Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Rikers Island, Slave Catching, and the Modern Carceral State
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
07 Mar 2025
🖨️ Print Article

Black Agenda Radio · Rikers Island, Slave Catching, and the Modern Carceral State

Darren Mack is co-founder and co-director of Freedom Agenda, an organization devoted to decarceration and system transformation, including closing the Rikers Island jail. In commenting on New York City mayor Eric Adams' plan to allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island, Darren Mack pointed out the history behind the name. Richard Riker was a New York City judge who worked with slave catchers and the kidnappers who captured fleeing enslaved people and free Black New Yorkers to send them to slavery in the south. Darren Mack joins us from New York City to discuss this history, the need to close Rikers Island, and the historical connections with the modern-day carceral state.

Rikers Island
Incarceration
Slavery
New York City
Eric Adams

Related Podcasts

Carmella Charrington
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Deed Theft and Black Communities
22 May 2026
Leah Goodridge, a New York City-based attorney, housing advocate, and writer, is a memb
BAR Radio Logo
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio April 24, 2026
24 April 2026
In this week’s segment, we discuss the importance of including African-descended people in discussions around climate change and a just transition
Carmella Charrington
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Deed Theft and the Loss of Black Property
24 April 2026
Evangeline of the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, a grassroots New York City organiz

More Stories


  • What is Anti-racism
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    “What Is Anti-Racism? And Why It Means Anti-Capitalism,” A Book Review
    06 Mar 2024
    Arun Kundnani details the histories of liberal and radical anti-racism and argues that anti-racism ultimately means anti-capitalism.
  • Collage of Black politicians
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    War criminal Bassackwards Tribe
    06 Mar 2024
    "War criminal Bassackwards Tribe" is the latest from our Poet-in-Residence.
  • CARICOM officials arrive in Haiti
    Jemima Pierre, BAR Editor and Contributor
    Why is CARICOM Betraying Haiti on Behalf of the U.S.?
    06 Mar 2024
    The impending occupation of Haiti by Kenya is supported by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with direct assistance in the mission coming from CARICOM states. The question is, why?
  • Hands off Uhuru logo
    Solyana Bekele
    FBI Storms African Liberation Movement with Fabricated Charges: U.S. Government Escalates Brutal Assault
    06 Mar 2024
    The Uhuru 3 were recently indicted by the federal government, continuing a historical pattern of connecting revolutionary Black organizations and movements to an outside malign state actor to destroy…
  • The Turkana people protesting at the Africa Climate Summit
    Aby L. Sène
    Western Climate Agenda Goes Against African Development
    06 Mar 2024
    Carbon and biodiversity offsets are the latest imperialist weapons used against African people and their nations. Self-determination is the key to ecological health for the continent.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us