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Lourdes Curaçao is an Acadian-Cree, a musician, producer, Air Force veteran and a recipient of an Air Force Humanitarian Service medal for her performance as a first responder. She is a former member of the American Indian Movement (1994-2000). An indigenous activist and empirical researcher in applied linguistics and counter-extremism . She currently livestreams on Twitch and works as Director of Research, Training and Outreach at BeyondBarriersUSA.org. She is a story-teller and spoken word performer, and is author of two books, one satire and one parody. This episode includes the radio play "As for Tomorrow" written and produced by James Harrell and performed by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.All Music and Lyrics by Harrell and Kadushin. 

Our guests for this Make A Difference Spotlight Episode are:  Angela Morton, founder of Faith Over Fear Economic Empowerment Inc., a non-profit organization which helps minority businesses with a focus on black- owned businesses to become stronger and create sustainability in the community. We also speak with Pastor Martin Hutchison and Executive Director of Tri-Community Mediation who formed The Lower Shore Vulnerable Populations Task Force, in response to the need and disparity exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

Our guest is author Susan Verde and we speak about her newest title in the #1 New York Times best selling series called,  "I am Courage, a book of Resilience", illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. What is Resilience, how can we cultivate it and why do we need it in our lives? How do we adapt in the face of tragedy and adversity? A book for children and people of all ages. Plus our latest non profit spotlight in our Make A Difference series, is with M4 Reactor Maker Space. Listen as we tour their space and learn about what they provide the community. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin of No I Know Podcast.

Meet some of the artists and musicians who will be at the National Folk Festival—one of America’s largest, most prestigious and longest-running celebrations of arts, culture, and heritage. A Great American Festival (celebrating it’s 80th year) Comes to Maryland’s Historic Eastern Shore. A free, large-scale three-day outdoor event, the National Folk Festival celebrates the roots, richness and variety of American culture. It features over 350 of the nation’s finest traditional musicians, dancers, craftspeople and other keepers of culture in performances, workshops, and demonstrations. Our first guest Sylvia Stephens, is a fourth-generation quilter in a family of celebrated quilters. Her mother, Mozell Benson was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship for quilting in 2001, the nation’s highest honor for traditional artists. Despite an interest from childhood in sewing, Sylvia was not inspired to take up quilting until her mother’s recognition. Through Alabama’s Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program, Sylvia was able to learn from her mother while also documenting and preserving her quilting techniques. She has taught others through workshops across Alabama and her participation as a master artist in the Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Program. Next Guest, Grupo Rebolú are the preeminent Afro-Colombian ensemble in the United States, playing the rich, rhythmic, and undeniably danceable music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Founded by singer, composer, and gaitero Ronald Polo together with master percussionist Morris Cañate, the ensemble weaves indigenous and contemporary instruments into a vibrant expression of Afro-Colombian culture. 

 Our Special Guest: Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic Magazine photographer, Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.”  In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last northern white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories.  In Style Magazine named Ami one of fifty Badass Women, a series celebrating women who show up, speak up and get things done. She appeared alongside a group of incredible women including Jane Goodall, Christiane Amanpour and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has been named Magazine photographer of the year in the International Photographer of the Year prize, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting and named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographers Association, among others. She is a six-time recipient of World Press Photos, including 1st Prize for her 2018 National Geographic magazine story about a community in Kenya protecting elephants. She recently published a best-selling book, Panda Love, on the secret lives of pandas. Vitale was the subject of the Mission Cover Shot series on the National Geographic Channel as well as another documentary series featuring Madagascar (Over the Islands of Africa).  She lectures for the National Geographic LIVE series, and she frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Her photographs have been commissioned by nearly every international publication and exhibited around the world in museums and galleries.  She is a founding member of Ripple Effect Images an organization of renowned female scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers  working together to create powerful and persuasive stories that shed light on the hardships women in developing countries face and the programs that can help them. All Music and Lyrics in this episode by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin. 

What does it take to be a member of one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world? What are the sacrifices to the art form and it’s life style? Most of us have no idea. Georgina Pazcoguin, aka The Rogue Ballerina, was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania and began training at the age of 4 at the Allegheny Ballet Academy. Georgina joined New York City Ballet in 2003 and became the first Asian American female soloist in NYCB's history, after being promoted in 2013. Additional credits include Victoria in CATS, Ivy Smith in On the Town, the film “NY EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ,” and the FX miniseries, “Fosse/Verdon.” Georgina is co-founder with Phil Chan of Final Bow for Yellowface, which raises awareness and promotes inclusivity through sincere representation of all ethnicities in the performing arts.​All Music and Lyrics by Ilyana Kadushin and James Harrell. This Episode brought to you by Ally Drez Web and IT Services.

On both National and Local levels in America, we see truly disturbing and disheartening images of violence and death of our fellow citizens. And if one has cultivated empathy for the state of our country, then we mourn that death, whether they are a civilian or a police officer. When faced with the growing issues in this country, we immediately think not of how we can fuel the fire and add to the division but WHAT are the solutions, the innovations, re-structuring and re-learning we can all do to move forward together and make this world a better place for ALL of us? We are interested in presenting stories that allow us to walk a mile in each others shoes not choosing sides or dividing us further. Today we will speak with JOHN MOSES, the director of the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy, where they train new police officers. We discuss the issue of policing our communities, as we believe the future of our communities development rides on it.

"The Ultimate Guide to Music Publicity."  Interview w/Cyber PR's, Ariel Hyatt. What does it mean to be a musician artist today? In this conversation with Ariel we cover: *Creating your brand authentically. *Connecting with your audience through telling your story. *Being intentional in your use of social media. *The best ways to crowd fund your art. *What does a music publicist do for you? ​*The lasting effects of Covid Pandemic on musicians and their fans. Plus Music Performances from James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin. All Music and Lyrics by Ilyana Kadushin and James Harrell. This Episode brought to you by: Ally Drez Web and IT Services.

It's our 16th wedding anniversary and we are celebrating by releasing our recent live music concert that was performed and recorded at Coops to Co-ops. Listen to some songs, stories and reflections on the many marriages in one marriage. What is the state of our union? Performances of the following songs: Traveling, Brahma, Champagne, Surrender, Creature of Habit, Prove me Wrong, Ripe and Let's Do It Again. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin. This episode brought to you by: Ally Drez Web and IT Services

Next up in our "Staying Green Series" Listen to our interviews with Lisa Garfield and Niamh Shortt of Future Harvest-Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and on location interview with farmer, Thelonious Cooke of Mighty Thundercloud/Edible Forest. What is the future of farming? What is regenerative farming and Bio Diversity? Tune in and find out.  This episode brought to you by Ally Drez Web and IT Services. All Music, Lyrics and Performances by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

In our “Race and Community Esteem series”, guests who have ranged from leaders in their community to individuals sharing stories of transformation; from life choices that divide us, to shifting to consciously creating a life that connects us in our shared humanity. And in the discourse out in the world, media, news, social media, LANGUAGE is bandied about with very little thought about what those words really mean. Diversity is one of those words. INCLUSION is another. Today we have JOAN WILLIAMS joining us from Salisbury University. Universities today, depending on where they are and what their leadership is like, can be a place of great change and innovation or they can be a hotbed of racism and ignorance. What is the role of a university today, in educating not only the students and future leaders, but also educating us the community? All music and lyrics in this episode by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin

During Covid , people fanatically and faithfully binge watched all the amazing television series and then compare notes with family and friends, like water cooler chat but now on ZOOM! Who creates these television shows that you get to enjoy? So many people make it happen. Today it’s often times a different director for each episode with groups of writers and different writers for each episode. What is it like doing this? Let's find out from our guest: ALISON TATLOCK is a tv writer and playwright who currently works as a writer/Executive Producer on BETTER CALL SAUL. Previous credits include HALT AND CATCH FIRE, STRANGER THINGS and the HBO drama IN TREATMENT (starring Gabriel Byrne and Debra Winger). Alison worked for many years with the Los Angeles non-profit Street Poets, and now serves on the Board of Directors. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

This episode is part of our GOING GREEN SERIES. The movement/battle to protect land and natural resources has been going on for a long time. Our guests: Rosa Hance and Cindy Dillon are both working on behalf of The Sierra Club in the state of Maryland.The Sierra Club was founded on May 28, 1892, with John Muir as its first president. It is the oldest and largest environmental group in America, the Sierra Club has 750,000 members. Sierra Club mission statement is “to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment, and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.” Protecting the environment and Improving lives.

Jesse Morton was once a jihadist propagandist (then known as Younes Abdullah Muhammad) who ran Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based organization active in the 2000s and connected to a number of terrorism cases. He connected al-Qaeda’s ideology and transformed it for America, creating English language propaganda and collaborating with the most notorious jihadist preachers of that era.  Morton deradicalized in 2011 and has worked since then to become a leading commentator, researcher and interventionist on jihadist, far-right and far-left extremism and reciprocal radicalization.  In 2017, Morton launched Parallel Networks, an organization he co-founded with Mitch Silber, the former NYPD official that monitored and ultimately incarcerated him. The initiative works to prevent and counter violent extremism and has been supported by the Counter Extremism Project.  Over past years, Jesse has served as a deradicalization interventionist in an array of capacities and has worked to pull over 100 individuals from an array of movements and ideologies out of extremism.  Morton was included in Foreign Policy Magazine’s 2017 ‘Global Thinkers’ listing, holds certificate licensure in substance-abuse and mental health counseling, is widely read in Islamic theology and has been published and lectured nationally and abroad.

​Today’s episode is part of our ongoing GOING GREEN Series, where we have guests from different environmental groups and initiatives from both local and state level, to shed light on why their work is important and what we can all do to make a difference for the better. EARTH day is every day isn’t? So we want to give you ongoing knowledge and inspiration to take better care of the natural resources we all share and enjoy. Our guest is Ann Swanson: Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission. Ann Swanson has served as a leader in the Bay restoration for 39 years, the last 34 as the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative authority serving the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  It is the Commission’s responsibility to sponsor legislation at the state level and to work with state legislators, members of the U.S. Congress, and the federal and state regulatory agencies to coordinate programs aimed at restoring the Chesapeake Bay.    ​

In this episode we are looking at Women's History through the lens of poetry. Poetry has the potential to capture our existence, what it means to experience life with all our senses, our whole being. Every day pedestrian language cannot do always do this. Whether traditional poetry, spoken word or song, poetry can transport us. Special Guest: Nancy Mitchell is the author of The Near Surround, Grief Hut and The Out-of-Body Shop, and co-editor of Plume Interviews I.  A recipient of a Pushcart Prize, her poems have appeared in such journals as Agni, Green Mountains Review, and Washington Square Review. She has taught in the English and Environmental Studies Departments at Salisbury University, Maryland, and is an Associate Editor for Plume Poetry Journal. She serves as the Poet Laureate of the City of Salisbury, Maryland. Special performance by Mae West. All Music and Lyrics by Ilyana Kadushin and James Harrell. This episode brought to you by Wicomico Environmental Trust.  

On this podcast we look at what people are doing to improve their community. As part of our Race and Community Esteem Series, today’s guests are Daryl Davis and Jeff Schoep. They will be familiar to our audience, we have had them as guests on our show before: EP#56 Klandestine Relationships and EP# 67-Radical to Redemption, that introduced them as individuals and their stories. And today they are both here, joining us together! They have a shared history and work together today for Beyond Barriers USA from their own POVS but with a common cause, to create shifts in people’s thinking and towards PEACE AND RECONCILIATION. Award-winning musician Daryl Davis tours nationally and internationally with The Daryl Davis Band. He has worked with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley's Jordanaires, The Legendary Blues Band and many others.He is the first Black author to interview KKK leaders and members, detailed in his book, Klan-Destine Relationships. As a Race Reconciliator and lecturer, Davis has received numerous awards. He is a consultant on race relations and White supremacy. Daryl is also an actor and has appeared in the critically acclaimed HBO police drama, The Wire, and he is the subject of the documentary Accidental Courtesy, which filmed his real life encounters with Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi leaders as he helps to dismantle racism across the United States. Jeff Schoep is an international extremism consultant, human rights activist and public speaker. While working to promote peace building, Jeff helps to educate communities and policy makers on the threat of extremism and how to effectively both counter and prevent violent extremism. From 1994 until early 2019 Jeff Schoep was the was the leader of the largest neo-Nazi organization in the United States, the National Socialist Movement (NSM). In early 2019, Jeff retired from the NSM and walked away from the white nationalist movement in its entirety. In January of 2020, Jeff Schoep founded Beyond Barriers a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people leave extremist organizations as well as providing support and connections to individuals and communities affected by extremism. Jeff now uses his past experience and insights to help combat and prevent violent extremism. In addition to public speaking, he also provides consulting services and leadership skills trainings.

It’s 2021 and we have already kicked off one of our new series called “Going Green". And on today’s show we spotlight a TEACHER, Jerry Kelley. He is a teacher of horticulture at a certified Green School (Parkside High school in Salisbury, Maryland ), who provides students with experiences that build enthusiasm and understanding of the role, impact and practice of agriculture, horticulture, and environmental science. He has been recognized and honored as teacher of year for his Environmental Stewardship and excellence in education. ​We have a fun chat where we learn about his students cool projects with: bee keepers, rooftop gardens, floating wetlands and the Global Youth Institute of World Food Prize. 

Our first guests of this season are a couple with shared interests that involve numerous environmental issues and green living best practices. Josh and Alyssa Hastings. Josh Hastings is Forever Maryland’s newly appointed Program and Policy Director. Alyssa Hastings is the City of Salisbury's first sustainability coordinator. She oversees projects ranging from overseeing the City's sustainability planning process, managing the City's Green Business Program, and implementing environmental projects including the Green Team's community cleanup efforts. We cover all sorts of topics including: What is a land trust? The clean up of the Chesapeake Bay. Why cleaning up your town is important and becoming  a bird, tree and bee city.

Our 5th season kicks off with live music, stories and reflections on the path that brought us to this our 5th season of the No, I Know Podcast. We preview what the year ahead will bring on the podcast. All Music and Lyrics by your co-hosts, James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin. Visit our sites to learn more and contact us: www.noiknowpodcast.com www.storieslovemusic.com