Making Contact

How does anyone make sense of abortion access these days? We sat down with All Options Pregnancy Resource Center in Bloomington, Indiana to talk about what’s changed since Indiana’s full abortion ban went into effect last August. Local abortion funds like All Options do a lot, but they can't talk to clients about self-managed abortion, even though the World Health Organization says it's safe and effective. We learn about the ways folks are getting access to abortion pills, what to expect from a self-managed abortion and about the case in the Supreme Court now - whether the pill Mifepristone will still be legal to use for abortions, even in states where abortion care is protected. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Dr. Melissa Madera, Founder of Abortion Diary Podcast, Choix Telehealth team member, Researcher on Project SANA team & Special Projects Consultant for Plan C Pills; Jessica Marchbank, State Programs Manager at All Options Pregnancy Resource Center in Bloomington, Indiana. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music from "Cinematic Documentary" & "Inspiring Cinematic Ambient" by Lexin Music; and "Whatever" & "Something in the Air" by HoliznaCC0. Learn More: Plan C PillsAll Options Pregnancy Resource CenterMidwest Action CoalitionIndiana Task FORCEAbortion FinderAbortion on Our Own TermsReproLegalHelpline International Planned Parenthood Federation Medical Abortion Explainer

Dive into the history of Point Reyes National Seashore, one of the most iconic parks in northern California, with us. Known for rugged sweeping beaches and the famous tule elk, we'll recount the waves of colonization that violently upended the lives of the Coast Miwok peoples who lived there – and one Indigenous woman's struggle to preserve her family history. The story of Point Reyes is a story about how the forces of colonialism continue to shape the fate of public lands in the United States, and the campaigns waged to fight back and protect Indigenous land. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Theresa Harlan (Kewa Pueblo/Jemez Pueblo), adopted daughter of Elizabeth Campigli Harlan (Coast Miwok), founder and executive director of The Alliance for Felix Cove. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Lucy Kang, reported and produced by Sam Anderson, and was first aired on KPFA. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music from "Chill Ambient" by Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma-Media) and "Cinematic Documentary" by Aleksey Chistilin (Lexin_Music). Learn More: Whose Point Reyes on Apple PodcastsAlliance for Felix CoveCoast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin

America's Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy” chronicles how a center of Black excellence emerged amid virulent expressions of white nationalism as African Americans pushed back against Confederate ideology to create an extraordinary locus of achievement. Alongside author Dr. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, in this episode we examine the methods in which Black Atlanteans pushed for social, economic, and political upliftment through the development of Black collegiate systems, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Dr. Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar the author of America's Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Anita Johnson. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music from Blue Dot Session, “Bedroll;” Audiobinger, “The Garden State;” and Quiet Orchestra, “My Friends.” LEARN MORE: Dr. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar Atlanta Race Massacre Atlanta Race Massacre Hoke Smith Clarke Howell Tom Watson America's Black Capital

For the last 6 months, the world has been witness to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Outsized, and unprecedented attacks on the people of Gaza, and support from western countries for these Israeli attacks have led to a situation where Gaza is being referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison. In this episode with Gaza-based reporter Rami Almeghari, we talk to Rashid Khalidi about his book "The Hundred Years' War on Palestine" in order to learn more about the very early history of the zionist movement in Palestine and his argument that it was, from the start, a settler-colonial endeavor. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Rami Almeghari, a Palestinian reporter from Gaza, and Rashid Khalidi, an historian and Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Salima Hamirani with reporting by Rami Almeghari. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music from Komiku, “Blue;” Doctor Turtle, “Leap Second;” Chris Zabriskie, “Take Off and Shoot a Zero;” DAM, “Resale in Zenzana;” رسالة من زنزانة - دام, “A Letter From a Prison Cell;” and Montplaisir, “Ridiculous.” Learn More: The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

March marks four years since the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health failures and government inaction have forced communities to take matters into their own hands. On today's show, we look at two groups steeped in the values of community care. First, we'll hear about the Auntie Sewing Squad, which distributed over 350,000 hand-sewn masks to communities in 2020-2021. Then, we'll speak with organizers from Pandemic Solidarity for the Long Future, which is working today towards a safer future for everyone. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Kristina Wong, founder of the Auntie Sewing Squad; J Mase III, organizer with Pandemic Solidarity for the Long Future; and Gata, organizer with Pandemic Solidarity for the Long Future. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Lucy Kang. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes "Background Documentary Piano" by SigmaMusicArt via Pixabay. Learn More: Kristina Wong "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord" at ACT in San FranciscoPandemic Solidarity for the Long Future Home Test to Treat offers free tests and free treatment for COVID-19 and flu at home

Today we share excerpts from “She's Beautiful When She's Angry,” a documentary filled with stories that still resonate today as women face new challenges around reproductive rights and sexual violence. The documentary tells the stories of the activists of the Women’s Liberation Movement that gained traction in the late 1960s and led to social and policy changes that set women on a path towards equality and reproductive justice. It also addresses the intersections of race and gender and the experiences of the Black women who were integral to this movement. The film is about activists, those who inspire, organize, and revolutionize the world by changing the standards and broadening what we think is possible. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Alta, Chude Pamela Allen, Judith Arcana, Nona Willis Aronowitz, Fran Beal, Heather Booth, Rita Mae Brown, Susan Brownmiller, Linda Burnham, Jacqui Ceballos, Mary Jean Collins, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Muriel Fox, Jo Freeman, Carol Giardina, Susan Griffin, Karla Jay, Kate Millett, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Denise Oliver-Velez, OBOS, Trina Robbins, Ruth Rosen, Vivian Rothstein, Marlene Sanders, Alix Kates Shulman, Ellen Shumsky, Marilyn Webb, Virginia Whitehill, Ellen Willis, Alice Wolfson. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Anita Johnson. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. DOCUMENTARY CREDITS: Director: Mary Dore Producers: Mary Dore & Nancy Kennedy, Geralyn Dreyfous Executive Producers: Pamela Tanner Boll and Elizabeth Driehaus Films Composer: Mark degli Antoni Melancholy Guitar by Scott Anderson, courtesy of For The Bible Tells Me So Ltd Wake up- Instrumental by Arian Saleh. Courtesy of Audio Socket MUSIC: This episode includes Grand Caravan by Blue Dot Session & Build a View by Corey Gray. LEARN MORE: She's Beautiful When She's Angry

“There was not a moment that I came into the workplace and thought that I would belong or be treated properly or equally.” Ruchika Tulshyan, a workplace inclusion expert, paraphrases an interview with Ijeoma Oluo, a thought leader on race in America, for Tulshyan’s book, Inclusion on Purpose. In the conversation featured in this episode, these two women talk about Ruchika’s misassumptions about race and gender in the workplace in her first book, and the intersection of race and gender as it differently and more severely impacts women of color. They discuss the immigrant experience, the subtle and overt ways immigrants and non-Black people of color are encouraged to hold up white supremacy and propagate anti-Blackness, and how we work to dismantle these and build workplaces where women of color feel safe, respected, and supported. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Ruchika Tulshyan, inclusion strategist, speaker and author of the bestseller Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work and Ijeoma Oluo, speaker and writer, author of the New York Times bestseller, So You Want to Talk About Race. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes Joyful Ride via Descript stock music and Trap Future Base, Royalty Free Music. Learn More: Town Hall SeattleInclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work

Geoengineering is defined as some emerging technologies that could manipulate the environment and partially offset some of the impacts of climate change. Seems like the perfect solution for a consumerist society that lives on instant gratification and can’t stop polluting even at the risk of our futures, right? Well, let’s slow down. Today we’ll discuss the dangers of geoengineering and the ethics of the fact that these new technologies are being tested on Indigenous lands. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Basav Sen, Climate Justice Project Director at the Institute for Policy Studies; Dr. Steven Zornetzer; Vice-Chair, Governing Board of Arctic Ice Project; and Panganga Pungowiyi, organizer for the nonprofit Indigenous Environmental Network in Alaska. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Salima Hamirani and Jessica Partnow. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: “Air Hockey Salon” and “Take Off and Shoot a Zero” by Chris Zabriskie; “Industrial Zone” by Bio Unit; “Leap Second” by Doctor Turtle; and “Ridiculous” and “Juan Garcia Madero” by Monplaisir. Learn More: Indigenous Environmental NetworkArctic Ice ProjectInstitute for Policy Studies

In 1965 Margaret Crane was a young designer creating packaging for a pharmaceutical company. Looking at the rows of pregnancy tests she thought, “Well, women could do that at home!” and so she made it a reality for potentially pregnant people to be able to know about and take control of their own lives and bodies. But while the design of the prototype was simple, Crane faced the issues we continue to fight when it comes to reproductive rights and the health and autonomy of people who give birth: an uphill battle to convince the pharmaceutical companies, the medical community and conservative social leaders that at-home pregnancy testing was safe and necessary. After all this, Crane is only now receiving credit for her contributions to the industry. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: This episode features Margaret Crane, graphic designer and inventor of the first home pregnancy test; Wendy Kline, Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine, History Faculty Purdue University; Jesse Olszynko-Gryn, Head of the Laboratory for Oral History and Experimental Media at Max Planck Institute for the History of Science; Arthur Kover, Emeritus Professor of Marketing, Fordham University; and Alexandra Lord, Chair, Division of Medicine and Science at the National Museum of American History. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes “Podington Bear,” by Rhythm and Strings. Learn More: National Museum of American HistoryA Woman's Right to Know, Pregnancy Testing in 20th Century Britain"Predictor" by Jennifer Blackmer

On this week's episode, we take a critical look at productivity culture and the idea that time is money by speaking with Jenny Odell, acclaimed author of Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock and How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. We dig into the ideas behind Saving Time, which gives a panoramic overview of how the ways we think about time actually shapes our lives. Then we begin to disentangle our daily concept of time from its capitalistic and colonialist roots in order to liberate and expand our relationship to it. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: This episode features Jenny Odell, artist and author of Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock and How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Lucy Kang. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. Learn More: Jenny Odell

Today, we continue celebrating Black history and heritage with a special encore episode honoring an often forgotten civil rights leader. We take a look at the life and legacy of Bayard Rustin, a central figure in and the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin was a trusted advisor to labor leader A. Phillip Randolph and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin’s methodology for challenging racial inequality and imperialism centered on his intersectional perspective on race, class, gender, and sexuality. This episode combines film excerpts, insightful interviews and speeches from this important figure of the civil rights movement who envisioned and organized for the best future. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Special Thank You to Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer the producers/directors of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin and Sam Pollard, the executive director. And to the Pacifica Radio Archives for use of the Bayard Rustin archival materials. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: This episode features Bayard Rustin, the architect of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; Ashon Crawley, University of Virginia Associate Professor of Religious Studies and African-American and African Studies; Nancy Kates, filmmaker and producer of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin; Bill Sutherland, Fellowship of Reconciliation; Reverend A.J. Muste, pacifist and mentor of Rustin; George Houser, Fellowship of Reconciliation; Louis John, nephew of Bayard Rustin; Devi Prasad, pacifist. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Anita Johnson. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes "Medieval Tension" by Cory Gray; "This Way Joyous" by Ketsa; "Rally," "Rayling," and "3rd Chair" by Blue Dot Sessions; "Hold On" and "Go Down Moses" by Dee Yan-Key; and "Our Young Guts" by Andy G. Cohen. Learn More: Bayard Rustin Fund Bayard Rustin: Troubles I've Seen Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers PBS History AFL-CIO Washington PostNYTimes

2021 marked the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre - a horrific attack white people waged against Greenwood, a once prosperous Black neighborhood in north Tulsa, Oklahoma. Also in 2021, state legislators passed a law that limits how race is discussed in classrooms. Tulsa activists say HB 1775 prevents descendants of those who built Greenwood from being able to acknowledge the attack, and also Greenwood’s success. In response, activist Kristi Williams rallied her community to start Black History Saturdays, where 120 Black Tulsans are using an intergenerational model to learn their history. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: This episode features Kristi Williams, a Tulsa activist and Founder of Black History Saturdays, Bracken Klar, Co-Executive Producer of Focus: Black Oklahoma, Vice-President of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective, and Carlos Moreno, a member of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective, journalist and author of The Victory of Greenwood and A Kid's Book About the Tulsa Race Massacre. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music from Blue Dot Sessions, including “Krotoa Haze,” “Cheldana Outpost,” and “Helion Fleet.” Learn More: Black History SaturdaysEduRec Youth and Family Fun Center2892 Miles to GoBlack Emergency Response Team Vs. O'Conner

Black Wall Street, or the historically Black neighborhood Greenwood, Oklahoma is the site of once a prosperous, thriving, Black community. It is also the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a violent attack waged by white supremacists, killing hundreds of residents and leveling homes and businesses. In the second episode of our three part Black History Month series, we talk about how the community built back. In fact, Greenwood’s economic heyday came 20 years later, in the 1940s. Then came the 1950s-60s, when Urban Renewal projects gave the city of Tulsa federal funds to buy out Black land owners. This loss of ownership undercut Greenwood’s very existence. Now Greenwood Okies, pulling from their history, are building Tulsa’s future, despite continued discrimination. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: -Bracken Klar - Co-Executive Producer of Focus: Black Oklahoma, Vice-President of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective -Carlos Moreno - member of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective, journalist and author of The Victory of Greenwood and A Kid's Book About the Tulsa Race Massacre -Trey Thaxton - CEO and Founder of Goldmill Co. and Greenwood Ave. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes music by Blue Dot Sessions, including “Krotoa Haze,” “Cheldana Outpost,” “Krotoa Hills” and “April in Paris” by Count Basie and His Orchestra. Learn More: Tri City CollectiveFocus: Black OklahomaGreenwood Ave MagazineThe Victory of GreenwoodGreenwood Mapping ProjectBlindspot: Tulsa Burning

In the first of our 3 part series leading up to Black History Month, we turn our focus to how journalists and historians today are covering the Tulsa Race Massacre. We hear from KalaLea, host of the critically acclaimed podcast Blindspot: Tulsa Burning. The series tells the story of the rise of Greenwood, a prosperous Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as Black Wall Street. The podcast recounts the brutal 1921 massacre, a racist attack on the Black community backed by the local police. KalaLea spoke about the behind-the-scenes process of reporting on a deeply traumatic historical chapter, why healing is important, and the necessity of accountability. We also hear from Bracken Klar and Carlos Moreno of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective and the radio show Focus: Black Oklahoma, in partnership with KOSU. They discuss current efforts to better understand not just the tragedy of the event, but also the success of the neighborhood before and after the attack. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: -KalaLea - lead producer and host of Blindspot: Tulsa Burning and producer, reporter and editor with WNYC and The New Yorker Radio Hour -Bracken Klar - co-executive producer of Focus: Black Oklahoma, vice-president of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective and DEI consultant -Carlos Moreno - member of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective, journalist and author of The Victory of Greenwood and A Kid's Book About the Tulsa Race Massacre MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes “Krotoa Haze,” “Krotoa,” “Cheldana Outpost,” “Krotoa Hills,” and “Helion Fleet” by Blue Dot Sessions. Learn More: Blindspot: Tulsa Burning: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/blindspot/tulsa-burning Focus: Black Oklahoma: https://www.kosu.org/podcast/focus-black-oklahoma Tri-City Collective: https://www.tricitycollective.com/ Mapping Greenwood: https://www.mappinggreenwood.org/home-page/ The Victory of Greenwood: https://thevictoryofgreenwood.com/buy-the-book/?v=7516fd43adaa

Oppenheimer swept the Golden Globes, reigniting public interest in the Manhattan Project, the WWII-era secret program to develop the atomic bomb and the impacts of nuclear power. But what the film leaves out alters our understanding about the real impacts of this advancement. On today's encore episode, we hear about nuclear colonialism and how it has changed the course of the people and places of New Mexico with Myrriah Gómez, author of “Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos.” Then we dig into how nuclear testing during the Cold War led to dangerous and lasting contamination in the Marshall Islands and San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Myrriah Gómez, an associate professor in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico and author of “Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos.” MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Lucy Kang. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes "Documentary Piano Ambient" by Bohdan Kuzmin and "Sticktop" by Blue Dot Sessions. Learn More: Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on NuevomexicanosSan Francisco Public Press

The problem in America is, America's been in denial about its problems. And that’s a problem. America doesn’t have a race problem, in reality there's been catastrophes visited upon Black people. Catastrophes visited on Indigenous brothers and sisters. Catastrophes visited on Latino brothers and sisters. Catastrophes visited on working people. Catastrophes visited on women of all colors. We can go on and on. This week on Making Contact, we bring you a talk from noted author, scholar, and self-described intellectual freedom fighter, Dr. Cornel West speaking at the Guild Theater in Sacramento, California in 2023. In his discussion, West uses America’s music legacy as a way to explore catastrophic conditions brought on by our denial of the funk, seen through the impacts of racism on the nation’s health. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Dr. Cornel West, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. West teaches on the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as well as courses in Philosophy of Religion, African American Critical Thought, and a wide range of subjects. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Anita Johnson. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes Bedroll by Blue Dot Session, The Garden State by Audiobinger, and My Friends by Quiet Orchestra. LEARN MORE: http://www.cornelwest.com/ https://aas.princeton.edu/people/cornel-west https://www.amazon.com/Race-Matters-Cornel-West/dp/0679749861 https://twitter.com/CornelWest

The last few years have seen a wave of labor organizing as it becomes more and more clear to workers that what they do is not expendable, but actually the heart of every business. From walkouts to unionization, workers everywhere, from Starbucks to Amazon to your local coffee shop have come together to build and exercise their power. In this episode we explore the issues that led people to organize their workplaces, the ins and outs and ups and downs of the process, and the backlash. On the forefront of the next labor revolution, we visit a coffee shop in Maine called Little Dog whose staff starts a union. Then we talk to Robert Chala from the UCLA Labor Center about the rise in unionization efforts among service workers and the social and cultural ethos in a post lockdown country that have led to this new wave of the labor movement. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. EPISODE FEATURES: Robert Chlala, an Assistant Professor, CSU Long Beach & Visiting Researcher at UCLA Labor Center and Jessica Czarnecki, Sydney, Sophie, and Kira, all workers at Little Dog Cafe. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Salima Hamirani with reporting by Jules Bradley. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: This episode includes “Industrial Zone” by Bio Unit, “Stay Quiet” by Monplaisir, “Bleu” by Komiku, “Leap Second” by Doctor Turtle, and “Which Side Are You On” by Pete Seeger. Learn More: UCLA Labor Center Little Dog Employees Lawsuit Brunswick coffee shop strike ends with potential change in ownership

When communities face the aftermath of catastrophes, what does it take to ensure that the next time will be different? In Houston, it takes a city council member who bicycles in her neighborhood to hear from constituents about what they need most. It takes 12 moms who organize to take legal action against the landlords that have kept their families in moldy, substandard apartments. And it takes a city official who blows the whistle on corrupt and dangerous practices related to housing policy. Travel to Texas with our hosts Chrishelle Palay and Rose Arrieta to meet these changemakers in our final episode of this limited-run series. They witness people power in action, as author and artist Adrienne Maree Brown describes it, “…bending the future, together, into something we have never experienced.” Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Like this story? Support independent journalism! Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. Thank you to the But Next Time team. To listen to all of the But Next Time episodes and access video versions with Spanish subtitles visit www.butnexttime.com. You can also learn more about the organizations featured in the podcast and access resources like a listening and discussion guide. But Next Time was created as part of Rise-Home Stories, a project in which multimedia storytellers and housing, land, and racial justice advocates came together to reimagine the past, present, and future of our communities by transforming the stories we tell about them. The Rise-Home Stories Project includes five pieces of media (a video game, children’s book, animated short, and online storytelling site, and the But Next Time Podcast) that help us rethink our relationships to land and home. For more info visit www.risehomestories.com FEATURING: Jaime, Mother in Houston Texas who is part of the 12 Moms campaign; Zoe Middleton, Southeast Texas and Houston co-director for Texas Housers; Erika Bowman, Community Organizer with Texas Housers; Cashauna Hill, Executive Director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center; Ariadna Godreau, Founder and Director of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico; Tom McCasland, Houston Director of Housing and Community Development; Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston; Ms. Hankins, Resident of Houston giving testimony at public meeting; Tarsha Jaskon, Houston District B Council Member BUT NEXT TIME: This episode is hosted by Chrishelle Palay and Rose Arrieta, and produced by Leah Mahan. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum and produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: All original compositions by Fernando Arruda including “But Next Time,” “Going Back,” and "Rumors of Hope." Learn More: But Next Time Podcast: https://butnexttime.com Rise Home Stories: https://risehomestories.com/ Working Films: https://www.workingfilms.org/ 12 Moms Collective and Texas Housers: https://texashousers.org/tag/12-moms/ Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center: https://lafairhousing.org/ Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico: https://ayudalegalpr.org/

No matter where we come from, or how much money we make, we all deserve a safe and healthy place to call home. In this episode we meet Jamie, a mom who lives in subsidized housing in Houston, Texas, who joins with other moms to stand up to landlords and local officials whose policies have kept Black and brown families trapped in unsafe homes for years. Before and after Hurricane Harvey, Jamie and organizers in Houston came together to take collective action and push for change. Along the way they connected with leaders in Puerto Rico who have also been resisting and re-building in the wake of ongoing disaster. We hear from renowned Puerto Rican activist and former political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera, Luis O. Gallardo Rivera, director of Centro para la Reconstrucción del Hábitat and Adriana Godreau, director of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, who along with our host Chrishelle Palay engage in on the ground work and advocacy in their communities, in the halls of Congress, and beyond. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Like this story? Support independent journalism, NewsMatch will double your donation up to $1,000! Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. Thank you to the But Next Time team. To listen to all of the But Next Time episodes and access video versions with Spanish subtitles visit www.butnexttime.com. You can also learn more about the organizations featured in the podcast and access resources like a listening and discussion guide. But Next Time was created as part of Rise-Home Stories, a project in which multimedia storytellers and housing, land, and racial justice advocates came together to reimagine the past, present, and future of our communities by transforming the stories we tell about them. The Rise-Home Stories Project includes five pieces of media (a video game, children’s book, animated short, and online storytelling site, and the But Next Time Podcast) that help us rethink our relationships to land and home. For more info visit www.risehomestories.com FEATURING: Jamie, Mother in Houston Texas who is part of the 12 Moms campaign, Zoe Middleton, southeast Texas and Houston Co-Director for Texas Housers, Erika Bowman, community Organizer with Texas Housers, Cashauna Hill, executive director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, Ariadna Godreau, founder and director of Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, Luis O. Gallardo Rivera, executive director of Center for Habitat Reconstruction, Oscar Lopez Rivera, Puerto Rican activist and former political prisoner, María Yvelisse Inirio, executive assistant of Corporación del Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña, Mariolga Juliá Pacheco, director of Citizen Participation Corporación del Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña BUT NEXT TIME: This episode is hosted by Chrishelle Palay and Rose Arrieta, and produced by Leah Mahan. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Lucy Kang and produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: All original compositions by Fernando Arruda including “But Next Time,” “Going Back,” and "Let There Be Fire,” and "Next Blues." Learn More: But Next Time Podcast Rise Home Stories Working Films

This week we continue delving into community-rooted disaster relief in California, from wildfires to the pandemic. From building mutual aid networks, to translating emergency messages in common local languages, we see in action the incredible difference language justice can make in our communities. In Sonoma County, organizers hit the field with information on where to get food, shelter, and support. In San Francisco, they set up a much needed support response to COVID-19 in the city’s Mission District. Tune in and hear how these leaders act collectively to confront those in power, work for justice, and together answer one vital question: how can next time be different? Special thanks to Sonya Green. Thank you to the But Next Time team. To listen to all of the But Next Time episodes and access video versions with Spanish subtitles visit www.butnexttime.com. You can also learn more about the organizations featured in the podcast and access resources like a listening and discussion guide. Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org. Like this story? Support independent journalism, NewsMatch will double your donation up to $1,000! Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. But Next Time was created as part of Rise-Home Stories, a project in which multimedia storytellers and housing, land, and racial justice advocates came together to reimagine the past, present, and future of our communities by transforming the stories we tell about them. The Rise-Home Stories Project includes five pieces of media (a video game, children’s book, animated short, and online storytelling site, and the But Next Time Podcast) that help us rethink our relationships to land and home. For more info visit www.risehomestories.com FEATURING: Alma Bowen, Founder / Executive Director of Nuestra Comunidad, Maribel Merino, Host, Radio Autóctona Indigenista on KBBF, Xulio Soriano, California Rural Legal Assistance, Mariano Alvarez, California Rural Legal Assistance, Gervacion Peña Lopez, Host, Radio Autóctona Indigenista on KBBF, Beatrice Camacho, ERAP manager of North Bay Organizing Project, Valerie Tulier-Laiwa, Coordinator of the Latino Task Force BUT NEXT TIME: This episode is hosted by Chrishelle Palay and Rose Arrieta, and produced by Leah Mahan. MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Anita Johnson and produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. MUSIC: All original compositions by Fernando Arruda including “But Next Time,” “Going Back,” and “Rumors of Hope.” Learn More: But Next Time Podcast Rise Home Stories Working Films