Surveillance in America

A conversation about surveillance targeting Brown people in America – first, Dr. Hatem Bazian discusses the Department of Homeland Security’s new “Shared Responsibility Committees,” which bring the FBI and local law enforcement together with mental health and other city and school programs and social workers to report on suspicious behavior. Then, we speak with Hasan Elahi, an interdisciplinary artist whose was profiled by the FBI and created artwork from the surveillance experience. Hasan’s work examines issues of surveillance, citizenship, migration, …

Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora?

A conversation with Essar Batool, co author of the book, Do you remember Kunanposhpora? Essar Batool works to develop leadership among young women and volunteers with Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, documenting human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. There have been thousands of cases of torture in Indian administered Kashmir. Kuman and Poshpora are twin villages in Indian administered Kashmir. In 1991, at least 31 women were gang raped by the 4th Rajpuntana Rifles regiment of the Indian …

Zika Virus and Reproductive Rights

Recently, the World Health Organization declared Zika virus a global emergency. Most cases of the mosquito-borne virus have occurred in Central and South America. Zika virus is believed to be linked to microcephaly in pregnant women, a condition where babies are born with small heads and often have neurological disorders. A group of Argentinian doctors believe that increased microcephaly in Brazil is not from Zika virus, but from a Larvicide manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical. Recently, the government of El Salvador issued …

Justin Chin Tribute

  Justin Chin, an award winning San Francisco based poet, died the day before Christmas at age 46. On APEX Express, we pay tribute to Justin Chin. In a world of very smart people, Justin was often the smartest.  His style was vicious, wounded, cynical, and mournful, and he was among the the great poets.  There are few gnarled fangs left in this toothless world.  Few had a bite like Justin Chin. We are in conversation with Kirk Read and …

NYC Teacher Fired After Lesson on Central Park 5

On APEX we chat with Jeena Lee Walker, a former High School teacher at the School of the Arts, Imagination and Inquiry, who was fired after administrators stated that her curriculum about the Brooklyn Five could “rile up black students” and potentially lead to “riots.” Jeena Lee Walker created a unit that featured a documentary about how the 5 young men of color dubbed the Central Park 5 were wrongfully sentenced and convicted for a rape they did not commit. …

Four Years After Fukushima

March 11, 2015 marked the four-year anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, which caused the meltdown of nuclear reactors. We speak with Aileen Mioko Smith, executive director of Green Action Japan about the continued contamination and cover-up in Fukushima. This interview first aired on APEX Express. Listen Here: