Three things for next time:
1. By next class, each group should have finished its podcast, and the editor should've uploaded it as an MP3 file to Google Drive, shared it with me, and sent me the link.
2. Also by next class: Watch the film Pride. I think you'll really like it. Based on a true story, the film is about a group 1980s gay and lesbian activists from London who make common cause with striking coal miners in Wales. It's heartwarming, heartbreaking, and at times flat out funny, and it's a great intro to the idea of intersectional activism. To watch the film, go to our Canvas page, click "Modules," and then click the Pride module.
3. One of the key themes in the film is socialism -- an idea that's become more prominent these days thanks to political officeholders like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. So, after you watch the film, please read this article about the philosophical roots of the economic policies advocated by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It'll help us connect the film (which is about 1980s Britain) to contemporary issues of economic justice that we've been talking about this term.
*Some contextual notes that are helpful for understanding the film:
The 1984-1985 UK miners strike was an effort by the National Union of Mineworkers to prevent "pit closures," i.e., the closing down by government of coal mines deemed unprofitable. The UK coal industry was what is known as a "nationalized industry," i.e., government owned, so the pit closures were a government decision.
Arthur Scargill was the leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). NUM-sponsored strikes in the 1970s proved successful, and brought down the government of Prime Minister Edward Heath. Scargill's 1984-85 was not successful; the defeat led to the weakening of the political power of UK unions.
Margaret Thatcher was UK Prime Minster from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher initiated the pit closures that sparked the strike. Her victory against NUM was a major win for the broader free-market program she espoused.
