Mutual Aid on Lockdown

In this episode, I talk with Wendolyn Omaña from Four Corners Mutual Aid.   Wendolyn is a racial and social justice activist and former board member of the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition who is currently leading programs for the healing of intergenerational trauma within immigrant communities.  We have a great discussion about these topics and how they relate to mutual aid! To find out more about Four Corners Mutual Aid, and help them raise needed funds, visit these links! https://fourcornersmutualaid.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FourCornersMutualAidNetwork/ Also, check out the Native Lens project via Rocky Mountain PBS, which invites Native and Indigenous storytellers to share their stories!   Check out stories, or submit your own at this link: https://www.rmpbs.org/nativelens/

In this special Legal Episode, we are joined by Michael Haber.  Michael is a professor at Hofstra Law School, Lawyer and Activist in New York.  He has recently published a Legal Guide for Groups Doing Mutual Aid During the Covid-19 Pandemic.   We discuss potential legal problems that may arise for groups doing Mutual Aid during these times, as well as possible solutions.   A lot is covered in this episode, and Michael does a great job of bringing these issues down to earth and making them understandable! You can find his Mutual Aid Legal Guide here:  https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3622736 Or in the "resources" section at MutualAidLockdown.com

In this episode, I talk with writer and organizer Dean Spade about some of the more personal aspects of Mutual Aid work.   How does one go about finding motivation during a time like this?  And how do you know the best way to plug in to groups or projects?  And how do we pace ourselves while doing this kind of work?  Dean offers a lot of great insight into these personal aspects, and then we talk about the bigger political picture too: How can our Mutual Aid groups be working to build capacity for sustained movements?  How do we make sure our Mutual Aid work isn't just a flash in the pan? Download worksheets for your group and other useful materials at Dean's website! www.deanspade.net www.mutualaidlockdown.com mutualaidlockdown@gmail.com

In this episode, I talk with LaDonna and Amy from Grand Rapids Mutual Aid Network about the work they're doing in G.R.!   Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have worked with 150 volunteers, have given direct cash payments to over 173 families, have given away over $48,000 in those direct payments, and assisted over 245 families with groceries.   We have a great discussion about giving away money actually isn't as easy as it may sound, and we also talk about the issue of representation when doing work like this. https://www.facebook.com/pg/GRAMutAid/about/?ref=page_internal [https://www.facebook.com/pg/GRAMutAid/about/?ref=page_internal] tinyurl.com/ggrmutualaid mutualaidlockdown.com mutualaidlockdown@gmail.com (Ok, so this is a RE-upload, because first time I uploaded this episode, I accidentally uploaded it at double speed... oops!   Thanks Durham folks for catching that!)

In this episode I talk with Ryan from Cooperation Long Island.  Cooperation Long Island is a network of different Mutual Aid groups in the Long Island area, and it's so inspiring to hear what has emerged and what they've been able to accomplish by coordinating their efforts.  A great example of building social power through effective organizing! Check out more at cooperationli.org www.mutualaidlockdown.com mutualaidlockdown@gmail.com