Block & Build

Producer and director Chris Landry's new film series Reimagining Philanthropy critically examines the issue of philanthropy as the financial driver of movement and social justice work, and how movement leaders believe it can be fixed. Joining Chris is historian of US philanthropy and the author of White Philanthropy: Carnegie Corporation's “An American Dilemma” and the Making of a White World, Dr. Maribel Morey. Dr. Morey appears in the series' first episode, alongside many other leading voices reshaping the field and challenging long-held assumptions about how philanthropy operates. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate Movement Media Alliance Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Convergence's Bookshop. Purchases made through our bookshop support our movement media work.

This week on the show we are debuting a new format we’re calling the Attention Economy Navigator. The goal of Block & Build has always been to help organizers figure out what’s happening, how people are responding, and get a sense for what’s working out there in the world. The Attention Economy Navigator came out of a conversation Cayden had at the Narrative Power Summit about Naomi Klein’s 2023 book, Doppelganger. An interesting takeaway from the book is that Klein suggests a new political spectrum in addition to left and right defining political division in our society, and the determining factor is how prominently conspiratorial thinking shapes our political views. Joining to help build this month's Attention Economy Navigator in real time are Convergence Managing Editor, Akin Olla, and co-host of the Citations Needed podcast, Nima Shirazi. Before diving in, we are joined by co-founder and co-director at Siembra NC, Nikki Marín Baena, to discuss what organizing's happening on the ground in North Carolina with ICE's recent mobilization in the region. This month's navigator chart can be found here. Stories we referenced in this episode: Corporate media refuses to report on racism from sitting GOP politicians against Zohran Mamdani at In These Times. Electronic Arts is taken private by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, for some $55bn at PC Gamer. The AI bubble is bigger than you think at The American Prospect. Is the MAGA Era "over?" Some mainstream media seems to think so, like The Boston Globe. The US and Russia put together a "peace plan" based mainly on Ukrainian capitulation, at The Guardian. FAIR's roundup of corporate media's refusal to cover the Handala hack vs. Drop Site News's analysis of the data dump. This horrible Charlie Kirk memorial AI slop song, we're sorry. It's like Creed, but worse.

This week on the show, we will first talk about how on the ground organizing was a factor in Zohran Mamdani’s historic 10-point victory in the New York City Mayoral election last week.  We are joined by a panel of leaders from different local organizations who worked on the campaign to learn more about their work and strategies. Guests Include Organizing Director of CAAAV Voice (Coalition Against Anti-Asian Violence), Alina Shen Political Director of DRUM Beats (Desis Rising Up and Moving), Jagpreet Singh Policy Director of New York Communities for Change (NYCC), Alicé Nascimento Then we talk with activist Rafael Uzcátegui, who has been part of the Venezuelan human rights movement for decades. He discusses how the American Left can orient itself to show solidarity as Trump aggressively pursues violent intervention in and around the country. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate Movement Media Alliance

In this episode, we are joined by Co-Founder and Organizing Director of Kentucky Tenants Union, Josh Poe to discuss how their organizing strategy successfully brings people together to fight and win against landlords in a red state. Resources from this episode Kentucky Tenants Union Linktree Tenant Union Federation "NYC-DSA Strategy in Zohran's Race Shows the Path to Mass Municipal Governance" - Grace Mausser, Convergence Magazine Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate Movement Media Alliance

This week on the show we are joined by Chicago-based writer, organizer, and podcaster Kelly Hayes, whose new edited volume, Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis, is out November 4 from AK Press. You may also know Kelly from their excellent podcast, Movement Memos, their newsletter, “Organizing My Thoughts,” or their previous book, with Mariame Kaba, Let This Radicalize You. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate Movement Media Alliance

This week on the show we are joined by historian Gerald Horne, whose 2025 book, The Capital of Slavery: Washington DC 1800-1865 explores the early history of the capital city of the United States and the role of enslaved people in how it was built. This is explored in the book both in terms of the hands that did the labor to build its edifices and monuments, and in terms of how fear of free Black people shaped the law, policy, and governance of the District, in ways that echo today. Connect with Block & Build and more Additional works by Gerald Horne Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

This week we are joined by Marzena Zukowska and Shanelle Matthews. Together they are the co-editors of the new book Liberation Stories: Building Narrative Power for 21st Century Social Movements. This anthology of essays and interviews distills successful theories, strategies, and tactics from the movement left for anyone wanting to understand and participate in modern progressive movements. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

This week on the show we take a look at the Trump administration's multifaceted attacks on immigrants as testing grounds for authoritarian control, how we got to this point, and what efforts are being made to push back. Joining to discuss is Program Director at Detention Watch Network, Stacy Suh. Resources from this episode Troops in the Street: What Does an Authoritarian Takeover Look Like? with Barbara Ransby and Barbara Weinstein Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

This week on the show we are joined by Executive Director of State Power Caucus, Margie Del Castillo. Their organization is currently focusing on work that goes beyond mobilization to build lasting governing power at the state level across the country – we talk in this episode about what that looks like in different states. State Power Caucus is a multi-state organizing project primarily focused on the “build” aspect of Block & Build strategy. They do this by supporting state based organizations in the process of moving from short-term mobilization into consistent state based infrastructure, leadership pipelines, and co-governance capacity. By bringing organizations together to think about long-term goals, they build alignment and share skills to strengthen movements in the long run. Resources from this episode Global Sumud Flotilla for updates and ways to support imprisoned activists Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

This week on the show we are joined by Lina Srivastava, Founder of the Center for Transformational Change. She’s developed a framework to help communicators, creatives, and organizers think through the infrastructure we must develop to build narrative power–the power not just to tell the stories we want told, but to shift the landscape of common sense about the issues we’re struggling to win. Lina joined us a few weeks ago for this recorded conversation, but the insights and lessons are more relevant than ever as we navigate the changes looming on the horizon as factions of the far Right fight among themselves about the meaning of the horrific murder of right wing propagandist, Charlie Kirk, and our movements face intensified scrutiny and attacks as scapegoats. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

We take a closer look at the case of journalist Mario Guevara, who has been in ICE detention since mid-June despite being in the country legally with all criminal charges thrown out. Cayden is joined by Atlanta area freelance reporter Sam Barnes. Read Sam's full story in the Georgia Recorder. Then we take a broader look at the escalating normalization of state violence and erosion of civil liberties being enacted by the Trump administration's deportation programs and more. Cayden is joined by the International Associate General Secretary for American Friends Service Committee (or AFSC), Kerri Kennedy. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

We explore local organizing to stop the construction of new data centers which form the material basis for big tech to deploy computationally expensive class war technologies like AI and crypto. The data centers and resources that fuel these highly speculative tech markets often show up in already poor and marginalized communities with little say from the people impacted by their pollution and cost. Guests include Senior Movement Building Director at MediaJustice, Myaisha Hayes, Organizer with the No Desert Data Center Coalition in Tucson, AZ, Vivek Bharathan, and executive director of Memphis Community Against Pollution, Keshaun Pearson (@keshaunpearson). Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support this show and movement media like it: convergencemag.com/donate

This week, Convergence's Publishing Operations Manager and resident illustrator Kimmie David interviews quilter Zak Foster and letterpress printer Nicole Manganelli about the power of craft and community as a site for cultivating radical thought and action. Resources from this episode ICE relied on sheriff’s office to fight releasing Spanish-language reporter in Georgia, records show by Sam Barnes, The Georgia Recorder radical emprints - Nicole's work is available wholesale (50% of retail price) to movement organizations (not just nonprofits); she also makes custom prints & cards for organizations. Snag the limited edition print designed by Nicole and Kimmie by supporting Convergence's summer fund drive now: bit.ly/summerfunddrive The Quilty Nook, Zak's quilting community The World Needs Your Next Quilt by Zak Foster Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

We are joined in this episode by two leaders at Sheriff Accountability Action, an organization devoted to building power to curb the harms of the more than 3,000 sheriff’s offices across the country. My guests include Deputy Director Amber Walker and Director of Local Campaigns and Advocacy Amaris Leon. We’ll explore what work the organization is doing to reduce the harm of the carceral system and build a foundation for real safety. Resources from this episode Support Free D.C.'s call for de-escalation and home rule, and call your members of Congress to terminate the emergency. Safety Bound Website  7 Demands to Reimagine the Sheriff  Call Your Sheriff Tool Sheriff Accountability Action Website ILRC 287g explained ILRC 287g map Vera Detention Centers map Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

We discuss ground-level organizing in Pennsylvania against Medicaid cuts and mass hospital closure with co-founder and coordinator of Put People First! PA, Nijmie Dzurinko, and how the multi-state Nonviolent Medicaid Army is taking those efforts national. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

We are joined in this episode by the producer of the Chicago 312 newsletter, H Kapp-Klote, to discuss their case studies of how right wing media rage-baits local political narratives to influence municipal policy and escalates the discourse against progressive governance. Resources from this episode: Timeline: Reporter Mario Guevara’s arrest and ICE detention Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

In this episode we discuss how the accelerating hype of the "artificial intelligence" race affects left political theory and movements. Cayden talks to co-author of the new book Why We Fear AI: On The Interpretation of Nightmares, Hagen Blix. We’ll explore how the seeming inevitability of AI is intertwined with neoliberalism as well as how we urgently need to figure out how to narrate the development of technology for ourselves – so that the billionaires don’t do it for us. Other Resources From This Episode The Sameer Project - donations based aid initiative for Gaza led by Palestinians Works by Kim Fellner Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

We discuss the ground-level organizing it took to accomplish Zohran Mamdani’s massive victory in New York City’s mayoral primary race in late June. Joining Cayden on this episode are Jasmine Gripper, co-director of New York Working Families Party; and Lena Pervez Afridi, a New York City-based writer, researcher, and organizer. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

Writer, lawyer, and co-founder of Interrupting Criminalization, Andrea Ritchie joins this week. She’s published a free guide titled Block & Build – But Make it Abolitionist, which explores strategic frameworks for fighting Right-wing authoritarianism from an abolitionist perspective; an invitation to expand collective resistance beyond strategies that rely on the carceral state. Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive

This week on the show we feature a recording of the panel Convergence Magazine hosted on July 4th at the Socialism 2025 conference in Chicago: Blocking the Right, Building the Base - The Work of Building Left Unity. The panelists feature leaders from Liberation Road, North Star Socialist Organization, the Socialist Majority Caucus of the Democratic Socialists of America, Rising Majority, and Movement for Black Lives discussing how their work is aligned with the “Block and Build” strategic framework and the need for both building membership bases while developing functional cross-sector unity. Bennett Carpenter - Liberation Road David Duhalde - Socialist Majority Caucus (Democratic Socialists of America) Montague Simmons - Movement for Black Lives, The Rising Majority Jayanni Webster - North Star Socialist Organization Connect with Block & Build and more Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the show live: Fridays at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT Support our 2025 summer fund drive: bit.ly/summerfunddrive