The Common Ground Initiative

 Listen to Anthony Payton tell his story about struggles with mental health and wellness and to his conversation with Nicole Sublette is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, with a private practice in Manchester. Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.    

In the second part of his series exploring at risk youth, Anthony Payton discusses the struggles kids in these situations face and how early intervention efforts do help to turn the tide. Payton also interviews John Rainville, Executive Director of the Manchester Police Athletic League on the impacts the program has on neighborhood kids and how volunteers can get involved.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.

From the outside, you'd think the colossal building on the corner of Beech and Lake street in Manchester is a police academy or substation with a formidable facade. But inside, there's an elite-level boxing gym, a well-kept kitchen used for culinary arts classes, and a huge area for wrestling and Aikido classes. This is where MPAL looks to serve the 8,600 at-risk youth within a mile of the facility and beyond. John Rainville, executive director of MPAL, explains that there is magic when officers meet and interact with community members and their children. Listen as Anthony Payton interviews Rainville on the benefits and challenges of the MPAL program in Manchester, NH.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.

In part 1 of our series, “Avoiding Prison or an early Death,” I write about my experiences growing up as at-risk youth in Brooklyn, New York, and how decades later, in a different state, communities are facing these same issues.   In this column, I look at an effective organization in Manchester, MYTURN. MYTURN gives at-risk and disadvantaged youth the chance to focus on their goals and succeed in life. It provides mentorship and safe spaces for these young men and women to gain the skills and knowledge critical to becoming upwardly mobile members of society. I also spoke with a mentor who's been involved in the criminal justice system and was at-risk himself.  For this interview, I also spoke with Allison Joseph, Executive Director of MYTURN.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.  

In part 1 of our series, “Avoiding Prison or an early Death,” I write about my experiences growing up as at-risk youth in Brooklyn, New York, and how decades later, in a different state, communities are facing these same issues.   In this interview, I'm speaking with Allison Joseph, executive director of MY TURN, a mentoring program that aims to help at risk youth.    Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.  

In part 1 of our series, “Avoiding Prison or an early Death,” I write about my experiences growing up as at-risk youth in Brooklyn, New York, and how decades later, in a different state, communities are facing these same issues.   In this column, I look at an effective organization in Manchester, MYTURN. MYTURN gives at-risk and disadvantaged youth the chance to focus on their goals and succeed in life. It provides mentorship and safe spaces for these young men and women to gain the skills and knowledge critical to becoming upwardly mobile members of society. I also spoke with a mentor who's been involved in the criminal justice system and was at-risk himself.   Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.  

While New Hampshire is still a predominantly white state, we are becoming more diverse like the rest of the country. As these communities grow, they need to have a representation and stories in both media and popular culture pertinent to them, their narrative and their voice. This representation needs to run the entire spectrum of news and entertainment, from newsrooms to beat reporters. There should be a pathway for them to have a seat at the decision-making table.  Their representation would likely show us stories about those local residents contributing to their communities, as opposed to the countless stories of illegal immigration. In this episode, Payton shares his thoughts and interviews NHPR reporter and editor Daniela Allee who leads the station's Spanish news initiative,  ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire?  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.

When it comes to trailblazing Latinas in New Hampshire, Daniela Allee is one who's on the rise. Through NHPR, she helps get Spanish news to the communities of the Granite State. She has a pulse on the Latino communities in the state, keeping in touch through apps, events and in-person reporting. A resident of New Hampshire for five years, Allee brings a breath of fresh air to the regular status-quo. Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.

While New Hampshire is still a predominantly white state, we are becoming more diverse like the rest of the country. As these communities grow, they need to have a representation and stories in both media and popular culture pertinent to them, their narrative and their voice. This representation needs to run the entire spectrum of news and entertainment, from newsrooms to beat reporters. There should be a pathway for them to have a seat at the decision-making table.  Their representation would likely show us stories about those local residents contributing to their communities, as opposed to the countless stories of illegal immigration.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University. The views expressed in this podcast are the hosts alone and do not necessarily reflect those of GSNC, its partners or The Marlin Fitzwater Center.

There seems to be a universal friendly gesture, or hidden code if you will, among Black people here in New Hampshire. It's the eye contact and head nod. Whether shopping for food, weaving through the aisles in Walmart, or sitting in traffic, that head nod means acknowledgment.   And yet, Black Americans in New Hampshire and across the country aren't a monolith. Although our roots at some point land in Africa, our roads here to America have been quite different. Mine were through birth, but some took the long road of leaving turbulence in their homeland to wind up here on American soil. There are thriving communities of refugee populations here in New Hampshire.  Listen as Anthony Payton, host of the Common Ground Initiative, tells his own story and interviews Grace Kindeke, of Manchester, who came to New Hampshire as a child from Democratic Republic of Congo. The two discussed how the African immigrant community and the American-born Black Community have traditionally interacted with each other.  PODBEAN BOILERPLATE: Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

Anthony Payton's Common Ground Podcast, aims to highlight the diversity of  New Hampshire communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community.  In this week's episode, Anthony tackles the misconception that people of color hate America and that criticism of systemic injustice is unpatriotic. Read his companion Q&A with Cordan James Haveron at https://www.collaborativenh.org/common-ground-initiative

Writer Anthony Payton discusses how one troubleshooter inspired change in his city and himself.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

There's more than what meets the eyes regarding Black hair. It's an expression, it's pride, and it's a showing of our culture. Most of us aren't born with the silky texture that blows in the wind like those shampoo commercials on television. What we have, we wear with pride; through it, we display the heritage and roots we were born with.  But the topic of our hair too often is the source of office gossip and bias in professional settings. Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.  

In this week's episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Franklin Pierce University, writer Anthony Payton discusses coming to grips with his hyper-masculine upbringing and embracing his stepson's identity and the LGBTQ+ community. Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

As we step foot into this new year and I continue crafting my goals for the year, I decided to reach back to a few young men from my past to get an update on where they are in life. I wanted to see if there was any advice that I could offer to them, or possibly have an exchange of ideas that could benefit us all. It turns out that they were doing well, but that wasn't the case for some of the younger generation.  Listen to Anthony Payton's message to Black Youth in this episode of The Common Ground Initiative.   Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

In this episode, writer Anthony Payton reflects on his two year journey of re-entering society after a six-and-half year incarceration.  Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester. He can be reached at anthony.payton@collaborativenh.org. This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. The podcast is produced by Payton in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications at Franklin Pierce University.

Imagine walking into a secured prison yard. One so secured with the walls so high that when you look up, all you see is the sky. You go back to your cell. It's so loud and the potential for violence so ripe, you're always on high alert. It's easy to succumb to that culture. How do you cope? How do you pass the time in a place like that?   Many years ago, I was faced with that question. In regards to doing my time, I had a choice to make: I could continue being angry and feeling helpless, or, I could find a path to improve my situation. To do the latter, I knew it meant removing myself from the negative influences that surrounded me. I'd have to separate myself from the violence that manages to permeate through those prison walls. After all, prison is just a microcosm of the outside world.   I sought refuge in furthering my education. In Ep. 4 of The Common Ground podcast, host Anthony Payton discusses the value of investing in education behind bars. Anthony Payton is a freelance writer and father living in Manchester, NH.  This story is part of his project, The Common Ground Initiative which aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. This podcast is produced in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University. For more information visit www.collaborativenh.org/common-ground-initiative

"Whether implied or said outright, the myth of the Black woman who's a drain on society persists. I'm talking about the stereotype of a woman who's holding a toddler while flanked by 10 more kids with her hands out. This myth, as untrue and unfair as it is, has shaped the perception of Black women in this country." Writer Anthony Payton's Common Ground Initiative,  aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community.   

Writer Anthony Payton's Common Ground Initiative,  aims to highlight the diversity of our communities with stories of people the average Granite Stater might not get to see or meet. The goal is to clarify misconceptions and find the threads that bind us all together as one New Hampshire community. In his first episode, Payton explains the conversation that led him to create this project.