Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we’re not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch "The People, United" — a gripping short film about everyday Americans standing up to ICE and winning through nonviolent resistance. Created by Ellen Gavin and presented in collaboration with the Dolores Huerta Foundation (@DoloresHuertaFoundation) and People for the American Way, the video is a powerful example of storytelling as an organizing tool. In this episode, lifelong activists and old friends Ellen Gavin and Dolores Huerta join Laura Flanders to explore how narratives help break through our silos and fears under this second Trump administration. Gavin's works as a writer, director and producer have brought millions of views to social justice storytelling; she is also founder of Gavin Creative Collab and founding artistic director of Brava! for Women in the Arts. Huerta is co-founder of the United Farm Workers alongside César Chávez and founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Still organizing at 95 years old, she is recognized as one of the most influential labor organizers of the twentieth century and coined the iconic rallying cry “Si Se Puede.” She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Find out how narratives shatter fear and build movements, plus a commentary from Laura.
“. . . We want people to be on our team. We want people to be touched in a way that says, ‘I want to be that neighbor. I want to be that helper. I want to be that person who sees something and does something instead of reacts with fear.’ When they say that fear is contagious, and then they say, courage is contagious.” - Ellen Gavin
“. . . In the farm, we didn't respond with violence . . . César [Chávez] fasted for 25 days and then 36 days . . . The other side, they want us to respond with violence, and we can respond with non-violence because they would like to have martial law for the whole country. So we've really got to have a lot of discipline now.” - Dolores Huerta
GUESTS:
Ellen Gavin: Writer, Director, Producer: The People, United; Founder, Gavin Creative Collab
Dolores Huerta: Co-founder of the United Farm Workers; Founder & President, The Dolores Huerta Foundation
Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this week's episode on major podcast platforms: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/dolores-huerta-ellen-gavin-creative-courage-in-the-face-of-fascism-episode-cut Podcast subscribers also receive the full, uncut conversation from this week's show: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/dolores-huerta-ellen-gavin-creative-courage-in-the-face-of-facsism-uncut-conversation
✏️SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for Show Notes and learn more about this week's episode: patreon.com/posts/episode-notes-in-141452723
RESOURCES:
aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
nilc.org/resources/everyone-has-certain-basic-rights
Laura Flanders & Friends is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
Follow the show and Laura Flanders on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/lauraflanders.org
https://bsky.app/profile/gritlaura.bsky.social
DONATE TODAY at lauraflanders.org/donate or consider becoming a PATREON partner at patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriends
🔔Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network.
📩Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including uncut interviews and commentaries, subscribe to our free newsletter at lauraflanders.org.
CREDITS:
The People, United:
Writer, Director & Executive Producer: Ellen Gavin
Producers: Alana Maiello, Natasha Estrada
Director of Photography: Sevdije Kastrati Dill
Laura Flanders & Friends:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Senior Producer: Jeremiah Cothren
Senior Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Video Editor: Veronica Delgado
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
Additional Crew:
Director of Photography: Brian Dentz, Fig Pie Media
Sound Mixer: Alexander Marshall, Blowtorch Productions
Thumbnail photo courtesy of "The People, United".
0:00 - “The People, United” and Narrative as Resistance
5:15 - Creative Courage in the Face of Fascism
10:48 - United Farm Workers and Lessons from History
15:53 - The Power of Culture and Community
20:17 - Looking to the Future
People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we’re not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch "The People, United" — a gripping short film about everyday Americans standing up to ICE and winning through nonviolent resistance. Created by Ellen Gavin and presented in collaboration with the Dolores Huerta Foundation (@DoloresHuertaFoundation) and People for the American Way, the video is a powerful example of storytelling as an organizing tool. In this episode, lifelong activists and old friends Ellen Gavin and Dolores Huerta join Laura Flanders to explore how narratives help break through our silos and fears under this second Trump administration. Gavin's works as a writer, director and producer have brought millions of views to social justice storytelling; she is also founder of Gavin Creative Collab and founding artistic director of Brava! for Women in the Arts. Huerta is co-founder of the United Farm Workers alongside César Chávez and founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Still organizing at 95 years old, she is recognized as one of the most influential labor organizers of the twentieth century and coined the iconic rallying cry “Si Se Puede.” She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Find out how narratives shatter fear and build movements, plus a commentary from Laura.
“. . . We want people to be on our team. We want people to be touched in a way that says, ‘I want to be that neighbor. I want to be that helper. I want to be that person who sees something and does something instead of reacts with fear.’ When they say that fear is contagious, and then they say, courage is contagious.” - Ellen Gavin
“. . . In the farm, we didn't respond with violence . . . César [Chávez] fasted for 25 days and then 36 days . . . The other side, they want us to respond with violence, and we can respond with non-violence because they would like to have martial law for the whole country. So we've really got to have a lot of discipline now.” - Dolores Huerta
GUESTS:
Ellen Gavin: Writer, Director, Producer: The People, United; Founder, Gavin Creative Collab
Dolores Huerta: Co-founder of the United Farm Workers; Founder & President, The Dolores Huerta Foundation
Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this week's episode on major podcast platforms: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/dolores-huerta-ellen-gavin-creative-courage-in-the-face-of-fascism-episode-cut Podcast subscribers also receive the full, uncut conversation from this week's show: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/dolores-huerta-ellen-gavin-creative-courage-in-the-face-of-facsism-uncut-conversation
✏️SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for Show Notes and learn more about this week's episode: patreon.com/posts/episode-notes-in-141452723
RESOURCES:
aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights
nilc.org/resources/everyone-has-certain-basic-rights
Laura Flanders & Friends is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
Follow the show and Laura Flanders on Bluesky!
https://bsky.app/profile/lauraflanders.org
https://bsky.app/profile/gritlaura.bsky.social
DONATE TODAY at lauraflanders.org/donate or consider becoming a PATREON partner at patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriends
🔔Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network.
📩Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including uncut interviews and commentaries, subscribe to our free newsletter at lauraflanders.org.
CREDITS:
The People, United:
Writer, Director & Executive Producer: Ellen Gavin
Producers: Alana Maiello, Natasha Estrada
Director of Photography: Sevdije Kastrati Dill
Laura Flanders & Friends:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Senior Producer: Jeremiah Cothren
Senior Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Video Editor: Veronica Delgado
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
Additional Crew:
Director of Photography: Brian Dentz, Fig Pie Media
Sound Mixer: Alexander Marshall, Blowtorch Productions
Thumbnail photo courtesy of "The People, United".
0:00 - “The People, United” and Narrative as Resistance
5:15 - Creative Courage in the Face of Fascism
10:48 - United Farm Workers and Lessons from History
15:53 - The Power of Culture and Community
20:17 - Looking to the Future
![The Paramount Skydance Sale Makes the Case for Public Media [commentary-rewind]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oPSpsBX4LGc/mqdefault.jpg "The Paramount Skydance Sale Makes the Case for Public Media [commentary-rewind]
Synopsis, Lauras Commentary: As billionaires buy up our newsrooms and Congress defunds public media, the stakes for democracy couldn’t be higher. If we don’t reinvent and reinvest in independent media now, it may soon be too late.
For the transcript of this commentary and more articles by Laura subscribe to Substack (https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/72a99690-00a0-4376-8b30-9ea490811cc0/shows/c3cf0ccd-6993-4c0f-a004-338778a46c5b/episodes/e85e3d46-2602-4bc6-8487-be39709447f6/substack.com/home/post/p-165868460) .
Watch Lauras interview with Documented NYs Labor Reporter Amir Khafagy and Capital Bs Rural Issues Reporter Aallyah Wright on Laura Flanders & Friends on YouTube, or PBS stations and hear their take on commercial coverage of the NYC Mayors race and anti-Black rule changes at USDA, or listen to past commentaries and full uncut interviews (https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/mamdani-black-farmers-usda-ice-the-stories-bipoc-journalists-uncover-uncut-conversation) through subscribing to this free podcast.
Related Episode Information: Documented NYs Labor Reporter Amir Khafagy and Capital Bs Rural Issues Reporter Aallyah Wright-
Watch: YouTube (https://youtube.com/watch?v=QJL4m9917uw&feature=youtu.be) Listen: Episode & Full Uncut Conversation available wherever you get your podcasts.
Full Episode Notes (https://www.patreon.com/posts/134863092) are located HERE. (https://www.patreon.com/posts/134863092)
This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate (https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/72a99690-00a0-4376-8b30-9ea490811cc0/shows/c3cf0ccd-6993-4c0f-a004-338778a46c5b/episodes/7cee9b87-dac4-4354-be09-956942d9baf8/LauraFlanders.org/donate)
Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O’Conner-Senior Consulting Producer.
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ACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvHj5HzzVPM)")
![Its Still Jail: What Its Like to Wear an Ankle Monitor & the Companies Making a Profit [EXCERPT]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oT9CI0lpaVc/mqdefault.jpg "Its Still Jail: What Its Like to Wear an Ankle Monitor & the Companies Making a Profit [EXCERPT]
This conversation is an excerpt from our episode Corporate Prison Reform Will Not Keep Us Safe: A Report from Los Angeles. Watch the full report here: https://youtu.be/dmY1CobjVRI. This episode first aired July 2024.
Under the view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, a struggle is being waged over the future of policing and incarceration. Los Angeles is ground zero for fights over the job of District Attorney, Police Chief, and the size of prisons and jails. It recently became one of the only cities in the US to cancel construction of a jail. Activists have forced out two police chiefs, while conservatives have brought two recall petitions against the DA. Corporations that have profited from prison communications are now profiting on electronic monitoring. And in this election year, with criminal justice reform a major issue, how are activists pushing back against false narratives on crime? Looking at the fight inside and outside the system, Laura Flanders talks to activists and elected officials in Los Angeles. All this from the city where SWAT teams were invented, from the state where Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon launched their careers, and the nationwide boom in prison construction was born. Can todays Los Angeles change the script?
“Los Angeles has a history of repression, and I think because its Los Angeles, theyre also masters at narrative, so theyll mask it with pictures of palm trees and Venice Beach and all of these other things. But really, when we look at the history of Los Angeles, its deeply rooted in racism, deeply rooted in racist repression and oppression, and deeply rooted in a system of policing that absolutely descends from slave catching,” - Melina Abdullah
“When we talk about closing Mens Central Jail, yes, were trying to close that particular building, but what it requires is every jail in our county to reduce its population . . . Were trying to decarcerate globally across the jail system, that will then allow us to close this monument of essentially torture in our communities.” - Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson
“The reason why Ive done this work is because Ive seen how the system works, and Ive seen how it doesnt prevent harm and violence. It only responds to it . . .” - Eunisses Hernandez
Update: In the course of reporting our episode, Laura Flanders & Friends wrote to Securus, the security company we mention, and asked for confirmation of their prison-related revenue, and their response to the contention that electronic monitoring is turning communities into cages. Visit https://lauraflanders.org/2024/07/corporate-prison-reform-los-angeles/ to read their statement.
GUESTS:
Melina Abdullah: Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles
Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson: Co-Executive Director, Dignity & Power Now
Eunisses Hernandez: Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 1
Sheila Natt: Former Teen Ankle Monitor User
Anthony Robles: Statewide Organizer, Care First California
📩Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including a weekly newsletter and commentaries by Laura Flanders, subscribe on Substack: https://lauraflanders.substack.com/
🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this episode on major podcast platforms. Podcast subscribers also receive our full, uncut interviews: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/corporate-prison-reform-will-not-keep-us-safe-a-report-from-los-angeles
Stay informed and engaged! Dont miss out on our captivating episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
Laura Flanders & Friends is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.")
![Jubilee Justice Regenerative Farming: Tackling Racism with Rice [EXCERPT]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/omN1G3gMo1c/mqdefault.jpg "Jubilee Justice Regenerative Farming: Tackling Racism with Rice [EXCERPT]
This conversation is an excerpt from our episode Jubilee Justice Regenerative Farming: Tackling Racism with Rice. Watch the full report here: https://youtu.be/75uC_EiYoZI. This episode first aired July 2023.")
