Michael Kalmbach of the Creative Vision Factory joins RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about how he ended up in the Wilmington art scene, his observations and personal struggles with the opioid crisis, and the need to find some positivity in an otherwise bleak world.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Part 2 will be released on Saturday, so make sure to keep an eye out.

Show Notes:

• Shipley Lofts

• Creative Vision Factory

• The full Toni Morrison essay

Activist, and Delaware's better Marianne Williamson, Erika Gutierrez joins RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about her work for Network Delaware and DelawareCAN, the need for more organizing among the Latinx communities in Delaware, and how she gained her positive aura.

Show Notes:

• Erika being interviewed about Network Delaware (spanish)

• First and last op-ed about the parade in Middletown

• Safe Communities FB page

• DelawareCAN launches first website in Spanish to help the Spanish speaking community to walk the school choice process and provide information on school differences and distribution on districts

• DelawareCAN Youth Advocacy Network

• DelawareCAN Mobilizing Our Voices for Education

A few bunker updates as well as the first ever Skype interview from the bunker. Maria Beauchamp calls in from the massive strike in Puerto Rico just hours before the governor resigned. The audio is a bit rough for the first section, but it gets easier to hear later on.

Show Notes:

• New RSS feed

• Adding an RSS feed to your podcast app

Working Families Party activist Vanessa Clifford joins RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about what Working Families Party is, some of her experiences organizing in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and a new progressive group that is forming here in Delaware.

Show Notes:

• Working Families Party

• Nicolas O'Rourke and Kendra Brooks

Some food recommendations for those visiting Downtown Wilmington*.

Chris Johnson joins RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about some of the latest police violence controversies, what he's working on, and what the future of criminal justice looks like in the state of Delaware.

Show Notes:

• Background on Elmer Daniels

• Delaware Smart Justice Coalition

Dustyn Thompson of Delaware United joins RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about the work he's been doing down at Legislative Hall and how the 2019 legislative session fared for issues like marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform.

Show Notes:

• Switching to renewable power

• Delaware United Facebook / Twitter

• Sarah McBride interview

Becca Cotto from YWCA Delaware and returning champion Coby Owens join RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about Juneteenth, white privilege, and the continuing effects of racism in America. And then after about forty-five minutes things go off the rails.

Show Notes:

• Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative

Fresh off of phone banking for Tiffany Cabán, Coby Owens and Action Anderson take control of the bunker for the first-ever non-RE Vanella hosted episode of Highlands Bunker. This episode is about the progressive movement: where it is nationwide, where it is in Delaware, and what it needs to be in the future.

News Journal reporter Adam Duvernay and freelance journalist/adjunct professor Jordan Howelljoin RE Vanella in the bunker to talk about their Delaware stories, from convincing kids that birds don't exist to reporting on a murder in Sussex County.

Show Notes:

• Jordan's piece on the 1968 riots

• Karl's piece on the suburbs

• One of Adam's pieces on the murder in Sussex