Rephonic
Artwork for Rattling The Bars
Prison Industrial Complex
Mass Incarceration
13th Amendment
Baltimore
ICE
Prison Labor
LGBTQ Rights
Community Impact
Palestine
Black Panther Party
Transgender Issues
Florida Temp Industry
Angola Prison
Criminal Justice Reform
Prison-Industrial Complex
Donald Trump
Rape In Prisons
Worth Rises
Prison Agriculture
Antonio Gramsci

Rattling the Bars puts the voices of the people most harmed by our system of mass incarceration at the center of our reporting on the fight to end it. The show was founded by the late Black Panther and political prisoner Marshall “Eddie” Conway, and is now hosted by Charles Hopkins, better known as Mansa Musa, who himself spent 48 years behind bars.Rattling the Bars offers an honest look at the li... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes187Founded5 years ago
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News CommentaryNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Rattling The Bars

Latest Episodes

Republicans in Congress are attempting to push policies in the District of Columbia that would charge 14-year-olds as adults, increase mandatory minimum sentences, repeal the Second Look Act, and re-institute cash bail, which was banned in 1992. In t... more

A groundbreaking new report reveals a direct link between prison phone call rates and prison safety: higher rates fuel more violence within prisons; lower rates and free phone calls dramatically reduce it. In this episode of Rattling the Bars, host a... more

While calls to "abolish ICE" have exploded during the second Trump presidency, critics have been calling out the threats the agency poses to immigrants, US citizens, and democracy itself since it was created just over 20 years ago. In this episode of... more

On this episode of Rattling the Bars, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party in 1966, host and former political prisoner Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Joy James and Dr. K. Kim Holder about the history of the Panth... more

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Recent Guests

Peter Mayer
Co-author of Critical Connections, The Power of Free Phone Calls in Prisons and Jails; Director of Research and Data Innovation at Worth Rises
Worth Rises
Episode: Want Less Prison Violence? Make Prison Phone Calls Free
Hasha Waliah
Author of a Boston Review article and migrant justice organizer
Boston Review
Episode: Harsha Walia: Abolishing ICE Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling
Joy James
Author and scholar discussed in intro
Author (The Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; Resisting State Violence)
Episode: What Would the Black Panthers Say About DSA Today?
Kim Holder
Scholarly collaborator on Black Panther socialism
Academic (co-author on evolution of Black Communal Socialism)
Episode: What Would the Black Panthers Say About DSA Today?
Dr. Fasheen
Filmmaker and community organizer focused on Baltimore
Baltimore-based researcher and filmmaker
Episode: ‘Beyond the Wire’: A Grassroots Perspective on Baltimore
Alberto Toscano
Scholarly guest discussing Gramsci, fascism, and incarceration
Scholar/author
Episode: Gramsci's Ghost: From Mussolini to Mass Incarceration
Basem Khandakji
Award-winning author and former political prisoner
Author of The Mask, The Color of the Sky
Episode: Basem Khandakji: ‘Genocide Didn’t Start in Gaza in 2023’
Paul Coates
Founder of Black Classic Press and BCP Digital Printing
Black Classic Press
Episode: Political Prisoners and the Black Classic Press w/ Paul Coates
Justene Hill Edwards
University of Virginia Professor of History, author
University of Virginia
Episode: America at 250: The Slave’s Perspective

Hosts

Charles Hopkins
Host of the show, associated with The Real News Network and Rattling The Bars legacy
Mansa Musa
Co-host and longtime figure associated with the show, featured as host and representative of The Real News

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Talking Points

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Harsha Walia: Abolishing ICE Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling
Q: Why is it important to view ICE as part of an ecosystem rather than a single agency?
Because immigration enforcement involves thousands of agencies beyond ICE, including DHS departments, local police, National Guard, and border militarization, so abolition must target the whole system, not just one agency.
Harsha Walia: Abolishing ICE Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling
Q: Can you explain the origin of ICE and how the demand for abolishing it emerged?
ICE started in 2003 as part of a broader post-9/11 security framework; abolition demands came early from immigrant rights and Muslim organizations who saw ICE as part of a war at home, kidnapping and detaining migrants, especially Muslims, and the movement has grown as awareness of its brutal power has increased.
Harsha Walia: Abolishing ICE Is the Floor, Not the Ceiling
Q: Welcome to Rallying the Bars, could you introduce yourself and explain your work somewhat for our audience?
I'm Hasha Waliah, based in Canada, organizing against the border for about twenty years, highlighting how immigration enforcement is a transnational phenomenon and that the violence of borders extends beyond the U.S.
Late Fascism & Gramsci: 'Gaining Consent by Promising Force'
Q: Can you connect the rise of neoliberal governance to the use of force or coercion in maintaining social order?
Neoliberal governance often links economic reform with punitive public messaging, using state violence or the threat of violence to discipline populations while presenting such measures as necessary for order and efficiency.
Late Fascism & Gramsci: 'Gaining Consent by Promising Force'
Q: What does Gramsci mean by a revolution as a cultural process, and how does journalism fit into building new common sense?
A genuine revolution involves reshaping lived ideas and everyday practices; journalism is a key tool for educating, exposing, and mobilizing people toward new, coherent understandings that challenge existing power structures.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Rattling The Bars

What is Rattling The Bars about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Hard-hitting investigations and conversations center the lived experiences of people affected by mass incarceration, policing, and racialized state power. Episodes frequently blend historical analysis, data-driven reporting, and first-person testimony to challenge mainstream narratives about safety, punishment, and reform. Typical topics include prison conditions, abolitionist perspectives, the economics of the carceral system, and the historical roots of racial oppression, with a notable emphasis on Black liberation, Palestinian prisoners, and the global dimensions of resistance. A standout aspect is the sustained focus on underrepresented voices—prisoners, returning citizens, families, and frontline organizers—paired with rigorous researc... more

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1. The Katie Halper Show
2. Citations Needed
3. Current Affairs
4. Democracy Now! Audio
5. Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

How many episodes of Rattling The Bars are there?

Rattling The Bars launched 5 years ago and published 187 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Rattling The Bars?

Recent guests on Rattling The Bars include:

1. Peter Mayer
2. Hasha Waliah
3. Joy James
4. Kim Holder
5. Dr. Fasheen
6. Alberto Toscano
7. Basem Khandakji
8. Paul Coates

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