Buffalo, What’s Next?

Southern Fried is one of the largest spoken word and performance poetry competitions in the world. Founded in 1993, it's rooted in storytelling, soul, and Southern hospitality.

On today's show we bring in another voice from this year's Buffalo mayoral election. We welcome Anthony Tyson Thompson, a Buffalo native leader and one of the five candidates on the Buffalo Democratic primary ballot.

On today's show, we're joined by conductor and educator Jaman Dunn-Danger, a Black, queer artist leading Joshua's Boots, a work by acclaimed composer Adolphus Hailstork this weekend at First Shiloh Baptist Church.

On today's show, we explore the upcoming Remembrance Conference 2025, a two-day joint event hosted by the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, and the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University.

On today's episode, we welcome three members of Buffalo's Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition, which aims to shed light on the long-standing problems with the suspension system affecting Buffalo Public Schools students and families.

On today's edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we bring you two segments from episodes that aired this week.

On today's edition of Producer's Picks, we bring you segments from three standout previous episodes.

On today's episode, we welcome back India Walton, and we take a look at Buffalo State's Post-Production Diversity Initiative, which aims to increase representation in the post-production media field.

On today's show we welcome back two familiar voices from Niagara Pride: President and Co-Founder Ronald Piaseczny, and Programming Chair Sherry Fossett. Niagara Pride is a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting the LGBTQIA2S+ community across Niagara County and Western New York. Their mission? To create a region where everyone, individuals and families alike, can feel safe, supported, and celebrated in every space they occupy, from home to workplace, places of worship, and beyond. This grassroots organization is working hard to make Pride more visible and more accessible, especially in rural communities that often get overlooked. Ronald and Sherry join Jay Moran to share what's coming up — including the Pride Flag Raising Across Niagara County on May 30, and Niagara Pride's participation in the Buffalo Pride Parade on June 1.

This week, we are proud to bring you special programming on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In our final installment, we bring you a conversation on the future of social justice by listening to both the voices of elder advocates, and younger ones beginning to take up the mantle of taking on issues.

This week, we are proud to bring you special programming on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today's installment, we take a deep dive into policy, advocacy, and systemic change through two conversations.

This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today's installment, we break down economic empowerment on the East Side of Buffalo and food injustice throughout the region.

This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14 Tops mass shooting. In today's installment, we analyze mental health and healing from the tragedy, as well as processing trauma and building resilience.

This week, we are proud to bring you special programming throughout the week on remembering the May 14th Tops Massacre. In today's installment, we focus on remembering the lives lost and reflecting on the East Side Community.

On this edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we revisit two standout conversations: one with Hamadi Ali, Markets Manager at Providence Farm Collective, and Executive Director Kristin Heltman-Weiss, and another with Emmanuel Kulu, an African Historian and Author.

On today's episode, we bring you two new conversations. First, we welcome John Masoulonis, the author of “Walking Each Other Home”. Next, we welcome back Deja Middlebrook and LaShawn Davis of Walking Through Solutions LLC.

On today's episode, we discuss the importance of African history and the gaps seen in education on the topic. We welcome Emmanuel Kulu, an African historian and author.

On today's episode, we speak with Providence Farm Collective; the only nonprofit in Western New York that directly supports communities with access to rural farmland, farming and business education, technical assistance, markets, and the opportunity to farm for income.

On this edition of Producer's Pick of the Week, we revisit three conversations. First, we revisit a conversation on poetry in Buffalo with Aitina Fareed-Cooke, Jillian Hanesworth, Dallas Taylor, and Maria Ta. The four collectively discuss the history and importance of the Poet-Laureate position and how Buffalo poets shape the region's culture. Then we revisit Naila's conversation with Nina and Terry Heard, the founders of Friends for a Better Buffalo and the organizers of the Excellence in Education Awards. And we close out with Saladin Allah's conversation with Dr. Doretha Williams, Director of the Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Terry Alford, the Executive Director of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.

On today's episode, we attend the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart's annual Day of Sharing. The event this year focused on refugees. The two interview attendees of the event, and dive deep into the workshops that were featured. Next, we discuss an exciting initiative between the two groups that is set to take place in May 2026.

On today's show, we dive into the 6th Annual Excellence in Education Awards. The event, which is hosted by Friends for a Better Buffalo, honors educators for their contributions and recognizes their efforts beyond the classroom.

On today's show, we bring you a special conversation on poetry in Buffalo. We welcome Aitina Fareed-Cooke, and Jillian Hanesworth, the Poet-Laurate and Poet-Laurate Emeritus of Buffalo.

On this edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we revisit three conversations: one with Geraldine Pointer, Terrance Pointer, and James Coughlin, another with Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, and finally Karen King, Cathy Creighton, and Rusty Weaver.

Today, we explore the "Black Buffalo Speaks" event, a student-curated Africana Studies conference at Buffalo State University that aims to foster community, conversation, and action, with a diverse lineup of speakers representing various aspects of black culture and history.

Today, we take a look at a report that breaks down the gender pay gap in Erie County as we welcome Karen King, Executive Director of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women, and two members of Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations Buffalo Co-Lab.

Today, we welcome back Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, the Executive Director of the International Institute of Buffalo, and analyze how recent immigration policy changes at the federal level have impacted the region.

In 1967, Geraldine Pointer and Martin Sostre were arrested after being accused of selling drugs and weapons out of the bookstore they operated on Jefferson Avenue. 57 years later, there is still an ongoing movement to exonerate the two of the charges.

O this edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we feature three previous conversations: Dr. Jennifer Roberts and Catherine Shick, Jillian Penkin, and Eileen Kineke.

On today's show, we bring you two new conversations. First, we dive into the topic of Black maternal health. We welcome Eileen Kinecke, the Director of Prenatal and Infant Community Health at the P3 Center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. She sits down with Jay Moran to discuss the upcoming fourth annual uplifting Black Maternal Health event. Next, Maria Ta sits down with Pat Cray, a Buffalo-based photographer who documents the city's diverse neighborhoods and cultures. The two discuss the importance of preserving local history through visual storytelling and the value of representation in the arts and media.

We welcome Nicole Clifton, a local financial crimes expert of 20 years, and Dr. Cynthia Stewart, a Program Manager for the UB Center of Information Integrity and Executive Director for the Deception Awareness and Resilience Tools (DART) platform.

We welcome Dr. Jennifer Roberts, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, Catherine Shick, Public Relations Manager for FeedMore WNY, and Jillian Penkin, Founder of Penkin Consulting and the Northeast Regional Director of the National Association for Women in Construction.

Today we welcome Victory Ross, a Community Coordinator for the Western New York Peace Center, Win Min Thant, Director of the Crossroads Coalition, and Mike Hogan, a Business Manager for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. to discuss the motivation behind the Buffalo United March.

Today, we welcome Dr. Bonita Durand, who is currently serving as the interim president of Buffalo State University, to discuss the institution's unique approach to education, the importance of balancing liberal arts with professional training, and how Buffalo State plans to navigate potential changes in federal education funding.

We welcome back Dr. Jason Knight, an Associate Professor in Buffalo State's College of Government, Planning, and Philosophy. He recently published a report called "Developing Opportunity: Aligning Zoning with Affordable Housing Needs".

Today, we take a closer look at Catholic Charities of Buffalo—a cornerstone of support for the WNY region, serving over 147,000 individuals and families in eight counties annually. We welcome Deacon Steve Schumer and Molly Ann Oliver, the CEO and COO of Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

On today's show, we bring you the panel discussion that was held after a screening of the film “100 Years from Mississippi”. Moderated by Executive Producer of What's Next, Charles Gilbert, the panel features Tarabu Kirkland, Aitina Fareed-Cooke, and Dr. Janice Ferguson.

We analyze the East Side Neighborhood Transformation Project. Led by Dr. Henry Louis-Taylor Jr., the project aims to address issues surrounding the Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood through community land trusts, cooperative housing, and a multi-sector approach to neighborhood development.

Recently, WBFO Disability reporter Emyle Watkins went on the road to cover a group of advocates as they made their way from Buffalo to Albany to challenge topics such as involuntary treatment, Kendra's Law, and more.

On this week's edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we highlight two standout segments from the previous week: one on how the COVID-19 Pandemic altered downtown Buffalo, and a conversation with Mary Kate Loftus and Lauren Schellinger from Impressia Bank.

The women's economy is expanding at twice the rate of other businesses, yet traditional banks and fintech institutions are still falling short in addressing the needs of the rapidly growing sheconomy. Why is that?

On today's episode, we dive into the transformation and the challenges facing downtown Buffalo with Bob Shibley, the former dean of UB's School of Architecture and Planning, and Jake Schneider, an entrepreneur and developer of multiple downtown projects.

On this week's edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we revisit conversations with Glenn Aronow, Bukola Morgan, Susan McCartney, Dr. Marcus Watson, and Thomas Beauford.

Today, we key in on the recent work of the Buffalo Urban League and welcome Thomas Beauford Jr., the President and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League, to discuss the unique challenges faced by different Urban League affiliates.

Today we focus on the importance and challenges of Africana Studies in the current political climate as we welcome back Dr. Marcus Watson, an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Africana Studies at Buffalo State.

We examine workforce and small business development initiatives in Western New York, as well as the need for collaboration and support to help individuals and businesses thrive.

On this week's edition of Producer's Picks of the Week, we revisit conversations with Ekua Mends-Aidoo, Dr. Barbara Seals-Nevergold, Lauren Kausner, & Tala Harden, Mark Baetzhold & Marthe Limage, and Justin Hawkins.

We welcome Justin Hawkins, a financial literacy educator who teaches credit strategies, and Keia Clarke, the CEO of the WNBA's New York Liberty. Clarke is a 2003 alumnus of Canisius University and will be the keynote speaker in the upcoming Women's Leadership Summit.

We discuss the topic of homelessness in Niagara Falls by diving into the work of Heart, Love and Soul, a non-profit community-based organization that has provided services to the area since 1983.

On today's episode, we discuss “A Shot Rang Out”, a documentary that dives into the historical context of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

We dive into the realm of artistic creativity, cultural representation, and youth education. We welcome Jalen Law, Buffalo-based artist and educator, who recently finished his mural "The Future is Our Canvas" for the NFTA Black History Month contest.

In our final installment,, of our sit-down series with the major candidates, we hear from the person currently leading City Hall. We welcome Chris Scanlon, the Acting Mayor of the City of Buffalo.