The Murder of Fred Hampton
Dec 4th is the 47th anniversary of Fred Hampton’s murder. We are presenting this program to provide historical context amidst current media dis-information and government surveillance of groups organizing for Black Lives and Liberation. Trump’s legitimization of white supremacist ideas and actions makes Fred Hampton’s words from 1969 apt today. The Murder of Fred Hampton began as a film portrait of Hampton and the...
Native Power: Language, Land, and Water NoDAPL
Special thanks to the Christensen Fund for supporting Making Contact’s indigenous storytelling fellows. The actions at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota continue. On the night of November 20, 2016, militarized police forces used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, hospitalizing a dozen water protectors and injuring 160 others. While mainstream media coverage is sorely lacking and...
Thwarting Democracy, the Battle for Voting Rights
Since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, many states have pushed changes to voter laws that raise disturbing connections to the past. Before the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act on August 6th, we revisit the hard fought battles for voting rights and the implications of new laws. Featuring: Reverend Tyrone Edwards, civil rights historian in Plaquemines Parish Louisiana Tyrone Brooks, Georgia State...
Occupy, 5 years later
September marks the 5 year anniversary of Occupy. We go to Zuccotti Park, and Oakland to talk to individuals that were part of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Oakland to gain insight and reflection on the movement that swept the nation. Featuring: Samara Ward, Occupy Oakland participant Joyous DeAsis, Young Oakland organizer, Occupy Oakland participant Marisa Holmes, Filmmaker, Occupy Wall Street facilitator Needa Bee, Occupy Oakland...
15 Years After 9/11, Still Searching for Monsters to Destroy
September 11, 2001 ushered in an era marked by the unending War on Terror, dragnet government surveillance programs, and escalating attacks on people perceived to be Muslim. Just last month, Khalid Jabara, a 37-year old Lebanese American man was shot and killed on his front porch in Tulsa Oklahoma by a neighbor who had harassed his family for years, calling them ‘dirty Arabs’ and ‘Mooslems’. This is just one of the many reported...
Coffee: Trouble Brewing?
It’s the second most-traded commodity in the world after oil but how much do you think about your cup of coffee? From coffee farmers in Colombia to the trash produced by your single-cup coffee machine, Making Contact and Green Grid Radio team up to count the costs of your morning cup o’joe. Featuring: Jairo Martinez, Mariana Cruz, Suzana Angarita, coffee farmers Jeff Goldman, former executive director Fairtrade Resource Network Jeff...
