Getting to the Root of it with Venus Roots

Why Mass Protests Don't Equate to Revolution, with Vincent Bevins

April 19, 2024 15:26 - 57 minutes - 48.2 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews acclaimed journalist and author, Vincent Bevins. In this conversation, the two discuss the trend of mass protests across the globe often resulting in the opposite of what people were demanding in the streets in the first place. They weave the history of anti-communism, US-backed right-wing coups, the weaking and demobilization of leftist organizations and parties, and the role of media. Vincent Bevins is the author of The Jakarta Method and If We Bu...

The Legacy of Cuban Medical and Healthcare Solidarity, with Dr. Samira Addrey

April 08, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Ghanian-American doctor, Dr. Samira Addrey, Graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. In this conversation, the two discuss the legacy of not only the Latin American School of Medicine, but how Cuba has managed to develop some of the world's best doctors, biotech innovations, and their commitment to medical solidarity, despite the US blockade and all the crises it creates for Cuba and its people. Additional note regarding the situat...

Organized Labor, Unions, Strikes and Palestine, with Zaina Alsous

February 28, 2024 15:40 - 51 minutes - 38.6 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Palestinian labor organizer and author, Zaina Alsous, where the two discuss the history of Palestinian and Arab worker-led revolts, the significance of the largest US labor unions calling for an immediate ceasefire, and the limitations of our current ability to hold general strikes in the US and what is required to make this more possible. You can read more editorial work by Zaina here. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

On Palestinian Resistance and Why the US Can't Win Wars, with Vijay Prashad

January 22, 2024 18:22 - 48 minutes - 26.3 MB

In this interview, Niki interviews historian and journalist Vijay Prashad, where the two discuss the history of Palestinian resistance throughout Zionist occupation, why the US may have the power to destroy countries but cannot win wars, and where the seeds of hope lie in this revolutionary moment. Vijay Prashad is the Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, the Chief Editor of Leftword Books, and the author of forty books. ★ Support this podcast on...

Neither Democrats nor Republicans Save Us, So Now What? With PSL Presidential Candidate, Claudia De la Cruz

October 29, 2023 20:54 - 46 minutes - 30.6 MB

"The lesser of two evils politic has not served working class people." In this interview, Niki interviews presidential candidate for PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation), Claudia De la Cruz. The two discuss the unfolding crises in the US - unemployment, inflation, housing/rent crisis, climate collapse, the threat of war, among other issues and how both Democrats and Republicans refuse to address these crisis and bring about solutions to most Americans. As a relentless genocide...

One Year Ago, I Went on Hiatus!

July 19, 2023 19:27 - 1 hour - 50.1 MB

In this episode, Niki is interviewed by their best friend and comrade, Sabrina Beydoun. Niki reflects intimately on what themes have been anchoring her this past year of sabbatical and hiatus - the challenges of what it means to leave home and build anew, being in a place of transition and uncertainty, and unprecedented personal challenges, while reckoning that the only path forward is collective care and interdependence. Sabrina Beydoun is a Lebanese-American chef, writer, and cu...

Who Is Wellness For? With Fariha Róisín

July 27, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 51.2 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Fariha Róisín, author of Who Is Wellness For? In the conversation, the two discuss the role of dignity in affirming one’s healing in the face of trauma, colonialism, capitalism, and other systems of oppression. They also unpack the relationship between spiritual warfare, commodification of wellness, and the corporate industries that intentionally invisibilize the violence behind popular wellness trends and practices. Audio disclaimer: I encourage y...

Pandemic Ain't Over, with Elea Chang

June 09, 2022 13:57 - 49 minutes - 38.3 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Elea Chang, disability justice advocate, community organizer, and artist. The two discuss the capitalist notion of the "pandemic being over," and the ways in which disability justice offers a pathway of care, solidarity, and safety in these uncertain times. In this, they also discuss the limitations of representation and identity politics in an economy that commodifies it all. Elea is the creator of Disabled and Here, an interview and stock images c...

Connection in a Digital World, with Annika Hansteen-Izora

April 26, 2022 15:13 - 48 minutes - 31.9 MB

*This episode was originally published in May 2021* In this episode, Niki interviews Annika Hansteen-Izora, an art director, poet, and designer. The two reckon with the interests (profit, militarism, white supremacy, ableism - to name a few) that dictate social media platforms, algorithms, and the digital world at large, in a time where we are all spending hours on end on apps. Drawing from Afro-Futurism, Afro-Nowism, and speculative fiction, the two envision what communities cente...

Returning to Self and One's Art, with Melissa Denizard (MELLY)

January 24, 2022 17:07 - 53 minutes - 38.6 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews musician and political educator, MELLY. The two discuss the political characteristics of creating art and cultural production, as well as navigating vulnerable life changes imposed by immigration, heartbreak, and pandemic isolation. Melissa Denizard is a political educator, writer, documentarian, and burgeoning pop star. She uses an interdisciplinary approach to teach political education rooted in pop culture, history, and contemporary politics. Mel...

Indigenous Resistance As An Antidote to Climate Crisis, with Nick Estes

January 07, 2022 14:24 - 1 hour - 48.8 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Nick Estes, Indigenous scholar, writer, and co-founder of The Red Nation. The two reflect on 2021's Jan 6th insurrection and some notable political differences between the political economy of the US vs socialist economies in the Global South. They also offer some critiques on the new Netflix sensation, Don't Look Up, while centering the need for Indigenous resistance as an antidote to the climate crisis. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Hands Off Cuba, with Manolo De Los Santos

November 15, 2021 15:56 - 44 minutes - 29.4 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Manolo De Los Santos, a Caribbean popular educator and the two discuss the November 15th protests in Cuba, what narratives we should be mindful of in hopes of supporting the lives of Cuban people on the island, and the dangers of advocating for US intervention. Manolo is the co-executive director of The People's Forum in NYC. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Haiti, Cuba, and Lessons of Caribbean Resistance, with Claudia De La Cruz

July 12, 2021 18:06 - 52 minutes - 33.1 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Claudia De La Cruz, Co-Executive Director of The People's Forum. The two discuss the recent events in Haiti, Cuba, and other political crises in the region and what this means for oppressed people globally. They also discuss the continuous historical patterns of what happens in moments like this, and the ways in which US media works in insidious ways to confuse and distract everyday people and ultimately serve elite interests. Support the podcast...

Politicizing Journalism, with Clarissa Brooks

July 06, 2021 13:10 - 58 minutes - 44.8 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Clarissa Brooks, an abolitionist movement journalist and organizer. The two discuss the dangers of status quo "objectivity" in journalism and media, and look alternatively, to grassroots examples of Black investigative journalists who hold political commitments and relationships with the communities they write about. They also discuss the attention economy and its impact on which stories are prioritized and centered. Clarissa's writing has been feat...

2nd Year Anniversary Special, with Mimi Zhu

June 11, 2021 14:11 - 58 minutes - 46 MB

In this celebratory episode, Niki rings in the second anniversary of the podcast by getting into conversation with fellow gemini Mimi Zhu, writer and author of the forthcoming Book, Be Not Afraid of Love. The two discuss the realities that become more possible through storytelling for communities of color, the co-opting necessitated by corporate campaigns such as Stop Asian Hate and Pride, and the ways in which grief, loss, and migrant narratives all create openings for transformati...

Work Won't Love You Back, with Sarah Jaffe

March 27, 2021 15:02 - 54 minutes - 44.1 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Sarah Jaffe, labor journalist and author. The two discuss Sarah's new book, Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted and Alone, which offers historical context on the gendered, racialized, and capitalist history impacting workers, families, and what kind of labor society deems as valuable or not. In this conversation, the two also discuss recent examples of workers resisting, organizing, and shifting the terrai...

The Role of An Artist and Cultural Worker, with Fresco Steez

March 08, 2021 16:51 - 50 minutes - 39.1 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Fresco Steez, a cultural engineer and organizer who has designed countless slogans, visuals, and communications that center the notion of being Unapologetically Black. In this conversation, the two discuss the role of artists and cultural workers in revolutionary struggles, the potential and necessity behind popularizing radical ideas, and the two get vulnerable around commitments to agitate and organize whenever possible. You can learn more about ...

Abolition and A New Administration, with Derecka Purnell

February 17, 2021 11:00 - 55 minutes - 45.2 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Derecka Purnell, an abolitionist writer, organizer, lawyer. Derecka works to end police and prison violence by providing legal assistance, research, and trainings to community based organizations through an abolitionist framework. In this conversation, the two discuss the limits of identity politics, why anti-capitalism and abolition go together, lessons from the 2020 uprising and what's ahead under a new administration. Derecka's writings have be...

Embodying Our Abolitionist Dreams, with adrienne maree brown

December 28, 2020 15:27 - 56 minutes - 44.1 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews adrienne maree brown, the author of Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good and Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. In this conversation, the two discuss what it means to embody abolitionist values, strategies for discerning differences in movement work, boundaries on and offline, moving towards generative conflict more effectively, adrienne's new book, We Will Not Cancel Us, and dreamy longings for 2021. adrienne maree brown...

How To Do Nothing, with Jenny Odell

November 27, 2020 17:27 - 1 hour - 55 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Jenny Odell, author of NYT bestselling book, How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. The two discuss divesting from the act of personal branding on social media, bioregionalism and re-connecting to the living ecosystems that surround us, the danger behind privatization of public and outdoor spaces, and the racial and class dynamics of leisure and who has access to it. Jenny is a multidisciplinary artist and author based in Oakland, CA. H...

Let's Talk Cuba, with Liz of Belly of The Beast

November 13, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 32.9 MB

In this bilingual interview, Niki interviews Liz of Belly of the Beast. The two discuss the US blockade on Cuba and its profound and lasting effect, what the US elections mean for Cubans in Cuba, and they invite nuance into the conversation regarding Cuban politics. They also unpack the emotional and relational challenges that imperialist policies have on family dynamics, friendships, and a strategically divided Cuban community. Support the podcast and become a patreon here. Music...

Context > Content, with Phil Agnew

October 26, 2020 19:31 - 49 minutes - 27.1 MB

In this episode, Niki talks to Phil Agnew, former Senior Advisor for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and co-founder of Dream Defenders. As 'content' takes precedence over 'context' for the sake of social media likes and mass re-tweets, the two discuss the nuances of building political power, the necessity to prioritize slow and steady work over urgency, mental health, and which seeds of optimism they're sowing these days. You can learn more about Phil's latest project, Black ...

Like a Bird, with Fariha Róisín

September 14, 2020 17:24 - 43 minutes - 31.7 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Fariha Róisín, a Bangladeshi multidisciplinary artist, writer, podcaster, and poet. In light of Fariha's debut novel launch, Like a Bird, the two discuss the commodification of trauma, queerness and Islam, and the ongoing work of healing familial and ancestral wounds. Fariha's work has been featured in Vogue, PAPER, Nylon, Huffington Post, and elsewhere. Her new novel, Like a Bird is out September 15th. Order here. Transcript available here. ★ ...

We Can't Win Unless We're Organized, with James Lopez

August 24, 2020 13:45 - 44 minutes - 35.3 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews James Lopez, Executive Director at Power U Center for Social Change. Grounded in an organizing tradition and a leftist framework, the two discuss what it means for "defund the police" to go mainstream, the benefits and limitations of social media politickin, and what is needed to win meaningful material social change. James began organizing through the Western New York Law Center working with members of their consumer debt clinic, which helped chan...

Unpacking Black Capitalism, with Francisco Perez

July 20, 2020 14:55 - 1 hour - 48 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Francisco Perez aka Platanomics, a Black solidarity economy activist, educator, and researcher currently pursuing a PhD in economics. In this interview, the two unpack Black capitalism, how buying Black unfortunately won't free us, and how this crisis offers us some openings for transformation. The conversation attempts to answer "whose concerns does Black capitalism actually speak to?" Francisco is the Director of the Center for Popular Economics, ...

Being a Lowkey Superstar, with Kari Faux

July 09, 2020 15:58 - 52 minutes - 37.6 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Kari Faux, a multidisciplinary artist, rapper, and producer. The two get vulnerable and real about the impact of social media, the conflation of visibility with fame and financial security, and the power that having supportive friends and family has on our mental health. Through this candid conversation, Kari talks about the pressures of living in LA, the creative process behind producing and writing music, and how artists are more than 'aesthetic pa...

Cannabis Politickin, with Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey

May 18, 2020 11:00 - 54 minutes - 41.8 MB

In this quarantine episode, Niki interviews Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey, a multidisciplinary cannabis entrepreneur, artist, and writer. Gushing in their shared gemini curiosity, Niki and Mennlay discuss the politics of weed, the hype moment of CBD, ancestral wisdom present in food, and how the African Diaspora is expansive and in every corner of the world. Mennlay is the author of The Art of Weed Butter: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Cannabutter Master. Her work has been featured i...

TikTokin' the Revolution, with Gem Nwanne

May 11, 2020 11:00 - 53 minutes - 37.4 MB

In this quarantine episode, Niki interviews Gem Nwanne (@urdoingreat), who in six months has become a viral social media TikTok star, producing leftist cultural propaganda and popular education that is accessible and highly relatable. In this conversation, the two talk about the mental health toll of social media visibility, the journey of political development and radicalization, and what are the anchors of joy and hope in this moment. In addition to the digital cultural work, Gem discusses ...

Mother's Day Special: Challenging Oppressive Ideas of Motherhood, with Cynthia Cervantes Gumbs

May 07, 2020 13:00 - 56 minutes - 38 MB

In this quarantine episode, Niki interviews Cynthia Cervantes Gumbs, creative director and co-founder of Maroon World. As COVID-19 begins to shift perspectives around the indispensable value of childcare labor and reproductive work, Niki brings in Cynthia for a fresh perspective on what it means to be an artist, a mother, and an emerging voice in the creative world - with all identities coexisting in harmony. They discuss the myths and hangups around pregnancy and motherhood in an e...

Talkin' Music Industry and Music as a Tool of Solidarity, with Doris Muñoz

May 03, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MB

In this quarantine episode, Niki interviews Doris Muñoz, founder of Mija Mgmt, representing some of the top emerging Latinx artists. At 23, she took indie artist Cuco from backyard shows to Coachella in just one year. Understanding that representation is not enough for improving the material conditions for immigrants, she started Solidarity for Sanctuary, a concert series that connects undocumented families to grassroots organizations. Through this candid and vulnerable conversation...

Getting Real About the Art World and Social Media, with Decolonize This Place

April 24, 2020 16:00 - 53 minutes - 33.9 MB

In this quarantine episode, Niki interviews Marz and Amin of Decolonize This Place, a collective of organizers, artists, and cultural workers in NYC who have led actions of solidarity with Palestine, Black Liberation, and decolonizing the land NYC landlords profit off of. Some of their most notable actions have been against museums across NYC in hopes of holding them accountable. As COVID19 heightens the crisis of disaster capitalism, they discuss some sobering assessments of the mo...

A World Free of Cages, Walls, and Chains, with Maya Ragsdale

January 28, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Maya Ragsdale, a Harvard Law graduate and abolitionist movement lawyer in Miami who works to abolish jails, prisons, and police and create alternatives to exploitative and harmful institutions. Reckoning with their shared goal of envisioning a world free of cages, walls, and chains, they discuss the current state of the carceral state, the ins and outs of legal proceedings hidden from the public, and the possibilities we have for a new world that cen...

Tracing Ancestral Wisdom through Food, with Kia Damon

December 02, 2019 17:00 - 57 minutes - 50.9 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Kia Damon (@kiacooks), an emerging multifaceted Chef and the Culinary Director for Cherry Bombe. They discuss what it means to be self-taught, young, gifted, queer, and Black in an industry with harsh labor expectations and a culture that particularly de-prioritizes self care and mental health. Tracing ancestral wisdom through food, Kia offers a unique perspective into the culinary world and what is possible when we step out of the rigid eurocentric ...

Chipping Away at the Toxicity of the Fashion Industry, with Becca McCharen-Tran

November 12, 2019 05:00 - 57 minutes - 46.2 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Becca McCharen-Tran, queer fashion designer and founder of Chromat (a swim and bodywear brand known for its powerful garments that fit all bodies). Recognizing the impact of cultural institutions, they discuss the inherent white supremacist nature of the fashion industry, pick apart the contradictions of the new trends of "body positivity" and "inclusivity", and highlight different designers who are centering conversations of race, police brutality, ...

Art and Organizing as World-Making, with Zaina Alsous

July 21, 2019 22:45 - 53 minutes - 46.2 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Zaina Alsous, a Palestinian, abolitionist poet, and movement worker in Miami. Processing the urgency of the current carceral and climate crisis, they discuss potential interventions to resist and disrupt fascism, within an analysis of settler colonialism, and the power of new language as a means to world-making and envisioning social and political possibilities. Zaina's work has been published in the Boston Review, Bitch Magazine, the New Inquiry, M...

The Era of Radical Online Art Collectives, with Mars

June 05, 2019 17:00 - 49 minutes - 58.3 MB

In this episode, Niki interviews Mars, founder of Art Hoe Collective, a globally-renowned QTPOC collective of young artists that helped catalyze the movement of online creative collectives back in 2015. Navigating the nuances of commodification of bodies of color; they discuss exploitation of trauma, the precarity of the gig economy, the invisibility of creative labor by femmes of color, and the effects of radical rhetoric becoming mainstream. Art Hoe Collective has been featured i...