Sticky Note Conversations

Host Erika Washington revisits powerful moments from past guests to tackle one big question: What is democracy, and do we really have it? From a mother teaching her toddlers about voting through dance-party elections, to a candid late-night conversation with her friend Derek about Trump, free speech, and why Black voters need to show up decisively — this episode weaves together perspectives on equ...

In this episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington sits down with Cecia Alvarado, an independent political consultant who has spent years organizing within Nevada's Latino community. Cecia arrived in the United States from Costa Rica at 16 — alone, with limited English, and quickly placed in ninth grade despite her age — and has been navigating broken systems ever since. Erika and...

What is the price of a Black child's life? Host Erika Washington sits down with returning guest Alvin Hill — entrepreneur, formerly incarcerated father, and constraint navigation researcher — to unpack two cases that shook the internet: the not-guilty verdict in South Carolina v. Rick Chow , where 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was shot and killed over a suspected dollar water bottle, and the 35...

In this  episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington and Derek Washington record from the new West Las Vegas Library podcast room, discuss Dr. Ruby Duncan’s legacy and her emphasis on voting, and review Nevada’s recent primary election. They criticize campaign misinformation and union political tactics—particularly around efforts to unseat incumbents over opposition to the film tax...

Host Erika Washington interviews Washoe County Commission Chair and gubernatorial candidate Alexis Hill during Nevada’s midterm primary season. Hill shares her background as a mother and career public servant and explains why she decided to run for office. She highlights county efforts to address homelessness by shifting to a coordinated regional model focused on housing outcomes, reporting reduct...

This revisiting episode of American Dreams: Reproductive Justice continues examining how the carceral system affects families and communities through the story of Jovan Jackson, a 32-year-old Las Vegas entrepreneur and community advocate who became a convicted felon after methamphetamine use, mental health crisis, and a robbery tied to suicidal desperation. His parents describe his compassionate c...

In this replay episode, host Erika Washington talks with Claytee White, recently retired founding director of UNLV’s Oral History Research Center, about how the center was built through training and fundraising to preserve Las Vegas history and how the public can access UNLV’s library archives and digitized oral histories. They revisit Ruby Duncan’s life and impact following her recent death, incl...

Host Erica Washington welcomes Alicia Contreras, founding executive director of RAIZ Arizona (an interfaith organizing community working for an Arizona where all people belong and live with abundance and dignity), to discuss sustaining leadership and organizing in the current political moment. Alicia reflects on taking a three-week WinCall residency respite in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to res...

Host Erika Washington welcomes back Dawn Blaigrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, to process the Supreme Court decision weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and what it means for Black political power. They argue that chasing temporary wins and constant crisis response has prevented long-term strategy, succession planning, and “inoculation” against policymakers’ whims. Dawn urges bu...

Host Erika Washington dedicates this special episode of Sticky Note Conversations to the late Dr. Ruby Duncan (1932–2026), her friend and mentor, recounting Duncan’s move from Louisiana to Las Vegas and her leadership as co-founder of Operation Life and president of the Clark County Welfare Rights Organization, including the 1971 protest that shut down Caesars Palace and her work to bring food sta...

In this episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington sits down with DaMareo Cooper, co-executive director of Popular Democracy. Erika and DaMareo engage in a rich discussion on topics such as the challenges of creating innovative social justice initiatives, the importance of grassroots organizing, and the current state of democracy in the United States. DaMareo shares valuable insig...

Erika Washington centers her recurring question—what is democracy and do we have it—noting democracy’s Greek roots (“people” and “rule”) and that there’s no single agreed-upon definition beyond voting. She compiles past guest perspectives that describe democracy as people choosing government, having a voice, freedom and constitutional protections, fairness and opportunity, and community responsibi...

Host Erika Washington interviews former Nevada Assemblywoman and Air Force veteran Claire Thomas, who shares why she moved from Brooklyn to Las Vegas, her experience facing racism and sexism in the Air Force, and what led her to run for Assembly District 17 after Tyrone Thompson’s death. Thomas discusses her opposition to 2023 school discipline bills AB285 and the governor’s SB330, arguing they pu...

Host Erika Washington revisits the recurring Sticky Note Conversations question—“What’s your version of the American Dream?”—through clips from past guests who define it as health and happiness, equality and cultural coexistence, a safety net for housing and healthcare, the right to rest and global awareness, hope as an immigrant, collective responsibility, freedom and time, safety for children, a...

Host and executive producer Erika Washington and guest Noé Orosco discuss reactions to a New York Times investigation alleging Cesar Chavez was a rapist and child molester, and what the news could mean for the Latino community, civil rights movements, solidarity, and women and girls. Noé, a Las Vegas resident and former seasonal farmworker from California’s Central Valley, shares experiences harve...

Host Erika Washington talks with organizer and author Tomás Garduño about his book, "Fundamentals of Electoral Organizing," and why organizing is “reorganizing” power so working-class people can speak with one voice and govern in their own interests. Garduño, born and raised in Albuquerque with deep New Mexico roots and 25+ years of organizing experience, defines democracy as working-class power a...

Erika Washington and birthday guest Derek Washington lighten the season with a wide-ranging Oscars 2026 (98th Academy Awards) prediction chat ahead of the ceremony hosted by Conan O’Brien. They discuss the historic nomination haul for the Black film “Sinners,” connect it to the legacy of #OscarsSoWhite and the Will Smith–Chris Rock incident, and debate whether the Academy will reward a film with “...

Erika Washington celebrates Women’s History Month on Sticky Note Conversations and frames education as part of reproductive justice, emphasizing safe, well-resourced schools and accurate curriculum. She interviews Dr. Tricia Braxton, an HBCU graduate, former New York City police officer, longtime Nevada resident, and first-time elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education representing Dis...

Host Erika Washington interviews Adam Johnson, an appointed Clark County School District trustee, College Board executive director, and vice chair at Democracy Prep, during Black History Month about improving education in Southern Nevada. They discuss CCSD’s size, challenges, and efforts to become a “destination district,” including the decision to start high school later. Johnson shares how his f...

On this episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington talks with writer Gwen Frisbie-Fulton (Working Class Storytelling) about how white nationalist groups recruit, rebrand, and move closer to mainstream power. Gwen shares living near the neo-Nazi Vinlanders in Indianapolis in the mid-2000s, how they targeted a struggling neighborhood to recruit young men, and how later arrests and v...

Host and executive producer Erika Washington welcomes back Dr. Toni Bond, a classically trained Womanist ethicist and ethics professor, for a wide-ranging conversation about ethics, morality, faith, and the United States’ political climate in 2026. They distinguish ethics (social rules of conduct) from morals (individual principles), and Dr. Bond explains key normative ethical approaches—utilitari...

In the first episode of Season 3 of 'Sticky Note Conversations,' host Erika Washington welcomes back Alvin Hill, also known as Jackpot, to discuss pop culture, future predictions for 2026, and shifts in conversations surrounding emotions, particularly crying. Alvin shares personal stories about his upbringing, parenting, and perspectives on church culture, touching on personal experiences with gri...

Join Erika Washington, host of Sticky Note Conversations, in an engaging replay episode featuring a deep conversation with her good friend Leng Leng Chancy, a strategic advisor to philanthropy and former executive director of 9to5 for working women. They discuss Leng Le (00:00) - Introduction and Host's Personal Story (02:20) - Introducing Leng Leng Chancey (02:47) - Leng Leng's Journey to America...

Join host Erika Washington in conversation with Erica Gallegos, co-director of the Childcare for Every Family Network, as they discuss the 12-year fight to pass New Mexico's groundbreaking constitutional amendment for universal childcare and early education. In this powerful episode, Erica Gallegos shares her journey from childcare provider making $12.50/hour to becoming a leading organizer who he...

In this episode of Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington sits down with former Nevada State Senator Kelvin Atkinson. They discuss Atkinson's career, including his tenure as the first openly black gay senator, his time in prison, and his subsequent rebirth. The conversation covers his early life, the murder of his father, his political ascent, and his controversial incarceration. Atkinso...