Episodes

  • Ep. 119 - Palestinian Liberation: Chicago Palestine Film Festival ft. Nina Shoman-Dajani, Justin Mashouf, & Hamzah Furqani

    Ep. 119 - Palestinian Liberation: Chicago Palestine Film Festival ft. Nina Shoman-Dajani, Justin Mashouf, & Hamzah Furqani
    Jun 24 2025
    BrownTown shares space with Chicago Palestinian Film Festival (CPFF) Executive Director Nina Shoman-Dajani, filmmaker Justin Mashouf, & protagonist of the short film $17.74, Hamzah Furqani. The team discusses the inner-workings and impact of the longest running Palestinian film festival in the world, centering the responsibility creators and storytellers have in sharing their to amplify resistance, solidarity, and joy. Originally recorded April 26, 2025.Founded in 2001, the CPFF is an annual cultural event that serves as a vibrant platform for showcasing the rich and diverse narratives of Palestinian cinema. The festival provides a unique space for filmmakers, artists, and audience members to engage with compelling stories that explore the multifaceted aspects of Palestinian life. Through a carefully curated selection of feature films, documentaries, and shorts, the festival seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the Palestinian experience. Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!GUESTSNina Shoman-Dajani currently serves as the Executive Director for the Chicago Palestine Film Festival. She is also a community college administrator and teaches Middle Eastern Studies at Saint Xavier University and has served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC). She is a contributor to the recently published book Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices and one of the authors of Beyond Erasure and Profiling: Cultivating Strong and Vibrant Arab American Communities in Chicagoland. Nina is a co-chair for the MENA/SWANA Caucus and the Transnational/International Committee of the National Advisory Council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), a former board member for the Arab American Studies Association and a board member for the Syrian Community Network, a refugee resettlement agency in Chicago. Follow Nina on Instagram!Justin Mashouf is an award-winning filmmaker and artist based in Los Angeles. He is the co-founder and Executive Producer of Stay Focused Pictures, a production company specializing in documentary development and production. A finalist for the Pillars Fund x Riz Ahmed inaugural Artist Fellowship, Justin’s career spans over 10 countries and includes feature films, commercials, TV specials and documentaries including his CPFF-accepted short film $17.74. Follow Justin on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and IMDB!Hamzah Furqani is the protagonist of $17.74. Raised in Los Angeles, Hamzah is a former gang member who spent 39 years incarcerated. In 1989, while serving his sentence, he began his journey of personal transformation by converting to Islam. Later, while incarcerated and before his release, he donated a month-long paycheck to support relief efforts in Gaza. --Mentioned Topics & More Info: Original GoFundMe from $17.74Related episodes:Ep. 113 - Palestinian Liberation: Divestment, Encampments, & Institutions ft. AmoonaEp. 112 - DNC: Pt. 2 ft. Nesreen Hasan & Nadiah AlyafaiEp. 111 - Palestinian Liberation: Anti-Zionism & Jewish Solidarity ft. Rabbi Brant Rosen & Lesley WilliamsEp. 102 - Palestinian Liberation: In This Moment ft. Muhammad SankariProfessor Refaat Alareer (video, 1, 2)Jackson Market, Palestinian-owned cultural marketInner-City Muslim Action NetworkTom Callahan's Remembering WaterKneecap pro-Palestine projections at CochellaEpistemicide according to BnB Alum Ricardo Gamboa2025 CPFF on Block Club Chi, Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Chicago ReporterNina on WBEZ Chicago Podcast about 2024 CPFF--CREDITS: Intro song from Leve Palestina (Hijazi Remix ) 2023 | تحيا فلسطين ; outro soundbite from Refaat Alareer. Audio engineered by Kassandra Borah.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Ep. 118 - The Wrap Up: "One Million Experiments" (2023) ft. Damon Williams & Daniel Kisslinger of Respair Production & Media

    Ep. 118 - The Wrap Up: "One Million Experiments" (2023) ft. Damon Williams & Daniel Kisslinger of Respair Production & Media
    Jun 11 2025
    BrownTown brings back Damon A. Williams and Daniel Kisslinger of Respair Production & Media, a movement journalism and media hub creating and supporting the media needed to reshape culture toward liberation. The double duos discuss the creation, process, and impact of their half hour experimental documentary One Million Experiments (2023). Stewarded by Interrupting Criminalization and built out of AirGo's podcast series of the same name, the film showcases a collection of community-based safety projects that explore how we define and create wellness and reduce harm in a world without police and prisons. This is the inaugural episode of a new BnB series entitled “The Wrap Up” which invites collaborators and community partners to take a behind the scenes look at SoapBox films, unpacking the nuts and bolts while thinking more deeply about power, struggle, and storytelling. Once again, let’s get meta! Originally recorded April 2025. GUESTSDamon and Daniel are the Founders of Respair Production & Media, and the Creators of AirGo. Respair Production and Media is a movement journalism and media hub creating and supporting the media needed to reshape culture toward liberation. AirGo is the flagship show of Respair, the podcast features over 300 episodes of conversations reshaping the culture of Chicago and beyond for the more liberatory and creative.Damon A. Williams is a movement builder, organizer, hip-hop performing artist, educator and media maker from the South Side of Chicago. He is the Co-Founder of the #LetUsBreathe Collective, an artistic activist organization birthed out of supply trips to support the Ferguson uprising in resistance to the murder of Mike Brown. The Collective operates The #BreathingRoom Space, a Black-led liberation space for arts, organizing, and healing on Chicago's South Side. In honor of his leadership, Damon been named a TIME Magazine’s 2020 Guardian of the Year, a Field Foundation 2021 Leader for a New Chicago, a Margaret Burroughs Fellow by the UIC Social Justice Initiative’s Portal Project, and a Power of Cash Narrative Change Fellow by Economic Security of Illinois. Follow Damon on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Daniel Kisslinger is a Chicago-based host and producer who creates dialogue-based media showcasing the stories, voices, and artworks of communities challenging power, reconfiguring public life, and reimagining our world. An Anthem Award-winning filmmaker, Lisagor Award-winning journalist, and twice Webby-nominated podcast producer, Daniel has also been named an Artist Fellow as part of the UIC Social Justice Initiative’s Portal Project, as well as a Power of Cash Narrative Change Fellow by Economic Security of Illinois. His words have been featured in NY Times bestseller We Do This ‘Til We Free Us and The New Normal, a salon journal published by The Hoodoisie. Daniel has been the Executive Producer of the Poetry Foundation’s acclaimed VS podcast, and editor of CTU Speaks!, a podcast produced by the Chicago Teachers Union. He also works as a consultant helping organizations, individuals, and companies build humanizing, subject-to-subject podcasts from scratch. Follow Daniel on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Mentioned in episode:Ep. 34 - Movement Media ft. Damon Williams & Daniel Kisslinger of AirGoSubmit your experiment!Tom Callahan's film Remembering WaterMalik Alim & The Breathing Room (1, 2, 3)Freedom Square#NoCopAcademy campaign and filmRemembering RonnieManPeople’s Grab ‘n’ Go (1, 2, 3) which is now Market BoxFollow Respair on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Follow AirGo on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and listen to them on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts!--CREDITS: Intro music Family Still by Matt Muse and outro music Messy Moments by Damon A. Williams. Episode photo by Qurissy Lopez. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles and Kassandra Borah. Production assistance by Jamie Price.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Support
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    2 hrs and 44 mins
  • Ep. 117 - Whiskey & Watching: "La Plataforma 2" (2024) ft. Alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez & Jessie Fuentes

    Ep. 117 - Whiskey & Watching: "La Plataforma 2" (2024) ft. Alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez & Jessie Fuentes
    Apr 6 2025
    BrownTown takes on "La Plataforma 2" (2024) with Alderhomies Rossana Rodriguez (33rd) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) about a vertical prison where those inside are fed off of a descending platform, leaving only the diminishing leftovers for those below. BrownTown and the alderhomies breakdown the second installment noting the commentary on governance systems, resistance factions and social movements, relational ethics, and abolition.--GUESTSAlderwoman Rossana Rodriguez (33rd), now in her second term, is the Chair of the Committee on Health and Human Relations for the Chicago City Council. Rossana was born and raised in Puerto Rico and started organizing at six years old when her community had to fight for access to running water. Organizing soon became a fundamental part of her life and remains her main tool within her work in government. Rossana came to Chicago after austerity and budget cuts forced her to leave her job as a drama teacher in Puerto Rico. She originally moved to Albany Park to work as a theatre director with a youth theatre company 14 years ago and chose to stay and organize around housing, education, immigrant rights, and mental health. She is the chief sponsor for the Treatment Not Trauma legislation and continues to organize with grassroots organizations to transform Chicago. Follow Rossana on Facebook, Instagram, (personal, political) and Twitter (personal, political). Stay up to date with her City Council work and 33rd ward services at Rossanafor33.org.Alderperson Jessie Fuentes (26th) is a queer Latina grassroots organizer, educator, and public policy advocate with over a decade of experience in education, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, community development and sustainability. A lifelong Chicagoan and resident of the Northwest side, Jessie spent most of her formative years growing up and working in Humboldt Park. Through personal resilience, community support and restorative justice, Jessie turned her most traumatic life experiences into tools to uplift others facing similar circumstances. In her previous roles as an educator and Dean of Students at Roberto Clemente Community Academy and as an organizer around issues of violence prevention, housing affordability, and re-entry for returning citizens, she convened and connected community stakeholders to create community-driven solutions to the biggest problems facing Humboldt Park. Jessie recently served as the Director of Policy and Youth Advocacy at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. She Co-chaired the Violence Prevention program of the Illinois Latino Agenda and is also a Founding Member of the Illinois Latino Agenda 2.0, focusing on community development and Latine equity. Follow Jessie on Facebook (personal, political), Instagram (personal, political), and Twitter (personal, political). Stay up to date with her City Council work and 26th ward at Jessiefor26thward.com. Opinions on this episode only reflect David, Caullen, Rossana, and Jessie as individuals, not their organizations or places of work. CREDITS: Intro music Revolución and outro music End Credits by Aitor Etxebarria from the film's soundtrack. Episode photo from La Plataforma 2. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles and Kassandra Borah. Production assistance by Jamie Price.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    58 mins
  • Ep. 116 - America: The Last Dance?

    Ep. 116 - America: The Last Dance?
    Mar 25 2025

    BrownTown finally talks Trump 2.0, local collective resistance, the election blame game, and the half century of neoliberalism got us here. As the news cycles have been dominated by Trump, tariffs, Musk, and the MAGA mess, BrownTown speaks candidly on the the first few months of the new (yet old) administration, and how to not only resist the re-branded fascist takeover but unapologetically and collectively fight it and win (without relying on the same institutions that made it possible in the first place). BrownTown also reflects on where the podcast and SoapBox at-large was during Trump 1.0, comparing and contrasting both moments. Caullen and David unpack the Right’s “shock and awe” strategy, Chicago ICE raids and the community response, Trumpism and weaponization of whiteness, and when the manniverse met the broligarchy. As we try to sift through poor analysis of this moment with even worse political actors, we’re left with the words from comrade Asha Ransby-Sporn who proclaims that "we owe it to each other to resist attempts to disorient, divide, and distract us from the reality of government takeover by the billionaire Right […] The conditions of the moment demand that we are clear-eyed enough to meet the conjuncture and find openings for those new paths forward” (In These Times). Originally recorded February 21, 2025.

    FULL TRANSCRIPTIONS HERE!

    Mentioned in or related to episode:

    • Previous BnB episodes on Trump 1.0's first 100 days & Decoding Trumpism
    • Governor Pritzker's State of the State address
    • Caullen's Trumpism: A Brief History 2016 article
    • Voting Stats (1, 2, 3)

    CREDITS: Intro soundbite from Jasmine Crockett talking to a reporter; outro music tv off by Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay. Audio recorded by Kiera Battles and engineered by Kassandra Borah.

    --

    Bourbon ’n BrownTown
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    SoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Ep. 115 - New Years 2025: A Retrospective ft. Kiera Battles & Kassandra Borah

    Ep. 115 - New Years 2025: A Retrospective ft. Kiera Battles & Kassandra Borah
    Mar 1 2025

    BrownTown on BrownTown. BnB audio engineers Kiera Battles and Kassandra Borah hop off the 1's and 2's and onto the guest couch to help BrownTown breakdown the podcast's episodes of 2024. Last year we continued our Palestinian Liberation series, gave analysis on local and federal elections, revealed new SoapBox moves, unpacked the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, reconnected with old media-maker comrades, and had our first in-distillery recording. For better or worse, here's to 2025!

    With 12 total full episodes, 2024 brought 11 guest episodes (5 repeat, 8 new; 4 with 2+ guests), only 1 with no guests, only 1 virtual recordings, 4 series-type episodes, and 0 bonus episodes. In addition to the breakdown, the expanded team breaks bread about leadership, creative careers, and this political moment. Originally recorded January 30, 2025.

    Full Transcriptions here!

    Listen to all the episodes on your chosen podcast application or right here!

    GUESTS

    Kiera Battles is nearing the completion of her master's program at Berklee College of Music. During her time there, she has begun laying the foundation for her own business as part of her culminating project. This venture is dedicated to empowering individuals in the music industry, helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to make a significant impact in the field. As her business grows, Kiera plans to continue pursuing her diverse passions—whether that's through audio, venue work, making waves in the music industry, or being an absolute menace.

    Kassandra Borah is a soon-to-be graduate of Columbia College Chicago, where she currently serves as president of the Women in Audio Club. This May, she will be among the first graduates of the college’s newly launched Sound Design program. With a deep foundation in music performance and composition, she was inspired to expand her expertise into the realm of audio for visual media. Passionate and driven, Kassandra is excited to launch her career, with a particular focus on sound design for animation and video games.

    CREDITS: Intro music from Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Halftime performance; outro music Free Luigi by Cooked Music. Audio recorded by Troy Alim and engineered by Kassandra Borah.

    --

    Bourbon ’n BrownTown
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    SoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Ep. 114 - Distilling Dialectics at CH Distillery ft. Tyrus Yamagiwa

    Ep. 114 - Distilling Dialectics at CH Distillery ft. Tyrus Yamagiwa
    Dec 31 2024
    BrownTown travels to CH Distillery in West Loop, Chicago to talk drinking, distilling, and dialectics with Head Blender Tyrus Yamagiwa. Tyrus walks BrownTown through his journey blending bourbon for Jeppson's Bourbon who acquired the Chicago famous Malört beverage in 2018. The gang discuss blending 101, bourbon preferences, "breaking bread" with community over a shared practice, Marxist dialectical materialism, compulsory drinking culture and more! They even take some sips of Jeppson's finest. Salud! Originally recorded December 23, 2024. GUESTTyrus started at CH Distillery in 2015 and is now the Head Blender for Jeppson's Bourbon. He started brewing beer on his own before learning bourbon blending from friends and future colleagues. Follow Tyrus on Instagram and Twitter.Visit CH Distillery in West Loop, Chicago, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Visit Jeppson's Bourbon site and the Malört site and Linktree. Catch more of Tyrus and CH on the Key in the Lake Podcast, Storytime Podcast, and their article in InsideHook.--CREDITS: Intro music A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey. Outro music A Waltz for Old Jeppson (Carl's Theme) AKA The Malört Song by Archie Powell and The Experts (YouTube, Spotify). Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by Antonio Frausto, Partner at CH Distillery.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Ep. 113 - Palestinian Liberation: Divestment, Encampments, & Institutions ft. Amoona

    Ep. 113 - Palestinian Liberation: Divestment, Encampments, & Institutions ft. Amoona
    Dec 13 2024
    BrownTown shares space with Amoona, Chicago-based Palestinian student organizer, to further the conversation on Palestinian liberation, focusing on the student encampment movement in spring 2024 and how institutions have responded since. After 140+ college campuses put on demonstrations for Gaza solidarity, the war machine drudges on with the help of school administrators and other institutions suspending, evicting, and even firing students, professors, and employees over their support for Palestine and stance against genocide. As the student intifada slows during this time, what does the interconnected and transnational struggle for collective liberation look like going into 2025? Here's their take. Originally recorded December 9, 2024.Full Transcriptions Here!GUESTSAmoona is a Palestinian student organizer currently living and working in Chicago who is also very connected with abolitionist work across the state of Illinois. She extends shoutouts to Jisoor, Palestinian Youth Movement, NSJP, and PNAP!--Mentioned Topics & More Info: Episode correction: The abduction and murder of the 43 students in Southern Mexico was in 2014, not 2012/2013 as stated.Related episodes:Ep. 112 - DNC: Pt. 2 ft. Nesreen Hasan & Nadiah AlyafaiEp. 111 - Palestinian Liberation: Anti-Zionism & Jewish Solidarity ft. Rabbi Brant Rosen & Lesley WilliamsEp. 102 - Palestinian Liberation: In This Moment ft. Muhammad SankariThe HoodoisieBoycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)Students, faculty say the UChicago is backing out on its promise to host Gaza scholars (WBEZ)Northwestern, 5-day encampment (coverage from TRiiBE, Daily Northwestern, WGN on agreement)Pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrate against Barnard, Columbia University trustees (Barnard Bulletin, Columbia Spectator)Swarthmore student faces expulsion for using bullhorn (The intercept)Professors condemn Columbia crackdown on pro-Palestine students (Guardian)The Rundown: New protest rules at Chicago universities (WBEZ)UC Berkeley: +200 students arrested 3 hospitalized Columbia University calls on NYPD to disperse crowd arresting +100 (Higher Ed Drive)UChicago withholding degrees (Chicago Maroon)--CREDITS: Intro song from Rap Street Palestine (Ard Kan3an & ana Palestine) cypher; outro song HINDS HALL2 by Macklemore ft. Anees, MC Abdul, Amer Zahr. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by unknown of DePaul University Egan statue during Pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide action.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Ep. 112 - Democratic National Convention: From 1968 to 2024, Pt. 2 ft. Nesreen Hasan & Nadiah Alyafai

    Ep. 112 - Democratic National Convention: From 1968 to 2024, Pt. 2 ft. Nesreen Hasan & Nadiah Alyafai
    Oct 9 2024
    BrownTown talks all things DNC aftermath with US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) organizers Nesreen Hasan and Nadiah Alyafia. The new friends breakdown DNC week from the formal mass March on DNC protests, autonomous disruptions, anti-war/genocide political education programming, to the convention spectacle itself and what it meant (or didn't mean) for Chicago on the national scale. Originally recorded September 7, 2024.Full Transcriptions Here!GUESTSNesreen Hasan is a Chicago-based Palestinian community organizer with USPCN who has been organizing for nearly 15 years. Nadiah Alyafai is a proud Yemeniyeh who also has been organizing with USPCN for 8 years, and advocating for her people ever since she was little.Learn more about USPCN's work on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Mentioned in or related to episode:Ep. 111 - Palestinian Liberation: Anti-Zionism & Jewish Solidarity ft. Rabbi Brant Rosen & Lesley WilliamsEp. 110 - Democratic National Convention: From 1968 to 2024, Pt. 1 ft. Bill AyersEp. 102: Palestinian Liberation: In this Moment ft. Muhammad SankriMarch on the DNC 2024F*** the GNC Convention from the DissentersAhead of the DNC, City Hall spent $814,000 on a fence to lock out homeless people, (Chicago Sun-Times)Ana Navarro being not great (1, 2)Active vs. Passive voice breakdown from @sunnmcheauxCorrection: Atlanta Olympics were in 1996, not 1994Chicago’s Pro-Palestine movement marks a year of sustained resistance and advocacy (TRiiBE)Democrats remove anti-death penalty from platform (The Intercept)Uncommitted DelegatesSecond Intifada (Aljazeera)--CREDITS: Intro and outro soundbites from the March on DNC protests filmed by David and Caullen. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by Jordan Esparza.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | PatreonSoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Linktree | Support
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    1 hr and 33 mins