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PAY THE TAB: Reparations Now

Tony Tolbert & Adam Radinsky

America has never faced up to the atrocities its massive wealth was built on — or the racism that still plagues us today. It’s high time for reparations to Black Americans. In each episode, Harvard lawyers (and longtime friends) Tony and Adam expose a story of racial injustice — then explore creative ways to make it right. The show features special guests who are on the front lines fighting for justice. We're making the case for full national reparations, one story at a time.

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August 12 · 1 hr 5 min
#27 - The Black Maternity Crisis: Death By Racism
Why do Black women have a nearly 400% higher risk of dying in prenatal care and childbirth? Khiara Bridges, a leading expert on race, class, and reproductive rights, joins us to spotlight the real reasons for America's racial health crisis - and how to fix it. SHOW NOTES Guest: Khiara Bridges Khiara Bridges is a professor at UC Berkeley School of Law and a nationally-recognized expert on the intersection of race, class, and reproductive rights, and the maternal health crisis afflicting Black women. She has authored four books including her latest, Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans. SELECTED WORKS BY KHIARA BRIDGES: Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans (book) Reproducing Race : An Ethnography of Pregnancy as a Site of Racialization (book) Race in the Machine: Racial Disparities in Health and Medical AI (article) Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality (law review article) MORE ON NFL BRAIN TRAUMA SETTLEMENT: NFL agrees to end race-based brain testing in $1B settlement on concussions HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [7:53] Discrepancies in medical care between Black and white patients [12:54] Pregnant Black women “perform class privilege” to help odds of survival [18:49] Myth of genetic differences and “race correction” for Black patienets [27:21] Real causes of Black patients’ increased diseases [44:43] Black doctors improve health and survival of Black newborns [54:39] Health care must be a basic human right for all Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe to the Podcast
June 2 · 42 min
#26 - The MOVE Bombing: The Ultimate Police Brutality
In one of the most heinous acts of police violence against Black Americans, Philadelphia cops killed 11 people (including 5 kids) and left hundreds more homeless. But the case is mostly forgotten now. We get the inside scoop on the 1985 MOVE bombing - and why it’s relevant today with our bloated and growing police state. SHOW NOTES Guest: Linn Washington Jr. Linn Washington Jr. is an award-winning investigative journalist and professor at Temple University. His reporting focuses on the news media, social justice, race, and law. He also served as Special Assistant to the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Linn is the leading authority on the Philadelphia Police Department’s bombing of the MOVE house on May 13, 1985. He was on the scene covering the tragedy. MORE ABOUT MOVE: “MOVE: Untangling The Tragedy” (Linn’s great podcast series) The 1985 MOVE Massacre: When Cops Bombed Philadelphia (documentary) On A Move: Philadelphia's Notorious Bombing And A Native Son's Lifelong Battle For Justice (book by Mike Africa Jr.) TEACHING RESOURCES: "On A Move" High School Curriculum Zinn Education Project - Philadelphia Police Bomb MOVE Middle School Students Memorialized The MOVE Bombing EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: [4:29] Origins of MOVE and overview of May 13, 1985 bombing [7:20] Brutal history of Philadelphia police and pushback from MOVE [10:46] 1978 starvation blockade of MOVE compound resulted in shootout and nine MOVE members sentenced to prison for 30 to 100 years [13:10] MOVE’s strategy to free incarcerated members [17:37] Police Commissioner’s plan to bomb compound and let fire burn [27:05] Middle school students’ discovery of bombing inspires marker commemorating deaths of children [31:32] Importance of a free press to inform the public and serve as watchdog on government Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe to the podcast
March 31 · 55 min
#25 - Harvard The Enslaver: Don’t Hide The Truth, Tell It
Harvard University used enslaved labor on its sugar plantations and reaped profits from the slave trade. Richard Cellini, the researcher it hired to identify its enslaved and their descendants, joins us. His team found far more than expected – and it got them fired! Our alma mater sits on a $57 billion endowment. How should it make amends? SHOW NOTES Guest: Richard Cellini Richard Cellini is an attorney and leading scholar of the history of slavery and institutional accountability. He was founding Director of the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program. He also founded the 10 Million Names Project to recover the names of enslaved Black Americans, and the Georgetown Memory Project. FURTHER READING AND VIEWING: Harvard Fired Researcher Who Found Too Many Slaves - The Guardian (2025) Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities by Craig Wilder (2013) Exclusion U (2023): Excellent documentary about Ivy League schools’ hoarding of endowments and lack of accountability in providing public benefit, despite tax-free status. RICHARD CELLINI’S RELATED WORK: Georgetown Memory Project 10 Million Names Project HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [9:54] Richard Cellini tapped to lead Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program [13:56] Richard breaks down the numbers of people enslaved by Harvard and their descendants [22:55] Strong pushback from Harvard officials for “finding too many descendants” [30:29] Entire team fired with no reasons given [33:47] Harvard’s non-action and abandonment of project [39:00] Richard tallies the number of enslaved people and descendants identified [47:16] Adam and Tony discuss how Harvard could make real reparations Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
January 19 · 1 hr 1 min
#24 - MLK Part 2: Reviving His Dream of Radical Reparations
Dr. King died for his commitment to radically transforming our country. With today’s brazen piracy by the billionaires and Black America under permanent siege, King’s goals have never been more timely. Cutting-edge truth-tellers Aaron Good and Bryce Greene join us to hash it out - and see what real reparations could look like. SHOW NOTES Aaron Good and Bryce Green links: Aaron's book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Aaron's American Exception podcast Bryce's Substack newsletter "After The Uprising": podcast about mysterious deaths of Black Ferguson activists More from Martin Luther King: Dr. King Making The Case For Reparations Dr. King's Poor People's Campaign Selected quotes: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” “As my sufferings mounted, I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” “We must learn that passively to accept an unjust system is to cooperate with that system, and thereby to become a participant in its evil.” Books by William Pepper on the King assassination: Orders to Kill (1998) An Act of State (2003) The Plot To Kill King (2018) HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [8:43] Significance of King assassination today [11:20] Connection between the assassination and case for reparations [16:28] Lawsuit by King Family finding government plot to kill King [22:52] King assassination as government subversion of democracy [31:25] Role of media in deep government crimes [42:51] Structural transformation needed for real reparations Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Dec 16, 2025 · 59 min
#23 - MLK Part 1: Who Really Killed Dr. King - And Why?
One of the most traumatic events for Black America in the last century was the murder of Martin Luther King. But who did it? We spotlight a little-known 1999 court case that blew away the bogus cover story, and exposed a grim reality: the plot to kill MLK was led by our own government. Facing this ugly truth is a key step towards reparations. SHOW NOTES Materials on the 1999 trial and investigation: The 13th Juror: The official transcript of the trial including all witnesses and testimony Riveting article by James Douglass who attended the trial Loyd Jowers’s Televised Confession (1993) Books by William Pepper: Orders to Kill (1998) An Act of State (2003) The Plot To Kill King (2018) Dr. King’s iconic speeches: "I Have A Dream" (August 28, 1963) "How Long? Not Long!" (March 25, 1965) "Beyond Vietnam - A Time To Break Silence" (April 4, 1967) “The Three Evils of Society”(August 31, 1967) "We're Coming To Get Our Check" (March 1968) "I've Been To The Mountaintop" (April 3, 1968) Selected works by Dr. King: Letter From Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963) Books by Dr. King HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [5:56] Arc of Dr. King’s life and career [11:21] “Three Evils” speech excerpt [13:26] “We’re coming to get our check” speech excerpt [15:41] Socio-political climate of the late 1960s [18:22] “Mountaintop” speech excerpt [23:11] Pepper’s investigation [28:24] King Family’s lawsuit [55:55] Historical impact of the assassination Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Oct 9, 2025 · 53 min
#22 - Tulsa Revisited: The Fight Continues At Reparations Ground Zero
Meet Damario Solomon-Simmons, the leading reparations lawyer in the country. He led the Tulsa Race Massacre court battle that put reparations on the national radar. Damario gives advice and inspiration for creative change-making when the system is stacked against us. You’ll be fired up and ready to go! SHOW NOTES Guest: Damario Solomon-Simmons Damario Solomon-Simmons has been a civil rights attorney for almost 20 years. He leads the Justice for Greenwood Foundation, and co-founded the MVP Foundation. Damario has been featured on CNN, The View, Good Morning America, ABC News, ESPN, The New York Times, and more. Some of Damario’s projects for Tulsa: Tulsa Race Massacre Lawsuit – The brilliant and riveting legal complaint that launched the historic court battle for reparations stemming from the Massacre. Justice for Greenwood – Community-based Tulsa organization founded by Damario and fighting for justice and reparations for the Massacre. Greenwood Is Still Burning – New award-winning documentary that exposes the events of the Massacre and the ongoing legacy of harms it caused. HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [9:05] Damario’s shock on learning of the Massacre [14:07] Thriving Greenwood community [17:27] The real catalysts of the Massacre [24:14] Major impacts of the lawsuit [27:08] Key goals of lawsuit [33:00] Reparatory justice in plain terms [40:01] Damario’s motivations to fight for justice [49:00] Relevance of the Massacre today Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Jul 24, 2025 · 32 min
#21 - Our Project 2025: Double Down on Truth-Telling
What used to be called “science fiction” is now our daily reality. The fringe right is in power, bombarding us with the openly fascist Project 2025. A key tactic is snuffing out all talk about our racist and corrupt system. But this is no time to back down! Truth-telling is more critical than ever. Tony and Adam catch up on the latest - and how we can all fight back. SHOW NOTES Trump Administration Scare Tactics: “Dear Colleague” letter Anti-DEI Executive Order Law professors push back Reparations in the News: Tulsa: City Announces Private Sector Reparations Proposal Stone Mountain, GA: Confederacy Group Sues To Block Truth-telling Exhibit California: Legislative Black Caucus 2025 Priority Bill Package Maryland: Gov. Wes Moore Vetoes Reparations Study Washington: Washington State Undertakes Reparations Study HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [1:22] The far-right's Project 2025 [5:57] Trump Administration’s “Dear Colleague” letter and pushback [10:30] Tony on recent Georgia Confederacy group lawsuit [13:50] Strategies for pushing back against the powers that be [14:52] The importance of truth-telling [16:58] Current activity in the fight for reparations [22:37] The latest from Tony & Adam [27:12] Calls to action Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Mar 18, 2025 · 40 min
#20 - Slavery in the U.S. Today: Is This 2025 or 1825?
News flash: Slavery didn’t end after the Civil War. Thanks to the massive loophole of the 13th Amendment, it’s still going strong - in the form of forced prison labor all across America. We take you to Louisiana, the world’s incarceration leader. Local historian Eric Seiferth tells about Louisiana’s barbaric prison labor system, where inmates are forced to toil in the same fields worked by enslaved people over 150 years ago. We’re talking reparations? Let’s start by actually ending slavery in America! SHOW NOTES Guest: Eric Seiferth Eric Seiferth is a curator and historian with the Historic New Orleans Collection. His extensive research was instrumental in creating Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration, an exhibit examining the roots of Louisiana’s dubious distinction as the incarceration capital of the world. More on Louisiana's slave labor system: Promise of Justice Initiative – New Orleans-based group fighting to stop enslaved labor and other atrocities of the Prison Industrial Complex. Derrick Fruga's Return Home - Short film about formerly incarcerated man whose nearly two decades of forced labor earned him just enough money to buy his mother a bouquet of flowers. Visiting Room Project – Website lets you sit face-to-face with people serving life without parole at Angola Prison, telling their stories in their own words. The only collection of its kind with over 100 interviews. Angola Prisoners Lawsuit More on mass incarceration and forced prison labor: “13th” – Oscar-nominated documentary on our history of forced prison labor and the 13th Amendment loophole. Equal Justice Initiative – One of America’s leading advocacy groups fighting for justice in the penal system. California Voters Reject Anti-Slavery Proposition ACLU graphic of America’s coast-to-coast slave wages for prison labor More on “Captive State” and HNOC: Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration - exhibit website Historic New Orleans Collection website HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE [5:45] Forced labor in the Louisiana prison system [9:01] Through-line from slavery at Angola plantation to slave labor at Angola Prison today [19:28] Louisiana eliminates parole for life sentences and adds life-term offenses [23:19] Louisiana’s impact on brutal practices across U.S. prisons [28:40] Tension in New Orleans between horrific oppression and creative resistance [33:48] Importance of shining a light on our true history and organizing for reparations Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe ·
Dec 13, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min
#19 - The Bucks Start Here: William Darity Jr. and Kirsten Mullen
Money isn’t the only part of reparations - but it sure is a big one! We sit down with William Darity and Kirsten Mullen, the nation's leading reparations experts. They answer key questions: How big is the tab? Who gets paid? What good is money unless we first change our racist society? They also break down why they're hopeful that reparations will happen in America - and tell us about the transforming power of cold hard cash. SHOW NOTES Guests: William Darity and Kirsten Mullen William A. Darity Jr. is Professor of Public Policy, African American Studies, Economics, and Business at Duke University. He’s the founding director of the Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke. A. Kirsten Mullen is a writer, folklorist and lecturer whose work focuses on race, art, history and politics. She’s the founder of Artefactual, and was part of the team that designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Darity and Mullen co-wrote the award-winning book From Here To Equality: Reparations For Black Americans in the 21st Century. William Darity's home page Kisten Mullen's bio Selected works by Darity and Mullen: From Here To Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century (2020) The Black Reparations Project : A Handbook For Racial Justice (2023) Black Reparations in the United States: An Introduction (2024) Related articles: “Stolen Lives” - Elizabeth Wrigley-Field’s piece on stolen Black time and the “longevity gap” (2024) "What Is Owed" - article in the Nation on Darity and Mullen’s case for reparations (2021) "The New Reparations Math” - on Thomas Craemer's revolutionary approach to calculating the tab (2020) HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [14:57] The racial wealth gap and their plan for money reparations [24:42] The longevity gap and reparations [32:54] Eligibility issues for Black American reparations [42:36] Encouraging news on growing public support for money reparations [49:25] Problems with local and state initiatives [58:34] Mullen on the importance of collective will and calls to action Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Oct 24, 2024 · 50 min
#18 - The Negro Leagues: It’s Past Time for America’s Pastime to Make Reparations
Some of the greatest players ever were kept out of Major League Baseball for nearly 70 years - due to the collusion of the racist team owners. We visit with Bill Greason, 100, the oldest surviving Negro Leagues player, and baseball historian Larry Lester, to make the case for long-overdue reparations by MLB. We crunch some numbers and calculate the tab to right this historic wrong. It's time to play ball! SHOW NOTES Guests: Bill Greason and Larry Lester Bill Greason, 100, is one of two surviving players from the Negro Leagues. He was a star pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons and mentor to the great Willie Mays, before becoming the first Black pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. He was also one of the first Black U.S. Marines. Rev. Greason has served as a pastor at a Birmingham, AL church for over 50 years. Larry Lester is the leading Negro Leagues historian. His epic research spanned over 40 years and filled 25 file cabinets in his home. Lester played a pivotal role in the integration of Negro Leagues statistics into the Major League Baseball records in 2024. He also co-founded the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO. More on Bill Greason: Bill Greason’s biography Bill Greason Takes Another Trip Around the Bases at 100 by Joseph King More on Larry Lester: Larry’s website Larry’s all-time greatest baseball player: "Bullet" Joe Rogan With Deliberate Speed by Larry Lester (article about 1950s baseball integration) More on baseball integration and reparations: Wendell Smith's Vision Helped Clear Jackie Robinson's Path to Majors by Isabelle Minasian The Rippling Manifesto by Ernest DiStefano View From Third Base (Willie Mays 1960 All-Star Game) by Gary Rhoades Visit: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (Kansas City, MO) HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [13:45] Bill Greason describes his navigating the Ku Klux Klan in Birmingham [17:02] Greason compares the quality of play in Black and white baseball [18:21] Greason on his mentoring the great Willie Mays [19:57] Greason speaks on the prospect of reparations to Negro Leagues players [24:22] Larry Lester on the role of the Black press in integrating baseball [25:38] Lester on his role in helping to integrate the baseball record books [30:34] Lester compares the quality of play in Black and white baseball [35:10] Lester on Negro Leagues innovations [43:38] Adam calculates the $800 million owed by MLB to Negro Leaguers Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Jun 27, 2024 · 50 min
#17 - The “Black Tax”: A Grand Theft of Historic Proportions
A dirty secret in U.S. history is how local property taxes have been used to steal massive amounts of land and money from Black people, for the last 160 years. The Black Tax, a new book by historian Andrew Kahrl, exposes these scams that helped create the colossal racial wealth gap of today. The damage to Black Americans? More than $600 billion in straight-up theft – and trillions in lost generational wealth! SHOW NOTES Guest: Andrew W. Kahrl Andrew Kahrl is a Professor at the University of Virgina. His research focuses on the social and political history of racial inequality in the United States. He teaches courses on African American history, race and real estate, and U.S. urban history. Books by Andrew Kahrl: The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America The Land Was Ours: How Black Beaches Became White Wealth in the Coastal South Related readings and resources: The Whiteness of Wealth: How The Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans - And How We Can Fix It by Dorothy A. Brown “Blacks in South Struggle to Keep the Little Land They Have Left” (NY Times 1972) Federation of Southern Cooperatives (Land Assistance Fund) HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [10:55] Over-taxing of Black-owned property [13:54] Under-servicing of Black communities [22:18] The tax sale scam [26:06] The saga of Evelina Jenkins [29:08] The tab: damages to Black Americans for stolen property [39:32] Andrew Kahrl’s proposals to repair the tax system [42:22] Importance of solidarity to creating a more just system Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Apr 16, 2024 · 33 min
#16 - Special Update: The Reparations Movement, Our Growing Project, and Things We All Can Do
This is an exciting time in the fight for Black reparations! As momentum builds across the country, Pay The Tab is expanding in new directions - including the first-ever reparations course at UCLA Law School. In this special episode, Tony and Adam bring the latest news, answer your questions, and share things we all can do to disrupt America's toxic system of racism, denial, and capitalist greed. Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Feb 29, 2024 · 46 min
#15 - Henrietta Wood: An American Hero You Never Heard Of
The largest-ever court award for slavery reparations came from an unlikely plaintiff. Henrietta Wood was an enslaved woman who gained her freedom in the 1840s - only to be kidnapped and sold back into slavery for 15 more horrific years. Her heroic fight for payback is inspiration for today’s reparations battle. Join us with historian Caleb McDaniel, whose book telling Wood's story, Sweet Taste Of Liberty, won the Pulitzer Prize. SHOW NOTES Guest: W. Caleb McDaniel Dr. McDaniel is a professor at Rice University and U.S. historian, focusing on the Civil War Era and the struggle over slavery. He chairs the Department of History and serves as co-chair of Rice's Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice. His book, Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America, was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in History. Caleb McDaniel's home page Caleb McDaniel's book about Henrietta Wood, Sweet Taste Of Liberty Stolen by Richard Bell - story of five Black boys kidnapped from Philadelphia into slavery in 1825 More about Henrietta Wood's son Arthur Sims including his photo in Jet Magazine when he was America's oldest practicing Black lawyer! HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [5:57] The “reverse Underground Railroad” and kidnapping gangs in border states [12:51] The villain: Zebulon Ward [17:37] The case: Henrietta Wood v. Zebulon Ward [20:38] Generational impact of court award on Wood’s family [28:42] Importance of political action in the fight for reparations [31:52] The hero: Henrietta Wood Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Jan 30, 2024 · 1 hr 32 min
#14 - Live With Rep. Justin J. Pearson: Speaking Truth To Power
Rep. Justin J. Pearson blows away our live audience with his bold case for reparations - and for making change through multiracial solidarity. He speaks on the racist connections of gun violence and environmental pollution; and what we need to do to fix things. Also on video! SHOW NOTES Guest: Rep. Justin J. Pearson Rep. Pearson is one of the most exciting new progressive voices in America. He’s state representative for Tennessee's 86th district, which includes the city of Memphis. He made international news in 2023 as part of the "Tennessee Three" when he was expelled and then reinstated after leading protests over gun violence. He led a multiracial movement that took on billion-dollar corporations and saved Memphis’s drinking water by blocking a pipeline scheduled to run through the city’s Black community. The closing argument: Rep. Pearson’s case for reparations in 10 minutes Rep. Justin J. Pearson and the Tennessee Three: NPR piece Justin J. Pearson’s fight against the Memphis pipeline on Heather McGhee's podcast More on the “solidarity dividend”: Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of Us More on Justin J. Pearson’s time as an activist at Bowdoin College Rep. Pearson’s letter addressing the his colleague’s inaction on gun reform April 2023 HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [17:24] What “environmental racism” is and how it hurts communities [25:56] Importance of a multi-racial, intergenerational movement for justice [29:52] Reparations for environmental racism [39:02] Racist origins of the Second Amendment [49:29] How gun violence and environmental racism are connected [55:35] The case for reparations in 10 minutes [1:11:06] Audience Q & A Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Dec 14, 2023 · 52 min
#13 - Rest As Reparations: Closing The Racial Sleep Gap
Did you know Black Americans get about one hour less sleep each night than white people? Less sleep means serious health problems - and shorter life spans. We dive into this shocking “racial sleep gap” with a leading authority on the subject, Dr. Dayna Johnson. She breaks down where it comes from (spoiler alert: it’s all about racism) - and what we need to do to fix it! SHOW NOTES Guest: Dr. Dayna Johnson Dayna Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta. She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiologic Science from the University of Michigan. Dr. Johnson completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Her research explores the causes of sleep health disparities, especially those due to race and gender. Dr. Dayna Johnson’s home page From Tricia Hersey (AKA the “Nap Bishop”): "No More Grind”: her podcast interview about rest as resistance Her manifesto, Rest Is Resistance Great article: “Reparations for Black People Should Include Rest” HIGHLIGHTS OF EPISODE: [0:55] Tony & Adam on the “racial sleep gap” [9:52] Societal racism as root cause of the sleep gap [14:42] How individual racism impacts Black people’s sleep [16:48] Why Black people with more income and education often get less sleep [26:25] How Black trauma can cause lifelong sleep problems [33:51] Ideas on reparations for Black Americans’ sleep [48:51] Tony’s call to action for Black listeners Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Sep 20, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
#12 - Japanese American Reparations: Lessons For Black America
In the largest single act of mass incarceration in U.S. history, our government forced over 125,000 Japanese Americans into prison camps for three years during World War II. On this special live episode, two leading activists join us to expose the true story of this racist atrocity, the fight for reparations that followed, and the importance of racial solidarity in all movements for change. We know Black America can achieve reparations: it’s been done before! SHOW NOTES Guests: Kathy Masaoka and traci kato-kiriyama Kathy Masaoka was active in the movement for Japanese American redress in the 1980s and has worked to educate Americans about the camps. She co-chairs Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) and is active in the fight for Black reparations, testifying before Congress in support of H.R. 40 in 2022. traci kato-kiriyama is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist and activist, recognized for her work as writer, performer, cultural producer, community organizer, and audiobook narrator. traci co-chairs the National Nikkei Reparations Coalition and is on the Why We Can't Wait Coalition. Check out the VIDEO of this live episode! More on the incarceration of Japanese Americans: Searchable list of all 125,284 names of those incarcerated (Ireizō) NCRR’s book on the fight for Japanese American reparations Videos of the 1981 hearings “Pilgrimage” documentary More on traci kato-kuriyama’s work: traci’s website Their amazing book Navigating Without Instruments More from bridgette bianca: Her poem from our live show: “There Goes The Neighborhood” bridgette’s homepage The California Reparations Task Force proposals for Black reparations Highlights of episode: [9:56] Bogus excuses vs. real reasons for Japanese Americans’ incarceration [15:31] Kathy and traci's family experiences in prison camps [21:45] traci reads "No Redress" [29:39] Clips from J.A. reparations hearings [36:51] Limitations of J.A. reparations [39:11] Lessons of racial solidarity [52:05] traci reads "Note to Nikkei Community on Reparations" [56:35] Q & A Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Jul 28, 2023 · 1 hr 22 min
#11 - Mass Incarceration and Reparations: It’s Time For A New Way
Mass incarceration is a cancer that’s devouring Black communities. Writer and filmmaker Asia Johnson joins us and shares her experiences as a formerly incarcerated woman - and her visions for a new system of justice. Recorded with a live audience. Also on video! SHOW NOTES Guest: Asia Johnson Asia Johnson is a writer, filmmaker, and activist for the rights of incarcerated people. She is the Manager of Storytelling for zealo.us, a national advocacy, arts, education, and media institute. Her debut short film “Out of Place” screened at universities across the country. She is currently working on her first feature length documentary. Check out the VIDEO of this episode! More about Asia and her work: Asia’s homepage Asia’s first film Out Of Place zealo.us Right of Return Fellowship Art for Justice More about the prison-industrial complex: 13th (Ava DuVernay’s documentary masterpiece) The New Jim Crow (Michelle Alexander’s definitive book) Vera Institute of Justice More about Restorative Justice: Until We Reckon (book by Danielle Sered) Common Justice (Sered’s RJ organization in Chicago) Restorativejustice.org Highlights of episode: [8:20] Asia shares her early life and family experiences [18:20] Asia shares her experience in prison [22:23] [Asia explains challenges people face after prison [31:59] Asia envisions abolition of mass incarceration [37:24] More productive ways to spend $200 billion [38:56] Restorative justice as alternative to mass incarceration [55:03] Adam discusses indifference of white America as key obstacle [56:24] Asia’s Q&A with the audience [1:14:37] Asia’s closing poem and call to action Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
Jun 21, 2023 · 38 min
#10 - The Racial Wealth Gap: It's Our Turn Now
Why has it always been damn near impossible for Black Americans to make ends meet - let alone build wealth? Join us with Mehrsa Baradaran, law professor and a leading expert on the racial wealth gap. She speaks the truth and helps us bust the myths we’ve all been fed about race, money, and the American Dream. Mehrsa also has an innovative plan to bridge the gap real fast! SHOW NOTES Guest: Mehrsa Baradaran Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor at UC Irvine Law School and a leading expert on the racial wealth gap. Her award-winning book The Color of Money is the definitive work on the subject. Mehrsa’s proposed “Homestead Act for the 21st Century” lays out a bold plan to redress hundreds of years of racial discrimination and enable Black Americans to fully participate in the American Dream of homeownership. Highlights of Episode: [1:53] Racial wealth gap explained [4:46] Origin and expansion of the wealth gap [15:11] Role of U.S. government in vicious cycle of discrimination against Black people [18:35] Myths about causes of the wealth gap [22:06] Real reasons for the gap [23:40] Mehrsa’s Homestead Act for the 21st Century [30:01] How reparations will uplift everyone [33:48] Ideas for making reparations personal Mehrsa’s plan for reparations: A Homestead Act for the 21st Century Books by Mehrsa Baradaran: The Color of Money How the Other Half Banks Mehrsa’s video testimony to the California Reparations Task Force (10/13/21) More on "redlining": Redlining maps for all U.S. cities More on the U.S. government’s role in redlining Contact Tony & Adam Transcript of this episode Subscribe
May 3, 2023 · 49 min
#9 - Giving It All Back: White People's Worst Nightmare
Morgan Curtis discovered that her family’s wealth (and her large inheritance) were made from centuries of exploitation and suffering, including slavery. What she did in response is an amazing story of personal reparations - and reminds us of the power of facing hard truths and living our lives with purpose. SHOW NOTES Guest: Morgan Curtis Morgan Curtis is a young white woman making personal reparations through giving away all of her inherited wealth to causes supporting Black and Indigenous empowerment. She also coaches other wealthy people interested in redistributing their wealth. Morgan is a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, focused on the spiritual dimension of reparations work for white descendants of colonizers and enslavers. Highlights of Episode: [8:05] Surprise discovery of large investment account in her name [16:33] Challenges accessing the money and navigating relationship with her father [18:53] Plan for giving away her money [24:35] Morgan’s wealth distribution coaching [34:23] Role of guilt and shame [36:41] Reparations resources Morgan’s Homepage: More about Morgan and her work, including coaching services. You can chart the details of her giving on this Wealth Redistribution Spreadsheet. And check out her mini-book manifesto, Decolonial Dames of America. More resources for wealth redistribution and social change, mentioned in the episode: Resource Generation: Organizes young people with wealth and class privilege to become transformative leaders working towards the equitable distribution of wealth, land, and power. Solidaire Network: Community of donors moving resources to intersectional movements for racial, gender, and climate justice. Coming To The Table: Providing leadership, resources, and a supportive environment for all who wish to acknowledge and heal wounds from racism that is rooted in the United States’ history of slavery. Reparations 4 Slavery: Major portal for leaders doing deep work on reparations in America. Seed Commons: A national network of locally-rooted, non-extractive loan funds that brings the power of big finance under community control. Thousand Currents: They use relationships and resources worldwide in support of social movements building loving, equitable, and just futures, while transforming philanthropic and investment practices. Atlanta episode “The Big Payback” trailer (season 3, episode 4): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWDBXNFM5A0 Contact Tony & Adam Transcript of this episode Subscribe
Mar 13, 2023 · 59 min
#8 - Robin Kelley Live: Reparations and Imagining the Black Future
Show notes: The incredible Robin D. G. Kelley schools us on what true reparations could look like - and how to use our collective power to envision a better future. Recorded in Los Angeles with a live audience. See the video HERE! Guest: Robin D. G. Kelley Robin Kelley is a leading historian, author, and thinker of our time - or any time. His groundbreaking book Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination offers inspiring visions for a bold Black future. He breaks down why we need to imagine a radically different world in the fight for reparations. Filmed with a live audience at the Greenway Court Theatre in Los Angeles. Check out the VIDEO of this episode! Highlights of Episode: [7:59] Freedom Dreams is invitation to engage in struggle, make mistakes, learn from past movements [10:10] The global nature of racism and oppression, seeing reparations more broadly [13:12] Role of artists as truth-tellers [24:39] Robin’s bold possibilities for reparations [26:20] Why we need to transform society; link between Black and Indigenous reparations [32:42] Tony’s tribute to our mothers [45:42] Why we can’t ever get equality under capitalism Some key reparations movements and pioneers from the past: The Black Manifesto N'COBRA Provisional Government Of The Republic Of New Afrika "Queen Mother" Audley Moore Callie House Selected books by Robin Kelley: Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination (20th anniv. edition) Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original Yo' Mama's DisFunktional: Fighting the Culture Wars in Urban America Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression Robin highlights the critical role of artists in the struggle for Black liberation: Aja Monet - Dynamic young poet who wrote the new foreword to Freedom Dreams "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul" by Gil Scott-Heron - Groundbreaking musician, poet, author, and activist Sekou Sindiata - Brilliant poet who made profound impact on Freedom Dreams Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe

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