‘Resistance’ unpacks stories from the helm of the Black Lives Matter movement
Gimlet’s “Resistance” tells stories from people who rally for change and “refuse to accept things as they are.” The series was created by poet, producer, and writer Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr., as he was inspired to investigate stories of identity and our time, specifically social and political issues that are still in news headlines while featuring young, Black voices.
Since 2020, episodes have brought listeners inside stories spanning from the front lines of Black Lives Matter movements across America to experiencing gentrification in Bushwick, New York.
In the episodes, we’ll hear from people taking action. Besides hearing from Saidu, listeners will also learn from producers/reporters Aaron Randle, Bethel Habte, and Wallace Mack in the episodes. They spoke with activists who squabble with the police for justice. Museums are filled with artifacts, where many were acquired through theft. And one day, Mwazulu Diyabanza decided to take a stand.
An episode takes a deep dive into Nigeria’s #ENDSARS campaign. We’ll hear from Mack, Jacquie, and Abdus, who found their way back to church through a united sense of purpose and justice. In South Carolina, the Gullah Geechee struggles to hang onto their land, and the audience learns about the robust fight taking place. An episode spoke with the only Black man in Harvard, Nebraska, and the Black Lives Matter march he planned — the first ever in his town.
The episodes are thoroughly-reported, brimming with tons of intimate details and sound clips. On an episode, Saidu reported on the award-winning story about his mom, “Borders Between Us.” After his mom passed away, he was left to make sense of her death and the impact she had on his life.
Saidu recognizes how his mom and her personal modus operandi relate to the podcast’s themes. She refused to accept the status quo and sought change when she arrived in America. This episode details his family’s struggles, successes, and consequences of his personal story — how these experiences shaped him, and in effect, led to creating “Resistance.”
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