Communal Expressions

Join our discussion with Dr. Chante Ruffin of Heritage Pediatrics. She’s sharing about her journey to opening her private pediatric practice…and also tips on how we can boost our immunity during the pandemic. Join the conversation. Kid-Friendly discussion, let them meet Dr. Ruffin!   Find more episodes at www.CommunalExpressions.com   Communal Expressions is hosted by Richard Rice & Eva Melton   #BlackDoctor #Pediatrician #CommunalExpressions  

Is Colorism a thing in the Black Community? Does it matter how we label Kanye?    Dominique Cecil of Yellow Bird Counseling brings her expertise around Minority Mental Health to this episode. Dominique is the owner of Yellow Bird Counseling. For Dominique, therapy is not just a career, it is a lifestyle. Find more about Dominique at http://www.yellowbirdcounseling.com   Communal Expressions is co-hosted by Eva Melton & Richard Rice. Find more episodes at www.CommunalExpressions.com   #Colorism #MentalHealth #CommunalExpressions

What does it mean to be in community? How can black folk take care of themselves during COVID-19? What's up with Kanye?   Renee Smith & Dani Mars bring their sunshine into our space for Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.   Find more episodes at www.CommunalExpressions.com   Communal Expressions is co-hosted by Eva Melton & Richard Rice. #KanyeWest #MentalHealth #CommunalExpressions

Jay Williams joins Eva Melton & Richard A. Rice to share about how vital the 2020 Census is in Alabama. 2020 is a Census year and you need to be counted!   #2020Census #Census #AlabamaCensus   Find more insightful interviews at http://www.CommunalExpressions.com   Jay Williams, MSW, is the Census State Coordinator for The Alabama Hard to Count Collaborative whose mission is to prevent an undercount of Alabama in 2020 Census. Through The HTC Collaborative, Jay leads the planning the effort of community-based organizations across Alabama, under the leadership of the executive, deputy, and project directors’ of ¡HICA¡, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Blackbelt Community Foundation, Voices for Alabama’s Children, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Alabama Giving, and The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, as we prepare for the 2020 Census in Alabama. Additionally, under this umbrella, Jay leads a statewide network and aligns the on-the-ground efforts of community-based organizations and state agencies that are committed to ensuring an accurate and comprehensive census count by acting as a resource of information, messaging materials, and helping to establish partnerships with other census advocates.

Dominique Villanueva & Christopher Gooden of "We All Eat" Food Cooperative join Richard Rice on Communal Expressions. #WeAllEat was created at the inception of COVID-19 as a more democratic and just way to exist post COVID-19.   Find more episodes at http://www.CommunalExpressions.com   Communal Expressions is co-hosted by Eva Melton & Richard Rice.   #cooperative #covid19 #pandemic

This episode welcomes the voices of two black mental health professionals to expound on COVID-19 impacts.   Mechelle Frazier is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Work In Progress Counseling in Alabama. https://www.workinprogresscounseling.com   James Harris is a Licensed Mental Health Professional located in Richmond, Virginia. He is also the founder of the "Men To Heal" movement. https://www.mentoheal.com   Richard Rice is a Civil Rights Attorney in Alabama. http://www.TheRiceFirmLLC.com   Eva Melton serves as clergy in Alabama. http://www.EvaMelton.com   #COVID19 #CoronaVirus #MentalHealth #BlackMentalHealth

This episode covers qualified immunity, no-knock warrants and proper response if stopped by the police.

Part 2: Various community organizers and activists collaborate to discuss the Grassroots Coalition - Birmingham's "Black Agenda" and the Woodfin Administration report. Find out more about the Grassroots Coalition at: http://www.grassrootsbham.com Represented: Celida Soto Garcia J. Robert Burton Majadi Baruti Avee Shabazz Spencer Bowley Richard A. Rice Julia Juarez Richard Dickerson Eva Melton Brian Rice Martez Files On June 24th 2020, Sybil Arrington-Scarbrough sent out an e-mail to the Neighborhood Officers on behalf of Mayor Randall Woodfin. This e-mail discusses how he endorsed our Black Agenda in 2017 when running for Mayor. The Black Agenda was written by the Grassroots Coalition through a series of public input sessions from residents and community leaders throughout Birmingham. The Black Agenda focuses on eliminating poverty by emphasizing sustainability, community owned economies, and expanding black wealth; criminal justice reform; education; health and wellness; affordable housing; and transparent, accountable and responsive local government. In 2018, members of the Grassroots Coalition, and our partners, helped develop the Social Justice Transition Team Plan. We spent months, and thousands of hours developing national best practices for implementing short and long term policies that aligned with both the Black Agenda and Birmingham's 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Social Justice Transition Team Plan The "Black Agenda Progress Report" that the Woodfin Administration released yesterday was not created with any consultation of the creators of the Black Agenda. It's release was unilaterally taken without any communication as to the oversight and transparency of the items listed and we believe it to be a misrepresentation of the work the Woodfin Administration has done regarding the Black Agenda. In addition, it is a misrepresentation of his relationship with the Grassroots Coalition and our partner organizations.   #education #BirminghamAL #RandallWoodfin

Michael Threatt joins us on this episode to discuss fair housing principles & affordable housing policy with Attorney Richard Rice. Tune in! Share! #fairhousing #AffordableHousing #gentrification 

Part 1: Various community organizers and activists collaborate to discuss the Grassroots Coalition - Birmingham's "Black Agenda" and the Woodfin Administration report. Find out more about the Grassroots Coalition at: http://www.grassrootsbham.com Represented: Celida Soto Garcia J. Robert Burton Majadi Baruti Avee Shabazz Spencer Bowley Richard A. Rice Julia Juarez Richard Dickerson Eva Melton Brian Rice Martez Files On June 24th 2020, Sybil Arrington-Scarbrough sent out an e-mail to the Neighborhood Officers on behalf of Mayor Randall Woodfin. This e-mail discusses how he endorsed our Black Agenda in 2017 when running for Mayor. The Black Agenda was written by the Grassroots Coalition through a series of public input sessions from residents and community leaders throughout Birmingham. The Black Agenda focuses on eliminating poverty by emphasizing sustainability, community owned economies, and expanding black wealth; criminal justice reform; education; health and wellness; affordable housing; and transparent, accountable and responsive local government. In 2018, members of the Grassroots Coalition, and our partners, helped develop the Social Justice Transition Team Plan. We spent months, and thousands of hours developing national best practices for implementing short and long term policies that aligned with both the Black Agenda and Birmingham's 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The "Black Agenda Progress Report" that the Woodfin Administration released yesterday was not created with any consultation of the creators of the Black Agenda. It's release was unilaterally taken without any communication as to the oversight and transparency of the items listed and we believe it to be a misrepresentation of the work the Woodfin Administration has done regarding the Black Agenda. In addition, it is a misrepresentation of his relationship with the Grassroots Coalition and our partner organizations. #gentrification #AffordableHousing #RandallWoodfin

The episode covers the importance of telling our stories, defunding the police and so much more. Scholar and activist, Martez Files, joins us in a discussion on Police Accountability and Reform. Martez is a co-founder of "When We Fight". The mission of "When We Fight" is to educate, organize, mobilize, and support our community in the dismantling of systemic injustice. Communal Expressions is co-hosted by Eva Melton & Richard Rice. Eva is a minister and organizer: http://www.EvaMelton.com Richard is a Civil Rights & Public Interest Attorney http://www.TheRiceFirmLLC.com Tune in. LIVE & LOCAL! http://www.CommunalExpressions.com #DefundThePolice #BlackLivesMatter

Dr. Bertha Hidalgo, Assistant Professor, UAB Epidemiology Department, joins Communal Expressions to offer her thoughts and expert opinions on the current policy response to #COVID19 #coronavirus from a public health perspective. We discuss the importance of social distancing, stay home directives and other measures aimed at mitigating the spread and impact of the disease. We also discuss possible treatments, cures, and vaccines. Don’t miss it!! Find out more about Dr. Hildago at https://chicinacademia.com Find more episodes at http://www.CommunalExpressions.com Eva Melton, Co-Host Richard A. Rice, Co-Host Birmingham, Alabama

Co-Host Attorney Richard Rice joins Business Consultant, Richard Dickerson in discussion around COVID19 impacts to small business owners. Find more episodes at www.CommunalExpressions.com #COVID19 #SmallBusiness #CoronaVirus

J. Robert Burton joins Richard Rice & Eva Melton to discuss how citizens can acquire property through the Birmingham Land Bank. Rob discusses properties available for immediate acquisition, the lot lease program & the quiet title program. Properties available for acquisition are 5 years or more delinquent on property taxes. Find out more about the Birmingham Land Bank at http://www.birminghamlandbank.org Find more episodes of Communal Expressions at http://www.CommunalExpressions.com About Rob: J. Robert Burton has lived in Birmingham since 2008. Burton has been organizing around asset-based community development and racial and environmental justice since 2010. Burton served as the Executive Director of Magic City Agriculture Project from 2013-2017, and currently serves as a Co-Founder and Director of SWEET Alabama. In 2018 Burton was appointed by the Birmingham City Council to the Birmingham Land Bank Authority Board, where he serves as the Board Secretary and Chair of the Law and Legislation committee. Burton has also served as an officer of the Glen Iris Neighborhood Association and Southside Community Advisory Committee since January 2019.   #LandAcquisition #LandOwnership #Landbank

Richard Rice interviews Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, PhD and Ed Whitfield on Cooperatives, Community Development and Social Justice on Communal Expressions Podcast. Jessica is the author of "Collective Courage: A History on African-American Economic Thought and Practice". Ed is a social critic, writer and co-Managing Director of the Fund for Democratic Communities.

Samantha Elliott Briggs, PhD joins us to share all about GEAR UP Alabama! Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a competitive grant program of the U.S. Department of Education that increases the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education by providing States and local community-education partnerships six-to-seven year grants to offer support services to high-poverty, middle and high schools. For more info on GEAR Up: https://www.gearupal.com/

On this episode, Richard Rice shares about the inception of The Rice Firm, LLC.  The Rice Firm is a public interest law firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. Find out more at www.TheRiceFirmLLC.com