Episode 164: Marching on Washington, the LA Teachers' Strike, and Cities and Economic Inequality

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss marching on Washington as a form of political protest, the Los Angeles teachers’ strike, and how American cities reflect economic inequality.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• Native American and pro-life activists both marched in Washington, D.C., last weekend, participating in a longstanding American protest tradition.
• The Los Angeles teachers’ union has reached a deal with the city. Natalia recommended Dana Goldstein’s coverage of the strikes in the New York Times and Goldstein’s book, The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession. Natalia also recommended historian Diana D’Amico’s Washington Post op-ed on the role of suburbanization in the economic struggles of big-city school systems. Natalia also referred to the pro-charter school documentary The Lottery.
• A new study suggests that cities are not the sites of economic mobility they have long been thought to be. Niki recommended Sarah Maslin Nir’s New York Times coverage of the plight of nail salon workers. Natalia recommended urbanist Richard Florida’s continued work on this topic.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed two new documentaries about the ill-fated Fyre Fest, one on Hulu and one on Netflix.
• Neil discussed David Leffler’s Washington Post article, “Suicides Among Veterinarians Become a Growing Problem.”
• Niki shared Jill Lepore’s New Yorker article, “Does Journalism Has a Future?”