(HKR 04-24-25) On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D speaks with Professor Tina Bell Wright. She is the author of 360 Degrees: A Blueprint to Black Self-Determination. The conversation provides a timely and urgent breakdown. It explains how communities can resist growing authoritarianism. Communities can do this by building power through cooperative economics. They can also use cultural awareness and political clarity.
Professor Wright discusses the importance of joining co-ops and grassroots organizations. Doing so helps reclaim agency. This is crucial in a time when state institutions and tech billionaires work hand in hand to suppress dissent. She compares today’s climate to textbook fascism—where public knowledge is erased, books are banned, and misinformation runs rampant. Wright cites her work with the Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement (CEEM). She explains how worker-owned businesses and collective decision-making provide an alternative to capitalist hoarding. They offer a pathway toward community resilience.
The episode also explores the harmful impacts of AI bots on education systems. It examines the manipulation of public narratives by search engines and media corporations. Additionally, it addresses the rising trend of anti-intellectualism. Both Davey D and Professor Wright reflect on the danger of forgetting history. They emphasize the need to educate future generations despite state-sanctioned erasure.
Professor Wright urges listeners to create “exit strategies.” These strategies include off-grid living or global relocation. She advises studying Maroon societies as a model for autonomous survival. Her key message is clear. We must discuss power. This includes who holds it. It also includes how we build it. Without this discussion, we’re not truly preparing for what lies ahead.
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