Third Rail Podcast

On this episode, we unpack the role local news plays in neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights and how outlets reporting in Central Brooklyn are cover gentrification. Guest: Jarrett Murphy, Executive Editor & Publisher, City Limits Segment 1: What role does hyperlocal news play in communities like Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy? As much of what we knew of as metro reporting by legacy news outlets has faded in prominence over the last 10 years– we want to know what role does hyperlocal news play in communities like Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy? Segment 2: Reporting on the G word It’s almost impossible to discuss hyper-local happenings without mentioning gentrification. But how is it currently being framed in mainstream media? Segment 3: “Tell ‘Em Why You Mad” Roundup

On this episode we examine the legacy of resilience in Central Brooklyn by reflecting on the history of organizing and movement building here and then by asking what is the present state of the Movement for Black Lives here in Central Brooklyn, New York and nationwide.  Joining us for this discussion are two organizers who have played an important role in shaping the legacy of social and political self-determination that Black Brooklyn is known for today: Lumumba Bandele, Senior Community Organizer, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Ejeris Dixon, Founding Director, Vision Change Win Segment 1: Histories Resilience in Central Brooklyn While the fight for social change in Central Brooklyn has been city-wide and even national, it has often been anchored by what’s happening locally. We sit down with two organizers who have played a special role in shaping the legacy of social and political self-determination that Black Brooklyn is known for today. Segment 2: How does Central Brooklyn connect to this movement moment? In this present “movement moment” we ask: How has the legacy of Central Brooklyn organizing laid the groundwork for #BlackLivesMatter movements in Central Brooklyn, New York and nationwide? Segment 3: Tell ‘Em Why You Mad Take a couple of minutes to share something that made you mad this week! It’s a fun way to let our listeners hear your personality and also sound off on something crazy in the world.

Airbnb and the home sharing revolution has landed, with Brooklyn being the most popular destination for Airbnb travelers in the country. Central Brooklyn in particular, has become a hot spot, with tourists from Europe and around the country joining the cultural and demographic changes that have come to define areas like Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights.  In this episode of Third Rail Local, we ask what exactly do we know about how Airbnb is affecting the housing market and way of life in Central Brooklyn? Who stands to lose and who stands to gain?

Our conversation on this episode centers around race, change and Central Brooklyn schools– where the personal meets the political.  Guests: Faraji Hannah-Jones, Co-PTA President, P.S.307Max Freedman, New School Graduate Student, Researching race and social change in NY’s public schools Segments:1. The Political StakesHere we are exploring the political and racial dimensions in Central Brooklyn districts, including one next door to the Farragut Houses, on the outskirts of Forte Green. We’ll look at what is at stake and the story of change that is impacting schools in this area. 2. The Personal StakesWe discuss what is personally at stake for activist parents in Central Brooklyn who value both traditional public education and predominately black school environments. 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

Walk through the streets of Central Brooklyn, and you will find a church close by. Brooklyn is, after all, called the “borough of churches.” But how relevant is the church in 2016?  Guest:Onleilove Alston, Executive Director, Faith in New York Segments: 1. What’s the connection between what’s going on inside Black churches and outside of them? Historically, the Black church has been an institution at the forefront of social justice movements in our community. Is that still true today? How are Black churches responding to and interacting with organizing work taking place in 2015? 2. Borough of Churches: What’s the plan?In many traditional big churches in Central Brooklyn, you see aging populations and ministers struggling to fill the pews. In this segment, we ask what is the strategic plan to keep these churches self-sustained, relevant, and surviving? 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

What would it mean to achieve radical wellness for ourselves and our communities? What does “wellness” even look like? In this episode, we tackle these questions head on.Guests:Z Bell, Membership Organizer, Brooklyn Movement CenterMark Winston Griffith, Executive Director, Brooklyn Movement CenterSegments:1. What’s your wellness plan?We have talked a lot about self-care in a lot on Third Rail, but mostly on how to recover from trauma or preserve our humanity in the midst of a hectic life. But what if we planned to be well and safe, from jump?2. What makes our communities healthy? Maintaining wellness not only happens on an individual level but also within the communities we belong to. We talk about the communities we belong to, and what having keeping them “health” even means?3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

The New york Foundation partnered with StoryCorps, a national oral history project, to craft an interview series featuring former and current grantees, which included the Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC). In honor of The National Day of Listening, launched by StoryCorps, we are bringing you a conversation between BMC’s first two staff members, Anthonine Pierre, Lead Organizer and Mark Winston Griffith, Executive Director.

We take on the business of black-owned business in Central Brooklyn, by asking two local entrepreneurs what it takes to keep a storefront business alive? And what it means to be a black business owner and black consumer in the midst of gentrification? Guests: Crystal Bobb-Semple, CEO, Camp Half BloodDon Edwards, Co-owner, Locale Village Shop Segments: 1. What does it take for an entrepreneur to keep a storefront business alive in Central Brooklyn? We see stores come and go, but don’t know what they are dealing with. What is the day-to-day hustle of keeping a retail storefront business look like? 2. What does it mean to be a black business owner and black consumer in the midst of gentrification? Within every black-led movement, there are calls to “buy black,” but as Central Brooklyn evolves is there black and white, or just green?  3. ”Tell em why you mad” Roundup

Assemblymember Diana Richardson and community advocate Marlon Peterson join us on Third Rail to look at the people and identities, influencing and claiming Central Brooklyn. We start by asking are elected officials and community organizers are on the same side of community development? Then we ask what neighborhood change means to immigrant communities? Guests: Assemblymember Diana Richardson, 43rd Assembly DistrictMarlon Petersons, Community Advocate & 2015 Soros Justice Fellow Segments: 1. Are elected officials and community organizers on the same side of community development? Economic development in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights is an issue that calls to mind small business owners, big developers, and displaced longtime residents. On this episode, we’re exploring what perspectives elected officials and community organizers hold on the topic. 2. What does neighborhood change mean to immigrant communities? Crown Heights has been built, over the last half century, as a largely Caribbean immigrant community. As we know, gentrification has taken hold as a different force of neighborhood change. We ask, what does gentrification look like from the perspective of first and second generation immigrants? 3. ”Tell em why you mad” Roundup

Brooklyn Deep reporter Cole Rosengren, join us to discuss his reporting on the fate of Central Brooklyn’s community gardens under the city’s current plan for “affordable” housing.  Head to Brooklyn Deep to read his report in its entirety. 

This is the remix! To mark the end of Brooklyn Summer, Third Rail is shaking up things with an extra segment this month. Familiar voices join us to share summers that changed us politically. Then we switch gears and discuss how we manage love in the movement. And finally we collectively put together our Top 5 signs we’re living in “new Brooklyn.”  Guests: Mark Winston Griffith, Brooklyn Movement Center Rae Gomes, Central Brooklyn Food Coop Segments: 1. Summers that move you Some seasons are meant to be forgotten and others, simply put, are life-changing. We share summers that changed us politically. 2. Love in the Movement When you’re a politically conscious and activist Brooklynite, the lines between the personal and the professional can blur and make for lots of sticky dating situations. How do you manage time, political views, break-ups and even meeting people while trying to change the world? 3. Top 5 signs we’re living in “new Brooklyn” Between the changing demographics, rising housing costs, and everyday cultural shifts, there are many signs that Central Brooklyn is rapidly gentrifying all around us. As Central Brooklynites, we share our top five. 4. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

This month we bring our Third Rail conversations to the stoop! And take on two questions we just KNOW, many Central Brooklyn residents have asked themselves while traveling NYC. Guests: Marlon King, Brooklyn Bike CrewJeanmarie “Mimi” Theobalds, Riders Alliance Segments:  1. Why does the C train hate us?Those of us who take the C train regularly have seen it all: 20 minute waiting times during rush hour, overcrowded trains and poor station maintenance. On this month’s show, we wonder, what could the good people of Brooklyn have done to make the C train hate us so? 2. Are more Black people biking in Central Brooklyn?Biking is an activity which, over the past decade, has become synonymous with gentrification. But surely Black residents who’ve always lived in Central Brooklyn bike too? We’re taking a look at the tenuous racial politics around one of our favorite pastimes. 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

On this first edition of “Third Rail Local,” Brooklyn Deep Reporter, Monica Melton, join us to discuss her reporting on the northeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street– historically known as Bedford Corners. Head to Brooklyn Deep to read Monica’s piece, told through four images of what is now 1205 Fulton Street, as well as compelling interviews with archivists and eyewitnesses to this history.

On this month’s Third Rail, we are tackling the politics of parenting. First by breaking down the differences between traditional public, charter, and private schools, and then by discussing the state of education organizing in Central Brooklyn. Guests: Natasha Capers, NYC Coalition for Educational JusticeMark Winston Griffith, Brooklyn Movement Center Segments:  1. Public vs. Charter vs. Private One of the most important decisions parents have to make for their children is where to send them to school, and in today’s educational landscape that means choosing between traditional public, charter, and private schools. We break down these differences and the implications of these choices for Central Brooklyn families. 2. The state of education organizing in Central BrooklynOrganizing parents in Central Brooklyn’s Community school district 16 was the first campaign the Brooklyn Movement Center tackled when it started in 2011, but the road to affecting change has not been easy. We discuss the needs and the challenges of organizing parents to take control of their children’s schools in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights and other low-income and working-class neighborhoods of color. 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

On Thursday, June 17th, Dylann Roof a white, 21-year-old man allegedly entered Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina during their evening bible study. And after one hour, Roof stood up and opened fire, fatally shooting 6 women and 3 men. BMC staff share their initial reaction to this news and ask what we would do if the next domestic terror attack on black America happened in Central Brooklyn?

We have explored gentrification and street harassment on Third Rail before, but on this month’s show we focus on these subjects through a different lens. First we discuss being Brown in a gentrifying neighborhood and then we break down being harassed as a queer person of color in Central Brooklyn. Guests: Tasha Amezcua, SOS Program Coordinator, Audre Lorde ProjectDebayani Kar , Member, Brooklyn Movement Center Segments:  1. What does it mean to be Brown in a gentrifying neighborhood?In historically Black neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, the race aspect of gentrification is often spoken about in Black & White terms. This episode, we have on two guests to talk about the space between — what it’s like being a Brown person in Central Brooklyn. 2. How are we staying safe, sane and dignified this summer?We’ve talked a lot on this show about how Veralyn and Anthonine experience sexualized & gendered street harassment and police harassment look like in Central Brooklyn. But while the aggressors are the same, being harassed as a QPOC looks a little different. Tune in to find out how all of us are working to stay safe, sane and dignified in the streets this summer. 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

On “Crown Heights Fight” we report on the state of tenant organizing in Central Brooklyn and how tenants are reacting to rising rents. We then put to the test the notion that Bed-Stuy gets more political and media love than Crown Heights. Guests: zakia henderson-brown, Board Member, Brooklyn Movement CenterJoel Feingold, Member, Crown Heights Tenants Union Segments:  1. How are tenants fighting gentrification in Central Brooklyn? We talk a LOT about gentrification on this show. In Central Brooklyn, it feels like an overwhelming force that touches every aspect of life. Ultimately, though, gentrification boils down to the struggle around tenant displacement and rent overages. So, beyond talking about it, what are tenants doing on the housing front to stop gentrification? 2. Is Crown Heights Bed-Stuy’s stepchild? Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant are both vibrant, internationally known neighborhoods in their own right. We’re exploring what it means for a neighborhood to be popular and we’re trying to figure out — is Bed-Stuy more popular than Crown Heights or is it the other way around? 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

On “Lemme Hear You Say… Fight the Power” we break down movement messaging and ask what strategies are being used today. We want to know: Is hip hop still relevant as an organizing tool? And what is the difference between marketing and community outreach? Guest: Autumn Marie, Communication activist and community organizer, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement & Ferguson Action Segments:  1. Is hip hop still relevant as an organizing tool?: Hip Hop, arguably, grew out of a dissatisfaction in Black and Brown neighborhoods with structural oppression. As a result, hip hop has provided the soundtrack to a lot of social justice movements over the past 40 years. The music has been bought, sold and appropriated so much that we are wondering whether or not hip hop still has a place in the movement today and moving forward. 2. What’s the difference between marketing and community outreach?: Doing community outreach often means telling people about what we do and getting them on board. If that sounds a little like business marketing, this conversation is just for you. While marketing skills are transferable, we’re trying to parse out what, if anything, distinguishes the way organizers do grassroots outreach from the way cooperate America does ad campaigns. 3. “Tell em why you mad” Roundup

Tell ‘Em Why You Mad XL: We’re taking this occasion of our first anniversary to reflect on TEWYM. What makes us pick the things we share on air? What are we mad about today? And of course, what are YOU all mad about?

Hosts: Third Rail Team Aaron Freeman, Co-Host and Engineer, This Week in Blackness Radio Anthonine Pierre, Lead Organizer, Brooklyn Movement Center Mark Winston, Griffith Executive Director, Brooklyn Movement Center Veralyn Williams, Communications Organizer, Brooklyn Movement Center Segments:  1. Our Favorite People: As organizers, we spend a lot of time complaining about the people we don’t like… but what about the folk that enrich our work and keep us going? Listen in to hear us talk about our favorite white person, our favorite coalition, and our favorite landlord. 2. Our Favorite Shows: Yes, we’re officially one year old! As we enter our second season of Third Rail, we look back on the episodes we liked the best. And we reveal who YOU picked to win the LIstener’s Choice Award. 3. Audience Talkback: We talk at you all the time! This time, our live audience does the talking with real time questions and comments for the Third Rail crew. Note: A full 30-minute ”Tell em why you mad” will air next week as a “Third Rail Express”