Boots Riley On The Writers Strike, Organized Labor, And His New TV Show

As the Writers Guild of America strike enters its eighth week, David Sirota sits down with writer, director, musician, and activist Boots Riley to discuss the ongoing labor struggle, as well as his radical new TV show.  In all of Boots’ work runs a deep commitment to social justice and organized labor. In 2018, Boots released the celebrated film Sorry to Bother You, an absurdist dark comedy about race and class politics set in the world of telemarketing. Now, Boots speaks with David about his fantastical new TV series I’m A Virgo, which is garnering rave reviews. Boots also discusses his roots in political activism and the importance of the writers strike and how its visibility is crucial to the resurgent U.S. labor movement. A transcript of this episode is available here. Links:‘Sorry To Bother You’ Director Boots Riley On WGA Strike, Struggle, Solidarity, Sacrifice & AI – Guest Column (Deadline, 2023)I’m A Virgo (Prime Video, 2023)BONUS: On next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, we’ll be sharing our interview with Brandon Tizol, a New York-based organizer who was part of the campaign to pass the Build Public Renewables Act in the state.

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