Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire
  • omnibus

Rikers Island, Slave Catching, and the Modern Carceral State
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
07 Mar 2025
🖨️ Print Article

Black Agenda Radio · Rikers Island, Slave Catching, and the Modern Carceral State

Darren Mack is co-founder and co-director of Freedom Agenda, an organization devoted to decarceration and system transformation, including closing the Rikers Island jail. In commenting on New York City mayor Eric Adams' plan to allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island, Darren Mack pointed out the history behind the name. Richard Riker was a New York City judge who worked with slave catchers and the kidnappers who captured fleeing enslaved people and free Black New Yorkers to send them to slavery in the south. Darren Mack joins us from New York City to discuss this history, the need to close Rikers Island, and the historical connections with the modern-day carceral state.

Rikers Island
Incarceration
Slavery
New York City
Eric Adams

Related Podcasts

Kalonji Changa
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
The Struggle for Liberation Amid Celebrity Culture
04 July 2025
We are joined by Kalonji Changa, who is a co-founder of Black Power Media, founder o
Gerald Horne
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Gerald Horne Discusses His Book "The Capital of Slavery: Washington DC 1800 - 1865"
27 June 2025
Dr. Gerald Horne is an author and historian who currently holds the John J.
Rikers protest
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Eric Adams Loses Control of Rikers Island to Federal Receivership
30 May 2025
Our guest is Melanie Dominguez, Organizing Director, New York with the Katal Center for Equity, H

More Stories


  • Clau O'Brien Moscoso
    Combatting Imperialism, Defending Sovereignty: Zone of Peace in Haiti and the Americas
    22 Jan 2025
    On Sunday, January 19th, 2025, the Haiti/Americas Team of the Black Alliance for Peace hosted its first webinar of the year, “Combatting Imperialism, Defending Sovereignty: Zone of Peace in Haiti and…
  • Arnold August
    Justin Trudeau: Most Slavish, Superficial, Hypocritical, Pro-U.S. Prime Minister Ever
    22 Jan 2025
    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decade as the leader of the Liberal Party has come to an abrupt and embarrassing halt. His term as PM is marked with unabashed servitude to U.S. interests,…
  • Gabriel Rockhill
    A Major Milestone in Socialist History - A Review of People’s China at 75: The Flag Stays Red
    22 Jan 2025
    "People’s China at 75: The Flag Stays Red" analyzes the People's Republic of China and its ongoing socialist project.
  • Carlos Sirah
    Dispatch: Through the Fire
    22 Jan 2025
    The fires raging through southern California have devastated Black communities, such as in Altadena. The failures of city and state political leadership to provide proper emergency services have…
  • International Manifesto Group
    Jacqueline Luqman
    Trump’s Presidency and the Prospects for Peace in 2025: Adapted Remarks from the IMG
    22 Jan 2025
    Jacqueline Luqman recently delivered these remarks at a webinar hosted by the International Manifesto Group, "Trump’s Presidency and the Prospects for Peace in 2025."
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us