“Boots on the ground!” Kwame Shakur, ¡presente!

December 17, 2025

This week’s episode of Naptown People’s Radio pays tribute to our fallen soldier Kwame Shakur, a brother who was consistently fighting for the freedom and liberation of all people.

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Our Naptown Breakdown focuses on the recent defeat of the far-right in their redistricting efforts and speculation that “Vop” Osili’s announcement he won’t seek re-election for the City-County Council means his sights are set on a Mayoral run. The real reasons why a majority of Senate Republicans joined Indiana’s 10 Democratic state senators to reject the proposal, despite immense pressure from Trump and groups like the Heritage Foundation. While the overwhelming majority of Hoosiers rejected the redistricting campaign, the reality is that the ruling class in Indiana is divided on the issue. Seeking to avoid an intra-class conflict whose eruption could have serious consequences, they chose to call Trump’s implausible threats. Our co-hosts Dani Abdullah and Derek Ford also question whether Osili, who has enforced the culture of misogyny that defines Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration for years, really represents the voters in District 12.

To keep Kwame Shakur’s spirit and words with us, we let Kwame speak for himself. In a concise clip from an August 2019 Liberation Forum filmed by Critical Thought Critique, Kwame talks about his life, political development, ideological outlook, and hope for the future.

Abdullah takes the Circle City Shout Out as an opportunity to honor Kwame and recall the time he spent fighting in the streets with us since we met him in late 2018. Kwame was a leading figure in the 2020 response to the IMPD’s 8-hour killing spree. While the protests that erupted were certainly spontaneous, they were also organized after a “Free Them All” Coalition protested prison conditions throughout the winter and spring. While he wasn’t a member of the PSL, he was a dear friend of the Party and a welcome presence at the Indianapolis Liberation Center, where he hosted the inaugural ceremony of the Black Liberation Party.

Kwame Shakur, ¡presente!