Progressive Commentary Hour – 09.01.15

Guest #1 - Prof. James Brewer Stewart is a Professor Emeritus of History at Macalester College in Minneapolis, where he taught subjects on race, politics, social movements and labor systems. He has written dozen books and is highly regarded as a national expert on the American abolitionist movement.  In 2011 he founded the nonprofit organization Historians Against Slavery, which brings together scholars to investigate the historical context behind modern day slavery in order to better inform social activism and civil efforts to eradicate the new forms of servant indenture that is increasing in the US.  The organization hosts annual conferences for the public that feature experts in the field of modern day slavery.  His website is HistoriansAgainstSlavery.org

Guest #2 - Steven Watt is the Senior Staff Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Program specializing in civil and human rights litigation, which includes US rendition, detention, interrogation programs, human trafficking and forced labor, juvenile justice and women’s immigrants and juvenile justice. Earlier, while working with the Center for Constitutional Rights as a Human Rights Fellow. Among the cases he has worked on are Rasul vs Geroge Bush, and two cases against Attorney General John Ashcroft. Steven has also done substantial work overseas as a public defender for the government of the Solomon Islands, managing refugee camps in Tanzania, and directing emergency programs for displaced persons in Liberia.  Originally from Scotland, Steve has a law degree from the University of Aberdeen, a degree in legal practice from the University of Edinburgh, and an LLM in International Human Rights from the University of Notre Dame. His website is his homepage at ACLU.org/Bio/Steven-M-Watt.