AirGo

In collaboration with the Chicago Public Library, AirGo has produced this bonus episode exploring the legacy of Harold Washington. Dame and Kiss sit down with four young people here in the city to discuss the impact Chicago's first Black mayor has had on their lives, whether they know it or not. Thanks to Sylvia Ewing, who curated the piece as part of a scheduled birthday celebration at the Library that has been postponed due to COVID-19, and to the four young people–Denzel Burke, Faith Epting, Amir Leonard, and Nisa Anna Perez–for sitting down with AirGo and sharing their thoughts.

Check out the Harold Washington Collection on the CPL website: https://cdm16818.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/rhwc/search/searchterm/Harold%20Washington%20Archives%20%26%20Collections/field/collec/mode/exact/conn/and

Photo by Antonio Dickey

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez of Chicago's 33rd Ward. Rossana talks about how her office is supporting mutual aid work without coopting it, what City Council looks like right now (not much), and what hard lines the mayor and governor need to be taking to keep people safe.

Read the Right to Recovery legislation demands: https://actionnetwork.org/campaigns/right-to-recovery

Learn about everything that the 33rd Ward office is doing: https://33rdward.org/covid-19-resources/

Recorded 4/12/20 in Chicago

Music from this week's show:

Park - Isaiah Rashad

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Dennis Kosuth. Dennis is a nurse in Chicago Public Schools, at Provident Hospital in Washington Park, and now inside of Cook County Jail. He gets on the line to talk about last week's shutdown of the ER at Provident Hospital, what he observed and experienced taking care of the people being held in Cook County Jail, what this moment means for CPS students, and how he stays struggling for a world less rooted in greed and profit.

Sign the Petition to keep the Provident ER open: https://www.change.org/p/elected-officials-don-t-reduce-care-on-the-south-side-of-chicago-during-a-pandemic-reopen-provident-s-er?source_location=topic_page

Recorded 4/12/20 in Chicago

Music from this week's episode:

Park - Isaiah Rashad

From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home. This episode's guest is Sharlyn Grace, who is a cofounder and the Executive Director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. She talks about the front lines work CCBF is doing to protect and free the 4500+ people currently held in Cook County Jail, where the COVID infection rate is 40 times that of the rest of Chicago, and shares how y'all can contribute to their current call-in campaign.

Participate in the call-in here: https://chicagobond.org/call-in/

Recorded 4/6/20 in Chicago

Music from this week's show:

On the Line - Isaiah Rashad

The guys are doing okay. From the isolation of our homes, AirGo is presenting a series called On the Line, which focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and the people putting their bodies on the line to help us all survive and heal. Over the next few weeks, we'll be hopping on the line with workers in the health care, educational, governmental, organizing, and prison abolition spheres to talk about what their work looks like right now, and what we can do to help as we isolate our physical bodies at home.. On this first episode, Damon and Kiss check in about how their quarantines have been and answer some listener questions.

Recorded 4/6/20 in Chicago

Each month this year, we're going to revisit an episode from the 200+ episodes in the AirGo Archives and bring that conversation back to the forefront. This month, we're revisiting our conversation with the magnificent recording artist Saba from 2015. Since then, Sab has ascended to a global spotlight–he killed a feature on Dreamville's collaborative Revenge of the Dreamers III, has released two critically-acclaimed projects Bucket List Project and CARE FOR ME, and now lives in LA with his brother Joseph Chilliams and his partner(who you may have heard on last week's episode). At the time of recording, Sab had recently released Comfort Zone, a beautiful project that solidified his spot as one of Chicago's hottest rising stars, and was about to play a show at Township, a small venue in Logan Square–the venue sold out so quickly that they ended up moving the show the day before. We talk about his craft, the solidification of Pivot Gang, and much more.

Recorded 11/18/2015 on WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago

Music from this week's show:

Fighter - @sabapivot x @kainamusic

Back before the world turned upside down, Dame and Kiss kicked it in LA with the wonderful Qurissy, a Chicago native and member of the community here who recently moved to Los Angeles. Qurissy is a portrait photographer, designer, art director, and visual creator whose photography has shone a lens on so many members of the arts world in the city that we showcase and celebrate. She's the Art Director at Gumbo Media, a multimedia company that curates content, experiences, and services to expand the narrative of Black life. We talk about her transition to LA, cohabitating with her boo (who's an AirGo alum), developing one's eye, and much more. Plus, some damn good jokes from the guys and a little constructive feedback time, since Qurissy is a regular listener of the show. Get in the pre-pandemic time machine!

Follow Qurissy: http://instagram.com/qurissy

Recorded 2/3/2020 in Los Angeles

Music from this week's show:

Uptown - Podington Bear

Rebelion - Joe Arroyo

Sitting on your couch? So is our resident AirGo DJ. Daniel aka DJ Empathy returns with a new #coronamix for you couch potatoes out there. Sit back and enjoy.

Songs on this mix:

Everybody Wants to Rule the World - @themind

Moon River - Frank Ocean

CYANIDE - Daniel Caesar

Time Alone - Jacob Collier x Daniel Caesar

Break In - @themind

Yo Love - Vince Staples x Mereba x 6lack

Antidote - Orion Sun

Mixed 3/28/20

Climate Changemakers is a 5-part podcast series, showcasing and celebrating leaders in equity work and climate action across Illinois, presented by Elevate Energy. This episode's guest is Suzy Schlosberg, the Co-Director of the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action. A senior at Whitney Young High School, Suzy is also on the steering committee for the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective and is a student intern at the Sierra Club office.

Learn about Elevate Energy and their 20th anniversary: www.elevateenergy.org/

Check out the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action: https://www.cyaca.org/

Recorded 2/23/20 in Chicago

Well, that escalated quickly. In the first week of Chicago’s social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19, AirGo takes a moment to wish you and yours some love, and share some laughs from a recent recording session. We’ll be back next week with full AirGo episodes. Keep your hands washed and your hearts full!

Recorded 3/18/20 in Chicago