Reclaiming the Narrative: Recent Episodes
WXIR 100.9 FM
Reclaiming the Narrative began in 2018 as a weekly news radio program produced by community journalists for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY. We cover the stories, movements, and events that matter to local urban communities, while also providing training and experience for grassroots journalists.
Visit our website at reclaimingthenarrative.org Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RTN100.9/
Dasht-e-Tanhai (The Desert of my Solitude) by Faiz Ahmed Faiz Translated from the Urdu and read by Mara Ahmed Sound Design by Darien Lamen Photograph by Rabah Al Shammary ... Dasht-e-tanhai main ai jaan-e-jahaan larzaan hai Teri aavaaz kay saaey, teray honton kay saraab
Dasht-e-tanhai main dooree kay khas-o-khaak talay Khil rahay hain teray pehloo kay saman or gulaab
Uth rahee hai kaheen qurbat say teri saans kee aanch Apnee khushboo main sulagti hooee madham madham
Door ufaq paar chamaktee hooee qatra qatra Gir rahee hai teri dildaar nazar kee shabnam
Is qadar payaar say ai jaan-e-jahaan rakha hai Dil kay rukhsaar pay is waqt teri yaad nain haath
Yoon gumaan hota hai gerchay hai abhee subh-e-firaaq Dhal gaya hijr ka din aa bhi gaee wasl ki raat.
… In the desert of my solitude, my love, quiver the shadows of your voice, the mirage of your lips
In the desert of my solitude, from the arid dust of our parting, bloom the jasmine, the roses of your touch
From somewhere nearby rises the warmth of your breath it smolders in its own perfume – gently, languorously
Far away, on the horizon, glistens drop by drop, the dew of your beguiling glance
With such tenderness, my love, your memory has placed its hand on the contours of my heart
Even though this is the dawn of our farewell, it feels like the sun has set on our separation and the night of our union is at hand
The second installment in our roundtable reflection on the role and the future of community news in Rochester, New York.
Produced for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM with Darien Lamen, Abi Clark, Laura Smith, and Mary Lawrence.
Original broadcast date 8/18/21
A roundtable reflection on the role... and the future... of community news in Rochester, New York.
Produced for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM with Darien Lamen, Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Jason Taylor and Leslie Hannon.
Original broadcast date 8/6/21
Rochester Offers Programs to Help Residents Keep Cool, But Are They Accessible to Everyone? Right to Repair Movement Aims to Help Consumers Get More Mileage Out of Their Devices Almeta Whitis on Social Justice Storytelling Camp Information for Liberation: A Tribute to Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence, and arts reporter Abi Clark.
Original air date: 7/30/21
Reducing Urban Heat Is a Matter of Racial Equity: What Is Rochester Doing to Address the Issue? Billionaire Space Voyages Are a Moonshot Critics Say Miss Their Mark "We're Going to Tear Up Your Neighborhood, But It Won't Hurt a Bit" Monologues on Clarissa Rebroadcast ROC the Peace Fest Resumes for its 11th Year -- Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester NY with co-host Vanessa Ryland Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, and feature contributor Abi Clark.
Earlier this year, Dr. Laura Warren Hill released a book that examines the history of the Black Freedom Struggle in Rochester. Reporter Abi Clark spoke with Dr. Hill to learn more.
Original air date: 7/16/21
Rochester Among 50 Worst US Cities for Urban Heat, According to New Report Scorecard Shows New York Has Work to Do Toward Climate Goals New Book Studies the Black Freedom Struggle Ignited by the 1964 Uprising in Rochester Brighton Residents Rally to Defend Brighton Town Councillor Against Accusations of Antisemitism
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester, NY. With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, and arts and culture reporter Abi Clark.
Original air date 7/16/21
In the coming Saturdays, a string of Pop-Up events hosted by The Friends of Ganondagan aims to share local indigenous culture with the community once again. Art demonstrations, music, storytelling and much more can be found at the Original People Pop-up Event Series. Arts Reporter Abi Clark spoke with the organization's program director to find out what's in store this July.
Original air date: 7/9/21
Rising Rates and Power Outages Have Residents Asking: Is There An Alternative to RG&E? Rochester Launches Composting Program as Part of City Climate Plan Grassroots Media Spotlight: Jim Meaney of the Geneva Believer Blog Art Blooms: Friends of Ganondagan Welcome Back Community with Pop-Up Saturdays
Produced for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY by Darien Lamen, with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence, feature contributor Leslie Hannon, and arts reporter Abi Clark.
Original air date 7/9/21
Rochester wasn’t the only place to break records in a heatwave this week. For many, abnormal temperatures are another reminder of the urgent need for climate action. Reclaiming the Narrative’s Jason Taylor has more.
Original air date: 7/2/21
The Rochester City School District recently held a public forum on the renaming of School Number 3, currently named after Nathaniel Rochester. Reporter Laura Smith has more on the names being considered.
Original air date 7/2/21
Heatwave Reminds the Need for Action Against Climate Change RCSD Considers Changing Name of School 3 Uncovering Rochester History: RMSC Research Library Art Blooms: Equal Grounds Resumes Live Open-Mic Performances David Shakes Reads "What to the Slave is Your Fourth of July"?
Produced by Darien Lamen with Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Jason Taylor, Laura Smith, Leslie Hannon, and Abi Clark for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester, NY.
Original air date: 7/2/21
GreenCard Youth Voices is a new book documenting the immigration stories of local students. And this Saturday, some of the authors will be at Hipocampo Children’s Bookstore to do a reading, followed by a Q and A with the community. Arts Reporter Abi Clark has more.
Original air date 6/18/21
With Darien Lamen, Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Laura Smith, Leslie Hannon, Jason Taylor, and Abi Clark.
With in-person meetings likely to resume in the coming months, reporter Laura Smith looks at whether local elected bodies are planning to continue live-streaming their meetings, and what the implications are for transparency and participation.
Original air date 6/4/11
It’s report card season, not just for schools, but also for the Rochester region. And according to ACT-Rochester, our region is lagging behind the rest of the class when it comes to economic well-being. Reporter Jason Taylor has more.
Original air date 6/11/21
UPDATE to HEADLINE 1: Legislator Flagler-Mitchell issued a statement Friday denying the allegations of sexual misconduct made in the June 8, 2021 Division of Human Rights complaint.
Livestreamed Meetings Enable Greater Community Participation in RCSD, Parent Leaders Say Could Federal Stimulus Address Decades Long Decline in Median Income, Salaries in Monroe County? Rochester Mayoral Candidates Highlight Public Safety, Education in Second Head-to-Head Debate Students Invited to Play Alongside Musical Mentors at the All In Brass Band Summer Program Newly-Unearthed NAACP Complaints Shed Light on Racist Policies George Eastman Helped Maintain in Rochester
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY, with co-host Vanessa Ryland Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, and arts reporter Abi Clark.
Original air date 6/11/21
With Local Government Poised to Return to In-Person Meetings, Will Livestreaming and Remote Participation Become a Thing of the Past? City Council Holds Public Hearing on Police Accountability Board Budget Rochester Libraries Celebrate Full Reopening Hudson Mohawk Magazine Cultivates Citizen Reporters, Grassroots Journalism
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence, and feature contributors Abi Clark and Leslie Hannon.
Original air date 6/4/21
After more than a year of court proceedings, citizen journalist Jim Meaney of the Geneva Believer finally had a defamation and libel lawsuit against him dismissed by Ontario County Supreme Court this week. Our reporter, Laura Smith, sat down with him to find out more about his battle, and its implications for protecting free speech.
Original air date: 5/21/21
-Rochester Mayoral Candidates Face Off in First Primary Debate -City of Rochester Seeks Community Input on $202 Million American Rescue Plan Funding -Rochester Based Musician Sally Louise Releases Debut Album “My Hands are on Fire” -Warp & Weft: February 2020: On Fire
Produced with Darien Lamen, Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Jason Taylor, and Abi Clark for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Shirly Bahar of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date: 5/28/21
After 10 years as an opera singer, Rochester-based musician Sally Louise took a break this past year to redefine music in her life. During quarantine, she revisited her love for songwriting and ended up self-producing her debut album “My Hands are on Fire,” which came out earlier this month. Arts reporter Abi Clark talks tracks with Sally Louise on this week's edition of Art Blooms.
Original air date: 5/28/21
Throughout the pandemic, the Monroe County Library System has worked hard to continue providing books and services to community members. Reporter Abi Clark recently spoke to library staff to find out some of the ways the library system has adapted to make sure it’s still accessible to patrons.
For more information and to find a library near you, you can visit www.roccitylibrary.org/location
-Local Citizen Journalist Wins Court Battle to Protect Freedom of Speech -Inequality Index: New Report Calls for Public Energy in New York -Monroe County Library System Stays Connected Amidst the Pandemic -WARP & WEFT: Connection, Isolation, and Imagination
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester NY, with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, and feature contributor Abi Clark. Special thanks to Arseniy Gutnik and Mara Ahmed of the Warp & Weft.
Original broadcast date: 5/21/21
RTS Redesign Launches Forum on Community-Based Emergency First Responder Models Grassroots Media Spotlight: RocIndymedia Warp & Weft: Connectedness
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast by WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester, NY, with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporter Mary Lawrence, feature contributor Leslie Hannon and special thanks to Mara Ahmed of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date 5/14/21
Reporter Laura Smith recently spoke with RIT grad student Tymoni Correa-Buntley about her capstone project "Trust Issues: A Study of Declining Trust Between BIPOC Communities and Local Mainstream Media."
You can read the findings of that study at: http://www.tlcorreabuntley.com/trust-issues-people-the-press
Original air date: 4/30/21
In April, the courts released transcripts from the Daniel Prude grand jury proceedings, allowing the public to judge for themselves whether the state did in fact present the strongest possible case for prosecution, as NYS Attorney General Letitia James previously claimed. After looking through hundreds of pages of transcripts, independent journalist Ben Dean-Kawamura says he’s not convinced.
His article "How the NY Attorney General's Office defended the police who killed Daniel Prude" is available at: http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/148066
Local trumpet legend Herb Smith will offer a class "Intro to Classical Music and the Barriers of Black Musicians" next Tuesday at the Brainery. Arts reporter Abi Clark reached out to find out more.
Original air date: 5/7/21
A proposal to build a dedicated park for dirt bikes and off-road vehicles is gaining traction in Rochester, after bikers shared testimony about their reasons for riding. Mayor Lovely Warren said Tuesday that her administration was prepared to do a cost analysis of potential sites. Reporter Laura Smith has more on the story.
Original air date 5/7/21
Proposal to Create Dedicated Dirt Bike Park Gaining Traction in Rochester Inequality Index: Nani's Kitchen Becomes First Rochester Restaurant to Unionize Ben Dean-Kawamura: State Prosecutors "Acted as Defense" for Police Officers in Daniel Prude Death Art Blooms: Herb Smith on Reclaiming Classical Music Warp & Weft: "Bad Monk" by Katherine Denison
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY, with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, and arts reporter Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Katherine Denison of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date: 5/7/21
RCSD Students, Educators Agitate for Student-Centered Budget Inequality Index: Marijuana Legalization Trust Issues: Tymoni Correa-Buntley on How Local Newsrooms Can Do Right by Communities of Color Art Blooms: All Aboard Soul Express Warp & Weft: Rupture and Repair
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester, NY. With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Mary Lawrence and Laura Smith, arts contributor Abi Clark, special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Ian Layton of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date: 4/30/21
Local Lawmakers Consider Ways of Curbing Joyriding Local Organizations Mark Earth Day By Renewing Call for Climate Justice Excited Delirium: Arjun Byju on the History of an Invented Disease Used to Justify Police Use of Force Buffalo Museum Exhibit Explores History of One of the World's Most Iconic Instruments, from Medieval to Metal Warp and Weft: "MMXX Strange Times"
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM in Rochester NY. With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley; Reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence; Arts & Culture Reporter Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Noelle Evans of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date: 4/23/21
Arjun Byju discusses his new article "Excited Delirium: How Cops Invented a Disease" with Reclaiming the Narrative's Darien Lamen.
Available at: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/04/excited-delirium-how-cops-invented-a-disease/
Original air date: 4/23/21
Progressive Groups Unveil Their NYS Legislative Priorities for 2021 in Compassionate NY Agenda Inequality Index: Rochester PAB Calls for $5 Million Budget RIT Students Use Data Visualizations to Tell Stories About Crime, Policing, Parks and More RCSD Students Get Up On Their Soapboxes as Part of Districtwide Speech Showcase Warp & Weft: The Consolation of Isolation
Original air date: 4/16/21 Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY. With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence, feature contributor Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Allyson Perkins.
Reclaiming the Narrative teams up with RIT's Spring 2021 Data Journalism class, to bring you data visualizations exploring local crime rates, energy subsidies, and more. Producer Darien Lamen recently spoke with the class's professor, Hinda Mandell, to find out more about the goals of this initiative.
Original air date: 4/16/21
For the past 5 years, the "Medieval to Metal'' exhibition has been featured at 15 museums across the US. Through the end of summer, this traveling installation will be on display at the Buffalo Museum of Science. On this week's edition of Art Blooms, arts reporter Abi Clark takes a look at a collection that tells the story of one of the world's most iconic instruments, the guitar.
Original air date: 4/9/21
Leslie Hannon speaks with Rajesh Barnabas about the history of the Rochester Indymedia Collective, and how instant publishing and collective news production transformed Rochester during the 2000s.
Original air date: 4/9/21
Progressives Welcome NYS Budget Support for People in Need Syracuse University Report Examines Lack of IRS Oversight on Wealthiest Art Blooms: Buffalo Exhibit Explore Evolution of Guitar from Medieval to Metal Grassroots Media Spotlight: Rajesh Barnabas of Rochester Indymedia Warp & Weft: It's All About the Touch
Produced for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY by Darien Lamen with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, features contributor Leslie Hannon, and arts reporter Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Roberta Schwartz of the Warp & Weft.
Original air date 4/9/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon brings us a series of interviews exploring grassroots and independent news media in Upstate New York and beyond.
Hannon recently spoke with Joan Coles Howard, the last editor of the Frederick Douglass Voice newspaper, and the daughter of the paper's founder, Howard W Coles. The Voice was founded in the 1930s, making it the longest running Black-owned paper in Rochester's history. In this interview, Coles Howard explains that its mission was to bring all kinds of news--including, importantly, good news--to Rochester's Black community.
Issues of the Frederick Douglass Voice newspaper are available in the Howard W Coles Archive of the Rochester Museum and Science Center.
Original air date: 3/26/21
Reporter Laura Smith looks at the last minute push to fund pandemic relief for undocumented and other "excluded" workers in New York State.
Original broadcast date 4/2/21
Advocates Call on NYS to Fund Undocumented, Other Excluded Workers Rochester Labor Council Hosts Forum on Law Enforcement's Relationship to the Labor Movement New Report Takes Critical Look at Rochester's Budgeting Priorities Art Blooms: Ground and Sky Poetry Warp & Weft: Risk by Luticha Doucette
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY. With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith, Jason Taylor, and Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Luticha Doucette.
Original broadcast date: 4/2/21
The pandemic has been hard on renters, and with the end of the eviction moratorium coming soon, local officials are unveiling a new initiative they hope will keep people in their homes and help landlords get paid. Reporter Laura Smith has more.
Original air date 3/26/21
Earlier this month, two local teenagers made history by carrying their high school hockey team to its first section V championship. Forty years earlier, their father and uncle also made history... by becoming Rochester’s first Black hockey players.
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Original broadcast date 3/26/21
City/County Unveils Eviction Prevention Measures Workshop Series Aims to Get Local Youth "Future Ready" Inequality Index: RASE Commission Report Grassroots Media Spotlight: Frederick Douglass Voice Penfield Teens Make School History With Hockey Win; 40 Years Earlier, Their Family Made History as Rochester's First Black Players The Warp & Weft: Because Every Goliath Meets Its David
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast by WAYO 104.3FM in Rochester NY. With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, volunteer reporters Laura Smith, Abi Clark, and Jason Taylor; feature contributor Leslie Hannon; with special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Selena Fleming of the Warp & Weft.
Original broadcast date: 3/26/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon brings us a series of interviews exploring grassroots and independent news media in Upstate New York and beyond.
Hannon recently spoke with Steve Pierce of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine in Troy, NY about the rewarding but challenging work of developing community reporters and producing a daily news show focused on a wide range of issues from local government to environmental justice.
More info about the Hudson Mohawk Magazine is available at mediasanctuary.org.
Original air date: 3/19/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon brings us a series of interviews exploring grassroots and independent news media in Upstate New York and beyond.
Hannon recently spoke with Jim Meaney of the Geneva Believer about how the Geneva NY blog got started, the challenges of doing critical journalism in a small town, and the environmental justice story he says was one of the most impactful so far.
More info about the Geneva Believer is available at genevabeliever.com.
Original air date: 3/12/21
Community members have been voicing concerns this week about a draft police reform plan. The plan is required as part of NY State wide effort to address racial bias in policing. Our reporter, Laura Smith, has more on the story.
Original air date 3/19/21
-Rochester City Council mulls draft policing reform plan -City Law Department to Handle All FOIL Requests, Despite Recent Rebuke to Lead Attorney in Daniel Prude Report -Inequality Index: Center for Justice Sees Billions in Savings for NYS in Justice Reform Package -Grassroots News Spotlight: Hudson Mohawk Magazine -Art Blooms: Excuse Me, I'm Speaking Youth Poetry Contest -The Warp & Weft: Language Is My Land, My Identity
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY, with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, feature contributor Leslie Hannon, arts & culture reporter Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Tania Day-Magallón of The Warp & Weft.
Original broadcast 3/19/21
Throughout oral arguments Wednesday, it often seemed as though the police officers' lawyer, City Attorney Spencer Ash, was the one on trial.
“I have never seen a record of a trial in this circuit that reflects what I saw when I was reading these briefs and studying the record," said US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit Judge Barrington Parker. "It was mayhem. It was just, in some respects, a free for all.”
Original air date 3/12/21
-Appeal of Benny Warr Police Brutality Verdict Centers on City Attorney's Misconduct -March City Council Meeting Round Up -Inequality Index: Housing Assistance -Grassroots News Spotlight: Geneva Believer -Art Blooms: 14th Annual 6x6 Show Opens for Submissions -The Warp & Weft: Celebrate With Me
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY. With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporters Laura Smith and Mary Lawrence, feature contributor Leslie Hannon, arts reporter Abi Clark. Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Erica Bryant of the Warp and Weft.
Original broadcast date 3/12/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon speaks with Ram Zallan of the Roc Mutual Aid Network, about how their volunteers have been coordinating food and basic supply distribution across Rochester since the pandemic began.
Original broadcast date 3/5/21
Local organizations say proposed cuts in Governor Cuomo’s 2022 budget could spell the end of some early intervention services for at-risk youth. Our reporter Laura Smith has more on the story.
Original air date 3/5/21
-"Very Disturbing": PAB Calls For Answers, Transparency After New RPD Incident Involving Mother and 3-Year-Old Comes to Light -NYS Budget Puts Preventative Services for At-Risk Youth in Jeopardy, Organizations Say -Inequality Index: Will Federal Aid Be Enough to Bail Out New York State? -Arts & Wellness Festival: A Vessel For Community Healing -Mutual Aid Minute: Roc Mutual Aid Network -Warp & Weft: Black Futures Matter
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on 104.3 WAYO with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Reporters Laura Smith and Jason Taylor, Arts & Culture Reporter Abi Clark, Feature Contributor Leslie Hannon; Special thanks to Mara Ahmed and Quajay Donnell of The Warp & Weft
Original broadcast date 3/5/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon speaks with Lilac, a member of Roc Food Not Bombs whose been working on building food stands across Rochester, for the third installment of our ongoing series "We Take Care of Us: Rochester Mutual Aid Minute."
Original broadcast date 2/26/21
-NYS Attorney General Report Raises Questions About Whether Prosecutors Presented the Strongest Case to Daniel Prude Grand Jury -RCSD School 29 Closes Temporarily After 8 COVID Cases and 1 Death Among Employees Leave Staff Shaken -Inequality Index: Recent Report Shows Majority of New Yorkers Support Taxing Ultra-Wealthy -University of Rochester Hosts Student-Led Discussion With Jalil Muntaqim About Dismantling School to Prison Pipeline -The Warp & Weft Weaves Together Stories Reflecting on Unprecedented Year -We Take Care of Us, Rochester Mutual Aid Minute #3: Roc Food Not Bombs
Produced for WXIR 100.9 FM and WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY by Darien Lamen with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, reporter Jason Taylor, feature contributor Leslie Hannon, and arts & culture reporter Abi Clark
Rochester launches a database with disciplinary records for RPD officers. But is there more where that came from? And why aren't those records being released? We speak with Ted Forsyth, independent journalist and member of the Police Accountability Board Alliance.
Original air date 2/19/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon speaks with Ilhan Ali, one of the organizers of Roc Food Relief, for the second installment of our ongoing series "We Take Care of Us: Rochester Mutual Aid Minute."
Original broadcast date 2/19/21
-Elected Leaders Seek to Address Racial Disparities in Vaccine Access -With Launch of RPD Database, Questions Remain About What Disciplinary Records City Did Not Release -We Take Care of Us: Mutual Aid Minute with Roc Food Relief -Last Call for "The Changemakers: Rochester Women Who Changed the World"
Produced for WXIR 100.9 FM and WAYO 104.3 in Rochester NY by Darien Lamen with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, feature contributor Leslie Hannon, and arts & culture reporter Abi Clark
Original broadcast date 2/19/21
We speak with Dr. Katie Foss, a professor of media studies at Middle Tennessee State University, about an early experiment in remote learning via radio, and what it can teach us today.
Original air date: 2/12/21
Feature contributor Leslie Hannon speaks with Dina Giovanelli, one of the administrators of the Facebook group Hey Rochester NY! What Do You Need? What Do You Got? for the first installment of our ongoing series "We Take Care of Us: Rochester Mutual Aid Minute."
Original broadcast date 2/12/21
Police Accountability Board Questions RPD Chief On Details of New Protest Plan 1937 Experiment in Remote Learning by Radio Holds Lessons for Today We Take Care of Us: "Hey Rochester What Do You Need What Do You Got?" Eastman Lunchtime Performance Series Enters 26th Year
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland Buntley Feature Contributor Leslie Hannon and Arts Reporter Abi Clark
Original broadcast date: 2/12/21
Community forum explores alternatives to policing with nationally recognized experts
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley
On July 24, 1964, police violence provided the spark that set off days of unrest in Rochester. In this audio piece, we hear from local elders who lived through those events. The interviews were conducted in the summer of 2019 by RCTV and Teen Empowerment youth interns as part of an ongoing project documenting the history of the Clarissa Street neighborhood.
We hear from Joan Coles Howard, Charles Price, Kathy Dexter-Sprague, and Moses Gilbert.
Local charter schools are being called to account after receiving millions of dollars in forgivable loans intended to help small businesses cover payroll during the COVID-19 shutdown. Darien Lamen reports.
IMAGE: Max Schulte D&C Original air date 7/17/20
The Rochester Organization of Rank and File Educators (RORE) recently launched a survey polling Rochester City School District employees on a range of issues, from how they and their students are coping with the pandemic, to their thoughts on reopening and their support for several "common good" demands.
While the survey is open-ended, there have been 242 responses so far. RORE member Claire Labrosa speaks with WXIR's Darien Lamen about how the caucus developed the survey, and some of the emergent points of consensus.
Original air date: 7/17/20
Are Local Charter Schools "Double-Dipping" With PPP Loans? Survey Reveals Split Among Local Educators On Reopening Schools Amidst Continued Uncertainty, UR Faculty Seek to Form AAUP Chapter Elder Wisdom: Curfews, Police Violence, and Urban Uprisings
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 Rochester NY With co-host Vanessa Ryland Buntley Headlines writer Ritti Singh
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 Rochester NY With Vanessa Ryland-Buntley
-UCLM Panel Discussion On Policing In Rochester Gets Heated -Rochester Car Dealers, Charter Schools, and Fast Food Chains Among Recipients of "Small Business" PPP Loans -ROC City Speaks Part II: Coping With the Pandemic -Local Elder Reflects On Events of July 1964 With Humor and Grace
We spend today's show demystifying the history and legacy of Rochester's founder, Nathaniel Rochester. We're joined by Ron Netsky, Calvin Eaton, and Kawanais Smith.
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3FM
Original air date: 7/3/20
Primary voters had more options than usual for casting a ballot in this week’s election. But as WXIR’s Darien Lamen reports, not everyone found voting equally accessible.
Tuesday was election day. Official results from this week’s primary will take time to calculate due to the large number of absentee ballots filed this year. But early results are promising for local candidates endorsed by the Working Families Party. And on Thursday those candidates gathered downtown in MLK Park to mark the occasion.
Reporter Jason Taylor has more.
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 FM, Rochester NY With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Headlines writer Ritti Singh News reporter Jason Taylor Arts reporter and feature contributor Abi Clark
Reclaiming the Narrative recently teamed up with artist Rashaad Parker for a new Vox pop series called ROC City Speaks: The Anti-Media Narrative. For our first edition, we spoke with participants in the Black Lives Matter rally that took place at Rochester's Martin Luther King Jr. Park on June 13, 2020. Among other things, we asked: what does public safety mean to you? and what would your ideal city budget look like?
Original air date: 6/19/20
This year's budgeting process has been challenged by revenue shortfalls due to COVID-19 and calls for police reform. City Council passed the budget Tuesday, but not unanimously. WXIR's Jason Taylor reports.
Original air date 6/19/20
Cities across the country are taking down monuments to conquistadors, confederates, and cops. Could the local Nathaniel Rochester statue be next? Original air date: 6/19/20
-City Council Passes Mayor's Budget After Contentious Debate -ROC City Speaks: The People's Budget -The Deadline: Centering Melanated Voices -Is It Time to Retire Statue Honoring Rochester's Slave-Trading Founder?
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester and rebroadcast on WAYO 104.3 With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, headlines writer Ritti Singh, and reporter Jason Taylor.
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Headlines writer Ritti Singh Reporter Jason Taylor
Original air date 6/12/20
This week Rochester City Council held its first hearings on the mayor's proposed budget for 2020-2021. Jason Taylor reports on the proposed cuts to the Department of Recreation and Youth Services.
Original air date 6/5/20
We speak with some of the people who participated in last Saturday's Black Lives Matter protest in Rochester NY.
Original air date: 6/5/20
The push to repeal NYS Civil Rights Law 50-a is gathering new steam. But if police departments can legally destroy disciplinary records after as little as one year, will that be enough to ensure transparency?
We speak with Ted Forsyth, journalist with Rochester Indymedia, and a member of the Police Accountability Board Alliance.
Produced by Darien Lamen with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and reporter Jason Taylor for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester
Original air date: 6/5/20
Carvin Eison is the director of July '64, a 2006 documentary about one of the first urban uprisings of the Civil Rights era right here in Rochester NY. He says he made the film partly to set the historical record straight, and to provide context for what says was not a "riot," but rather a "rebellion."
Original air date: 6/5/20
Memorial Day is traditionally framed as an occasion to celebrate the heroism of those who made the "ultimate sacrifice."
But when our society comes to glorify sacrifice as the dominant mode of civic engagement, what does this mean for the possibility of creating a more just and sustainable model of life?
These are some of the questions recently posed by Lisa Cerami, who speaks with Darien Lamen.
Original air date: 5/29/20
The Rochester region is currently in Phase I of reopening from COVID-19 shutdowns. This means some local retail stores are providing curbside or in-store pickup and dropoff. Reporter Jason Taylor spoke with two local stores.
Original air date: 5/29/20
A newly-published study by two Cornell professors finds that the vast majority of the university's 22,000 students are separated from one another by no more than 3 degree of separation. Dr. Kim Weeden talks about the implications for reopening campus this fall.
Article available at: sociologicalscience.com Original air date: 5/29/20
An intergenerational group is working to rejuvenate the memory of Rochester’s most iconic 20th century jazz club... the Pythodd Club.
Original air date: 5/29/20 http://spiritofthepythodd.digitalscholar.rochester.edu
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR Rochester NY With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and reporter Jason Taylor
"The pandemic is providing certain forces cover for getting away things that perhaps would have been harder to get away with under normal circumstances," says Dr. Shawgi Tell, professor of education at Nazareth College.
"People do not want billionaires to determine the content and direction...of education. It's up to New Yorkers to run their own affairs."
Original air date: 5/15/20
Researchers around the world are racing to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Reporter Jason Taylor recently spoke with Mike Sportiello, an MD/PhD candidate in immunology at the University of Rochester about how exactly vaccines work, and where research on coronavirus vaccines currently stands.
Original air date 5/15/20
Foodlink, the Rochester area foodbank, has been working overtime to connect people with food during the COVID crisis.
Reporter Jason Taylor recently spoke with Foodlink’s Chief Program Officer Mitch Gruber to find out how prevalent food insecurity is in Rochester and how it is being dealt with.
Original air date: 5/15/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester NY With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and reporter and headlines writer Jason Taylor
-Lack of Economic Resources Continues to Cause Widespread Food Insecurity in Rochester -The End of Public Education As We Know It? -ABCs of Vaccines and the State of COVID-19 Vaccine Research in Rochester -Local Filmmaker Explores Hidden History of Black Brew Culture
-RCSD Board Approves Revised Budget -New Development to Uproot Urban Farm, Staff Still Seeking Answers -"Board of Elections Does Not Exist to Manipulate Races": Sheppard Speaks Out, Seeks BOE Appointment -Should Rochester Organize a WPA-Style Artistic Response to COVID?
Community-powered local news for Rochester NY Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Headlines Writer Jason Taylor Reporter Abi Clark
What would it take to roll out a massive community-based artistic response to the COVID-19 crisis? What role do the arts have to play in documenting and intervening in the current moment? These are some of the guiding questions for a public visioning session being hosted by the Rochester Contemporary Art Center this Saturday. We speak with Bleu Cease, RoCo's Executive Director, to find out more.
Original air date: 5/8/20
"The Board of Elections does not exist to manipulate races and to predetermine the outcome of elections. And when I realized that I was being unjustly treated by personal and political biases that the authoritative figure allowed to infiltrate the process, I made the choice to stand up for what is right."
Posted 5/7/20
Grow Green Rochester staff say they were left in the dark about a new housing development project that's slated to plow the 16-year-old urban farm under. Abi Clark reports.
5/4/20
Labor organizations observed Worker Memorial Day Wednesday in honor of those who have died or been seriously injured on the job. The COVID 19 pandemic has increased the risk to many frontline and essential workers, including Western New York’s farm workers.
WXIR speaks with Emma Kreyche, Director of Outreach, Education and Advocacy at the the Worker Justice Center of New York about the specific struggles facing farm workers.
Original air date 5/1/20
Many local organizations have been working overtime to support people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. But for coordinators of the recently-launched Rochester Mutual Aid Network, the point is not to do charity work, or to speed a return to business-as-usual.
Original air date 5/1/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester NY with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Headlines Writer Jason Taylor
“Millions of New Yorkers right now are at risk of overcoming a public health crisis just to enter a debt crisis instead,” says Mohini Sharma, organizer of the Rochester for Energy Democracy campaign.
“What the COVID 19 pandemic is really exposing is how woefully and dangerously inadequate so many of our institutions have always been in serving what’s good for people. Our energy system is really ruled by private oil and gas companies and investor-owned utilities,” she says.
Sharma spoke with WXIR's Darien Lamen about the campaign's demands and COVID relief efforts.
Original air date: 4/24/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Headline contributors Jason Taylor and Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Reporters Abi Clark, Olga Yudchits, and Jason Taylor
The 24-hour virtual event raised funds to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color creatives working in the gig economy who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Reporter Abi Clark speaks with Rachel DeGuzman, one of the organizers.
For information on how to apply for the emergency grant: https://forms.gle/wMGvhqFoN2oxzCKq9
Original air date 4/17/20
The Rochester Organization of Rank and File Educators (RORE) Caucus has been passing the hat to provide meals to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. WXIR’s Darien Lamen spoke with Claire Labrosa about the "fuel the frontlines" initiative earlier this week.
More information about RORE at: www.rocore.org facebook.com/RORE49/
Original air date 4/17/20 Image: Rochester General Hospital workers enjoy lunch courtesy of RORE members
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Arts Reporter Abi Clark
America’s Crisis Daddy, Andrew Cuomo, has been reaping praise for his handling of COVID-19 in New York State. But Citizen Action of New York has been warning that the governor’s state budget priorities may make the fallout from the pandemic worse. WXIR spoke with Ravi Mangla, political educator for CANY, to discuss the recently passed state budget.
Original air date 4/3/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM Rochester NY With Co-Host and Headlines Contributor Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Rashida Burch-Washington
Singer-songwriter Sam Kaiser is hosting a virtual open mic on his Instagram Wednesday April 1st, to benefit FoodlinkNY. Several Rochester-area musicians will take part in the benefit concert, which begins at 8pm at instagram.com/samkaiser_music.
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With Vanessa Ryland-Buntley, Abi Clark, and Olga Yudchits
People across Rochester are trying to adjust to life on COVID-19 lockdown. With the temporary closure of bars and performance venues, many performers have been scrambling.
Produced by Abi Clark, with Olga Yudchits Original air date: 3/27/20
"We have a modern-day system of concentration camps, and these concentration camps are going to become death camps for the immigrants locked inside them unless we can take real measures to combat this pandemic," says Elle Herman, steering committee member with Rochester Never Again Action. "Honestly, the right thing to do is to release them, release all of them."
Original air date: 3/20/20
The moment many of New York’s decarceration advocates have been warning about is now officially here. With the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 inside prisons and jails, will Governor Cuomo heed calls by RAPP (Release Aging People in Prisons) and others to grant clemency to the most vulnerable incarcerated men and women?
Original air date: 3/20/20
The spread of COVID-19 has forced many musicians to cancel performances and move music lessons online. But Rochester-based musicians Laura Lentz and Siena Facciolo have a plan to infuse a little public music-making into every day.
For more information: facebook.com/6pmmusicrochester/
Original air date: 3/20/20
Produced by Darien Lamen with Vanessa Ryland-Buntley for WXIR 100.9 FM (Rochester NY)
Activists Call on Cuomo to Release New York's Aging Incarcerated People in Face of Coronavirus Never Again Action Calls Out ICE Policies On Visitation, Detention Taking Cue From Italy, Rochester Gathers Online For Daily Musical Happenings The Frederick Douglass Monument and the Hotel Waiter Who Made It Possible
Cory Card was a Rochester-based artist and curator who passed away from cancer earlier this month at the age of 40. One year ago, our arts reporter Abi Clark met up with him to talk about his exhibition "Sweepings," at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center.
Produced for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester, NY
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR Community Radio With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Arts reporter Abi Clark
UPDATE: Screening/discussion has been cancelled.
A THIN WALL, by Rochester-based filmmaker Mara Ahmed, is a documentary about memory, history, and the possibility of reconciliation in the wake of the 1947 Partition of India. Ahmed will be joined by Hibah Arshad and Tom Gibson to discuss the film following a screening Saturday March 14.
Original air date: 3/13/20
Women from across the region gathered in Geneva, New York Sunday to call out state violence as part of International Women’s Day.
Original air date: 3/13/20
The Rochester City School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to begin livestreaming its weekly committee meetings. For a handful of parent-activists, it was a small but hard-earned victory, for transparency.
Original air date: 3/13/20
Members of the Mohawk Nation are not backing down, even after Ontario Provincial Police arrested 10 people for "trespassing" on their own land last week.
Original air date: 3/6/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Contributors Jason Taylor and Mary Lawrence And arts reporter Abi Clark
The Rochester City School Board approved a proposal Thursday to close two schools and open Pre-K centers in their place. The move represents a major change to the city’s Pre-K program and leaves many community-based organization uncertain of their futures.
Original air date: 2/28/20
WXIR feature contributor Olga Yudchits talks with Jon Hollowell about how the band came together, and what comes next.
Original air date: 2/28/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Arts reporter Abi Clark and feature contributor Olga Yudchits
-Medicaid Redesign Team Holds Hearing In Rochester, But Not Everyone's Convinced They're Listening -Racial Segregation and Housing Discrimination In George Eastman's Rochester -"We're Gonna Tear Up Your Neighborhood But It Won't Hurt a Bit" Reuben Tapp on Lessons of Clarissa Street -Womba Africa Takes On New York
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM Rochester NY With Co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Arts Reporter Abi Clark
Original air date: 2/21/20
An upcoming performance of Karen Culley's Monologues on Clarissa Street explores the history of that once-vibrant African American neighborhood, and the lessons it holds for Rochester’s gentrifying communities today. WXIR's Darien Lamen spoke with the monologues’ director, Reuben Tapp, earlier this week.
A new data report argues that the Rochester City School District has suffered from underfunding not only at the hands of New York State, but also the City of Rochester. WXIR reporter Abi Clark spoke with Dave Sutliff-Atias, member of the RORE Caucus of the Rochester Teacher's Association, about his recent article, "The Fiscal Mistreatment of the RCSD"
Original air date: 2/14/20
-Activists On Both Sides of Lake Ontario Protest In Solidarity with Indigenous Land Defenders In Wet'suwet'en -Dave Sutliff-Atias On The Fiscal Mistreatment of the RCSD -ROC Hidden Histories: The Frederick Douglass Monument and the Hotel Waiter Who Made It a Reality -Memorial Art Gallery Hosts Black History Celebration
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM Rochester, NY with co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and reporter Abi Clark
Original air date: 2/14/20
Last week, heavily armed police began carrying out a series of arrests on indigenous territory north of Vancouver-Canada to clear the way for a multi-billion dollar pipeline project. Since then, Native and non-Native people have been organizing protests across Canada… and right here in Rochester. Darien Lamen has the story.
Original air date: 2/14/20 Image: CBC News
February 14th is Frederick Douglass’s chosen birthday. It's an opportunity to learn more about Rochester's monument to the famous abolitionist and the hotel waiter who made it possible.
Original air time: 2/14/20
Every year, thousands of poor New Yorkers have their licenses suspended for unpaid traffic tickets, many for over a year. Lawmakers in Albany are preparing to revisit a proposal that would allow people with traffic debt to set up payment plans as an alternative to having their licenses suspended. Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date 2/7/20
NYS Lawmakers to Take Up Bill Reforming Drivers License Suspensions for Unpaid Fines What to Black Women Is the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage? Robin Wilt On Democracy Deferred An Herbalist's First Aid Kit 90-Second Newbery Film Fest Hits Rochester
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM Rochester With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley and Reporter Abi Clark
Original air date 2/7/20
Robin Wilt is a Brighton Town Board Member and a Democratic candidate for US Congress. WXIR's Darien Lamen speaks with her about her recent article on 540 West Main's blog, her reactions to the Monroe County Democratic Committee's Designating Convention, and her decision not to participate in that process.
The article is available at: https://540westmain.org/2020/02/01/what-to-black-women-is-the-100th-anniversary-of-womens-suffrage-by-robin-reynolds-wilt-29-days-of-little-known-facts-about-black-american-history-i/
Original air date: 2/7/20
Rochester City Councilmember Mary Lupien is one of over 100 local elected officials calling on the Governor to ramp up investments in renewable energy and clean jobs.
Reclaiming the Narrative spoke with her last week to find out how Rochester stands to benefit from picking up the pace on climate action.
Original air date: 1/31/20
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland Buntley Reporter Abi Clark
Original air date: 1/31/20
New analysis from Climate Central finds that winter cold snaps are getting shorter in 95% of US cities. And as meteorologist Sean Sublette explains, for Rochester, the lack of a deep freeze could actually mean more snow.
Original air date: 1/24/20
WXIR Producer Abi Clark speaks with Rochester City Councilmember Willie Lightfoot about the next event in the University of Rochester's Breaking the Bubble series.
Original air date: 1/24/20
Local poets and musicians gathered last Friday for an evening of words and melodies in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That event is the focus of this week’s edition of Art Blooms with Abi Clark.
Original air date: 1/24/20
Could Snowy Winter Be Linked to Global Warming? RCSD Teachers Look to Shake Up Status Quo in Union, District Panel Discussion to Highlight Community Engagement Through Lens of Barber Shops and Salons MLK Open Mic: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Through Poetry and Song
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With reporter and headlines contributor Abi Clark Original air date: 1/24/20
A group of teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff in the Rochester City School District is coming together to push for change in their unions and school district in the wake of last month’s staff cuts.
Their mission includes fighting for full and equitable funding for public education; organizing and bargaining for equity from the bottom up; and anti-racist, anti-oppression pedagogy and practices.
Michelle Sapere is a founding member of the Rochester Organization of Rank and File Educators, or RORE Caucus, and she speaks with WXIR's Darien Lamen.
Original air date: 1/24/20
Radio producer and part-time filmmaker Matt Wilson recently stopped by the studio to tell us about his documentary film project, The Missing Ingredient.
Original air date 1/17/20
Several Democratic state senators have introduced legislation to amend New York State's new bail reform law in the face of continued opposition. Among the voices lost in the debate are those of the public defenders who represent the people most impacted by the new law. We hear from Monroe County Tim Donaher and Bronx Defenders Criminal Practice Director Alice Fontier.
Original air date: 1/17/20
Public Defenders Caution Against "Tweaks" to Bail Reform Law "Way Worse Than Mid-Year Cuts": RCSD Student Organizer On State of the Students, Next Steps The Missing Ingredient: African Americans and Craft Beer Art Center of Rochester Aims to Serve People of All Ages, Developmental Needs
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM with Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Arts Reporter Abi Clark and Feature Contributor Matt Wilson
Original air date: 1/17/20
Sarah Adams is a student organizer who recently returned from a lobbying day in Albany. Together with other student activists, she's demanding New York State fully fund public schools this budget season, but their vision for the RCSD doesn't end there.
Original air date: 1/17/20 Photo: Bethany Couture via FB
Rochester-area youth organized a rally Thursday to oppose war with Iran. Many protesters highlighted the link between imperialism and climate change.
Reporter Darien Lamen spoke with Hridesh Singh, Scott Wagner, Crescenzo Scipione, Mara Ahmed, and Emily Good.
Original air date 1/10/20
Voices from Rochester's Iran Peace Rally Cuomo Touts Wage Increase for Tipped Workers, But Excludes Largest Segment of Them Doc Screening to Showcase Indigenous Resistance As Canadian Police Poised to Raid Unist'ot'en Camp Artist in the Digital World: The Ins and Outs of Instagram with Molly Elizabeth
Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9FM With co-host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Headlines Contributor Jason Taylor Arts Reporter Abi Clark
Original air date 1/10/20
Rochester will host two screenings of the new documentary "Invasion," which highlights the struggles of the Wet'suwet'en people against the construction of a pipeline on their territory.
We speak with Jolie Mahan, the organizer of the screenings, to find out more.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1502629836568193/
Original air date: 1/10/20
New York State announced last week that it will phase out the use of a subminimum wage for about 70,000 tipped workers by the end of 2020. The change will apply to people working in "miscellaneous" service industries, like nail and hair salons, dog groomers, doormen, but it will not apply to the largest segment of tipped workers--waiters, bartenders, and bussers.
The decision to quietly exclude restaurant workers from the wage raise comes after massive pressure from a conservative advocacy group funded by restaurant owners.
For more, we speak with Mohini Sharma, lead organizer for Metro Justice and a former tipped worker, who participated in the One Fair Wage campaign to end New York State's subminimum wage.
Original air date: 1/10/20
Artist and creative mentor Molly Elizabeth is offering a workshop titled Instagram for Artists aimed at helping creatives navigate Instagram. She spoke with WXIR's Abi Clark for her weekly segment Art Blooms.
Original air date: 1/10/20 More information at: https://www.facebook.com/events/517051502233791/
A new report finds that the federal government's Charter Schools Program (CSP) has spent a billion dollars over the last decade on schools that have either closed down or that never opened in the first place. Those schools account for about 37% of those to receive funding from the CSP, according to analysis from the Network for Public Education.
Reporter Jason Taylor spoke with Carol Burris of the Network for Public Education about the report, "Still Asleep at the Wheel."
Original air date: 12/20/19
The report is available at: https://networkforpubliceducation.org/stillasleepatthewheel/
Eastman students Dalanie and Katie got together in 2018 to launch "Classically Black," a podcast that combines the hosts' love of Black culture and classical music. Arts Reporter Abi Clark has more.
Original air date: 12/20/19 Listen to Classically Black at: https://soundcloud.com/classicallyblackpodcast
On Thursday December 20th, members of the Puerto Rican Independence Party gathered at the Administrative Offices of the Rochester City School District to protest proposed cuts to RCSD staff.
We spoke with one of the organizers of that protest about the international character of austerity and solidarity, and about how Puerto Rican students in Rochester have been doubly harmed by cuts to public education.
Paul Figueroa is the former coordinator of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) in Rochester. He did his student teaching in the RCSD, and he currently teaches 7th and 10th grade in San Juan. He's running for San Juan City Council as a member of PIP.
He spoke with WXIR's Darien Lamen ahead of the Rochester School Board's vote approving mid-year cuts to 155 positions.
Rochester School Board Approves Mid-Year Cuts After 4 Hours of Emotional Public Testimony Network for Public Ed Report Raises Concerns About Federal Charter Schools Program "These Cuts Are International": Austerity Hits Puerto Rican RCSD Students Twice Classically Black: Placing a Modern Stamp on Classical Music Voices from Rochester School Board Public Hearing -- Produced by Darien Lamen for WXIR 100.9 FM With Co-Host Vanessa Ryland-Buntley Reporter Jason Taylor Arts Reporter Abi Clark
Original air date: 12/20/19
(WXIR-Rochester) Barbara Madeloni, the former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, talks with WXIR's Darien Lamen about how educators in her state turned their unions into a lean, mean, austerity-fighting machine... and about how Rochester might mobilize against mid-year cuts.
Original air date: 12/13/19
The exhibit Further Visions opened in the upper level of Small World Books last Friday. Artist Joel Dow creates interactive light displays from recycled analog equipment. Arts reporter Abi Clark was there.
Original air date: 12/13/19
Ganondagan State Historic Site is holding its annual Native American Winter Arts Festival Saturday, December 7th. This year, a new collaboration with Airigami brings a modern element to traditional storytelling.
WXIR's Abi Clark has more.
WXIR reporter Darien Lamen was on the scene outside the Rochester City School District Central Office Thursday night for the "Rally to Spare Our Students." He spoke with some of the people on the picket line there.
Original air date: 12/6/19
What do you get when you combine a holiday market with an activist fair? Rochester’s Alternative Fair… it’s happening this weekend.
WXIR's Daniella Veras speaks with Metro Justice member and Alternative Fair organizer James Bearden to find out more.
Original air date: 12/6/19
https://www.facebook.com/events/232230227716309/?event_time_id=232230231049642
A new Trump administration rule could cause thousands of local SNAP recipients to lose access to food stamps.
Tom Silva is Community Advocacy Specialist at Foodlink. Earlier this year he submitted a public comment to the USDA on Foodlink’s behalf opposing the rule change.
WXIR's Darien Lamen spoke to him about how the change will impact people in Monroe County.
WXIR's Mary Lawrence and Matthew Treadwell took a deep dive into the reasons for the Rochester City School District's $30 million budget shortfall, and the latest proposal to make up the difference. They spoke with Eamonn Scanlon of the Children’s Agenda.
Original air date: 11/16/19 on WXIR's Evidence of Design
In a recent op-ed that was deemed "too political" to print or air prior to the November elections, three prominent members of the local Jewish community call on recently-reelected District Attorney Sandra Doorley to apologize for "anti-semitic language."
The opinion piece was published on November 19th in the Democrat & Chronicle, and co-authored by City Councilmember Mitch Gruber, Rabbi Drorah Setel, and Lauren Deutsch of the Worker Justice Center of New York.
We spoke with Rabbi Setel about the piece, and what the authors are calling for now.
Original air date: 11/22/19
democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/2019/11/19/dog-whistles-have-no-place-local-politics/4228566002/
Endless Highway is holding its second annual fundraiser this week in support of its mission of facilitating access to recreation activities for area youth with disabilities. WXIR feature contributor Daniella Veras spoke with Endless Highway's founder, Rob Tortorella, to find out more.
www.endless-highway.org facebook.com/endlesshighwayinc
Original air date: 11/22/19
UPDATE: This report has been updated to include response from Rochester Police Department Deputy Chief Mark Mura.
A new investigative report from the Reveal News Network says local law enforcement agencies are undermining a visa program designed to help solve crimes and protect immigrants. According to that report, Rochester is one of the places where law enforcement refuses to participate. Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date: 11/15/19
In a victory for immigrant advocates, a judge has dismissed a legal challenge to a new state law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses in New York. But other lawsuits are still pending, including here in Monroe County. We speak with Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar of the New York Immigration Coalition for the latest.
Original air date: 11/15/19
The production of The Scavenger's Daughter by Buffalo-based author Gary Earl Ross, opens November 15 and runs through November 24 at the Avenue Blackbox Theater. WXIR feature contributor Daniella Veras spoke with the production's director David Shakes to find out more.
Original air date: 11/15/19
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-scavengers-daughter-directed-by-david-shakes-tickets-80068289409
An old movie theater near the corner of Monroe and Goodman has become a venue for thought-provoking public art in Rochester. The installation D(ov)etail was pieced together by Alysia Kaplan and Ashwin Manthripragada, two professors at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Abi Clarke reports.
Original air date: 11/1/19
New data shows that recent efforts at slowing down traffic in the Beechwood Neighborhood are working. Now residents are trying to build on that success, and make the changes permanent. Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date: 11/8/19
Citizen Action of New York and the Alliance for Quality Education hosted a public screening and discussion of a new documentary… it’s called Push Out, and it’s about the criminalization of Black Girls In Schools.
Our reporter Jolie Mahan was there. They filed this report, along with WXIR contributor Daniella Veras.
Original air date: 11/8/19
Timothy Kneeland is a professor of History and Political Science at Nazareth College. He spoke with WXIR reporter Jason Taylor about the results of the 2019 general election, from the flip in the County Executive to the police accountability referendum and more.
Original air date 11/8/19
On October 30th, the Rochester Institute of Technology hosted an event entitled 'Let's Talk about Class,' featuring a screening of 'I, Daniel Blake,' a pre-recorded interview with Ken Loach, and a community discussion on class in America. The panel discussion, provided here in its unedited form, brought together academics, filmmakers, and activists including Stevie Vargas, Ashley Gantt, Vincent Serravallo, and Elisabetta Sanino D'Amanda. The event was moderated by Mara Ahmed and Johannes Bockwoldt.
Recording by Jolie Mahan for WXIR 100.9 FM's Reclaiming the Narrative: Community-Powered Local News
Arts contributor Abi Clark visited an installation by Binghamton-based artist Colin Lyons that memorialized the hidden history of environmental contamination in a downtown Rochester lot.
For more information about this and other exhibits comprising Rochester's art biennial, visit: www.currentseen.org
Original air date: 10/18/19
On October 30th, the Rochester Institute of Technology hosted a screening of Ken Loach's 2016 film "I, Daniel Blake" followed by a panel discussion on social class and inequality.
Our reporter Jolie Mahan was there. They filed this report, along with WXIR contributor Daniella Veras.
Original air date: 11/1/19
Juma Sampson is a Rochester resident, an author, and an advocate for criminal justice reform. He describes himself as a survivor of mandatory minimum sentencing and of "Project Exile," a tough-on-crime program that he's now working to end.
Juma Sampson is also the founder of C.H.A.O.S. publishing company. More information is available here: https://www.chaospublishing.net/about.html
Original air date: 11/1/19
The organizers of a vigil to end mass incarceration in Monroe County were taken by surprise Wednesday when counter-demonstrators showed up waving signs in support of incumbent District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
The activists say coordinators for Gates to Recovery, the addiction help center that organized the counter-demonstration, were exploiting people in court-ordered diversion programs for their own political ends.
Randy Cimino, President of Gates to Recovery, says it was all voluntary.
Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date: 1/2/19
On October 7th, the Rochester Contemporary Art Center hosted a forum for candidates running for Monroe County Executive. The Art center solicited questions from working artists on topics like arts funding, education, and equity. Reporter Abi Clarke has more.
Original air date: 10/18/19
Community cooks from the US and Canada convened in Buffalo NY on October 15th for a panel discussion and communal meal as part of Buffalo Food Sovereignty Week. Daniella Veras and Jolie Mahan filed this report.
Original air date: 10/25/19
Is billionaire George Soros trying to install a "far-left puppet" in the race for Monroe County District Attorney? That’s what incumbent Sandra Doorley claimed in a campaign email last week. Now many of her critics are calling foul. Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date: 10/18/19
Rochester’s Frederick Douglass monument gets a new home. We were there when crews hoisted the larger-than-life abolitionist several stories into the air… and discovered a time capsule buried underneath.
Original air date: 10/25/19
UPDATE: A city court judge dismissed the charge against Acuff on November 6th after Landsman Development Corporation decided not to proceed with the case.
(WXIR-Rochester) A local tenant organizer is arrested while trying to attend a high-profile ribbon-cutting ceremony at a building he helped organize. Now he’s fighting the charge in court. Darien Lamen reports.
Original air date 10/25/19
The Alliance for Quality Education recently released a report outlining the extent to which the underfunding of public schools in New York State has negatively impacted students of color. This comes as the NYS Senate begins holding public hearings on updating the formula for distributing state funding.
Jasmine Gripper is the Legislative Director at the Alliance for Quality Education. She spoke with WXIR reporter Jason Taylor about some of the findings of the report, entitled "Foundation Aid in Name Only."
Original air date: 10/25/19 Read the report at: http://www.aqeny.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/FoundationAidNameOnly_final.pdf
Cycling advocates would like to see more people using bikes for recreation and transportation. The benefits are well-documented. But these discussions don't always consider the fact that certain groups of would-be bikers face additional barriers. Whether it’s sexual harassment, stereotypes, or the responsibility for transporting children, women often have more factors to weigh when considering whether to get on two wheels. But there are many groups in Rochester working to bring a greater focus on equity in biking.
On Thursday, May 30, Hipocampo Children's Books held a ribbon cutting ceremony with representatives from the City of Rochester and members of the community. Co-owners Henry Padron and Pamela Bailie say they're committed to making sure Hipocampo is not only a bookstore, but also an inclusive community space.
The use of law enforcement techniques on distraught patients at Strong Memorial Hospital came under scrutiny from state health officials last year. As Darien Lamen reports, Public Safety officers in the University of Rochester-run facility are still using these techniques on patients. But now, they’re arresting and charging patients with crimes as well.
More information about the Department of Health investigation and April 2018 statement of deficiencies is available at: http://www.hospitalinspections.org/report/25389
Original air date: 3/29/19 Updated: 4/3/19
A newly formed caucus of educators from the Rochester City School District is demanding that their pension funds be divested from private prison companies. Reporter Jo Mahan has the story.
Original air date: 3/29/19 Produced for Reclaiming the Narrative
In February, a New York State Appeals Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging an 80-year-old state law that excludes farmworkers from basic labor protections, including the right to organize.
The main plaintiff in the case, Crispin Hernandez, is being represented by the NYCLU, who have argued that the law is a racist holdover from the Jim Crow era.
Both Governor Cuomo and the state Attorney General's office have declined to defend the law in court.
But the New York Farm Bureau is fighting to uphold the blanket exclusion of farmworkers from labor protections on the grounds that unionization would pose an existential threat to family farms.
We recently had a chance to talk with NYCLU senior staff attorney Erin Beth Harrist, who argued the case before New York's highest court.
Original air date 2/15/19 Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media
Alex Zapesochny of the Rochester Beacon discusses a January 14th offer by Digital First Media/Alden Global Capital to purchase the Democrat & Chronicle's parent company, and what that could mean for local journalism.
Zapesochny's article is available at: https://rochesterbeacon.com/2019/01/22/is-the-democrat-chronicle-facing-an-existential-challenge/
Original air date: 1/25/19 Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media Center
The Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI)is asking area residents to cast a vote for the grassroots projects they want to see funded. Could this kind of "participatory budgeting" take off in Rochester in the future?
We speak with RMAPI's Graham Hughes and Green Party Co-Chair Dave Sutliff Atias to find out more about why they support giving citizens more control of the purse strings.
The online voting portal for RMAPI's PB process is available at: https://pbstanford.org/rochester2019
Original air date: 1/11/19 Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media
The nation's nursing homes are coming up short in overall staffing, according to latest data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Richard Mollot, Executive Director of Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Ken Traub, Member of Metro Justice's Elder Justice Committee, break down the numbers.
Original air date: December 14, 2018
(WXIR) The Board of Trustees at Monroe Community College passed a resolution Monday reaffirming their support for President Anne Kress. The move comes one week after faculty passed a resolution of no-confidence in her leadership.
A one-night-only exhibit organized by Revelation Rochester and RocCityART on October 26th showcased paintings of and by homeless artists in Rochester.
Produced by Darien Lamen with Abi Clark for Rochester Community Media Photo: Chris Bell Original air date: 11/16/18
(WXIR) A new proposal to arm public safety officers on all University of Rochester campuses has raised questions and concerns, especially from students and community members of color.
Original air date: 11/5/2018
Charly Sommers talks with Reclaiming the Narrative about getting a local chapter of Justice Choir up and running... or marching.
Seventeen years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the US is still embroiled in the longest foreign war in its history. Marine Corps veteran Lyle Jeremy Rubin argues that unending imperialist war has become part of a bipartisan consensus to which the Left must offer alternatives. Read his new article in The Nation here: https://www.thenation.com/article/the-forever-wars-cheerleaders/ Image: Reuters/Lucas Jackson
Neil Roberts is the editor of a new collection of essays by Angela Davis, Paul Gilroy, and others examining the "political afterlives" of Frederick Douglass's work. It's called A Political Companion to Frederick Douglass, and it's now available through the University Press of Kentucky. Roberts spoke with WXIR's Darien Lamen about the project, and about his own contribution to that volume.
More information on the book available at: http://kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=3502#.WzVrki2ZOi4 Interview excerpt from "Freedom Reimagined: Of Maroons, Freedom Fighters, and Black Panthers," part of the podcast series Our Earnest Struggle, available at: https://www.mixcloud.com/ourearneststruggle/freedom-reimagined-of-maroons-mutineers-and-black-panthers/
The Trump administration says the U.S. will no longer grant asylum to people fleeing domestic and gang-related violence in their home countries. Jose Perez, an immigration attorney based in Syracuse, explains how this decision will affect asylum cases playing out in our own region.
Original air date: 6/15/2018 Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media Full episode available at: https://www.mixcloud.com/1009WXIR/june-15-2018-mayor-crashes-press-conference-new-asylum-restrictions-addressing-racism-in-rcsd/
On May 19th, community members will mark the anniversary of Malcolm X's birth with a dynamic "longtable" conversation about his last visit to Rochester, shortly before his assassination. Rachel DeGuzman is the founder and producer of the "At the Crossroads" series, and she tells us what we can expect from Saturday's "Malcolm X in ROC" event.
More information available at: https://www.facebook.com/events/558576807830263/ Image design by Rajesh Barnabas
Jesus Galvaz Duarte is an activist and organizer with Mexicali Resiste, a group dedicated to protecting water rights in Baja California, Mexico.
Duarte talks about the history of that struggle and why his group has called for a boycott of Rochester-area company Constellation Brands. We also get his response to Constellation's sponsorship of the Fast Forward Film Festival, a Rochester event dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues.
Original air date: 4/20/18 Reclaiming the Narrative: Community Powered Local News Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media Center
Rochester's Fast Forward Film Festival is dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues. So why is their corporate sponsor, Constellation Brands, the focus of an international boycott campaign led by Mexican "water protectors"?
Original air date: 4/13/18 Reclaiming the Narrative: Community Powered Local News Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media Center
What do guns represent in American society? Why are only some forms of gun violence considered policy priorities? What does it mean to be "safe" and "secure" in our own communities?
Scholars, activists, and community members will gather at the University of Rochester on March 29 and 30 to discuss these and other timely questions. Kate Mariner, one of the organizers, talks about what prompted her to put the event together, and what she hopes it accomplishes.
http://www.sas.rochester.edu/humanities/events/2018/03/social-life-of-guns-research-symposium.html
Original air date: 4/6/18 Reclaiming the Narrative: Local News Produced by Darien Lamen for Rochester Community Media Center