Rising Up with Sonali

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Rising Up With Sonali is a women-run daily one-hour radio and television broadcast offering progressive news analysis with an emphasis on racial and gender justice. Created, hosted, and executive produced by Sonali Kolhatkar.

Sonali Kolhatkar


    • Oct 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 18m AVG DURATION
    • 991 EPISODES

    4.8 from 63 ratings Listeners of Rising Up with Sonali that love the show mention: need, like, work, great, sonali.


    Ivy Insights

    The Rising Up with Sonali podcast is a gem in the world of independent news and political commentary. As a listener who initially followed the show on KPFK and now enjoys it through the podcast format, I am thrilled to have access to Sonali's insightful discussions and thought-provoking topics. This podcast offers unique coverage that I can't find anywhere else, tackling issues that are often overlooked or marginalized by mainstream media. Sonali's affiliation with YES is another reason to celebrate, as it adds even more credibility and depth to the content.

    One of the best aspects of The Rising Up with Sonali podcast is its ability to cover a wide range of topics and bring on guests that offer diverse perspectives. From discussing the need for Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, to examining prison reform and police demilitarization, this podcast leaves no stone unturned when it comes to important issues. Sonali does an excellent job of asking probing questions that challenge prevailing narratives, allowing listeners to gain a deeper understanding of complex topics. The intelligence and pertinence of the content produced each day make this show a must-listen for anyone seeking in-depth analysis.

    While there may not be any glaring flaws with The Rising Up with Sonali podcast, some listeners may find that it leans heavily towards progressive viewpoints. However, as someone who thinks like millennials/progressives despite being a boomer myself, I appreciate the show's unapologetic stance on important issues. It provides a refreshing alternative to mainstream media's often biased coverage. That being said, those who hold more conservative views may feel alienated or frustrated by the lack of balance in perspectives offered.

    In conclusion, The Rising Up with Sonali podcast delivers intelligent and relevant content that challenges conventional wisdom and dives into crucial topics often overlooked by mainstream media. It is a valuable resource for anyone seeking alternative perspectives on current events and politics. With its thought-provoking interviews and commitment to shedding light on important issues, Sonali and her show have established themselves as a vital voice in the world of free press.



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    Latest episodes from Rising Up with Sonali

    Socialists are Coming For You and Your Rotten System

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025


    Jonathan Rosenblum is the author of a new book about Kshama Sawant's leadership in Seattle, called We're Coming for You and Your Rotten System: How Socialists Beat Amazon and Upended Big-City Politics.

    Why Renters Are Going on Strike Against Corporate Landlords

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025


    The Debt Collective has organized a rent debt strike against Equity Residential, the fifth largest landlord in the nation and the largest in the city of Los Angeles.

    Time for Incarcerated Fire Fighters To Earn a Living Wage

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025


    California's incarcerated firefighters may win a huge pay bump if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs AB 247, a bill that's just reached his desk.

    Rising Up For Justice: Defending Rights and Dissent in an Age of Fascism

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025


    This week on Rising Up For Justice, Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent  joins us.

    LA Incumbent Democrat Faces Progressive Challenger

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025


    As a self-described “daughter of a deportee, raised by a single mom in and around Northeast LA,” Angela Gonzales-Torres is running for Congress on an abolitionist platform of people-first housing, guaranteed basic income, Medicare-for-all, Green New Deal, immigrant justice and more. 

    New Mexico's Free Universal Childcare and the Grassroots Movement that Delivered it

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025


    The state of New Mexico just adopted a universal free childcare program, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. 

    Did Mass Protest Against Kimmel's Firing Work?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025


    Jimmy Kimmel has become a cause celebre after being yanked off the air by his employer Disney. But the ensuing mass protests against Kimmel's firing were less about who he is as an individual than what his firing indicated. 

    Rising Up For Justice: How to Fight For Transgender Youth

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025


    This week on Rising Up For Justice, Dr. Van Bailey, an award-winning educator and advocate for transgender youth joins us.

    Medea Benjamin Holds Congress Members Accountable

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025


    Code Pink activists showed up at a restaurant in Washington DC to confront President Donald Trump with chants of “Free DC, Free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.”

    Climate Organizers Seek to “Draw the Line” on Injustice

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025


    A series of climate justice actions around the world this month, seeks to “Draw the Line” on numerous interconnected issues plaguing people and the planet.

    How to Respond to Charlie Kirk's Legacy of Racist Bullying

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025


    Tariq Khan, a historian and lecturer at Yale University, found out first hand what it felt like to be on the receiving end of Charlie Kirk's work.

    Rising Up For Justice: The Immigrant Worker-Led Fight for Justice

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025


    This week on Rising Up For Justice, Nadia Marin Molina, Co-Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network joins us.

    worker immigrant rising up co executive director national day laborer organizing network
    What if Everyone Had a Universal Basic Income?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025


    What if everyone had a guaranteed basic income that covered their cost of living, without conditions, without means testing, without question?

    How to Counter RFK Jr.'s Madness?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025


    Senators questioned RFK Jr.'s mass firings at the HHS, his cuts to critical services including COVID-19 vaccine access, and his unscientific claims about public health. 

    Georgia Communities Defend Workers After ICE Raid

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025


    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted the largest ever workplace raid in the US on September 4th, at an EV battery plant in Georgia.

    Rising Up For Justice: A Jewish Approach to Justice for Palestine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025


    This week on Rising Up For Justice, Jane Kim from Working Families Party joins us. Jane is the California Director of the Working Families Party.

    How Universities Can Rise to the Challenge of Trumpism

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025


    From the push-back against affirmative action and diversity initiatives, to the attacks on campus free speech, politicians seem hell-bent on attacking colleges for precisely the reasons that make them centers of learning.

    Housing Justice in New Orleans, 20 Years Post-Katrina

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025


    Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, housing remains the biggest challenge to New Orleans, a city that is one of the nation's most treasured centers of culture and history.

    What Chicago's Black-led Resistance is Teaching the Nation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025


    Chicagoans are determined to resist Trump's militarism, in particular Black-led abolitionist groups who have long fought against the over-policing of their communities. 

    How Hotel Workers in NYC Organized a Union a Century Ago

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025


    Ahead of Labor Day 2025, we'll turn to Shaun Richman, a former labor organizer turned academic and author who teaches labor history at SUNY Empire State University.

    Shining a Light on Trump's Mass Immigrant Detention Plan

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025


    Detention Watch Network has compiled data to create a map of new and existing detention centers around the United States, hoping to shine a light on the vast architecture of incarceration. 

    This is What DC's Black-led Resistance is Teaching the Nation

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025


    In Washington D.C. and around the country, people are fighting back enthusiastically, organizing spirited protests against Trump's expanding policing and militarization.

    Rising Up For Justice: Beating the Two-Party Political System

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025


    This week on Rising Up For Justice, Jane Kim from Working Families Party joins us. Jane is the California Director of the Working Families Party.

    Linda Sarsour on the Fight for Palestinian Existence

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025


    At the Netroots Nation conference in early August, well-known Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour spoke about the state of protest against Israel's on-going genocide in Gaza. 

    Why Immigrant Rights Organizers are Boycotting Home Depot

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025


    Home Depot representatives say they are not cooperating with ICE but organizers are calling for a boycott of the corporate hardware chain. 

    Texas Dems Fight to Stop GOP Power Grab

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025


    After a weeks-long standoff, during which Texas Democrats left to break quorum, their Republican colleagues threatened them with arrest.

    Can Mamdani Fight the Democratic Party Machine?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025


    Mamdani has inspired so much new energy, particularly among young people, all over the country, that it is shocking how many of his party colleagues still refuse to endorse him.

    Labor Leader David Huerta Speaks Out After ICE Attack

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025


    At the Netroots Nation 2025 conference in New Orleans, I had the chance to speak with SEIU-California President David Huerta, who had just been cleared for interviews for the first time since his arrest.

    CA AG Rob Bonta on ICE Violations of Court Orders

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025


    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued the Trump administration dozens of times, almost at the rate of once a week. He spoke with Sonali Kolhatkar at Netroots Nation 2025 in New Orleans.

    Prisons Claim to Rehabilitate People. But Do They Really?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025


    Rehabilitation, we are told, is the goal of prisons and that imprisoning people who are convicted of crimes, will help them and help society. But does this work?

    Marketing Eugenics Wrapped in Blue Jeans

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2025


    President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversial ads by American Eagle featuring the young white actor Sydney Sweeney and its not-so-subtle nod to eugenics.

    An Easy Tool to Calculate Inflation in Your State

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025


    There's a new easy-to-use online tool called Don't Inflate Our Plates allowing people to calculate inflation in their own state.

    How Working Class South Asians Organized To Elect Zohran Mamdani

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025


    Jagpreet Singh is the Political Director for DRUM Beats and in an in-depth interview, he examines how and why South Asian voters in New York City mobilized for Mamdani and what lessons the election holds for the rest of the nation.

    Viet Thanh Nguyen: On Trump's Remaking of America

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025


    Viet Thanh Nguyen is a professor of English, American studies and ethnicity, and comparative literature at the University of Southern California. His novel The Sympathizer won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

    Labor Activist Chris Smalls On Solidarity with Gaza

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025


    Israeli occupation forces intercepted the Handala and abducted and assaulted well-known labor activist Christian Smalls, the founder of the Amazon Labor Union.

    Josefina Lopez and the “Real Women” of Los Angeles

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025


    Lopez is a screenwriter and playwright, film producer and performer, born in Mexico and undocumented for more than a dozen years before receiving amnesty.

    "Diary of Ana Franco": ICE Terror in LA

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025


    Hear from Luana Lopez, the daughter of Ana Franco Galdamez, snatched by ICE agents on June 19, and from Fredid Toledo, an activist with Homies Unidos who is supporting Ana Franco's family.

    Syrians Hopeful, Six Months After Fall of Assad

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025


    It has been more than six months since Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad was overthrown, ending a bloody civil war and his family's 54-year rule over the Arab nation.

    We Need Liberation Stories For a Better World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2025


    A new anthology of strategies aims to help progressive, people-centered narratives take hold–stories that can reshape our world to recenter collective care and equity.

    CA's Most Latinx City Adopts Strict Sanctuary Law

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025


    The Los Angeles-area city of Huntington Park just passed a strict sanctuary city ordinance in response to the violent invasion of federal immigration agents.

    Can Dance Tear Down Prison Walls?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025


    Dance, like other art forms, is deeply therapeutic, and some would say, powerful. But can dance tear down prison walls?

    A Revival of Nonviolent Direct Action for Trump 2.0

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025


    Is it time to revive the practice of nonviolent direct action in the face of rising fascism?

    donald trump revival nonviolent direct action
    Texans Launch Mutual Aid Efforts After Historic Floods

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025


    More than a 100 people have been killed, including dozens of children in catastrophic flooding in central Texas on the fourth of July.

    Linking Stories of Reparations and LandBack

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2025


    There are movements all over the nation for reparations for Black people and a dynamic push by Indigenous groups for returning land to their nations. What if these movements and their stories were linked? 

    Beating ICE With “Community Self-Defense”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025


    Neighborhoods are organizing people in rapid responses to the appearance of ICE agents. 

    Mamdani's Winning Socialist Vision

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025


    There are independent candidates like Zohran Mamdani who have come before him, and others who are coming after him.

    Can We Take Down the Walls Between Us?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025


    We live at a time when the walls between us, digital, physical, geographic, racial, and cultural, seem larger and more impenetrable than ever.

    How a Local Campaign Is Taking on Corporations Over Gaza Genocide

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025


    In Spring 2025, a coalition of organizers in St. Louis, Missouri launched a campaign with international scope, targeting corporations implicated in the Gaza genocide.

    What's at Stake in the US/Israel War on Iran?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025


    Thousands of scholars in the US and beyond have signed on to a petition calling for an end to the war on Iran.

    Time for an Alternative to Democratic Party?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025


    The Democratic Party offered itself up as an alternative to Trump near the end of his first term, but the time is ripe for a complete reconfiguration of the liberal party–if not a replacement. 

    Juneteenth in the Context of Authoritarian White Supremacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2025


    How can we reset Juneteeth within the context of authoritarian white supremacy? 

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