What’s Next?

The Buffalo fashion scene takes center stage later this month on September 30th at the inaugural fig Fashion Show. On this episode of What’s Next?, we put artist and leather craftsman, Dame Powell, on display. Born and raised in Buffalo, we discuss his inspirations, how he discovered his passion, and his hopes for the City of Good Neighbors to someday become a city of high fashion.

On today’s episode of What’s Next?, we tackle one of the leading causes of death in this country – tobacco use. Lorenzo Rodriguez speaks with the Director of The New York State Smokers’ Quitline, Dr. Andrew Hyland, as well as one of the program’s participants, Herman. They discuss the unique ways the Quitline is aiding tobacco users in kicking the habit and how it successfully helped Herman. They also discuss the tactics employed by tobacco companies to target black communities.

Dr. Keith Burich, history professor emeritus at Canisius College and author of “We Remain: Race, Racism and the Story of the American Indian”, joins Jay Moran to discuss the many indigenous groups of the United States and their collective history. Dr. Burich shares his extensive knowledge about their struggle to attain equality and the unjust set of rules that Native Americans have been made to follow in this country.

On this first episode of the newly-named What’s Next? we bring you a story that has been a part of the regional news landscape for months. A discussion that has been ongoing in this country for decades: what to do with our immigrant population? Producer Lorenzo Rodriguez had the opportunity to speak to one of the immigrants who were bussed to Western New York from New York City back in June of this year. This is the story of “Alberto”, a Nicaraguan national who immigrated to the United States with his wife. They left their home and daughters behind in order to flee persecution from the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the oppressive government of Daniel Ortega.

Jay Moran talks to artist and entrepreneur Aitina Fareed-Cooke from February 22 of this year. The two have an in-depth conversation on her upbringing and her media arts company Get Fokus’d Production. Then we continue with Brigid Jaipaul Valenza speaking with Ekuaa Mends-Aidoo from August 26 of last year. The two discuss DEI, tokenism, equity and ensuring everyone has a seat at the table. And we finish the show with Jay Moran speaking with Buffalo-based artist Julia Bottoms from January 25 of this year.

Jay Moran speaks with the director of Buffalo City Ballet Marvin Askew from November 28 of last year. Then we continue with Jay Moran as he speaks with Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of Indigenous Studies at UB Dr. Jason Corwin from November 30 of last year. The two talk about various issues including the launch of a full Indigenous Studies department at the University.

Jay Moran speaks with the director of the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers’ Hope program Daysi Ball. The two discuss her work with seniors from November 10 of last year. Then we continue with Jay Moran as he speaks to the founder of the East Side ministry Tesha Parker from October 25 of last year. They discuss the ministry outreach to the homeless and others in need.

Thomas O’Neil-White speaks with one of the curators of the Buffalo and Western New York African American History Group on Facebook, historian Michelle Ragland from October 19 of last year. Then from November 15 of last year, Jay Moran talks to Tiffany Lewis of the Confident Girl Mentoring Program. The two talk about the scarcity of mentoring programs for young women.

Jay Moran talks transportation, equity and the East Side trail plan with Stephanie Simeon Executive Director of Heart of the City Neighborhoods and Ashley Smith Deputy Director of GO Bike Buffalo from December 6 of last year. We continue with Jay Moran as he speaks with Teresa Watson and Sarah Frasier from Push Buffalo to discuss reforms that would change the housing climates across all of Buffalo, from December 14 of last year.

Thomas O’Neil White speaks with Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative program manager Antoine Johnson from February 8 of this year. The two talk about ways to help fathers and families in Buffalo. We continue with Thomas as he speaks with Northwest Bank’s Jonathan Graves and Rick Hamister on some new home ownership and financial literacy programs on Buffalo’s East Side from February 6 of this year. Then Angelea Preston speaks with Yanava Hawkins and Rayna Moncreiff from Gang Girl Entertainment from April 19 of this year.

Jay Moran speaks with journalist and former WKBW reporter Madison Carter from June 14 of last year. We continue with Jay Moran speaking with Harper Bishop formally apart of PUSH Buffalo to talk about the power of a united community’s voice in the fight for social and racial justice, from June 16 of last year. And we end the show with excerpts from “Making Spaces” panel discussion at Buffalo Arts Studio from December 15 of last year, where they discuss art, urban planning and economic justice.

Jay Moran and Thomas O’Neil White speak to the Executive Director at Western New York Peace Center Deidra EmEl. The three discuss the health of the East Side and its future from August 18 of last year. Then Jay Moran talks to parent advocate and writer Tarja Parssinen about the science of reading and poor literacy rates in Buffalo and throughout NY, from June 29 of last year.

Jay Moran sits with Jeremy Besch, a DEI consultant who walks through an exercise that examine one’s own identity and privilege in order to be a good ally, from June 10 of last year. Then Brigid Jaipaul Valenza talks with Wil Green, Regional Office Director of NYS Network for Youth Success. The two discuss racism, youth and education, from June 23 of last year.

Thomas O’Neil White speaks with Fruit belt activists Dennice Barr and Kelly Camacho as they pull back the curtain on tenant troubles at McCarley Gardens from February 28 of this year. Then we take a trip with Jay Moran to Niagara Falls where he speaks with Eric Boerdner about the SNUG anti-violence program from January 12 of this year.

Jay Moran welcomes John Washington to talk through housing inequity and more. Also, Jacqueline Cherry, Assistant Director of Dance at the African American Cultural Center will talk about critical race theory, how the arts can help healing, and more with Brigid Jaipaul Valenza. And we end the show with Jay Moran speaking with Dennice Barr, part of Fruit Belt Leadership, to discuss healthy food access on the East Side.

Brigid Jaipaul Valenza speaks with Drea D'Nur to talk about serving the Halal community before, and since, the racially motivated shooting at Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue. Then Jay Moran chats with Shantelle Patton, founder of That Brown Bag Minority Business Directory on some of her banking and financial education programs. And we end the show with Thomas O’Neil White speaking with Dorian Withrow Jr as he shares perspectives on what work needs to be done for our youth.

Thomas O’Neil White sits down with Key Bank branch manager Rob Cornelius, the two talk about business and community needs on Buffalo’s East Side from October 11 of last year. Then Thomas speaks improving the community through land and home ownership with Buffalo Information and Sharing cooperative funder Ahmad Nieves from September 20 of last year.

Today we look back at three previous segments from June 15, 30 and October 4 of last year. First, we back at a segment from June 15, 2022, Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza sits down with the founder of Project Mona’s House to talk about her organization and modern-day slavery in the form of human trafficking in Buffalo. Then we revisited Jay Moran’s conversation with Tenelle Jones from Charleston, SC about the parallels between Charleston and Buffalo from October 4. And we end the show with Brigid speaking with Maria Ta from Ujima Theatre about how theatre and the arts address racial and social in justice from June 30.

Today we look back at three previous segments from September 1, 21 and November 9, 2022. First Jay Moran speaks with Stan Martin from CAI and Ebony White from Buffalo Health Equity Center. Then Thomas O’Neil White speaks with Canna House president and founder Reggie White from November 9, 2022 and we end the show with Jay Moran speaking with filmmaker Terry Jones from September 1, 2022.

First Thomas O’Neil-White talks about using public land for public benefit, police oversight activist and former Medaille professor Orlando Dickson. Then Jay Moran sits with attorney Jason Daniels to discuss being Black in the corporate world and how do Black people navigate positions typically held by white people.

Today we feature several interviews with the cast and production team of “Once on This Island” the first local production to be done at 710 Shea’s. Angelea Preston chats with director Naila Ansari, and twin 16-year-old actresses Shylah Douglas and Samyah Douglas. Then Brigid Jaipaul Valenza brings in actors Zhanna Reed and Marcus Paige to talk more about the play, before all the performers gather to sing a moment from the show.

Buffalo, What's Next? is on summer break and will return with new content shortly. As we take this break we are revisiting previous conversations with our summer time producer’s pick with: retired professor Gary Earl Ross (August 1, 2022), Cliff Bell (August 2, 2022) and Andrea Ó Súilleabháin (August 8, 2022).

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: One of Buffalo Juneteenth’s founding members Judson Price, mental health counselor Andre Stokes Jr., and Barbara Cole from Just Buffalo Literary Center and Sydney Clifton.

We continue to discuss the fallout of the pivotal Supreme Court decisions that will affect our college student population with the President of the American Association of Colleges & Universities, Dr. Lynn Pasquerella. Also, we’ll hear from the CEO of Journey’s End, Karen Andolina Scott. The refugee resettlement group has been hard at work helping a large group of recent immigrants get situated in the Western New York area after arriving here by bus from New York City.

We welcome the co-chairs of the East Side Garden Walk, Renata Toney and Samantha White. Afterwards, we continue speaking with Samantha about the Western New York Law Center’s School Discipline Project.

On this episode we meet Nicholas Ramirez, a Civil Rights attorney with the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo. Nicholas specializes in criminal law but aids the public by advocating for and educating individuals in all things pertaining to social justice.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: Na’Kya McCann from the Buffalo All-Star Extreme dance and cheer team, Dan White and Asman Ndayisabwa from Healing Grounds Coffee and Sanctuary, and the barbers and customers of Signature Cutz Barbershop.

We sit down with Christine Carr-Barmasse, Executive Director of Mission: Ignite, a group dedicated to promoting computer literacy. Discover her inspiring efforts to bridge the digital divide and empower students, teens, and adults with essential digital skills. Don't miss this enlightening conversation on the future of digital literacy and its role in shaping Buffalo's progress.

Ben Hilligas, the recently appointed Executive Director for the Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) at the University at Buffalo, is bringing his background in social work to the position and hoping to expand the opportunities and capabilities of the long-running learning institution. Afterwards, with Pride month coming to a close, the President of Niagara Pride, Ronald Piaseczny talks to us about how this year’s celebration was more important than those prior.

After his child’s Western New York school omitted Black History Month and DEI initiatives from their teaching plans, Ryan Howze set off to create a curriculum and supplemental history podcast to address this need. Ryan joins Lorenzo Rodriguez to discuss his curriculum program as well as some of the conversations that are currently consuming the public education landscape on a national scale.

Emyle Watkins spoke with Todd Vaarwerk, the Chief Policy Officer for Western New York Independent Living. Together they discussed the independent living movement and how New York State's 2023-2024 budget may impact residents with disabilities who rely on essential state services to live in their own homes as well as inpatient and outpatient mental health care. This episode was recorded shortly after the budget passed in May.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: Adrienne Garr and La’Tryse Anderson from Buffalo S.N.U.G. (6/1), Charles Brandy and Melvin Watkins of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier (6/6), and Gi Swords and Faith Winship from GLYS of Western New York (6/7).

On today’s episode of Buffalo, What’s Next? Lorenzo Rodriguez has a conversation with Yanhong Baranski, an Asian-American member of the Buffalo community who served as the President of the Chinese Club of Western New York. Afterwards, Central Library is set to unveil a new statue in honor of one of Buffalo’s most noteworthy poets – the late Lucille Clifton. Barbara Cole, from Just Buffalo Literary Center, and Lucille’s daughter, Sidney Clifton, join Jay Moran to discuss this new development and the legacy of Lucille’s work.

Lorenzo Rodriguez sits down to discuss this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival with the festival’s CEO, Mischka Crichton. Afterwards, we hear from community leader, Marilyn Young, founder of W.A.V.E. – Women Against Violence Everywhere. She’s also an avid roller skater who’s been an integral part of the 716 Rollers, a local skate group that tasks itself with being a positive force in the East Side Buffalo community.

In observance of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Charles Gilbert hosts an open and honest discussion regarding the mounting psychological issues that plague the male population – specifically, men of color.

Thomas O’Neil-White takes us back to the first Buffalo Juneteenth along with one of the festival’s founding members, Judson Price. Afterwards, Jay Moran sits down with Buffalo NAACP President Mark Blue and his wife and Branch Executive Committee member Angela Blue to discuss the upcoming 55th annual Medgar Evers Awards Dinner.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: Gretchen Gonzalez and Maria Valeri from the Volunteer Lawyers Project, newly appointed Buffalo Police Department Wellness Coordinator Matt Cross, and Scott Behrand and Peter Johnson from Road Less Traveled Productions.

As we approach this year’s Juneteenth celebration, we get a chance to chat with a Buffalonian who has become a renowned national children’s author – Alliah L. Agostini. We went into detail about the creation of her book, The Juneteenth Story, the national wave of book bans, as well as her strong ties to Buffalo’s Juneteenth movement.And with the weekend quickly approaching, the Buffalo, What’s Next? crew heads off to get a fresh haircut at their preferred neighborhood barbershop – Signature Cutz. Jay Moran takes us around the minority-owned and operated shop to hear from its staff and clientele.

After her brother died while detained at the Erie County Holding Center, Monica Lynch decided to take prison reform in Erie County. Jay Moran discusses current conditions for inmates and the No New Jail movement that Monica is advocating for. Afterwards, Dan White and Asman Ndayisabwa join Thomas O’Neil-White to talk about the community space they’re creating in the West Side of Buffalo all centered around a warm cup o’ joe.

One of Western New York’s most prominent drag personalities, Vanna Deux, sits down with Angelea Preston to discuss her experiences within the world of drag. Afterwards, Jay Moran chats with local artist/poet/filmmaker Kaitlyn Lowe.

NPR’s podcast series, Embedded, recently chose to center a number of their episodes around the Buffalo All-Star Extreme cheerleading and dance team. One of the B.A.S.E.’s senior members and now coach, Na’Kya McCann, was tapped to host the podcast series and joins Buffalo, What’s Next? Na’Kya discusses the process of creating the NPR podcast as well as the eventful year the B.A.S.E. family endured.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: Buffalo poet laureate Jillian Hanesworth, director of Agents for Advocacy and author Mark Talley, and mental health advocate Karl Shallowhorn.

On today’s three-part episode we first speak with the slam poet team of Pure Ink Poetry. Next, Sara Taylor of Eleversity joins the show to promote her organization’s Women of Color Summit which begins this week Friday and continues throughout the Summer. And finally, with Spring in the air, the Sanskriti Bengali Cultural Group of Western New York will be celebrating Basanta Utsav this weekend and their member Shuhartho Ghose comes on to break down the traditions and meanings around the festive celebration of renewal.

With the month of June being Pride Month and with the seemingly growing concern of Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric permeating through our governmental bodies nationwide, we speak with Gi Swords and Faith Winship of GLYS of Western New York to help all of us understand the issues and needs of gender and sexual minority youth. The team from GLYS provide a number of peer interaction and educational outreach services, but today we’ll get a version of their Safe Space Training that normally helps educators create a safe space for LGBTQ+ students.

Since 1977 The Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier has been publishing the Afro-Americans in New York Life and History: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Charles Brandy, the President of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier, and Melvin Watkins, one of the group’s founding members, speak with Jay Moran about noteworthy moments from the Journal’s past as well as their continuing pursuit of scholarly research and African-American issues.

On today’s program we speak with CoNECT's founder and director Jessica Bauer Walker about the growing need to address the disproportionate rate of out-of-school suspensions in the Buffalo school system. Jessica is joined by her daughter, Serea, and fellow CoNECT staff member, Khadijah Hussein, to talk about the “Solutions not Suspensions” bill and what their group is doing to better tackle our students’ needs.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: the Director of the Vive refugee shelter – Matt Tice, a mental health specialist with Best Self Behavioral Health – Cambria Daniels, and the organizers of a recent Buffalo Freedom Seder - Rabbi Brent Gutmann, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Zion, and Reverend Jonathan Staples, Senior Pastor of First Shiloh Baptist Church.

On this episode of Buffalo, What’s Next?, Angelea Preston converses with representatives from Buffalo S.N.U.G. (Should Never Use Guns). Adrienne Garr, a social worker, and La’Tryse Anderson, an outreach worker supervisor, are helping S.N.U.G. fulfill their goal of reducing gun violence in Buffalo.

Today on Buffalo, What’s Next? we speak with Gretchen Gonzalez and Maria Valeri from the Volunteer Lawyers Project. For 40 years, the group of pro bono attorneys has been helping members of our Western New York community by providing free civil law services to low income people and small not-for-profit groups.

One real estate development company, Barrett & Benitez Development, is attempting to construct much-needed residential and commercial properties on the East Side and they plan to do it with the backing of residents that will be directly benefiting from the projects. Afterwards, Lorenzo Rodriguez sits down with the recently named wellness coordinator for the Buffalo Police Department, Officer Matthew Cross.