What’s Next?

The Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers is an organization that provides comprehensive family-focused services for adults and youth living in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout WNY. Today we welcome Chief Executive Officer Chandra Redfern to the show. She sits with Jay Moran to discuss the organization's recent Mental Health Learning Series and their new program, 'Mommie Matters' along with other services it provides. The two also dive into Chandra's leadership and how the agency serves the community.

We revisit a stand out conversation with Thomas O'Neil-White speaking with public health advocate and founder of Stan Martin Consulting Stan Martin alongside the Director of Training, Content, and Development at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Sara Pearson-Collins. Then Thomas follows up with Stan Martin for an update on what progress has happened since his last appearance.

We revisit a stand out conversation with Holly Kirkpatrick speaking with Buffalo's Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke. And we have a special interview with Jay Moran sitting with Morgan Williams-Bryant CEO of Leadership Buffalo and founder and CEO of MWB Ignites. Morgan speaks with us about her Champion Made Empowerment Summit taking place Saturday June 29.

Eat Off Art is a collaboration of Artists, Educators, and Entrepreneurs working to build a more empathetic community. Their mission is to inspire others through their crafts, passions, and endeavors to believe that there is a way to be successful, sustainable, and profitable as artists. On today’s show, we speak with the founders of Eat Off Art Alexa and Edreys Wajed. The dynamic married couple discusses with Jay Moran how Eat Off Art is striving to change the narrative for artists and build them up to become successful entrepreneurs, while pushing their message of building a more empathetic community.

The Niagara Pride is a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Niagara County and Western New York. Their mission is to promote the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community throughout Niagara County of New York State and create safe and welcoming events and meetings for LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and allies. Today, we speak with the President of Niagara Pride Ronald Piaseczny, and the program chair Sherry Fossett. The two sit with Jay Moran to discuss the events that they have been doing in celebrating PRIDE month in Niagara County and the impact it has on local communities. From the WNY Pride 5K Run to Rainbow Pride taking place on June 29 and other events but more importantly, the three discuss the impact the organization has on the youth.

Today, Jay Moran and Dallas Taylor return to Olean to take a tour with the founder of the African American Center for Cultural Development, Della Moore. Then Jay Moran sits with Marquis Burton, the poet known "Ten Thousand." The two discuss about his career, the dynamics of the East Side and Juneteenth in Buffalo.

Today, the What’s Next? team takes us on a tour at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center with the Director of Community Engagement Saladin Allah. Allah is the third-great grandson of underground railroad Freedom Seeker Josiah Henson whom Harriet Beecher Stowe used as the primary narrative for her famous 19th Century novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” He takes Thomas O’Neil-White and Jay Moran around the center and provides insight into the center and more.

Today, special host Bentley from WBFO’s Group Chat sits with professor of theater and Africana studies at Buffalo State University Naila Ansari to discuss the highly anticipated Netflix documentary “Black Barbie: A Documentary”. We also, revisit WBFO reporter Holly Kirkpatrick’s piece on a local exhibit that displayed black dolls during Black History Month.

Today, we speak with the founder and creator of Our Mommie Village Shyana Broughton. Broughton, a doula speaks with Thomas O’Neil-White about the importance of doulas during and after pregnancy and how her organization is living up to the mantra “It takes a village”. Then Thomas speaks with LaGarrett King, a professor at the University of Buffalo to discuss all things Juneteenth, from the significance of the holiday to how we can continue to honor the holiday.

We revisit two stand out conversations. First Jay Moran with Laurie Matson (Associate Vice President of Southern Tier Services) and Jessica Schanne (Associate Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management) for Evergreen Health System. Then Thomas O'Neil-White conversation with author and sickle cell disease activist Juanita McClain and Dr. Steven Ambrusko.

Today, we speak with community advocate Alex Burgos and the CEO, President, and chairman of Upstate New York Black and Latino Pride Teja Jenkins-Jones. June is National PRIDE month, and the two speak with Thomas O’Neil-White about the historical significance of the month, the recent Vogue outdoor night whose theme was “Gag City” and what progress looks like in the LGBTQ+ community. Then Jay Moran sits with a member of the local slam poet team Pure Ink Poetry Dallas Taylor. Dallas will travel with the team to Florida for the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. We may hear a poem of two from Dallas as well.

Today, we speak with returning guests Deja Middlebrook and LaShawn Davis from Walking Through Solutions, LLC. Deja and LaShawn update us on what Walking Through Solutions has been up since their last appearance on the show. The two have a four-week couples boot camp that they go into great detail about with Jay Moran and how it helps couples solve issues within their relationship and build a stronger foundation.

We revisit two stand-out conversations with Hagar Hafez from the New York Immigration Coalition and Olean City School District Superintendent Dr. Genelle Morris.

As June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness month; Andre Stokes Director of Specialty Substance Use Disorder Services at BestSelf Behavioral Health sits with Jay Moran to discuss the importance of men speaking out on the stigma surrounding mental health. The two also discuss his recent speaking engagement at the Institute for Disaster Mental Health conference presented “Responder Resiliency & Buffalo’s 5/14”.

Today, we speak with award-winning violinist, conductor, and teacher Henri Muhammad. Muhammad appeared on What’s Next? 5/14 Special, however before that appearance, he sat with Jay Moran to discuss his upbringing, expertise, and experience as well as the celebration of the Muhammad School of Music's 25th anniversary.

Who polices the police? On today's episode we look for answers as Thomas O'Neil-White speaks with Executive Director of Partnership for the Public Good Andrea Ó Súilleabháin and attorney Nick Ramirez from the Western New York Law Center. The three discuss challenges, and potential community-based alternatives in fostering safer and more equitable societies.

Today, we speak with members from Blues: A 5/14 Memorial Project. The project is a collaborative community art making response to 5/14. Thomas O’Neil-White speaks with the members about the project and the impact it has had on the community. Then, Jay Moran speaks with Bob James from Western New York Vets and Carolyn Damon from Spectrum CARES about mental health first responders and the importance of the responders.

Today, we speak with Jamestown artist Kaycee Colburn, who recently was featured in a story you can hear on our website about the arts and culture center KayCo. Through an award from Creatives Rebuild New York, Colburn was placed as an artist-in-residence on the campus of Jamestown Community College. She sits with Jay Moran for an in-depth conversation about her upbringing and how her heritage fueled her work and words.

Today, we speak with the community and public relations director for Evans Bank, Kathleen Rizzo Young, and the president and CEO of United Way of Buffalo, Trina Burruss. They discuss with Jay Moran Work/Life Solutions, a program dedicated to improving workplace productivity, retention, attendance, financial stability, and the well-being of employees, which was made possible by Evans Bank.

Today, we welcome back Buffalo's Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke. As we reflect on the anniversary of the 5/14 attack, Jay Moran gets Aitina's thoughts on the anniversary, the community, and her hope for change within Buffalo's East Side.

Today, we welcome yoga instructor, author, and founder of Mind Body Solutions Matthew Sanford to the show. Sanford, back in April hosted an adaptive yoga class at the University of Buffalo. Before the event, he sat with WBFO's Disability Beat reporter Emyle Watkins to have an in-depth conversation on how his practice reconnects not only body to mind but also builds resilience.

Today, we welcome back some familiar voices to the show. Bob James from Western New York Vets and Carolyn Damon of Spectrum Health C.A.R.E.S. join the show to discuss the upcoming concert to honor mental health outreach workers who respond to crises. Then Jay Moran speaks with returning guest Wil Green, director of outreach and community management at the University of Buffalo. The two discuss the 5/14 anniversary and Wil’s thoughts on the state of the community two years later.

Today, we continue our conversation with University at Buffalo Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Dr. Henry Louis Taylor Jr. from our 5/14 Special Reflection on Change: Progress, Challenges, Resilience, Reform, and Joy. Followed by WBFO reporter Alex Simone conversation with Buffalo Native and School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, Professor Jennifer Roberts who gives history on expressways and the concerns with the new Kensington Expressway project.

On today's episode, to conclude our special coverage we discuss Black Joy with Violinist Henri Muhammad.

On today's episode, to conclude our special coverage we discuss Black Joy with David Jonathan & Inner City Bedlam.

On today's episode, Thomas O'Neil-White discusses the resiliency of that has been shown in the two years since the tragedy with former Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth and Executive Director of Western New York Peace Center Deidra EmEl.

On today's episode, Jay Moran discusses challenges that are still faced on Buffalo's East Side with Dr. Henry Louis Taylor Jr. Then, Thomas O'Neil-White speaks with DEI consultant and Executive Vice President of the National Urban League Young Professionals Kendra Brim.

On today's episode, Thomas O'Neil-White discusses progress or lack thereof in two separate interviews with author and executive director of Agents of Advocacy Mark Talley and political activist India Walton.

Today, we take a trip to The Foundry on Buffalo’s East Side where Thomas O’Neil-White speaks with Megan McNally, Executive Director, and Tamara Zantell, Business Development Director. The three have an in-depth discussion about the organization’s start and impact on the community.

The Tool Library is a volunteer-powered nonprofit tool-lending library located in the center of Buffalo’s Main Street. Set up to lend tools out to the community to help them maintain and fix up their homes and gardens. On today’s show, we take a tour of the Tool Library with Jay Moran and Darren Cotton, the Executive Director of the library. Then, Thomas O’Neil-White speaks with returning guest Alex Burgos public health policy and public relations professional. The two discuss filling the gaps in youth and sports programs on Buffalo’s West Side.

Today, we welcome returning guest Ben Hilligas, Executive Director of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center at the University at Buffalo. Ben sits down with Jay Moran to discuss what he and the EOC have done in his first year. His vision, strategies, and passion for educational empowerment alongside the activities and programs that will be taking place in the next year.

We revisit two stand-out conversations with Daniel Robertson, Director of the Boys and Men of Color Initiative at Say Yes, Buffalo, to discuss Daniel’s plans for his new role and the positive examples of leadership that helped him step up. And Kelly Dumas of Healing Hub of NY, Inc. and Amanda Paul of Say Yes Buffalo for a discussion about a new program that empowers mental-health clinicians of color.

We revisit two stand-out conversations with Dontaya Davis and Alia Williams, community organizers for Voice Buffalo. The two are working locally to boost the Ebony Alert system. Then Bree Gilliam is a visual artist whose portrait and mural work, in her own words, incorporates bold color and expressive brushwork to provoke emotion from her audience.

We revisit two stand-out conversations with Mia Ayers-Goss, executive director of MVP, Most Valuable Parents an advocacy group that combats crime and violence through diversion programs like a new basketball league. Followed by Donna Robinson, Buffalo’s community organizer for Release Aging People in Prison, or RAPP.

Seamus Gallivan’s latest endeavor is Reconnecter, a “social connection space” that aims to bring people together in person and online “by illuminating the ties that bind us.” That means music showcases, variety shows, and media elements — all to help provide a need that he believes can help prevent social unrest. Gallivan sits down with Thomas O’Neil-White to speak about the power of reconnection and his plans for the new project.

Lindsey Lauren Visser was recently appointed to the role of historian for the City of Buffalo. She is the first female historian to serve in the role, and she joins Thomas O’Neil-White to discuss her appointment and some notable upcoming milestones, including the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal in 2025. Then, producer Patrick Hosken speaks with Gittel Evangelist, the communications coordinator for Rural and Migrant Ministry, about a recent court ruling with implications for rural and farmworkers in New York State.

The YWCA Jamestown's mission states that it is “dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” What’s Next? travels to the organization’s historic building on Main Street in Chautauqua County’s largest city to meet the team making that mission happen: Indo Quiñones, Mission Impact Director; Alizé Scott-Nowell, Social Justice and Race Equity Director; Jacqui Cook, Young Women Choosing Action and Women to Women Director; Nanci Okerlund, Transitions Director; and Amanda Gesing, Executive Director.

Jamestown Community College recently partnered with Collins Correctional Facility for a joint prison education program, headed up by Reid Helford. He’s made it his life’s work to teach incarcerated students, and he’s learned a lot about identity, perception, and value from those lessons. Helford joins Jay Moran on campus in Jamestown for a conversation tackling his experiences, how academic expression can allow for growth opportunities, and more.

Smoking rates are declining, but efforts to curb tobacco use keep ramping up. Rashawn Smalls, the program manager for Tobacco-Free Erie and Niagara through CAI Global, joins What’s Next? to talk about what it means to advance tobacco-free communities, including eliminating secondhand smoke and creating overall healthy environments. Then, we revisit a conversation with expert Dr. Gary Giovino about how tobacco use interacts with other factors like diet and income.

In light of a recent conference presented by the Western New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, What’s Next? features a conversation about Black caregiving. We welcome Robin Hodges, board member of the Alzheimer’s Association; Andrea Koch, the organization’s Director of Education and Training; and Dr. Carleara Weiss, Research Assistant Professor in the Office of Nursing Research at the University at Buffalo. The three join Jay Moran to discuss caregiving in communities of color and offer some context for the ongoing challenges to meet those needs.

Today on What’s Next?, we welcome Marie Patton, the vice president of the National Association of Women in Construction’s Buffalo Niagara chapter. Patton is also the director of operations and safety at Active Workforce, a job placement and training organization that helps workers in construction connect with contractors looking to hire. She sits down with Jay Moran to discussion how women still only make up a small fraction of total construction jobs – and how her organizations work to help change that through networking and resources.

What’s Next? welcomes returning guest Aitina Fareed-Cooke, a multi-disciplined artist who was recently named Buffalo’s second-ever poet laureate. Fareed-Cooke is deeply invested in the creative arts, as well as education through her work with the media company Get Fokus’d Productions. She joins host Holly Kirkpatrick for a conversation about plans for her new role and the importance of service, and she also reads an excerpt of her poem “Forever Serve.”

The Buffalo Courier-Express called him the “Jackie Robinson of Buffalo broadcasting,” and throughout his career on the air locally, the city’s first Black DJ Jimmy Lyons spoke with leading figures like Sammy Davis Jr. and Sam Cooke. What’s Next? travels to the home where he raised his family on Northland Avenue to speak with Gail, his daughter. She shares stories about Jimmy’s life, including his time as a performer, and makes a case for why Jimmy Lyons belongs in the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Today’s What’s Next? features two conversations devoted to the state of New York’s legal cannabis marketplace. First, Thomas O’Neil-White sits down with Sheldon Anderson, the CEO and one of the co-owners of Public Flower, the first Black - and woman-owned licensed dispensary in the city of Buffalo. Then, producer Patrick Hosken speaks with Paula Collins, an attorney specializing in cannabis law and tax preparation, who is also running for New York's 21st congressional district this year.

Bree Gilliam is a visual artist whose portrait and mural work, in her own words, incorporates bold color and expressive brushwork to provoke emotion from her audience. Tiffany Gaines is the curatorial and digital content associate at the Burchfield Penney working on a project called “From the City: Exploring the Continuum of Buffalo’s Black Arts Scene.” Both join What’s Next? producer Patrick Hosken for separate conversations about creative expression and what that looks like locally, as well as upcoming work to look out for.

Today’s What’s Next? features a conversation with Marcus Watson, associate professor of Africana Studies and Individualized Studies at Buffalo State University. His research focuses on the Black freedom struggle globally as well as social activism in South Africa, Ghana, and the U.S. Watson sits down with Jay Moran for a conversation about his studies, his Peace Corps work in South Africa shortly after apartheid, what students find most resonant about Africana studies, and more.

Today on What’s Next?, Jay Moran sits down with Dr. Lori Quigley, professor and coordinator of the Ph.D. in Leadership in Policy program at Niagara University. Quigley’s academic research and her work as an education consultant has put social justice about Native issues at the forefront. This month, she will be a visiting professor at St. Bonaventure University, where she will speak about the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the U.S. today. Here, she previews those talks.

What’s Next? welcomes CJ Banks, the Special Assistant to the President at Villa Maria College. Banks heads up community outreach and workforce development at the school, including through the recently announced Hip-Hop Creative Alliance. He’s also the founder and president of the KORP Foundation, which focuses on professional advancement and skills training. Originally from The Bronx and after some time spent in the music industry, Banks came to Buffalo 20 years ago. Since then, he’s kept busy in various entrepreneurial roles. He joins Jay Moran to discuss the latest of these, and future plans for workforce development in the community.

Today on What’s Next?, two guests from Jewish Family Services speak about their work in refugee resettlement, specifically the role of mental health in that process. Bijoux Bahati is the manager of the TST-R program, and Danielle Bernas is the director of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Healing. Both have extensive experience working with immigrants and new arrivals as they navigate the challenges of resettlement, including mental health and cultural issues, and the places where those intersect. Bahati and Bernas sit down with Jay Moran to share their work, as well as give background on cultural brokers, the rich and growing diversity in Buffalo neighborhoods, and the challenges of identity.

What’s Next? welcome Dee Johnson and Deb Erwin, the co-founders of Witness CARES LLC, an outgrowth of the National Witness Project, which aims increase cancer screening among underserved African American women. The duo’s work has seen them navigate community issues of medical mistrust as well as transportation challenges, all in service of a flourishing program that covers the gaps in the health care industry. Johnson and Erwin join Jay Moran for a conversation about fixing health care disparities here in Buffalo and beyond, as well as future plans for screenings of other types of cancers in larger populations.