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Working Class History

English, History, 2 seasons, 96 episodes, 2 days, 13 hours, 5 minutes
About
History isn't made by kings and politicians, it's made by all of us. This podcast is about how we, together, have fought for a better world.
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Introducing On This Day in Working Class History: A new daily podcast from WCH

Introducing a brand-new daily podcast from the team at WCH. On This Day in Working Class History will be a brief reminder each morning of our collective struggles for a better world which have taken place on this date in history.Launching on 1 February on a trial basis, each episode will be just a couple of minutes long, highlighting one anniversary from our archive each day. It’s designed to fit into your morning schedule, alongside news headlines, and to be shared on social media with your friends, colleagues and families.SubscribeListen and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Links to a few major apps here:Apple podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Podbean | PodcastAddict | RSSAcknowledgementsEdited by Working Class History.Theme music by Ricardo Araya. Check out his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@peptoattackLearn more at https://workingclasshistory.com/blog/new-podcast-coming-soon-on-this-day-in-working-class-history/Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
1/30/20242 minutes, 32 seconds
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E75: Trinidad general strike, part 1

First in a double podcast episode about the Trinidad general strike of 1937, in conversation with Ryan Cecil Jobson.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryPart 1 is about the background of British colonialism on the island, the conditions of the working class and poor, racial divisions, and the beginnings of unemployed and worker agitation in the 1930s.Get books by CLR JamesAcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando López Ojeda.Episode graphic: public domain.Edited by Jesse FrenchOur theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.More information, sources, full acknowledgements and a transcript on the web page for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e75-76-trinidad-general-strike/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
7/20/202340 minutes, 33 seconds
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E74: Ben Fletcher, part 2

Concluding part of a double podcast episode about Ben Fletcher, a very important but little-known dock worker and labour organiser in the US with the Industrial Workers of the World union.In these episodes, we speak with historian Peter Cole, author and editor of Ben Fletcher: The Life And Times Of A Black Wobbly. We also hear words written by Fletcher, voiced by fellow Wobbly, Alki.In part 2 we learn about Fletcher’s imprisonment, later life, and the demise of Local 8. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryFull information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript are on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman and Fernando Lopez Ojeda.Words of Ben Fletcher voiced by Alki. Check out his YouTube channel here, or follow him on Twitter here.Episode graphic: Ben Fletcher in 1918. Courtesy US National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons.Theme music: “Solidarity (Forever)”, written by Ralph Chaplin, performed by The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello. Buy or stream it here.Edited by Louise BarryThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
6/20/202352 minutes, 36 seconds
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E72: Swing Kids and Edelweiss Pirates

Podcast episode about anti-fascist youth cultural movements in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. In particular we look at the German Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids, and in our patreon bonus episode we also speak about the French Zazous and the Austrian Schlurfs.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryDespite years of indoctrination, young people in fascist Europe in the 1930s and 40s resisted the authoritarianism and conformism of Nazi rule. We hear from former Edelweiss Pirate Walter Mayer, and speak with historian Nick Heath about these little-known movements.E72.1: Zazous and Schlurfs, bonus episode – available exclusively for our patreon supportersAnti-fascist books and merchandise – Posters, clothing and merchandise using artwork by or inspired by the Edelweiss Pirates and other 1930s anti-fascists in Germany.See sources, more information and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/72-edelweiss-pirates-swing-kids/.AcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Jamison D. Saltsman.Episode graphic, mural of a group of Edelweiss Pirates in Cologne, courtesy wwwuppertal Flickr, CC by 2.0.Edited by Louise BarryThe theme music was Functionizin’, by Fats Waller, courtesy of the Swiss Foundation and Wikimedia Commons.Also featured was Richard Wagner’s Gerechter Gott, performed by Ernestine Schumann-Heink also courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
4/3/202331 minutes, 51 seconds
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E49: Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis

Rerelease of our episode 49 about Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis, because we are currently trying to co-publish a book, We Go Where They Go: The Story of Anti-Racist Action, which is the definitive history of the group across the US. To fund its publication, we are currently running a Kickstarter campaign so please do check it out here, and support it by pre-ordering your copy at a great discount with lots of other great rewards.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory Anti-Racist Action (ARA) started in Minneapolis and is a predecessor to the crews often now called antifa. ARA started in 1987 with a multiracial group of teenage skinheads who fought the rising white power movement. It grew into a network of groups in at least 120 towns and cities across the US and Canada. ARA’s first principle was: “We go where they go. Never let the Nazis have the streets.” They eventually applied that not only to white power organising, but to homophobic and anti-abortion organizing, and to police violence, which they saw as all connected. Producer and host Anna Stitt tells the story of the group in Minneapolis through vivid first-person accounts, archival audio, and music from the era. It starts under the railroad tracks in Uptown, Minneapolis and traces a movement that continues to shape the US to this day. Learn about the group across the US in the forthcoming book, We Go Where They Go, which you can preorder from our Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrkclasshistory/we-go-where-they-go-the-story-of-anti-racist-actionMore information about this episode, photos, full acknowledgements and a transcript here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/01/11/e49-anti-racist-action-in-minneapolis/ Listen to our exclusive bonus episode, where we discussed the topic further with Anna, and listen to more tape from participants about their early lives, political backgrounds and more on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/e49-1-anti-bonus-46081746This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
10/13/202256 minutes, 18 seconds
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E70: Howard Zinn 100, part 2

Second in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States and other texts, was one of the most influential historians in the US in the 20th-century, inspiring a generation to study history from below, including us. Born in New York in August 1922, we are releasing these episodes for the centenary of his birth, as part of a series of Howard Zinn 100 events. In these episodes, Zinn tells the story of his life, his activism, his ideas and his work in his own words, in what was one of his last, if not the last, interview before his sudden death in 2010. This little-known interview was conducted by Sasha Lilley, and excerpts from it are used with permission of Lilley and PM Press.A DVD video of the full interview is available here in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/theory-and-practice-conversations-with-noam-chomsky-and-howard-zinn-dvdGet A People's History of the United States from an independent bookstore here: https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780062397348Get the rest of the People's History series here from an independent bookstore: https://bookshop.org/lists/people-s-history-seriesFull show notes, sources acknowledgements and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e69-70-howard-zinn-100/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
8/29/202242 minutes, 2 seconds
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E69: Howard Zinn 100, part 1

First in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States and other texts, was one of the most influential historians in the US in the 20th-century, inspiring a generation to study history from below, including us. Born in New York in August 1922, we are releasing these episodes for the centenary of his birth, as part of a series of Howard Zinn 100 events. In these episodes, Zinn tells the story of his life, his activism, his ideas and his work in his own words, in what was one of his last, if not the last, interview before his sudden death in 2010. This little-known interview was conducted by Sasha Lilley, and excerpts from it are used with permission of Lilley and PM Press.A DVD video of the full interview is available here in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/theory-and-practice-conversations-with-noam-chomsky-and-howard-zinn-dvdGet A People's History of the United States from an independent bookstore here: https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780062397348Get the rest of the People's History series here from an independent bookstore: https://bookshop.org/lists/people-s-history-seriesFull show notes, sources acknowledgements and a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e69-70-howard-zinn-100/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
8/17/202239 minutes, 56 seconds
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E68: The Grunwick strike, part 2

Concluding part of our double podcast episode about the iconic strike of mostly East African Asian women workers at the Grunwick photo processing plant in London in 1976-8. Featuring Amrit Wilson, Jayaben Desai and Colum Maloney, who took part in the dispute, and Sujata, chair of the Grunwick 40 group.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.This second part covers scope of the dispute, the role of police, the media and the trade unions, how the dispute concluded and its legacy and lessons for today.Full show notes and acknowledgements, as well as a transcript, on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/grunwick-strike-1976/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
8/10/202246 minutes, 33 seconds
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E67: The Grunwick strike, part 1

Double podcast episode about the iconic strike of mostly East African Asian women workers at the Grunwick photo processing plant in London in 1976-8. Featuring Amrit Wilson, Jayaben Desai and Colum Maloney, who took part in the dispute, and Sujata, chair of the Grunwick 40 group.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryYou can listen to our podcast on the below links, or on any major podcast app. Links to a few below.This is an improved, extended and partially re-recorded version of our first ever podcast episode. We have added more audio clips from other participants in the dispute and added narrative for additional detail, context and to tell the story in a more cohesive manner. Whether you listened to the original episode or not, we hope you enjoy itThis first part covers the background to the dispute, how the strike began and developed. Full show notes and acknowledgements, as well as a transcript, on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/grunwick-strike-1976/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
8/3/202243 minutes, 41 seconds
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E65: Building workers’ strike w/ Ricky Tomlinson, part 1

Part 1 of our double-podcast episode to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 building workers' strike. In this episode, we speak to two participants in the strike - Tony O'Brien and the actor, Ricky Tomlinson - who talk about conditions in the building industry, how the strike started, and the flying pickets organised by the rank and file that spread it across the country.Full acknowledgements, photos, sources, more information and eventually a transcript on the homepage for this double episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e65-66-building-workers-strike-w-ricky-tomlinson/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
7/12/202235 minutes, 22 seconds
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E63: Mildred Fish-Harnack, part 1

First in a double podcast episode about Mildred Fish-Harnack, the US-born woman at the centre of the underground resistance to Nazism in Berlin during World War II. In conversation with Rebecca Donner, Mildred’s great great niece and author of All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. For example, our supporters can listen to part 2 of this double episode now: https://www.patreon.com/posts/e64-mildred-fish-64573851Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryIn this part we cover the background, Mildred’s early life, the Nazis’ rise to power, the resistance, and the beginnings of her involvement in international espionage.Get Mildred's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780316561693Full acknowledgements, photos, sources, more information and eventually a transcript on the homepage for this double episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e63-64-mildred-fish-harnack/Acknowledgements Thanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Conor Canatsey, Shae, James, Ariel Gioia, Stone Lawson, and Fernando López-Ojeda. Episode graphic courtesy of the Donner family. Our theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here. Or stream it here. This episode was edited by Jesse French.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
4/17/202240 minutes, 26 seconds
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E59: The Bread Intifada, part 1

Part 1 of our double episode on the 1977 Bread Intifada in Egypt, in which hundreds of thousands of working-class Egyptians rose up against the government’s termination of food subsidies. We speak to Egyptian journalist and revolutionary socialist, Hossam el-Hamalawy, about the uprising, the decade of worker-student militancy leading up to it, and its relevance today.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. For example you can listen to part 2 of this double episode now. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryMusic used in this episode under fair use was “Build Your Palaces” by Sheikh Imam. Available to stream here. We attempted to find copyright holders but were unsuccessful; if anyone has any information about this, please email info@workingclasshistory.com.For more information on the Bread Intifada, reading Hossam’s 2001 Master’s thesis on the subject: https://arabawy.org/111742/1977/See also Lafif Lakhdar’s ‘The development of class struggle in Egypt’ in Khamsin: Journal of revolutionary socialists of the Middle-East, issue #5: https://libcom.org/library/development-class-struggle-egyptFull acknowledgements, show notes, photos, sources and more information on the webpage for this episode here: workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e57-w…rs-1902-1922/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
12/13/202127 minutes, 36 seconds
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E57: West Virginia Mine Wars, part 1

Part 1 of a double podcast episode on the West Virginia mine wars 1902-1922. We speak with Catherine Moore and others from the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, as well as some West Virginia teachers who had just been on strike about the conflicts, and how they are remembered today.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. For example you can listen to part 2 of this double episode now. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistoryMusic used in these episodes is Which Side Are You On, by Florence Rees, performed by Tom Morello: The Night Watchman. Buy/stream it here: https://tommorellothenightwatchman.bandcamp.com/track/which-side-are-you-onAnd Solidarity Forever by Ralph Chaplin, performed by David Rovics.Learn more about the mine wars in these great books: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/all/west-virginia-mine-warsFull acknowledgements, show notes, photos, sources and more information on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e57-west-virginia-mine-wars-1902-1922/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
11/9/202137 minutes, 59 seconds
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E55: Gwangju uprising, part 3

Part 3 of our four-part podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with Kim Yong Ho, David Dolinger and Jeon Yong Ho, who took part in the events, as well as researcher and lead translator of the excellent book, Gwangju Diary, Kap Su Seol.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. For example patrons can listen to all 4 parts of this miniseries now as well as an exclusive bonus episode. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistoryThis week, we speak with our guests about Gwangju commune, when the city was run by as residents, and about the subsequent retaking of the city and repression by the military.See full information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/06/29/e53-the-gwangju-uprising-1980/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
10/8/202142 minutes, 4 seconds
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E54: Gwangju uprising, part 2

Part 2 of our four-part podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with Kim Yong Ho, David Dolinger and Jeon Yong Ho, who took part in the events, as well as researcher and lead translator of the excellent book, Gwangju Diary, Kap Su Seol.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. For example patrons can listen to all 4 parts of this miniseries now as well as an exclusive bonus episode. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory This week, we speak with our guests about the development of the uprising and its transformation into full-blown, armed insurrection.See full information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/06/29/e53-the-gwangju-uprising-1980/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
9/27/202137 minutes, 58 seconds
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E52: The IWW in Canada

Podcast episode about the history of the revolutionary union the Industrial Workers of the World in Canada. We speak with historian and author Mark Leier about the union’s organising work amongst loggers, miners, road and railroad construction workers, First Nations dock workers and more.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistoryListen to the bonus episode attached to this episode here on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/e52-1-canadian-51361075Full show notes, acknowledgements, sources, links to more information and transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/05/17/e52-the-iww-in-canada/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
6/18/20211 hour, 1 minute, 33 seconds
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E50: Working Class History the book

Podcast episode in which we talk about our new book, Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance & Rebellion, with our friends at the Coffee with Comrades podcast, which they edited and put out as their episode 114. They kindly shared the audio with us, which we have lightly edited for brevity and include here as our latest episode.In it, we discuss the book, the WCH project, the nature of people's history, our approach to class and its intersection with other forms of oppression. Our conversation also touches on lots of stories of rebellion, including the fight for the weekend, and tea breaks, opposing the Ku Klux Klan, resisting the police and more.Copies of the first printing of the book are still available in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/working-class-history-everyday-acts-resistance-rebellion-bookAnd for our lovely patrons, depending on your level you may be entitled to a free e-book version ($10/month and up), paperback ($20/month and up) or hardcover ($50/month and up). For patrons at other levels you can get 20% off it and every other book in our online store using an exclusive discount code.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistoryLinksFull show notes, links, acknowledgements and transcript here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/02/09/e50-working-class-history-the-book/This original episode on Coffee with Comrades: https://coffeewithcomrades.com/episode-114-history-from-below-ft-working-class-historyMore about Coffee with Comrades: https://coffeewithcomrades.com/Follow them on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/coffeewcomradesAcknowledgementsThanks to you, our generous patrons for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Conor Canatsey, Ariel Gioia, and Shae.Photo courtesy https://www.instagram.com/katyeross/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5711490/advertisement
2/9/20211 hour, 7 minutes, 2 seconds