Hey! We want to invite you to join the Empire City Podcast Club!

We’re pulling together a group of listeners, thinkers, organizers, and curious people (like you!) to dig into Empire City: The Untold Story of the NYPD with us, host Chenjerai Kumanyika, and some very special guests.

From ICE raids to the public safety narratives we’re hearing about immigrants and crime, and how they’re used to justify surveillance and force, it’s clear that the past is never just the past.

If you haven’t heard Empire City yet, here’s what to know. Host Chenjerai Kumanyika is going to take you on a journey to the roots of modern policing – a system that wasn’t built to keep people safe, but to protect property, reinforce racial hierarchies, and consolidate power in the hands of the elite. From its role in kidnapping and trafficking Black New Yorkers to the manufacture of fear and the rise of militarized policing, Empire City will help you understand how these structures developed and why they’ve proven so durable.

This is a time for us to learn together, connect the dots, hash through a bunch of big questions, and imagine what real safety could look like for all of us.

Each club, you’ll listen to two episodes, and then join us via Zoom to discuss weekly discussion prompts, followed by a live Q&A with special guests.

Club Schedule:

• Week 1: Tuesday, March 31

• Week 2: Tuesday, April 14

• Week 3: Tuesday, April 28

• Week 4: Tuesday, May 19