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The tables are turned! Your hosts, Deqah and Vanessa, were recently interviewed by Nicholas Sikellis for his podcast, The Intangible, for a conversation that got into both their backgrounds and their unique perspectives on historic preservation — as well as their passion for the more intangible/nontraditional aspects of preservation, like cultural heritage and economic development. The interview was so fun that we asked Nicholas if we could share it on our feeds, and he  graciously agreed. So, here, dear listeners, is that episode. Enjoy — and subscribe to The Intangible wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today, we’re introducing you to two all-star women we met at HAANDS —  the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit — who are doing great work in Texas. First up, Tanya Debose, a fourth-generation Houstonian, the Executive Director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, and the founder of Preserving Communities of Color in Houston. Then, Desiree Powell, a program coordinator for The Congress for the New Urbanism and the founder of Do Right By the Street (DRBTS), a planning firm that facilitates the creation of community-driven places in South Dallas, like the Sunny South Dallas Food Park. We’ll be publishing more interviews with HAANDS attendees — and introducing you to more practitioners of preservation-based economic development — in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! Credits: Thank you to Tanya Debose and Desiree Powell. This episode was edited by Vanessa Quirk and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk.

Rita Cofield is an associate project specialist working on the Los Angeles African American Historic Places (LAAAHP) at the Getty Conservation Institute. Deqah first met Rita virtually on a National Trust panel on preservation podcasting, and Vanessa was connected to Rita by LA Principal City Planner Ken Bernstein (our special guest at the Biddy Mason Listen & Learn, which you should check out if you haven’t yet!). We got to know Rita in-person at the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit in Atlanta, HAANDS. We recorded this conversation there, and will be publishing more with HAANDS attendees in the coming weeks. So stay tuned :) In this conversation, Rita shares her exciting work on the LAAAHP, which expands on work that was started with the SurveyLA project, a previous partnership between the Getty Conservation Institute and the Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources between 2010 and 2017 to survey and inventory parcels in the city and surface places historically significant to communities of color. Rita also volunteers as Executive Director of the Friends at Mafundi, an advocacy organization that seeks to protect and preserve the historic Watts Happening Cultural Center (also known as the Mafundi Building) in Watts, California, a project close to Rita’s heart. She mentions a great mentor who she worked with on the project: Roger E. Mosley, actor, director, coach, and beloved mentor to creatives, academics, and athletes. The Watts community also recently lost Oscar Neal, a Watts activist, advocate, historian, business owner and former owner of the historic Jordan’s Café in Watts. Credits: Thank you to Rita Cofield. This episode was edited by Vanessa Quirk and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk.

Lejuano Varnell is the co-founder of the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit, HAANDS, and the executive director of Sweet Auburn Works, which does preservation-based economic development along the historic Auburn Avenue corridor in Atlanta. We met Lejuano when we were in Atlanta for the first, in-person HAANDS, and were lucky enough to receive a tour from him of Auburn Avenue, which is home to many historic African American sites, such as the Atlanta Daily World building (the headquarters of the first African American newspaper) and the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge (which used to house WERD Radio, the first African American owned radio station in North America). We were really inspired by the work he and the landowners on the Avenue are doing to make sure it remains a hub of African American culture and entrepreneurship moving forward. In this conversation, Lejuano breaks down their approach — which weaves both tactical programs and narrative storytelling — and gives us some insight into the future of HAANDS. Mentioned in this Episode: Sweet Auburn Works HAANDS HAANDs Summit 2021: America's Black Wall Street w/ Dr. Jelani Cobb and Hannibal Johnson Sweet Auburn Bread Company Main Street America Credits: Thank you to Lejuano Varnell.  This episode was edited by Vanessa Quirk and Connor Lynch and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk. Social Media Handles IG: @_haands / @sweetauburnworks TW: @_haands / @sweetauburnwork LN: HAANDS / Sweet Auburn Works Audiogram - Audio “The more you uplift the place-based narrative … the harder it is to erase it.” Lejuano Varnell is the co-founder of @_haands — the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit — and the executive director of @sweetauburnworks. Every day, he does whatever it takes to improve his historic Atlanta corridor — and make it a place where small African American businesses can thrive. Listen to our full episode to hear more about Lejuano and how he’s building on the work of his predecessors to strike a path for preservation-based economic development in Atlanta — and beyond.

We’re back from the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit (HAANDS) and we’re still buzzing! Deqah and Vanessa discuss the many things they learned about preservation-based economic development — and gush over the great people they met who are working to help their communities stay in place, connect with their past, and thrive into the future. Our experience at the summit really crystallized the importance of storytelling (and the work we do) when it comes to preserving communities of color. We have so many ideas for future episodes; we just need support from listeners like you to make them a reality.  If you believe that the work we do matters, and want to see more of it, please donate to our PayPal page or Venmo. If you donate today (Giving Tuesday), your donation will be matched.  If you want to know more about HAANDS, check out our previous conversation with co-founder Elijah Davis. Credits: Thank you to Claudia Polley and Krista Weatherholt of the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative who made our trip to Atlanta to attend the summit possible. Thanks to HAANDS co-founders Elijah Davis of Urban Impact and Lejuano Varnell of Sweet Auburn Works. This episode was edited by Vanessa Quirk and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk. Handles IG: @ulli1_org, @_haands / @sweetauburnworks / @elijahedavis FB: @UrbanLegacyLandsInitiative TW: @_haands / @elijahedavis / @sweetauburnwork LN: HAANDS / Elijah E. Davis

Elijah Davis is the co-founder of the Historic African American Neighborhood and District Summit, HAANDS, for short. HAANDS brings together professionals in historic preservation and storytelling, economic development and entrepreneurship, and community organizing to share ideas about what can be done to “preserve, enhance, and elevate” Historic Black places. In this conversation, we learn more about Elijah’s family connections to Mobile, his work in community economic development with Birmingham-based Urban Impact, and how he started HAANDS with his co-founder Lejuano Varnell of Sweet Auburn Works. This year’s summit will take place over November 17 and 18 in Atlanta Georgia — and guess what, listeners… we’ll be there! Claudia Polley of the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative, which we featured in our Indianapolis episodes, has offered us a travel stipend to attend. To help us cover the remainder of our travel costs, we’re hoping to raise $500 dollars from our listeners. If you believe in the work we do, sharing and preserving the histories of underrepresented people and places, then please donate to us via our PayPal page or Venmo. Note the word “HAANDS” when you donate. If you’re interested in the future of black heritage lands, we think you’ll really enjoy this conversation — and maybe even get inspired to join as at the summit! Hope to see you there! Credits: Thank you to Elijah Davis, Claudia Polley, Krista Weatherholt, and ULLI.  This episode was edited by Vanessa Quirk and Connor Lynch and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk.

As you may remember, our first season explored the history of three African American neighborhoods in Cincinnati. We explored the times when those neighborhoods were thriving — and when disinvestment instigated many of the socio-economic challenges these communities continue to face today. But one piece we didn't explore was how institutional investors have contributed to these communities’ affordability and housing challenges. After we aired the season, Dr. Hayden Shelby, an Assistant Professor of Planning at the University of Cincinnati, reached out saying she was teaching a class on housing systems and institutional investors — and, instead of papers, she was asking her students to make a podcast. As part of Urbanist Media — the community preservation not-for-profit that produces Urban Roots — we've been helping Dr. Shelby, guiding her and her students to develop a new podcast, If Walls Could Talk. In this conversation, we sat down with Dr. Hayden Shelby to learn more about the issue of institutional investors broadly and how they specifically operate in Cincinnati. Dr. Shelby and her class will be hosting two community conversations about institutional investors (details below). We hope as many people as possible in Cincinnati take part in these conversations — it’s time to collectively create the solutions Cinci neighborhoods need to curb the negative impact of institutional investors and allow these communities to, once again, thrive. In-Person: Saturday, November 12th from 9-1 AM at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning Building. Zoom: Friday, November 18th from 2-4 PM on Zoom (register via link or email shelbyhm@uc.edu)

We’re trying something new: bringing you bonus content to keep Urban Roots in your feeds (and hearts?) between seasons! First up is a fascinating conversation with Vishaan Chakrabarti, the co-founder and creative director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. Vishaan, who has years of experience in the urbanism and architecture fields (check out his TED Talks and New York Times collaborations for some examples of his work), and the folks in his studio are doing the good work of trying to make our cities more equitable. In this conversation, we talk about a seismic shift happening in preservation and planning: a move away from preserving buildings and towards communities. We also pull back the veil a bit on what we’re up to — and give you some backstory about Urban Roots and Urbanist Media, Deqah’s anti-racist community preservation not-for-profit. Tell us what you think! Send an email or voice memo to urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com, rate us on Apple podcasts, or follow us on Instagram @urbanrootsculture. And if you want to support Urban Roots, please consider donating to our Paypal @urbanistmedia.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Ms. Jean Spears was a young mother and burgeoning preservationist. She saved antiques from houses about to be demolished; she bought a home in a white slum and renovated it; later on, she did the same with a historic home in the black neighborhood near Indiana Avenue. In the eighties, she and some neighbors started digging into this black neighborhood’s history, uncovering the names of Black doctors, civic leaders, and other professionals who had lived there, many of whom had worked for Madam C.J. Walker. She helped rename the neighborhood to Ransom Place, in honor of Freeman Ransom, Madam Walker's prodigious lawyer. And in 1991, they succeeded in getting the Ransom Place Historic District included in the National Register of Historic Places. Thanks in no small part to the connection to Madam C.J. Walker, Jean Spears was able to save this pocket of Black history, in an area that — as we explained last episode — the city of Indianapolis had almost erased from memory. But black Indy history is about more than Madam Walker, and other stories and places in the city need protection, too. In this episode, we’ll introduce you to three Black women who are carrying on what Ms. Jean Spears started — safeguarding these little-known stories of the past and guiding Indianapolis toward a brighter future. Our Guests: We talk with Claudia Polley of the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative; Kaila Austin, an artist and historian (who also shared her oral history with Flinora Frazier with us); Judith Thomas, the Deputy Mayor of Neighborhood Engagement for the City of Indianapolis; and Paula Brooks, the Environmental Justice Program Manager at the Hoosier Environment Council. Our Sponsors: This episode, the first of a two-part series on Black Indy, was made possible by a grant from Indiana Humanities. We need help for future projects so please consider donating to Urbanist Media on PayPal, Venmo, or Patreon! Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. About Us: Urban Roots unearths little-known stories from urban history, especially histories of women and people of color that are in danger of being forgotten. Our mission is to elevate underrepresented voices and help preserve the places significant to them. Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Madam C.J. Walker was a brilliant entrepreneur who built a haircare empire and became the first African American woman millionaire. You might have heard about her, but not many people know that her headquarters used to be located in Indianapolis, along a once vibrant Black corridor called Indiana Avenue, a place that today is known for parking lots, high-speed traffic, and uninspiring university buildings. Why do so few people know this story? Because, over decades, government planners and private developers slowly and systematically erased Indiana Avenue's history. Luckily, however, some Black Hoosiers are working to uncover — and reclaim — what almost disappeared without a trace. In this episode we tell their — and the Avenue’s — story. Our Guests: We talk with some incredibly distinguished Black Indianapolis experts: journalist and Madam C.J. Walker biographer (and descendent) A’Lelia Bundles; Susan Hall Dotson of the Indiana Historical Society; Claudia Polley of the Urban Legacy Lands Initiative; Wildstyle Paschall, an artist and community advocate; Devon Ginn of the Walker Legacy Center; and centenarian/Indiana Avenue author, Mr. Thomas Hart Ridley. We also reference the research of Dr. Olon Dotson of Ball State University. You can find the aerial photographs we mention in the episode here: https://maps.indy.gov/MapIndy/ Our Sponsors: This episode, the first of a two-part series on Black Indianapolis, was made possible by a grant from Indiana Humanities. To help us fund future projects please donate to Urbanist Media on PayPal, Venmo, or Patreon! Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. About Us: Urban Roots dives deep into little known stories from urban history, unearthing histories of women and people of color that are in danger of being forgotten. Find us at Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

In our previous episode, we told you the first half of Biddy Mason’s remarkable story: how she was born into slavery in Mississippi, earned her freedom in one of the largest freedom suits in American history, and went on to become one of Los Angeles’ most well-respected healers. Today, in the second of our two-part series, we're telling the final half of Biddy’s story: how she went from owning nothing at all to becoming one of the wealthiest women and philanthropists in the American West by the time she died in 1891. You’d think this remarkable woman would be taught in every California classroom; her memory etched throughout the built landscapes of Southern California. But no. Apart from one (absurdly difficult to locate) memorial pocket park downtown, Biddy’s memory has almost been erased. The courthouse where her freedom trial was held is gone. Her first home, too. Her former real estate properties, if still standing, have no markers. Even the UCSF mural, one of only two historical depictions of Biddy, was very nearly demolished in 2020. But a group of organizers and historians fought back to keep the mural — and Biddy’s story — safe from destruction. Now, the Biddy Mason Collaborative is uncovering more and more about this woman who built Black L.A. — and working hard to keep her memory alive. Our Guests: This episode we speak with folks from the Biddy Mason Collaborative. We talk with co-directors Sarah “Sally” Barringer Gordon, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Kevin Waite, an American history professor at Durham University (in the UK) and author of West of Slavery, and Jackie Broxton, executive director of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation. We also speak to Laura Voisin George, an architectural historian (and PhD candidate at the UCSB) and Sky Lea Ross, a phD candidate at UCLA and a therapist with Peace Over Violence. About Us: Urban Roots is a podcast that dives deep into little known stories from urban history. It is an offshoot of Urbanist Media, a not-for-profit anti-racist community preservation collaborative. Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

In the spring of 2013, Laura Voisin George was in the reading room at the Huntington library when she came across a historical detail that struck her as … unusual. At the time, Laura was a PhD candidate studying one of California's first surgeons. While perusing a series of articles, she discovered the existence of 10 massive murals — built into a lecture hall at U.C. San Francisco's medical school — that told the history of California medicine in a colorful, elaborate, and explicit social realism style. Laura scanned a photo of one of those murals, the one depicting the mid 1800s, and was surprised to see a Black nurse, a woman working side by side with one of the leading doctors of Los Angeles (and a former slave owner to boot). In the 1800s. Laura wanted to know more, so she started digging. Soon, she found this nurse's name: Biddy Mason. Then, she found so much more.  This season, we are dedicating two full episodes to telling the remarkable story of Biddy Mason. In Part 1, we talk about Biddy’s beginnings: how she went from an enslaved woman in Mississippi to one of the most renowned healers in Los Angeles. We also talk to a group of organizers and historians from the Biddy Mason Collaborative (or ‘the Biddy Mason Justice League’ as we like to call them) who are collaborating and uncovering more about this woman than we ever knew before — and working hard to keep her memory alive. If you like this episode, make sure to stay tuned for Part 2, when we tell the second half of Biddy’s life: her journey to becoming one the wealthiest women in the West — and a founder of Black Los Angeles. Our Guests: This episode we speak with folks from the Biddy Mason Collaborative: project co-directors Sarah “Sally” Barringer Gordon, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Kevin Waite, an American history professor at Durham University (and author of West of Slavery); as well as Jackie Broxton, Executive Director of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation and Laura Voisin George, an architectural historian (and PhD candidate at UCSB). About Us: Urban Roots is a podcast that takes a deep dive into little known stories from urban history. It is an offshoot of Urbanist Media, a not-for-profit anti-racist community preservation collaborative. Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Support us: Venmo | PayPal

Founded in 1838, Green-Wood Cemetery is one of the earliest (and most famous) rural cemeteries in America. Its grandiose, park-like setting is scattered with notable burial sites and architectural masterpieces. But, in our interviews with Green-Wood staff members (Neela Wickremesinghe, Jeff Richman, and Darryl Jones), we learn about a lesser-known area: the Freedom Lots, where African Americans were buried. In 2017, these seven lots were in very rough shape — some of the graves were destroyed past recovery. This episode tells the story of the people of color who took action to not only preserve what was left of these physical graves, but to commemorate the memories of the people buried there. Our Guests: Green-Wood’s Director of Restoration and Preservation, Neela Wickremesinghe; staff Historian, Jeff Richman; and Darryl Jones (Neela’s former intern who now works for the cemetery full time)!  About Us: Urban Roots is a podcast that takes a deep dive into little known stories from urban history. The pod is an offshoot of Urbanist Media, a not-for-profit anti-racist community preservation collaborative. Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Support us by Donating: PayPal | Venmo Find Us: Website | PayPal | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Welcome back, folks! We hope you’re ready for another season of Urban Roots because Season 2 is coming soon – Juneteenth (June 19th) to be exact. Please join us on an urban journey as we explore hidden African American history in cities across the country. Join us in Brooklyn, New York where we visit Greenwood Cemetery’s Freedom Lots — in  Los Angeles, California where we find all the places Biddy Mason’s memory has been preserved — and in Indianapolis, Indiana, where we uncover the hidden gem of Indiana Avenue and learn why Madam C.J. Walker relocated her headquarters there in 1910 . Our Indianapolis episodes are made possible thanks to funding from Indiana Humanities! Credits Host and Executive Producer: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. Host and Executive Producer: Vanessa Maria Quirk. Editor: Connor Lynch. About Us Urban Roots is a podcast that takes a deep dive into little known stories from urban history and is brought to you by Urbanist Media, an anti-racist community preservation organization. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook — @urbanrootsculture Follow us on Twitter — @urbanrootspod and @urbanistmedia Subscribe to our Urban Roots Podcast YouTube channel!

In this episode, the final of our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series*, we’re exploring the history of South Cumminsville, a neighborhood that, like many Black neighborhoods in Cincinnati, has been divided and diminished by top-down urban planning decisions and years of disinvestment. But it’s also a place with a long history of Black entrepreneurship, ownership, and activism — going back to the late 1800s, when unsung Cincinnati hero Sarah Fossett helped make South Cumminsville a vibrant community for African Americans. Today, it remains a place where residents support each other and fight every day to improve their community. *If you missed our prelude episode, then take a pause and listen to that show first! Also, check out our previous episodes on the Evanston and Avondale neighborhoods! Our Guests: South Cumminsville community council president, Tim Canady, vice president Derek Fagin, Annie Williams, Alberta Warton, Queens of Queens City’s Sean Andres, Wilbur Canady, and Working in Neighborhoods’ Rigel Behrens. Our Sponsors: The Lost Voices of Cincinnati series was made possible by a Truth & Reconciliation grant from ArtsWave. We need help for future projects so please consider donating to our Fundly fundraising campaign! Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Support us by Donating: Venmo | PayPal Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

In this episode, the third of our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series*, we’re exploring the history of Avondale, a neighborhood that experienced a different kind of white flight and is still recovering from transformative events that occurred during the mid-century such as race riots and housing discrimination. We will discuss how these trends triggered decades of disinvestment and explain important historical terms like blockbusting and redlining. And we talk to the people who are fighting hard to preserve the neighborhood’s housing stock, promote local businesses — and bring the community back together.*If you missed our prelude episode, then take a pause and listen to that show first! Also, check out our previous episode on the Evanston neighborhood! Our Guests:  Avondale neighborhood community council president, Ms. Sandra Jones-Mitchel, Councilwoman Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, and Invest in Neighborhoods board president, Andria Carter. We also got a deep dive into the history of housing in Avondale by retired University of Cincinnati history professor, Dr. Fritz Casey Leininger. Our Sponsors: The Lost Voices of Cincinnati series was made possible by a Truth & Reconciliation grant from ArtsWave and our Fundly patrons.  Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube Support us by Donating: Venmo | PayPal

In this episode, the second of our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series*, we’re exploring the history of Evanston, the home of King Records, which was pivotal to the creation of Rock n' Roll music. We not only discuss King, but also another important anchor in the neighborhood, St. Mark’s, that has also been left to deteriorate over time. We explain how the highway divided the neighborhood, and kicked off years of disinvestment. And we talk to the people who are fighting hard to preserve the neighborhood’s precious landmarks — and bring the community back together. *If you missed our prelude episode, then take a pause and check out that show first! Guests: Evanston neighborhood community council members, Mr. James Stallworth (president), Ms. Marye Ward, Ms. Beverley Lamb, and Ms. Veta Uddin as well as members of the King Legacy committee, Kent Butts and Elliott Ruther, and also historian Dr. M. Christine Anderson, and preservationist and AmeriCorps member, Carrie Rhodus. Our Sponsors: The Lost Voices of Cincinnati series was made possible by a Truth & Reconciliation grant from ArtsWave.  Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube Support us by Donating: Venmo | PayPal

We are so excited to kick off our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series which explores the rich African American history of Cincinnati. You can think of this episode as a kind of prelude of sorts. We go back, way back, to Cincinnati’s beginnings, and tell stories you’ve probably never heard — like how a Cincinnati barber helped execute the biggest North American escape of enslaved people, ever; how and why a mob attacked Cincinnati’s African American community (with cannons, no less) in 1841; and how the West End became one of the most happening Black communities of the 1920s. We show how, throughout the city’s history, African American communities have always faced adversity — but have also always banded together to not only persevere, but thrive. Our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series was made possible by a Truth & Reconciliation grant from ArtsWave and our Fundly patrons. We’d also like to thank Invest in Neighborhoods for their support. Urban Roots is a podcast that takes a deep dive into little known stories from Urban history.  Credits: Hosts and Executive Producers: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Maria Quirk / Editor and Executive Producer:  Connor Lynch / Mixer: Andrew Callaway. Music/Composer: Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Find Us Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube Support us by Donating: Venmo | PayPal

The Lost Voices of Cincinnati series will holistically explore the physical and social transformations three neighborhoods have experienced and endured in Cincinnati, Ohio — Avondale, Evanston, and South Cumminsville. There is so much that has been lost—some things were gained—and stuff that remains. Despite the odds, these resilient communities have worked hard to preserve their histories and build strong, vibrant neighborhoods today. This project offers these folks an auditory outlet to express their truth and help them reconcile with the permanent social and physical landscape changes rendered by past and present planning efforts. We hope that, though this project, within these communities of color, those lost voices of Cincinnati will finally be heard.

We often take history for granted, skirting around subjects as if we already know everything there is to know about a historical event, person, or place. But, what do we really know? There are many stories that have not been told and many topics that have not been fully explored. This podcast challenges you to think beyond the familiar, and broaden the scope of what we see as urban history. Urban Roots is hosted by Deqah Hussein (historic preservationist and urban planner) and Vanessa Quirk (journalist and producer). This podcast offers a holistic narrative of urban America by utilizing rich archival materials, interviewing passionate local experts, and exploring “untold” stories.