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This is a free preview of the episode "Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 4: The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara w/ Amber Murrey." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast
As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going.
In this episode, Part 4 of our series on the Alliance of Sahel States, Amber Murrey joins us for a conversation on Thomas Sankara. In this conversation, we discuss Sankara's early life and how his experience with French colonialism shaped his politics and philosophies. We talk about how those philosophies were implemented into policy after a 1983 coup d'etat that put him into the presidency. We explore his fight against French imperialism and for sovereignty of the Burkinabé population. We discuss his assassination, who was responsible, and why it's more important than ever for us to share about his work and uplift his legacy here in the West. 
Amber Murrey is Associate Professor in Human Geography, Fellow and Tutor at Mansfield College, and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Geography & the Environment at the University of Oxford. taught at universities in Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon, the US. Amber is also the editor of 'A Certain Amount of Madness': The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara and Associate Editor of The African Geographical Review.
Further resources:
A Certain Amount of Madness The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara An African Revolutionary, Ernest Harsch
The International Campaign of Justice for Sankara
Who Killed Thomas Sankara? by Bruno Jaffré
Interview with Aziz Fall on the assassination of Thomas Sankara, by Koni Benson and Mukoma Wa Ngugi
Thomas Sankara: A Revolutionary in Cold War Africa, by Brian J. Peterson
Related episodes:
Our onging series on the Alliance of Sahel States
A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations w/ Vijay Prashad
Artwork: Sanyika
Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode, part 2 of our 2-part miniseries on US labor and imperialism, Jeff Schuhrke joins us to take a deep dive into his new book, No Neutrals There, exploring US labor's support of Zionism.
Jeff Schuhrke is a labor historian, journalist, union activist, and assistant professor at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr School of Labor Studies, SUNY Empire State University. He's the author of Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade, and No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine.
The conversation opens with a history of Zionism, looking at the rise of Zionism and crucially contrasting it to the Jewish Labor Bund and their different approach to Jewish emancipation. We then present a history of the settler-colonial project which became Israel, looking at the labor landscape in Palestine during the first half of the 20th century (the Great Arab Revolt, WWII, the period of the Holocaust) and exploring US labor's role in supporting the Zionist project ideologically, financially, and even militarily throughout the Nakba and the creation of the State of Israel. 
We then talk about how US labor's support (specifically the AFL-CIO's) for Zionism after the creation of the state of Israel, providing billions of dollars of support and lobbying on behalf of Israel, providing crucial early support. 
Part 1 of this miniseries took a deep dive into Jeff's book Blue-Collar Empire, looking at US labor's role in supporting imperialism and anticommunism. 
Further resources:
No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine
Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade
Donate to ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid)
Donate to MECA (Middle East Children's Alliance)
Amazon Labor Union
BDS Movement
Block the Boat
Related episodes:
US Labor & Imperialism Pt. 1: the War Against Communism w/ Jeff Schuhrke
Listen to our ongoing Palestine series
From the Frontlines: Organizing Against Amazon w/ Chris Smalls and Mars VerroneFrom the Frontlines: Organizing Against Amazon w/ Chris Smalls and Mars Verrone
What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante
Please Donate:
Help Ismail and his family survive in Gaza — a note from Ismail's fundraiser: "Ismail is 20 years old and has taken excellent care of his mother and three younger siblings. 'Excellent care' means being threatened by American mercenaries at the GHF "aid" points when those killing workshops were in operation. 'Excellent care' means going without a rumour of food so his loved ones could eat. 'Excellent care' means retaining his astonishing physical strength and agility in conditions that would test the discipline of a spiritual genius. He is deeply loveable and wonderfully funny. He would be ecstatic to know his life is visible to others. Any money that could be appropriately spared would give him and his family such relief as I hope I will never know."
Intermission music: "No Rest" by No Rest (Please support their fundraiser for a Palestinian family)
Cover art: Berwyn Mure
Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Note: We have unlocked this Patreon episode which originally aired on Jun 23, 2025
It's easy to get lost in the narratives that are fed to us by the very same institutions that oppress us. Whether liberal institutions or far right ones, there's always something crucial missing—some component of analysis that's left unaddressed, some root cause that remains misidentified or distorted. And the reason is because when it comes to the class war that we are all engaged in—whether we like it or not—the issues of class, of imperialism, and of monopoly capitalism are never, ever part of the mainstream discussion. 
So, what are the root causes of immigration? What do the ICE terror campaigns look like on the ground in cities like LA or Nashville? What happens when we apply a materialist lens to the conversation about mass deportations and conversation about the scapegoating of the more vulnerable groups in society? And what happens when we shift the frame from the more liberal, rights-based approach to activism to one based on unified, solidaristic class struggle? Well, we've brought back on the perfect guest to help us unpack some of these pressing questions. 
Cecilia Guerrero is Chair and Founding Member of A Luta Sigue, an organization based in Nashville, Tennessee, which incubates and trains young people and workers within advanced sectors of the working class to build and lead their own class struggle organizations.
In this episode, we talk about the terror campaign being waged on immigrants throughout the country and the responses coming from working class communities who are standing up for themselves and standing in solidarity with the oppressed and exploited classes across the globe. We talk about ICE, the role that immigration plays in the imperialist global system, the attempts by liberal institutions to co-opt and neutralize our radical movements, and what the MAGA right gets wrong about the root cause of their immiseration. 
Further resources:
A Luta Sigue
Poder Popular
Tennessee Drivers Union
Southern Youth Solidarity Network
Capitalism and Workers' Immigration, V.I. Lenin
Marx to Sigfrid Meyer and August Vogt In New York, Karl Marx
Related episodes:
From the Frontlines: Class Struggle and Class War in the US Southeast w/ Cecilia Guerrero
The Imperial Boomerang w/ Julian Go
Artwork: CPSU propaganda poster
Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is an unlocked version of the Patreon episode "Venezuela Pt. 5: Monroe Doctrine 2.0 w/ José Luis Granados Ceja." You can listen to our entire 5-part series on Venezuela by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast
As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going.
In Part 5 of our ongoing series on Venezuela, José Luis Granados Ceja joins us to discuss the context within which the US's aggression toward Venezuela is taking place—what we can think of as a Monroe Doctrine 2.0. José Luis Granados Ceja is a journalist with Drop Site News based in Mexico City who has been covering Venezuela for 20 years. 
Our conversation begins with an update on the most recent situation in Venezuela. We then go on to discuss the regional implications of the United States' air and sea blockade of Venezuela and how it impacts its allies in the region and how the current blockade escalates the already existing sanctions regime. We discuss the regional layout of Latin America and how different countries in the region are responding to the escalating bifurcation of the region between the United States and China, taking a close look at Mexico and the Sheinbaum administration's approach to this new Cold War. We end the conversation with a look forward and with a call to solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela as it stares down the gunships of the United States.
Further resources:
Dropsite News
José Luis Granados Ceja on Twitter
"War of the entire people": Venezuela's Grassroots Rise to Resist Trump's Naval Blockade
Mexico and the Fourth Transformation
Edwin Ackerman
Related episodes:
Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela
Listen to our ongoing series on China
Listen to our ongoing series on Mexico
US Labor & Imperialism Pt. 1: the War Against Communism w/ Jeff Schuhrke
Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Happy Holidays! In this annual tradition, Della is joined by two fellow podcast hosts to reflect on insights and questions from the past year and share visions for the year ahead. They discuss how to not get stuck in embitterment, concerns and questions about AI, and where they are currently finding hope in these dark times. 
Manda Scott is a novelist, smallholder, and host of the Accidental Gods podcast, which showcases individuals and organizations at the emerging edge of our world to set the foundation for a future we'd be proud to leave to the generations that come after us. Manda's latest novel, Any Human Power, is out now and available here. 
Nathalie Nahai is a behavior science advisor, author and host of the podcast The Hive, which focuses on psychology, technology, and human behavior. Nathalie is the author of Webs Of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion and is also the founder of Flourishing Futures Salon, a project that offers curated gastronomical gatherings that explore how we can thrive in times of turbulence and change.
One of Della's offerings in the new year is a course she designed about how to cultivate regenerative livelihoods. She created this course with insights that she has found most helpful in bringing Upstream theories and ideas into people's lives as a Right Livelihood coach. Whether you are in a livelihood transition, want to be in community with others trying to find meaningful work, or you just want to know more about work as a vehicle for post capitalist systems change, this course is a great fit. It includes live sessions, engaging module materials and activities including Upstream episodes, and a lively discussion forum to bring the material to life. Click here to learn more and to register and use "FRIENDS-20" for 20% off the course fee.
Thank you to the Accidental Gods team for editing this episode.
Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.