Working Class History

Working Class History

History isn't made by kings and politicians, it's made by all of us. This podcast is about how we, together, have fought for a better world.
Become a paid subscriber, support our work and listen ad-free with early access and exclusive bonus episodes at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.

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HistoryHistory

Episodes

E84: Angry Brigade, part 2
Jan 18 2024
E84: Angry Brigade, part 2
Second in a double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryContinuing our recent series of episodes about the UK in the 1970s, this is a re-edited, improved and re-released version of our episodes 2-3. It contains numerous additional audio clips, and written narrative to provide context and more information.More informationGordon Carr, The Angry Brigade: A History Of Britain’s First Urban Guerilla Group (PM Press, 2010) – a detailed history of the Angry Brigade.The Angry Brigade 1967-1984: Documents And Chronology (Active Distribution) – a pamphlet containing a detailed chronology of the organisation and the scene of which it was a part, as well as documents produced by the groupThe Angry Brigade: The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Britain’s First Urban Guerilla Group – a DVD documentary by Gordon Carr on the history of the group.John Barker, Futures (PM Press, 2014) – novel by John Barker set in Thatcher’s Britain.Timeline of Stories about the Angry BrigadeTheHarrier.net – John Barker’s website including his other books and writings.Anselm Jappe, Guy Debord (PM Press, 2018) – the best biography of Situationist intellectual Guy Debord.Red Army Faction books – a collection of books about the German RAF.John Barker’s radical London playlist – a collection of tracks which Brigaders were listening to at the time.AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando López Ojeda.Edited by Tyler HillTheme tune is ‘Bella Ciao’, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.More information, sources, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e83-4-angry-brigade/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E83: Angry Brigade, part 1
Jan 10 2024
E83: Angry Brigade, part 1
Double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of the group.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryContinuing our recent series of episodes about the UK in the 1970s, this is a re-edited, improved and re-released version of our episodes 2-3. It contains numerous additional audio clips, and written narrative to provide context and more information.More informationGordon Carr, The Angry Brigade: A History Of Britain’s First Urban Guerilla Group (PM Press, 2010) – a detailed history of the Angry Brigade.The Angry Brigade 1967-1984: Documents And Chronology (Active Distribution) – a pamphlet containing a detailed chronology of the organisation and the scene of which it was a part, as well as documents produced by the groupThe Angry Brigade: The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Britain’s First Urban Guerilla Group – a DVD documentary by Gordon Carr on the history of the group.John Barker, Futures (PM Press, 2014) – novel by John Barker set in Thatcher’s Britain.Timeline of Stories about the Angry BrigadeTheHarrier.net – John Barker’s website including his other books and writings.Anselm Jappe, Guy Debord (PM Press, 2018) – the best biography of Situationist intellectual Guy Debord.Red Army Faction books – a collection of books about the German RAF.John Barker’s radical London playlist – a collection of tracks which Brigaders were listening to at the time.AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando López Ojeda.Edited by Tyler HillTheme tune is ‘Bella Ciao’, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.More information, sources, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e83-4-angry-brigade/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E82: Workmates collective
Nov 2 2023
E82: Workmates collective
Podcast episode about the Workmates collective, a rank-and-file initiative on the London Underground using unofficial direct action and workplace assemblies to fight privatisation in the late-1990s/early 2000s.Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Sign up and get access to exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryIn this episode, we speak to Andy Littlechild, a former London Underground worker and activist with the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union. He explains how the Labour government introduced privatisation to the Underground, how the Workmates mass meetings began, the start of the Workmates delegate council, the 'Job-and-Knock' dispute, and the eventual demise of the 'Public Private Partnership'.E82.1 bonus episode: Andy discusses the politics of anarcho-syndicalism and their influence on his organising. He also tells us about a failed attempt by London Underground management to sack him for his workplace activismMore information about this episode, including sources, images, links, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e82-workmates-collective/Learn more in our exclusive bonus episode, coming soon for our patreon supporters.AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando López Ojeda.Episode graphic: reworked image originally by Matt Buck (CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed)Edited by Jesse FrenchTheme tune is 'Bella Ciao', thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E81: Miners' strikes 1972-4
Oct 17 2023
E81: Miners' strikes 1972-4
Podcast episode about strikes by miners in Britain in 1972 and 1974, in conversation with Dave Douglass.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Sign up and get access to exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryContinuing our intermittent series of podcast episodes about the great strike of UK miners from 1984-5, we tell the story of what came beforehand. In this episode, we look at the historical background, and learn about the national wildcat strike in 1969, as well as the huge, nationwide official strikes of 1972 and 1974, which both defeated the Conservative government and eventually brought it down.E81.1 bonus episode: more about Dave’s revolutionary politics, day-to-day work in the mines, and discussion of popular images of the 1970s in the UK today. Available exclusively for our patreon supporters.More information about this episode, including sources, photographs, links, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/blog/e81-miners-strikes-1972-4/AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando López Ojeda.Episode graphic: © NLA/reportdigital.co.uk.Edited by Louise BarryTheme tune courtesy of the Easington Colliery Brass Band.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E74: Ben Fletcher, part 2
Jun 20 2023
E74: Ben Fletcher, part 2
Concluding part of a double podcast episode about Ben Fletcher, a very important but little-known dock worker and labour organiser in the US with the Industrial Workers of the World union.In these episodes, we speak with historian Peter Cole, author and editor of Ben Fletcher: The Life And Times Of A Black Wobbly. We also hear words written by Fletcher, voiced by fellow Wobbly, Alki.In part 2 we learn about Fletcher’s imprisonment, later life, and the demise of Local 8. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryFull information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript are on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando Lopez Ojeda.Words of Ben Fletcher voiced by Alki. Check out his YouTube channel here, or follow him on Twitter here.Episode graphic: Ben Fletcher in 1918. Courtesy US National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons.Theme music: “Solidarity (Forever)”, written by Ralph Chaplin, performed by The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello. Buy or stream it here.Edited by Louise BarryBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E73: Ben Fletcher, part 1
Jun 5 2023
E73: Ben Fletcher, part 1
First in a double podcast episode about Ben Fletcher, a very important but little-known dock worker and labour organiser in the US with the Industrial Workers of the World union.In these episodes, we speak with historian Peter Cole, author and editor of Ben Fletcher: The Life And Times Of A Black Wobbly. We also hear words written by Fletcher, voiced by fellow Wobbly, Alki.In part 1 we learn about his early life, as well as his union branch, Local 8, which in the early 20th-century organised thousands of workers on the Philadelphia docks and was the most powerful multiracial union in the country at the time.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryFull information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript are on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Jamison D. Saltsman.Words of Ben Fletcher voiced by Alki. Check out his YouTube channel here, or follow him on Twitter here.Episode graphic: Ben Fletcher in 1918, enhanced by WCH. Courtesy US National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons.Theme music: “Solidarity (Forever)”, written by Ralph Chaplin, performed by The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello. Buy or stream it here.Edited by Louise BarryBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E72: Swing Kids and Edelweiss Pirates
Apr 3 2023
E72: Swing Kids and Edelweiss Pirates
Podcast episode about anti-fascist youth cultural movements in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. In particular we look at the German Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids, and in our patreon bonus episode we also speak about the French Zazous and the Austrian Schlurfs.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryDespite years of indoctrination, young people in fascist Europe in the 1930s and 40s resisted the authoritarianism and conformism of Nazi rule. We hear from former Edelweiss Pirate Walter Mayer, and speak with historian Nick Heath about these little-known movements.E72.1: Zazous and Schlurfs, bonus episode – available exclusively for our patreon supportersAnti-fascist books and merchandise – Posters, clothing and merchandise using artwork by or inspired by the Edelweiss Pirates and other 1930s anti-fascists in Germany.See sources, more information and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/72-edelweiss-pirates-swing-kids/.AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Jamison D. Saltsman.Episode graphic, mural of a group of Edelweiss Pirates in Cologne, courtesy wwwuppertal Flickr, CC by 2.0.Edited by Louise BarryThe theme music was Functionizin’, by Fats Waller, courtesy of the Swiss Foundation and Wikimedia Commons.Also featured was Richard Wagner’s Gerechter Gott, performed by Ernestine Schumann-Heink also courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E71: Working Class History Map, with Coffee with Comrades
Jan 31 2023
E71: Working Class History Map, with Coffee with Comrades
We chat with Pearson from the Coffee with Comrades podcast about our new web apps: the Working Class History Map and Stories app. This episode has been timed to coincide with the public launch of our web apps on January 31.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryIn this episode, we talk about why we started the mapping project, what it’s about, how people can use it, and about different ways of interacting with people’s history. We also talk about how it differs from any other radical history mapping project.Check out the Map at map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out the Stories app at stories.workingclasshistory.comThere is an additional bonus episode with Pearson speaking about their experiences using the map on a trip to London. Coming later today exclusively for our patreon supporters.If you enjoy it, make sure to check out Coffee with Comrades, who are also supported by patreon. Connect with them here: Web: https://coffeewithcomrades.com/Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomradesTwitter: http://twitter.com/coffeewcomradesAcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible.Episode produced by Coffee with Comrades, additional editingby Jesse FrenchOur theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E49: Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis
Oct 13 2022
E49: Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis
Rerelease of our episode 49 about Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis, because we are currently trying to co-publish a book, We Go Where They Go: The Story of Anti-Racist Action, which is the definitive history of the group across the US. To fund its publication, we are currently running a Kickstarter campaign so please do check it out here, and support it by pre-ordering your copy at a great discount with lots of other great rewards.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory Anti-Racist Action (ARA) started in Minneapolis and is a predecessor to the crews often now called antifa. ARA started in 1987 with a multiracial group of teenage skinheads who fought the rising white power movement. It grew into a network of groups in at least 120 towns and cities across the US and Canada. ARA’s first principle was: “We go where they go. Never let the Nazis have the streets.” They eventually applied that not only to white power organising, but to homophobic and anti-abortion organizing, and to police violence, which they saw as all connected. Producer and host Anna Stitt tells the story of the group in Minneapolis through vivid first-person accounts, archival audio, and music from the era. It starts under the railroad tracks in Uptown, Minneapolis and traces a movement that continues to shape the US to this day. Learn about the group across the US in the forthcoming book, We Go Where They Go, which you can preorder from our Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrkclasshistory/we-go-where-they-go-the-story-of-anti-racist-actionMore information about this episode, photos, full acknowledgements and a transcript here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/01/11/e49-anti-racist-action-in-minneapolis/ Listen to our exclusive bonus episode, where we discussed the topic further with Anna, and listen to more tape from participants about their early lives, political backgrounds and more on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/e49-1-anti-bonus-46081746Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E70: Howard Zinn 100, part 2
Aug 29 2022
E70: Howard Zinn 100, part 2
Second in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States and other texts, was one of the most influential historians in the US in the 20th-century, inspiring a generation to study history from below, including us. Born in New York in August 1922, we are releasing these episodes for the centenary of his birth, as part of a series of Howard Zinn 100 events. In these episodes, Zinn tells the story of his life, his activism, his ideas and his work in his own words, in what was one of his last, if not the last, interview before his sudden death in 2010. This little-known interview was conducted by Sasha Lilley, and excerpts from it are used with permission of Lilley and PM Press.A DVD video of the full interview is available here in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/theory-and-practice-conversations-with-noam-chomsky-and-howard-zinn-dvdGet A People's History of the United States from an independent bookstore here: https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780062397348Get the rest of the People's History series here from an independent bookstore: https://bookshop.org/lists/people-s-history-seriesFull show notes, sources acknowledgements and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e69-70-howard-zinn-100/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.
E69: Howard Zinn 100, part 1
Aug 17 2022
E69: Howard Zinn 100, part 1
First in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States and other texts, was one of the most influential historians in the US in the 20th-century, inspiring a generation to study history from below, including us. Born in New York in August 1922, we are releasing these episodes for the centenary of his birth, as part of a series of Howard Zinn 100 events. In these episodes, Zinn tells the story of his life, his activism, his ideas and his work in his own words, in what was one of his last, if not the last, interview before his sudden death in 2010. This little-known interview was conducted by Sasha Lilley, and excerpts from it are used with permission of Lilley and PM Press.A DVD video of the full interview is available here in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/theory-and-practice-conversations-with-noam-chomsky-and-howard-zinn-dvdGet A People's History of the United States from an independent bookstore here: https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780062397348Get the rest of the People's History series here from an independent bookstore: https://bookshop.org/lists/people-s-history-seriesFull show notes, sources acknowledgements and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e69-70-howard-zinn-100/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-history--5711490/support.