A selfconfessed Sexual Assault her. How is it possible we feel ok with bannon who seems to be running the show right now who is known to have beaten his wife . Amy we will also speak to congolese activist Christine Schuler deschryver. And then the bronxborn puerto rican musician Alynda Segarra of hurray for the riff raff joins as today to play some of her new music and talk about the role of artists in the age of trump. It is really a time to put all of these ideas that i always had to practice and i look to my idols like i look to nina simone, bell hooks, to Sylvia Rivera to give me strength. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Wikileaks has published what it says is the largest leak of secret cia documents in history. The thousands of documents, dubbed vault 7, describe cia programs and tools that are capable of hacking into both apple and android cell phones. By hacking into entire phones, the cia is then reportedly able to bypass encrypted message programs such as signal, telegram, and whatsapp, although, contrary to many news reports, the documents do not show the cia has developed tools to hack these encrypted services themselves. The documents also outline a cia and British Intelligence program called weeping angel, through which the spy agency can hack into a Samsung Smart television and turn it into a surveillance device that records audio conversations, even when it appears to be off. Other documents describe ways to hack into skype, wifi networks, pdfs, and commercial antivirus programs. The leak also shows the cia has reportedly looked for ways to hack into cars and trucks, which wikileaks said would permit the cia to engage in nearly undetectable assassinations. Other documents outline how the cia has used the u. S. Consulate in frankfurt, germany, as a covert base to spy on europe, the middle east and africa. , mondays release totals 7818 web pages and 943 attachments, which wikileaks says comes from the cias center for Cyber Intelligence in langley, virginia. Some of the material was redacted by wikileaks to avoid releasing the actual computer code used in the programs. Says mondaysaks release is only the first batch of many more secret cia documents. The cia has refused to comment on the authenticity of the documents, but at least one anonymous Government Official told the New York Times the documents were real, while another former Intelligence Officer told the times the code names used in the documents appeared to be accurate. Wikileaks did not reveal the source of the leak, but did say the source wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons. On twitter, Edward Snowden said the cia reports show the u. S. Government developing vulnerabilities in u. S. Products then intentionally keeping the , holes open. Reckless beyond words. Tensions are rising between the United States, north korea, and china, threatening to create the first Significant National security crisis of the trump presidency. This week, the United States began deploying a Missile Defense system to south korea, sparking warnings from chinese officials who say the u. S. Is escalating a regional arms race. The u. S. Says the deployment of the terminal High Altitude area defense system, known as thaad, seeks to protect south korea amid a series of recent missile tests launched by north korea. On monday, north korea launched its latest test of four ballistic missiles, three of which reportedly landed less than 200 miles from japans coastline. North korea says the missiles are seeking to hit u. S. Bases in japan. The deployment of the u. S. Missile system is widely opposed by both south koreans, who have been protesting against u. S. Militarization, and by chinese officials, who say the Missile System actually aims to counter chinas military power in the region, not to contain north korea. Chinese officials are calling for both an end to north Koreas Nuclear program and an end to join u. S. And south Korean Military drills. This is the Chinese Foreign minister wang yi. As a first step, north korea should suspend Nuclear Activity in the u. S. And south korea should also suspend largescale military drills. And with both sides stopping to avoid the current security dilemma and returned to the negotiating table. Later, based on a dual track strategy, we will realize denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism on the peninsula to simultaneously and equally resolve the concerns of all parties. Amy on tuesday, the u. S. Also imposed a 1. 19 billion penalty against the Chinese Telecommunications company zte over allegations it had broken u. S. Laws against selling u. S. Made technology to north korea and iran. This morning zte said it would , plead guilty and pay nearly 900 million to settle the case. In washington, d. C. , divisions erupted within the Republican Party over the gop plan, unveiled monday, to repeal much of the Affordable Care act monday, including its expansion of medicaid. Factions within the Republican Party that had hoped to repeal obamacare all together revolted against the bill monday, calling it obamacare lite. Conservative groups, including Heritage Action for america and the Koch BrothersGroup Americans for prosperity also , condemned the bill. If more than a dozen House Republicans refuse to vote for the bill, it could fail to pass the house. Other republicans spent monday backing the plan, including speaker of the house paul ryan, who vowed tuesday the nightmare of obamacare is about to end. Utah republican congressman Jason Chaffetz also tried to defend the bill tuesday in an interview with Alisyn Camerota on cnn, but instead sparked controversy. You know what . Americans have choices. They have to make a choice. Rather than getting that new iphone they love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on it, maybe they should invest in their own health care. Amy on twitter, people immediately condemned congressman chaffetzs comments, including bestselling author roxane gay, who wrote, my broken ankle cost 117,000 so thats around 234 iphones. Democratic lawmakers demanded special counsel be appointed to lead any investigation into russian hacking of the 2016 president ial election, during the Senate Judiciary committees confirmation hearing for Deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein tuesday. Rosenstein would take over any investigation into the russian hacking, following attorney general Jeff Sessions decision to recuse himself. That came after revelations he met with russias ambassador to the u. S. While serving as a campaign surrogate for donald trump. Minnesota senator al franken has accused sessions of committing perjury during his confirmation hearing for not revealing these meetings. On tuesday, California Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein questioned rosenstein during his confirmation hearing about whether he would appoint special counsel for any investigation into russian hacking of the election. Given all of this in the heightened level of distrust on all sides, do you support the appointment of an independent special counsel to look into these matters . The answer is, im simply not in a position to answer the question because i do not know the information that they know, the folks who are in the decision position to make a decision. When i am in that position, i they are correct. I have a lot of respect for them. If i determine they are mistaken, then i would overrule them. Amy on tuesday, sean spicers of President Trump is not substantiated his claims that president obama capped his phones and the 2016 election because of separation of powers. This is by serving questioned. This is by serving question. Why would be president one congress to be theres a separation of powers aspect. [inaudible] it is not a question of wasted. It is appropriateness. If he is sitting on this information, if he found out he is now directing were asking you talknding about the have resources and staff, which they do, why expend those resources and staff . I think theres a difference between directing the department of justice, which maybe involved in Ongoing Investigation and asking congress as a separate body amy separation of powers does not prevent trump from asking the fbi directly about any potential wiretaps if they exist, nor does it prevent the president from sharing information from congress. In dresden, germany, a trial has begun for eight people accused of forming a Rightwing Terrorist Group aimed at carrying out attacks on refugee homes. Prosecutors say the Group Carried out at least five attacks, including two on refugees homes. A recent report by Germanys Interior Ministry says refugees and migrants in germany faced more than 3500 attacks last year, which injured more than 500 people, including children. Meanwhile, the Hungarian Parliament has passed a law allowing for all Asylum Seekers to be imprisoned and then forced reported to serbia. Ladies and gentlemen, the migration crisis will last until the root causes are dealt with. It isit is recognize that the trojan would horse of terrorism. Amy the United Nations says the law would allow hungary to imprison all refugees, including children, in border camps made of shipping containers. International human Rights Groups have condemned hungarys treatment of refugees. In lancaster, south carolina, police are investigating the murder of harnish patel, the fourth indian man to be shot, and the second to be killed, within the last few weeks. The 43yearold man was shot and killed in front of his own home on thursday, after returning home from working at the speedee Mart Convenience store, which he owned. Patel had lived in the United States for 14 years. Local news reports he was married and had one child in elementary school. He was shot and killed only one day before a sikh man, deep rai, was shot and wounded outside his home in kent, washington, by a man who yelled go back to your country. Both shootings come after Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot and killed by a white man in kansas who yelled get out of my country, before opening fire on him and his friend, alok madasani, who was wounded in the attack. A new wave of bomb threats against Jewish Community centers swept the u. S. This week swept the u. S. This week with reported threats against jccs in new york, wisconsin, illinois, and florida. On tuesday, a letter signed by all 100 u. S. Senators urged attorney general Jeff Sessions, fbi director james comey and , Homeland Security secretary john kelly to take action. Mayor bill de blasio also spoke out against the attacks on tuesday. We know what new threats are coming in liberally as of today literally as of today. This is a very troubling reality. This is a moment in time, a moment in history where forces of hate have been unleashed. Amy in breaking news from afghanistan, afghan Officials Say as many as 30 people have been killed after gunmen stormed the Military Hospital in kabul. Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack. Officials say the gunmen dressed as medics in order to gain access to the hospital. At least 50 people were also wounded in the attack. Women in more than 50 countries are expected to take part in major protests and strikes today for International Womens day. Here in the United States, thousands of women are staging a oneday strike in whats been dubbed a day without a woman. In virginia, the entire Public School system of alexandria is closed today after 300 women requested the day off. Some schools are also closing in chapel hill, North Carolina, and here in new york city. Well have more on International Womens day and the day without a woman strike after headlines. And the radical civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart has died at the age of 77 from complications of cancer and a recent series of strokes. A former teacher and librarian, Lynne Stewart was known as a peoples lawyer who represented the poor and revolutionaries. Many considered her a political prisoner herself when she was given a 10year sentence for distributing press releases on behalf of one of her clients, omar abdelrahman, an egyptian cleric known as the blind sheikh, who was convicted of conspiring to blow up the United Nations and other new york city landmarks. While held in federal prison for nearly four years, Lynne Stewart suffered from stage iv Breast Cancer that metastasized. She was given 18 months to live. After months of campaigning, a federal judge ordered her compassionate release. And on new years day 2014, democracy now was at the airport when Lynne Stewart triumphantly returned to new york with her husband Ralph Poynter and was met by her family and friends. Lynne, how do you feel . Beyond joy. Amy did you think this day would come . Well, somehow or other, yes to but not as wonderful as it has come. It is like bursting on me. Yesterday at this time, i was deep in the dungeons. And here i am in my beloved new york. It is just wonderful. I cant tell you. Amy Lynne Stewart died tuesday at her home in brooklyn. You can see more interviews with the late radical lawyer Lynne Stewart over the years, at democracynow. Org and those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Today is International Womens day. Thousands of women all over the world are taking to the streets for what is being called a day without a woman. The impact is already being felt in the United States. In virginia the entire public , School System of alexandria is closed after 300 women requested some schools are also closing in the day off. Some schools are also closing in chapel hill, North Carolina, and in new york city. Organizers ofthe the womens march on washington the largest nationwide day of protest after an in u. S. History. Women in the United States are not alone. Women in more than 50 countries are expected to take part in their own strikes. The International Womens strike effort was launched in october 2016 after women in poland, south korea, argentina, and sweden organized strikes to fight issues from the criminalization of abortion to femicide. Organizers, people shared why theyre participating in todays womens strike. I am striking for equal pay and equal opportunity. Because womens work makes all of the work possible. It is about time we start valuing womens labor. I am striking because when i go out, i want to feel free. Women matter. I am striking on march 8 because Reproductive Services are human rights and childbirth is a public service. Amy well, for more, were joined by tithi bhattacharya, associate professor of south asian history at purdue university. She is one of the National Organizers of todays womens strike. Welcome to democracy now thank you so much for being with us. Can you talk about the scope of this protest and why a strike . Thank you for having me, amy. I think the first thing to say about the strike is that it is an international strike. It was put together by women, at that time, 30 Different Countries in october 2016, actually, who were inspired by mainly the mass actions of the polish women in the argentinian women against the abortion ban and against femicide. So 30 feminist organizations got together and called the strike for march 8 2017. , we weren the u. S. Really inspired by the january 21 womens march, but also by the fantastic mass actions of the airports solidarity protest when the first muslim ban went in. Airports are the most soulless spaces of capitalism, were flooded by ordinary people in borders andgainst in solidarity with our muslim systems sisters and brothers. Both of those said the moment was right to basically put together this mass energy to talk about womens labor, womens rights in the u. S. Context. That is the sort of genesis, i would say, of calling march 8 an International Womens strike. Hasword strike i think raised some questions. I hope i get a chance to answer fully because i think the word strike has traditionally meant work stoppage. In it should. It i think the word strike in other countries has had a wider connotation that simply work stoppage. Practicallysort of applied in the streets in the way it was meant as a mass strike. So not just work stoppage. I think for us, it was important to emphasize that women do not just work in the paid labor market, in the employment sector , in the formal sectors of the economy. Women also do the unpaid labor, the care work, the picking up of andchildren from school, the countless hours that women put in. So when we say womens strike, it has that expansive understanding of labor and stoppage of labor. So stoppage of labor just does not mean a collective workplace strike. Stoppage of labor also means, i will not cook today and i will stand in solidarity with women in 50 countries as i walked out. Amy can you talk about the scope of these actions from new york to europe to africa . What is happening . I think, first of all, the majority of countries that are taking part in the strikes are going to have massive mess them astray shoulds on the streets. So places like portauprince in haiti, in places like new delhi, india, in ireland where it is very significant because they are striking against for abortion rights and against banning of abortion. I think women are taking all , not justass actions marching on the street, but there have been boycotts of major businesses. There has been demonstrations and walkouts in schools and campuses of college campuses. Strikess been household , like women have basically refused to do any household chores. For instance, in poland. A festival of is the oppressed, diversity of tactics that has been employed. In the United States as well, we now have International Womens strike organizing all the way from alaska to hawaii. And here, too, the range of actions is wonderfully varied. As you said, people in North Carolina and virginia and new schools striking and are slowing closing down, but people also are demonstrating. There are conventions and most of the major universities across. There is in San Francisco in the bay area, their organizing a gender strike. Sex workers are going to be organizing inhat the bay area. And in new york. And i think on our website, you thatsee women in indiana put together a letter that women can give to their husbands and domestic partners. You can download the letter from our website. Women can give that letter to their partners as they walk out of household duties and go join a demonstration or a mobilization in their own city. It is a long, detailed letter. The essential message is, honey, you have the dishes. I am going on strike. Amy President Trump tweeted this morning yesterday, the travel ban on refugees from six countries was imposed. Within that time yesterday, apparently, light on the statue of liberty when out yesterday. Not clear if it was, some said, the statue of liberty protesting advance today or whether what actually was happening. In hawaii, maybe the first place where a lawsuit against that and will becoming from. Your, some President Trump . Well, i think many people, many women in particular, have called him the misogynist in chief. I think not just his comments, which he is made of public before the elections and during, justify that, but i also think his policies that he is going to put in place is going to be that title that he has well earned. About the muslim ban, well, the International Womens strike has issued a Public Statement absolutely opposing the muslim ban and standing in solidarity with all of our sisters in the countries, but also elsewhere. But i want to say the idea of the womens strike is precisely against the ban. It is against borders. It is about opening the borders in solidarity with the Global Movement right now. Amy your website . Nsstrikeus. Org. What is happening today in new york . Were going to be gathering at Washington Square park at 4 00 p. M. There is going to be live music. There is going to be people at the rally and then were going to be marching all the way to the coffee park. It is not going to be famous people on the stage. It is going to be ordinary women who make our lives possible on the planet. Amy tithi bhattacharya, thank you for being with us, one of the National Organizers of todays womens strike. When we come back, eve ensler joins us. Stay with us. [music break] amy you will be hearing more from Alynda Segarra later in the broadcast. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. When President Trump signed his first secondorder in to january temporarily ban refugees and people from seven majoritymuslim nations, he said it was needed, in part, to protect women. A littlenoticed part of the executive order reads, the United States should not admit those who engage in acts of the kitchen or hatred, including honor killings. Some have noticed the irony. Both the man who signed the order, donald trump, and the man who drive to the order, his chief strategist steve bannon, in the past have been accused of committing violence against women. During the president ial campaign, trump boasted about Sexual Assaulting women and grabbing them by thepussy. Eight women have now come forward and accused donald trump of Sexual Assault and harassment. In the 1980s, his exwife said during a divorce deposition that donald had raped her. The author reheard described Trump Holding back ivanas arms, forcing her to have sex. She later softened her language to say she felt violated by what happened. And well, steve bannon was charged with Domestic Violence and battery in 1996. The santa monica California Police report said bannon grabbed his then wife louise iccard by the throat and arm and threaten to leave with their twin daughters. Thatlaimed in proceedings she was pressured by bannon. To testify. Puzder was accused by his wife on oprah. Once i made that break and once i made a public, and remember my exhusband was a public figure, everyone knew him and knew what he was doing. Once i made that public, he vowed revenge. He said, i will see you in the gutter. This will never be over. You will pay for this. I wound up losing every thing. Amy puzders exwife later withdraw the allegations as part of a 1990 child custody agreement, but the abuse claims and the oprah video help lead to puzder withdrawing his nomination last month. Meanwhile, advocates of Domestic Abuse victims have expressed alarm over the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. In 2013, he voted against the reauthorization of the violence against women act, a law which he will now be responsible for enforcing. Tom price, the new secretary of health and human services, also voted against the laws reauthorization. There are also reports that the Trump Administration may eliminate programs that aim to reduce Domestic Violence, dating and Sexual Assault. Well, i recently spoke to two pioneers who have spent decades fighting Domestic Abuse, eve ensler, playwright, author of the vagina monologues, and Christine Schuler deschryver, director of vday congo. I began by asking eve to talk about donald trump. I think i have been feeling this for over two years, watching trump and watching the people that trump surrounds himself with, we are seeing the escalation of rate culture, a predatory mindset in many respects them up but utterly addressed particularly addressed towards women. From the beginning, listening to trump and listening how is it possible a nature of people felt ok with electing a selfconfessed Sexual Assaulter . How is a possible we feel ok with bannon, who seems to be running the show right now, who is known to have beaten his wife . If we look at that, a something that is acceptable in a general way, that we understand we have not really gotten to the root of rate culture in america. I also think that predatory mindset is affecting everything. We are getting regulations on air, water, and on the earth. We are escalating extraction. We are seeing the ransacking of laws, of disparaging of immigrants. This is all part of a predatory mindset, which is really about one person in power who does what he wants without the consent of the people around him. Great culture is about. Rape culture is about. Amy Christine Schuler deschryver, you are coming here from the congo. How much attention is being paid to the Trump Administration in the congo and your thoughts when you come here . We are really following what is going on in the u. S. We are very shocked. First of all, i remember weeks ago we were talking about, what about if trump was a black president . Wives the kind of guy would be totally different. Today were talking about the u. S. It should be a model. But right now it is like eve said, it is a rape culture is back and we are. Also the impunity. It affects all of us. I think this has to change. We feel like we also have to congo to stop all of this. Amy you talk about impunity. The women who have come forward to say that donald trump sexually assaulted them, trumps response saying a soon as the election was over, he would sue them. We have not heard anything about these suits. It is the tactic of the perpetrator. You are the victim. You reverse it. It is a mind game. You will sue the people you have already attacked. Amy but he hasnt because that would mean discovery iraqis andke we bomb destroyed people in the countries around the world, then we refuse to give them safety. It is this double thing. Not only are you destroying peoples lives, but refusing them safety and refuge after you have destroyed them. It is like, after i rape your arrest you, i see you. I also want to say in terms of the congo, we will get into it, but in the course of these things that he is attempting to do you regulate for the benefit of corporations, now there is a leaked memo saying would free the u. S. Companies to buy conflict minerals from Central African warlords, which is something we have been fighting and fighting and fighting to get these regulations on his conflict minerals. If they are freed again, we will see the escalation of rape in ways we knew five and 10 years ago. Amy can you talk more about this, christine, we are seeing some reports in the guardian, the intercept, about the possibility of trump signing an executive order that would deregulate conflict minerals . It brings is like 20 years before. It really legitimate the perpetrators and also the rape. It will strengthen the dictators we have in Central Africa because now they feel free to plunder congo with the multinationals. And i think the violence will escalate much more. The last three or four years, it started to go down. All of thehink dictator will be so comfortable to continue to plunder the congo within the international community. What is connected to that, we know where there is plundering of mines. Multinationals come in and use proximally says in the same way that the Oil Companies are using state violence in Standing Rock. We know women are always on the frontlines lines of those struggles. In women suffer Sexual Violence. I was in the boxing oil fields where i was there Bakken Oil Fields with wenonah leduc. The man camps that were set up their, the rate of Sexual Violence that has escalated was mind blowing. This is the same situation in the congo. Once these corporations made deals with warlords, the warlords are licensed. The way they get into these villages is the way they get access to these mines is they rape and destroy women in these communities, break apart the communitys, then move into take the mines. Trump is not only leasing great culture of this country, he is unleashing it and africa by destroying these conflict minerals protections. And to me, that is very terrifying. Amy lets go to a few clips. I want to go back to what was called the october surprise from last years president ial campaign. Donald trump well, taking a hit in several republican lawmakers distancing themselves from his Campaign Following the release of the 2005 at a tape showing trump boasting about sexually assaulting women. Yes the donald is good. My man. You got to give the thumbsup. Pres. Trump i better you some tick tax in case i start kissing her. Amy those, the words of the now president of the United States, donald trump. The only one who went down over washingtonpisode post releasing the tape, was billy bush. To me, it was so alarming to me having worked all of these years to get an idea of what rape is and what Sexual Assault is and what it means for women to have agency over their own bodies and to see not only a president who arrogantly just grabbed women and filled yet access to women, but also to see republicans and to see so many people around him normalize that so quickly. That story was in the news for maybe two weeks before it was normalized, before it was accepted. Ok, that is just what men do. Even the talk of this is locker room talk remember that whole period . Whose locker room . Whose locker room are you in . He locker rooms you are amy i saw a poster, a waitress who carries a towel with her that she wrote on that said she can protest anywhere she wants to. She bolted up and puts it in her back and is is the world is not your locker room. Lets take the womens march, which was an unbelievable outpouring of women demanding, speaking of four, and cherishing and knowing what their rights are. What did he do a day later . He destroyed reproductive rights in the support of ngos were offering a discussion about even a discussion even a discussion about abortion. And that is rape culture. That was an act of rape. Really . Watch what im going to do the next a. I felt like many of these executive whatever were calling them, orders, tweets, moments of dementia, are all these kind of violent acts that are saying in no uncertain terms, i do what i want regardless of your needs, regardless of what you want in your body in your life, and im going to continue to do that in any way i white. Amy christine, what does this mean in the congo when were talking about issues of rape . For me, i went to daycare it, for example, they have access to women. Accessthe way they have to the heard, to the land. We also followed in the congo, all of the grassroots women. They marched for the Standing Rock. I think exactly the same in congo. The way they rape women, that is the way they rape the earth. Also in dakota, when we see the pipelines. Like raping the land. We cannot disassociate that. That is also one of the reasons i think all of the grassroots women from all over the world, they have to be they have to be leaders. Also to protect Mother Nature because we cannot dissociate both of them. The city of joy amy explain what that is. It is a place where we receive 90 young women to heal their bodies and minds and we train them to be leaders. Amy they have all been raped . Most of them, yes. In go by survivors by gender violence. Most of them were raped by malicious, by the police, by domestic rape and theyre all survivors of atrocities. Stay there for six months. The program transforms their pain to power. We also have a farm to transfer them. Pain to planting. They work at the farm. Andive with Mother Nature we get back to Mother Nature. For example, they learn how to make compost. I think the city of joy has to be an example for the whole thinkbecause right now, i the women, the grassroots women, are the ones who paid the most for everything that has happened. Look at dakota and the congo everywhere. Amy Christine Schuler deschryver director of vday , congo. Theve ensler, author of vagina monologues. Theres a protest this afternoon outside the department of women plan to surround the building demanding an end workplace violence. When we come back, Alynda Segarra. Stay with us. [music break] amy performing at the womens march on washington the day after the inauguration. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. As we end our International Womens day special with the musician and activist Alynda Segarra, leader of the critically acclaimed band hurray for the riff raff. When she was just alynda left 17, her home in the bronx and began hopping freight trains. She eventually landed in new orleans where she learned to play banjo. Over the past decade her band , hurray for the riff raff would become one of the most celebrated bands in modern folk music. In 2014, her tune the body electric was named song of the year by american songwriter. Npr declared the same tune to be the political folk song of 2014. Hurray for the riff raffs new record, the navigator is out this week. Part of it celebrates alyndas puerto rican heritage. One tune palante is named after a newspaper published by the young lords. Another tune rican beach has been described as an antigentrication anthem. Well, Alynda Segarra joins us recently came into our studios to perform and talk about her music. I asked her to talk about her life journey. I left home when i was 17. I was just kind of like a rebellious kid that felt like there was this big world out there for me. I grew up in the bronx. For some reason, i just really belong heredid not or anywhere, for that matter. I really wanted to just kind of escape and see the country and get to know this america that was very mystical to me. I was listening to some woody guthrie. I think he definitely influenced me. School. Ing bad in i just decided to risk it and to go out on the road. Amy were you already play music . No, not really. I was writing poetry. I was writing a lot of poetry, going to see a lot of music. I was involved in the Lower East Side punk scene and i was a young feminist. I got to newn orleans when i started playing music because i started playing music on the street there. Just trying to make some money. Amy how did you pick up the banjo . The washboard. Ed the group i met there was a lot of other young street kids. Somebody gifted me a banjo. I learned in a very communal atmosphere, like laying around the campfire and learning a lot of american folk songs, a lot of appalachian and blues songs. I learned in that way. Amy did you really hopped trains . I did, yeah. A lot of hitchhiking and train riding to get around. I was always with a group of kids. We were really just wanting to live on the outskirts of society, basically. We wanted to get in touch with an america we felt like was hidden. We wanted to be in touch with the lands, you know, just lived this very radical, romantic life, i guess. Amy political songs in music. Are you satisfied with politics being expressed in music, or do you think it is not happening enough . I think it is just beginning. I felt like the last couple of years, as the black lives Matter Movement was growing, i was looking around at least folk singers around me and wondering where our voices were. Now i feel like there is definitely more of a push for us to wake up and to sing what is going on around us. One of my heroes is nina simone. I feel like it is definitely be artists duty to talk about the times and to in scary times to bring these fears that we deal with alone into the public sphere. And that is how we can feel stronger and feel like we can change something. You know . Amy can you set the scene for beach . Rican in the album, there is a story line. Theres a character and kind of a play like story going on. Characterowing this based off of me. She goes into the future in her own city and she realizes that she does not recognize anything. Everything has been so gentrified rapidly. She is looking for her people, or neighborhood, and she ends up at rican beach, which is where they all are. Is this place in my imagination, but it represents what happens when people are pushed out of the city that they helped create. This city that they are responsible for the colter and responsible for the soul of the city. It is what happens when you are told, we dont want to see you anymore. You become the other and you are pushed out. I thought it was important scene for right now. I think it is really easy for people to feel safe and to say, oh, the certain people are being attacked, but i am safe. R ican beach says, theyre building a wall around you and all of your neighbors, you know, so that is what it is about. Amy tell us some of the models protecting home that insperity for rican beach. Deaf l. A. , the water protectors at Standing Rock for inspirational to me. I was just watching it and reading about it unfold and felt like it was it lined up so much with the lyrics of the song to say these folks were saying, i will put my body on the line. I will be in danger because that is how much i care about this land. And also it is about detecting the land for future generations defending the land for future generations. Then beach protecting space for future children. Amy this is an album, not a broadway show, but some have been talking about the way you tell the story with this figure, oh, some comparisons to hamilton. Do you mind that . I dont mind it at all. Lin manuel is such an inspiration to me. I felt like he was bringing the stories of latina people into this very prestigious arena, you know . I never got to see it in the heights, but when i would hear the songs and watch snippets of it, i felt like, well, those are my people and my stories and my neighbors and we deserve to be represented like that, too. I hope to put it on as a play sunday. Amy i want to go to you singing here in our studio rican beach. Man made a record, put a needle to the group down, man first they stole our language than they stole our names, then they stole the things that brought as fame they stole our neighbors and they stole our streets and then left is to die on rican beach you can take my life ut dont take my home baby its a solid price it comes with my bones amy that is rican beach with Alynda Segarra singing one of the songs on her latest album the navigator which tells your story and your navigation through life. The idea of the navigator really sparked a lot of concepts for me. It asks questions like, who is driving us as a country . It asks questions like, who is driving you as you go through your journey through life . Is it your ancestors or your intuition . E concept of navigating identities and obstacles through society. I feel like my whole life i was trying to learn, how can i be as free as possible as the young puerto rican woman . Divert these obstacles that are in my way. Treat, thee navigator. Today i feel weak queenmorrow i will feel a was raised by the streets do you know that really means, all of this hurt i have suffered t just begins again or a fullgrown man come like the turning of the sun buildings in the beating of address but varied my heart in the past here comes the navigator he knows you are fading fast amy that is Alynda Segarra, lead singer of hurray for the riff raff performing in democracy now studios. This is the latest album. Talk about back in 2014, what went into making, to writing, to singing body electric . At first, i really wanted to kind of respond to the tradition american ballads and folk music. I feel like folk music is the conversation through the ages and i as a feminist wanted to put in my voice and say, this is what it feels like to be a woman and to be in danger, and to be, you know, to be used as a prop, kind of, for a story that ends with my death. So this was my response song. Time, it grewith and it turned into a song that was about being dehumanized and also having your own body be used as a weapon against you, being told that violence against toowas because you were sexy or because of your race or because of your body type. I just wanted to get into that idea of what that is like, to be told you are the reason for violence against you, you know, when your own body is turned against you. Amy lets go to the body electric. Said youre gonna shoot me down, put my body in the river shoot me down, put my body in the river and the whole world sings, sing it like a song the whole world sings like theres nothing going wrong he shot her down, he put her body in the river he covered her up, but i went to get her and i said, my girl, what happened to you now . I said, my girl, we gotta stop it somehow amy that is Alynda Segarra, lead singer of hurray for the riff raff. You have always been fiercely political and also personal. Do you feel your music shifting now in the care of trump . I feel it is a time to be brave. When the election happened, i was very afraid. Like many people. I think it is ok to say that i was afraid. Because i want us to all share that together. But you know, you have to be afraid of first in order to be brave. It is really a time to put all of these ideas that i always had into practice. And i look to my idols among like i look to nina simone. I will look to build hooks, Sylvia Rivera to give me strength and to just continue the work that i have been trying to do. Amy Alynda Segarra, leader of the band hurray for the riff raff. Her up in the political folk song of 2014. Her new out one the navigator is out this week. Visit democracynow. Org to see our full interview with Alynda Segarra, her full performance in our studio. That does it for our show. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. 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