Unconventional Journalist

In Part I , we talked about the history of war taxes, what it is, and common myths. With Part II, Ken from National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee ⁠ (NWTRCC) joins me to get into depth on what the process for a war tax resister could look like. Ken reads a letter a war tax resister sent to the IRS, and we also discuss a bill in Congress that is waiting to make war tax resistance legal....

There are so many ways to show up in the movement. From protests at the front lines to mutual aid and policy work, there isn't a shortage of ways to show up in whatever capacity you can. This interview focuses on combining the music community with the political community.  Andrea is the founder of  Root Cause  which is a community kick back that uplifts musicians in the community and brings in...

From local taxes to state and federal, the money we pay our government continues to fund atrocities that violate human rights. Our taxes continue to fund "wars" that no one asked for. Ken from the the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) joins me to talk about the ongoing movement to resist war taxes. We talk about the history of war tax resistance, what it looks l...

When folks think about public safety, they tend to think about cops. Instead of seeing cops as a means of safety, what else can keep us safe? Housing as a human right is one of the many ways we can reimagine safety in our communities.  Dominica and Diana from Houston Tenants Union (HTU) join me to talk about how housing is a human right and provide tips on how to read your lease. HTU's meeting...

As we all watch the national news, it feels helpless watching our tax dollars go to endless violence, bailing out corporations, and a random ballroom. However, every city and county has a budget season! The season for the Houston budget is here, and there is a movement demanding a budget that serves the working class. The Houston People's Budget is a community movement to demand elected offici...

Houston city officials and police are cowardly claiming they are “just following” the 2017 SB4 (the “Anti-Sanctuary” law). However, the law mandates compliance with ICE detainers, formal requests to hold someone already in custody. It does not require, or even mention, compliance with ICE administrative warrants.  This means HPD is doing more than the controversial state law requires, essentially...

We all know what's going on with ICE. There is movement in Houston putting pressure on City Council to end collaboration with ICE. Thuan and Adam from Houston DSA, part of the  Houston Leads coalition , join me to talk about the current movement to put pressure on to get ICE out of the city.  There are a few ways to get involved! From helping get signatures for petitions, showing up to city co...

Farmers love to farm. They love plants more than they love people, and I don't blame them. How can farmers and the community connect, reinvigorate the food supply chain, and keep farm safety a priority? Jonathan from the Kalos Project joins me to discuss challenges farmers face and how their work aims to bridge the gap between farmers and the community. https://www.instagram.com/kalosproject.e...

Nothing quite brings community together more than food. AJ from Lone Oak Farm Tech joins me to talk about being a first generation farmer while also working on conservation efforts along the Colorado River. We cover her adventure into rural farming, the plans for the farm contributing to local food supply, and she offers tips on how to engage with your HOA or apartment complex for a community gard...

Della is a first generation farmer with 5 acres of land in the Sunnyside area, and is the founder of The Socialites Riding Network , which aims to protect Black and urban farmers, bring community together, and work to make food supply chains local again. She joins me to talk about how she unexpectedly became a farmer, how she's using this opportunity to engage with developers, and the various...

Usually when I think of farmers markets, I think of overpriced, inaccessible goods and a signal that gentrification is underway. Because what is a farmers market if not a bougie flea market? With 80% of Ball High School students in Galveston feeling food insecurity, and the need for locally sustainable food, Galveston's Own Farmers Market has expanded to having educational gardens on campuses...

I'm a little late to the party as I find my groove after coming back from break, but there's been a whole hotel strike going on, ICYMI! Learn more about the Hilton strike, here . Learn about the potential George R. Brown Convention Center strike, here . Members of Houston Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have been joining the picket line and scheduling shifts to help give the strikin...

So much of our food comes from other countries ⁠⁠ and does not sustain our local agricultural economies. Shakavon, with Unified Farms and Houston Board of Food Security , joins me to discuss transforming communities through regenerative agriculture and turning underutilized spaces into thriving hubs of opportunity. We talk about food deserts, education around how our current food supply chain work...

I am back from my digital hiatus! This short update is about my time off and the 3 long term projects I'm working on.

Every budget season, community members gather at Houston City Council to advocate for increasing the budget for flood mitigation and flood drainage. Recently, city council members kicked organizers out of the room, and the vote on the budget happened without community members in the room. Read more here . Alice with West Street Recovery joins me to give an update on the movement to improve flood d...

From flood mitigation to biodiversity, and just a general being loving stewards of our land, there are plenty of reasons. Mary Carol, owner of Green Star Wetland Plant Farm , joins me to talk about Why wetlands are so important to our ecosystem How native wetlands plant help with flood mitigation Her recommended wetland plants for your garden Unlearning the fears of dealing with whatever wildlife...

Former employees from the Houston Humane Society's wildlife program interviewed with me to talk about alleged animal neglect, alleged labor mistreatment, and why they are speaking up despite having cease and desist orders. Anke - Wildlife Admissions Specialist Ari - Wildlife Educator Mary - Wildlife Director Misty - Outdoor facility Rehabilitation Coordinator  To support Reform For Animals fol...

SpaceX is out here trying to control a beach in the Rio Grande Valley that residents and tribal members have had access to for generations. Texas House Representative committee voted against House Bill 4660/SB2188 that would have unfairly granted SpaceX’s Starbase town primary control over Boca Chica Beach — organizers celebrated the win — but SpaceX lobbyists have brought the bill back for a vote...

The systemic nature of affordable housing is such that developers get tax breaks and little to no accountability for when their tenants live in terrible housing conditions. Even submitting a complaint to hold landlords accountable for unlivable housing conditions is completely opaque and difficult to navigate. The first part of this series kicked off with Faye, a tenant navigating housing after Hu...

To date, Houston is made up of 58% renters and Harris County is made up of 45% renters. Julia Orduña, the southeast Texas regional director at Texas Housers, joins me to talk about current policy education and how we can organize for protections. Key acronyms: HUD — Housing and Urban Development HHA — Houston Housing Authority LIHTC — Low-Income Housing Tax Credit TDHCA - Texas Department of Housi...

Faye, former resident of Uvalde Ranch Apartments, and organizer with Sunrise Movement Houston , joins me to discuss tenant rights and navigating housing after Hurricane Beryl. She has worked with three different Housing Authorities, and it has taken months to figure out how to hold the apartments accountable. Now, Faye is organizing to break the cycle of harm. Listen to Part II of this conversatio...

Correction: The Rosenberg school is not named after a Black historical leader in Galveston! 100% my mistake. I got ahead of myself on that one and didn't fact-check. -------- There's a movement to turn a closed down school, LA Morgan, into a Juneteenth museum and a community center in Galveston. Community members Pastor Tim, Coach Wells, and Shon give comments after Galveston City Council...

Henry & Rodrigo from La Raza Unida Party join me to discuss the movement to establish a party chapter in Houston. We also discuss the party's history and origin, and why it's important to have multiple local parties represented in our local politics. Follow La Raza Unida Party — Houston on Instagram Sign up for membership here to get information about upcoming meetings.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Houston Chapter is hosting an organizing fair at Axelrad on Feb. 8, 2025. Who's doing what?! Dan (@danderozier) and Jose (@boriken89) join me to talk about this fair, and also local political organizing in general. Here's who will be there! Al Awda Houston CLASS Bookstore Community Voices for Public Education Food Not Bombs Healthcare Workers for...

The West continues to attempt to erase the Karankawa's culture from history, but the original people of this land are still here. Chiara is an Indigenous Resistance artist, educator, and language keeper for the Karankawa Hawk Clan. In this interview, we discuss how museums are part of the white institution and are extractive in their work, and why the tribe decided to allow the Heritage Society to...