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.

This week we talk to Jasmine Ayres, community organizer and former candidate for Columbus City Council representative in Ohio. In this episode we discuss the Census 2020, reflect on the non-indictments and miscarriage of justice in Breonna Taylor's case, and talk through the psychology of protesting and why it's still important. 

The census deadline is coming up. Regardless if you are undocumented, have a felony on your record, or even a warrant out for your arrest - you will not be punished for filling out the Census. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts a count of EVERYONE in the United States every 10 years. The Census governs the allocation of more than $675 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year for roads, schools, and other public institutions across our communities. It also determines the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes. 

The Census takes less than 10 minutes to fill out and is available in 59 languages. Fill out the Census by September 30th online at my2020census.gov, over the phone at 844-330-2020, or in person at your nearest Columbus Public Library location.

Follow Jasmine Ayres @Ayres4Columbus @jasmineandretti

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

In today's episode we interview Morgan Harper. The former grassroots candidate for Ohio’s Third Congressional District (Columbus) pivoted to direct service during the pandemic and recently launched a new organization, Columbus Stand Up! 

Please join us as we catch up with her for the first time since the April primary.

Follow Morgan Harper @mh4oh 

Hosted by EhKees & Tareya

Recorded & Edited by The Dreamcatchers Recording Studios. 

Executive Producer: Jenn Nielsen; Associate Producer: Achinthya Sivalingam; Post Production Assistant: Callan Reese.

You Do Politics or Politics Do You.

Meet our hosts Tareya and EhKees.

Columbus Can’t Wait is a show that revolves around civic and social responsibility in Columbus, Ohio. Aimed at arming everyday people with knowledge about how local and state government works and the ways in which the federal government impacts their daily lives, our goal is to break the barriers of entry and make politics accessible for anybody looking to be engaged. We don’t believe that we can afford to just keep on telling people “go vote”, so we’re doing everything we can to help the people understand what they are voting on.

In regards to local Ohio politics -- we aren’t saying we have all the answers (or even all the questions) -- but we are saying that Columbus Can’t Wait to have these conversations any longer.

Audio Engineer: Callan Reese; Executive Producer: Jenn Nielsen; Associate Producer: Achinthya Sivalingam.