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Buffalo, What's Next? | Six Months Of Mourning And Activism

Exactly six months since the Tops Market shootings, we pause to look at the lives lost, and the activism they inspired since May 14. First a series of remembrances on each of the ten who were killed in the Tops Shooting, including a look at the loss- but also the activism their deaths inspired. Then, Mark Talley- who lost his mother Geraldine in the shootings - talks with Dave Debo about the journey he has made from grief and mourning to making a change in the community with his wife Roshneke and his organization Agents for Advocacy.

Latest Episodes
  • We revisit a stand-out conversation with Stephanie Peete, Wil Green, and Rob Leteste, who all appeared on a recent panel themed around Carol Anderson’s book White Rage presented by Say Yes Buffalo. The event was moderated by Green, the director of outreach and community engagement at the University at Buffalo’s graduate school. Peete is Say Yes Buffalo’s workforce development director, and Leteste is the business intelligence and workforce manager at Invest Buffalo Niagara. The latter appeared as panelists, along with professionals in law, mental health, and other fields. A portion of that panel discussion can be heard in the second half of the episode.
  • On today’s episode, we welcome three guests whose work in veteran services and outreach has culminated in a new study concentrated on Buffalo’s East Side. Bob James, team leader for WNY Vets, and former service members Edwin Gadson and Marlene Roll join Jay Moran to discuss the findings of the East Buffalo Veterans Study, a years-long campaign designed to highlight the needs of Buffalo veterans who may not know about the services available to them, or how to find them.
  • Today’s What’s Next? welcomes guests associated with National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York: Mara Koven-Gelman, the senior director of Buffalo Jewish Community Relations Council; Rev. Dr. Todd Leach, the senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church; Tim Sember, Trocaire College’s vice president of mission and advancement; and Rene Petties-Jones, the president of NFJC of WNY, Inc. They’ll discuss their experiences with a grassroots organization called ROOTS, a self-described “network of local Palestinians and Israelis” who hold a series of dialogues and speaking engagements aimed at challenging the assumptions the communities hold about each other and build trust. The members speak with host Jay Moran about their work with ROOTS and share insights from these dialogues.
  • On a special episode of What’s Next?, hosts Thomas O’Neil-White and Jay Moran sit down with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, acclaimed author, professor, historian, and the founder and director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. Dr. Kendi recently adapted Zora Neale Hurston’s tale of the Atlantic slave trade, Barracoon, into a children’s book, and he speaks about the necessity of bringing that story to young readers. He also offers his take on the continued spread of white supremacy and what Buffalo can keep in mind as the city continues its healing journey.
  • Today on What’s Next?, host Thomas O’Neil-White has two conversations about ongoing issues in the city of Buffalo. First, he sits down with Kelly Dumas of Healing Hub of NY, Inc. and Amanda Paul of Say Yes Buffalo for a discussion about a new program that empowers mental-health clinicians of color. Then, a conversation about anti-lead poisoning efforts with Janayia Capers, an organizer for housing justice at PUSH Buffalo, and Breana Hargrave, a program coordinator at LEAD716. Plus, more from our recent tour of the African American Center for Cultural Development in Olean.
  • What’s Next? returns to Olean for a conversation with Della Moore, the founder and executive director of the African American Center for Cultural Development. She first came to Olean 52 years ago and has since become a fixture of the community. Her center is full of artifacts from the local black history of the Southern Tier, including items from her own personal collection. Moore joins host Jay Moran and producer Patrick Hosken for a tour of the center and a discussion about its mission and history, and what she’s learned from a half-century in Olean.
  • Today’s What’s Next? welcomes two people from the Buffalo Latino Village, a local publication that bills itself as “the progressive voice of the Latino community.” Alberto Cappas is the publisher, and Solomon Joseph is the editor. Together with columnists who cover arts, economic development, local advocacy and more, the two organize and distribute the monthly publication primarily on Buffalo’s West Side. Cappas and Joseph sit down with Jay Moran for a conversation about the vibrancy and diversity of the Latino community, the affiliated Buffalo Online Latino Art Gallery, redevelopment on the West Side, and more.
  • Our guest on What’s Next? today is Hagar Hafez from the New York Immigration Coalition, where she is the Manager of Organizing and Strategy in Western New York. The coalition represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout the state. Hagar’s advocacy involves language access, and she has also worked as a translator and has navigated resettlement herself. She joins Jay Moran to discuss this work, as well as lobbying for policy change in Albany, the future of immigrant communities in Buffalo, and more.
  • Today’s What’s Next? is devoted to discussing a proposed state bill that would equip teachers with a guide and resources for incorporating climate education into their classrooms. Joining Jay Moran for this conversation are Dr. Alexandra Schindel, Associate Professor of Learning and Instruction at the University at Buffalo; Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming at the Paleontological Research Institution in Ithaca; Tendaji Ya’Ukuu, Ecological Justice Coordinator at a Buffalo non-profit and a UB student in the Environmental Design B.A. program; and Valerie Juang, Climate Justice Student Assistant at UB Sustainability.
  • What’s Next? ventures down to Olean to speak with Dr. Genelle Morris, superintendent for the Olean City School District. Before assuming that role in 2022, she spent years in the Rochester and Buffalo schools in a variety of roles, including working in accountability. Her education work has balanced both the data and the people it represents. Dr. Morris joins Jay Moran in her office at Olean High School for a conversation about the state of education in the Southern Tier, how important the data is for making effective changes, COVID’s impact on the classroom, and more.