What We Mean by "The System" and Why it Matters

Unity in Purpose, Diversity in Practice: The First Six Months In Our New Liberated Territory

This week we're excited to bring you a special episode that 1) analyzes the 250 years of oppression and resistance as we prepare for the "Independence Day"celebrations and 2) discusses how we are and can strategize based on that legacy of resistance. Today we are also celebrating the first six months in our new home: a visible storefront in downtown Indianapolis. With a nod to Douglass and his famous speech, we ask "What is the Fourth of July to New Afrikan/Black people, undocumented workers and immigrants, to the millions of incarcerated workers, to queer, trans, and sexual/gender minorities, and all exploited and oppressed people globally? Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford engage in a discussion about reforms, reformism, and revolution. While we fight tooth and nail for all reforms that make people’s lives more livable, tolerable, and even enjoyable, reformism is when we view achieving those reforms as the means and ends of the struggle. For each reform won, the oppressors launch a virulent attack to roll it back and, whenever possible eliminate it. Ultimately, this comes down to the question of the nature of the capitalist state. The state, a very recent phenomenon in human history, emerges along with class society. So perhaps the fundamental line between revolutionaries and reformists is that the former recognize that the world we want is possible only if we smash the existing state and build up a new entity that works in the interests of and is governed by the formerly oppressed, exploited, marginalized, and dispossessed. Reforms have a key role to play in building revolutionary struggles, for they can not only make organizing easier but they most importantly demonstrate to the people that we do have the power to change society. They also have an important and timely dialogue about “burnout” and its real roots. The Indianapolis Liberation Center organized or hosted almost 230 events over the last six months, but none of our volunteers got burned out. We got tired, frustrated, and felt all the emotions humans do, but we didn’t burn out. Burnout comes from forgetting our political horizon or because that horizon is too narrow. Burnout happens when we don’t operate collectively, leaning on each other for support and caring for each other as we build community. Finally, burnout results from not keeping the very real sacrifices we make in historical perspective. To illustrate this, Derek relays part of Hosea Hudson’s autobiography. A Black worker in the deep south, it would take his multinational unit hours to enter the same building for a two-hour meeting. In addition to the regular agenda at those meetings, however, they would read the Party’s newspaper for the Black Belt and dream about how they would deal with certain issues after taking power. How would white small farmers be represented? How would and distribution take place and at what pace? Fortunately, the groups at the Liberation Center and their members and volunteers make the voluntary decision to make the struggle part of the fabric of their being; not just something they do when they want to or “have time.” None of us “have time “for the struggle; we make time for it. That means that you can, too! Show Notes: Indiana Black Librarians Network [https://indyliberationcenter.org/ibln/] Indy Liberation Store [http://www.indyliberationstore.com] Education and the Production of Space: Political Pedagogy, Geography, and Urban Revolutions [https://www.indyliberationstore.com/product/education-production-of-space/133] Fighting for Real Independence: Collective Discussion of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/frederick-douglass-group-read/] Support Naptown People’s Radio [https://support.naptownpeoplesradio.com] https://www.shakashakur.org/storeIndianapolis Liberation Center [http://www.indyliberationcenter.org] Party for Socialism and Liberation - Indianapolis [http://www.pslindianapolis.org]

Dispatches from Behind the Wire

Comrade Shaka A. Shakur joins the show for an extended segment of Dispatches from Behind the Wire, providing an in depth description of his case, current situation, and future prospects. Shaka has served 25 years of a 60-year plus sentence for an incident in which no one was deprived of life and the “injured” party said he would not oppose any sentence modification or early release. The Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign is working to bring Shaka home before his 60th birthday in August. Co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford talk to Shaka about how we can utilize our platforms and start build coalitions to illuminate not only his situation, but those of all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, to bring them home. Before talking with Shaka, Derek and Dani hit two related points in the Naptown Breakdown. The first is the blatant corruption that continues to permeate Indianapolis’ government from the Hogsett administration. They also explain and contextualize the June 22 Library Board of Trustees meeting where, after a long round of public comments opposing the nearly 30% increase in anointed CEO Greg Hill’s salary, the Board immediately voted 5-1 against the public. Finally, this week’s Circle City Shout Out goes to the Hovey St. Church of Christ. While Denell Howard, the Church’s Pastor, has been a featured guest in a prior episode, we want to shout out the entire congregation for consistently standing up for justice regardless of whether or not it directly impacts them. We play a clip from this past weekend’s Father’s Day service that featured Vernon T. Bateman who was wrongfully incarcerated in 1998—at the age of 18—and released in 2023 on intense parole stipulations that prevent him from seeing his own grandson. Meanwhile, Vernon continues to be an exemplary father and community member. Show Notes: Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign [https://www.shakashakur.org/] Hovey Street Church of Christ [https://www.facebook.com/HoveyStreetChurchOfChrist/] Coalition to Free Vernon T. Bateman [https://www.freevernon.org/] IndyPL Board dismisses public, gives CEO 60k raise [https://indyliberationcenter.org/indypl-ceo-pay-raise-over-public-wishes/] Support Naptown People’s Radio [https://support.naptownpeoplesradio.com] https://www.indyliberationcenter.org/supportIndy Liberation Store [https://www.indyliberationstore.com] https://www.shakashakur.org/storeIndianapolis Liberation Center [http://www.indyliberationcenter.org] Party for Socialism and Liberation - Indianapolis [http://www.pslindianapolis.org]

"Cutting the Umbilical Cord:" Kwame Beans Shakur on Practicing Theory

This week's episode features New Afrikan Political Prisoner Kwame Beans Shakur discussing not only the need to test theory through practice but providing concrete examples of how to do so successfully. "Revolution is based on land," as Malcolm X said, but that's not enough: cutting the umbilical cord with U.S. imperialism requires the knowledge of cultivating the land and, more generally, utilizing our capacities collectively for a common purpose. For the Naptown Breakdown, hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford each bring two recent, ongoing instances of the local ruling-class' negligence and disregard for the people of Indianapolis. They examine the Indy Public Library's Board's upcoming vote to increase CEO Greg Hill's salary by almost 25%, up from $205,000 to $265,000. If Hill, who never applied or interviewed for the job, gets the raise, it will amount to more than the median salary of librarians. Next they turn to the recent audit of the Office of Public Health and Safety, which found $45 million of taxpayer money is "missing." New Afrikan Political Prisoner Kwame Beans Shakur, who is also the National Director of the Prison Lives Matter Movement and, along with Shaka A. Shakur, Co-Founder of the New Afrikan Liberation Collective, joins Derek for a politically incisive and timely discussion about the state of the New Afrikan/Black liberation movement and the struggle to free Political Prisoners, the Republic of New Afrika, and all oppressed and exploited people. Serving a 110-year sentence for a crime he didn't commit, Beans is currently captive at Miami "Correctional" Facility. Even years of solitary confinement couldn't stop his organizing or his development as a musician. Learn about his unconscious and then conscious politicization, the concrete projects he's facilitated that put theory to the test, his upcoming single release party and video shoot at the Indy Liberation Center next month, and more! Most importantly, see the show notes to join the struggle to free Beans, Political Prisoners, Prisoners of War, and all of our people behind enemy lines! Show Notes: Kwame Shakur Defense Campaign (IG [https://www.instagram.com/free_kwameshakur/], FB [https://www.facebook.com/nalc.shakur/]) Kwame Beans Shakur Music (Apple [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kwame-beans-shakur/1693910763], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/21YTfplnp5ZGdupwHq9OXR?si=UllpH07TTv-zNIiJjP5Lsg]) "Contradictions on Organizing in Post-Neo-Colonial north amerikkka [https://sfbayview.com/2026/01/kwame-beans-shakur-contradictions-on-organizing-in-post-neo-colonial-north-amerikkka/]" Spirit of Mandela [https://spiritofmandela.org/] Support Naptown People’s Radio [https://support.naptownpeoplesradio.com] https://www.indyliberationcenter.org/supportIndy Liberation Store [https://www.indyliberationstore.com] https://www.shakashakur.org/storeIndianapolis Liberation Center [http://www.indyliberationcenter.org] Party for Socialism and Liberation - Indianapolis [http://www.pslindianapolis.org] Events: Thurs, 6/18: Reading with Comrades: Teaching to Transgress [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/book-study-teaching-to-transgress] Fri, 6/19: "Radical Roots:" Anti-ICE Juneteenth Open Mic [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/juneteenth-open-mic] Sat, 6/20: Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/circle-city-sangha-mindfulness-meetups-june-20-2026] Sat, 6/20: Trans Pride "Brick" Party [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/trans-pride-brick-party] Sun, 6/21: Emancipatory Motions: Yoga for Liberation [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/emancipatory-motions-sunday-yoga-at-the-center-june-21-2026] Mon, 6/22: Pack the Library Board: Raises for Workers, Not the CEO! [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/no-raise-for-library-ceo/]

Why and How to Assert Our 4th Amendment Rights with Abby Morgan

Abby Morgan, an organizer with Action Neighbors—a subgroup of the Indy Action Coalition [https://www.facebook.com/p/Indy-Action-Coalition-61579138362830/]— joins the show, which released its first episode one-year ago today, to discuss their new 4th Amendment Campaign to fight against ICE terror. This week's Naptown Breakdown starts with the rise of China and the U.S. war against Iran and quickly moves to Indiana, as co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford discuss how over 800 workers at the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana have been locked out since March 19 after contract negotiations between USW Local 7-1 and BP broke down. Before it was BP, or British Petroleum, it was the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (or Anglo-Persian Oil Company), and without unionized workers they're losing millions of barrels of oil. Meanwhile, Indiana's race for data centers no one wants incurred losses far exceeding the $1 million AES President Brandi Davis-Handy told us they would a few months ago. Reporting by WTHR reveals we're losing out on at least $655 million [https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/13-investigates-you-pay-sales-tax-some-indiana-data-centers-didnt-heres-what-we-found/531-ae54b7a8-d19c-47ae-9375-d9edf4e4495f] in tax revenue. Is it a coincidence that the AES President is a member of Joe Hogsett's Indianapolis Economic Development Inc., which has reportedly been lobbying City-County Counselors to support tax breaks for data centers? [https://mirrorindy.org/google-data-center-indianapolis-economic-development-joe-hogsett/] We're currently on pace to lose around $1 billion in tax revenue to data centers per year. Next, they turn to the latest developments in the firestorm that is Indiana State Prison, where dozens of inmates have been burned to death or severely injured in recent years [https://www.wthr.com/article/news/special-reports/burned-alive/burned-alive-indiana-state-prison-michigan-city-13-investigates-idoc-commissioner/531-69863570-26ed-47b0-873e-d51d4e42ba6a]. Gov. Mike Braun ordered the new head of the Indiana Department of "Corrections" he appointed this year, Lloyd Arnold, to take action. Unfortunately, all of the impending steps, including shutting off the electricity in some cell blocks, will only further confine our people behind bars. And remember, we were told the $1.2 billion prison under construction in Westfield would replace the existing prison and ISP. Until, that is, they said they would keep ISP operational for years to come. [https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/08/22/indiana-doc-shifts-course-plans-to-keep-michigan-city-prison-open-beyond-2027/] For our main segment, Dani sits down with Abby Morgan, an organizer with Action Neighbors, a subgroup of the Indy Action Coalition [https://www.facebook.com/p/Indy-Action-Coalition-61579138362830/]. They discuss Action Neighbors' 4th Amendment campaign, which aims to defend our communities from ICE terror by informing businesses about their constitutional rights against warantless and unreasonable search and seizure. Show Notes: Action Neighbors [https://www.actionneighbors.org/index.html] Support Naptown People’s Radio [https://support.naptownpeoplesradio.com] Contact us about potential stories and interviews [producer@naptownpeoplesradio.com] https://www.indyliberationcenter.org/supportShop the Indy Liberation Store [https://www.indyliberationstore.com] https://www.shakashakur.org/storeIndianapolis Liberation Center [http://www.indyliberationcenter.org] Party for Socialism and Liberation - Indianapolis [http://www.pslindianapolis.org] Events: Woodburning Workshop with Nasreen Khan [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/woodburning-workshop/] Circle City Sangha Mindfulness Meetup [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/circle-city-sangha-mindfulness-meetups-june-13-2026/] Visit the Indy Liberation Center and Store at Indy Pride [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/liberation-at-pride-2026/] Emancipatory Motions: Sunday Yoga [https://indyliberationcenter.org/event/emancipatory-motions-sunday-yoga-at-the-center-june-14-2026/]

Eyewitness Delaney Hall: Revolutionary Rehearsals

Rania Hatab of the Lower Hudson Valley DSA [https://www.lhvdsa.org/] and Rockland Coalition to End the New Jim Crow [https://www.rocklandcoalition.org/] and Jasmine Moody of the Liberation Center tell us first-hand about the battle to dismantle Delaney Hall. Both Hatab and Moody were about an hour away finishing a screening and panel of the new documentary, "Across Enemy Lines: Shaka A. Shakur," when Hatab got word the main organizer inside Delaney Hall was potentially being moved. Working with those who had been on the ground since the illegal detention facility opened, both everyday supporters and organizations, the group hightailed it to defend those on the outside and amplify the demands of those on the inside. Those demands are: 1. Meeting with Gov. Mikie Sherrill 2. Release of the young, elderly, pregnant, and medically vulnerable 3. Allow doctors to examine everyone in unit 2A/2B 4. Freedom and an end to practices designed to coerce detainees from "voluntarily" signing self-deportation papers. The mainstream media is focusing on the "violence" outside, perpetuated by the cops and the state, and we need to amplify the demands of those fighting the real violence on the inside. You can read the letters to which Rania Hatab refers here [https://indyliberationcenter.org/letters-from-delaney-hall/].