Columbus Can't Wait

In Season 2 of Columbus Can't Wait we are focusing our attention squarely on the long history of police violence in Columbus, Ohio and the impunity of the Columbus Police Department. We believe families, we believe parents and caretakers, and we believe that they have the right to have their stories heard. We will speak with parents who have lost their sons to police violence, to elected officials, to activists, independent media outlets and community members doing the work to make change.

In our first episode, we speak with Hyme Darson, a forerunner for justice, an agent for change on behalf of mothers whose children were tragically, violently murdered and slain at the hands of police officers.

Hyme Darson is a single parent of four children including one daughter and three sons. Trae Darson, her third child, was murdered by Columbus Police Department officer Larry Whitman on August 30th, 2006 at Sunshine Int'l Food Market off of 161 on the North side of Columbus. 

In her first interview, Ms. Darson shares her son’s story, including what type of a child he was, the runaround she received in the aftermath of her son’s murder, the inaction taken by county prosecutors in the search for justice for Trae and the many discrepancies found in the official record and statements released by the CPD. 

Please listen and share her story widely. 

***Please note that this conversation may be upsetting and difficult to hear and we encourage you to take in the episode in spurts, taking breaks as necessary.***

And as a note on the stance of Columbus Can’t Wait: We demand justice for Trae Darson. We stand in solidarity with Hyme Darson and ask for officer Larry L. Whitman II to come forward with the truth and demonstrate accountability. We request that the case be reopened and all evidence become available to the Darson family, including Trae's personal items.

#justice4trae #justice4traedarson 

ACTIONS: Please follow Hyme Darson on Facebook and Instagram for updates:

Ms. Darson would also like to encourage those who have lost family members to police violence in Columbus to call us and share your story. Please leave us a voice note via our linktree or email us at [email protected]. 

To learn more about Trae's case, please visit our Patreon page where we share additional documentation provided by Hyme Darson - including the Columbus Dispatch ad and article referenced in the podcast as well as officer Larry Whitman's statement.

END CLIP: “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman performed at President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.

Hosted by Tareya & EhKees. Engineered & Edited by Joshua Chandler. Music by Dev Draper. Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen. Digital Production Assistant: Stephanie Bohanon.

00:00:00 INTRODUCTION

00:28:12 INTERVIEW

01:36:05 END CLIP

In Season 2 of Columbus Can't Wait we are focusing our attention squarely on the long history of police violence in Columbus, Ohio and the impunity of the Columbus Police Department. We believe families, we believe parents and caretakers, and we believe that they have the right to have their stories heard. We will speak with parents who have lost their sons to police violence, to elected officials, to activists, independent media outlets and community members doing the work to make change.

In our first episode, we speak with Hyme Darson, a forerunner for justice, an agent for change on behalf of mothers whose children were tragically, violently murdered and slain at the hands of police officers.

Hyme Darson is mother of Trae Darson, who was murdered by CPD officer Larry Whitman on August 30th, 2006 at Sunshine Int'l Food Market off 161 on the northside of Columbus. 

In her first interview, Ms. Darson shares her son’s story, including what type of a child he was, the runaround she received in the aftermath of her son’s murder, the inaction taken by county prosecutors in the search for justice for Trae and the many discrepancies found in the official record and statements released by the CPD. 

Please listen and share her story widely. 

***Please note that this conversation may be upsetting and difficult to hear and we encourage you to take in the episode in spurts, taking breaks as necessary.***

And as a note on the stance of Columbus Can’t Wait: We demand justice for Trae Darson. We stand in solidarity with Hyme Darson and ask for officer Larry L. Whitman II to come forward with the truth and demonstrate accountability. We request that the case be reopened and all evidence become available to the Darson family including Trae's personal items.

#justice4traedarson #justice4trae

Facebook:@justice4traedarson

Instagram: @justice4trae

ACTIONS: Ms. Darson would like to encourage families to call into Columbus Can't Wait to share your story. Please leave us a voice note via our linktree or you can reach us at [email protected]. 

Please also go to our Patreon page to see more details about Trae's case including the Columbus Dispatch ad and article referenced in the podcast as well as officer Larry Whitman's statement, which wasn't released until 20 days after Trae was murdered. 

End clip: “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman performed at President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.

Hosted by Tareya & EhKees. Engineered & Edited by Joshua Chandler. Music by Dev Draper. Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen. Digital Strategy by Stephanie Bohanon.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:31:13 Interview

01:37:07 End clip

This week Tareya & EhKees recap local Franklin County election results, discuss the growing divide within the Democratic Party, the importance of the upcoming Georgia Senate run-off races on January 5th, 2021 and look back on our first season of Columbus Can't Wait. Thank you to all of our guests for coming onto the podcast and giving us your valuable time and thank you to everyone who has listened, shared and otherwise supported us in our first season. As Tareya says "The election is over, but the real heat is coming next season." Please follow us on IG and Twitter and we'll be back in January with a lot more to say. If you enjoy the podcast, don't forget to subscribe, like and comment wherever you listen to podcasts. 

To get involved in the power shifting Senate races in Georgia please check out one of the following organizations: @newgeorgiaproject @fairfightaction @votesaveamerica @rallyandrise. 

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya. Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios. Executive Producer: Jenn Nielsen; Post Production Assistant: Callan Reese.

The final election results are in and one thing is certain: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the next President and Vice President of the United States in January 2021. Whether it's a response to the collective sigh of relief or the weight of all the work that is left to do (plus a new spike in Covid-19 positivity rates across the country), our energy was a bit lower this week as we recorded from home and reflected more deeply to the 2020 election results with a focus on local races. 

Our end clip this week starts off with “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace asking Trump if he will accept the election results if he loses to Joe Biden during the first presidential debate in 2020. The question is then followed by a clip of Hillary Clinton in her 3rd and final presidential debate against Trump on October 19, 2016, in Hempstead, New York. 

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya. Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios; Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen; our Post Production Assistant is Callan Reese.

This week Tareya & EhKees give us their raw, unedited reactions to the 2020 US election results. We recorded this episode before the final numbers were in with the intention of capturing  the moment as it unfolded. As you will hear, we have mixed emotions. Although there are many wins to celebrate - from the top of the ticket all the way down ballot - it's clear that the work is far from over. 

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya. Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios; Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen; our Post Production Assistant is Callan Reese.

As we often say on the show, we believe democracy happens between elections. With Election Day looming we wanted to turn our attention to What's Next. We have two special guests this week who are always thinking about the long game. Jordan Hawkins, Deputy Engagement Director at Ohio Democratic Party, is on the podcast for the first time while Morgan Harper, the former grassroots candidate for Ohio's third congressional district, joins us for the second time, as our first reoccurring guest. We discuss the importance of continued civic engagement to ensure transparent and effective representation and how we can engage beyond electoral politics. Follow Morgan @mh4oh and Jordan @J_Hawk_TheDon.  

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For all things voting in Ohio go to makeitcountohio.com. If you need a FREE ride to the polls call or text Columbus Stand Up at 614-259-7391. 

Our end clip this week is Sean Penn appearing in the 1993 documentary, The Last Party. Hosted by Robert Downey Jr., the film satirically covers the 1992 election including both the Republican and Democratic conventions with equal criticism. 

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya. Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios; Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen; our Post Production Assistant is Callan Reese.

This week we were lucky to speak with Civil Rights attorney, Sean Walton. Sean is a nationally respected trial attorney, frequently speaking on topics ranging from civil rights and police misconduct to trends and best practices in personal injury and civil rights litigation. We discuss the importance of the Franklin County Prosecutor's race on the November 3rd ballot, revisit the complex and consequential Ohio Supreme Court race and get Sean's take on Issue 2, the Civilian Police Review Board and Inspector General Charter Amendment. Reach out to Sean on Instagram and Twitter @swaltonesq and on Facebook @waltonbrownlaw. For legal services you can find Sean at waltonbrownlaw.com.

Today's end clip is a series of excerpts from Malcolm X's speech "The Ballot or The Bullet" given at King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan on April 12, 1964.

Hosted by Tareya & EhKees, Audio Production & Editing by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios, Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen, our Post Production Assistant is Callan Reese.

This week we deep dive with Stacey Little & Ashley Braxton of the Central Ohio Freedom Fund. The Central Ohio Freedom Fund (formerly Columbus Freedom Fund) is a community bail fund centered on Black liberation and freedom started in 2019. We discuss Issue 2 on the November ballot, the history of abolition and the current movement to abolish the prison industrial complex. As defined by Critical Resistance, PIC abolition is a political vision with the goal of eliminating imprisonment, policing, and surveillance and creating lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment. Resources mentioned in this episode can be found via organizations such as Critical Resistance and Incite! and the work of Angela Davis, Mariame Kaba, and Ruth Wilson Gilmore. Donate to the fund at paypal.me/ColumbusFreedomFund

IG: @columbusfreedomfund 

Twitter: @fund_columbus

FB: @cffohio

End clip: Angela Davis on Prison Abolition. Hosted by EhKees & Tareya; Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios; Executive Producer: Jenn Nielsen; Post Production Assistant: Callan Reese.

This week we react to the VP debate and chat with Lauren Blauvet-Copelin, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Advocacy for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. Lauren addresses the racist history of reproductive healthcare, breaks down Roe vs Wade, and discusses the importance of the Ohio Supreme Court election, to have a chance at protecting reproductive rights in Ohio. Follow Lauren on Twitter @ppaolauren. 

End clip: Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm on the white, male power structure at a 1972 press conference in Florida.

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya; Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios; Executive Producer: Jenn Nielsen; Post Production Assistant: Callan Reese.

This week Jay Goyal walks us through a survey of Ohio politics with an emphasis on redistricting, which takes place every 10 years based on Census data. Jay is the President of Goyal Industries, a metal manufacturing firm based in Mansfield, Ohio. Previously, Jay served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2007-2013 and as the majority whip from 2009-2011. TIME Magazine named Jay one of the “Top 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in American Politics.”

Follow Jay on Twitter @jaypgoyal

You have another chance to secure funding and representation in your community by filling out the The Census at mycensus2020.gov by October 31st.

Hosted by Tareya & EhKees. Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios. Executive Produced by Jenn Nielsen. Our Post Production Assistant is Callan Reese.