Who hosts Rattling The Bars?

Rattling The Bars is hosted by Former political prisoner Mansa Musa. They have published 194 episodes. The show covers news, with a commentary focus.

What has Rattling The Bars covered recently?

Recent episodes include "Can This Independent Mass. Governor Candidate Rally a 67% Unenrolled Electorate?", "Courtney Teasley: Breaking the cycle of incarceration", and "DSA leads the blue wave, will it bend to the thin blue line?". The latest went out on 29 Sep 2026 and ran about 40 minutes. Reading two or three of these before pitching is the fastest way to see what the show actually books.

How often does Rattling The Bars publish?

Rattling The Bars publishes weekly, a median of 7 days between episodes. Episodes average about 32 minutes. The back catalogue stands at 194 episodes. A show on this cadence plans ahead, so pitch earlier rather than closer to the date you want.

How hard is it to get booked on Rattling The Bars?

For Rattling The Bars, Booking Probability sits at 36/100, Listen Score at 32/100, and the guest bar is around 80/100. The show has not signalled guest openness recently, which raises the bar on relevance. A verified contact is on file.

Who should pitch Rattling The Bars?

Rattling The Bars covers criminal justice, mass incarceration, civil rights, criminal justice reform, so guests who can speak to those specifically fit best. The show carries an audience score of 6/100. Lead with a specific result you can describe in numbers rather than a job title, and tie it to something the show has already covered.

news

Rattling The Bars

Hosted by Former political prisoner Mansa Musa · news · EN · 194 episodes

Audience: 6

Apple Podcasts Website

About this Podcast:

Rattling the Bars puts the voices of the people most harmed by our system of mass incarceration at the center of our reporting on the fight to end it. The show was founded by the late Black Panther and political prisoner Marshall “Eddie” Conway, and is now hosted by Charles Hopkins, better known as Mansa Musa, who himself spent 48 years behind bars. Rattling the Bars offers an honest look at the lives of prisoners, returning citizens, their families, and their communities. With Rattling the Bars, by presenting hard data and real-life stories, we examine and seek to shift public opinion around the misconception that incarceration, punishment, and increased policing make cities safer—the truth of which has been disproven by countless studies. The series examines the history and root causes of the current so-called justice system. It showcases individuals and communities nationwide

Pitch Analysis

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Contact path

Verified email

Booking probability

36%

Guest openness

Selective

Verified email on file

80/100

Required Score

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What is Rattling The Bars?

Rattling The Bars is a news podcast hosted by Former political prisoner Mansa Musa, with 194 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

About the host

Former political prisoner Mansa Musa hosts Rattling The Bars, a news show with 194 episodes published.

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Recent episodes

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

Rattling The Bars
Can This Independent Mass. Governor Candidate Rally a 67% Unenrolled Electorate?
Sep 29, 202640 min
In this episode of Rattling the Bars, the midterms edition, we take you to the Commonwealth, where Andrea James—abolitionist, author, and organizer—is currently running for governor of Massachusetts. The countdown to November 3 is officially underway. Debates are scheduled for October, but independent and third-party candidates are being excluded from participating. Andrea James has led national campaigns to reunite families by demanding clemency from high-level officials for incarcerated women and men. Now, she is running for governor with a platform focused on rent stabilization, lower energy costs, free childcare and stopping the construction of a new $360M women’s prison. Related Links: Andrea James' Facebook , X , Instagram , TikTok , Bluesky Credits: Production/Post-production: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support . Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Show Notes
Rattling The Bars
Courtney Teasley: Breaking the cycle of incarceration
Sep 23, 202628 min
After running a historic campaign to unseat a criminal court judge for the first time in Nashville, Courtney Teasley created the legal education company emeffen to inform working-class communities about their civil rights. From combating police abuse to supporting vulnerable populations targeted by the criminal justice system, Teasley is a business and legal powerhouse redirecting people toward civic engagement and political-economic acumen. In this heartfelt interview, Mansa Musa and Courtney Teasley discuss grounded community organizing and political education that subverts the carceral system’s goal of turning citizens into captives. Related links: Follow Courtney Teasley on Youtube , TikTok , Instagram , website . Credits: Production/Post-production: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support . Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Show Notes
Rattling The Bars
DSA leads the blue wave — will it bend to the thin blue line?
Sep 22, 202633 min
What will a DSA-led state look like — will it back defund and community control of police, or bow to the powers that block affordability? Lawrence Grandpre, political commentator for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, explores this question in his recent Baltimore Times article, "The Dangers of 'Law and Order' Leftism: Toward a Black Power Public Safety," asking whether DSA will embrace the outmoded Law and Order politics that fueled America's prison boom. As officials like AOC and Mamdani backtrack on defunding police — one of the biggest carceral drains on housing, healthcare, and education funding — Grandpre sits down with former political prisoner and Rattling the Bars host Mansa Musa to unpack these contradictions ahead of the midterms, where Democrats hope to retake the House and Senate. Tune in for an unflinching look at the Left's relationship to the state and to law and order. Production/Post-production: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support . Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Show Notes
Rattling The Bars
New community museum honors the legacy of Eddie Conway and the Black Panthers
Sep 1, 202616 min
Author and community organizer Dominque Conway has transformed a house at the epicenter of the 2015 Baltimore uprising into "Eddie’s Front Porch," a people’s museum dedicated to preserving the remarkable legacy of her late husband, Eddie Conway. To mark the opening of the museum, this special episode of Rattling the Bars features host Mansa Musa sitting down with Dominque to discuss the project and Eddie's enduring impact. The conversation also highlights perspectives from formerly incarcerated organizers who worked alongside Eddie inside Maryland prisons and are now building community power on the ground in West Baltimore. Together, they share powerful stories celebrating the man, the myth, and the legend behind the movement. Credits: Production: Maximillian Alvarez Post-production: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support . Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Show Notes
Rattling The Bars
Beyond the Wire | Boots on the Ground: Community-Led Safety Panel
Aug 28, 20261h 29m
On August 8th at the Real News Studio, a screening of the new documentary Beyond the Wire—directed by filmmaker Dr. S. Rasheem—was followed by a panel discussion featuring seasoned conflict mediation organizers from the film. The participants explored their grassroots efforts to challenge the corporate media establishment’s heavy emphasis on crime—which drives city policy and the local economy—and redefine Baltimore’s historical present as a city of abolition. Credits: Videographer: Cameron Granadino/David Hebden Editor: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support . Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletter Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Show Notes

Guest Appearances

Recent guests on Rattling The Bars. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Alberto Toscano

Professor of Critical Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dylan Rodriguez

teacher, scholar, organizer, Dept. of Black Study & Media and Cultural Studies

Mansa Musa

former political prisoner, Black Panther

Chelsea Canterbury

Voices for a Second Chance

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Best industries to pitch Rattling The Bars for

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

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Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.

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someone starts their trial.

If you have a concern about deliverability, AI quality, data privacy, or whether this will actually work for your specific situation, it's probably answered below.

What is the difference between Founder Solo and Founder Pro?

How do agency tiers work?

What is a talent profile?

Can I switch plans later?

Yes, at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades apply at the end of the current billing period. Contact support if you need help migrating between plan families.

Do you offer a free trial?

Every paid plan includes a 15-day free trial. Your card is saved at signup but you will not be charged until day 16. Cancel any time from your dashboard.

What happens if I cancel?

You keep access until the end of your current billing period. No charges after that. Your data is retained for 30 days in case you reactivate.

Is the 20% annual discount automatic?

Yes. Select Annual on the pricing toggle and the discounted price is applied automatically at checkout. The annual price shown is the full year cost.

What if I have more than 50 profiles or 20 clients?

That is our Enterprise tier. Contact our sales team and we will build a custom plan with volume pricing, a dedicated account manager, and SLA guarantees.

Rattling The Bars

About this Podcast:

Pitch Analysis

What is Rattling The Bars?

About the host

Recent episodes

Can This Independent Mass. Governor Candidate Rally a 67% Unenrolled Electorate?

Courtney Teasley: Breaking the cycle of incarceration

DSA leads the blue wave — will it bend to the thin blue line?

New community museum honors the legacy of Eddie Conway and the Black Panthers

Beyond the Wire | Boots on the Ground: Community-Led Safety Panel

Guest Appearances

Alberto Toscano

Dylan Rodriguez

Mansa Musa

Chelsea Canterbury

Advertisers on this show

Best industries to pitch Rattling The Bars for

Podcasts like Rattling The Bars

Every question we get asked beforesomeone starts their trial.

Rattling The Bars

About this Podcast:

Pitch Analysis

What is Rattling The Bars?

About the host

Recent episodes

Can This Independent Mass. Governor Candidate Rally a 67% Unenrolled Electorate?

Courtney Teasley: Breaking the cycle of incarceration

DSA leads the blue wave — will it bend to the thin blue line?

New community museum honors the legacy of Eddie Conway and the Black Panthers

Beyond the Wire | Boots on the Ground: Community-Led Safety Panel

Guest Appearances

Alberto Toscano

Dylan Rodriguez

Mansa Musa

Chelsea Canterbury

Advertisers on this show

Best industries to pitch Rattling The Bars for

Podcasts like Rattling The Bars

Every question we get asked beforesomeone starts their trial.

Every question we get asked before
someone starts their trial.

Every question we get asked before
someone starts their trial.