Saturday Free School for Philosophy and Black Liberation

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Our weekly analysis of philosophy, history and current events through the life and works of W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Saturday Free School is committed to the political and ideological education of the people. In thi

Saturday Free School


    • May 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 3h 24m AVG DURATION
    • 196 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Saturday Free School for Philosophy and Black Liberation

    Our Upcoming Symposium "Seizing the Future" (Saturday Free School 4/26/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 226:52


    We discuss our upcoming symposium titled "Seizing Our Future: The Revolutionary Music of Ellington, Mingus, Sun Ra and Bootsy", to be held on May 10th and 11th at the Church of the Crucifixion, Philadelphia.

    Trump vs. the Elite Universities (Saturday Free School 4/19/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 198:39


    We discuss the significance of recent attacks on the universities by the Trump administration. We also discuss the upcoming music symposium, and the upcoming Issue 4 of Avant-Garde: A Journal of Peace, Democracy and Science.

    Donald Trump and the Undoing of the U. S. Empire (Saturday Free School 4/12/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2025 216:13


    We discuss the effects of the ongoing policies of the Trump administration and the fate of the U. S. empire.

    donald trump empire undoing saturday free school
    Du Bois and a New World Movement of Thought, Continued (Saturday Free School 3/22/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025 204:43


    We continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois as the original thinker of a new movement of world thought.

    W. E. B. Du Bois and a New World Movement of Thought (Saturday Free School 3/15/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 211:37


    We discuss W. E. B. Du Bois and a new world movement of thought, and its relationship to the disintegration of the American Empire.

    Closing of the Year of James Baldwin (Saturday Free School 3/8/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 75:19


    We discuss our preparations for the closing of, and the significance of, the Year of James Baldwin, titled 'Celebrating Our Forever Revolutionary James Baldwin', which commenced at 2.30 pm on March 8th.

    james baldwin saturday free school
    The Beginning of the End of the Euro-American Alliance (Saturday Free School 3/1/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 215:46


    We discuss the epistemologies of prominent thinkers such as Noam Chomsky, Jeffrey Sachs and others, and its significance in understanding this moment of beginning of the end of the American Empire.

    Trump, Ukraine, and The New Ideological Moment for Humanity (Saturday Free School 2/22/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 208:16


    We discuss the significance of the Trump administration's role in ending war in Europe, and the new ideological moment for humanity and the American People.

    The Collapse of the U.S. State; Chris Hedges and Steve Bannon (Saturday Free School 2/15/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 228:49


    We continue our discussion on a new Theory of the State, and examine the epistemology of opposite political actors Steve Bannon and Chris Hedges.

    The Struggle for a Revolutionary Democracy, A New Theory of the State (Saturday Free School 2/8/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 227:43


    We discuss the struggle for a new and revolutionary democracy, which requires an updated theory of the State.

    DeepSeek, A.I., and the Chinese and American Social Systems (Saturday Free School 2/1/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 227:43


    We discuss DeepSeek, the Chinese A.I. system that challenges our assumptions of technology and scientific capacities of the U.S. and the rest of the world, and what this tells us about the Chinese and U.S. social systems.

    american chinese social system saturday free school
    The Inauguration of Trump and Possible Futures (Saturday Free School 1/25/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 230:37


    We discuss the inauguration of Donald Trump and what are the possible futures for the United States.

    The Crisis of the Two-Party System (Saturday Free School 1/18/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 214:52


    We discuss the crisis of the two-party system in the US and what this means for governance and the rule of the ruling elite.

    crisis two party system saturday free school
    The US People's Struggle for Democracy as a Geostrategic Force for Peace (Saturday Free School 1/11/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 240:43


    We discuss this topic: "Is the US People's struggle for democracy a geostrategic force in the global struggle for peace?"

    peace struggle force democracy saturday free school
    Assessing the Year of James Baldwin and an All Humanity Struggle (Saturday Free School 1/4/25)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 220:25


    We assess the first 10 months of the Year of James Baldwin and what the last seven weeks will look like. Then we discuss an all humanity struggle of a new type in this moment of civilizational crisis.

    Can The American Ruling Elite Survive The Crisis of Western Civilization (Saturday Free School 12/28/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 196:26


    We discuss: Can the American ruling elite survive the civilizational crisis that the West is engulfed in?

    The Capacities of the Ruling Elite (Saturday Free School 12/21/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 184:28


    We discuss what the capacities of the ruling elite are. Are they weaker than they've been in close to 100 years?

    elite ruling capacities saturday free school
    The Upcoming Election and BRICS (Saturday Free School 10/26/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 216:27


    We discuss the election 10 days out. We also speak about the BRICS conference in Russia.

    russia elections brics saturday free school
    Chaos and Nihilism in the Final Days of the Biden Admin (Saturday Free School 12/14/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 182:54


    We discuss chaos and nihilism in the final days of Biden administration.

    The Political System Crisis of Disintegration (Saturday Free School 12/7/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 247:49


    We discuss the Lucien Blackwell Library reading group for the Year of Baldwin, including a discussion on Baldwin's essay "Freaks and the American Ideal of Manhood." Then we discuss the political system crisis of disintegration and what are the possible ways forward.

    The Ideological Crisis of the State (Saturday Free School 11/30/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 194:56


    We discuss the US state in the throes of the ideological crisis of the state. We examine some theories including John Rawls's theory of justice.

    crisis ideological john rawls saturday free school
    The Overturning of the Liberal Consensus (Saturday Free School 11/23/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 226:53


    We discuss the US state and its ideology in a time of mass discontent and the overturning of the liberal consensus. We explore the FDR redistributive/progressive state and Trump's retribution/revenge state.

    Liberalism and the History of Modernity (11/16/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 226:51


    We discuss liberalism and the history of modernity.

    The 2024 Election and Activist Future (Saturday Free School 11/9/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 238:45


    We sum up the 2024 election and the activist future for the U.S. people and working class. We also discuss reading James Baldwin in these times.

    Nobel Prizes and "The Souls of Black Folk" in Year of Baldwin (Saturday Free School 10/19/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 207:22


    We analyze the Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry and economics and what they say about knowledge and science. We also discuss W.E.B. DuBois's "The Souls of Black Folk" in the Year of James Baldwin, the presidential election, and wars.

    The Black Social System and the World's Colored Modernity (Saturday Free School 10/12/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 212:17


    We discuss the Black social system and the realization of the world's colored modernity.

    White Supremacist Social System and Mode of Production (Saturday Free School 9/28/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2024 248:44


    We discuss the white supremacist social system, the Democratic Party, and the 2024 election. We begin with a presentation of the thesis and questions presented on the white supremacist social system and the Marxian concept mode of production.

    James Baldwin, the Mountain Upon Which We Must Fight (Saturday Free School 9/21/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2024 198:40


    We discuss why James Baldwin is the mountain upon which we must fight.

    mountain james baldwin saturday free school
    White Supremacist Social System and the Democratic Party (Saturday Free School 9/14/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 213:56


    We discuss the white supremacist social system, the Democratic Party, and the enduring poverty of Black people.

    James Baldwin and the State (Saturday Free School 9/7/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 222:55


    We discuss James Baldwin and the state in his essay, "This Far and No Further." We also discuss the Democratic Party and the poor.

    democratic party james baldwin saturday free school
    James Baldwin and the Interregnum (Saturday Free School 8/31/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 233:49


    We discuss James Baldwin and Antonio Gramsci, the interregnum, and the American crisis.

    Assessing the DNC and Our Future (Saturday Free School 8/24/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2024 222:26


    We reviewed and discussed our livestream event on the Democratic Party National Convention called "Breaking Free from the House of Bondage: James Baldwin Speaks to the 2024 Election". Lastly, we further discussed how the Saturday Free School will go forward and our future.

    Breaking Free from the House of Bondage: James Baldwin Speaks to the 2024 Election | Day 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2024 119:28


    Day 2 is entitled "James Baldwin and the Creation of the New American People" and raises the question of what moral consistency looks like vis a vis the 2024 election, and whether moral inconsistency can lead to political consistency. As always, we are trying to generate more and better theory to arm the American people with.

    Breaking Free from the House of Bondage: James Baldwin Speaks to the 2024 Election | Day 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2024 134:21


    Day 1 is entitled "James Baldwin as a Theorist of Crisis" and discusses how Baldwin's formulations of the crumbling of empire, safety and whiteness can help understand the current moment, engaging with Antonio Gramsci's concept of an interregnum.

    James Baldwin, the Democratic National Convention, and Crisis in Bangladesh (Saturday Free School 8/17/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2024 237:00


    We continue our review and discussion of our three-day celebration of James Baldwin's 100th birthday and where we go from here. We also report on our upcoming livestream event on the Democratic Party National Convention. Lastly, we report on what is going on in Bangladesh and its impact upon South Asia.

    James Baldwin's 100th Birthday (Saturday Free School 8/10/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2024 213:18


    We discuss the three-day celebration of James Baldwin's 100th birthday. We also briefly discuss the upcoming Democratic Party Convention.

    james baldwin 100th birthday democratic party convention saturday free school
    Assassinations, Coups, and the U.S. State (Saturday Free School 7/27/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2024 210:54


    We discuss the deepening political crisis: assassinations, coups, and the US State. Finally, we discuss preparations for the upcoming Baldwin birthday celebration.

    Donald Trump, Tragedy or Farce? (Saturday Free School 7/20/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 216:51


    We respond to the recent New York Times article " Donald Trump, Man of Destiny" and use Karl Marx's concept of tragedy and farce to discuss Martin Luther King Jr. as the man of destiny. We also discuss Oren Cass's interviews and the political crisis in the U.S.

    African Americans, Labor Unions, and the Democratic Party (Saturday Free School 7/13/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2024 215:37


    We discuss African Americans and the labor movement in the midst of the existential crisis of the Democratic Party. Alice reports back on her trip to China. Finally, we provide an update on August events celebrating James Baldwin's birthday.

    The Crisis of Biden and the Democratic Party (7/6/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 190:38


    We discuss the crisis of Biden and the Democratic Party.

    Trump-Biden Debate and the Crisis of the Democratic Party (Saturday Free School 6/29/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 223:18


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. We assess our recent Year of Baldwin symposium on the crisis of knowledge and discuss how it sets up the ideological direction and revolutionary political imperative of the Year of Baldwin moving forward. We also have a brief discussion of the presidential debate between Trump and Biden and its implications.

    The White Supremacist Social System (Saturday Free School 6/22/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 239:54


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. We discuss the white supremacist social system, war, and the case of China.

    Honoring Reverend James Lawson (6/15/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 206:29


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. We discuss Reverend James Lawson, the Civil Rights Movement leader and friend who recently passed away, and his legacy. We return to discussion of the black social system and what it tells us about the trajectory of the struggle for a people's democracy and peace. We also discuss how James Baldwin's writing assumes it and explains it.

    The Black Social System (Saturday Free School 6/8/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 215:18


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. We talk about the Black family gender and the Black social system, as well as the failures of contemporary gender and social theory to understand it. We also report on our recent symposium, "The Crisis of Knowledge and the American University: James Baldwin and the Struggle for Our Human Future."

    New China (Saturday Free School 6/8/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 157:21


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. Kathie Jiang will report on her observations of New China based on her recent trip. We provide an update on our upcoming Symposium on the crisis of knowledge and the American university.

    Upcoming Symposium on The Crisis of Knowledge and the American University (Saturday Free School 5/18/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 208:32


    Note to Audience: We have resolved our recent technical issues with Spotify and are currently uploading our previous recordings. We give updates on our June 1st and 2nd Year of James Baldwin symposium on science. Then we discuss poetry and art. Finally, we discuss recent polls on the 2024 presidential election.

    April 4, 1967 to April 2024: Where Do We Go From Here (Saturday Free School 5/11/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 218:06


    We discuss "April 4, 1967 to April 2024: Where do we go from here and what is the next stage of struggle." Also, we report on our June 1st and June 2nd symposium on the crisis of science and the struggle of a revolutionary epistemology. Finally, we discuss the Penn Gaza solidarity encampment.

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    Student Protests and the Political Crisis of the 2024 Election (5/4/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 208:45


    We discuss the student protests and the political crisis of the 2024 election. We discuss how these demonstrations compare to the 1968 anti-Vietnam War protests.

    Why We Must Inherit The Third American Revolution (4/27/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 217:22


    We discuss the article "Why We Must Inherit the Third American Revolution," in the second issue of Avant-Garde. We also discuss the moment of national and world transition to a new democracy, peace, and anti-imperialism. Lastly, we discuss the recent Tagore event and its coverage in Chinese and Indian media.

    Iran's Missile Attacks on Israel, Genocide in Gaza, and Rabindranath Tagore Event (4/20/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 213:20


    We report on the recent Rabindranath Tagore event that took place in Bangalore celebrating the hundredth anniversary of his trip to China. We also discuss the genocide in Gaza, Iran's missile attacks on Israel, and the existential crisis of Israel and whether it will continue to exist.

    Assessing King Event and Avant-Garde, Judith Butler and the Vatican (Saturday 4/13/24)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 192:28


    We assess our recent event "America's Revolutionary Future and Martin Luther King's Vision for Peace," as well as the second issue of Avant-Garde and the journal's future. We also discuss the Vatican's statement about human dignity and gender theory, and Judith Butler's response.

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