148. Tesla: The World’s Most Valuable Racism Factory

Content warning: this episode has explicit discussion of anti-Black racism experienced by Black workers at Tesla, including racist discrimination, imagery, and slurs. We discuss the details of a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 4,000 current and former Black workers at Tesla. The lawsuit is based on a long list of allegations of rampant, systemic, abhorrent acts of racism and discrimination in the company’s automotive plant in Fremont, California. Some stuff we reference: ••• California Department of Fair Employment and Housing vs. Tesla Motors, Inc. https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/e8/c4/932fafa44013b4e7a4bc082b9615/dfeh-tesla-complaint.pdf ••• Black Tesla employees describe a culture of racism: ‘I was at my breaking point’ https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-03-25/black-tesla-employees-fremont-plant-racism-california-lawsuit ••• Tesla Now Runs the Most Productive Auto Factory in America https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-tesla-factory-california-texas-car-production/ ••• The “Lost Cause” Goes West: Confederate Culture and Civil War Memory in California https://boomcalifornia.org/2020/06/07/the-lost-cause-goes-west-confederate-culture-and-civil-war-memory-in-california/ Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)