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Season 5 has come to a close! This episode starts with Laura going through the season episode-by-episode and reflecting on what happened (recorded on Jan. 6, 2021). After that, at the 27:10 mark, Laura shares a Zoom conversation with John Washington (recorded on Dec. 30, 2020) where they reflect on 2020 U.S. Election results, Biden's Cabinet picks so far, & the Covid-19 pandemic. Note: this episode contains a conversation about the Covid-19 Pandemic and is NOT medical advice. If you want/need medical advice, look elsewhere (maybe start with your doctor and/or www.cdc.gov).

Jillian Hanesworth is a social justice spoken word artist from Buffalo NY who writes with the intent of promoting change. She is also the Director of Leadership Development at Open Buffalo, where she focuses on programming designed to equip people in the community with the necessary tools to help create sustainable community change. In this episode, Laura and Jillian talk about safety and interpersonal violence, people power, the connection between art and activism, & more.

Claire M. Gay is the owner of Inspiration Point, a spiritual goods and book store in Buffalo, NY, while Eva Danielle provides tarot readings at the store and online. In this episode, Laura, Claire, and Eva talk about tarot, astrology, reiki, small business ownership in 2020, & more.

Kristin Grohman is an herbal educator, community herbalist, and owner of Reciprocal Roots, where she is currently providing one-on-one herbal mentorship to her students online. She is also the Founder and Co-Director of the WNY Chapter of Herbalists without Borders, and organizes the annual WNY Herbal Conference. In this episode, Laura and Kristin talk about her path to herbal education, starting the WNY chapter of Herbalists Without Borders, building herbal community, and more.

Be informed when you enter the ballot box! In this episode, Laura speaks with John Washington about the upcoming 2020 U.S. Election and how each position on the 14213 ballot affects our lives. Learn about the U.S. Electoral College, how write-in campaigns work, specifics on how our political system is so messed up, & more.

Tiffany M. Nyachae is an Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Penn State University. She is a member of the Galactic Tribe's Wakanda Alliance Program, which is featured in Episode 70. In this episode, Laura and Tiffany talk about her work to address classroom inequity with a focus on Black girls, Black feminism, education during Covid-19, and more.

Anthony Pierce, Da'Von McCune, and John Washington are members of the Galactic Tribe and help create the Wakanda Alliance Program in Buffalo, NY. In this episode, Laura, Ant, Da'Von, and John talk about Afrofuturism, superheros, celebrating Chadwick Boseman, & more.

Tito Ruiz is an artist and the owner/founder of TRu iNk Media®. Tito’s art focuses on the use of visual imagery in advocacy. He works to create alternative narratives to the portrayals of protesters by mainstream media. In this episode, Tito and Laura talk about his photography exhibit "Hope Rebellion & Justice", the story of Wardel Meech Davis, how media impacts and is impacted by current events, & more. Cover art photo by Bobby Morgan.

Christian Parra is the City of Buffalo Community Organizer for Citizen Action of New York and a member of Free the People WNY, a coalition of activists, organizers, and attorneys that envisions a world free from the violence and death of mass incarceration. In this episode, Laura and Christian talk about Free the People WNY's demands to hold police accountable in Buffalo and Erie County, community organizing, life in Buffalo, the Bronx, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, & more.

Myles Carter is a father and activist who was maliciously tackled by Buffalo police on camera as he was being interviewed during a peaceful protest in Buffalo, NY. He is currently advocating and working for the release of Deyanna Davis from the Erie County Holding Center. Please listen to this episode to hear Myles tell Deyanna's story and the stories of other specific black lives that matter in Buffalo, NY.

In this episode, Laura speaks with Adam Bojak about tenant rights, the Black Lives Matter protests, defunding the police, & more. Adam Bojak is a tenants’ rights attorney who has spent years working with Buffalo residents in order to help them fight back against their bad landlords and ensure they know their rights; he has also helped homeowners facing the loss of their houses due to bank foreclosure. He is running as a Democrat for NY Assembly District 149, and the Primary Election is June 23, 2020. Please get out and vote (or sign up to get an absentee ballot by June 12th!).

In this episode, Laura discusses the protests happening in Buffalo NY and around the country, demanding justice for George Floyd and the many other black and brown human beings who have died at the hands of the police. She talks about how the protests are connected to covid-19, systemic oppression, and the slow violence that is environmental racism.

Welcome to Season 5 of the Keeping Things Alive Podcast! In this episode, Laura talks about intentions for the season, life during covid-19, and thoughts about the new Michael Moore/Jeff Gibbs documentary, Planet of the Humans.

A special episode about COVID-19, where Laura has a conversation with John Washington about the current global pandemic. John is a community organizer with People's Action and has been on the podcast before (Episodes 48 and 60). This conversation took place on March 30, 2020 in Buffalo, New York, USA.

Season 4 has come to a close! Listen to Laura's reflections on each episode of Season 4, three book recommendations, and Laura's conversation with Emily Louis (owner of Live Inspired Events) about community energy planning, starting a small business, and more.

Ilyas, Aniyang, and Sophia are three members of the WNY Youth Climate Council, which formed in early 2019 with the mission "to elevate youth voices and bring concrete climate action to the various communities of Western New York." In this episode, Laura talks to Ilyas, Aniyang, and Sophia about why climate action, community organizing, and intergenerational solidarity are so important as we face our global climate emergency.

John Washington, Co-Director of Organizing at PUSH Buffalo, is a community advocate and activist for social, economic, and racial justice in Buffalo, New York and beyond. In Episode 48, John reviewed a 2018 election ballot, and now he is back to talk about his path, interests, and work. In this episode, Laura and John talk about Marvel comics and Afro-futurism, tenants rights, the upcoming City of Buffalo property tax assessment, and more.

New York now has the most progressive climate justice legislation in the United States! The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) is the result of years of community organizing across the state by NYRenews, a coalition of organizations committed to climate justice. In this episode, Laura reads the opening statements of both the CLCPA and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

It's time for New York to pass the Climate and Community Protection Act! Hear from NYRenews Climate Justice Organizer Geo Hernández (who has a home base at PUSH Buffalo and in Buffalo, NY) as we enter into the final days of the 2019 New York legislative session (it ends on June 19th). Laura and Geo talk about environmental racism, climate justice, the CCPA, and Tuesday's bus trip to Albany.

Andrew Marcum, PhD, teaches Disability Studies for the City University of New York and works at the Center for Self Advocacy in Buffalo. In this episode, Laura and Andrew talk about the history of disability rights in the U.S., the importance of public transit, accessibility, & more.