Local Color

Last week the country took one shameful, regressive step back to a time when anyone who wasn't a white man was a second class citizen. I typically have levity for most situations but in just one afternoon the Supreme Court snatched away a woman's rights and bodily autonomy. Several states across the nation have trigger laws that are now active, making a woman's choice with her body illegal. I'm privileged enough to live in a state that views women's rights as human rights...but the overturning of Roe v. Wade will have economic and systemic effects that ripple through our communities.

I could go on at length about my disappointment in my elected officials and how they've failed all of us, but instead I turn to the grassroots organizers and activists who've quietly done the work for the sake of empowering their community. Tanay Lynn Harris is an activist that's dedicated her life to reproductive justice. Listen as we talk about her first exposure to the (lack of) reproductive justice in the U.S., how activism before social media had a little more accountability, and her co-founding of The Bloom Collective, a network dedicated to holistic and culturally competent reproductive and familial care.

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios. The views expressed are solely Jason V.'s.

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We all have life experiences that are direct results of our actions and choices, and others that seem unrelated but when you think hard enough, you find the connection from a choice made ages ago. People also come into and leave our lives depending on those choices, and my guest Lindsey Brown had someone extremely special come into her life and leave just as quickly. Listen to her story and decide for yourself...were they a guardian angel? A serial entrepreneur looking to help the next generation of bootstrappers? Or just a helping hand when someone needed it most? Whatever the case, the Newark native has an amazing story to tell.

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If you follow the podcast on Instagram you’ll know I got food poisoning after returning from my honeymoon….ironic right? While I regain my strength and put the finishing touches on the next episode, I’m rebroadcasting my episode with pastry chef and entrepreneur Amanda Mack. Enjoy!

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At long last, I got the chance to catch up with Josh Stokes about 3 years after our first interview. In that time he's released new projects, one of them produced entirely in his mobile recording studio. In 2022, Josh is focused on making more meaningful connections with his audience, and gearing up for a feat of strength for any performing artist: going on tour.

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Paris Brown always had an eye for opportunities community and collaboration, and she uses those skills everyday as Associate Publisher for The Baltimore Times. The hyper local newspaper has been around for decades and boasts a circulation in the tens of thousands, in a time when digital media dominates. Listen as we talk about Paris's childhood in New York, her HBCU experience, and the history of The Baltimore Times.

Break music: eu-IV

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Simone is the founder of Charm City Table, one of Baltimore's wildly successful food blogs. Back before food blogging was a viable income stream, Simone just enjoyed happy hour with friends and taking pictures of the delectable plates of food. Eventually she started documenting her adventures, and now CCT boasts nearly 100k followers on Instagram. Listen as Simone talks about the ins and outs of the foodie/blogger industry, her brutally honest take on a business she knows can do better, and why she "unbiased" reviews aren't her approach to her work.

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How many museums do you think are in the United States? What about the most prevalent type of museum? I assure you the answer to both of these questions will astound you, and those answers are provided by my guest Dr. Schroeder Cherry. In addition to his work in museum education and preservation, Dr. Cherry is a painter and puppeteer. We talk about his childhood growing up in Washington, DC, how his love for puppets predates Sesame Street, and the bright future of Baltimore's arts scene.

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This is the first episode I’m releasing with WYPR’s new podcast platform Your Public Studios and I couldn’t have asked for a better guest. If you’ve been listening for a while you’ll know I’m a big fan of anime and videogames, and Twitch streamer and cosplayer Nicki Nanami matches my nerd energy. We talk about life for Nicki in both of those worlds, prioritizing mental health over the social media rat race, and what inspires her to continue to build her brand in the face of online trolls.

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Join Jason V. for Local Color, a podcast distributed by Your Public Studios.

Local Color is dedicated to telling the stories of Black artists, business owners, and community leaders in Baltimore City and in the DMV. If you're looking for insightful interviews, heartfelt stories, and sometimes a good laugh, this is the podcast for you.

Listen to Local Color on March 23 and every other Wednesday after that. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episode 101 marks the beginning of a new journey for the podcast. First and foremost, I'm publishing on Wednesdays now :D Second, I'm partnering with Baltimore's NPR station, 88.1 WYPR who will distribute the podcast on their digital platform, "Your Public Studios". Before my first episode is "officially" launched on the platform, I had the opportunity to talk to WYPR's President and General Manager, Lafontaine Oliver (thanks Jamyla!). He talks about growing up in southeast DC, climbing the ranks of commercial and public radio, and we also talk about the goal of their podcast platform, and how my and other locally produced podcasts will help achieve that goal.

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