What’s Next?
Monday - Thursday 10am
What’s Next? is a program that uncovers and discusses the issues and topics pertinent to marginalized and underrepresented populations of Western New York and Southern Ontario.
From inception, days after the racist May 14, 2022 shooting in Buffalo, the show has tasked itself to be a champion for social equity and justice. Moving forward we will continue to feature voices from all parts of our shared community to celebrate our individual differences as well as the commonalities.
The show is broadcast live on the air from 10am to 11am Monday through Thursday, and airs again at 9pm Monday through Thursday as well as Sundays at 6pm on WBFO. It is also available digitally through WBFO’s website, apps, and as a podcast.
Listeners can participate by using the "Talk to Us" feature in the WBFO mobile app, available on Apple and Android devices. Open the app and scroll to the bottom bar where the "Talk to Us" button allows listeners to send audio recordings straight to the newsroom.
You can also reach the production staff by e-mailing WhatsNext@wbfo.org.
What's Next? will be taking a short break in July and August and will return with new episodes in September. As we take this break, please continue to listen to WBFO Monday through Thursday at 10am and 9pm for "Producer's Picks" episodes of past conversations.
Ways To Subscribe
Latest Episodes
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We revisit Thomas O'Neil-White conversation with University at Buffalo's Associate Professor and Director of the Center for K through 12 Black History and Racial Literacy Dr. LaGarrett King. We then follow up with LaGarrett with Jay Moran as this Friday is the start of seventh Teaching Black History Conference with this year's theme being “Black to the Future: Afro-futurism as Black History”. -
We revisit two stand out conversations. First Jay Moran’s conversation with Community and Public Relations Director for Evans Bank, Kathleen Rizzo Young, and the President and CEO of United Way of Buffalo, Trina Burruss. Then, Executive Director of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center at the University at Buffalo Ben Hilligas.
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Cooperation Buffalo is an organization that engages its community in training and education in cooperative economics, works to grow economic democracy, and creates an ecosystem of cooperatively owned enterprises in Buffalo. Today, we welcome Executive Director Andrew Delmonte to the show. They sit down with Jay Moran to give us a history of the organization, its mission, and why cooperative businesses are important for community economic development. The two also discuss Cooperative Changemakers: A Community Power Fellowship program and their end of Summer Bash called “Co-Op Fest”.
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The Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers is an organization that provides comprehensive family-focused services for adults and youth living in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout WNY. Today we welcome Chief Executive Officer Chandra Redfern to the show. She sits with Jay Moran to discuss the organization's recent Mental Health Learning Series and their new program, 'Mommie Matters' along with other services it provides. The two also dive into Chandra's leadership and how the agency serves the community.
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We revisit a stand out conversation with Thomas O'Neil-White speaking with public health advocate and founder of Stan Martin Consulting Stan Martin alongside the Director of Training, Content, and Development at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Sara Pearson-Collins. Then Thomas follows up with Stan Martin for an update on what progress has happened since his last appearance.
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We revisit a stand out conversation with Holly Kirkpatrick speaking with Buffalo's Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke. And we have a special interview with Jay Moran sitting with Morgan Williams-Bryant CEO of Leadership Buffalo and founder and CEO of MWB Ignites. Morgan speaks with us about her Champion Made Empowerment Summit taking place Saturday June 29.
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Eat Off Art is a collaboration of Artists, Educators, and Entrepreneurs working to build a more empathetic community. Their mission is to inspire others through their crafts, passions, and endeavors to believe that there is a way to be successful, sustainable, and profitable as artists. On today’s show, we speak with the founders of Eat Off Art Alexa and Edreys Wajed. The dynamic married couple discusses with Jay Moran how Eat Off Art is striving to change the narrative for artists and build them up to become successful entrepreneurs, while pushing their message of building a more empathetic community.
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The Niagara Pride is a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Niagara County and Western New York. Their mission is to promote the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community throughout Niagara County of New York State and create safe and welcoming events and meetings for LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and allies. Today, we speak with the President of Niagara Pride Ronald Piaseczny, and the program chair Sherry Fossett. The two sit with Jay Moran to discuss the events that they have been doing in celebrating PRIDE month in Niagara County and the impact it has on local communities. From the WNY Pride 5K Run to Rainbow Pride taking place on June 29 and other events but more importantly, the three discuss the impact the organization has on the youth.
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Today, Jay Moran and Dallas Taylor return to Olean to take a tour with the founder of the African American Center for Cultural Development, Della Moore. Then Jay Moran sits with Marquis Burton, the poet known "Ten Thousand." The two discuss about his career, the dynamics of the East Side and Juneteenth in Buffalo.
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Today, the What’s Next? team takes us on a tour at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center with the Director of Community Engagement Saladin Allah. Allah is the third-great grandson of underground railroad Freedom Seeker Josiah Henson whom Harriet Beecher Stowe used as the primary narrative for her famous 19th Century novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” He takes Thomas O’Neil-White and Jay Moran around the center and provides insight into the center and more.
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Today, special host Bentley from WBFO’s Group Chat sits with professor of theater and Africana studies at Buffalo State University Naila Ansari to discuss the highly anticipated Netflix documentary “Black Barbie: A Documentary”. We also, revisit WBFO reporter Holly Kirkpatrick’s piece on a local exhibit that displayed black dolls during Black History Month. -
Today, we speak with the founder and creator of Our Mommie Village Shyana Broughton. Broughton, a doula speaks with Thomas O’Neil-White about the importance of doulas during and after pregnancy and how her organization is living up to the mantra “It takes a village”. Then Thomas speaks with LaGarrett King, a professor at the University of Buffalo to discuss all things Juneteenth, from the significance of the holiday to how we can continue to honor the holiday.
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We revisit two stand out conversations. First Jay Moran with Laurie Matson (Associate Vice President of Southern Tier Services) and Jessica Schanne (Associate Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management) for Evergreen Health System. Then Thomas O'Neil-White conversation with author and sickle cell disease activist Juanita McClain and Dr. Steven Ambrusko.
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Today, we speak with community advocate Alex Burgos and the CEO, President, and chairman of Upstate New York Black and Latino Pride Teja Jenkins-Jones. June is National PRIDE month, and the two speak with Thomas O’Neil-White about the historical significance of the month, the recent Vogue outdoor night whose theme was “Gag City” and what progress looks like in the LGBTQ+ community. Then Jay Moran sits with a member of the local slam poet team Pure Ink Poetry Dallas Taylor. Dallas will travel with the team to Florida for the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. We may hear a poem of two from Dallas as well.
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Today, we speak with returning guests Deja Middlebrook and LaShawn Davis from Walking Through Solutions, LLC. Deja and LaShawn update us on what Walking Through Solutions has been up since their last appearance on the show. The two have a four-week couples boot camp that they go into great detail about with Jay Moran and how it helps couples solve issues within their relationship and build a stronger foundation.
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We revisit two stand-out conversations with Hagar Hafez from the New York Immigration Coalition and Olean City School District Superintendent Dr. Genelle Morris.
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As June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness month; Andre Stokes Director of Specialty Substance Use Disorder Services at BestSelf Behavioral Health sits with Jay Moran to discuss the importance of men speaking out on the stigma surrounding mental health. The two also discuss his recent speaking engagement at the Institute for Disaster Mental Health conference presented “Responder Resiliency & Buffalo’s 5/14”.
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Today, we speak with award-winning violinist, conductor, and teacher Henri Muhammad. Muhammad appeared on What’s Next? 5/14 Special, however before that appearance, he sat with Jay Moran to discuss his upbringing, expertise, and experience as well as the celebration of the Muhammad School of Music's 25th anniversary.
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Who polices the police? On today's episode we look for answers as Thomas O'Neil-White speaks with Executive Director of Partnership for the Public Good Andrea Ó Súilleabháin and attorney Nick Ramirez from the Western New York Law Center. The three discuss challenges, and potential community-based alternatives in fostering safer and more equitable societies.
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Today, we speak with members from Blues: A 5/14 Memorial Project. The project is a collaborative community art making response to 5/14. Thomas O’Neil-White speaks with the members about the project and the impact it has had on the community. Then, Jay Moran speaks with Bob James from Western New York Vets and Carolyn Damon from Spectrum CARES about mental health first responders and the importance of the responders.
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Today, we speak with Jamestown artist Kaycee Colburn, who recently was featured in a story you can hear on our website about the arts and culture center KayCo. Through an award from Creatives Rebuild New York, Colburn was placed as an artist-in-residence on the campus of Jamestown Community College. She sits with Jay Moran for an in-depth conversation about her upbringing and how her heritage fueled her work and words.
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Today, we speak with the community and public relations director for Evans Bank, Kathleen Rizzo Young, and the president and CEO of United Way of Buffalo, Trina Burruss. They discuss with Jay Moran Work/Life Solutions, a program dedicated to improving workplace productivity, retention, attendance, financial stability, and the well-being of employees, which was made possible by Evans Bank.
