On pt2 of Build and Fight Episode #5

Featuring Blair Evans, hosted by Kali Akuno and Thandisizwe Chimurenga

Episode 5 of the Build and Fight Formula series dives into the power of community production with guest Blair Evans of Insight Focus. Hosted by Kali Akuno and Thandisizwe Chimurenga, this episode explores how digital fabrication"using tools like 3D printers and CNC machines"can help marginalized communities build self-sufficiency and collective power.

Evans, a founding member of the Peoples Network for Land and Liberation, explains how Fab Labs can serve as local production centers that do more than create goods"they foster cooperative economics, ecological regeneration, and democratic governance. The conversation challenges fears that automation will displace Black labor and instead frames digital tools as pathways to own the means of production and reimagine how we meet our needs.

The episode lays out a strategic roadmap: start by using commercial tools, then build your own, and eventually shift to sustainable, locally sourced materials. Evans emphasizes a three-part approach: digital fabrication, ecosystem-centered thinking, and human-centered systems like worker co-ops and community land trusts.

Together, Akuno, Chimurenga, and Evans argue that controlling production is essential to transforming society"and the time to start is now.

Key quote:
Fight for what you want now"or fight against what you dont want later.

Later on in the show we get a Report Back from George Galvis who went to South Dakota and sat down with freedom Fighter and former political prisoner Leonard Peltier

(HKR-07-15-25) On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, Davey D speaks with George Galvis of CURYJ about his powerful visit with freed political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Galvis describes the emotional impact of participating in Peltiers first Sundance in 50 years, calling it a moment of spiritual renewal amid dark political times.

The two reflect on the continued criminalization of Indigenous ceremony, the violence of ICE raids, and the erasure of cultural histories. Galvis draws parallels between current oppression and past government programs like Operation Wetback, warning that what were seeing now is a modern-day occupation targeting Indigenous and migrant communities.

They discuss the sacred roots of movements like Standing Rock, the importance of ceremony in resistance, and the challenge of staying grounded while confronting state violence and digital surveillance. Galvis also honors his mentors"Peltier and the late Harry Belafonte"who modeled unwavering commitment and strategic organizing.

Calling ICE agents bounty hunters and the raids a form of human trafficking, Galvis urges listeners to build modern-day underground railroads and organize at the grassroots level. Peltiers survival and release, he says, is a victory"a reminder that even against empire, people power wins.