Podcast
Block & Build
Hosted by Cayden Mak · EN
Block & Build is a newsmagazine podcast from Convergence Magazine that examines the balance of political forces in the US from a movement perspective. Every week, host Cayden Mak explores what's happening in politics—and what we can do about it.
The show takes Convergence's Block & Build framework as a jumping-off point for responding to escalating authoritarianism in ways that focus on preventing harm while building the strength, resilience, and strategy for our movements to win in the long-term.
And we're not just talk. Block & Build is made by and for doers: every week we hear from organizers, strategists, movement journalists, and others who are helping to refine our strategy and develop strategic unity in a time of great peril for people and planet.
But we have no time for doomerism. This show is about how to fight, and while we are clear-eyed about what we're up against, we're also determined to win. Join us.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Attention Economy Navigator, July 2026 w/ Francesca Fiorentini
1w ago01:10:39Tap to summarizeThis week we are building July's Attention Economy Navigator, our guide to what you should be paying more attention to, and what you can probably pay less attention to. And why those stories might not be what you’d assume. Joining to help build this month's Attention Economy Navigator in real time is comedian and host of The Bitchuation Room, Francesca Fiorentini. We are also joined this week by Convergence's Senior Multimedia Producer, Josh Elstro. You can also read the article version on the Convergence website, or watch the panel plot these stories in real time on YouTube. Stories Referenced in This Episode: ICE Murders Lorenzo Salgado in Houston, and admits he was the wrong target Supreme Court ends TPS for Haitian and Syrian migrants Over 100 Venezuelans who had just been deported are among the thousands gone missing after earthquake Waymo took the law into its own hands by locking teens in car and driving them to police Graham Platner is out as Maine Senate candidate after latest accusations of sexual assault Mysterious silence surrounds the state of Senator Mitch McConnells health (Note: this episode was recorded before a "proof of life" photo was released Sunday afternoon) FBI raids homes of Michigan students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →How to Remake Democracy w/ Elizabeth Adams and Danielle Chynoweth
2w ago00:46:32Tap to summarizeThis episode’s guests found themselves in a position many long-time political organizers and activists were in back in 2016 following the first election of Donald Trump–family, friends, comrades and more all coming to them and asking “what do we do?” This familiar experience was the catalyst which resulted ten years later in the publication of their book Remaking Democracy: How We Make the Worlds We Want. Co-authors Danielle Chynoweth and Elizabeth Adams took on the task of putting their multiple decades of experience in movement organizing–dating back to the WTO protests of the late 90s–to work for others looking to organize and take on the contradictions of capitalism which must be resolved to make true, multiracial democracy. The end result is a book full of resources for movement organizers and allies to work through the authors’ theory of progress, referred throughout the book as the “spiral of change.” Remaking Democracy flows in and out of personal stories, practical resources, and accessible theory informed by the authors’ experience as organizers, artists, and teachers. It is available now from Common Notions Press. Want more? Have we made a difference in your life? It's our summer member drive and you can help us keep it going. bit.ly/2026memberdrive Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Convergence’s Bookshop. Ten percent of purchases made through our bookshop directly support our movement media work.
Transcribe →Live From Take Back Tech w/ Andre Brock & Ariella Steinhorn
3w ago01:03:28Tap to summarizeThis week on the show, we’re sharing the recording of the plenary panel Cayden presented on at MediaJustice and Mijente’s Take Back Tech III. Moderated by Tech Policy Press’s Justin Hendrix, Cayden is joined by Associate Professor of Black Digital Media at Georgia Tech, Andre Brock, and independent tech journalist Ariella Steinhorn, who has worked with whistleblowers across the tech industry. The panel discusses the intersection of Big Tech and narrative power. They look at the ways that Big Tech has sold us a vision of the future, and the ways that our communities are in the midst of creating an alternative future, one act of resistance at a time. Want more? Have we made a difference in your life? It's our summer member drive and you can help us keep it going. bit.ly/2026memberdrive Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT
Transcribe →The Attention Economy Navigator, June 2026 w/ Justin Hendrix
Jun 2201:07:45Tap to summarizeThis week we are building June's Attention Economy Navigator, our guide to what you should be paying more attention to, and what you can probably pay less attention to. And why those stories might not be what you’d assume. Joining to help build this month's Attention Economy Navigator in real time is cofounder, CEO, and writer at techpolicy.press, Justin Hendrix. We are also joined this week by Convergence's Senior Multimedia Producer, Josh Elstro. You can also read the article version on the Convergence website, or watch the panel plot these stories in real time on YouTube. Stories Referenced in This Episode: Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire with the IPO of SpaceX Graham Platner is making waves in Maine despite skepticism from institutional Democrats and legacy media 15 anti-ICE protestors were indicted on charges of conspiracy to impede federal agents in Minnesota A congressional draft on AI regulation could signal a change in government attitudes toward the technology The White House UFC event hosted for Trump’s birthday was sponsored by a who's–who of scammers and grifters Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →AI vs. Workers w/ Alexandra Mateescu and Aiha Nguyen
Jun 1500:51:52Tap to summarizeWhile we hear plenty of gloomy predictions about how the adoption of AI technologies will take away millions of jobs in the future, it’s already gutting labor rights and alienating workers right now. Alexandra Mateescu and Aiha Nguyen are two of the researchers behind a new report on this matter, “Last Place in the AI-First Economy: How the AI Industry Relies on Worker Disempowerment.” The report shows that workers are facing an increasingly hostile environment as AI not only risks taking away jobs directly, but also corresponds with an erosion in worker’s rights and protections. Alexandra Mateescu is a researcher at the Labor Futures initiative at the Data and Society Research Institute, publishing work that focuses on issues like digital worker surveillance, algorithmic inequality, and harmful practices from the tech industry. Aiha Nguyen is Alexandra’s colleague at the Labor Futures initiative and director of the program, piloting research on the relationship between technology and labor. This episode is brought to you by the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a Convergence Headwaters member. Their podcast, Direct Democracy Diaries, is available now wherever you get podcasts. Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →Beyond the Politics of Powerlessness w/ Yotam Marom
Jun 800:56:08Tap to summarizeIt was a chilly day in Minneapolis in 2013 when Yotam Marom was first told he was “invisible.” He was told this by a team member and close colleague, while working with a tenant organizing group which had emerged from the recent Occupy Movement. His role that week was to facilitate and train leaders in the organization. While Yotam was doing his job well enough – participating and planning activities – they felt he was holding back, shying away from the bold opinions and critical feedback he was known for…and the rest of the team knew it. Shying from wielding leadership or challenging power, Yotam writes in his book, is a common dynamic across Left movements. He argues it’s a major roadblock to meaningful progress. In For Louder Days: Reaching Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness, he argues that countless social movements, from antiwar movements to student causes, shrink their potential or even fail by remaining too insular or refusing to take audacious action outwards to reckon with the responsibility of wielding real power. And that argument is based on his decades of involvement in developing organizations and leaders across the social movement Left. In this episode we are joined by author Yotam Marom to discuss the book. At the core of For Louder Days is an argument about what Yotam calls “the politics of powerlessness.” The book is a call to action for movement organizers, but also as a personal memoir, reflecting on decades of activism and movement work. Catch Yotam live on tour for the book! Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Convergence’s Bookshop. Ten percent of purchases made through our bookshop directly support our movement media work.
Transcribe →NYC Tenants in Co-Governance w/ Ritti Singh, Lex Rountree, Irene Hsu, and Joanne Grell
Jun 101:13:19Tap to summarizeWe are joined by New York City tenant organizer and communications expert, Ritti Singh, who recently published an article with Convergence, covering a strategy – which has been implemented in NYC tenant organizing – she calls “surround sound” communications. Then, in early 2025, a group of tenant organizers in New York City began a campaign to Freeze the Rent. The language and values of this campaign were adopted by then mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Now as acting mayor for five months, Mamdani has yet to fully implement a rent freeze or meet other housing goals laid out by his coalition on the campaign trail. But the roots of progress are beginning to show. Mamdani has replaced six out of nine seats on the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, which determines city policy on rent control and more. Housing affordability was a major part of Mamdani’s platform and the project of co-governing with his coalitions to deliver on those goals is now under way. We host a panel of tenant organizers who have been a part of this work throughout the whole process and beyond. In today’s episode we’ll explore how “freeze the rent” was part of the narrative infrastructure for Mamdani’s win, and how it has become a center of gravity for developing the practice of movement-driven co-governance in New York. Panelists Include Membership Coordinator of the New York State Tenant Block, Lex Rountree Communications Manager for CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities + CAAAV Voice, Irene Hsu Co-Chair of the Freeze the Rent campaign and Community Action for Safe Apartments Leader, Joanne Grell Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →The Attention Economy Navigator, May 2026 w/ Dr. Shan (Pop Smart Media)
May 2601:04:54Tap to summarizeThis week we are building May's Attention Economy Navigator, our guide to what you should be paying more attention to, and what you can probably pay less attention to. And why those stories might not be what you’d assume. Joining to help build this month's Attention Economy Navigator in real time are cultural studies professor, writer, and founder of Pop Smart Media, Dr. Shannon Mancus (AKA Dr. Shan). She also co-hosts Fool Me Once, a weekly livestream with Under the Desk News' V. Spehar, Mondays at 10:00 AM ET. We are also joined this week by Convergence's Managing Editor, Akin Olla. You can also read the article version on the Convergence website, or watch the panel plot these stories in real time on YouTube. Stories Referenced in This Episode: American showing at the 2026 Venice Biennale is simultaneously reactionary and boring. Socialist Chris Rabb wins House primary in Pennsylvania. The San Diego mosque shooting was carried out by extremely nihilistic teenagers bought into white nationalist ideas about race war. Operation Epic Furious, a satirical performance art in the form of a video game, showed up on playable arcade cabinets on the National Mall. Trump earns protection for he and his family from IRS audits and a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off loyalists who claim to have been harmed by “lawfare”; potentially including now pardoned January 6 rioters. Democrats can't stop trying to punish Hasan Piker, in spite of him using his platform to campaign...for Democrats. Who’s paying creators in the California gubernatorial primary? Want more? Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine's YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →(Kind) Gamers, Rise Up w/ New Save Collective
May 1800:48:15Tap to summarizeLast fall a group of gamers joined up for an event in the wildly popular online video game Fortnite. (If you’re not familiar, just ask your kids.) The purpose of the event was to train players on how to respond to real-life encounters with ICE agents, followed by role-playing encounters within the safety of the game world. This is just one of the many ways the group known as New Save Collective is organizing players and events in an attempt to create a kinder, more progressive environment for the more than 60% of people in the US who regularly play video games (as well as gamers beyond US borders). New Save Collective organizes events like these as well as supportive ways for progressive-minded gamers to find each other and play together on their Discord server, which includes over 800 members. While not perfect, Discord is a powerful social app, popular among gamers. It is rapidly growing as an online organizing tool because it allows communities to moderate and curate both their members and the content members engage with. Think of it a bit like Slack for gamers and hobbyists. We're joined this episode by New Save Collective’s founder, Sijal (known by his screen name PitaBreadFace), as well as one of its Discord moderators, known by her screen name Magick Mayhem. They talk about how and why they are building this digital organizing space centered around gaming. They also discuss why the mission of their work is centered around creating a culture of kindness in gaming. Connect with New Save Collective Discord Instagram kindgamers.com Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
Transcribe →Meet the Elbaum Resident Writers w/ Delaney Vandergrift and Whitney Washington
May 1100:38:22Tap to summarizeLast fall, Managing Editor Akin Olla began piloting a concept for how Convergence can grow as a space which can develop the voice of organizers trying to communicate big strategic ideas. The result was the Max Elbaum Resident Writers Program (named after our longtime board chair). We received an amazing batch of applications from over 60 organizers from all over the country and chose two to join us for the next 12 months to work on honing their craft as writers and refining their ideas about movement strategy. Each resident writer has a big question they will be exploring across multiple articles they’ll be publishing with us over the coming months. I’m excited to introduce the 2026 Elbaum Resident Writers: Delaney Vandergrift and Whitney Washington. In this episode, both join in back-to-back interviews to discuss what their organizing background and more details about what they'll be publishing with Convergence this year. Want more? Submit your article proposals to Convergence Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership
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