Ep.11: Interviews w/ Maya James on Her New Book ”Lukumi,” KNOW Organizer Raelyn Joyce on Yemen Documentary, MARU, Fred Upton’s Legacy, A Police Murder in GR, and More

We begin our show by interviewing local author Maya James about her recently published graphic novel "Lukumi." We talk about how her experiences in the community and as an organizer influenced her writing, the process behind the book, and how the personal and the political intersect in the novel.

 

Andy and Lawrence then dive in to a host of local issues. We give you an update on the striking Maru workers and how the corporation decided to shut down the Kalamazoo restaurant rather than accede to the workers' (very reasonable) demands. We call out the B.S. of such a tactic and discuss the ramifications for future organizing in Kalamazoo's food service sector.

 

We look at the legacy of outgoing congressional representative Fred Upton and how his "moderate" reputation obscures a history of working for Wall Street and shifting his principles around as the financial winds blow, including his infamous 180 on environmental issues. We then look forward at the terrain of our currently reconstituted 4th Congressional District and give you 4-1-1 on Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Holland Republican who will be running to represent our area in the midterms.

 

We then talk about the police murder of African immigrant Patrick Lyoya in Grand Rapids- the brutality of the murder, the organizing around it, and why (as of April 12th at least) there has been a noticeable lack of media coverage on the killing.

 

We spend the last half-hour of the show interviewing Raelyn Joyce, a local organizer with Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents of War. They are organizing a screening of "Hunger Ward" on WMU's campus this Thursday to highlight the current famine occurring in Yemen due to years long war with Saudi Arabia. We talk with Raelyn about the U.S.'s role in exacerbating the suffering in Yemen, how our weapons are STILL being sold to the Saudis even after bipartisan efforts to stop the war, why some conflicts get treated differently than others by the corporate media, and what local Kalamazoo residents can to do to mobilize and help the people of Yemen.

 

00:35- 32:00 Interview w/ Maya James on Her Graphic Novel "Lukumi"

37:35- 48:30 Capitalism Strikes Back- Kzoo Maru Workers Shut Out and Shut Down

48:50- 1:08:30 The Legacy of Rep. Fred Upton & Looking at Bill Huizenga

1:10:00- 1:21:45 The Police Murder of Patrick Lyoya in GR and the LACK of Media Coverage

1:21:45- 1:50:12 Interview w/ KNOW Organizer Raelyn Joyce on War in Yemen Documentary "Hunger Ward"

 

MAYA JAMES "LUKUMI" SIGNING EVENT

This is a Bookstore

Thursday, April 14th @ 6:30PM

 

HUNGER WARD FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

1910 Sangren Hall

Western Michigan University

Thursday, April 14th @ 7:00PM

 

Background Music Performed by Quantum Fleek