More than 200,000 California teachers are vested in the CalSTRS pension system. On July 23, teachers rallied outside a CalSTRS board meeting in Burlingame, California, calling on the pension fund to divest from Israeli government bonds. They say their retirement savings should not be invested in a government that violates human rights.
***
Next, we bring you part of WPFW host Fahima Seck’s interview with Felipe Luciano, the Afro-Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and activist who co-founded The Last Poets and chaired the New York chapter of the Young Lords Party.
Luciano reflects on the life of Denise Oliver-Velez, who died on July 15. Oliver-Velez was an educator, writer, community organizer, and former leader of both the Young Lords and the Black Panther Party. She also helped found Pacifica station WPFW in Washington, D.C., where she served as its first program director. Luciano and Seck discuss her legacy in the movements for Black liberation, Puerto Rican self-determination, and independent media.
***
Hubert Harrison was a Caribbean-born labor organizer, writer, and socialist who became one of the leading Black radical thinkers of the early twentieth century. He championed workers’ rights, racial justice, and independent Black political action while opposing war and imperialism.
In his new book, Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism, University of Memphis historian Brian Kwoba examines Harrison’s life, ideas, and lasting influence. He spoke with Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer.
***
We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates that contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Fahima Seck, Polina Vasiliev, and Thomas O’Rourke.
You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism race and democracy dot ORG”. Make sure you click the subscribe button. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.
Thanks for listening.
Music:
Young Lords by Immortal Technique
