Block & Build

(Kind) Gamers, Rise Up w/ New Save Collective

Last fall a group of gamers joined up [https://kotaku.com/fortnite-gta-5-roleplay-ice-raid-new-save-collective-2000646967] for an event in the wildly popular online video game Fortnite. (If you’re not familiar, just ask your kids.) The purpose of the event was to train players on how to respond to real-life encounters with ICE agents, followed by role-playing encounters within the safety of the game world. This is just one of the many ways the group known as New Save Collective is organizing players and events in an attempt to create a kinder, more progressive environment for the more than 60% of people in the US who regularly play video games (as well as gamers beyond US borders). New Save Collective organizes events like these as well as supportive ways for progressive-minded gamers to find each other and play together on their Discord server, which includes over 800 members. While not perfect, Discord is a powerful social app, popular among gamers. It is rapidly growing as an online organizing tool because it allows communities to moderate and curate both their members and the content members engage with. Think of it a bit like Slack for gamers and hobbyists. We're joined this episode by New Save Collective’s founder, Sijal Nasralla, as well as one of its Discord moderators, known by her screen name Magick Mayhem. They talk about how and why they are building this digital organizing space centered around gaming. They also discuss why the mission of their work is centered around creating a culture of kindness in gaming. Connect with New Save Collective * Discord [https://discord.com/invite/uFMPFtaGA2?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnqDye7iWFo8Y7Z57FFjSu-NyYg__BumaV8ivEZ2VGbssntyJn_YixZ7TWanE_aem_28pz1sQXzZfd3eIKPN9bfw] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/newsavecollective/] * kindgamers.com [https://kindgamers.com] WANT MORE? * Submit [https://convergencemag.com/pitch/] your article proposals to Convergence * Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance [https://movement-media.org/] * Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com [mailbag@convergencemag.com] * Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ConvergenceMag] to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT * Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership [http://convergencemag.com/membership]

Meet the Elbaum Resident Writers w/ Delaney Vandergrift and Whitney Washington

Last fall, Managing Editor Akin Olla began piloting a concept for how Convergence can grow as a space which can develop the voice of organizers trying to communicate big strategic ideas. The result was the Max Elbaum Resident Writers Program (named after our longtime board chair). We received an amazing batch of applications from over 60 organizers from all over the country and chose two to join us for the next 12 months to work on honing their craft as writers and refining their ideas about movement strategy. Each resident writer has a big question they will be exploring across multiple articles they’ll be publishing with us over the coming months. I’m excited to introduce the 2026 Elbaum Resident Writers: Delaney Vandergrift and Whitney Washington. In this episode, both join in back-to-back interviews to discuss what their organizing background and more details about what they'll be publishing with Convergence this year. WANT MORE? * Submit [https://convergencemag.com/pitch/] your article proposals to Convergence * Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance [https://movement-media.org/] * Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com [mailbag@convergencemag.com] * Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ConvergenceMag] to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT * Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership [http://convergencemag.com/membership]

#100 – Once More, With Feeling!

This is our 100th episode of Block & Build! We wanted to do something unique to mark this milestone. We jokingly discussed doing a musical episode. While we don’t have the time or the money to write 55 minutes of original songs about the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act once and for all and what we’re going to do about it, we thought we’d take some time to share some of our favorite movement music with you. In this episode Convergence Managing Editor Akin Olla and Senior Multimedia Producer Josh Elstro join to discuss some of our favorite movement music. They also delve into the broader state of movement music and counterculture as they see it in the big tech streaming landscape. SONGS AND ARTISTS DISCUSSED (IN ORDER) Every song discussed, along with other favorites from the Convergence team, are available to listen to as a YouTube playlist [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&si=nLJSYyBNniBtgW1Y] we've built for listeners. * Dead Prez - Let's Get Free [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSWwWdAw-h8&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY] * Dillinger Four - Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb_o6M9_Hdw&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=2] * Phil Ochs - Love Me, I'm a Liberal [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cdqQ2BdgOA&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY] * Dmitri Shostakovich [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQlw0P3dgE&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=4] * Le Tigre [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHOZwyNilZs&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=5] * Bikini Kill [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0oeqAQ1qE8&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=6] * Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M11SvDtPBhA&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=7] * Vince Staples - Blackberry Marmalade [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcD99Pd0oo&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=8] * Which Side Are You On? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNVzwuJeVk&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=9] * Propagandhi - Night Letters [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoSWoNL5Z_c&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=10] * Leftöver Crack - Born to Die [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff8roEaB6os&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=11] * Eminem - Square Dance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JX8j3vwrIA&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=12] * Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Minneapolis [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDaPdpwA4Iw&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=13] * Massive Attack / Tom Waits - Boots on the Ground [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-57FrioeuE&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=14] * Anohni - 4 Degrees [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB7YMAFPeow&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY] * Run the Jewels - Lie, Cheat, Steal [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEOximWoFd0&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=16] * Dead Prez - Happiness [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFRk_cQIq2k&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=17] * Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=18] * Hurray for the Riff Raff - Pa'lante [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LilVDjLaZSE&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=19] * Carsie Blanton - After the Revolution [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbLFiWy-Vgc&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=20] * Santigold - Ushers of the New World [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTej8wtvvY&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY] * Kendrick Lamar - Alright [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-48u_uWMHY&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=22] * Childish Gambino - Feels Like Summer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1B9Fk_SgI0&list=PLYq44-0Y9L5uh5zTNvORobkrZwlQpeEnY&index=23] WANT MORE? * More Songs of Resistance [https://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/songs-of-resistance] from our friend Scot Nakagawa (22nd Century Initiative) * Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance [https://movement-media.org/] * Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com [mailbag@convergencemag.com] * Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ConvergenceMag] to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT * Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership [http://convergencemag.com/membership]

Women’s Sports Rally w/Caroline FitzGerald and Kathy Plate

In the fall of 2023 a woman entered a bar and asked if they could put on the final regular season game of the WNBA’s New York Liberty. The bartender told her “I don’t think anyone here wants to see that.” She used that frustration to start organizing. Three years later, it feels like women’s sports are everywhere, especially (but certainly not exclusively) women’s basketball. The WNBA has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years and this spring, the WNBA and the players’ union agreed to a monumental collective bargaining agreement that is a major step towards equitable pay with the men’s league players. Central to this success is the work of fan organizing like this week’s guests. From 23,000 fans signing a petition demanding better play for WNBA players to an in-game protest of thousands of fans chanting “PAY THE PLAYERS” at a Unrivaled league game in Brooklyn this winter, fans have been showing up for the athletes (and workers) they follow and cheer on, on the court and at the bargaining table. This was the result of her work building Women’s Sports Rally [https://womenssportsrally.substack.com], an organization for women’s sports fans to collectively build authentic, powerful women’s sports communities and align as active allies rather than just consumers of the sports they love. They are committed to actions that help to fairly and inclusively distribute the social, financial, and cultural benefits that come with the growth of women’s sports. Our guests this week are the very woman who was told off by that bartender three years ago and the founder of Women’s Sports Rally, Caroline FitzGerald and digital communications and campaign strategist Kathy Plate. Kathy has worked on organizing sports fans as a political and cultural constituency which began in her previous work with Ultraviolet [https://weareultraviolet.org], a feminist organizing coalition representing all women, in all arenas – including sports and culture. @Womenssportsrally [https://www.instagram.com/womenssportsrally/] on Instagram. WANT MORE? * Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance [https://movement-media.org/] * Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com [mailbag@convergencemag.com] * Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ConvergenceMag] to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT * Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership [http://convergencemag.com/membership]

The Attention Economy Navigator, April 2026 w/ Bridget Todd and Negin Owliaei

This week we are building April's Attention Economy Navigator, our guide to what you should be paying more attention to, and what you can probably pay less attention to. And why those stories might not be what you’d assume. Joining to help build this month's Attention Economy Navigator in real time are host of There are No Girls on the Internet [https://www.tangoti.com], Bridget Todd (her new audiobook Love at First Prompt [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Love-at-First-Prompt/Bridget-Todd/9781668179826] is available July 14th from Simon & Schuster) and Editor-in-Chief at Truthout [https://truthout.org], Negin Owliaei. You can also watch the panel plot these stories in real time on YouTube [https://youtu.be/AljLZqLtg8A], or read the article version on the Convergence website [https://convergencemag.com/articles/the-attention-economy-navigator-april-2026/]. Stories referenced in this episode: * Using forensic investigation methods, the FBI was able to extract copies of incoming Signal messages [https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/] from Prairieland defendants' iPhones. * Rep. Eric Swalwell drops out of California Governor's race amid many sexual assault and misconduct allegations. The Democratic Congressman and frontrunner for Governor of California has been outed as a serial sexual predator in the workplace [https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/reps-tony-gonzales-eric-swalwell-officially-resign-misconduct-claims-rcna331765]. * Student organizers are fighting back against 287(g) agreements on campuses, and some of them are even winning [https://prismreports.org/2026/04/14/universities-ice-cbp-st-johns-florida/]. * Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been in a Kuwaiti prison for over a month now for re-sharing video coverage [https://truthout.org/articles/kuwait-has-detained-american-journalist-who-shared-us-warplane-crash-for-6-weeks/] of the US-Israel military operations in the Gulf. * How people are digesting Peter Magyar's victory in the Hungarian elections [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9vg782kx7o] – Not everyone is taking the right lessons here, and it's still early days to understand what is happening (and what will happen in a new Hungary). * AI-powered facial recognition is being used to deny food benefits to pregnant and post-partum people in India [https://pulitzercenter.org/projects/ai-facial-recognition-denying-food-pregnant-women-across-india]. * Is Brooklyn-based band Geese a psyop or nah [https://www.garbageday.email/p/the-wild-geese-chase]? Wired repeated the hype from the band's PR firm that claims to have been able to game the algorithm on TikTok to blow up their most recent (and critically acclaimed) album, Getting Killed. * The meme war over Iran has commenced, and maybe Iran is winning? AI-generated animated Lego meme videos are covering the internet [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/iran-revolutionary-guard-social-media-behind-the-scenes.html] and they're pretty effective at narrating the war from the Iranian perspective. * Erika Kirk is not suing Druski [https://theconversation.com/druskis-viral-whiteface-skit-isnt-racism-its-satire-that-punches-up-at-power-279460] over his "How Conservative white women in America act" skit. WANT MORE? * Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance [https://movement-media.org/] * Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com [mailbag@convergencemag.com] * Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ConvergenceMag] to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT * Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership [https://convergencemag.com/membership]