Unpacking Repression and How We Fight Back with Kali Akuno

Black Men Build invites you to join us for a three-part Theory Thursday + Mass Call series where we dig deep into the expanding architecture of repression in the U.S. and across the globe. From book bans to border walls, from ICE raids to the erasure of Black history, repression is not just policy, it’s strategy. A strategy designed to silence, divide, and disempower. But we know: what is built by the oppressor can be dismantled by the people.

We’ll explore the escalating attacks on DEI efforts and the widespread bans on books especially those central to Black and revolutionary history. These aren’t random acts; they are coordinated moves to undermine critical thought and rewrite our narratives. We’ll connect these efforts to the broader wave of anti-intellectualism, a cultural and political backlash against truth-telling, organizing, and the revolutionary potential of knowledge.

We’ll also shift our lens to state violence, focusing on the brutal practices of ICE, the U.S. immigration enforcement regime, and the long history of targeting migrants, organizers, and entire communities under the guise of “national security.”

We’ll also look at censorship and the active removal of Black history from public spaces, including actions taken against institutions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture where exhibits have already been removed under right-wing political pressure.