Over the summer, Don't Touch My Podcast says, "Don't Touch my Politics" as we sit down with political candidates running for the Worcester City Council and School Committee seats. In this episode, we sit down with School Committee Member, Jermoh Kamara to discuss her re-election, her dedication to marginalized groups, and enhancing educational access for our students and WPS families.

About Jermoh:

Jermoh V. Kamara is a member of the Worcester School Committee. She is also the Associate Director of the Center for Well-Being at WPI. Before joining WPI, she was the Director of Wellness and Health Equity at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts. She was an adjunct lecturer as well for the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Department at WPI and Clark University where she taught research methods in Project Based-Learning. 

A PROUD graduate of the Worcester Public Schools, she graduated from Canterbury Street School, Sullivan Middle, and then from the South High Class of 2011. From South High, Jermoh earned a full tuition scholarship to Providence College where she graduated in 2015 and earned a master’s in public health degree from New York Medical College. Jermoh is seeking her second term on the Worcester School Committee this 2023 and ask for your vote and support. 

Over the summer, Don't Touch My Podcast says, "Don't Touch my Politics" as we sit down with political candidates running for the Worcester City Council and School Committee seats.

In this episode, we sit down with School Committee Member, Sue Mailman, to discuss her reelection focus, her connection to vocational schools, and her commitment to creating an equitable school committee and reflective school system.

About Sue:

Born in Gardner, MA and adopted by loving parents from Worcester, Sue's roots have been in this community from the start. Her mother and father were selfless leaders and alumni of Classical High School, supporting local organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Little League, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and more. Sue graduated from public high school and began working full time, including with her family business based in Worcester, employing and supporting union electricians. In 1986 she welcomed her son, Jeff, who graduated from Burncoat High School. Sue continued her education, attending night classes at Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester State, and Assumption University, eventually going on to take the GMAT, and earn her MBA from Northeastern University in 2003.

Today, Sue lives in North Worcester with her husband Jim Chapdelaine. She has 6 step children, Paul & Kevin Mailman, Suzanne Nelhuebel, James, John and Ian Chapdelaine, and 4 grandchildren Ezra and Salem Chapdelaine, Miles Nelhuebel, and Teddy Cross. Sue tragically lost her son Jeff in 2007. In her free time, She enjoys spending quality time with her family, tends to her gardens, loves cooking, cherishes local art, and adores all things Worcester.

Sue continues to work to enhance this community that she holds so dearly and she humbly asks for your vote on November 7th.

Business Leadership: Sue is proud of the smart and talented union electricians that she has worked with for over 35 years in the family construction business, which she has led since 2002.   Sue has taken great pride in her involvement with the union electrical industry, holding positions with the IBEW/NECA and regional groups supporting apprenticeship opportunities and workforce development. As a contractor, Sue has performed work at WPI, UMass Memorial/UMass Chan, St. Vincent Hospital, the DCU Center, and many other local and regional projects across New England.

Community and Non-Profit Work: Following in her father’s footsteps, Sue has helped to promote Worcester Technical High School by chairing the WTHS Advisory Board and advancing our local community colleges as a past chair of Board of Trustees at Quinsigamond Community College. Her passion for supporting our youth is reflected through her involvement with the Young Women’s Club of America (YWCA) in Worcester, as well as the United Way of Central Massachusetts. Sue helps to advocate for expanded workforce development through the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council and back at home, has co-chaired the technology subcommittee of the Worcester Public Schools Strategy Committee.  Sue is currently a proud board member of U Mass Memorial Health Care.

Over the summer, Don't Touch My Podcast is saying, "Don't Touch My Politics" as we sit down with political candidates running for the Worcester City Council and School Committee seats.

In this episode, we sit down with City Council-at-Large Candidate, Johanna Hampton-Dance to learn more about how she is formulating a platform and her current work in the city.

About Johanna:

Johanna is a familiar presence in our community, hosting the Dear Santa Extravaganza for many years and providing community support by giving out warm home cooked meals PPE during the pandemic, and winter essentials to the unhoused. Johanna is an award-winning artist and radio host as well as a Newton Universal Legendary Award for Social Justice recipient in 2021 for her work in the social justice field. In addition to her work ensuring and connecting people to healthcare and housing resources, she is a committed activist for students with disabilities, inspired by her work with her own child. Johanna has been actively fighting for our elderly residents, wanting to age at home and with dignity.

Johanna currently sits on the Affordable Housing Board of Trustees for the City of Worcester, helping to create more affordable housing within the city. Johanna has been committed to fighting for the people of Worcester from a young age because she knows how important it is and how much there is to be done. As a young adult Johanna experienced being homeless and pregnant. After recovering from the loss of her child

Johanna was resolved that no mother and no family suffer the way she did

Johanna feels that more can and should be done to actually fight for the people in the ot of Worcester. Johanna states." I am running to ensure that our city remains livable for the residents. For decades we have worked together for a better Worcester, with the right people in seats at the table we can find the balance that will keep our residents here while moving our city forward."

Over the summer, Don't Touch My Podcast is saying, "Don't Touch My Politics" as we sit down with political candidates running for the Worcester City Council and School Committee seats.

In this episode, we sit down with District 5 Council Member, Etel Haxhiaj, to talk about her platform, priorities and her stance of the chicken debate.

About Council Member Etel:

Etel Haxhiaj is the Director of Public Education and Advocacy at Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, where she works on homelessness prevention and advocates for affordable housing at the local, state and federal levels. 

Etel is serving her first term as the District 5 Worcester City Councilor where she's been a strong advocate for homelessness prevention, tenant protection, affordable housing, protecting tenants from displacement, climate change, zero-fare public transit, safe and walkable streets.

Etel’s life story is similar to the story of others who fled violence and poverty. She has called Worcester home since 2001, arriving as a young adult with her parents after fleeing Albania’s political upheaval. She is also the mom of two young boys in the Worcester Public Schools. 

For the past twenty years, she has served the Worcester community as a youth mentor, served residents in the Attorney General’s office, supported families in public housing and homeless shelters, organized mothers to fight for a livable climate for all our children for Mothers Out Front, and worked with public transportation and housing coalitions.  As an advocate, she has served on numerous Boards and Commissions, including being a long-term member of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts.

Learn More about Etel: https://etelforworcester.com/

Jennifer and Giselle sit down with David Ginsburg, Manager of WICN public radio, to ask the question: Do all lives matter?

This is a bonus episode with The Crucible Cast Members, Karen Richards, and Danica Gabriele.

Karen Richards (Tituba) Born in Jamaica and raised in Worcester, MA, Karen is an enthusiastic performer.  Karen is eager to utilize a Caribbean accent with The Hanover Theatre Repertory in The Crucible.  Karen made her debut with The Hanover Theatre Repertory in Macbeth. Karen is a lover of improv comedy and karaoke.  Follow Karen on IG: @KarenKarynKarin & Follow Danica on IG: @gabrieledanica

Be sure to check out The Crucible on April 2nd - https://thehanovertheatre.org/event/tht-rep-presents-an-experimental-staged-reading-of-the-crucible-by-arthur-miller/

Welcome to a special episode of Don't Touch My Podcast with special guest, Belén Moyano, an actor and cast member of Hadestown, now showing at the Hanover Theater and Conservatory. As we continue our series on the importance of representation, we hear from Belén's experience and more about her journey in the theater and her advocacy work.

Learn more about Belén Moyano: https://www.belenmoyano.com/

Tune in to this week's episode featuring Cyrille Vincent, Director of Whirlwind - a story about Major Taylor, an icon. 

About Major Taylor:

More than a hundred years ago, when bicycle races drew crowds that filled Madison Square Garden, the biggest draw of all was Major Taylor.

As a superstar athlete in the most popular sport of his era, 1899 world bicycling champion Major Taylor saw his racing victories well chronicled in mainstream newspapers as well as cycling publications. Throughout his career, Major Taylor had embodied the role carved out for him by promoters, the press, and the fans, who fed off each other’s desires for drama and dollars. ‘’The Black Cyclone’’ was allowed on the starting line because of his exceptional talent, but he was constantly reminded, on and off the bike—as a Black American--of his place in the racial order.

Learn more about the film here.

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The angry black woman is a stereotype.

A stereotype is defined as a standardized mental picture held in common by members of a group, representing an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. Underrepresented minority groups often have to overcome widely held stereotypes about their group.

Asians, sometimes are dubbed as model minorities with many of the labels and stereotypes about this group being more positive in nature. Although they do experience stereotyping about their lack of interpersonal skills and their inability to be assertive women.  Have workplace discrimination and must overcome glass ceilings, which is the invisible barrier that prevents them from career ascension and progression for black women in the workplace.

Tune in to episode 7