Columbus Can't Wait

Episode 5 of this season’s Columbus Can’t Wait features Khamall Jahi of The Citadel, a Black-owned event venue with a mission to provide a safe space for people to create and thrive on the city’s South Side. Khamall talks about returning to Columbus from California and what that experience has taught him about himself and his path, the importance of having a space on the South Side; the process of...

Episode 4 of this season features Yohannan “Yogi” Terrell (Columbus Fashion Alliance, Warhol & WALL ST.) and Bobby Fame (Summer 614, The Forum, Headquarters bar) longtime figures in Black Columbus, who discuss their work creating, bringing up talent, uplifting Black creatives and encouraging Black ownership. The two longtime friends also discuss their early beginnings, their missions now and w...

On episode 3 of this season's Columbus Can't Wait, Tareya and EhKees chat with Deja Redman and Monique McCrystal of Replenish and The Yoga Carriage. Redman and McCrystal discuss Replenish's mission to provide restorative care, revolutionize self-care, and build an intentional space that is more than just a spa. The group also discusses care as an education, giving yourself permission for self-care...

Episode 2 of this season's Columbus Can't Wait has Tareya and EhKees chatting with Adam Troy, Chief Engagement Officer of the Community Of Caring Development Corporation and Director of Missions at New Salem Baptist Church , about the church's history, the church's nonprofit Community of Caring Development Foundation, and the impact of the church. Adam talks about the church's responsibility to th...

In our first episode of Season 4 of Columbus Can't Wait, Tareya and EhKees talk with Vada Azeem and Brynn from Youth to Youth International. They discuss being a kid and getting into politics, and Brynn discusses her experience being neurodivergent and "fitting in." They also discuss what makes Youth to Youth different from other youth-targeted organizations, how the organization helps build life...

"We all have a little bit of hero and a little bit of human." In our final episode of Season 3 of Columbus Can't Wait, we talk with Pastor Mike and Pastor Rick from City of Grace church. We talked about the meaning behind the church's name and mantra of "no perfect people allowed," hypocrisy and attachment to tradition in the church, Millennials in the church, the community involvement and re...

On this week's episode, we had the pleasure of sharing space with Chris Poindexter, owner and founder of Haus DaVinci Hair Salon. Chris chats it up about how she got into the beauty industry, the importance of beauty and self-care in the Black community and salons for Black women specifically, the spiritual and cultural context the salon exists in, how identity is closely related to the Black woma...

This week we stepped inside the barbershop with Chevez Moman of The BarberZone. "We touch everybody, from the pimp to the preacher." Chevez talks about the barbershop as an open and honest space for Black men, and the relationships nurtured there. That relationship, between the Black man and his barber, is often long-lasting, following them from adolescence to adulthood. Chevez also touches on men...

On this week's episode of Columbus Can't Wait, we had the pleasure of speaking with Quiqi aka A.S.L. Princess, a DJ and curator who has helped solidify some of Columbus' most pivotal spaces. Quiqi breaks down her experience as an adolescent in Columbus, how the communities around her allowed her the space to come into her own and led to creative opportunities, her experience in Columbus nightlife...

In this week's episode, we talked to 3/4 of the team behind Native Tongues, Tripp Fontane, DJ Bern, and our very own, EhKees. Native Tongues provides a space for creative expression of all kinds, in an artists' "native tongue." The trio discusses curating a space for creatives, especially Black creatives, in Columbus; what it means to be a sacred space while also having principles for what is allo...

On this week's episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Ralph Carter of We Are Linden. Ralph provides historical and cultural background on Linden, , and discusses advocating for Linden and offering resources, protecting the historically Black neighborhood and changes happening in the community, including the outcomes of gentrification and crime. Like many historically Black and/or working-cl...

This week we spoke with an inspiring duo and two of the faces behind Maroon Arts Group: Marshall Shorts and Ekundayo Igeleke. The pair discuss MAG's founding and the incredible meaning behind its name, introducing and funding Black art in Columbus, providing space for Black artists and the limits of large public and private institutions when it comes to Black art. They also provide an update on pr...

In this week's episode of Columbus Can't Wait, we chat with LC Johnson of Zora's House, reflecting on how and why the co-working and community space was created, providing a space for the city's women of color and how that particular term is applied, what it means to provide brave community spaces, and more. Hosted by Tareya & EhKees. Engineered at The Dreamcatchers Recording Studio. Executive Pro...

It’s Election Day tomorrow and so this week, we’re releasing a special live edition of Columbus Can’t Wait with the President of the Ohio Young Black Democrats, friend of the show, Jordan Hawkins, to talk about what comes next after the election is over. This is a quick breakdown  about what's on the ballot, why elections are important in between the presidential generals, what we should be d...

In this week's episode, we talked to Our Bar's Marlon Anthony about what happened to Columbus' favorite watering hole. The Olde Towne East neighborhood bar and lounge—named aptly as a space for the city's Black residents, but fully accepting of the wider community—quickly became a city gem since opening in 2019. But you couldn't tell that from how Our Bar was forced to close. The story behind Our...

Welcome back to Columbus Can't Wait ! We are in the lab again, kicking off Season 3 with friend of the show Kaleem Musa! Kaleem is a newly elected member of the Near East Area Commission who sets the season off with an energizing conversation on what’s necessary for Black spaces to thrive. This season is focused on Black voters, the spaces they congregate in, and how those spaces are impacted by p...

In this special episode we speak with Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. Born and raised on the south side of Columbus, Council President Hardin earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He was appointed to Council in 2014, won election in November, 2015, and was reelected on in 2017. CP Hardin serves as the Chair of the Rules and Reference Committee - overseeing the legisl...

In our final episode of the season, we interviewed the incredibly inspiring State Representative Erica Crawley. Representative Crawley is currently serving Ohio House District 26 and is actively seeking the appointment to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. This appointment will be announced next week on June 24th, 2021 at 6pm ET. Representative Crawley would become the first Black woman e...

When we started Columbus Can't Wait we understood the legacy and power of Black owned and operated media. We like to think that we're following in the footsteps of publications that have always inspired us such as Freedom's Journal, The North Star, and The Chicago Defender which paved the way for magazines like Jet, Essence, and Ebony and of course, the TV network BET. Without them there would be...

This week we welcome back friend of the show, and former grassroots congressional candidate, Morgan Harper. Morgan has been a fierce advocate for addressing police violence in Columbus and has used her social media platform to draw national attention to the police murders of Casey Goodson Jr., Andre Hill and Ma'Khia Bryant. Reimagining public safety was a focus of her 2020 congressional platform i...

A bonus episode! Listen as we talk with therapists and first-time guests, Megan Torres and Boxx about how to cope (and find joy, too) in the face on ongoing racial injustice. Follow and support Megan @trustmeimasocialworker and Boxx @boxxjetson

On this week's episode we speak with community organizers and advocates of non-police responses: friend of the show, Jasmine Ayres, and first time guest, Steve David. Please follow Jasmine on IG @jasmineandretti and Twitter @Ayres4Columbus Please check out the Columbus Accountability Project and additional resources mentioned in this episode on our Patreon page which you can find here: https://www...

This week we speak with Hana, one of the foremost organizers in Columbus. She is one of the founders of Black Abolitionist  Collective Ohio and co-director for Central Ohio Freedom Fund. Hana has been organizing since 2016 when 13-year-old Tyre King was murdered by Columbus police officer Bryan Mason. Current List of Community Demands: The termination, arrest and indictment of officers Jason...

“You can’t be as critical as I am about a city unless you love it first.” This week, we speak with one of Columbus' cultural icons and fiercest critics, Scott Woods. Scott is an Emmy-winning writer, poet and librarian. He writes regularly for LEVEL and has a weekly column for Columbus Alive called " The Other Columbus ." . Scott's books include "Prince and Little Weird Black Boy Gods" (2018, Brick...

This week we welcome back friend of the show and experienced attorney in the fields of serious personal injury and civil rights litigation, Sean Walton. Sean consistently represents several families in Columbus who have had loved ones murdered at the hands of the Columbus Police Department -- including Casey Goodson Jr., Henry Green V and too many more. As an Adjunct Professor at Capital Universit...