The Fantasy of America at 250
6/26/202651 min
In Texas, a judge sentenced a group of anti-ICE demonstrators to decades in prison. On this week’s On the Media, how leftist zines were used to convict a group of protesters accused of ties to antifa. Plus, as we approach the nation’s 250th birthday, we reflect on America’s inability to reckon with the darkest parts of its past.
[01:00] Micah interviews Lex McMenamin, movement building reporter at The Guardian US, about how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison this week.
[13:09] Brooke sits down with Eddie Glaude, professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, to talk about his latest book, “America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries,” and why, at every major milestone, the United States has struggled to reconcile a “double-consciousness.”
Further reading:
- “‘This is injustice’: how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison,” by Lex McMenamin
- America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 1· Soundbite0:00
Among those sentenced was Daniel Sanchez Estrada, who wasn't even at the protest.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:06
This week, a judge handed down what amounts to life sentences for activists in Texas for, among other things, making zines and joining a book club.
Lex McMenamin· Guest0:16
What most people would describe as protected First Amendment activity is the bulk of the basis for these charges.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:21
From WNYC in New York, this is On the Media. I'm Brooke Gladstone.
Micah Loewinger· Host0:25
And I'm Micah Loewinger. Also on this week's show, America is turning 250, with all the fanfare you'd expect.
Speaker 5· Soundbite0:32
This is the destiny of America to be the greatest country ever to grace the Earth. We are one people, one nation, marching into one magnificent future.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:43
But are we? Come on.
Eddie Glaude· Guest0:44
Wherever you hear talk of cohesion, wherever you see this burning desire for consensus, usually it's hiding the roiling chaos underneath.
Micah Loewinger· Host0:56
It's all coming up after this. Hey, it's Micah. I've been working at On the Media for over a decade, and I believe that we're doing our best work ever right now. As we face another wave of media consolidation and attacks on the press, what we're doing every day to cut through the noise and hold power to account has never been more resonant or important. You're listening, so I know you feel the same way, too. That's why I'm asking you to make a donation to support On the Media today. We need to