We Live Here

It's been 10 years since Michael Brown was killed and the Ferguson Uprising that followed. To honor that history, We Live Here is returning for a special season with host Chad Davis and producer Danny Wicentowski. They reflect on some of the truths that Ferguson exposed, why there still is an open wound a decade later, and how community members continue to push for a better future.

As we strive to understand, include and serve our community, we look to you as an essential resource for the things that matter to you, our audience.  This special series of We Live Here centers the voices, concerns, perspectives and experiences of Women. Living life in a larger body, especially as a woman, comes with scrutiny and assumptions about acceptability, worthiness and quality of life. Ebbi Nicole, Founder & Chief FLUFFtivist of Fluffy GRL Movement celebrates, elevates and educates the plus-size experience through events, workshops and storytelling in brave spaces. Today we follow the story of one woman who intentionally de-weaponized and reclaimed the word FAT as an adjective. What does Empower the Fluff mean to you? To Empower the Fluff means to fill the void and unapologetically amplify the voices of this marginalized community that still experiences socially acceptable hate (fatphobia) on micro and macro levels. A huge thank you to Ebbi Nicole for sharing your story with we live here. For more from Ebbi and the FlffyGRL movement,  be sure to give a listen to her new podcast Ebbi & Flow wherever you get your podcasts!  , FlffyGR is a local movement that seeks to celebrate body diversity and build a community for plus-sized women. Learn more at [empowerthefluff.com](empowerthefluff.com) Thank you so much for checking out this episode of “We Live Here Women”. If you haven't done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering more ways to “WE”!

[WLHA 013]: We Live Here Auténtico! | Ben Molina | Bolivian Born... Made in STL Today we're joined by Ben Molina. Originally from Bolivia, Ben is passionate about elder care and his work at the Alzheimer's association is making a difference in the Hispanic community. Ben opens up about his journey with depression, finding love and his calling in his field.  He discusses the challenges of a disease that disproportionately affects Hispanics and gives us some advice on the conversations and planning that we should start to have in our own families. Ben's superpower is Empathy! “I don't know how I discovered it. I was always very sensitive to other people and very observant of other people. Also, my mom had a wonderful way of always encouraging us to think positive about people and situations. It's helped me a lot in the field of social work”, says Ben. What does living Autentico mean to you? Autentico means being comfortable in my own skin regardless of the situation. If I am comfortable and honest in who I am, then you are getting the best version of me that I can be. About Ben Ben Molina is a Bolivian-born St. Louis City resident. He's been living in St. Louis for 8 years. Ben has a master's degree in social work from Washington University and currently serves as Program Manager for the Alzheimer's Association, Greater Missouri Chapter. Ben is also on the Board for Social Work Leaders in Healthcare. Mentioned in this episode: What is Alzheimer's.  https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers Hispanic Americans and Alzheimer's Latinos & Alzheimer's Disease:  New numbers behind the crisis https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/sites/default/files/Latinos-and-AD_USC_UsA2-Impact-Report.pdf Links to power of attorneys/ financial:  https://missourilawyershelp.org/legal-topics/durable-power-of-attorney-for-health/ Poder Notarial Duradero para el Cuidado de Salud y Directiva de Cuidado Médico https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Durable-Power-of-Attorney-Full-Booklet-4-25-17-Spanish.pdf Connections: Connect with Ben Molina Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennmolina Music Guide: SEGMENT 1 Good as Hell-Lizzo Good As Hell (Clean Version) (Audio) - Lizzo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QskZIrbRt7c    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoAm4om0wTs Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande - Rain On Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoAm4om0wTs SEGMENT 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tgspkNRIcc&ab_channel=KaceyMusgravesVEVO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0X03zR0rQk   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpwSV1QBd8M&list=OLAK5uy_m4wNZ2nJPQ9ACIaRbcxcsMxZM6oC6MsSk&index=5&ab_channel=NLaFourcadeVEVO SEGMENT 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msl2fl3h59I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfH2AuhXfw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83S-KtvGM2M&ab_channel=CeliaCruzVEVO

[WLHA 012]: We Live Here Auténtico! | The Hispanic Chamber | Connection and Community Central Today we spend time with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis - a connection and central resource in the St. Louis region for 40 years. From the Latino Festival in O'Fallon, the Hispanic festival in Florissant, dance clubs in mid-town and cuisine from restaurants representing many different countries, St. Louis' Latino culture is booming and is a vibrant reflection of our growing Hispanic population. The median age of Hispanic St. Louisans is 25 compared to 36 of the general population and the percentage of Latinos in the region roughly doubled. Most of the growth in the past 20 years has come in Madison, St. Clair, St. Charles and St. Louis counties.  In St. Louis, Latino residents now account for more than 5% of the city's population. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce purposely creates a safe and open environment for people that have similar backgrounds of experiences. The Chamber has specific tools that address some of the needs of the Hispanic community in our region. The staff is bilingual in Spanish and English, so they can help entrepreneurs in their preferred language.  Like other chambers, the Hispanic Chamber does not only serve Latino businesses, it serves everyone. Happy 40th Anniversary!! Mentioned in this episode: Leave a voice message. https://anchor.fm/autentico--podcast/message HCC website:  www.hccstl.com FB:  https://www.facebook.com/HCCSTL Insta:  @hccmetrostl LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/metrohccstl/ Eduardo Platon:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/eduardoplaton/ Sisi Beltran:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sisibeltran/ Build  a bear: https://www.buildabear.com/ Wash U:  https://wustl.edu/ Hispanic Festival: https://www.hispanicfestivalstl.com/about Mural:  https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/hispanic-heritage-month-hispanic-artists-create-mural-st-louis-show-representation-offer-hope/63-53f8c3d1-c56f-4770-afd4-ee71e4065c5c Latinx Arts Network:  https://www.latinxstl.com/ https://instagram.com/latinxartsstl?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Esmeralda Aharon:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharones/ Luisa Otera-Prado. https://www.linkedin.com/in/luferotero/ Carol Lara. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-lara/ https://www.instagram.com/carollaraphotography/ Ricardo Martinez. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-martinez-3609a0168/ Fernanda Estrada https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernanda-estrada-799a61138/ Brian Muñoz:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisismunoz/ Ricardo Garza:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-garza-/ Club Atletico:  https://www.gobluebirds.com/news Karlos Ramirez:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlos-ramirez-8a872b8/ Midwest BankCentre: https://www.midwestbankcentre.com/ Asian American Chamber of Commerce:  https://aaccstl.org/ Heartland St Louis Black Chamber:  https://hbcstl.com/about-the-chamber/ Afghan Chamber of Commerce STL:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghan-chamber-of-commerce-stl/ Brian's article referenced: https://news.stlpublicradio.org/culture-history/2021-11-16/the-st-louis-region-is-already-home-for-many-latinos-and-more-are-moving-here Thank you so much for checking out this episode of “We Live Here Autentico”. If you haven't done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering more ways to “WE” for you each week!

[WLHA 011]: We Live Here Auténtico! | Ricardo Martinez | DACA Dreams Realized Today we are talking to Ricardo Martinez. Born in Mexico, Ricardo is a DACA recipient who grew up in Illinois. His passion for helping Spanish speakers with financial literacy is fueled by his entrepreneurial journey and of course, his love for St. Louis. Ricardo came to the United States when he was five years old and spent most of his life in central Illinois. At heart, he would say he was a “mid-Midwesterner”.  He never really understood how different he was different until later. Ricardo's parents were immigrants and they jumped at the chance for deferred action. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, enabled roughly 832,881 eligible young adults work lawfully, attend school, and plan their lives without the threat of deportation.  It provides temporary relief from deportation (deferred action) and grants authorization to work for young undocumented immigrants. For Ricardo's parents, it meant their children would have temporary, renewable permission to be in the United States.  Meanwhile, they had to learn how to make things work without documentation of their own.  Every two years they essentially lived day-to-day without knowing, for sure, if DACA would continue or not. For Ricardo, DACA granted the opportunity to keep moving forward. According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than 1.3 million U.S. residents were eligible for DACA as originally implemented and it is estimated that the average DACA recipient arrived in the United States in 1999 at the age of 7. More than one-third of DACA recipients (37 percent) arrived before the age of 5. Ricardo's background, culture and journey are an integral part of what led him to help the Hispanic community. Ricardo founded JuntosAdelante.com, a personal finance website dedicated to helping Spanish speakers understand the American personal finance system. He then founded CentralJA, a digital marketing agency focused on helping Spanish speaking business pivot their business online. What does living Auténtico mean to you? Living Auténtico means understanding who you are and being able to share that with everyone. It means understanding and being able to embrace that you can be yourself, learn who you are and keep building on that. You do not have to be what everyone refers you to be. Mentioned in this episode: DACA Source, Launch code Connections: Connect with Ricardo Martinez Linkedin, Central JA, Juntos Adelante Music Guide: Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons Natalia Lafourcade - Para Qué Sufrir Day Trip - Desmond Cheese Calle 13 - El Aguante Everything I Am · Kanye West Calle 13 - Latinoamérica Calle 13 - La Vuelta al Mundo Calle 13 - Latinoamérica Thank you so much for LISTENING to this episode of “We Live Here Autentico”. If you haven't done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering more ways to “WE” for you each week!

[WLHA 010]: We Live Here Auténtico! | Suzanne Sierra| The Consummate Connector, Storyteller, Collaborator Today's guest, Suzanne Sierra is the consummate connector, storyteller and collaborator. Her evolving career path and search for purpose led her to the St. Louis Mosaic Project.  She is Senior Program Manager and leads key programs with major stakeholders including corporations, universities, ethnic communities and multicultural innovation initiatives. Through her work, Suzanne goes all-out to promote regional prosperity and to transform St. Louis into the fastest growing metropolitan area for immigrants by the year 2025. Suzanne's personal immigration story fuels her passion to create change.  She is the proud daughter of immigrants from Colombia, South America, and she is bilingual.  Her parents moved to the U.S. so her father could practice medicine. Her dad landed a job at a clinic in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Suzanne and her siblings were born.  Soon after, they moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, a small town on the western edge of the state bordering Minnesota. Her story is one that reveals an identity crisis. She grew up in what she likes to call a “lily white” community where she was immediately pegged as different.  Though it pains her to share today, she was embarrassed of her parents as kids would make fun of their heavy accent.  There was a meanness that prompted her not to speak Spanish, ironically her first language.  When traveling to Columbia each year for the holidays, she felt out of place and self-conscious about speaking Spanish. She was the “gringa” and found it difficult to find where she fit in. Suzanne brings compassion and empathy to her work in the community because she has the lived experience of being and feeling “other”.  She understands the immigrant story and brings her experiences, language and knowledge to the table. In this episode you'll discover: ·        Why there is a need for a grassroots approach and focus on language access in our community ·        How we lose people when they need services and don't know that they're available ·        The necessity of access to information ·        The importance of providing information to foreign born people in their native language Connections: Connect with Suzanne Sierra Website:  Sierrapublicrelations.com a small, St. Louis-based PR Firm delivering boutique communication services, in English and Spanish. Linkedin @suzannesierrasewell Twitter: @sierrapr Thank you so much for listening to this episode of “We Live Here Autentico”. If you haven't done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering more ways to “WE” for you each week!

Gilberto Pinela has been investing and empowering the Latino community in St. Louis for many years. He is a trailblazer, creator, producer and talent in many bilingual programming and organizations in our region. Gilberto started his career in the US in New York in the hospitality industry, but he always dreamed of being in front of the camera. In this conversation, Gilberto shares his passion and commitment to St. Louis, the Latino community and for making room for new leadership. LinkedIn Dancing with the St. Louis Stars Gilberto Pinela & Carmen Guynn Performance Video - Dancing with the St. Louis Stars 2022 CORTEX En Breve Show Hispanic Chamber Puerto Rican Society Thanks for listening in - what's your story? We'd love to hear from you. Let us know what you love about We Live Here Auténtico and the stories of our community. Or maybe you are ready to share your own story - send us an email at info@autenticopodcast.com

Junior Lara and Gabriela founded Autentico podcast so they could talk to business owners and Latino professionals about their journeys and lessons learned with the hope to inspire each other and fill the need they saw in St. Louis. Listen to what it took to for Junior to grow from the Dominican Republic to what it means for him to see the vision now! Plus, a celebration of life of trailblazer, Minerva Lopez Montaigne. Minerva was an advocate for the Hispanic Community in St. Louis, namely, residents and business owners of Cherokee Street. She was a business owner and worked hard to keep the traditions and culture of Mexico alive and well in St. Louis.

[WLHA 007] We Live Here Auténtico! | Harry 'Boom-Boom' Lopez | Coaching Latino Leaders to Level Up In Life Today we level up with Harry “BOOM BOOM” who founded “Launch Latinx, a mindset and business coaching accelerator program that champions extraordinary Latino visionaries and coaches to access their potential. He writes and speaks on issues of personal and professional change.  Happiness, health, inspiration, mindful living and conscious business are key to his unique programs. that blends many of his experiences in coaching, spiritual psychology, executive leadership, and social impact. What does living Autentico mean to you? The never-ending pursuit of the liberation of one's soul. Living in full body alignment. Pursuit of a Mission far greater than oneself. To have truth and Integrity with oneself. About Harry His coaching career started when he was a third-grade professor in Tennessee back in 2012. he was assigned a coach who would come to his classroom week after week and provide him with feedback, mentorship and guidance. After seeing what coaching did for him, there was no turning back and Harry realized he wanted to have a similar impact in the lives of others. Harry received his bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and his Master's in Education from Lipscomb University and is a graduate of the Social Impact Strategy Program at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice. In this episode of We Live Here Autentico, we spend time with transformational coach and leader in the consciousness industry, Harry Lopez, championing extraordinary Latinx visionaries, coaches & legends to their limitless potential. There is powerful science behind the consciousness movement and there's no one better to learn from than transformational coach Harry “Boom Boom” Lopez. You're going to learn how to activate your voice, power and love to take action toward your goals. We're diving into the consciousness movement and how that work can help us. In this episode you'll discover: What it means to have a coach The importance of navigating your career path How self-doubt and self-limiting thoughts (i.e. generational trauma or society expectations) leads to victimization and suffering Why vision trumps everything and is the only thing that will pull you out of the weeds when you want to stay in bed How to know and believe that you're good enough and you're worthy How to tap into your personal trauma and transform The science of mushrooms as medicine How intersecting and overlapping identities offer superpowers for powerful living Mentioned in this episode: Janie Flores, founder Buena Vida Media www.buenavidamedia.com/ Instagram: @buenavidamedia Instagram: @janiefloreslive Twitter: @juanis111 Vanderbilt University https://www.vanderbilt.edu/ Lipscomb University https://www.lipscomb.edu/ Social Impact Strategy Program /University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice International Coaching Federation Teach For America Broward College Fulbright Scholarship Connections: Connect with Harry Lopez Launch Latinx provides opportunities and support to Latinx leaders and talent build high-profitable businesses and revolutionary movements from www.launchlatinx.co Instagram: @theharrylopez Instagram: @launchlatinx Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/halopez/ Twitter: @lopezcoaching Twitter: @theharrylopez

What would you do? Arriving to a new country and having to start your life over? This is Tania's story – It is the story of many immigrants and refugees - resilience, self-empowerment, rediscovery, family, hard work and success. Tania Interian is bilingual professional and attorney.  She is the owner of Tania Interian State Farm Agency and is the co-chair of the Latino Roundtable of Southwestern Illinois.  Listening to Tania's journey will reassure you that you are on the right path – even with its challenges and struggles As you listen to Tania's life journey, take time to reflect on your life challenges, how you overcame and how have those moments impact you today.

The folks of Fairmont City, Illinois didn't realize how much they needed a library until they'd gotten one. It took some convincing. Thank goodness for Katie Heaton! She knew a good librarian puts their ear down, listens and really pays attention to the needs of their patrons. “You can hear the heartbeat of the community and when you hear that heartbeat, you can figure out what the needs are”, Katie says. Her goal was always to meet the needs of the people she served, whatever that need may be, from literacy to resources to broader partnerships and community services. Only 10 miles from St. Louis, Fairmont City is home for a small population of 2,381 with an average annual household income of around $50k according to 2020 census data. Why would this small town, with a poverty rate of 26.98% want to pay for something they've never had nor anticipated they'd really need? After all, when it came down to things of priority for this community, especially during the pandemic, a library did not top their list. Service providers and aid organizations reported food as first, then utility, rent, funeral assistance and mortgage assistance in that order. One bill that families consistently paid for, sometimes before they'd buy food was the phone bill. During COVID their smart-phones, tablets, computers, smart-TVs and streaming services were their connection to their jobs, teachers and medical providers. Fairmont City probably couldn't imagine life without their library now and Katie is still excited to rise to the challenge every day. Libraries are gateways to knowledge and culture. They play a fundamental role in society. They are a place for personal growth and reinvention as well as a place for help to navigate this world in the information age. Libraries are a gathering place for civic and cultural engagement and a trusted place for preserving culture. For Katie Heaton and her Fairmont City library patrons, it is so much more. Need a boost to your ideas around positive community change and personal impact? This episode with Katie Heaton is a great place to start. Hear how a keen ear and concerned heart for helping people truly makes a difference.

[WLHA 004]: We Live Here Auténtico! | Legacy, Community and Birria. For Tacos La Jefa…It's in the Sauce Today we are taking you on a delicious culinary journey to Tacos La Jefa in the heart of Dutchtown in St. Louis! Only sold on Saturdays, their delicious Birria and Quesabirria sell out EVERYTIME. Birria is a dish you cannot rush. It is a Mexican meaty stew from the state of Jalisco. The Quesabirria is a crunchy quesadilla with melted cheese and filled with hot, tender, juicy Birria meat that has been stained red by the chiles and spices that give it a deep, red color. Preparation is an extensive process so once they run out; they run out. This story begins with the matriarch of the Amezcua family – Heriberta Amezcua – also known as La Jefa, “the boss”. Heriberta's legacy is celebrated every day at Tacos La Jefa. Her daughter, Elizabeth, walks us through the journey of opening the restaurant, a longtime dream of her mother. Her granddaughter, Diana is the gatekeeper of the delicious Birria recipe. So listen and enjoy this loving family and the impact “the boss” had on the family and on the community.

Latin TV writer, Emilia Serrano is no stranger to uncomfortable scenarios. She knows what it's like to feel like a fish out of water and to struggle with internal identity crises as a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents. As a teenager, Emilia and her family moved from Union City, California to Troy, Missouri. The small, mid-western town was as unfamiliar to her as she was to it. She had only known the predominantly Spanish-speaking community of her youth. In California, she wasn't diverse either. She grew up constantly surrounded only by Latinos and her family. It was a culture shock for her. Those experiences shaped her so profoundly that they became inspirational gold for America's BIG Screen. Along the way, she would use those experiences as story points for humor or something that someone else could relate to and she's taken her stories all the way to Hollywood! “Sometimes all the crappy things and all your trauma can actually make you money down on paper”, she quips. “It was oftentimes such a struggle and culturally challenging, but then that's exactly what helps me write stories now.” Her time in America's Heartland and the nurturing influence of her community and family honed her skill as a “Son”-solid storyteller in her own right. Her dad (a mechanic) and her mom (a mariachi-singer) guided her to fight through tough battles and to find her voice. She is proud of her Mexican American culture and her authentic stories reflect her passion to see more inclusive onscreen characters who reflect the real people in her life and culture. And she's winning! Emilia Serrano is co-executive producer of major network television shows like, Promised Land, Mixed*Ish and High School Musical - The Series. Emilia's creativity and skills have attracted the attention of major production houses. She recently sold exclusive content to Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and for actress, producer and director, America Ferrera. In this episode: - What is code switching? - What inspires Emilia's writing for the Silver Screen - Where she gets her captivating storytelling ability and learned how use her voice to command attention - The routine she employs when writing a feature - How our stories and experiences, as well as our traumas and challenges, shape who we are and the ways we navigate life - Ways Ranchera Music is much like Mariachi Music - Her mantra, “Stick to Your Truth”, and ways it gives her power - Challenges of leading positive change and shaping Latinx identity in the entertainment industry - How the wide popularity and consumption of Latino media translates to actual Latino representation (or not) - How representation in media contributes to visibility, identity, belief - Mistakes that Hollywood continues to make - Why she only works on Brown and Black shows - How to minimize stereo types, advance dialog and develop a layered story - What makes a good story? - What's next for Emilia's big hits Learn more: IG: @mexemilia Emiliaserrano.com

Whether you love St. Louis or you need a reminder of its greatness, join Carlos Restrepo and explore our region through his eyes/experiences. From Medellin Colombia to St. Louis, Missouri, Carlos knew at a young age he would be living in St. Louis someday, through the pages of a picture book, he first saw the landscapes of our region. He shares with you his reaction while living here and how he ended up in Marshall, Missouri. Colombian-born, Carlos Glynias Restrepo, is a bilingual marketing and communications professional, with a career background specializing in international business, journalism, digital marketing, and public relations. A native from Colombia, Restrepo's experiences as a Spanish-speaking immigrant have strengthened and widened the communication tools at his disposal, helping him understand the complex issues of navigating multiple cultures when delivering a message, whether electronically, in print, video or audio. Restrepo holds a bachelor's degree in global journalism from Webster University, a master's degree in international business from Saint Louis University, and is a proud graduate of the class of 2017 of the Hispanic Leadership Institute.

When we advocate for one community, we uplift the voices of other communities. Kendall Martinez-Wright is an Afro-Puerto Rican transgender woman advocating for transgender rights in the Missouri Legislature. Amidst nationwide transphobic legislation in 2021, Kendall ran a historic campaign for Missouri's Fifth District. She has a long career in advocacy, politics and legislative work. The campaign's website was admitted to the Library of Congress, as she became the first Afro-Puerto Rican transgender woman to run for Missouri's House of Representatives. In this episode you'll discover: What challenges Kendall faced around identity, “Am I being Latina enough?” What drives her advocacy to bring a more just environment to the LGBTQIA+ community in Missouri More about Kendall's historic campaign, her interest in getting involved in politics and what drove her to end her quest for the capitol seat You can find Kendall on twitter at @KendallKaniMW

For years, Black people have been working on the ground and behind the scenes to create a better world for the next generation. We have seen a number of great activists over the years who challenged the status quo and promoted a more equitable society. I sat down with Ben Jealous, President of People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy organization created to fight extremism and restore democracy. In this episode we hear from Ben about the changing landscape of activism work, his excitement for events to engage with communities, and the legacy he wants to leave behind.

Seldom are Black journalists allowed the opportunity to tell their own stories. In this episode local Black journalists share personal experiences about reporting on stories while living with the very same realities of the communities they serve. 

The COVID-19 pandemic flipped the education system on its head. Teachers had to find new ways to engage with students virtually. Students had to learn how to navigate chrome books, laptops, and other devices in order to complete their studies. Everything changed and a lot was uncovered such as the lack of resources in minority school districts. In this episode we hear from a young school board member working to change the educational landscape in her hometown, a professor with years of experience with a new outlook on education, and community members share their thoughts on the state of education.

This time around we're going to do things a little differently. We partnered with Dr. Kira Banks and the Raising Equity podcast on this episode to discuss movement and mental health. Dr. Banks and I wanted to understand more deeply how people are coping with the feeling of loss, the loss of normalcy, loved ones, jobs, and more. In this episode we hear from a yoga instructor and math teacher about how he combined his passion for yoga with education and then Dr. Banks and I sit down with a local Black therapist who talks about how he shaped the mission of his private practice.

I wanted to hear from Black women in our region about what the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) act means to them and discuss their own personal journey with hair. In this episode we visit Frizz Fest 2021, hear from a beauty salon owner about the importance of individuality, and an African American history professor breaks down the history of Black hair.

This is the second of a two-part tribute to the late Dr. Jonathan Cedric Smith, whose commitment to cultural memory we shared in our most recent episode. In this episode, we're handing over the mic to family, friends, and community members who were impacted by Jonathan's passion for social justice and will be carrying forth the legacy of love that he left them.

This episode is the first of a two-part tribute to a man whose passion for social justice and cultural memory impacted hundreds of people in the St. Louis region: Dr. Jonathan Cedric Smith, who died this year on Juneteenth. Among many community roles, he served on the board of St. Louis Public Radio. Last year, Lauren and Jia Lian had the opportunity to interview Dr. Smith about his perspective as Co-Chair of the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project. To introduce you to this project and Dr. Smith's role in it, we speak with Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, afternoon newscaster and general assignment reporter at St. Louis Public Radio. Then, we travel back in time to share Jonathan's own words about what the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project meant to him. Finally, historian Dr. Kelly Schmidt will explain how Jonathan's care for descendant communities shaped the project and his youngest brother, Jacques, will share how Jonathan's passion for cultural memory, ancestry, and history began.

Jia and Lauren sit down in the studio for the first time since March 2020 to discuss reporting during the pandemic and how life has been for the past year. As they discuss personal trials and tribulations the We Live Here team is also excited about the new listener survey. Whether you are a long time listener, contributor, or community member we want your input. What do you enjoy, what can we do better, and what does We Live Here mean to you? Check out our new listener survey by visiting our website at welivehere.show/survey or check us out on social @weliveherestl on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Throughout this season, we've shared stories of those living in unhealthy environments, how those environments came to be, and what we can do to create a better environment for the future. But in order to complete this series on the environment, we had to discuss land, the people who originated from that land and the movements to restore and give back to Indigenous people. In this episode, we hear from a PhD student working on a research project to combat Indigenous people's invisibility in the St. Louis region and a Director providing a space for students to learn about American Indian history and culture.

Throughout this season we have introduced you to small urban farmers, people working on the ground to change their environment, politicians working to pass environmental legislation, and more. But there are also many environmental scholars working to provide a space for Black environmentalists to thrive. That's why we are introducing you to Dr. Dorceta Taylor, an author and professor at the Yale School for the Environment. In this episode, we hear about Dr. Taylor's work in environmental studies, the contributions Black folks have made to the environmental justice movement, and the power community leaders have to transform the environments where they live.

We wanted to share a follow-up conversation with Myisha Johnson, one of the three working members of State Street Tenant Resistance and the founder of Community First Plus, a new housing and environmental justice organization. She’s been connecting the dots between health problems and pollution from facilities like Kinder Morgan for over a decade. In this episode, we hear how Myisha felt when residents like her were asked to sign onto an administrative complaint to the EPA about the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Then, attorneys Sarah Rubenstein and Bob Menees of Great Rivers Environmental Law Center will share about what happened when they filed the administrative complaint to the EPA on behalf of the Missouri and St. Louis City NAACP and Dutchtown South Community Corporation.  -- This is Part II of a two-part series on how tenants are organizing to hold problem landlords accountable, and what happens when large companies and the state need to be held accountable too. If you haven’t listened to Part I: Tenant Rights and Resistance, listen to it now!

The pandemic triggered a major housing crisis, resulting in millions of renters and unhoused people across the country becoming at risk for being evicted or displaced. Meanwhile, those living in apartments with mold or pests have been stuck with environmental conditions that exacerbate asthma and COVID-19. Locally, tenants and housing advocates are pushing back by advocating for eviction moratoriums, holding landlords accountable, and working to create a tenants bill of rights. In this episode, we hear from the three working members of State Street Tenants Resistance about what motivates them to advocate for a tenants bill of rights, and the Community Empowerment Organizer of a local community development corporation will explain how to hold problem landlords accountable and what’s at stake when large companies and the state need to be held accountable, too.

Democratic Representative Cori Bush made history when she became the first Black Congresswoman for Missouri, unseating the Clay political dynasty. She brought her background as a nurse, activist, organizer, single mom and pastor to her new role and has jumped headfirst into advocating for issues ranging from reparations for Black Americans to taxing billionaires to Medicare for All. She teamed up with Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth to introduce a bill that would bring together federal agencies and create a mapping tool to help allocate environmental funding from the Biden administration. Just last week, she also joined forces with New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to introduce a $1 trillion dollar bill to fund environmental justice projects for the next four years. In this episode, we’ll hear from Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Cori Bush about three major environmental justice bills: the Environmental Justice for All Act, the Environmental Justice Mapping and Data Collection Act, and the Green New Deal for Cities Act. — This episode was a collaboration with Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent and co-host of the Politically Speaking podcast. You can listen to the Politically Speaking episodes with Senator Duckworth and Congresswoman Bush at stlpr.org or anywhere you get podcasts.

We wanted to share the stories of the people who are at the heart of the environmental justice movement: urban farmers. In St. Louis, urban farmers have made great strides and continue to educate the next generation about the importance of growing their own food. In this bonus episode, we visit an urban farm, then hear from a food justice director advocating for a healthier environment and the founder of a nonprofit that provides equitable access to food, education, and employment.

The We Live Here team balances deep dives into systemic issues with inspiring stories about people working to make a difference in their own communities. So when a listener reached out and introduced us to the work of Jeffrey “JD” Dixon, an activist organizing cleanups and coalitions in East St. Louis, a predominantly Black city in Illinois, we knew that we’d have to drive across the river to share his story. In this episode, we’ll learn about JD’s demand for legislative reform, hear from a political science professor about the legacy of industrial suburbs, and talk to a reporter about how JD is one of many Black residents in the Metro East area of Illinois who are pushing back against environmental racism.

We wanted to know how environmental issues affect babies and birthing people during childbirth, one of the most delicate life processes. In the U.S., Black babies are two times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications then white women. So in this episode, we hear from a documentary filmmaker about humanizing Black birthing people, a neonatal hospitalist about the effects the environment has on newborns and mothers and an executive director of an Equal Access Midwifery Clinic about supporting people of color through the birthing process.

St. Louis is consistently listed as one of the worst “Asthma Capitals” in the country by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. During the pandemic, environmental issues such as dust from demolitions and housing conditions make it even harder for people to breathe. In this episode, we hear from a chronic disease epidemiologist and health education coordinator about an initiative to create healthier homes, an educator who collects racial and ethnic data to help us understand environmental issues in our region, and a reverend putting matters into his own hands to help his community live in a healthier environment.

In St. Louis, there are many stories about how environmental racism impacts everyday people and their health, housing, and daily lives. So in this season, we’ll use the Washington University Interdisciplinary Environmental Law Clinic’s 2019 report on Environmental Racism in St. Louis to guide us through conversations about the top environmental issues facing the most vulnerable communities in St. Louis. In this episode, we look back at how St. Louis’ history of systemic racism has impacted the living environments of low-income and Black residents, how the report featured stories of everyday people, and what type of environment the report’s recommendations could create for the next generation. 

In this episode, we introduce you to two Black artists who teamed up to heal and educate their community through an urban farm in predominantly Black North St. Louis City. They share their vision for building an education garden with accessible raised beds, and growing flowers and healing herbs alongside chickens and bees. Then we learn about how they encountered a major obstacle that put their dreams on hold...

In the last two seasons of the show, we have covered the COVID-19 pandemic and the current uprising for Black lives, both of which continue to shape society today. The pandemic and the uprising also raised two major questions, which we’ll be addressing in our new season on environmental racism: How do we achieve a healthy life? And what kind of world do we want to leave for the next generation? These are profound questions for a region that boasts some of the most prestigious hospitals in the nation and is home to residents with some of the worst health outcomes. So in this season, we’ll trace the connection between systemic racism, housing conditions, and health outcomes. But we’ll also highlight the organizers, tenants rights advocates, and urban farmers who are working to improve conditions in their communities. The first episode of the environmental racism season drops on Friday, February 12th, anywhere you get podcasts.

This year, we produced a season that put a racial equity lens on the COVID-19 pandemic and a season about the current uprising for Black lives. As a collective, we have faced this season's challenges head first and continue to press on by producing meaningful and impactful stories, which is why we wanted to know what other journalists in our region experienced during this time. In this episode, we’ll hear from a correspondent for Kaiser Health News about the importance of telling the stories of everyday people during this time and a reporter from the St. Louis American will share what it’s like to work on a year-long fellowship to produce stories about COVID-19 affecting the Black community.

Over the past months, we’ve seen civil unrest across the country in a renewed uprising for Black lives and the fight to hold police accountable. But we should not forget the painters, poets, musicians, and more who have decided that through their art they can motivate people to move into action. In this episode, we’ll hear from a young man who found beauty in destruction and created a group for local Black artists, the founder of ART House will share about how she is building a place for artists of color to thrive in their own community, and the founder of UrbArts will teach us about art’s ability to uncover systemic racism and how we can create a marketplace to support Black artists in a more meaningful way.

The call to defund the police has gained steam as activists and advocates bring attention to police budgets that they believe could be better allocated to education, healthcare, and social services. At the heart of this call is the question of whether or not police increase public safety. Growing numbers of people are joining a movement to abolish the current system of policing and imagine new structures for responding to mental health crises, domestic violence, and social problems created by poverty and racism. In this episode, we talk to the co-chairs of St. Louis’ Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression about police accountability and the tension between efforts to reform and desire to abolish the current system of policing.

Many schools have started hybrid in-person and online learning, even as coronavirus cases keep rising and students continue to experience disparities in accessing technology, meeting their daily needs, and learning at home. So in this episode, we’ll hear from a first generation college student who has been helping her community navigate the education system and an executive director of a local education-based nonprofit will share what parents and families face when navigating the St. Louis Public Schools system and how that impacts students’ experiences with higher education. And then, we’ll zoom all the way out to examine why St. Louis’ educational landscape remains uneven and segregated over six decades after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision.  This episode was produced with the help of Lindy Drew, Lead Storyteller and Co-Founder of Humans of St. Louis, which is a paid content partner of Navigate STL Schools and Forward through Ferguson. As always, We Live Here’s coverage remains independent. 

Back in early March, we were collecting stories from first generation college students about their experiences on campus. Since then, COVID-19 hit college campuses across the country and we’re seeing a rising number of cases since students have returned for in-person classes.  So in this episode, we hear from a first generation college student about navigating post-grad life during a pandemic, a health reporter will share what it’s like to report about the virus at a university, and a student activist will tell us about how they are fighting to uplift the demands of Black students on campus.

Back in 2014, after the police killings of Michael Brown Jr. in North St. Louis County and VonDerrit Myers Jr. in South St. Louis City, the St. Louis University Clock Tower became a site for Occupy SLU: six days of teach-ins, community conversation, and an occupation by community activists and students, which resulted in the creation of 13 Clock Tower Accords to advance racial equity at the school. This year, after a grand jury in Kentucky declined to indict three Louisville police officers for shooting and killing Breonna Taylor, students gathered at the Clock Tower again to hold a vigil for Breonna Taylor and make new demands to change culture and policies at St. Louis University. On this bonus episode, we’ll hear from three students who organized direct actions and a new list of demands to advance racial equity at St. Louis University.

The uprising for Black lives has amplified the names of Black people who have been killed by police and in racist attacks. But the names of people who are Black and trans are lesser known due to transphobia and a lack of understanding from media and society. In St. Louis, organizers have been uplifting the name of Kiwi Herring, a Black trans woman who was known by her loved ones as a playful nurturer, adored by neighborhood kids and her own children, who she taught to value education and hard work. In this episode we’ll hear more from organizers who are supporting people who are Black and trans, using art to promote social change, and staying inspired through the uprising.

The uprising for Black lives has disrupted the social and economic status quo through protests, highway shutdowns and occupations. It has also been an opportunity for activists and organizers to build power and engage people politically. But the pandemic, changes to the postal service, and the increasingly polarized political climate will impact the upcoming general election in major ways. So in this episode, we hear from a state representative who helped to come up with new absentee and mail-in balloting guidelines and two ministers who are part of multi-racial and multi-faith coalitions that engage voters and increase voter turnout. 

In less than a year, the coronavirus has changed life as we know it-- from job losses to evictions and even the loss of loved ones. As we enter the fall and back-to-school season, we wanted to know: what does education look like in the midst of a pandemic and how can we keep students, educators, and workers safe? So in this episode, we hear from two teachers: one who will share what it’s like to teach through a pandemic and another who has been organizing teachers to advocate for safer policies and practices in the St. Louis Public School system. We’ll also talk to a student advocate and financial aid advisor from a local nonprofit scholarship organization about how COVID-19 is affecting college students and what it means to put a racial equity lens on the student loan crisis. 

This is a bonus episode about the making of Black at Mizzou: Confronting Race on Campus, an audio documentary that was recently released by American Public Media. It provides a window into the community of Black students at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the impact of the Concerned Student 1950 movement. In this episode, we hear about the process of hosting and producing the documentary from someone that you already know, but are about to get a whole lot more familiar with: Lauren Brown, co-host and producer for We Live Here.  Black at Mizzou: Confronting Race on Campus from APM Reports is out now-- on the Educate podcast from American Public Media-- everywhere you get podcasts. You can also find it online at apmreports.org.