The Folding Chair with Osyrus Bolly

The Price of the Game: NIL, Power, and the Fight for College Sports Justice For decades, college athletics generated billions of dollars for universities, television networks, coaches, conferences, and corporate sponsors while the athletes whose labor fueled the machine were told that compensation beyond a scholarship would somehow corrupt the game. Now, in the era of NIL and the transfer portal,...

What does it mean to see Black Arkansas, not just in textbooks, but in texture, rhythm, resistance, and everyday brilliance? In The BLACK Aesthetic , Osyrus Bolly takes listeners on a journey beneath the surface of history, uncovering the overlooked, the uncelebrated, and the quietly revolutionary stories that shape Black life across Arkansas. This is not a retelling of the familiar—it is a reclam...

Arkansas is being rapidly targeted by companies building AI and cloud data centers because of cheap land, lax regulations, and low utility costs. The state and local elected officials will scream that AI data centers bring in so many jobs and revenue to Arkansas but they won't tell you about: 1. The extreme amount of water consumption needed for data centers for the cooling. 2. Massive electricity...

The episode of The Folding Chair podcast with Osyrus Bolly is dedicated to the month of September which is Suicide Prevention Month. I had the pleasure of interviewing a dynamic individual, Susie Reynolds Reece. Susie Reynolds Reece is a powerfully engaging storyteller, mental health activist, and communication strategist who blends her lived and living experiences with evidence-based insights. An...

On this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Ellen Chiocca and Dr. Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah about ending corporal punishment in schools. The mission of Arkansans Against School Paddling is to achieve a statewide ban on the use of corporal punishment in Arkansas schools by educating school personnel, board members, and legislators, encouraging lawmakers to sponsor a legislative ban, a...

On this episode of The Folding Chair podcast this discussion explores how proposed and enacted federal budget cuts affect everyday Arkansans. The conversation with Camille Richoux highlights which groups are most vulnerable to funding reductions, how budget choices reflect political priorities, and what Arkansans can do to organize and advocate for a fair and equitable federal budget that invests...

“Storytelling Through the Arts: Banned Books & Beyond” featuring the innovative works of artist Loni Harshaw, a Little Rock native and art educator. Check out the upcoming events for this powerful exhibition: Artist Reception Friday, August 8, 2025 - 5:30 pm Artist Talk : Saturday, August 23, 2025 - 2 pm  Media Specialist Panelist Discussion - Saturday, August 30, 2025  - 2 pm  Loni Harshaw is...

On this episode of The Folding Chair with Osyrus Bolly, Brotha Knowledge and myself explore the incredible potential for positive transformation and success that can emerge after incarceration with Maurice Burnette Ford . Maurice Burnette Ford is a speaker, author, and founder of 5 Times a Slave LLC , an organization dedicated to justice reform, storytelling, and community healing. He is the autho...

The Folding Chair with Osyrus Bolly is back with another episode! Let’s talk about what’s really in the NOT SO Big Beautiful Bill and why it matters with Dr. Quinyatta Mumford as she explains how it affects Arkansans, especially Black, rural, and low-income communities. We also dive into the powerful work of her organization Village Public Health, which is a growing force for equity, education, an...

Aliah Rowe is the Digital Media Director at For AR People. During legislative session, she hosted their weekly YouTube videos explaining nuanced legislation and created content for their various platforms.

On this powerful episode, me and Selyna have an honest conversation about what therapy and healing look like through an equity lens. We open up about the importance of culturally competent care, breaking generational cycles, and why mental health support in Black and Brown communities must be rooted in justice and lived experience. Check out my new single "2 Much" , a soulful and vulnera...

Finally the 2025 Arkansas Legislative Session has come to an end! The 95th General Assembly has adjourned, on the episode of The Folding Chair podcast we have special guest Latoya Morgan. We discuss a recap of some bills we followed during the legislative session, as well as vital information on how we should be supporting our public schools. Latoya Morgan is a passionate advocate, mentor, librari...

On this episode of The Folding Chair podcast we have another BAD BILL ALERT, Dawn Jeffrey joins us as we discuss SB307 the “Generating Arkansas Jobs Act”. This bill is a giveaway to power companies on the backs of poor and working Arkansans who already struggle to pay their energy bills. The legislation in SB307 proposes allowing utility providers to fund their projects by collecting interest from...

The Folding Chair podcast is reporting live from the Arkansas State Legislature 95th General Assembly Regular Session in 2025. On this episode of The Folding Chair we interviewed Thomas Nichols about the importance eliminating juvenile fines and fees, data collection and, building statewide engagement around the issue to introduce legislation that identifies funding to backfill courts without plac...

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel sees eliminating youth fees and fines as both an economic justice and civil rights issue and has adopted this issue as a multi-year legislative priority through the Citizens First Congress. The remaining coalition members are Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition , Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families , Arkansas NAACP State Conference, Berkeley Law Policy Adv...

On #MLKDay January 20, 2025 there is a FREE educational program! College 101 is hosted by the Buchanan Foundation, REAL Scholars, The Village Place and UAMS to empower our scholars for their post-secondary educational opportunities.  On this episode of The Folding Chair we talked to Andrea Neal about the College 101 event. College 101 is a college preparation event that will take place on January...

Sundiata Salaam is a people-centered educator with over a decade of experience who is dedicated to nurturing lifelong leaders who seek to transform the classroom and the world. Sundiata began his career teaching Eighth-grade English in Capitol Heights, MD. His interest in building supportive and holistic learning communities led him to Memphis, TN, serving as Freedom Prep’s founding Dean of Studen...

The new prison is the centerpiece of Sanders’ tough on crime criminal justice policy in the Protect Arkansas Act , which eliminated parole for the most serious crimes and made early release harder for other defendants.

Just ahead of winter, natural gas provider Summit Utilities is asking the Arkansas Public Service Commission to approve another rate increase that will impact more than 400,000 Arkansas residents. Summit Utilities has been gouging Arkansas residents and taxpayers since their purchase of CenterPoint Energy in 2022, constantly increasing their rates with no regard for the financial burden this place...

Regina Marsha’ formerly known as Eye Moon is a Motivational Speaker, Sobriety Advocate, Holistic Practitioner, & Nutrition Counselor residing in DFW. Regina uses music to tell her story so that others may be empowered & inspired to hone in on their power by practicing mindfulness & getting active in their bodies. Her motto is “We are not somebody. We are spirit. We HAVE a body and it’s...

Regina Marsha’ formerly known as Eye Moon is a Motivational Speaker, Sobriety Advocate, Holistic Practitioner, & Nutrition Counselor residing in DFW. Regina uses music to tell her story so that others may be empowered & inspired to hone in on their power by practicing mindfulness & getting active in their bodies. Her motto is “We are not somebody. We are spirit. We HAVE a body and it’s...

My friend Boowee and Coffy Davis make a surprise visit to The Folding Chair and we have a great discussion on several topics. Boowee is the host of the As A Matter of BLACK podcast and Coffy Davis is the host of The Culture on KABF 88.3 FM Wednesdays 3pm-5pm CST. We discuss price gouging by Summit Utilities, Hurricane Milton making landfall, the truth about FEMA, a new potential entertainment dist...

On this episode of The Folding Chair podcast we talk to Meyonsha Riddles Stewart about her journey as an artist, her debut as a published author and how she overcame self sabotaging behaviors successfully. Meyonsha Riddles Stewart, known by her stage name soul.flwer, is a dynamic poet, writer, and educator hailing from Detroit, Michigan, and currently residing in Little Rock, Arkansas. With a deep...

On this episode Osyrus Bolly and Brother Knowledge talk about Black August, LRCH Desegregation in 1957, The North Little Rock 6, Jerry Jones, The Cookout invites and more! If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a FOLDING CHAIR!!!

Tony Hill, Jr. is the 17-year-old owner of TJ’s Mogul Enterprises, LLC and a rising senior at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas. He began his entrepreneurial journey with his first vending machine in 2021 after being inspired to create an income stream of his own involving something he loves-snacks. Tony is a graduate of the 2024 Little Rock BUILD Academy, which empowers entrepreneurs...