Episode 5 - The Language Of The Unheard Featuring Wintana Melekin and Rod Adams

Episode 5 - The Language Of The Unheard Featuring Wintana Melekin and Rod Adams

Episode 5 of Lemme Ask You This With Talib Kweli and Tef Poe finds the LAYT gang in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The special guests are activists and organizers Wintana Melekin from Groundwork Institute and Rod Adams from New Justice Project Minnesota. After the guests tell us a little about themselves, Talib asks Wintana to talk about the functions of the Groundwork Institute and then she talks about how we win by resisting. Rod breaks down the similarities between the Minneapolis and Ferguson uprisings. Tef asks Talib why he does activist work and Talib breaks down how rewarding activist work can be rewarding if you make the revolution irresistible. 

Tef asks Wintana about how she engages with artists around social justice work and she talks about how artists have a history of supporting activist work. Wintana talks about how Black immigrants are affected by racist policing in Minnesota and Rod how tax dollars should go to things that help the community instead of to more policing. The LAYT gang discussing the intricacies of defunding the police and how modern policing starts with slave patrols. Talib asks about the similarities between the police and the KKK. Tef asks Wintana about her trip to DC to confront lawmakers about funding ICE. Wintana and Rod advocate for voting. Tef asks Wintana and Rod about how Minneapolis activists work so well together, which leads to a larger conversation about how to agree to disagree with other activists while navigating this era of social media. Talib asks the group if Black people should continue to protest or sit this one out. Wintana and Tef break down how the people who complain the most about activism are the ones who don't do the work. Tef and Rod talk about how Black women are the ones leading the revolution and Wintana says some of their names.  Wintana and Rod break down transformative justice and restorative justice.

Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.

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