
Advertise on podcast: Unruly Subjects
Rating
4.8from
This podcast has
31 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Rowhome ProductionsExplicit
Yes
Date created
2025/10/30
Latest episode
2026/10/08
Average duration
59 min.
Release period
14 days
Description
Unruly Subjects is a weekly show about politics and culture hosted by Chenjerai Kumanyika, media professor and Peabody Award-winning audio journalist. Each week, Chenjerai makes sense of the week’s struggles with some of his favorite people - thinkers, journalists, friends, and folks who can help us laugh through the pain. The show is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Support Unruly Subjects at Patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
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Check latest episodes from Unruly Subjects podcast
From Being Right to Being Powerful: Reaching Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness, with Yotam Marom
2026/10/08
What does it take to move from being right about the world to actually having the power to change it?
What happens within our movements and organizations and in our hearts when we stop believing that we can actually win?
Organizer, facilitator, and writer Yotam Marom joins Chenjerai to talk about what our movements can sometimes get wrong about power, leadership, conflict, strategy, and winning. They also discuss what it might take to build movements big and strong enough to meet this moment. Yotam’s new book is called For Louder Days: Reaching Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness.
📣 DON’T JUST LISTEN - PASS IT ON
If you know someone who would appreciate this conversation, send it to them. Seriously, text them right now. Forward it in an email. Drop it in the group chat.
Help us grow the Unruly community and organize so that we can move from just being right to actually building power.
🚨 HELP US BUILD FULLY INDEPENDENT MEDIA!
Unruly Subjects is growing. As I write this we now have 119 members in our Patreon community, including 45 people who have stepped up to support the show financially. To every one of you: THANK YOU!
🎯 OUR GOAL: 100 paid subscribers by December 1st. We’re almost halfway there. We need 55 more listeners to step up and help us build something sustainable.
We’re doing this work from the muscle, and if we want to keep making the show, expand our coverage, and bring you more conversations like this one, we need more of our listeners to pitch in.
🙏 If you value worker-owned, independent journalism, join our Patreon community for as little as $5/month. Help us build listener-backed media at unrulysubjectspodcast.com.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch at [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also on YouTube!
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Production Help From Aowen Cao
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode:
Yotam Marom, Four Louder Days: Reaching Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness
From Bernie to Mamdani, how the Occupy movement transformed American politics. Yotam Marom, who helped lead Occupy Wall Street, discusses why power must be built through movements, not simply through elected officials
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/21/yotam-moram-occupy-movement
Why bravery and heartbreak are essential to organizing. Reflecting on decades of organizing — from Occupy to Mamdani’s campaign — Yotam Marom’s book “For Louder Days” offers a powerful guide to making hard choices.
https://wagingnonviolence.org/2026/08/yotam-marom-for-louder-days-book-review/
“Undoing the Politics of Powerlessness” - Yotam Marom
Support the show
A Reckoning with our Moment LIVE at the Socialism Conference
2026/09/24
Unruly Subjects is back in the building and back in your feed! After a long, hot summer hiatus we’re returning with a very special episode recorded live at the Socialism Conference in Chicago, featuring a conversation with the legendary scholars and thinkers Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò.
Chenjerai, Femi, and Ruth dig into these big questions: How do we reckon with this moment? And where do we go from here? (A huge thank you to our comrades at Haymarket Books for organizing the conference and for their ongoing support of independent media.)
🚨 HELP US BUILD FULLY INDEPENDENT MEDIA!
To bring you this episode, the Unruly team traveled from Philly and NYC to Chicago to record live on the ground. That kind of independent coverage takes real resources and it costs money.
Unruly Subjects episodes have been downloaded tens of thousands of times. And for that, we say THANK YOU! But right now, only 39 people are stepping up to help support the show financially. We’re doing this work from the muscle, and to keep going, expand our coverage, and talk to more folks, we need your support.
🎯 OUR GOAL: We need 61 more listeners to step up by December 1st to hit our target of 100 paid subscribers.
🙏 If you value worker-owned, independent journalism, join our Patreon community for as little as $5/month. Help us build listener-backed media at unrulysubjectspodcast.com.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch at [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Production Help From Aowen Cao
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode:
By Ruth Wilson Gilmore:
Chenjerai interviews abolitionist Ruth Wilson Gilmore on the Intercepted PodcastGolden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing CaliforniaAbolition Geography: Essays Towards LiberationBy Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò:
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And What We Can Do About It)Reconsidering Reparations Support the show
Natalie Bencivenga, Hasan Piker & UNRULY SUBJECTS Live from the Socialism Conference!
2026/09/02
Before we relaunch our new season later this month, we wanted to share a special update!
We just dropped an interview with journalist and media producer Natalie Bencivenga for our Patreon community. [ LISTEN HERE ]
Natalie is also joining us at the Socialism Conference this weekend, where Chenjerai will be taking the stage across four live events alongside a lineup that includes Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Hasan Piker, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Demetrius Noble, Cat Salonek Schladt, Alex Hanna, Sarah Jaffe, and Yotam Marom.
Plus, we're staging our marquee live event: UNRULY SUBJECTS Live: A Reckoning with Our Moment!
Chenjerai will be sharing behind-the-scenes updates from the conference all weekend long, and if you get a chance to say hello in person, he might just give you a sneak peek at our brand-new Unruly merch... so don't miss out!
👉 Click here for Chenjerai's full Socialism Conference session schedule, panel topics, location details, and the Natalie Bencivenga interview.
If you value independent, worker-owned media, please step up and support our Patreon community for as little as $5/month!
Support the show
How Trump and Tech Elites Are Branding AI Resistance as Terrorism — and How We Can Fight Back
2026/06/11
This week, Chenjerai interviews reporter Daniel Boguslaw about his recent WIRED article, US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows. They discuss how tech corporations, law enforcement at the federal level, and even local institutions are collaborating to frame people in the fast growing resistance to AI and data centers as terrorists and threats to domestic security. Bogsulaw lays out what’s happening in detail and also tells us how people are fighting against these labels.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself? Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
☀️Unruly Subjects is going into summer mode☀️ This just means fewer and shorter episodes over the next couple months, while we plan for SEASON TWO in the fall.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows
https://www.wired.com/story/us-law-enforcement-warns-of-anti-tech-extremism/
https://danboguslaw.substack.com/
Support the show
On the ground at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, NJ
2026/06/04
This week, Chenjerai reports from ground zero outside Delaney Hall, the detention facility in Newark, NJ where hundreds of ICE detainees have been on hunger strike due to the horrible, egregious conditions. You’ll hear an interview that Chenjerai recorded with Sally Pillay, an immigration activist with the Eyes on Ice Coalition who volunteers outside the detention center, helping to support the families visiting the facility.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself? Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Support our families Linktree
Letters from Detainees
https://www.lahuelga.com/freedom
About Eyes on ICE NJ Coalition
https://www.facebook.com/PaxNJ/posts/eyes-on-ice-is-a-broad-based-coalition-of-dozens-of-orgs-with-a-broad-network-of/948292381077652/
Mami Chelo Foundation
https://mamichelo.org/what-we-do/
Support the show
From Detention Centers to Data Centers: Why the Fight Against Data Centers is a Fight for Democracy
2026/05/28
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
This week, Unruly Subjects is diving back into one of our most popular and urgent topics: the explosive growth of corporate data centers and the community-led movements rising up to stop them. We are joined by Astra Taylor (writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Debt Collective) and Saul Levin (environmental policy advocate and host of the new podcast The Hum).
Drawing from their co-authored article in The Guardian, they break down why the battle over AI infrastructure isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a fundamental battle for democracy, human labor, and the future of our communities.
But first, host Chenjerai tells the story of what he saw on the frontlines while visiting Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, NJ, where detainees have launched a hunger strike. Hear Chenjerai read a letter written by one of the men detained at Delaney Hall.
Plus, stick around until the end to hear a performance from 11-year-old hip hop phenom RoqueStarz, son of RodrigoStarz of Rebel Diaz.
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself? Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Saul Levin’s Podcast: The Hum
Erin Brockovich Launches Data Center Map
Take Back The Land (People’s Remix) by Rebel Diaz
Astra Taylor and Saul Levin’s Article from The Guardian
Hear Chenjerai Read "Our Cry: A Letter From Inside Delaney Hall"
Support the show
How the Informed Consent Coalition is Fighting the Family Policing System in Hospitals and Beyond
2026/05/21
This week’s show is about informed consent, pregnancy, drug testing, hospitals, and the family policing system. Specifically, we break down a form of surveillance called “test-and-report” that's being used to punish parents and newborns in medical settings. And we hear from a coalition that's been organizing against it.
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself? Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
Chenjerai interviews Dr. Erinma Ukoha and Desseray Wright about their work with the Informed Consent Coalition and their fight against the family policing policy of "test-and-report".
Desseray Wright is a Parent and Policy advocate at the Bronx Defenders, where she works to challenge and transform the family regulation system. Dr. Ukoha is a board-certified obstetrician, gynecologist, and maternal fetal medicine specialist at the Mount Sinai Hospital. This interview was recorded just before Mother’s Day.
We also give you a sneak preview of the new season of Scene on Radio, which premieres on May 27th.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Informed Consent New York
https://www.informedconsentny.com/
Bronx Defenders
https://www.instagram.com/bronxdefenders/
Movement for Family Power
https://www.movementforfamilypower.org/
Support the show
Locked Up for Being Poor: The Reality of Cash Bail and the Copaganda Machine
2026/05/14
This week, we hear the story of how the "punishment bureaucracy" uses narrative and media to maintain state violence. We’re looking at the devastating impact of jailing someone simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. We dive into how punishment systems defend themselves and the stories that police, prosecutors, politicians, and media institutions tell in order to make cages sound like safety.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects.
First, Chenjerai talks with Alec Karakatsanis, founder of Civil Rights Corps and author of the book Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our News. Alec tells the story of the fight against wealth-based detention—from the devastating reality of the cash bail system to the ways "copaganda" is used to attack reform victories and justify the jailing of people because they are poor.
Later, Chenjerai is out for a ride in New York City when his bike breaks down, leading to an encounter that sticks with him. He meets a bike mechanic who is clearly living without much of a safety net, but who carries an incredible archive of skill, a set of tools and a deep willingness to help others. It’s a reflection on the genius that lives all around us, and the uncomfortable reality of the city’s inequality.
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch at [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Alec Karakatsanis’s book: Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our NewsCivil Rights Corps: Learn more about their litigation and advocacy workThe Puerto Rico Report: The Transformation of the Puerto Rico Police BureauThe Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams by Alec KarakatsanisThe California Supreme Court Ruling: The Marshall ProjectDebt Collective: Carceral Debt Support the show
Being Dope, Staying Unruly: Why We Need Hip-Hop to Understand Power, to Build Power and to Fight the Power
2026/05/07
Before he was a scholar, journalist, and podcast host, Chenjerai was a rapper. And this week’s show is all about how hip-hop is connected to our larger political struggles.
📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself? Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
First, Chenjerai interviews his friend, the scholar, rapper, and UVA professor A.D. Carson. He's the author of Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir. In their conversation, they talk about what it means to take rap seriously on its own terms and why it's worthy of scholarly analysis, and how A.D’s work applies to the Afroman case.
Second, Chenjerai talks with RodStarz, ½ of the political rap duo Rebel Diaz. They discuss the group's history, their political education, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, and how they understood hip hop not just as music, but as actual infrastructure.
Also, P-Dawg calls in, News Fiend, & more…
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Buy A.D’s book: Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir https://academic.oup.com/book/61518?login=false
A.D. Carson’s hot off the presses article on the use of James Broadnax lyris to sentence him to death. https://theconversation.com/after-the-execution-of-james-g-broadnax-in-texas-questions-persist-over-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-280901
Some of A.D. Carson’s other writing
https://aydeethegreat.com/printed-words/
Rebel Diaz “Chicago Teacher”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k
Rebel Diaz on a legacy of activism through music
http://bronxink.org/2011/10/12/17578-rebel-diaz-passing-on-a-legacy-of-activism-through-music/
Support the show
Getting Unruly on May Day: Education Workers, Labor Power, and the Fight Ahead
2026/04/30
**Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?**
Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform
Here at Unruly Subjects you know we’re celebrating May Day ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
So this week, we’re featuring two interviews that help us think through this critical question: What does it take to build the kind of power that can actually meet this political moment?
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
In This Episode:
First, Chenjerai interviews three major labor leaders: Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a national vice president of American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Jessica Tang, president of AFT Massachusetts and former president of the Boston Teachers Union; and Carl Rosen, who recently retired as general president of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Todd, Jessica, and Carl talk about May Day as more than symbolism. They talk about it as part of building the infrastructure we may need later: labor, civil society, public institutions, community organizations, immigrant rights groups, education workers, and ordinary people finding ways to move together before a crisis hits.
Second, Our Unruly homie - the scholar and poet Demetrius Noble - talks with Carla Harris, a public school teacher and organizer in Guilford County, North Carolina. They discuss the everyday realities of working in public education and also about organizing in practical terms: how you talk to a coworker who is tired, scared, skeptical, or has never been asked to act before.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod.
Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode:
AAUP/AFT Platform: A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education
https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/Higher_Ed_Vision_and_Policy_Platform_326.pdf
May Day Strong
https://maydaystrong.org/
Kids Over Corporations
https://kidsovercorporations.org/index.html
https://www.ednc.org/4-23-2026-state-house-dems-call-for-budget-with-raises-for-educators-and-other-updates-from-the-start-of-short-session/#:~:text=Ben%20Humphries/EdNC-,Senator%20to%20file%20a%20
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Cancelling Classes
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXhiOqzEWQ9/?igsh=ZDJ4MWR5YWo5OGx2
Support the show
When the President Declares Martial Law: What We Can Learn From South Korea’s Struggle to Defeat an Authoritarian Turn
2026/04/23
This week, we look back at the martial law crisis that happened in South Korea in 2024, the Union-led opposition that organized swiftly, and the nationwide general strike that helped played a key role in defeating martial law and spurring mass mobilization.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
Chenjerai interviews Mikyung Ryu, the International Director of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) about what happened on December 3rd, 2024, how labor reacted, what broader forces made the response possible, and what lessons people in the United States might learn from South Korea's fight to stop an authoritarian turn.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Wikipedia Primer on the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_South_Korean_martial_law_crisis
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
https://nodong.org/english/
Support the show
Creating Conditions for Black Mothers to Thrive
2026/04/16
It’s Black Maternal Health Week! So on this week’s show we’re taking a deep look at the conditions Black mothers face before and after giving birth.
🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
We feature an esteemed guest to discuss the mental health dimensions of maternal health: Saadiqa Kumanyika, a psychotherapist who specializes in perinatal and postpartum maternal mental health. (Saadiqa is also the First Lady of Unruly Subjects).
We also share an interview with Malajah Rigsby, a new mother, and her doula Shantice Edwards. They give us an intimate view into what support and care looked like for them through their birthing journey.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Saadiqa Kumanyika Therapy
https://www.saadiqakumanyikatherapy.com/
Should I Have a Baby? 10 Questions to Ask Before You Get Pregnant
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/should-i-have-a-baby-10-questions-to-answer-before-you-get-pregnant-jennifer-jessica/1113650744
Black Women Birthing Justice
https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/
Black Mama’s Justice Alliance
https://blackmamasmatter.org/
Support SisterWeb - the community of Birth Workers and Educators that Shantice works with!
https://www.sisterweb.org/
Resources from Black Women’s Health Imperative
https://maternalhealth.bwhi.org/
Support the show
Steph Curry, Sportswashing, and Why NBA players are investing in Israeli Security Tech
2026/04/09
This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai finally gets into sports. Kind of. Recently, it came to his attention that Steph Curry - one of the greatest NBA players of all time - has been investing in Israeli technology that’s linked to military actions that country is taking in Palestine,Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and beyond. What’s up with that? Chenjerai unpacks this situation with Dave Zirin, Sports Editor at The Nation Magazine, and Demetrius Noble, Professor of African American Diaspora Studies at UNC Greensboro. They discuss the “sports-washing” being choreographed by nations and companies perpetuating war and genocides, the real world impacts of these investments, and how seemingly good guys like Steph Curry get tied up in the mess.
Also, we bring back singer-songwriter CoCo Watson and D Noble to dissect a ridiculous video that’s recently been going viral.
And new music from Coco! https://soundcloud.com/hellocollette/unsubscribe2026
We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode
Why is Steph Curry Investing in Israeli Security Tech?, The Nation
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/steph-curry-investments-israel-tech-sector/
Here is a video on Sports Washing From Dave Zirin - https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/sportswashing-countries-use-sports-to-distract-from-crimes/
Video of the Singing Server
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTYeWTekj4S/
Support the show
Jack Harlow’s "Blacker" Comments: Unpacking the Fallout with D Noble
2026/04/02
This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai is joined by his close friend Professor D Noble to unpack the viral fallout surrounding white rapper Jack Harlow. Following Harlow’s move into Neo Soul with his new album Monica, Chenjerai and Professor Noble dive into the controversy sparked by Harlow’s recent interview on the New York Times’ Popcast, where he claimed he has "gotten Blacker."
Go beyond the individual critiques of Harlow and go deeper to analyze how the "post-Not Like Us" landscape has changed the rules for artists, and who actually controls the means of Black cultural production. In other words who really controls access to the "Cookout?” And, of course, it wouldn't be Unruly Subjects without some levity—Chenjerai and D Noble spend some time riffing on the hilarious and biting nicknames that have popped up as the internet trolls Harlow, including Jan 6 Mafia, A Clan Called Quest, and Musiq Rothschild.
We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Support the show
How to Kill a Data Center
2026/03/26
This episode is all about the fight against data centers. Specifically, we’re sharing the story of how the residents of Monterey Park, California waged a successful campaign against the construction of a data center in their town. Chenjerai interviews Hrag Balian and Steven Kung, co-founders of No Data Centers in Monterey Park and Claire Wang, an independent journalist who has been covering the anti-data center movement for The Guardian and other outlets.
We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Go there now to hear Chenjerai and his friend D Noble dissect what's going on with the "rapper" Jack Harlow.
Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch [email protected].
Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz
Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions
Further reading & sources from this episode:
Rage against the machine: a California community rallied against a datacenter – and won, The Guardian
After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area, Capital B News
Trump releases AI policy for Congress to pre-empt state rules, Reuters
Trump’s AI Order Is More Bark than Bite
While the executive order has created uncertainty for the many states that have passed artificial intelligence policies to protect their residents, its impact falls short of its menacing rhetoric.
Data Center Watch
Support the show
Podcast reviews
Read Unruly Subjects podcast reviews
Lblb-207 2026/09/29
Great show- bad sound effects
I love the show, the leftist perspective, and the humor! But I cringe every time there’s an air horn and cheering- far too often. Small turn off but s...
InarticulateQuilter 2026/07/13
Love all the Kumanyika podcasts
Was recently recommended the Seeing White podcast which made me realize I hadn’t heard Chenjerai Kumanyika since Uncivil. Quick search turned up Empir...
rsam92 2026/03/26
Love this pod, just one request!
Essential listening these days! Absolutely love it. Well researched and relevant to everyone. The only request is if the clapping/whooping sounds coul...
Philly Music Guy 2026/02/06
Essential, brilliant, and surprisingly hilarious
Chenjerai Kumanyika has a rare gift for making complex political and social issues feel accessible without losing an ounce of nuance. What I love most...
Skatzesq 2025/11/23
On point!
Unsurprisingly for any project Chenjerai tackles, this podcast is tight & on point!
laurajoycedavis 2025/11/08
Everything Chenjerai does is gold!
This is exactly what our world needs right now, and Chenjerai is the man for the job.
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4.947754411
The Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan

4.5185359
Who, When, Wow!
Tinkercast | Wondery

4.6687771116
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella

4.9554112195
The MeidasTouch Podcast
MeidasTouch Network

4.639655
Only Murders in the Building Podcast
Straw Hut Media

4.7831518
The Home Service Expert Podcast
Tommy Mello: $200 Million Founder|Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur Columnist

4.443481356
Something You Should Know
Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

4.7906254
Everything is Fine
Jennifer Romolini and Kim France

4.610848573
Serialously with Annie Elise
Annie Elise & Audioboom Studios