Episode 234 - Invisible Institute x SSW Radio: On the Line in Cook County Jail

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode features a series of conversations recorded with people currently detained at Cook County Jail, who describe the conditions they're experiencing. The interviews are conducted by the Invisible Institute's Maira Khwaja and produced by South Side Weekly Radio's Erisa Apantaku. The piece first ran on SSW Radio–thanks to both of them for allowing us to share their work!

Join the Bond Fund's Call-in Campaign: https://chicagobond.org/call-in/

Collage by J Michael Eugenio/South Side Weekly.

Episode 233 - On the Line with Ald. Rossana Rodriguez

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez of Chicago's 33rd Ward. Rossana talks about how her office is supporting mutual aid work without coopting it, what City Council looks like right now (not much), and what hard lines the mayor and governor need to be taking to keep people safe.

Read the Right to Recovery legislation demands: actionnetwork.org/campaigns/right-to-recovery

Learn about everything that the 33rd Ward office is doing: 33rdward.org/covid-19-resources/

Episode 232 - On the Line with Dennis Kosuth

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Dennis Kosuth. Dennis is a nurse in Chicago Public Schools, at Provident Hospital in Washington Park, and now inside of Cook County Jail. He gets on the line to talk about last week's shutdown of the ER at Provident Hospital, what he observed and experienced taking care of the people being held in Cook County Jail, what this moment means for CPS students, and how he stays struggling for a world less rooted in greed and profit.

Sign the Petition to keep the Provident ER open: https://www.change.org/p/elected-officials-don-t-reduce-care-on-the-south-side-of-chicago-during-a-pandemic-reopen-provident-s-er/w

Episode 231 - On the Line with Sharlyn Grace

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Sharlyn Grace, who is a cofounder and the Executive Director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. She talks about the front lines work CCBF is doing to protect and free the 4500+ people currently held in Cook County Jail, where the COVID infection rate is 40 times that of the rest of Chicago, and shares how y'all can contribute to their current call-in campaign.

Participate in the call-in here: chicagobond.org/call-in/

Episode 230 - On the Line with Dame and Kiss

The guys are doing okay. Recorded remotely from their respective houses, Dame and Kiss begin a new series of episodes called On the Line, which will focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all address and heal from the pandemic. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with these workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. On this first episode, Damon and Kiss check in about how their quarantines have been and answer some listener questions.

Episode 229 - Qurissy

Back before the world turned upside down, Dame and Kiss kicked it in LA with the wonderful Qurissy, a Chicago native and member of the community here who recently moved to Los Angeles. Qurissy is a portrait photographer, designer, art director, and visual creator whose photography has shone a lens on so many members of the arts world in the city that we showcase and celebrate. She's the Art Director at Gumbo Media, a multimedia company that curates content, experiences, and services to expand the narrative of Black life. We talk about her transition to LA, cohabitating with her boo (who's an AirGo alum), developing one's eye, and much more. Plus, some damn good jokes from the guys and a little constructive feedback time, since Qurissy is a regular listener of the show. Get in the pre-pandemic time machine!

Follow Qurissy: instagram.com/qurissy

Episode 228 - Climate Changemakers with Suzy Schlosberg

Climate Changemakers is a 5-part podcast series, showcasing and celebrating leaders in equity work and climate action across Illinois, presented by Elevate Energy. This episode's guest is Suzy Schlosberg, the Co-Director of the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action. A senior at Whitney Young High School, Suzy is also on the steering committee for the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective and is a student intern at the Sierra Club office.

Learn about Elevate Energy and their 20th anniversary: www.elevateenergy.org/

Check out the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action: www.cyaca.org/

Episode 227 - Sending Love in the Time of COVID

Well, that escalated quickly. In the first week of Chicago’s social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19, AirGo takes a moment to wish you and yours some love, and share some laughs from a recent recording session. We’ll be back next week with full AirGo episodes. Keep your hands washed and your hearts full!

Episode 226 - Unelectable Vol. 1

Unelectable is anlive podcast event series that engages electoral politics through the filter of radical imagination. AirGo and Black Youth Project are using the 2020 election cycle to have tangible conversations about impactful issues dismissed as being too big or unrealistic by mainstream political media. Vol. 1 happened on Feb. 26 at the Silver Room in Hyde Park, and featured Ald. Jeanette Taylor and Chicago Teachers Union VP Stacy Davis Gates. It was a great conversation about what protecting the public looks like, what elected officials need from movement workers, and how we learn about politics in the classroom.

Check out Black Youth Project: blackyouthproject.com/

Episode 225 - Benjamin Earl Turner, Pt. 2

Time stands still sometimes for Benjamin Earl Turner. The emcee, writer, craftsman, and intellectual has a theory and praxis for his writing and music-making that creates some of the most remarkable raps in the world, in which he can challenge himself and his listeners to see themselves, their shortcomings, and the complexity of their spirits. Dame and Kiss went to his home studio in Burbank, CA for a sitdown that turned to an all-nighter, which we are releasing in two parts. On part 2, Benjamin tells a mythical story, talks through how he's thinking about masculinity and growth, and a remarkably comprehensive beef with the 20th century.

Music on this week's episode is all from @benjaminearlturner's album Bad Nature, which you should stream now!: soundcloud.com/benjaminearlturner/sets/bad-nature

Follow Benjamin on twitter: twitter.com/benjaminearltea

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Episode 224 - Benjamin Earl Turner, Pt. 1

Time stands still sometimes for Benjamin Earl Turner. The emcee, writer, craftsman, and intellectual has a theory and praxis for his writing and music-making that creates some of the most remarkable raps in the world, in which he can challenge himself and his listeners to see themselves, their shortcomings, and the complexity of their spirits. Dame and Kiss went to his home studio in Burbank, CA for a sitdown that turned to an all-nighter, which we are releasing in two parts. On part 1, we talk about finding his craft, his bond with Damon, and the magical summer of 2012 that he spent creating and growing in Chicago. Part 2 drops next week!

Music on this week's episode is all from @benjaminearlturner's album Bad Nature, which you should stream now!: soundcloud.com/benjaminearlturner/sets/bad-nature

Follow Benjamin on twitter: twitter.com/benjaminearltea

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Episode 223 - #BYPSpotlight with Jawanza Malone

As part of our #BYPSpotlight series, Dame and Kiss talk with Jawanza Malone. Jawanza is the Executive Director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, or KOCO, a nearly 50 year-old community stalwart fighting for the communities of the Kenwood Oakland neighborhood. Jawanza talks about his journey as a father, living in Fred Hampton's legacy, the fight for a Community Benefits Agreement in connection to the new Obama Presidential Center, and more.

Learn more about KOCO: kocoonline.org/about-us/
Support the CBA fight: www.obamacba.org/
Join the fight to lift the rent control ban: www.ltbcoalition.org/

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Episode 222 - Debbie Southorn

Debbie Southorn knows how to throw down. Debbie is the cofounder of the city's Black and Pink chapter, was a central figure in the #NoCopAcademy campaign, and is a founding member of We Are Dissenters, a new group activating students toward anti-militarism and anti-war organizing on college campuses. She also works at the American Friends Service Committee, a century-old Quaker social justice organization. We talk about her path into the work, DINOSAURS, dealing with serious burnout, the impacts of militarism, and more.

Follow Debbie: twitter.com/madlittledebbie
Check out We Are Dissenters: wearedissenters.org

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Episode 221 - Dominique James

Dominique James is a word-based multimedia artist, educator, and teaching artist at Young Chicago Authors. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Howard University, and has completed research fellowships at the University of California-Riverside and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. After graduation, she was a TRIALS Fellow at Harvard Law School and a University of Chicago HBCU Bridge Scholar. She is also the matchmaker behind a pretty special relationship, a relationship that has some pretty big news to share on this episode…

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Episode 220 - #BYPSpotlight with Jasson Perez

As part of our #BYPSpotlight series, Dame and Kiss talk with movement stalwart Jasson Perez. Jasson is one of the founding members of BYP-100, a labor organizing veteran, and a pivotal member of the Afrosocialist caucus within Chicago's Democratic Socialists of America chapter. He breaks down the lessons learned from organizing across movements, his alternative life as a rapper of legendary Chicago rap group BBU, and how the spiritual life of the recovery community have taught him how to build more loving and effective revolutionary movements.

Check out the whole #BYPSpotlight at blackyouthproject.com

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Episode 219 - Lynsey Ann Moxie

Lynsey Ann Moxie brought her energy with her. She's a vocalist, performer, Chicago schoolteacher, and interdisciplinary artist from the South Suburbs of Chicago. She grew up in the Cantata choir as a 1st soprano, before finding her jazz roots at Spelman College, and then ultimately ending up back home in Chicago. She breaks down the wisdom she's found through craft, therapy, and the classrom, as well as a whole bunch of other quotable gems. Come along on this fun ride with the guys to kick off another year of AirGo!

NOTE: Come through our Art and Activism series #TodayatApple series this month!: apple.co/artandactivism

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Episode 218 - Check-in 6

With the year and decade coming to a close, Dame and Kiss check in one last time in 2019–on Kiss's birthday, no less! They start beef with the 2010's, talk about the new exciting projects and partnerships launching in the New Year (a month of programs at the Apple Store, a talk show from the future, an Environmental Justice limited podcast series, a live event series about electoral politics and radical imagination called Unelectable), share some thank yous, and envision the 2030 of their imaginations. Plus, a call from a very special grandma guest...

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Episode 217 - Lewis Raven Wallace

Lewis Raven Wallace is a trans journalist, movement worker, and the author of The View From Somewhere, a new book and podcast dispelling myths in journalism and issuing a call to action for journalists to account for their own biases, challenge power, and reshape journalism into a tool for liberation. While on book tour, Lewis stops by to talk about the book, their Chicago organizing days, how the field can be held more accountable, and how to commit acts of journalism with a new lens.

Buy the book and listen to the podcast here: www.lewispants.com/the-view-from-somewhere

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Episode 216 - Jenna Anast

Jenna Anast will change up your whole energy. Jenna is an actor, filmmaker, comedian, singer, and community builder. She's the Head of Community for Open TV, and is a member of the #LetUsBreathe Collective. We talk about growing up as an adopted Black kid, reconnecting with her birth mom, being a part of the amazing film Sorry to Bother You, and much more.

Learn more: www.journeyswithjenna.com/

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Episode 215 - #BYPSpotlight with Asha Ransby-Sporn

Black Youth Project has joined forces with AirGo for a year-long #BYPSpotlight series, featuring our favorite Black academics and activists. This month’s #BYPSpotlight episode features Asha Ransby-Sporn, an organizer, movement worker, and National Organizing Co-Chair for Black Youth Project-100. She also was one of the central organizers who pushed Columbia University to divest from private prisons over the past few years. We talk community organizing basics, what are some ways to bring people into the work, how we can begin to rethink our relationship to land, designing her hypothetical commune, and her relationship with her mom Barbara Ransby (who was the first #BYPSpotlight guest).

Show Notes:
BYP-100 - http://byp100.org/
Columbia Prison Divestment -www.columbiaspectator.com/the-eye/2018…ate-prisons/
She Safe, We Safe: www.shesafewesafe.org/

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Help Amplify this conversation with a tax-deductible donation to AirGo: airgoradio.com/donate