Mother Country Radicals

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Zayd Dohrn was born underground - his parents were radicals and counter-culture outlaws, on the run from the FBI. Now Zayd takes us back to the 1970s, when his parents and their young friends in the Weather Underground Organization declared war on the United States government. They brawled with riot cops on the streets of Chicago, bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, broke comrades out of prison, and teamed up with Black militant groups to rob banks, fight racism - and help build a revolution.

Crooked Media


    • Mar 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 37m AVG DURATION
    • 17 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS

    Ivy Insights

    The Mother Country Radicals podcast is an incredibly captivating and enlightening series that delves into the history of the radical left in America, specifically focusing on the Weather Underground and its connection to the Black Panthers. The podcast is expertly crafted, providing a unique perspective through interviews with members of the Weather Underground and their families, including Zayd Dohrn, the son of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is its ability to humanize these radical activists who are often painted in a negative light by mainstream media. By giving them a platform to share their personal experiences and motivations, the podcast allows listeners to gain a deeper understanding of their actions and beliefs. It also sheds light on the complex relationships between activism, family, and societal change, offering a nuanced portrayal of individuals who were driven by a desire for social justice.

    Another impressive aspect of The Mother Country Radicals is its thorough research and attention to detail. The podcast provides historical context, thoughtful analysis, and insightful commentary that goes beyond what is typically covered in traditional history classes or documentaries. Listeners will come away with a greater understanding of the interconnectedness between different activist movements during this time period.

    However, one possible downside to this podcast is that it may not provide enough critical analysis or acknowledgement of the negative consequences of the actions taken by the Weather Underground. While it successfully humanizes these activists, it may downplay or overlook some of the harm caused by their acts of violence. Additionally, some listeners may have preferred more diverse perspectives or inclusion of dissenting views to provide a more well-rounded discussion.

    In conclusion, The Mother Country Radicals is an exceptional podcast that offers a fresh perspective on an important part of American history. Its ability to humanize these radical activists while providing historical context and analysis makes it both captivating and enlightening. Although it may have some drawbacks in terms of critical analysis and diverse perspectives, it remains a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of the radical left in America.



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    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 11:58


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    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 44:44


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    Introducing: Search Engine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 9:43


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    Introducing Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 33:29


    Chapter 1: Bug's Plan. It's 2014. Adelanto is a bankrupt city in the California desert known for its massive detention centers and not much else. Then, a stranger comes to town with a wild idea to make Adelanto great again: Become the first city in Southern California to legalize commercial weed cultivation. Subscribe to Dreamtown to hear episode two right now, wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Introducing Stiffed: Good Girls Walk Into a Porn Manager

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 33:50


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    Bonus: Radical Family Histories (A Crossover with I Was Never There)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 39:18


    Zayd sits down with his mom, Bernardine Dohrn, along with Jamie and Karen Zelermyer of Wonder Media Network's I Was Never There to look back at the process of making a show so deeply rooted in personal family history. Jamie and Zayd interview their mothers to learn how they felt reliving their radical pasts and what it was like to make a podcast with their children. And in a time that feels so similar politically to the turbulent decades Karen and Bernardine lived through - how do they find hope? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 10: Inheritance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2022 55:54


    Zayd connects to other children of the underground. Out of the shards of the radical movements of the 1970s, a new generation fights to build a better future. For more of the story, check out:  Chesa Boudin, Letters from Young Activists: Today's Rebels Speak Out (2005) Patrisse Cullors & asha bandel, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir (2018) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    Chapter 9: Revolutionary Suicide

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2022 49:00


    Former members of the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army carry out one last action together, with deadly consequences that reverberate across generations.  For more of the story, check out:  Assata Shakur, Assata: An Autobiography (1987) Dhoruba bin Wahad, Assata Shakur & Mumia Abu-Jamal, Still Black, Still Strong (1993) Dan Berger, Outlaws of America: the Weather Underground and the Politics of Solidarity (2005) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 8: Hard Times

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 48:32


    The end of the Vietnam War means the end of the Weather Underground. Zayd's parents and their radical comrades, still on the run from the FBI, plan a different kind of future.  For more of the story, check out:  Emile de Antonio, Underground (1976) Mona Rocha, The Weatherwomen: Militant Feminists of the Weather Underground (2020) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 7: The Belly of the Beast, Part II

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 32:28


    The Weather Underground Organization and the Black Liberation Army go to war with the United States government. For more of the story, check out:  The BLA, Black Liberation Army Papers (1963-1998) Sekou Odinga, Dhoruba Bin Wahad & Jamal Joseph, Look for Me in the Whirlwind: From the Panther 21 to 21st Century Revolutions (2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 6: The Belly of the Beast, Part I

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 32:58


    The FBI targets the Weather Underground, and a split in the Black Panther Party gives rise to a new, more militant organization - the Black Liberation Army.  For more of the story, check out:  The Weather Underground, Prairie Fire: The Politics Of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism (1974) Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Declassified FBI Files on the Weather Underground Organization (2010) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 5: New Morning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2022 44:30


    The Weathermen go underground, and become famous - and infamous - as counter-culture outlaws. For more of the story, check out:  Thai Jones, A Radical Line: From the Labor Movement to the Weather Underground (2004) Timothy Leary, The Psychedelic Experience (1964) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 4: Bring the War Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 42:07


    The Weathermen decide to bring the horrors of the Vietnam War back to America's doorstep, planning an action that will change the future of the organization, and Zayd's family, forever. For more of the story, check out:  Bill Ayers, Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Antiwar Activist (2001) Cathy Wilkerson, Flying Close to the Sun: My Life and Times as a Weatherman (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 3: I Am A Revolutionary

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022 47:41


    Jamal Joseph is radicalized at 15, and joins the New York Black Panthers. And a deadly attack by Chicago Police puts both Panthers and Weathermen on a path towards violent revolution.  For more of the story, check out:  Jamal Joseph, Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention (2012) Stanley Nelson, The Black Panther Party: Vanguard of the Revolution (2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 2: Days of Rage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022 50:38


    Zayd's father Bill Ayers joins the Weathermen, and he and his friends teach themselves to be revolutionaries, gearing up to build bombs and brawl with police on the streets of Chicago. For more of the story, check out:  Gillo Pontecorvo, The Battle of Algiers (1966) Carlos Marighella, The Mini-Manual of the Urban Guerrilla (1969) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Chapter 1: The Most Dangerous Woman in America

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022 56:15


    In 1970, a former law student named Bernardine Dohrn declared war on the United States government. Decades later, her son Zayd Ayers Dohrn tells the story of how his mother was radicalized, and became the most wanted woman in America.  For more of the story, check out:  Students for a Democratic Society, The Port Huron Statement (1962) Revolutionary Youth Movement, "The Weatherman Paper" (1969) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Mother Country Radicals coming June 9

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2022 3:21


    Zayd Dohrn was born underground - his parents were founders of the Weather Underground organization, and on the run from the FBI. Now Zayd takes us back to the 1970s, when his parents and their young friends brawled with riot cops on the streets of Chicago, bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, and teamed up with Black militant groups to rob banks, fight racism - and help build a revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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