Abolition X

Unprocessed grief can damage our mental, emotional and physical health. It can lead to harmful decision-making and contribute to cycles of trauma and violence. How could creating spaces to process grief help build healthier, safer communities? We talk to Mustafa, a singer, songwriter and poet whose EP “When Smoke Rises” chronicles his grief for loved ones he’s lost to gun violence, including his friend Smoke Dawg. We also talk to Ahwoolay, Mustafa’s incarcerated friend and Smoke Dawg’s older brother. This is the final episode of our first season. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Make sure to follow the podcast and hit the bell icon to get updates on when we’re coming back with more of these important conversations. @mustafathepoet @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Make sure to check out Mustafa’s critically acclaimed EP When Smoke Rises, which was named one of the best albums of 2021 by the New York Times. Check out the amazing music videos for “The Hearse,” “Ali” and “Stay Alive,” songs written in dedication to Mustafa’s friends who have been lost gun violence. Read this 2018 study breaking down the effects of police killings of Black people have on the mental health of Black Americans. Watch people talking about Mustafa’s 2021 concert at Massey Hall and what he means to the Regent Park community and the city, as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even some who believe in abolition struggle with the idea of addressing domestic abuse without locking people up. Learn how to stop domestic violence without prisons from lawyer and professor Leigh Goodmark, author of Decriminalizing Domestic Violence. We also hear from Floyd, an incarcerated survivor of child abuse, who, after committing deadly domestic violence, has dedicated his life to helping men who abuse transform their behavior. To find more information and resources for people experiencing domestic abuse, go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE(7233). Socials @LeighGoodmark @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== To find more information and resources for people experiencing domestic abuse, go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE(7233). Socials @LeighGoodmark @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Check out some stats on the effects of children being exposed to domestic violence. Need some guidance on where dive into the work of influential Black feminist writer and scholar bell hooks? Check out this guide from the New York Public Library. Find out more about the anti-domestic-violence work Floyd is doing from inside prison through his organization AIDA. Find more information about Prof. Leigh Goodmark’s book Decriminalizing Domestic Violence, as well as her upcoming book Imperfect Victims: Criminalized Survivors and the Promise of Abolition Feminism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of our people support police because they are unaware of other options to keep them safe from street violence. But violence intervention programs led by former gang members have shown to be more effective all over the country. Dr. Ameena Matthews, violence interrupter and congressional candidate for Chicago’s 1st District, and Michael, a former gang leader and peace advocate serving life without the possibility of parole, show us how. Check out our episode notes below for links to resources and some of the other points discussed in this episode. Socials @AmeenaMatthews @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Stay plugged in to what Dr. Ameena Matthews is up to at her campaign website and put that June 28 primary election on your calendar, no matter who you’re voting for. Watch the incredible, award-winning documentary “The Interrupters” and see Dr. Matthews in action on the streets of Chicago. Find out more about CeaseFire and other violence interruption programs around the country, like the “Operation Peacemaker Fellowship” in Richmond, California, which is credited with bringing down homicides in the former “murder capital of California” by 80%. Take a listen to “Opportunity, Please Knock,” one of the songs in Oscar Brown Jr.’s musical revue performed by members of the Blackstone Rangers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The criminal legal system often fails and antagonizes survivors of sexual violence, but what should exist in its place? We explore this issue with dream hampton, organizer, filmmaker and executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, and with Laura, an incarcerated survivor serving 50 years to life for killing her longtime abuser. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, know that you aren't alone. Free, confidential support is available 24/7 through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 and online.rainn.org. If you or someone you know may be struggling with their mental health, there are ways to get help. Please visit spotify.com/resources for more information and access to mental health resources. Check out our episode notes below for links to resources and some of the other points discussed in this episode. Socials @dreamhampton @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Check out some stats about how incarceration affects survivors of sexual abuse from the ACLU, Survived and Punished and RAINN. Read Mariame Kaba’s essay “The Sentencing of Larry Nasser Was Not ‘Transformative Justice.’ Here’s Why.” The essay is also in Kaba’s book We Do This Til We Free Us. Watch dream hampton’s beautiful documentary Black August: A Hip Hop Documentary Concert. Read dream hampton’s essay “R Kelly’s Abusers Deserve Justice, But What Does That Look Like?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are taught that tech conquers human bias. But it actually can just mechanize the biases of the people who program it. As the punishment industry relies more on tech, how will it affect our communities? We go in with Dr. Safiya Noble, MacArthur Genius Grant winner, tech abolitionist and author of Algorithms Of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, as well as Brotha C, an incarcerated coder from a community being gentrified by tech. Check out our episode notes below for links to resources and some of the other points discussed in this episode. Socials @safiyanoble @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Check out Dr. Safiya Noble’s book Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, and find out the many reasons she is a recipient of a 2021 MacArthur Genius Grant. Follow the work of digital architect and influential tech leader Iddris Sandu. Read about the controversy surrounding Simone Biles’ 2020 Vogue cover. Find out more about how the PATTERN risk assessment tool was found to have bias against incarcerated Black people and Brown people. Read about how Big Tech is rapidly gentrifying the Bay Area. Check out ProPublica’s in-depth reporting on how COMPAS software used all over the U.S. by courts and prisons was found to be biased. See the work the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative is doing to help protect digital privacy and dignity online. Read Dr. Noble’s article in The Cut about Meghan Markle’s lawsuit against The Daily Mail, and how her story speaks to how Black women face a unique type of online attacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mental health is key to how we treat ourselves and each other. But can investing in mental health really make us safer? We holla at Patrisse Cullors – artist, author of An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing the World and Yourself, and caretaker of her brother, who has been criminalized for mental illness. We also talk to James, who is currently serving 15 years in prison for an altercation that took place during a mental health episode. If you or someone you know is struggling or thinking about self-harm, there are ways to get help. Go to spotify.com/resources for a list of organizations that offer support for anyone feeling distressed, experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety, or thinking about self harm or suicide. Check out our episode notes below for links to resources and some of the other points discussed in this episode. Socials @osopepatrisse @vicmensa @indigomateo @richiereseda ============== Find and independent bookseller where you can buy Patrisse’s new book An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World. Check out some of the statistics on Mental Health X the criminal justice system from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Read this NPR article about the work being done in Trieste, Italy around mental health that Patrisse mentions in the episode, and how this abolitionist framework is now under threat. You can hear James on Vic’s 2021 album The I Tape. Find out more about Patrisse’s art and the work she’s doing through her organization The Crenshaw Dairy Mart in Inglewood, CA, as well as the Care Not Cages initiative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abolition X is the podcast that brings abolition to the culture. Hosts Vic Mensa, Indigo Mateo and Richie Reseda discuss how abolition isn't just about dismantling the prison industrial complex, but that it's also about imagining a world based on community, accountability and healing. In every episode, incarcerated people, organizers and artists address how abolition intersects with different aspects of culture — from housing to hip hop — and leave us with a new vision of how we can treat ourselves and each other outside of revenge and punishment. Coming February 15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices