The Public Good

The Kensington Expressway (33) project is back at a pivotal moment. In this episode of The Public Good Podcast, host Dejia Marie James of the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG) speaks with Taje Jenkins-Jones and Ryan Whalen from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) about the future of the Route 33 project following a court-ordered pause for additional environmental review. The...

The Public Good Podcast is joined by Alok Pinto and Taylor from Buffalo DSA to discuss the moment of democratic socialism and its growing influence in American elections. They explore the ideological differences between liberalism and democratic socialism, the importance of class analysis in addressing systemic oppression, and why the Democratic Party has struggled to meet working-class needs. The...

This week, The Public Good explores how steep shifts in federal immigration policy are affecting Buffalo Niagara’s immigrant communities. Guests Hagar Hafez, Merveilles Biende Katumba, and Anna Porter from the New York Immigration Coalition discuss how fear and uncertainty ripple through families—and how community, culture, and art can help rebuild trust and connection. The episode highlights “ Th...

The Public Good explores the importance of local elections and why youth and community engagement are key to shaping Buffalo’s future. Guests Fatima Nor, Leighton Jones, and LeMoyne Hill — representing LOLA Buffalo, Our City Buffalo, and Great for Life — share their insights on the urgent need for youth representation, more community centers, and community input on major developments like the prop...

Join Tiffany Gaines of the Burchfield Penney Art Center , Heather Gring of Frontline Arts Buffalo , Emma Brittain-Hardy of Locust Street Art , and host Dejia James for a conversation on the importance of arts funding and community engagement in Buffalo, New York. Together, they highlight the critical role that the arts play in strengthening community health, fostering youth development, and contri...

The Igniting Hope Conference builds on a community-driven health equity action plan and brings together diverse voices to confront health disparities that continue to widen under the current federal administration. Guests Samantha Hidalgo of the Buffalo Center for Health Equity and Chantazia Bronson of UB’s Community Health Equity Research Institute share why this conference is more important than...

This week on The Public Good, we continue our Buffalo in Transition series with a conversation on supporting new Americans —immigrant and refugee communities who have played a major role in Buffalo’s recent population growth and are essential to the city’s future. Host Dejia James is joined by Bijoux Bihati of Jewish Family Services, Grace Karambizi of the Buffalo Immigrant Leadership Team (BILT),...

What if Buffalo’s vacant lots could become thriving spaces for housing, gardens, and community power? This week on The Public Good, we’re joined by Tim Chen from Grassroots Gardens of WNY , and Tendaji Ya’Ukuu and Star from Eastside Stewards for a conversation rooted in transformation. Inspired by the Buffalo in Transition series, this episode dives into how we can reimagine the city’s abundance o...

Buffalo Public Schools suspend students for weeks or even months—at rates higher than any other district in New York State. For the second consecutive year, Community Agenda advocates are urging the Buffalo Board of Education to adopt state-recommended reforms on suspensions to reduce this harmful and disproportionate practice. This week on The Public Good, Quinn Martha of the New York Civil Liber...

Black women are approximately three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women—a stark disparity. In honor of Black Maternal Health awareness, local leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates come together to shine a light on the urgent and often overlooked intersection between domestic violence and Black maternal health. This week on The Public Good, LuAnne Brow...

While New York State implemented mental health, drug, and opioid courts to handle modern crises, the implementation of these options has remained patchy and ineffective. Members of the Treatment Not Jail (TNJ) Coalition detail the real experience of people suffering from addiction in our legal system. The system as is does not address the root causes of addiction nor consider the best approaches f...

For decades, election cycles have come down to a two-party "lesser of two evils" dynamic of candidate options. The struggle to produce unifying or politically diverse candidates has many feeling unrepresented and ultimately disillusioned with the state of the current voting system. However, some states and municipalities have decided to implement a new form of voting, Ranked Choice Votin...

The current instability and rapid changes in the United States federal government have raised unprecedented threats and concerns for nonprofits and community groups in Buffalo Niagara. Policy shifts, funding instability, and legal uncertainty place immense strain on organizations and government agencies that serve people most in need of protection and benefits—workers, BIPOC folks, LGBTQ+ individu...

As of February 2024 around 42% of New Yorkers across the state are enrolled in a Medicaid or Essential Plan. While some funding is state tax dollars, impending threats of an $880 billion cut to federal Medicaid spending over 10 years by the current administration will create a significant hole in NYS resources to serve the community. With federal cuts and the risk of eliminating entire public heal...

With unending sudden changes in federal mandates, immigration has been a central point of tension in our current political sphere. Recent changes include rescinding the "Sensitive Location Policy" which maintains certain spaces as safe spaces, such as schools and places of worship, from immigration enforcement. Due to a targeting of perceived "others," the community is left to fear for their safet...

More and more children need help with developmental benchmarks between the ages of 0-5 years old, while doctors, therapists, and providers are unable to meet the current need and have waitlists from 6-months up to a year. White children are 5x more likely to receive early intervention screenings and services up to 24 months than Black and Brown children. Early childhood intervention providers rate...

What does it mean to be in a ever-present state of crisis? Many across the political spectrum denote this point in history as a confluence of crises points. On this episode of The Public Good, Dr. Rinaldo Walcott, Chair of the Department of Africana and American Studies at the University at Buffalo joins us to discuss the role of Black Studies and the history of Black people as a critical tool in...

Cities like Albany and Syracuse have opted into Good Cause Eviction , a tenants' rights and protections law. Why has Buffalo hesitated? On this episode of The Public Good, PUSH Buffalo and Buffalo DSA join us to debunk Good Cause Eviction and demand Buffalo opt-in to this current New York State legislation. Good Cause Eviction was passed in New York State in April 2024 to protect tenants in un...

The 2025 Community Agenda is here! On this episode of the Public Good, Our Executive Director, Andrea Ó Súilleabháin details the origins of the community agenda with a core of true democratic people-centered advocacy. Each year, Partnership for the Public Good invites our 370+ partner organizations to propose local and state policy changes that advance equality, sustainability, and cultural vibran...

We continue to examine the criminal justice system this week through the lens of sentencing reform. Currently, Communities Not Cages seeks to right the wrongs of the lingering effects of the War on Drugs and crack down on crime in the late 80s and through the 90s by offering incarcerated people a chance at restoration and freedom. The Marvin Mayfield Act, the Earned Time Act and the Second Look Ac...

Through the decades our society has faced crisis after crisis: The Crack Epidemic, 2008 Financial Crisis, the Opioid Crisis, COVID-19 and innumerable events have directly impact the economic, social and emotional health of everyday people.  The criminal justice system in New York State sought to create a pathway in the court system to address mental health and substance abuse issues proliferating...

Crypto currency and AI have emerged as harbingers of a new age, but, at what cost? The term 'data center' has yet to rise in the same notability as its popular end products but has begun to make waves as use of AI and crypto has gained more traction in every day society. The impact of these data centers, filled with computers running endless code for AI and crypto programs, are unregulated energy...

In the last decade, communities across America are demanding a reckoning for the destruction of neighborhoods through the inception of the suburb and the construction of highways to serve newly fled populations to city centers. While some sought escape from urban living and disinvestment in communities of color, others were left with the devastating effects of loss of parks and third spaces, econo...

Throughout history we have heard about the crisis of "immigration" threatening borders and sovereignty, but, what is the true human experience behind the controversy? This week on The Public Good, Hagar Hafez, Manager of Organizing & Strategy for WNY with the New York Immigration Coalition discusses the misconceptions and common ground behind migration. Humans have moved space and time across...

This week on the Public Good we are joined by Dr. Schuyler Lawson, Lead of Research and Evaluation Team with No Menthol Buffalo to discuss the present dangers of menthol tobacco in our communities. 45,000 African Americns die each year due to preventable tobacco related illness. No Menthol Buffalo seeks to ban the use of menthol tobacco products to inhibit the proliferation and addictive qualities...