episode is an inspiring and informative conversation about the crucial role of housing justice in creating a more equitable and just society, and the power of participatory governance to make that vision a reality.

The Defender Podcast is Back!

rdot0113@gmail.com (Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Sat, 3 Sep 2022 20:56:56 +0000

The Kansas City Defender podcast is officially back! It has been over a year since we've published our first episode, featuring leader of KC Tenants Jenay Manley. In that time, The Defender has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of news. We've broken national stories and gained critical acclaim from the likes of Harvard University and Mizzou's #1 ranked Reynolds Journalism Institute. Despite our major growth and national recognition, we are clear about our Black radical roots.

The Future of Radical Black Media, Cyberculture, and the Black Press

Thu, 3 Feb 2022 22:50:46 +0000

Defender Major 🔑 : This is a first-of-its-kind conversation bringing together some of the most brilliant Black media thinkers in the world. Never before has such a diverse, inter-disciplinary group come together to discuss not just the future of Black media, but the Future of Radical Black Media.

The Lineup ⭐

- Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, Publisher of Black Voice News and Founder of Voice Media Ventures

- Dr. Kim Gallon, Founder of the Black Press Research Collective

- Toriano Porter, Opinion Writer and member of The Star Editorial Board.

- Dr. Andre Brock, Black Cyberculture and Black Online Communities at Georgia Tech

- Cheryl Thompson-Morton, Director of the Black Media Initiative at for the Center for Community Media at the Newmark J-School

- Dr. Anita Varma, Ethicist and Solidarity Journalism Initiative Lead at UT Austin

- Dr. E. James West, UK-based historian and writer. He is the author of Ebony Magazine and Lerone Bennett Jr: Popular Black History in Postwar America (Illinois, 2020)

Budget Talks: Councilwoman Robinson Discusses Reimaginging Public Safety and Kansas City's History of Racist Policing

rdot0113@gmail.com (Ryan "X" Sorrell, Councilwoman Robinson) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 02:37:32 +0000

In this week's show, Councilwoman Robinson and Ryan explore a variety of fascinating subjects from her response to activist calls to Defund, to the history of policing and racial capitalism in the city. Robinson describes her upbringing as a born and raised KC native and how her time at the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime shaped her journey and political thought. Most importantly, they discuss the ongoing budget cycle for the city to determine whether Kansas City will align with national and local calls to reallocate spending away from racist policing and instead towards life-giving institutions and services.

KJ Brooks Talks Rise to Fame, Getting Lil Baby to Donate $1.5 Million, & Hood Nigga Excellence

rdot0113@gmail.com (KJ Brooks, Ryan "X" Sorrell) — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 01:21:40 +0000

Viral activist and revolutionary leader KJ Brooks was skyrocketed into fame after a searing and eloquent diatribe exposing the corruption of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners. Ryan and KJ discuss meeting on the streets while fighting pigs amidst the Summer 2020 Rebellions. In this far-reaching conversation, the two discuss everything from the threats and verbal assaults she's received since rising to fame, to interacting with rappers like Lil Baby and Brockhampton. Transitioning from being a normal everyday activist to receiving over 20+ million views in a viral video and being followed by Cardi B and Trippie Redd is by no means an easy feat. We salute this young revolutionary and implore you to tune in to this incredibly insightful episode!

Does America Need a Revolution? Black Radical Politics w/ Operation Liberation

rdot0113@gmail.com (Ryan "X" Sorrell, Nikki Renee) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:31:32 +0000

Emerging from one of the most radical and historic cities for Black politics in the world, Nikki Renee cut her teeth in the organizing world in Chicago, where she helped found one of our generation's most revolutionary organizations, Assata's Daughters. Nikki is also a Co-founder of Kansas City based abolitionist organization, Operation Liberation. In today's episode, Ryan and Nikki discuss their mutual "rites of passage" experience in Chicago, and how it led them to their radicalization and politicization today. They also tackle challenging and controversial questions around the Black movement space in Kansas City. Tune in!

Liberation Through Housing: A Feature with Revolutionary Leader of KC Tenants

rdot0113@gmail.com (Jenay Manley) — Fri, 8 Jan 2021 21:37:46 +0000

In our inaugural episode, we interview local organizer, leader and revolutionary, Jenay Manley of KC Tenants. Ryan and Jenay delve deep into the violent policies that contribute to inequitable housing in Kansas City - as Jenay ties it to her own story as a victim of Kansas City's viciously dehumanizing and racist housing system. Manley also provides sharp critique and analysis on the recent coup attempt by White Supremacists in the US capitol. The show ends by both Jenay and Ryan peering into the future and employing the tradition of the Black radical imagination. This is a show you won't want to miss!