The Broad Cast

On this episode of The Broad Cast, hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek sit down with Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward) and Ald. Nicole Lee (11th Ward) to explore Chicago's historic FY26 budget battle and the behind-the-scenes effort to craft an alternative budget. The conversation covers how a broad City Council coalition came together to close a billion-plus dollar budget gap while protecting jo...

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Edda Fields-Black joins The Broad Cast to share the extraordinary story behind “Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid and Black Freedom during the Civil War.” She explains how her research into more than 160 Civil War pension files uncovered the voices of enslaved people who experienced the raid firsthand. She discusses Harriet Tubman as a military st...

Christy George played a major role in leading the most successful Democratic National Convention Host Committees in recent history — and now she’s at the helm of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, the state’s public-private economic development arm, as President and CEO. On this episode of The Broad Cast, Christy joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek to talk about her path to pub...

Illinois is staking its claim as a global leader in quantum technology with the launch of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP). In this episode, hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek sit down with Dr. Preeti Chalsani — Chief Quantum Officer at the Illinois Economic Development Corporation and Business Development Lead for the IQMP — to break down what quantum is, why it matters an...

1871 has long been the heartbeat of Chicago’s tech ecosystem — a hub for visionary founders, resilient innovators and dedicated mentors building community and driving inclusive innovation. And, it’s been The Broad Cast’s recording location for the last six years! This spring marked a major transition: 1871 moved out of its office space in the Merchandise Mart, signaling a new chapter for the organ...

As our world faces a growing number of natural disasters every year, emergency responders are stepping up in greater numbers in response. That includes organizations like the Red Cross, whose nearly 150 years of experience and thousands of volunteers nationwide are there to support individuals and communities before, during and after disasters strike. Kellie O’Connell is the new CEO of the Red Cro...

In the early days of the second Trump presidency, there’s already been a slew of regressive executive orders targeting everything from federal funding to marginalized groups. Here in Illinois, organizations that advocate for racial and economic justice, like The Shriver Center on Poverty Law, are moving to the frontlines of the battles created by these EOs, and other policies, to protect the right...

Channyn Lynne Parker is the CEO of Brave Space Alliance, a Black-led, trans-led TLGBQ+ Center on Chicago’s south side that provides affirming, culturally competent resources. She joins Becky and Eileen on The Broad Cast to discuss the crucial role Brave Space Alliance plays in our city, preparing for a second Trump administration and how LGBTQ+ communities in Chicago and beyond can support each ot...

A lot is at stake on the ballot this November, and we’re not just talking the Presidential race — for the first time, Chicago voters will get to choose who will serve on the Chicago Public Schools board (at least 10 of the 21 members for now!). One of the candidates is Ellen Rosenfeld from District 4 (which includes Uptown to Old Town), who has worn nearly every hat at Chicago Public Schools as a...

Sarah Garza Resnick is the CEO of Personal PAC, a nonpartisan organization working to protect and advance reproductive rights for all. She joins The Broad Cast to discuss how abortion access might be affected by the outcome of the 2024 election, how the issue could shape what happens at the ballot box in November, Illinois’ long and intentional journey to becoming a pro-choice state, how Project 2...

Cherita Ellens is the President and CEO of Women Employed, which advocates for fair and equitable workplaces throughout Illinois so that women, families and communities thrive. She joins The Broad Cast to discuss WE’s key work in advancing policy to support women in the workplace for more than 50 years, economic equality as an intersectional issue, how to make your own workplace more equitable — a...

Precious Brady-Davis is a lifelong social justice advocate and environmentalist. She currently serves as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in Cook County, and on March 19, she’ll be the first Black trans woman ever elected to Cook County office. Precious also released a memoir, “I Have Always Been Me,” in 2021, exploring her Midwestern upbringing and finding identity and...

Chicago artist and creator of The Folded Map Project Tonika Lewis Johnson joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek on this episode of The Broad Cast! In Part 2, Tonika discusses some of her newer projects including Inequity For Sale, an exploration of Chicago's use of land sale contracts on the South and West sides of the city in the 20th century. Subscribe to The Broad Cast on Apple Podcasts,...

Chicago artist and creator of the Folded Map Project Tonika Lewis Johnson joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek on this episode of The Broad Cast! In Part 1, she discusses her work, from the origins of The Folded Map Project to newer works addressing social inequities in Chicago, and how art can be used to move the needle on social justice movements. Subscribe to The Broad Cast on Spotify, A...

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek on this episode of The Broad Cast for a conversation on how she’s leveraged her office to lift up underrepresented voices and communities across the state, from restorative justice and violence prevention issues, to diversifying Illinois' agriculture industry and empowering women entrepreneurs — and more! Sub...

According to CDC data, 1 in 4 American adults lives with a disability. However, many of our systems that are set up — from health care to education to wages and more — fall far short of meeting their needs. On this episode of The Broad Cast, Access Living President and CEO Karen Tamley joins co-hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek for a conversation about creating an equitable world for those liv...

What are the issues facing rural Illinoisans today, and what can Democrats do to better engage these communities? On this episode of The Broad Cast, hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek speak with Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who hails from rural Illinois and today represents the state’s 13th congressional district, encompassing Springfield, Champaign, East St. Louis, and rural areas in between...

Experts agree: mental health in the U.S. has reached a crisis point. We’ve seen reports over the last year showing that our young adults, teenage girls, first responders, and more, are struggling more than ever when it comes to mental health. On this episode of The Broad Cast, co-hosts Becky and Eileen examine what led to this, and what is being done in our city and state to provide support and he...

Chicago has a new mayor and 13 brand new members of City Council! The Broad Cast co-hosts Becky and Eileen do a deep dive into the election and mayoral transition along with the hopes and challenges that lie ahead. Our hosts are joined by Lisa Duarte, Lawyer and Government Relations Strategist, and Chakena Perry, Former MWRD Commissioner, Environmental Advocate and political activist.

School and library boards have become frontlines in the conflict between left and right in American politics. Co-hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek are joined by women who find themselves on the forefront of defending these institutions in the Chicagoland area. Guests are Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association, Sheri Doniger of the Lincolnwood Library Board, and T...

For the 33rd Episode of The Broad Cast, C-Strategies CEO Becky Carroll is joined by new TBC co-host, Eileen Dordek! The pair are joined by Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, Khem Khoeun, the first Cambodian American Woman elected to office in the United States and current Village of Skokie Trustee, and Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian American Midwest Progressives. These women have all...

For the 32nd Episode of The Broad Cast, host and C-Strategies CEO Becky Carroll joins Executive Director of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, Tiffany Hightower, for a conversation on how the Foundation is adapting, and even expanding their efforts to support, uplift, and advance Black Illinoisans during the pandemic and beyond. Tiffany also discusses the leadership lessons she’s le...

Episode 31 of The Broad Cast looks and sounds a bit different! To celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, organizer, environmentalist, and history-lover Chakena Perry takes over as our host for a conversation on environmental justice with two women that represent the new face of leadership in Cook County bringing attention to environmental issues facing our communities, IEC Clean Water Policy Director Iyana...

For the 30th Episode of The Broad Cast, host and C-Strategies CEO Becky Carroll spoke with journalist, author, educator, and traveler Deborah Douglas to discuss her journey following the Civil Rights Trail across the southern United States, from the Mississippi Delta to Washington, D.C. Deborah drew on this experience to write her new book, “U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler’s Guide to the Peopl...

For our annual Year in Review episode, we sat down with Chicago Sun-Times Chief Political Reporter Rachel Hinton and broke down the major events of 2020, from racial injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement, to COVID-19 and its impact on our local and national elections. Rachel brings an important and nuanced perspective as a young Black female journalist covering everything 2020. This marks...