Lunchtime with Lesser

In the past year, anti-Asian rhetoric and hate has skyrocketed in the wake of the pandemic. Declines in patronage for Asian American businesses and attacks such as the March shootings in Georgia are two examples of the devastating effect that’s been the scapegoating of Asian Americans for the pandemic. They, like others, demonstrate the need for urgent policy and efforts to address the rhetoric being against a brilliant, diverse part of our community. During AAPI Heritage Month, it is critical – this month and now more than ever – that we acknowledge the importance of AAPI stories and identities. Eric spoke with Rep. Maria Duaime Robinson this week about the importance of AAPI stories and what’s being done to support AAPI communities and address anti-Asian rhetoric – this is that conversation

In Massachusetts, tourism is the state’s third biggest industry. Behind all of the attractions and historical sights, there are people who support the tourists. The hotel workers, the restaurant staff, the attraction workers themselves – so many positions that took a hit at the onset of the pandemic. Now that we’re moving in the direction of a post-pandemic recovery, we have to think about the best ways to get tourism and those jobs back. And it’s going to be a statewide effort: this week, Eric spoke with Mary Kay Wydra and Martha Sheridan, Presidents of the Springfield and Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, about what summer tourism and continued growth will look like – this is that conversation.

Even as we go into a third semester of higher education during a pandemic, plans to reopen and operate are shifting constantly. How do you balance public health with the best student life has to offer? What about international students? Programs of study? There’s no denying the pandemic’s affected all of that, and different institutions have adapted in their own ways. This week, I spoke with Dr. Mary-Beth Cooper, President of Springfield College, one of the many fine institutions I’m proud to have part of my district. We talked about what fall semester might look like and what Springfield College has changed throughout the pandemic – this is that conversation.

The Boys and Girls Club Family Center in the Mason Square and Bay Street neighborhoods of Springfield have long been a hive of activity. After school programs, sports teams, weekend trips, pre-school and teen events, you name it. But when COVID-19 hit, like so many other community centers, they had to shut their doors. Keshawn Dodds soon reemerged as a key resource for parents and families as the pandemic wore on. Now they’re looking forward to summer camps and resuming normal operations. Eric spoke with Keshawn about the Boys and Girls Clubs, COVID-19, and how he’s talking with young people about the Derek Chauvin trial and the fights for social justice and civil rights. We also caught up about his best-selling book series for young adults. This is that conversation.

As we continue to tackle the civic issues of today, it’s important that they be done well and in a way that’s socially responsible. What does that mean, you might ask? It can mean any number of things – if there’s job growth, it needs to be done diversely, or that every option is considered when sourcing solutions to bettering transportation. But sometimes, keeping track of every meeting or development is tough for one person, and something like a pandemic can change civic priorities in the blink of an eye. Eric spoke with Jennifer Benson, the President of Alliance of Business Leaders, about what that means for them and how that’s changed with the pandemic – this is that conversation.

To become vaccinated in Mass is no small feat – there’s lines to stand in, tricky rules to navigate, and a maze of websites that sometimes result in many people being unable to get the vaccination slots they deserve. But it shouldn’t be as hard as it is – countries like Israel have vaccinated most of their population. What are they doing, and what can we take from them to do better as a state? Eric spoke with Israeli Consul General for New England Meron Reuben about how Massachusetts has been outpaced and what it can do to catch up – this is that conversation.

Senator Eric P. Lesser was joined by a panel of guests for a Lunchtime Livestream on arts and Massachusetts cultural economy. The panel featured Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), Eileen McCaffery, Executive Director at the Community Music School of Springfield & Chair of the Springfield Cultural Council, Andrew Cade, Vice Chair of the Springfield Cultural Council, and Rosemary Tracy Woods, Owner of Art of the Soul Gallery & At-Large Member of the Springfield Cultural Council. This is that conversation.

In the Spring of 2020, massive construction projects shuttered to halt the spread of Coronavirus. Many of their job sites quickly adapted to keep workers safe. But even as COVID-19 wanes, our Commonwealth's construction workforce faces another spreading menace; wage theft, tax fraud, and unfair labor practices by shadowy labor brokers that often prey on an immigrant work force without the resources to fight back. Eric spoke with Noel Xavier, representative and organizer of the North Atlantic State's Regional Council of Carpenters to learn more. This is that conversation.

An urgent topic that we’ve discussed on previous podcasts, is COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on women, especially women of color. Sectors like education, health services, childcare, and hospitality have been some of the most disrupted and as a result more than 2 million women nationwide have left the labor force entirely since the start of the pandemic. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Eric spoke with Gabrielle Jackson, who chairs the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Along with Pattie Hallberg, the vice-chair, and Lizzy Ortiz, a member of the commission. We talked about policies to support women and girls through the pandemic and beyond. This is that conversation.

As limited in-person classes began in February, a spike in COVID cases forced UMASS Amherst into lockdown. Since then, cases have come under control, but, the campus is still operating at a fraction of its normal capacity. Eric spoke with Dr. Kumble Subbaswamy, the Chancellor of UMASS Amherst and one of the most respected leaders in public higher ed about the impact COVID-19 has had on our public universities and the future of higher education more broadly once COVID passes. This is that conversation.