Youtube has been around for a pretty long time, in fact it’s been around longer than some of our readers! Founded in 2005 it’s been a hub for all kinds of content and, let’s be honest, it’s not always good. In fact, it’s often absolute reactionary trash and indecipherable bullshit (Yes i’m looking at you Destiny).
Alleged “Leftist” Youtube channels have no immunity to this effect, there’s an absolute sea of nonsense and garbage with a supposedly ‘leftist’ tinge (Vaush, cough…cough)
So, here’s a quick and dirty list, in no particular order (down with those unjust hierarchies) of five Youtube creators that I think we can all agree are FIRMLY on the left and whose content is informative, thoughtful, and often down-right revolutionary.
Comrade Hakim
If you’ve spent any time on LeftTube I probably don’t need to tell you about comrade Hakim, A medical doctor hailing from Iraq, he creates thought-provoking and deep content refuting right talking points and destroying reactionary takes with decorum and class. He’s also funny, with a tongue-in-cheek kind of humor that keeps the sometimes painful subject matter more palatable. Videos can range from 20 minutes to a couple hours, so make sure you’ve got the time slot set for it.
Recommended Video: “Capitalism HASN’T lifted people out of Poverty”
F.D Signifier
F.D isn’t an explicitly political content creator, but he’s a Sociologist who creates content focused on Black media and entertainment, and as such, he is absolutely incapable of making apolitical content. These bad boys are long, the shorter videos coming in around 30 minutes, so maybe not the best for the faint of heart, but if you’ve got the attention span—the rewards are great. Brilliant breakdowns and engaging videos make for an enjoyable watch with subject matter that many others are absolutely unwilling to touch.
Recommended Video: “Bo Burnham’s Inside and “White Liberal Performative Art”
Second Thought
Second Thought or “JT”, a Texan and a long-time youtuber, turned to the left during early 2020, and while he’d been making videos for a while by then – his content suddenly became political. He makes short and easy to understand content aimed at people who are newer to the left, but that doesn’t mean a veteran leftist can’t learn anything from his content. Clever videos with good production quality and well thought out premises make for an enjoyable watch anytime you find yourself with 15-20 minutes to kill.
Recommended Video: “How Finland Ended Homelessness“
Andrewism
A newer face on the LeftTube scene, Andrewism is an admitted Anarchist and incredibly engaging content creator. With videos like ‘The Psychology of Political cults’ and ‘Should we be Luddites?’ he’s got some range. He’s got a good sense of humor and a silky voice that just might put you at ease if you’re anything like me. Videos range from 15 minutes to about an hour at max.
Recommended Video: “How the Barter Myth Harms Us“
Rowan Ellis
Okay, so hear me out. Rowan doesn’t outwardly brand herself as a Leftist content creator, instead describing her channel as “Video-essays about queer pop culture, representation, and history.” However – her content is pretty obviously leftist if you pay attention. It would be pretty difficult to deeply understand the history of queer struggles without getting a little radicalized, and this brilliant woman will tell you how. These videos are lengthy and so here’s one for the nerds like me who love a good two-hour video essay.
Recommended Video: “The Dystopian “Wokeness” of Rainbow Capitalism“
The Revolutionist 