The Malcolm Effect

#64 The Story of Imperialism in Puerto Rico - Dana López

In this episode, Dana takes us through the history and legacy of imperialism in Puerto Rico 

 

Dana López (she, her, ella) 39 years old lives in Aguadilla Puerto Rico with her daughter, partner, and 2 cats. Studying Master of Social Work remotely at Columbia University School of Social Work (Clinical Social Work and Social Welfare Policy) 

 

Dana grew up in several places across what is currently known as the United States racialized and socialized as a "middle class" white woman.  

She returned to university as an adult to complete undergraduate work in Psychology, Social Science and Writing. Then went on to graduate school at Columbia and through the process of education and returning to Puerto Rico during the pandemic to live closer to her partners family, became deeply interested- if not obsessed with the ways that oppressive US imperialist policy is enacted and impacts the people of Puerto Rico.  She discusses the throughlines from invasion to current issues of "status" of Puerto Rico. The ongoing displacement and gentrification of Puerto Ricans and the ways that the US obscures the colonial and imperialist "relationship" between Puerto Rico and the US. 

 

Only some of many books, articles and names for further learning about this issue:

 

-War Against All Puerto Ricans, Nelson A. Denis

-How to Hide an Empire, Daniel Immerwahr 

-La Mordaza (The Gag Law), Ivonne Acosta Lespier

-Free Puerto Rico, Pedro Albizu Campos (anything about Albizu Campos)

-Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein

-For those who like Marx and poetry... Read Lo Terciario/The Tertiary by Raquel Salas Rivera

-Centro Archives at Hunter College CUNY

https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/library/#archivesSection

-Boricua College Archives

-University of Puerto Rico Archives 

 

Policy list and key points mentioned for further research:
El Grito de Lares

Carta de Autonomia

The Jones Act 

The Gag Law

US Public Law 136 (forced sterilization of women in Puerto Rico)

Cornelius Rhoades

Ponce Massacre

Nationality Act

Act 20/22/60

PROMESA/ La Junta

Vieques bombings

History of pharmaceutical business, contraception testing

UN Decisions on decolonization of Puerto Rico

 

I.G. @TheGambian

 

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@DLopezsocialwrk

 

 

 

#1 The Crisis Update

This segment is a new addition to The Malcolm Effect in which we aim to release a weekly news update in line with the spirit of internationalism

 

(This episode was recorded on the 10th June 2022)

#63 A Historical Analysis of Gun Laws in the USA - Dr. Gerald Horne & Christian Joseph

In light of recent mass shootings, Professor Gerald Horne takes us through a historical analysis of US gun laws.

 

Gerald Horne, is an American historian who currently holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.

I.G. @TheGambian

@CtayJ

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Ctayj

#62 The Current Culture War and How The Left Should Respond - Dr. Aurelien Mondon

In this episode I spoke to Aurelien Mondon regarding how those on the left should, if at all, respond to the current iteration of 'the culture war'

 

Aurelien Mondon is a Senior Lecturer in politics at the University of Bath. His research focuses predominantly on the impact of racism and populism on liberal democracies and the mainstreaming of far right politics through elite discourse. His first book, The Mainstreaming of the Extreme Right in France and Australia: A Populist Hegemony?, was published in 2013 and he recently co-edited After Charlie Hebdo: Terror, racism and free speech published with Zed. His new book Reactionary democracy: How racism and the populist far right became mainstream, co-written with Aaron Winter, is now out with Verso.

 

I.G. @TheGambian

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@AurelMondon

#61 What is Materialism? And What Does a Black Materialist Politic Sound Like? - Aaron Booe

In this episode, I spoke to Aaron as they broke down what is materialism and why they choose to adopt a materialist politic when thinking about Black liberation.

 

Aaron Booe is an organizer with the Claudia Jones School for Political Education in Washington, D.C. Currently, they are studying Political Science and Economics at Howard University. 

I.G. @TheGambian

@aaron_bo02

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Afromaterialism

 

#60 Not All Blacks Have Your Back -Too Black

In this episode, I spoke to the dope Too Black regarding how we should organise and build politically, particularly focusing on what our approach should be towards the Black bourgeoisie

 

Too Black is a poet, traveling and teaching artist, and author fusing historical content, current events, creative practice, and interpersonal interaction on international stages. He is currently the host of the Black Myths Podcast: a podcast debunking the BS said about Black people while also the producer for The Last Dope Intellectual: an unapologetically radical Black web show hosted by Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly and Dr. Layla Brown.

​

Too Black blends critical analysis with biting sarcasm. He has headlined various stages and events including the historic Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, Princeton University, and Johannesburg Theater in South Africa. His words have been published in online publications such as Black Agenda Report, Left Voice, Blavity and Hood Communist.

​

​

I.G. @TheGambian

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Too_Black_

#59 ”What is Race?” - Professor Alana Lentin

We often hear that race is a social construct, however that doesn't actually tell us what race is doing. In this episode Alana Lentin calls us to think of race as a technology of power. Listen in for another amazing episode.

 

Alana Lentin is Professor of Cultural and Social Analysis at Western Sydney University. She is a Jewish European woman who is a settler on Gadigal land (Sydney, Australia). She works on the critical theorization of race, racism and antiracism. Her latest book is Why Race Still Matters (Polity 2020) and she previously published The Crises of Multiculturalism: Racism in a neoliberal age with Gavan Titley (Zed, 2011). She co-edits the Rowman & Littlefield ‘Challenging Migration Studies’ books series and the ‘Decolonization and Social Worlds’ series at Bristol University Press. She is an editorial board member of Ethnic and Racial Studies and Identities among other journals. Her academic and media articles as well as videos, podcasts, and teaching materials can be found at www.alanalentin.net

 

I.G. @TheGambian

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@AlanaLentin

#58 A Material Analysis Of Space and Borders - Gregk Foley

Borders are imaginary however, their maintenance requires a series of material policies. Listen in as Gregk unpacks the nature of bordering and what a Marxist analysis of borders and space sounds like

 

Gregk Foley is an independent researcher based in the UK. His research interests concern the political geographies of border/ing regimes, policing, security and war.

 

I.G. @TheGambian

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Gregkfoley

#57 A Look At Now - Dr. Gerald Horne & Christian Joseph

In this episode I was joined by Dr. Gerald Horne & Christian, as we speak about Black politics today.

 

Gerald Horne, is an American historian who currently holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.

I.G. @TheGambian

@CtayJ

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Ctayj

#56 An Introduction to Decolonial Theory - Dr. Jairo I. Fúnez

Listen in as Dr. Jairo I. Fúnez breakdowns what exactly is decolonial theory and decolonisation. 

 

Jairo I. Fúnez-Flores, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum Studies at Texas Tech University. His research works at the intersections of sociocultural studies of education, curriculum studies, decolonial theory, and qualitative methodology. He has a particular interest in the ways in which Latin American student movements create alternative pedagogical spaces within and beyond educational institutions. Through critical ethnography his work interprets how student activists construct political identities, knowledges, pedagogies, and practices of resistance that unsettle neoliberal education reform. Jairo’s research also theorizes the geopolitics of curriculum and examines how curriculum reform perpetuates coloniality within the context of neoliberal globalization. His most recent work advances transgressive decolonial hermeneutics in activist education research and examines the conceptual and methodological points of convergence between the decolonial and ontological turn in social theory.

 

I.G. @TheGambian

 

 

Twitter:

@MomodouTaal

@Jairo_I_Funez