Good Trouble!: Recent Episodes
King Boston
Information is power - and with King Boston & the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center’s Good Trouble podcast, our goal is to inform and inspire using the stories of the people fighting the good fight today. Inspired by civil rights leader John Lewis’ words of encouragement, the show will connect with our region’s noisemakers and key stakeholders to learn about their paths to becoming “good troublemakers” and what we can all do to join them.
From art as a driver of change and the world of nonprofits, to the inner workings of how our tax dollars are allocated, we will explore with our guests the society we live in, and just exactly what we can do to reach a better tomorrow. Good Trouble is hosted by Gregory Ball, Director of Content & Production at King Boston, and Reginauld Williams, Director of Communications at MassBudget.
Boston Children’s Chorus' new Director of Good Trouble, Akiba Abaka found her voice in the world of theater. Now in her new role, she gets to help facilitate the discovery of a new generation of artists from our community. Join us as we talk about her journey as an artist and how it helps her built a better tomorrow for Boston’s youth.
The pandemic changed us all in various ways. For podcaster James Hills it was a deeply transformative experience. Looking for a way to connect people with good information, he started “Java With Jimmy” a daily talk show on social media. Over a few years, he’s built that platform into a media company with major partnerships on the horizon. Now with a new rebrand Hills is poised to take Java to a new level while keeping community first.
Proverb Agency founder Daren Bascome has found the perfect way to blend his artistic talent with a desire to make impactful work. Whether its Proverb’s creation of the City Of Boston’s All Inclusive tourism campaign or lifting up the beauty of his native Bermuda, Daren his seen his work touch lives. We talk with the life long artist on his journey and what it takes to tell stories in the digital age.
NBC 10 Correspondent Kwani A Lunis is part of a new breed in the city that has truly become a part of its fabric. In this episode she shares how she discovered her love of storytelling, and how basketball led her to the airwaves in Boston.
It's hard to find someone with more pride in their Roxbury heritage than Dr. Rufus Faulk. A former member of the Wu administration and new author, he took that love to an international audience as a part of the first TEDx Roxbury. Join the good doctor as he tells us about he love of his hometown and just what's needed to fix it.
Malik Williams has been committed to making his ideas real his entire life. Now as the Vice President of the Secret Society Of Black Creatives, he is in the fight to help others do the same and help Boston’s creative economy thrive for Black people.
Jeneé Osterheldt is a culture columnist for The Boston Globe who covers identity and social justice through the lens of culture and the arts. Her multimedia series for the Globe, A Beautiful Resistance, centers Black voices and celebrates Black Joy. She joined the Globe in 2018. A native of Alexandria, Va. and a graduate of Norfolk State University, Osterheldt was a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, where her studies focused on the intersection of art and justice.
In his own words, Andrés Holder is “living the dream” – as Executive Director at Boston Children’s Chorus, he brings over ten years of experience in performing arts management through his work with Gala Hispanic Theatre, Arena Stage, and The Washington Ballet. Born and raised in Panamá, Andrés moved to the United States to pursue his education at the University of Michigan (UM) and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UM’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.
Reverend Willie Bodrick, with his roots in Atlanta, GA represented by Congressman John Lewis himself, has been living his life aspiring to the framework of “good trouble” in his advocacy and community engagement. In this episode, Rev. Bodrick shares his journey that led him to Boston and his work with the historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury and leadership positions around the city.
Corean Reynolds explores her new role as the first appointed Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, sharing how her perspective was shaped during college and in past roles most recently as the Director of Economic Inclusion at the Boston Foundation. Prior to her work at the Boston Foundation, Reynolds supported Workforce, Supplier, and Diversity Development at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Always at the forefront of the arts, curating events, creating music, and bringing people together is Good Trouble’s guest for this episode DJ Real P, founder of Do It For Real. Kicking off a new season, host Greg Ball and DJ Real P discuss his creative journey and the role of the arts in elevating the city of Boston today.
Joel Rivera, Political Director for Fair Share for Massachusetts and Marie-Frances Rivera, President of MassBudget, join the podcast to breakdown what’s at stake with this November’s election, and educate voters on the Fair Share Amendment ( also known as the Millionaire Tax) and discuss other important initiatives and races on the ballot.
Marie-Frances Rivera, President of MassBudget, and Imari Paris-Jeffries, Executive Director of King Boston, share their journeys as social justice leaders in the Commonwealth. In this episode, we learn about their experiences coming to Massachusetts, addressing the state’s growing wealth inequality and structural racism built into our systems, and how to rebuild trust in communities that regularly experience the harm of policy failures.
In this fireside chat, our hosts Greg Ball and Reggie Williams take a step back and reflect on the past two years of the pandemic, self-care, the changing nature of work, and Greg's ongoing effort to make "Troublemakers" a Good Trouble brand.
Catherine T. Morris, Founder & Executive Director of Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Fest and Director of Arts & Culture at the Boston Foundation, discusses the trials and tribulations of building a solid arts and culture ecosystem in Greater Boston. In this episode of Good Trouble, get a preview of the 2022 festival lineup and activities, and how we learn about how state government, philanthropy, and community can come together to invest locally.
Dr. Makeeba McCreary, Ed.D., President of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, joins Good Trouble in our latest episode. As a longstanding leader in public education, arts, and philanthropy, Makeeba shares about her time navigating Boston Public Schools, the Museum of Fine Arts, and more during a racial reckoning in our society.
Growth is not linear, and neither is a career in the music industry. Kaovanny, a King Boston Artist-in-Residence, joins Good Trouble to discuss how she got her start in the communities of Lawrence, MA and Boston and took her craft to cities across the globe. Tune in to get a sneak peek of what’s to come for the Embrace Ideas Festival June 2022, and learn more about how Kaovanny’s journey to live in purpose and faith creates resounding experiences through her artistry. Her debut album, AguaCaoba, drops later this year.
Joe Diamond, E.D. of MASSCAP & Nancy Wagman , Research & KIDS Count Director at MassBudget join Good Trouble to give the historical context in equity here in the Commonwealth. In the latest partnered report, At a Crossroads Created by COVID-19, covers the poverty & inequality gaps facing communities and how to remedy the structural barriers to equal access to opportunity for all in Massachusetts.
Journalist, author, and entrepreneur Chris Faraone has a love for words that’s powered by his connection to music. In the bars of his favorite hip-hop artists, he found the independent spirit of that fuels his journalism. Now as the Editor in chief and associate publisher of the Weekly Dig, he tells all the stories of the community. Listen as he tells us about his journey as a writer, the strength of community storytelling, and just exactly how New Yorker falls in love with the Hub.
Follow Chris on Twitter: @fara1
DigBoston on Twitter: @digboston
Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism: @BINJReports
Policymaker, strategist, and entrepreneur Turahn Dorsey is a man of many talents. In his role as a Foundation Fellow with the Eastern Bank Foundation, he is paying special attention to changing early care and learning systems.
As a founding partner in the Jazz Urbane Cafe, he is crafting a place of culture for the city. With his hands so full, he stops by to explain to us how all his work comes together to create a better Boston.
Follow Turahn on Twitter: @turahndorsey
Physician and business executive Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA is at the helm of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit working to reimagine and create excellence for every person to reach their full potential through health. Through education, grantmaking, advocacy, research, and health improvement programs, their work to change the status quo of diverse communities’ health outcomes – one mouth at a time. Listen as Dr. Minter-Jordan discusses her journey in clinical care and community health, to the board room, and beyond in our latest episode.
Early in his career, Dr. Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. came to believe that he could make a difference. And he had perfectly good reason to think that he could. The Western New England University President was inspired by his late uncle and namesake, Robert E. Johnson Jr., associate publisher and executive editor of JET Magazine and Morehouse classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to help others build the future through education. Having led multiple institutions of various sizes, Dr. Johnson has an informed view of higher ed in a post-pandemic era. He shared his views on the future of learning and how we can be a part of a whole new world.
One-time federal funds during the pandemic have been crucial in providing immediate relief and supporting the recovery from COVID, but are insufficient to meet the long-term needs of the Commonwealth. In the latest episode of Good Trouble, our Senior Policy Analysts Phineas Baxandall and Colin Jones provide an overview of the impact of federal funds on our COVID recovery, and how the Fair Share Amendment can help bridge resource gaps for education, infrastructure, and transportation across the state.
She was the first Black weeknight news anchor in Boston. Decades later, she’s still breaking barriers locally and across the globe in the hopes of inspiring communities from the pulpit and through political activism. Veteran journalist and Boston legend Rev. Liz Walker joins Good Trouble to speak about her journey as a transplant in Massachusetts, the changing face of media and representation, and how we can address the underlying traumas impacting our communities in the pursuit of equity and progress.
MassBudget Senior Policy Analyst and Advocacy Director Phineas Baxandall joins us to discuss his latest two reports focused on how targeted tax policies can support small businesses and provide economic stimulus during the pandemic. This episode covers how potential changes to corporate minimum taxes, municipal participation, and voter engagement can level the playing field for truly small businesses, and upcoming opportunities to achieve this in the Commonwealth.
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
You ever talk to a true walking encyclopedia? In this episode, author, journalist, historian, and researcher Dart Adams talks to us about his deep love for all things Boston. Adams details where his love of Boston started, how he approaches what he sees as his personal mission to make sure that his hometown is properly represented in the world of pop culture, and his thoughts on the effects of the erasure of Black Boston.
Follow Dart on Twitter: @Dart_Adams
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
Guest: Sheena Collier, Founder, Boston While Black
How do you navigate a town that is built on relationships when you are not already in the loop? Can you break down the barriers of entry and create a life? These are the questions Sheena Collier sought to answer for the city’s transplants with her company Boston While Black. In this episode, our hosts speak with one of Boston’s most connected people on how her own experience led her to build a company that is having a deep and real impact on the Boston landscape.
Guests: Emily Ruddock (Executive Director of MASSCreative) and Michael J. Bobbit (Executive Director, Mass. Cultural Council)
In this episode, our hosts are joined by two civic leaders focused on the creative sectors recovery from the pandemic, and ways to support its development for the future of the Commonwealth. Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative & Michael J Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Mass. Cultural Council, discuss their respective work to protect Massachusetts’ creative economy, and offer ways that the community can get involved.
Learn more about MASSCreative: https://www.mass-creative.org/
Twitter/Instagram: @MASSCreative Facebook: @MASSCreativeOrg
Learn more about the Mass Cultural Council:
Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @masscultural
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
Guest: Danny Rivera, Jr., Singer & Activist
A member of the inaugural cohort of King Boston Artists In Residence, Danny Rivera has been hard at work blending the music with a message his whole life. He is an alum of the Boston Arts & Music Soul (BAMS) Fest roster, and has used music to influence social change with United
States Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA D-7). While art is a means of creative expression for Danny, he wants to ensure that elected officials and public servants heed the messages their constituents put forth. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Danny’s journey in social impact advocacy and his second full-length EP, Rumors & Reasons.
Follow Danny on social media:
Facebook: @dannyriveramusic Twitter: @DannyRiveraBOS Instagram: @dannyrivera_
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
Guest: Amandi Music
As a universal language, music has a power to transform our communities and help capture the resilience and power we collectively share. Singer, Songwriter & Producer, Amandi Music, has penned music for hitmakers such as Brian Michael Cox, SWV, and Next. Listen to Amandi discuss his upbringing in the church, finding sources of inspiration to maintain longevity in a music career, fighting imposter syndrome in the music industry and his latest album release, L.I.E.S.
Learn more about Amandi Music: https://www.facebook.com/iamamandimusic/about/?ref=page_internal
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
As we debut our new platform, our Good Trouble hosts Gregory Ball, Director of Content & Production at King Boston, and Reginauld Williams, Director of Communications at MassBudget share with us the vision behind the podcast.
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget
Guest: Segun Idowu, Executive Director of BECMA
Is Boston ready for its first elected BIPOC mayor? How are things currently for creative entrepreneurs and small businesses from communities of color across the state? Segun Idowu, Executive Director of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), joins Good Trouble to give an update on his journey, BECMA’s beginning, the Mass. Black Expo and more.
Learn more about Segun/BECMA: https://www.becma.org/
- Twitter: @revrenddoctor / @BECMAinc
- Facebook: @BECMABos
- Instagram: @revrenddoctor / @becma_
Learn more about King Boston: https://kingboston.org/
- Twitter: @KingBoston11
- Instagram: @king_boston_1965
Learn more about MassBudget: https://massbudget.org/
- Twitter/Facebook: @MassBudget