Columbus Can't Wait

Natalia Harris chats with CCW about her journey as a lesser-known candidate among the Franklin County prosecutor contenders; her firsts, including becoming the youngest and first Black female city prosecutor of Cincinnati; her work for victim advocacy and human trafficking issues; the backlog in murder cases in Franklin County and the responsibility of the prosecutor's office, supporting alter...

Our next few episodes of Columbus Can't Wait will feature the Franklin County prosecutor candidates answering the questions you have before the March primary. This episode features Anthony Pierson , Franklin County's deputy chief counsel, discussing his transition from corporate law to prosecution, his approach to law and accountability, diversity in the legal profession and transparency i...

The trial for Jason Meade, the sheriff's deputy who stands accused of murdering Casey Goodson Jr., began this week. We first had Casey's mother Tamala on the show months after Casey's death 3 years ago. Since then the trial has seen multiple delays, but his family may soon get some semblance of justice. Tune in as we're reminded of the details surrounding the case and the kind of p...

Join us for the final episode of Season 5 as we chat with returning guest Commissioner Erica Crawley , kicking off with her background in Youngstown and facing scrutiny and expectations on what a politician "should" look like as a Black woman. She also talks about her role as a commissioner, including funding critical initiatives, making tough decisions and navigating being overlooked. T...

Join us as we chat with Dr. Tina Pierce , a Columbus school board member running for reelection in November, as we explore her personal experience in Columbus City Schools, her commitment to educational empowerment, her professional and academic background in education and leadership in minority communities, and her role on the board. Plus, we'll tackle pressing issues like the upcoming school...

Nancy Day-Archauer , a candidate for Columbus City Council District 2 (parts of the West Side and Northwest Side), joins us on the show. She discusses her advocacy for the West Side, her insights into council districts, her views on housing, and the time she accidentally canvassed at a trap house. We also delve into Nancy's background, which includes her journey from California to Ohio for min...

In this episode, Sarah Ingles , Columbus school board candidate, shares her political background, including her time at the ACLU of Ohio and work as a union attorney. We explore the school board's influence, her desire to serve, the diversity of Columbus City Schools, plans for the teacher's union relationship, improved district communication, the November school levy, leveraging privilege...

Welcome to a special live edition of our podcast, where we tackle the upcoming November elections in Columbus, Ohio. We're joined by Jordan Hawkins from the Central Ohio Young Black Dems and Jeff Wiggins, host of the 'We Gonna Be Alright' video podcast on YouTube and a Digital News Contributor for The Young Turks. Together, they break down the major issues on the ballot in a way that&#...

Welcome back to Columbus Can't Wait! Sorry for the delay, but we have a packed month ahead with candidates ahead of the November 2023 election. Up next is Farxaan Jeyte, who is running for City Council against Nick Bankston for District 5 (Northeast Side). He talks about coming to the U.S. as a refugee, using hip hop to learn English, negative perceptions he was taught about Black Americans, r...

22-year-old Brandon Simmons is running for the Columbus City Schools Board of Education. We talk about him getting engaged in the political process at a young age, his experience as a student at Columbus Alternative High School, plus his work and experience as an activist after the 2016 election. He also delves into what he’s interested in seeing improved in schools, including building maintenance...

To kick off the second half of this season's CCW, we have councilmember Nick Bankston on the podcast. Join us for a engaging conversation with Nick, who shares his passion for local politics and the challenges cities face today. Nick talks about how the federal government affects city issues, the unique challenges of being a local politician, and his background in city hall. He also discusses...

We welcome councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla on the podcast to discuss her background growing up on the East Side of Columbus, being a child of immigrants, her take on the phrase "New Americans," her work for council, the sometimes necessary bureaucracy of local government, what issues she wants to address on council, districts, tax abatements and much more. ⁠Subscribe to Columbus...

Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor joins us to discuss her work on council, serving as chair of the housing, health & human services, criminal justice and judiciary committees, the frustrations and opportunities she’s experienced as a Black woman in her role, the housing legislation she has spearheaded, the politics of council and more. ⁠Subscribe to Columbus Can't Wait on Patreon⁠  ...

Season 5 of Columbus Can't Wait continues with an interview with Joe Motil , who is running against Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther in November's election. Joe talks about his experience in activism and running for office in the past, why no election should be unopposed, the difficulties he faces in running for office in Columbus, how he feels he has not gotten credit for some of his proposa...

Chris Wyche is running for Columbus City Council District 1 in the November election. Chris talks about his background and experience, including with the New Leaders Council and AT&T, growing up in Boston and the differences between that city and Columbus, transit and preparing for the growth of Columbus, and his willingness to get things done regardless of the political challenges. ⁠Subscribe...

Dontavius Jarrells represents Columbus in the Ohio House of Representatives. A Cleveland native, he has represented Columbus' 1st district since 2021. This past spring, he chatted with Columbus Can't Wait about his upbringing, what led him to run for state representative, what his office does, his involvement and accessibility to the community, his work so far in the House of Representativ...

Ohio State Rep. Latyna Humphrey , who represents the 2nd district in Columbus, joins us to talk about what a state representative does, her desire to serve and her unique journey from volunteering during the Flint Water Crisis to the Statehouse, bills she has been able to move through the general assembly and put into law (including legislation to assist returning citizens), working across the ais...

In this special episode, we bring you the live recording from our "Democracy in Ohio: Town Hall" event held on June 15. Listen in as we, your hosts EhKees & Tareya, alongside a group of experts and community leaders, delve into vital democratic issues. We cover key topics such as the upcoming August Special Election, recent State House Bills and how they impact you, and the urgent is...

In the second episode of this season's  Columbus Can't Wait , we chat with Jennifer Adair , Columbus Board of Education president, about her experience growing up in Columbus, how she got involved in the school district and school board, the challenges on the school board—including last fall's teacher strike—what she would like to see changed in city education, the state's involvem...

In the Season 5 debut of Columbus Can't Wait , Columbus City Council candidate Adrienne Hood discusses her experience growing up in Columbus, serving in the military as a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, raising children in Columbus and losing her son Henry Green to police violence, accountability at the Columbus Police Department, why she decided to run for city council, her platform and what...

This special episode of Columbus Can't Wait was recorded just two weeks after the mid-term elections. Now that the dust has settled and the results are in, we know that the house has flipped, Georgia is headed to another runoff, the GOP ran the table in Ohio, Democrats kept the senate, the Red Wave was more like a splash, Pelosi is stepping down and Trump is Running again. But what does that reall...

“If we lose our democracy we won’t get it back.” This special episode focuses on the urgency of the upcoming midterm elections on November 8th where, among other issues, 3 Supreme Court seats are on the ballot and could change our states trajectory for a generation. Tune in to learn more about why your participation on Tuesday is vital!

In our second to last episode this season, Columbus Can’t Wait spotlights the recording studio that makes this podcast possible, The Dreamcatcher’s Recording Studio . Rizo, who with David Mason is a part of a production group called The Dreamcatchers and co-owner of the Reynoldsburg-based studio, talks about living in Nashville, moving back to Columbus to be a part of the city’s growing arts and m...

Episode 7 of this season is a two-parter, as we highlight the challenges disabled folks, particularly Black folks, face in different spaces. In part 1, we talk with Tabitha Woodruff and Travis Daluz-Cates of Disability Rights Ohio about the services it offers and the organization's policy work, including issues around racial issues and policing. They discuss the misconceptions around disability, h...

Episode 6 of this season features Earn of The Royal Oak Initiative . Earn talks with us about his journey and how he came to start the initiative, the lessons to come out of chess, using chess to discuss leadership and attitude with young people, building culture for Black folks, winning and losing, planting cultural seeds, the meaning behind the name of the initiative and much more. Vote for us t...