Jessica Dandridge Smith is Executive Director of The Water Collaborative, and alongside Deniseea Head, Ryan "Phlegm" Gilbert, and Nesby Phips, she dives into one of New Orleans' most overlooked public health issues: lead contamination.

We break down how lead has become embedded in New Orleans' soil, water infrastructure, historic housing, and even playgrounds, exploring what decades of environmental exposure could mean for children, families, and communities across the city. From Hurricane Katrina's lasting impact to aging lead service lines and the challenges of remediation, we unpack the science, policy, and environmental justice concerns behind a problem many residents can't see, taste, or smell. Over curated cocktails and candid conversation, we connect the dots between lead exposure, public health, and the future of living and thriving with water in New Orleans.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & Cocktail Conversation

02:05 Is New Orleans Worse Than Flint?

04:17 How Katrina Spread Lead Across the City

05:54 Lead Contamination in New Orleans Playgrounds

11:07 Why Lead Is Harder to Detect Than Flint's Water Crisis

13:02 The Real Health Impacts of Lead Poisoning

28:45 The Water Collaborative's Lead Testing Results

36:26 Can New Orleans Afford to Fix Its Lead Problem?

40:13 What Residents Can Do to Protect Their Families

47:53 Pour One Out: Finding Hope After the Lead Conversation

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down:

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Jessica Dandridge is the Executive Director of The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, joined by Deniseea Head and Ryan “Phlegm” Gilbert for a conversation about the hidden history of steamboats in New Orleans and the complicated role they played in shaping the South. Together, we unpack how steamboats became one of the city’s most recognizable cultural symbols while also serving as a major tool in the expansion of slavery during the Second Middle Passage. From Hollywood movies and tourism imagery to Black innovation and resistance, this episode challenges the stories many of us were taught growing up.

We also explore the overlooked contributions of Black inventor Benjamin Montgomery, the incredible story of Robert Smalls escaping slavery by commandeering a Confederate ship, and the harmful role organizations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy played in romanticizing plantation culture and rewriting public memory around slavery. With humor, personal stories, and historical context, this conversation dives into the layers behind one of New Orleans’ most iconic images.

Timestamps:

0:00 Naming the Cocktail & Steamboat Memories

2:06 Why Are Steamboats Everywhere in New Orleans Media?

7:49 The Real Origins of Steamboats in America

10:15 The Second Middle Passage & How Steamboats Expanded Slavery

16:17 Childhood Steamboat Field Trips & Untold History

21:08 How Black Workers Used Steamboats to Escape Slavery

22:57 Robert Smalls Hijacks a Confederate Ship

38:12 The United Daughters of the Confederacy & Rewriting Southern History

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down:

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Jessica Dandridge, Deniseea Head, Ryan “Phlegm” Gilbert, and Nesby Phips are hosts and cultural storytellers decoding climate innovation through a New Orleans lens. We break down African-led climate solutions - from seafood supply chain apps connecting local fishers directly to consumers, to kinetic energy technology, flood mitigation systems, and recycled plastic building materials - and explore what it would take to bring these ideas home to New Orleans.

We connect global innovation to local culture, asking how second lines, Mardi Gras waste, and our coastal economy could power real, community-driven solutions. Through honest conversation, humor, and lived experience, we highlight the importance of equitable innovation and what it looks like when communities lead the way in shaping a more sustainable future.

Timestamps:

2:45 COP30 Recap

06:50 Abalobi

13:40 Optim Energy

20:38 DR Congo's Humanoid Traffic Robots

29:45 Slamdam

33:20 Gjenge Makers

44:30 Final Picks and What Works For New Orleans

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Brent Craige is the founder of Newtral Groundz Media, and he joins us to unpack the real implications of AI, technology, and who actually benefits from it. Together, we dig into the tension between innovation and harm, like questioning whether tools like ChatGPT should be restricted, regulated, or taught in schools as essential digital literacy. We talk about access gaps, misinformation, mental health risks, and how communities without resources risk being left even further behind as technology accelerates.

We also zoom out to the bigger picture: the environmental costs of powering AI, corporate control, intellectual property, and what it means for artists and creators trying to protect their work. From ethical use to regional economic power, we wrestle with whether technology can truly democratize opportunity, or if it will simply deepen the divide. As always, we don’t water it down. We connect the dots between tech, equity, and community impact right here at home in New Orleans.

Timestamps:

0:00 - 7:00 - Meet Brent Craige: Tech, Media & Community Power

7:00 - 12:45 - Too Much Information? AI, Mental Health & Digital Overload

12:45 - 23:00 - Should AI Be Taught in Schools? Access vs. Restriction

23:00 - 38:40 - Cultural Resistance & Fear of the Unknown

38:40 - 47:50 - The Environmental Cost of AI & Who Pays for It

47:50 - 56:00 - AI & Artists: Creative Tool or Creative Theft?

56:00 - 1:03:30 - Using AI Ethically: Building Local Power

1:03:30 - 1:10:45 - Can Technology Break Big Business? A Regional Reset

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Gregory Swafford is a community organizer and co-founder of Culture of Cleanliness, and he joins us to talk about what it really means to fight for environmental justice in Louisiana. We dig into how his work evolved from neighborhood cleanups to confronting invisible pollution tied to LNG facilities and petrochemical plants, and why so many frontline communities are forced to live with the health, economic, and political consequences of industry expansion.

We also connect the dots between environmental harm, systemic racism, and voter suppression, breaking down why the fight for clean air and water cannot be separated from the fight for representation and political power. Gregory leaves us with a clear reminder that lasting change is built through sustained organizing, long-term commitment, and communities consistently showing up for themselves.

Tune in for a powerful discussion that connects the dots between energy, water, and the fight for a more equitable future.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introductions and New Orleans' Cultural Influence

4:50 Belonging in New Orleans

7:20 Authenticity in Politics

9:30 Gregory Swafford’s Path to Environmental Justice

19:00 Invisible Pollution and Environmental Racism

26:45 Voting Rights, Power, and Community Representation

31:30 Environmental Justice, Leadership, and Who Gets Heard

40:20  Sustained Organizing and What Real Change Takes

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

The Saltwater Underground Railroad is a little-known Black liberation network that predates Harriet Tubman and completely reframes how we understand freedom, Florida, and Black history. We break down how enslaved and free Black people escaped bondage by moving south through Florida and across open water to the Bahamas, aided by Black Seminoles and Indigenous communities who built autonomous settlements long before Florida became part of the United States.

We dig into why Florida is such a cultural outlier in the South, how Caribbean, African, and Indigenous histories shaped Black Floridian identity, and why these stories are rarely taught. The conversation challenges myths about Black people and water, connects past resistance to present-day movements like Black in Marine Science, and asks what liberation looks like when freedom is close enough to reach—if you’re willing to move.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:10 What Is the Saltwater Underground Railroad?

6:40 The History of Slavery and Free Black Communities in Florida

11:00 Black Seminoles, Resistance, and War

18:00 Escaping by Sea: 6,000 People to the Bahamas

25:20 Is Florida Really The South?

35:50 Black in Marine Science

44:00 Youth's Access to Environmental Education

58:45 Collective Consciousness and What Comes Next

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Follow our hosts on Instagram

Jessica @Queenofwata

Deniseea @chickenandchampagne

Ryan @mynameisphlegm

Nesby @Nesbyphips

Six days after the 2025 New Orleans Mayoral election, we sat down with Gregory Swafford, co-founder of the Culture of Cleanliness, and our hosts Jessica, Deniseea, and Ryan to talk straight about what really moves New Orleans forward: informed civic engagement and community action. We unpack our takeaways from the election, like low voter turnout, the locals vs. transplants dynamic, and how influencer culture can spread both information and misinformation. Gregory shares why neighborhood pride starts on your own block, what it takes to curb illegal dumping, and how resident-led cleanups can shift the tone at City Hall.

We also get into the bigger vision—voter education that meets people where they are, clear roles for council members vs. communities, and bold ideas like leveraging our waterways and reimagining services in New Orleans East.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

3:20 Much Needed Election Week Debrief

8:45 Local vs. Transplant Influencers

14:10 Voter Education and Misinformation

21:55 What Should We Expect From Our Elected Officials

30:40 Innovation in New Orleans East

39:50 What's Next for New Orleans

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Check out our first season – www.youtube.com/@nolawater

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Follow our hosts on Instagram

Jessica @Queenofwata

Deniseea @chickenandchampagne

Ryan @mynameisphlegm

Nesby @Nesbyphips

What would it really mean to live a day without water? In honor of the 2025 Imagine a Day Without Water on October 16th, Jessica, Deniseea, Ryan, and Nesby are digging into how something we take for granted touches every part of life: from brushing our teeth and cooking dinner to keeping schools open and communities running.

We break down how water connects everything , health, culture, and daily survival, and why access isn’t equal for everyone. We discuss why Americans consume more water than many other countries, the commodification of water, what access to free water looks like around the world. From New Orleans boil-water advisories to global stories of scarcity, this conversation challenges how we value the most essential resource we have. Tune in for a thought-provoking episode that’ll make you think twice before your next long shower.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction/Cheers

2:07 Imagine a Day Without Water?

6:01 Water Rationing in the Desert

13:09 What Happens to the Human Body Without Water

17:03 The American Obsession with Water

24:00 Tap vs. Bottled Water

36:50 Where Our Water Comes From

47:17 Pour One Out

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Check out our first season – www.youtube.com/@nolawater

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Follow our hosts on Instagram

Jessica @queenofwata

Deniseea @chickenandchampagne

Ryan @mynameisphlegm

Nesby @Nesbyphips

For the first episode of our new season, Don’t Water It Down hosts Jessica, Deniseea, Ryan, and Nesby sat down with KD, Community Solutions Manager at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, at the One Water Conference in Pittsburgh, to unpack some of the biggest challenges New Orleans faces around water and energy.

Together, we explore how government decisions and corporate influence shape our access to essential resources, and why understanding the policies and infrastructure behind them is key to real community advocacy. Tune in for a powerful discussion that connects the dots between energy, water, and the fight for a more equitable future.

Timestamps:

0:00 SWBNO’s Financial Struggles, Land Subsidence

5:00 Entergy’s Monopoly & Energy Costs

13:00 Data Centers and Energy Demand

24:00 Advocacy and Community Power

36:00 City Council and State Representation

47:00 Collective Action

53:00 Impact on Education and Younger Generations

1:02:00 Giving Power Back to the People

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Check out our first season – www.youtube.com/@nolawater

Follow Don't Water It Down

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@DontWaterItDown

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown

Website: https://nolawater.org/

Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics in an authentic and transparent manner. They use storytelling and knowledge sharing to build connections, rooting each episode in New Orleans but grounding it in the local community, art, culture, and libations.

Follow Don't Water it Down

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontwateritdown/

Website: nolawater.org