Columbus Can't Wait

Whitehall is changing, and not everyone is happy about it. Mayor Michael Bivens and Councilmembers Harcar and Elmore join us to break down the citizen-led recall effort targeting city leadership, the misinformation fueling it and what's really at stake for the folks who call Whitehall home. For more information: yesforprogress.com Hosted by Tareya. Recorded and shot at Statehouse Studio. Execu...

Michael Cole , candidate for Ohio House District 2, joins us to talk about growing up in Cleveland and how an early interest in politics led him to the school board, and now a run for the Statehouse. We get into Education Choice, the lack of buy-in for public education at the state level and why the school district is in the financial place it's in. He breaks down his work on the board, what he'd...

Charity Martin-King , candidate for Ohio House District 2, joins us to talk about her history of community work, taking up space as a Black woman in politics and why she sees this work as bigger than politicians. She shares her background working with youth and entrepreneurship, including the Urban Spirit coffee shop and in the nonprofit space, and how that shapes her approach to policy. We also r...

Chana Wiley, of Columbus Safety Collective and Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change , returns to CCW to talk about Issue 5 : the May ballot initiative aimed at changing how Columbus responds to mental health calls by sending trained responders instead of police. She shares the story of her brother, Jaron Thomas, revisiting his mental health episode, the moments leading up to his kil...

Aleena Starks of Ohio Working Families Party and guest host Jasmine Ayers join us on the podcast for a conversation on progressive politics statewide. They explore the challenges of running as progressives, the flaws in traditional and establishment Democratic strategy and the importance of bringing in Black voters. They also talk about their personal journeys to progressive politics, building com...

Dr. Jermaine Kennedy , in our final Columbus City School board candidate interview, discusses his personal journey from being a troubled student to an education leader. We cover his background, the critical role of mentorship played in his life, and his work in community and educational organizations. He also shares his thoughts on school closures, budget issues and building partnerships for stude...

Our next school board candidate is Dr. Antoinette Miranda . She joins us on the podcast to discuss her vision for improving Columbus City Schools. She talks about her background in education and psychology, the importance of behavioral interventions, the role of leadership in schools, raising children and being married to a teacher at CCS, and her commitment to building trust and transparency betw...

Our next Columbus City School board candidate on the podcast is Janeece Keyes . We talk about her experience as a first-time candidate, her organizational background, connecting with voters and her vision for the future of the school district. A parent of four children who attended Columbus City Schools, she emphasizes the need for parental engagement, transparency in board decisions, and support...

Kimberley Mason , candidate for Columbus City School board, joins us on the podcast to discuss her background in mental health and higher education and how that shapes her vision for CCS. A CCS parent and former PTO president, her focus is on improving how the district communicates with families and shows up for students. She also discusses school closures, budget cuts, and the need for the board...

Mounir Lynch , candidate for Columbus City Schools, shares his candidacy experience and how he’s working to engage voters and build trust. Raised on the importance of social justice and shaped by his time at CAHS and CCS, Lynch discusses his work as a health educator serving disenfranchised groups, his motivations for running, and his promise to hold the system accountable. He weighs in on distric...

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey from southeastern Ohio to city leadership, the challenges of public service and the future of Columbus. We discuss his background, his shift from Republican to Democrat, his battles with state and federal governments and lawsuits against the Trump administration. Later we get into his office's work on nuis...

To close Black August, Jordyn Close, deputy director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance , joins us to share how she went from considering cosmetology school to helping lead abortion advocacy in the state. She opens up about her own abortion story, testifying at a young age and challenging stigma around abortion access. We discuss centering Black and Brown reproductive justice as an umbrella term, the 20...

In this long-awaited conversation, Aramis Sundiata, Executive Director of the People's Justice Project , joins us to talk about the experiences and ideas that have shaped his organizing work. He reflects on the influence of his parents, his early studies of revolution and resistance and how the 2020 protest landscape helped shape a new generation of organizers. We discuss the endurance required in...

Columbus City Council candidate Jesse Vogel joins us on the podcast to reflect on his legal work in eviction defense and what led him to run for office. He talks about the challenges families face raising kids in Columbus, and his priorities around housing, education, transportation and labor. Jesse also shares how working with immigrant communities has shaped his approach to public service and ad...

Columbus City Council candidate Tiara Ross joins the podcast to talk about growing up in Columbus as a preacher's grandkid, finding her path in law at OSU and leaving corporate life to serve the public. She shares how her work with the city attorney's office shaped her perspective on housing, zoning and over-enforcement in gentrifying neighborhoods. Tiara also discusses food access, public...

Columbus City Council candidate Kate Curry-Da-Souza joins the podcast to discuss her background, her work on the Near East Area Commission, and her ties to the Near East Side. She shares her thoughts on tackling food insecurity, housing, transportation and the city’s new district system. She also talks about her decision to run for council, her goals for accessibility and accountability, and why c...

Elizabeth Brown ⁠ contributions to our 2024 Election coverage on the podcast. The ⁠ YWCA ⁠ CEO talks her transition from city council and the work the organization does, voting access and the distrust marginalized communities have, fair districts and how school funding is related to Issue 1, those political ads against her dad, Sherrod Brown, and much more. Subscribe to Columbus Can't Wait on YouT...

Jordan Hawkins of the Ohio Young Black Democrats joins us for his 4th (!) appearance on the show for an informative and reflective conversation ahead of the 2024 general election. We discuss the transition from Biden to Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, how it's impacted his role and young Black Democrats, the dog-whistle politics surrounding Haitian immigration, the handling of the genocid...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we have Rachel Crowder of Black Health Lit on the podcast to talk health and self-advocacy. We discuss how the death of George Floyd inspired her to create the consultancy firm and podcast , her cancer journey, how to advocate for yourself in health systems, racism in healthcare, health misinformation, relaxers and other environmental cancer causing pr...

Raphael Davis-Williams once again joins us on the podcast to talk all things 2024 general election. We get into what's changed (and hasn't) since the last go-round, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Ohio's races, including the significance of the Ohio Supreme Court race. Raphael also walks us through the court and how the outcome of this race will affect our everyday lives, with impacts on abortion, vo...

Ekundayo Igeleke and Khamall Jahi of Black Men Build join us to chat about their mission, perspectives on masculinity and leadership, intersectionality in the fight for Black liberation, challenges with organizing and creating a space for political education and healing. We also get into the New Men Tour — a celebration and conversation on healing set to hit Columbus Aug. 24 — the work and impact...

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin joins us on the show for the first time since 2021 , for a special episode that delves into the city's much talked about zoning reform initiative. If you've been wondering what the zoning conversation is all about and how it directly impacts your daily life, we have Shannon break it down. Plus, he gets into what zoning has to do with LinkUS and transp...

Note: This episode was recorded before the leaked document controversy. Izetta Thomas and Stuart McIntyre of the Columbus Education Justice Coalition join us on the podcast to discuss their stance against schools closures, their vision for what the future can hold for these buildings and why they feel so strongly about the future of Columbus City Schools. Subscribe to Columbus Can't Wait on YouTub...

Our final pre-primary interview is with Stephanie Hanna , candidate for judge in the only contested Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge race. As a lesser known name on the ballot, her interview highlights her interesting background starting as a Republican, transitioning to a Democrat and her realization on why it matters. She also gets into the uphill battle of the sample ballot (on which sh...

Council member Shayla Favor , candidate for Franklin County prosecutor, appears on the show to discuss her readiness to address criminal justice reform and public safety if she were elected. She also talks about her law background and journey in the city attorney’s office, her plans to address officer-involved shootings and delays in prosecuting murder cases, culture issues in the prosecutor’s off...