Today we debut an interview with Monique Fegans.  Monique is an inspiring young activist.  She’s helped organize numerous recent street actions in support of Black Lives Matter, prison conditions during COVID, the rights of unhoused people, and many other causes.  We were delighted to host her for an afternoon grill session in the Bunker’s garden.  I hope you enjoy our chat.

During the discussion, we refer to an organizational theory called mutual aid.  I suspect some in the audience may be unfamiliar with this concept.  Monique and I didn’t really have time to go over the basics.

Mutual aid is one of the foundational aspects of anarchist communal theory.  It involves the voluntary exchange of goods and services within the community.  For example, the Wilmington-based organization Food Not Bombs focuses on the distribution of household goods, food staples, and hygiene products for free to people in their neighborhood.  

It’s vital to understand that this is not charity. It is political activity and a revolutionary act that rejects the capitalist economic system of exchange.  Like the Black Panther Party that famously provided breakfast and tutoring for neighborhood students in the areas where they were active, this is the same concept.