Equity Rising

New word: Artivist. Self-described “hyphenate” Idris Goodwin considers himself one—he’s also a writer, breakbeat poet, playwright, teaching artist, college professor, creative community builder, and the director of Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. In Episode 5, Idris and Trae talk about taking the personal into the political through theater and performance, and they get into using the arts as a means of activism. For Idris, one way this came to life recently was through a series of multigenerational open-source plays that he gave freely to the collective so that anyone could produce or stage them however they’d like. Born in Detroit and a true lover of travel, Idris is an inspiring example of localizing, mobilizing, and connecting no matter where you are—through storytelling, expression, conversations, and shared experience. 

This week’s Chime In features Alex Lee Reed. This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.

As the child of Nigerian immigrants who intentionally built community when they settled in Minneapolis, Oluchi Omeoga (they/them) grew up steeped in the importance of connection, heritage, history, and the families that we make for ourselves. Oluchi came to social impact and mutual aid work after coming out as queer, and quickly found that the organizers in their area were Black queer womxn. Together with this community Oluchi helped begin Black Visions Collective in 2016 with an aim to create a “political home” for all Black people around the globe. At the same time, Oluchi also co-founded the Black LGTBTQ+ Migrant Project, or BLMP, which brings Black queer migrants from around the country together to understand the needs of this rich and varied community. Trae and Oluchi talk about intersectionality within the movement, the pervasiveness of policing, the anti SARS movement in Nigeria, and more. 

This week’s Chime In features Wole Akinlosuto & Latio Cosmos. This episode was produced by Julia Drachman & Linnea Ingalls and edited by Josh Berl.

Our podcast was founded on the notion that we have much to learn from each other’s experiences, and Trae’s conversation with Cape Town-based Mandisa Dyantyi of the Social Justice Coalition is a case in point. Mandisa’s work centers on South Africa’s informal housing settlements where high levels of unemployment, housing insecurity, and violent crime illuminate the stark contrast between the country’s constitution and its citizens’ day-to-day lives. As Mandisa upholds housing rights for all and centers the lived experience of Black women as a barometer of whether or not justice and equality are within reach, she and Trae find solidarity and actionable connection across the globe. 

This week’s Chime In features Teme Wokoma & Marta Bakke. This episode was produced by Neroli Price, Julia Drachman, & Linnea Ingalls and edited by Josh Berl. 

In our very first episode of Equity Rising, Raeven Duckett takes us to school on what equity in the cannabis industry can and should look like. Raeven is Oakland, California’s first ever Equity License Holder, meaning that when the city legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, she was the first person to get one of a limited number of cannabis business licenses allocated for the Black community. This trailblazing industry perspective—coupled with a lifetime of family history in Black and civil rights movements—makes Raeven a beacon of insight, wisdom, and inspiration for the change that needs to happen within the cannabis industry in Seattle and Washington State.

This week’s Chime In features Stefan Richmond - actor, dancer, and creative storyteller in Seattle, WA.

This episode was produced by Laura Cassidy, Julia Drachman, & Linnea Ingalls and edited by Josh Berl & Alex Place. 

Meet TraeAnna Holiday, community builder and organizer with Africatown Community Land Trust, producer with Converge Media, and contributor of King County Equity Now. In this season, Trae will talk to organizers fighting for equity around the world to share tactics, build strategies, and get connected. King County Equity Now is a coalition of Black-led community organizations that focuses on advocacy and policy reform in King County, WA.