Podcast appearances and mentions of umar lee

In this episode of the Moral Imagination Podcast I speak with Fr. J. Augustine Wetta about his book Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem. The world teaches us to assert ourselves, to follow our passions, to speak up, talk back, “get yours,” don't let anyone stand in your way. But it doesn't really work. As Tyler Durden proclaims in Fight Club: “We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact.”In contrast to the world's and Fight Club's response (which we won't talk about), Fr. Augustine looks at the Rule of St. Benedict and his ladder of humility as a guide for real happiness and true self-esteem, which comes not from self-assertion, but from self-denial, selflessness, serving others, and not being a slave to one's own will and desires. We discuss Fr. Augustine journey from a lifeguard, surfer, and rugby player to a Benedictine monk, and some of his stories teaching high school students, and throwing himself into a rosebush. In his Rule for monks, St. Benedict explains that any progress toward holiness, happiness, and relationship with God and others must be grounded in humility. He describes humility as a ladder – with one side as the soul and the other as the body. …if we want to reach the highest summit of humility, if we desire to attain speedily that exaltation in heaven to which we climb by the humility of this present life, then by our ascending actions we must set up that ladder on which Jacob in a dream saw angels descending and ascending (Gen 28:12). Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven. We may call our body and soul the sides of this ladder, into which our divine vocation has fitted the various steps of humility and discipline as we ascend. (St. John's Abbey) Fr. Augustine goes through each of the steps on the ladder of humility * Fear of God * Self-Denial * Obedience * Perseverance * Repentance * Serenity * Self-Abasement* Prudence * Silence * Dignity * Discration* Reverence The book is excellent. It is morally and spiritually serious and entertaining. I laughed out loud several times.Fr. Augustine offers apparently outlandish advice to to people struggling with anxiety, worry, and broken relationships* Don't speak up* Be someone's doormat* Don't follow your dreams* Put your worst foot forward And gives “homework” to practice each of the steps including:* Make no excuses next time you are reprimanded * Clean a toilet * Say thank you next time someone tells you something you already know * The next time you see something not done your way - leave it be if it worksIn addition to Humility Rules we discuss a number of topics including:· His book on decision making called , Pray, Think, Act: Make Better Decisions with the Desert Father· Joy cannot be grasped, but is the fruit of love and self-denial.· St. John Cassian and his writings on the eight vices – including the vice of self-esteem, and why focusing on ourselves prevents us from building good relationships and finding happiness.· Challenges of modern life, particularly the impact of digital distractions on mental health and spiritual well-being· The difference between contemporary meditation practices with traditional Catholic contemplative prayer.· The importance of cultivating an attitude of reverence and gratitude· The role of obedience in spiritual growth – and why it's probably not a good idea to throw oneself into a rosebush.· How chastity requires us to see others as persons and subjects, not objects for use· St. Benedict's rule on Silence, how silence increases mental clarity and attention to others, and the magnificent quote from Dom Paul Delatte OSB Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict“The fundamental purpose of silence is to free the soul, to give it strength and leisure to adhere to God.It delivers us from the low tendencies of our nature and of fixing us in the good.“Biography Augustine Wetta is a monk of Saint Louis Abbey in Saint Louis Missouri. He has two degrees in Theology from Oxford University, a BA in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations from Rice University, and an MA in English from Middlebury College. For twenty years, he has taught English, Classics, and Theology at the Priory School, in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he also coached rugby and served as Director of Chaplaincy.  In 2019, he was named a Portsmouth Institute Senior Fellow.  He writes for Our Sunday Visitor, and hosts a blog entitled "Disagreement" with Islamic social activist Umar Lee, and frequently appears on EWTN and Saint Joseph Radio.In 2014, he was awarded the Judson Jerome Poetry Award and the Bill Baker Award for Fiction at the Antioch Writers Workshop (the first author in the history of the conference to win both). In 2015, he was awarded the Taliaferro Award for Memoir Writers at the San Francisco Writers Conference, where he was also a finalist for the Emerging Writer Award.He is the author of several books: * Pray, Think, Act a book on decision-making based on the sayings of the Desert Fathers* The Eighth Arrow, a fantasy prison-break set in Dante's Inferno * Saving Grace, an illustrated children's book about a three-legged turtle.* Humility Rules: A 12 Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem which has sold over 100,000 copies and has been translated into five languagesThe son of an artist (Jean Carruthers Wetta) and a historian (Frank Wetta), Father Augustine was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1971, but grew up in Galveston, Texas. There he learned to surf and developed an enormous ego as a lifeguard on the Galveston Sheriff Department Beach Patrol. During this time, he also worked as a professional juggler (“The Flying Fettuccinne Brothers”) and as an archaeologist (at the Agora in Athens). He remains an avid surfer. In fact, if you Google “surfing monk” his is the first name that comes up—along with a news report about how he was nearly eaten by a shark. Themes/Chapters of the Interview* 00:00 Introduction to Father Augustin Weta* 03:07 Exploring Humility and Self-Esteem* 05:55 St. Benedict's Ladder of Humility* 09:13 Fr. Wetta's Journey to Monastic Life* 12:03 The Role of Self-Denial* 14:52 The Importance of Silence* 18:11 Art, Beauty, and Truth* 21:04 Fear of God and Genuine Self-Esteem* 30:06 The Struggle with Digital Distractions* 34:12 The Importance of Silence in Modern Life* 37:29 Meditation vs. Contemplation: A Spiritual Perspective* 41:39 Understanding Lust and Chastity* 49:00 The Role of Reverence in Spiritual LifeResources J Augustine Wetta: Humility Rules: St. Benedict's 12-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem J Augustine Wetta: Pray, Think, Act: Make Better Decisions with the Desert FathersPhilokalia Volume 1 - This is an amazing collection and it includes St. John Cassian on the Eight Vices Other Books related to the rule of St. Benedict Dom Paul Delatte, OSB —his Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict is long and detailed but incredibly impressive and deep. Honestly it is probably not worth it unless you Here is the quote on silence from Dom Delatte that I refer to in the episode and I use a lot - especially in thinking about cultivating silence, but also in our age of over-information. I also recommend a visit to a Benedictine Abbey if you can. I have not visited St. Louis Abbey, but I have visited Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma several times. You can learn more about them here and get CDs of their chanting if you are interested. Photo Credit: Courtesy Augustine Wetta OSB Get full access to The Moral Imagination - Michael Matheson Miller at www.themoralimagination.com/subscribe

In this episode, Jeb interviews the insightful, highly entertaining, and self-proclaimed "surfing monk" Fr. Augustine Wetta.Fr. Augustine Wetta is a monk of Saint Louis Abbey in Saint Louis Missouri. He has two degrees in Theology from Oxford University, a BA in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations from Rice University, and an MA in English from Middlebury College. For twenty years, he has taught English, Classics, and Theology at the Priory School, in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he also coached rugby and served as Director of Chaplaincy.  In 2019, he was named a Portsmouth Institute Senior Fellow.  He writes for Our Sunday Visitor, and hosts a blog entitled "Disagreement"with Islamic social activist Umar Lee, and frequently appears on EWTN and Saint Joseph Radio.

In this episode, we discuss learning to support newcomers with my guest Anila Umar Lee Yuen. Anila is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary, Alberta. She has 28 years of experience in the settlement sector. Beyond traditional settlement services, Anila has spearheaded programming to include volunteer-led refugee supports; indigenous education for newcomers; LGBTQ+ supports, domestic violence, homeless and mental health support services and broadened vulnerable youth programming and social venture opportunities.  Anila holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology (Behavioural Neuroscience) and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary and an MBA with distinction from Keller Graduate School of Management.  Her numerous awards for her contributions to her community include the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Person's Case, UCalgary Alumni Arch Award,  Top 40 Under 40 in Calgary, Women of Inspiration, Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada and Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.   Listen in as we talk about: The current state of immigration in Canada. Anila gives us a behind the curtain look into what the current state of immigration is truly like right now in Canada. How teaching and learning are integral parts of the Centre for Newcomers. Teaching and learning happens in so many capacities, Anila shares how this is essential for the Centre. Key barriers faced when people come to Canada. There are many barriers and challenges newcomers face when they come to Canada. Anila shares her perspective on this in our conversation.   Connect with Anila: Website: https://www.centrefornewcomers.ca Instagram:  @yycnewcomers Facebook: @centrefornewcomers Twitter: @yycnewcomers LinkedIn: Centre for Newcomers Anila Umar Lee Yuen   Connect with Tiana: Website: https://tianafech.com LinkedIn: Tiana Fech Instagram: @tianafech  Facebook: @tianafech  Book: Online Course Creation 101: A step-by-step guide to creating your first online course https://amzn.to/3BujR21    THE CURRENT STATE OF IMMIGRATION IN CANADA The government of Canada, whether Federal or Provincial, understands the value and importance of immigration. As Anila shares, almost 100% of our labor market growth and population growth are attributed to newcomers. Truthfully, without immigration, we wouldn't have any population growth and we certainly wouldn't have any labor market growth. From an economic and sustainability perspective, it's important to have immigration. Whichever government is in power works hard to ensure a steady stream of newcomers coming to Canada.  However, Anila explains how we don't account for any acts of God, like war, floods, etc. Currently, we have a huge increase in Afghan refugees and people coming from the Ukraine. The government doesn't refer to these Ukranians as refugees, they're called ‘temporary residents' because they are supposed to go back to Ukraine when it's safe to do so. Nevertheless, in all aspects of their lives, they're effectively refugees. The only difference is they're coming here without any type of benefits or support the way refugees would. As you'll hear, the numbers are beyond anything we've ever seen before. This large influx of people coming into Canada has caused issues in the system because we don't have the resources to be able to meet the needs of the community in a timely manner. As such, Anila and her organization have been reaching out to the community, places of worship, and different groups that are able to provide them with some funding and sponsorship so that they can get some of these most vulnerable groups, including our Afghan and Ukrainian women, into programming very quickly.   HOW TEACHING AND LEARNING ARE INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE CENTRE FOR NEWCOMERS “Lifelong learning is so important and integral to just being human.” Lifelong learning is essential, regardless of where you live and which part of the world you're immigrating from.

Umar Lee and Father Augustine interview a self-professed "reactionary conservative" priest--and things get a little crazy!

Back from a holiday and COVID hiatus...I had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation between Umar Lee and Ubaydullah Evans on the state of American Muslims. Ubaydullah Evans is the Scholar-in-Residence at ALIM (American Learning Initiative for Muslims). He converted to Islam in high school and went on to obtain his degree in Shariah from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He is also active with the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and Ta'leef Collective in Chicago. Umar Lee is a writer, media personality and political activist from St. Louis, Missouri. He converted to Islam 30 years ago in 1992. He is a previous guest on the podcast. The topics we discussed are: -The ethics of accepting converts into a dysfunctional community -Are most white converts identity seekers? -The decline of Black American Islam -Racism and Classism amongst South Asians and Arabs -When piety becomes extremism -When pushing a fake image of religiosity leads to mental health problems -Muslims proclivity to conspiracy theories You can support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers

In a talk to the Catholic Deacons of Saint Louis, Father Augustine gives his perspective on the racial tensions in Ferguson and tells the story of how he first met Umar Lee.

Father Augustine Wetta and Umar Lee read "The Disagreement Manifesto" The purpose of the podcast is not to convince, convert, propagandize or win. Unlike other podcasts, we are two men with wildly different religious, political, and social convictions seeking mutual understanding. The point is dialogue. The opinions expressed in this podcast are exactly that. While our religious convictions inform these opinions, neither of us claims to present an infallible—or even an accurate—representation of the dogmas or defenses of our respective faiths. We try to be true to our respective traditions, but if listeners are seeking apologetic or dogmatic expositions, they are invited to look elsewhere. Why does the world need this podcast? Because we've got enough outrage, conflict, competition, and contempt in the media. We feel that the world could use an example of civil dialogue—conversation, as opposed to debate.* *Not that there's anything wrong with debate. The world needs provocateurs, agitators, debates, and protests. That's just not what we're doing here. With that in mind we: 1. Will not use notes or electronic devices during the podcast. Otherwise, it just becomes a battle of the cell phones. (Listeners can ‘fact check' if they like. In fact, we encourage you to do so in the comments section. As for us, we trust that one another's facts are exactly that.) 2. We will feel free to tease one another, but never disrespect or dismiss. 3. We will seek first to understand rather than to be understood.

Is there a viable future for people of European descent in Islam? For this discussion, I bring on Robert Dufour and Umar Lee; two converts of European descent. Robert is the North American head of Islam4Europeans, an organization that seeks to support a positive identity for Muslims of European descent. Robert will argue from the point of view that there is a viable future for Caucasian converts. Robert is a French-Canadian who converted to Islam in 2003. He resides in London, Ontario. You can learn more about Islam4Europeans at http://islam4europeans.com/ and follow Robert on Twitter @robertofcanada Umar Lee is a writer, media personality and political activist from St. Louis, Missouri. He converted to Islam back in 1992 and will be presenting the opposing view; that we should take a tempered approach with Caucasian converts due to the many challenges they may face. You can follow Umar's writings at https://umarlee.substack.com/  If you like what the channel offers, please consider becoming a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter: The podcast: @SultansNSnkrs Mahin's personal: @MahinDaPodcastr Instagram: The podcast: @sultansandsneakers Mahin's personal: @mahinthepodcaster Facebook: www.facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Umar Lee is an activist, writer and author of The Rise and Fall of Salafi Dawah https://umarlee.substack.com/

Dropping an off the cuff bonus show with St. Louis activist, author, and media personality Umar Lee.  Umar is a life long Democrat who supported Joe Biden since his entry into the race.  We discuss the aftermath of the election, Umar's approach to politics and the Democratic Party.  We also discuss some of the various factions within the Muslim community as it pertains to US politics and some ideas of what is to come. Umar has recently published a book called "In Malcolm's Path" which is available on Amazon.  You can follow him on Twitter @UmarLeeIII If you are enjoying the content, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/SultansandSneakers. Every dollar helps! In addition to Patreon, please continue to support Sultans and Sneakers by following me on my various social media channels, leaving a 5 star review and letting your friends know about the show.  I have a website now as well and you can access that at:  https://sultansandsneakers.com/ You can also follow the show on our respective social media: IG:  www.instagram.com/SultansandSneakers Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SultansandSneakers Twitter: https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs TikTok:  @sultans_and_sneakers YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC8nN9RSnLs08M87yEZppwaA My personal social media links: IG:  www.instagram.com/mahinthepodcaster Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MahinDaPodcastr

This week, we’re doing a deep dive into Francis’ hometown of St. Louis -- discussing the heavily armed couple with the huge weird mansion, the mayor of St. Louis doxxing protestors on a FB Live event, and why a blue dog Democrat resurgence is in fact bad. The bonus features an interview in which Francis speaks to St. Louis activist and historian Umar Lee (@umarleeiii) about the recent uprising, why The Gateway Pundit is trying to lead protests to protect statues of medieval French kings, and what's changed since the 2014 protests in Ferguson. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38768117 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here:  https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw  You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

In the first installment in our series on public monuments, filmmaker Bill Streeter moderates a discussion featuring Rabbi Susan Talve, Informal History's Umar Lee, restauranteur Ben Poremba, preservationist/historian Michael Allen and St. Louis Journalism review founder Charles Klotzer. The topic of discussion is St. Louis IX of France — the king, the statue, and the city that bears his name. This critical discussion of Louis IX talks about his antisemitic and anti-Muslim philosophies and actions, what the implies for statuary in public places and whether or not St. Louis should remain .... well, St. Louis. St. Louis Archdiocese responds to calls to remove statue of city's namesakehttps://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-archdiocese-responds-to-calls-to-remove-statue-of-citys-namesake/article_c436119b-52c9-5245-9222-fd939822c178.htmlArchdiocese responds to calls for removal of King Louis IX statue, city to be renamedhttps://www.kmov.com/news/activists-religious-community-clash-over-push-for-st-louis-to-be-renamed-statue-removed/article_91f3ad72-b87e-11ea-a865-972000f8ea41.htmlProtesters rally both for and against removing King Louis IX statue in Forest Parkhttps://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/protesters-rally-both-for-and-against-removing-king-louis-ix-statue-in-forest-park/63-77120fb1-833e-4442-b197-6b81b3fd37a4Photos: Protest over statue of St. Louis' namesake comes to a headhttps://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/pictures/photos-protest-over-statue-of-st-louis-namesake-comes-to-a-head/collection_23d40b35-1b7c-5f86-8cf2-4714ab95ca57.html#tracking-source=home-trendingCatholic Church Opposes Activists' Call To Remove Iconic Statuehttps://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/catholic-church-opposes-activists-call-remove-iconic-statue#stream/0The Problem With King Louis — and the Statues of a Few Other Statues of Guys We've Admiredhttps://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/the-problem-with-king-louis-and-a-few-other-statues-of-guys-we-ve-admired/article_0ce0e135-9c4d-58c9-b874-f928d2e1ffcf.htmlAimee Leavitt: Down with Louis IX! https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2009/07/29/down-with-king-louis-ix

From Top of the Towers to Jamestown Mall, Umar and Toby Weiss Place North County at the center of St Louis history post world War II. From its mid-century modern architecture to Old Town's famous donuts, Toby and Umar Lee share memories of North County and discuss it's future as one of the region's most diverse settings.

Historian Walter Johnson, author of "The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States," joins local civil rights icon, Percy Green, founder of ACTION and the man who climbed the arch--to talk about a range of issues pertinent to Johnson's new book including racism, labor organizing and civil rights activism. The interview was conducted with two hosts from the Informal History editorial board, Umar Lee, veteran podcaster and St. Louis activist and Miranda Rectenwald, historian and archivist at Washington University.

Umar Lee is an author, a blogger, and podcaster and is known for his book The Rise and Fall of the Salafi Dawah. @umarleeIII Robert Dufour is a cofounder of the website Islam4Europeans.com Robert Dufour is a Canadian convert to Islam since 2003. He is of French Canadian descent. He is a bilingual customer service agent and trivia show host, currently living in London, Ontario. He completed his Master’s Degree in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Windsor. He currently writes articles for islam4europeans.com, which supports a positive Muslim identity for Muslims of European Descent. Twitter: @robertofcanada

Umar Lee is a writer and activist from St Louis currently living in the Dallas metro area. He has been published in Politico, The Guardian, The Nation, Quartz, and other publications. Umar is also the host of the St Louis Speaks Podcast and The Unmosqued Khutbah. Books are available on Amazon.

Umar Lee chats with Francis Horton of Carondelet about growing up in north county, joining the military and seeing the world! Beyond cliche, the conversation is rich in discussion of foreign policy, how the military prepares troops for interactions with people of other cultures (they don't!) and what Francis' podcast, A Hell of A Way to Die, is all about.

Umar Lee gives his thoughts on the Game of Thrones series finale, gives a little St Louis Muslim history, and talks about Deontay Wilder's sensational knockout.

Umar Lee briefly discusses Steve Stenger and Game of Thrones before talking about Ramadan in St Louis

Umar Lee discusses the New Zealand mosque shootings, Islamophobia, and a history of anti-Muslim sentiment in the West

Umar Lee discusses Brooklyn, American mosque culture, Muslim history and more with young Muslim scholar Asad Dandia.

Umar Lee spoke with Florissant Councilman and Attorney Robert Parsons about his candidacy for Mayor of Florissant, St. Louis' largest municipality by population. Topics include policing, governance and the proposed St. Louis City/County merger.

After looking at Pacquiao-Broner and the weekend in combat sports host Umar Lee gives his take on Covington Catholic, why all St Louisans should root for the Patriots, the MLK assasination and St Louis, and more.

Umar Lee discusses St Louis County prosecutors joining the St Louis Police Officers Association, True Detective,what keeps him going on and more

Umar Lee discusses the execution-style murder of his mother in the Meacham Park area of Kirkwood. The legacy of Karen Arnold, grief, and the pursuit of justice. Updated with the remarks spoken by Umar Lee at his mother's funeral service.

Umar Lee discusses St Louis, Trump, and more with author and Gaslit Nation Podcast cohost Sarah Kendzior. (Recorded 2 days before the murder of Umar's mother)

Host Umar Lee talks about the recent passing of Ferguson protester, Palestinian activist and St. Louisan Bassem Masri. Umar returned to St. Louis this week for the funeral of Masri who passed on November 27th 2018

Join us this week as we discuss Alberta's role in immigration and the refugee crisis with the CEO of the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary: Anila Umar Lee Yuen. Anila received the Governor General's Award at the young age at 23, and has gone on to be an advocate for newcomers in Canada. Listen to a challenging and unifying perspective on an issue that has been on all of our minds this year, as host Josiah takes us through multiple perspectives.

Umar Lee recalls meetings and times with Saudi dissidents in St Louis in the 1990's. Including leading critic of the Saudi monarchy now on death row.

Umar Lee discusses Closings the Workhouse, Income Inequality, and Minimum Standards

Umar Lee discusses #CaneloGGG, #STL name change, Botham Jean, Julia Salazar in New York, liars, authenticity, and the recent protest of Deray McKesson during a presentation of his new book at Left Bank Books.

Umar Lee describes what has taken him away from St Louis at various stages of his life and trials and tribulations in New York City, DC, Florida, Texas, and more. Always seeing the world as a St Louisan.

Umar Lee walked through the Cherokee neighborhood with Riverfront Times reporter Danny Wicentwoski and talked everything from Ferguson to coverage of the Eric Greitens scandals that rocked Missouri in spring of 2018.

Umar Lee sits down with a panel of guests for a lively discussion of race and space in St. Louis. This week's discussion centers on the eruption of protests at an area Gas Mart following a viral video showing two employees kicking and taunting a black woman. Guests include: President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Abed Ayoub, local African-American Muslims Anthony Merrill and Marilyn Aleem and activist Rev. Darryl Gray and local Palestinian Wahaeb.

For this special episode of the podcast, host Umar Lee sat down with scholar Ezelle Sanford III, a William G. Bowen Fellow in History at Princeton who is working on his doctoral dissertation on Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Joining him for the discussion is friend of the podcast, former comptroller and alderman, Virvus Jones. Ezelle provides an excellent historical vignette for the famed hospital located in the Ville neighborhood, talking about why it was important not just for St. Louis but the broader field of black medicine during the era of segregation in America. Virvus lends an excellent window into the politics and personalities behind the controversial and at times tense debate over the closure of the hospital, drawing on his experience both as a politician and activist during the era. Together, Ezelle and VIrvus weave a fascinating story about one of the city's most well known landmarks on the north side.

Umar Lee hosts a round table discussion at Rise Coffeehouse in the Grove to talk Marijuana law reform and gun control. Guests include State Senator Maria Chappelle Nadal, Alderwoman Megan Green, State Representative Shamed Dogan and St. Louis City GOP official Robert Vroman.

Nationally Syndicated Columnist Aisha Sultan sat down with host Umar Lee at her home in St. Louis County to talk about a range of issues. Topics discussed touch on Aisha's work writing on issues of family and parenting to her experiences of Islamophobia both before and after the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Aisha also has the most bestest dog in the world, Frankie.

Umar Lee sat down with transit enthusiast and activist Mitch Eagles in the Palm Trees on Cherokee Street. Conversation touched on Mitch's life in Iowa to his arrival in St. Louis and his infatuation with the 73 Carondelet bus.

Umar Lee sits down with Andy Karandzieff, owner of Crown Candy Kitchen in Old North St. Louis. Andy shares with Umar the story of his famiy as well as the legacy of Crown Candy and the Old North St. Louis neighborhood.

Umar Lee sits down with former fire chief Sherman George and former Comptroller Virvus Jones to discuss politics in St. Louis 1970-2007. Sherman George discusses his childhood and development from sharecropper in New Madrid, Missouri to Fire Chief in the City of St. Louis. Virvus Jones provides interesting commentary on some of the inside politics behind the public debates around Sherman George and his role at the Fire Department

Umar Lee sits down with a gathering of community voices to talk area problems and strategies for broad equity driven neighborhood development. Guests include Glenn Burleigh of TeamTif, Lucas Delort of Lutheran Development Corp, Fatima Muhammad of Hyde Park neighborhood association, Alderman Megan Green, Poet Sunni Hutton of Dutchtown South. This podcast was broadcast live from Rise Coffeehouse

Umar Lee talks live from 2628 Delmar in Jeff Vander Lou about the muder of Boris Louioukine, cabdriver for Laclede Cab and issues a stern rebuke of those who say that crime and violence in St Louis City is just a numbers game.

Umar Lee sat down with Gail Delaney at La Mancha Coffee House in Old North St. Louis to talk about her life growing up in Meacham Park to her thoughts on mass incarceration and her work for the Griot Museum of Black History. Also discussed was her family's personal visit to the newly opened installation in Montgomery Alabama that pays tribute to those who lost their lives to lynch mobs.

Umar Lee sits down with Sen. Maria Chappelle Nadal to talk everything from politics to north county.

Umar Lee sits down with longtime friend Michael Allen for a discussion of many topics from ward reduction to what it means to be from St. Louis as well as a host of other hot topics.

Umar Lee sits down with longtime friend and Palestinian business owner Ferrahs Abdelbaset about a range of issues from North County to Public Schools and Ramadan.

In this episode host Umar Lee sits down in beautiful Tower Grove Park with St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist and former Editorial Page manager, Tony Messenger for a discussion of a variety of topics from Ferguson and racism to the trials and tribulations of Eric Greitens.

On this episode, our first, host Umar Lee interviews former city comptroller Virvus Jones about his life as an activist and politician as well as his foray into the world of publication as a new author. Due to technical difficulties our second segment was cut, our guest Mitch Eagles will discuss in next week's episode bus transit in St. Louis.Intro Track: Jailhouse Rock by Henry SeaseOutro Track: World wide walk (feat. Daman) by 4bstr4ck3r

In this episode we speak with Umar Lee of St. Louis, an activist, author, and former cab driver. Lee became known to many during the 2014 protests in Ferguson following the killing of Michael Brow. He was also a vocal presence during the debate surrounding the entry of ride sharing services in St. Louis such as Lyft and Uber. We spoke with Lee about his upbringing in North St. Louis County, how things have changed, and how in some ways the scene has been set for years for unrest. Regarded by many to be a controversial figure, Lee's critique of the region is clearly a product of his love for St. Louis. In the podcast we touch on Lee's conversion to Islam, his time away from St. Louis including a stint in New York, and his return to St. Louis, and why he often rails against "Hipsters" on social media. Umar can be found on Twitter @penofumar. The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Creatives on Call and Red Brick Realty.

Producer Bobby is off for the week, so what was a three-way turns into a two way but that other member is a doozy.  Andy Echele, former co-host, joins the show to talk with Mark about whats been up in his life.  This leads to Mark and Andy breaking down the St. Louis area for the people listening around the country and throughout the world.  Mark brings up the fact that STL people tend to be riddled with bad attitude and the guys try to figure out where this attitude comes from. Is it upbringing? Maybe? Is it the water? Maybe?  Then the two tackle a special story out of the STL area about a mother and father sticking up for their kid at a local park...by pulling a gun.  Mark poses this to Andy to find out who was in the wrong in his mind.  Was the mother being overly protective or just out right lawless?  Finally, the discussion turns to Kim Davis. Kim Davis, the Kentucky County Court clerk who has persistently refused to issue gay marriage licenses, has asked the Supreme Court to hear her case. Mark and Andy break down the ill will she is throwing out there and figure if she is a worthless idiot or making a strong case for others.  This in a weird way leads to a discussion about Motorcycle Riding clubs and their backgrounds, as well as their ranking system amongst each other.In Overtime, Andy brings up Umar Lee and his mild dislike for people within the STL community in the past year taking sides on racial inequality. They discuss the value of racial inequality in the area and a recent story regarding neighbors not getting along because of loud dogs (go figure in STL).