In this special crossover episode of the Urban Roots podcast and the Columbia GSAPP’s Historic Preservation Podcast, host Deqah Hussein-Wetzel has a Black history and preservation-focused conversation with award-winning journalist and historian A’Lelia Bundles about her newest book Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. A’Lelia Walker—daughter of Madam C.J. Walker and heiress to America’s first Black woman-made fortune—was more than a symbol of inherited wealth. She was a cultural impresario, a connector of artists and activists, and an architectural patron whose Vertner Tandy-designed Villa Lewaro Estate and (rehabbed) Harlem townhouse became vital gathering places for the Black intelligentsia of the 1920s.
Together, Deqah and A’Lelia Bundles, the great-granddaughter of A’Lelia Walker, explore her interest in her family's history and what she’s learned about her ancestor's role in shaping Harlem’s cultural landscape through hospitality, preservation, and community. The episode also delves into the challenges of researching Black women’s histories, the overlooked architectural legacy of Vertner Tandy, and the significance of cultural memory in contemporary preservation work.
🔗 More about her book: https://aleliabundles.com/writing-biography-an-update-on-the-joy-goddess-of-harlem
🎧Listen to the full interview on Columbia GSAPP’s Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/columbiagsapp
Credits:
Your host and producer is Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was edited by Skyler Ficklin and Vanessa Quirk. Mixed by Skyler.
Urban Roots is a project by Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to preserving place through story.
Subscribe on YouTube (and Patreon/Substack for exclusive content)!
Follow Urban Roots on Instagram at urbanrootsculture and at urbanrootspod
In this bonus episode, Deqah unpacks equitable preservation-based development with Bree Jones, the Founder and CEO of Parity, an equitable development company headquartered in West Baltimore that acquires and rehabilitates abandoned properties by the block to create affordable home ownership opportunities. Bree started Parity in 2020 as a response to the gentrification and displacement she experienced in her hometown in NYC.
Here, Deqah and Bree discuss the various levels of economic disinvestment that create hyper-vacancy and decay. Instead of pushing people out of their legacy lands and neighborhoods, Bree and the folks at Parity have envisioned a new way to develop, one that disengages from traditional, top-down forms of planning to combat gentrification and other historical place-based inequities such as America’s legacy of urban renewal. Through this new approach, Bree has successfully generated over $60 million of investment in Black communities.
Bree Jones is the CEO & Founder of Parity, a culturalist and nationally recognized systems change leader focused on revaluing Black neighborhoods and engendering Black wealth. If you haven’t already, we recommend you watch her TED Talk, How to Revitalize a Neighborhood – Without Gentrification, that explicates this innovative vision.
This episode is sponsored by Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business and Management. Loyola University Maryland is a Baltimore-based institution that believes in the power of community builders.
Credits:
Your host is Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was edited by Deqah, Connor Lynch, Skyler Ficklin, and Vanessa Quirk. Mixing by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy.
Urban Roots is a project by Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to preserving place through story. Please consider supporting our work by donating to us via Venmo or Paypal.
Subscribe to our YouTube (and Patreon for exclusive content)!
Want to sponsor a bonus episode? Email us at: urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram at urbanrootsculture
We at Urbanist Media (and the Urban Roots podcast) are excited to have, yet again, celebrated Juneteenth with Cincinnati Public Radio.
This year, we produced brand new Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati Black history and African American history. This one is all about the Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs…
—
Tucked away on Chapel Street in Walnut Hills, this short takes you to the Cincinnati Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, which, for over a century, has continued to serve as a hub for Black women’s activism. Founded in 1904 by Mary Fletcher Ross, the Federation united local clubs to provide education and social services that, at the time, weren’t available to the Black community. In 1925, members purchased the Hannaford-designed mansion on Chapel Street that still stands today, transforming it into a lasting symbol of resilience, sisterhood, and civic leadership.
Listen to the entire archive (2023-2025) on Cincinnati Public Radio's website: https://cinradio.org/juneteenth-special-programming-from-urbanist-media/
—
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Urbanist Media’s Urban Roots podcast team: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel (Executive Producer / Host & Narrator), Tania Mohammad (Producer / Story Editor), Vanessa Maria Quirk (Story Editor), and Connor Lynch (Audio Editor / Mixer).
We at Urbanist Media (and the Urban Roots podcast) are excited to have, yet again, celebrated Juneteenth with Cincinnati Public Radio.
This year, we produced brand new Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati Black history and African American history. This one is all about Dr. Lucy Orinthia Oxley….
—
Dr. Lucy Oxley broke barriers as the first Black graduate of UC’s medical program in 1935, only to be denied internships due to discrimination. Undeterred, she found opportunities at historically Black colleges outside Cincinnati and eventually returned to open a private practice, first in Walnut Hills and later in Avondale. This short dives into Dr. Oxley’s story as a local pioneer in family medicine.
Listen to the entire archive (2023-2025) on Cincinnati Public Radio's website: https://cinradio.org/juneteenth-special-programming-from-urbanist-media/
—
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Urbanist Media’s Urban Roots podcast team: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel (Executive Producer / Host & Narrator), Tania Mohammad (Producer / Story Editor), Vanessa Maria Quirk (Story Editor), and Connor Lynch (Audio Editor / Mixer).
We at Urbanist Media (and the Urban Roots podcast) are excited to have, yet again, celebrated Juneteenth with Cincinnati Public Radio.
This year, we produced brand new Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati Black history and African American history. This one is all about Jennie Davis Porter….
—
Jennie Davis Porter was a trailblazing educator in Walnut Hills before she opened the all-Black Harriet Beecher Stowe School in 1914 in the West End (an effort that sparked controversy), and she became Cincinnati’s first Black female principal. In 1928, she became the first African American woman to earn a PhD from the University of Cincinnati. This short tells the story of Jennie Porter and the cultural legacy she left behind in our great city.
Listen to the entire archive (2023-2025) on Cincinnati Public Radio's website: https://cinradio.org/juneteenth-special-programming-from-urbanist-media/
—
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Urbanist Media’s Urban Roots podcast team: Deqah Hussein-Wetzel (Executive Producer / Host & Narrator), Tania Mohammad (Producer / Story Editor), Vanessa Maria Quirk (Story Editor), and Connor Lynch (Audio Editor / Mixer).
We at Urbanist Media (and the Urban Roots podcast) are excited to have, yet again, celebrated Juneteenth with Cincinnati Public Radio.
This year, we produced brand new Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati Black history and African American history. This first one is all about Robert S. Duncanson and his connection to the Taft Museum of Art!
--
Born in 1821, Robert S. Duncanson became a nationally celebrated 19th-century African American landscape artist who built his career in the Cincinnati area. In 1850, Duncanson murals were commissioned by Nicholas Longworth (a local white abolitionist and famous landowner) for his home, which is now the Taft Museum of Art building. You can visit the museum to see Duncanson’s murals today, and, if you find yourself in Washington, D.C., you can see his landscape paintings on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
In this episode of the Urban Roots podcast, host Deqah Hussein-Wetzel sits down with two accomplished Cincinnati-based Black architects—David Kirk, President and CEO of DNK Architects, and Michael Burson, a longtime (now retired) architect who has worked extensively with Cincinnati Public Schools, and now serves as an owners representative for local architectural projects ---including the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center’s (ROMAC) rehabilitation of the Regal Theatre in Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood.
Guests David and Michael expand on how and why they fell in love with the profession and what the road to licensing looked like for both of them. In a field where only 2.8% of licensed architects are African American, Michael and David are the definition of architects who opened doors.
Being that Deqah worked closely with David and Michael to preserve the Regal Theatre and help Toilynn O’Neal Turner’s vision of the ROMAC take shape, this episode also celebrates our shared success in securing BOTH Federal & State Historic Tax Credits, which supports monetary funding for the project! If you don’t remember what the Regal Theatre is all about, you can go back to Juneteenth Cincinnati Short to learn more about the building's rich African American history.
PS: On Saturday, March 29th, Deqah is moderating a 9 AM panel discussion with panelists Michael, David, and Toilynn at the 2025 Invest in Neighborhoods Summit titled, Rehabbing the Regal: Community-Driven Approaches to Black Cultural Preservation and Neighborhood Redevelopment
And a huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Hub+Weber, for helping us continue to promote equity in the built environment. Hub+Weber is a Cincinnati-based architecture firm founded in 1973 that does more than renderings and construction documents — they are creative problem solvers who understand that each project is more than just a building to their clients. Founded in 1973, this architecture firm has has a long legacy in Cincinnati’s built environment.
Urbanist Media thanks Hub+Weber for their continued support and for sharing our values in promoting equity within the built environment.
Thank you to guests David Kirk and Michael Burson, and sponsors, Hub+Weber, who helped make this episode possible. This podcast is brought to you by Urbanist Media and is hosted by Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. Editing by Deqah, Connor Lynch, and Skyler Ficklin. Mixing by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy.
Urban Roots is brought to you by Urbanist Media, a non-profit that preserves place through story. You can make a tax-deductible donation to us via Venmo or Paypal.
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture. Drop us an email urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
In this bonus episode, Deqah and Vanessa have a much-needed conversation with Erica Allen-Kim about her new—must-read—book, Building Little Saigon: Refugee Urbanism in American Cities and Suburbs, about Vietnamese American-built landscapes and cultural heritage. In this interview, Deqah and Vanessa dive deeper into themes from her book to explore the role that Vietnamese Americans played in physically and socially shaping their ethnic neighborhoods in American (and Canadian) cities and suburbs. They discuss how refugee and immigrant communities adapted urban spaces to meet their needs, the importance of Asian American preservation efforts, community advocacy, and legacy preservation, and the challenges these communities face today to remain extant.
Erica Allen-Kim is an Associate Professor in the University of Toronto’s Department of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. Her newest book, Building Little Saigon: Refugee Urbanism in American Cities and Suburbs, is out now and available for purchase!
Credits:
Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk. This episode was edited by Deqah, Vanessa, and Skyler Ficklin. Mixing by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy.
Urban Roots is a project by Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to preserving place through story.
Even though we do need money to keep going, we try not to spam you with ads. Instead, we add the occasional giving plug, encouraging our listeners to support us by giving. Anything helps, even $10 or $20. Please consider sending us a donation via Venmo or Paypal.
*Want to give big? Consider sponsoring a bonus episode. Email us at: urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture and on YouTube (Urban Roots podcast). Have a thought or question – drop us an e-mail
Deqah and Vanessa chat with Lori Gonzalez and Tyrell Anderson from the Decay Devils, an organization that started as a group of friends in Gary, Indiana who loved playing in abandoned buildings. They then started making some noise—posting on Instagram, starting a nonprofit, organizing community events—and gaining notice from the public and “big money” people. In this episode they dish on the trials and tribulations, ups and downs, they've faced trying to preserve Gary’s Union Station. For anyone working in nonprofits, partially in the areas of preservation and community-engagement, this episode is a MUST-listen!
Credits:
Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk. This episode was edited by Skyler Ficklin, Deqah, and Vanessa and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Thanks again to Lori Gonzalez and Tyrell Anderson.
Urban Roots is a product of Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to community preservation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to us via Venmo or Paypal.
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture. Drop us an email urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Throughout its history, Decatur, Alabama has produced a number of unapologetically bold, creative, and “difficult” women who weren’t afraid to break the mold. In this episode, we’ll tell you the story of one of them: Carolyn Cortner Smith, believed to be the first licensed female architect in the state of Alabama.
Carolyn was born at a time when Southern women were expected to be gentile, acquiescent, amenable. Carolyn…wasn’t. As a young girl growing up in 1900s Decatur, Carolyn would assemble lean-tos in the backyard; she was mesmerized by the idea of building. In 1913, she was rejected from three architecture schools, in all likelihood because she was a woman. Nevertheless, Carolyn persevered — believing she would become the architect she knew she meant to be. By the time she was 40, in 1934, she owned and ran a lumbermill company, had designed/built multiple houses in her signature stone style, and was tapped by the City of Decatur to oversee some significant projects: the restoration of the Old State Bank, one of Decatur’s most treasured buildings, and the rehabilitation of City Park (now Delano Park) into a family-friendly area for recreation. Today, Delano Park’s structures have been beloved by generations of Decaturites, and yet too few people know of Carolyn’s struggles, accomplishments, and gifts to her hometown.
Guests in this episode:
Barbara Kelly (Delano Park Conservancy)
Norman Kent Johnson
The oral histories of Carolyn Cortner Smith you heard throughout this episode were courtesy of the Alabama Historical Commission. You can access these recordings via the Shelby County Museum & Archives website.
Thanks to Caroline Swope and the City of Decatur who made this episode possible. This material was produced with assistance from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
Barbara Kelly is part of the non-profit Delano Park Conservancy; you can learn more about them, and their mission to preserve Delano Park, at their website.
Credits
Urban Roots is a podcast from Urbanist Media. Your hosts are Vanessa Quirk and Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was written and executive produced by Vanessa Quirk, with support from Deqah Hussein Wetzel. It was edited and mixed by Andrew Callaway. Music by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Editorial support from Andrew Callaway.
The city of Decatur, Alabama is home to many historic Black churches, including one with a particularly rich history: First Missionary Baptist Church, in Old Town, the city’s predominantly Black neighborhood. Designed by one of the first African American architects, Wallace Rayfield, the church has — from its post-Civil War beginnings — been a cornerstone of Decatur’s African American community. During the segregation era, it was particularly vibrant, hosting hundreds of congregants, including many teachers, and taking an active stance in the Civil Rights movement.
However, de-segregation, and the decades of disinvestment that followed, have taken their toll on Decatur’s Black neighborhood of Old Town — and First Mission Baptist is no exception. Today, this historic property is struggling to stay afloat. But its congregation, and dedicated leader, Pastor Daylan Woodall, see that the church matters today more than ever — and are determined to make sure this important piece of Decatur history has a future. This episode not only features the voices of Pastor Woodall and his congregants but also Ms. Frances Tate — of Celebrating Early Old Town with Art and the imminent Scottsboro Boys Museum — and relies on the historical research of Peggy Towns.
Guests in this episode:
Frances Tate
Pastor Daylan Woodall
Stephanie Gray
Mary Lou Kelly
Brenda Smith
Nella Fletcher
Lester Fletcher
Thanks to Caroline Swope and the City of Decatur who made this episode possible. This material was produced with assistance from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
Also thanks to Peggy Towns, whose tour around Old Town and book, Scottboro Unmasked, gave us crucial context for this episode.
The non-profit Miss Frances Tate is a part of is called Celebrating Early Old Town with Art (CEOTA). The CEOTA board is currently developing the Decatur Scottsboro Boys Civil Rights Museum. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, visit www.sbcmuseum.org
Credits
Urban Roots is a podcast from Urbanist Media. Your hosts are Vanessa Quirk and Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was written and executive produced by Vanessa Quirk, with support from Deqah Hussein Wetzel. It was edited and mixed by Andrew Callaway. Music by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Editorial support from Francis Ramirez O-Shea of Alta Gracia Media and recording help from Alexander Richey.
Today New Richmond is a charming town along the Ohio River with a relatively tiny Black population. But for a moment in time in the 19th century, it was not only a hotspot of abolitionist activity, it was also home to a vibrant Black community. How did that happen? And why are there so few Black families left today?
In this episode, part two of the Ohio River to Freedom series, the Urban Roots podcast team will explain this history. Along the way, they’ll take you on a tour of New Richmond’s abolitionist homes, schools, and churches — and introduce you to the people who are fighting to keep the town's Black history alive.
Guests in this episode:
Greg Roberts, resident and Vice President of Historic New Richmond
Mary Allen, resident and longtime member of Historic New Richmond and the Vice President of the Clermont County Genealogical Society.
James Settles, resident and great-grandson of Joseph Settles
Dr. David Childs, Ph.D., Northern Kentucky University
Thanks to Michael and Carrie Klein, who recorded the spirituals you heard throughout this episode as part of their 1996 Talking Across the Lines project. In this episode you hear "Oh Freedom Over Me" sung by Ethel Caffie-Austin and “Wade in the Water" by Emma Perry Freeman.
This series was made possible due to funding from the Ohio Arts Council, Cincinnati Public Radio, and the private donations of the Mohamed family and Hub+Weber.
Credits
Urban Roots is a podcast from Urbanist Media. Your hosts are Vanessa Quirk and Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was written and executive- produced by Vanessa Quirk, with support from Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Francis Ramirez O-Shea of Alta Gracia Media. It was edited by Connor Lynch and mixed by Andrew Callaway. Theme music by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and additional music from Artlist.
Black Underground Railroad agents lived perilous lives. Because they could be killed or jailed for their work, they hid any and all evidence of their activities. So, today, historical records of their efforts are rare. Luckily, however, historians in the town of Ripley, Ohio have not only uncovered the stories of their local Black Underground Railroad workers — they’re actively preserving them for posterity.
In this episode, part one of the Ohio River to Freedom series, the Urban Roots podcast team will take you to Ripley, a town along the Ohio River that was once home to more abolitionists than any other small town in the U. S. They'll introduce you to some Ripley historians and share the stories of two Black Underground Railroad agents you likely never heard about in history class: Polly Jackson and John Parker.
Guests in this episode:
Dr. David Childs, Ph.D., Northern Kentucky University
Betty Campbell, The Rankin House
Dewey Scott, The John P. Parker House
Thanks to Michael and Carrie Klein, who recorded the oral histories and spirituals you heard throughout this episode as part of their 1996 Talking Across the Lines project, featuring people in Ohio and West Virginia who are descendants of enslaved people and underground railroad conductors, along with historians telling stories near and dear to them. In this episode you hear the testimonials of Ethel Caffie-Austin and Loran Williams and the spirituals "Oh Freedom Over Me" and “Freedom Train” sung by Ethel Caffie-Austin.
This series was made possible due to funding from the Ohio Arts Council, Cincinnati Public Radio, and the private donations of the Mohamed family and Hub+Weber.
Credits
Urban Roots is a podcast from Urbanist Media. Your hosts are Vanessa Quirk and Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was written and executive produced by Vanessa Quirk, with support from Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Francis Ramirez O-Shea of Alta Gracia Media. It was edited by Connor Lynch and mixed by Andrew Callaway. Theme music by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and additional music from Artlist.
HAPPY PRESERVATION MONTH! To celebrate, we wanted to share with you a new podcast that we think you’ll love: Preservation for the People brought to you by The Black Art Conservators (BAC) and produced by Urbanist Media! In their first episode, Kayla Henry-Griffin and Nylah Byrd talk to Dr. Kwesi Daniels (Head of the Architecture Department at Tuskegee University) about conservation and preservation, the difference between the two, and what the future of the field might look like. When BAC reached out to us at Urbanist Media, asking if we could help produce their new podcast concept called Preservation for the People, we said yes, of course, because the project is SO mission-aligned. Huge thanks to our friend Rita Cofield of the Los Angeles African American Historic Places initiative with the Getty for introducing us to BAC! Preservation for the People is a new podcast from BAC, a collective of Black preservation professionals supporting each other, building community, and seeking change in the predominately white field of cultural heritage preservation. In Preservation for the People, hosts Kayla and Nylah, talk to other Black people in the preservation field about successes, struggles, and hopes for the future.
EXCITING NEWS…Season 3 is coming soon! If you’re not subscribed to our podcast or our newsletter, please do so now! You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. That way, you’ll know immediately when a new episode drops.
Today we have a high-energy conversation with Justin Garrett Moore, program director for the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program and a renaissance man of urbanism. We talk with Moore about his childhood in Indianapolis, IN, his formative professional moments (at a high school internship and at the University of Florida), and the particular challenges he sees facing preservation today (including its fragmentation, over-emphasis on credentials, and the under-valuing of narrative). Plus, we dive deep into the Humanities in Place program, which funds nonprofits doing cultural preservation, urban development, placekeeping, and storytelling.
We talked to Justin about:
His youth and the internship that changed his life [4:23-11:23]
Going South and getting an education — in more ways than one [11:24-17:10]
The challenges facing preservation and the power of narrative [17:11-43:48]
Spotlighting organizations funded by Humanities in Place [43:49-51:21]
Humanities in Place: What it does and doesn’t do [51:22-1:15:08]
What’s close to his heart: Flanner House and Urban Patch [1:15:09-1:20:13]
Mentioned In this Episode:
Scalawag Magazine - A magazine focused on the South
Ekvn-Yefolecv - an intentional ecovillage community of Indigenous Maskoke persons who bought land in Alabama to build a place where they could preserve their culture through language.
New York LGBT Sites - broadening people’s knowledge of LGBT history beyond Stonewall and placing that history in its geographical context
The American Indian Community House - a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization serving the needs of Native Americans residing in New York City.
Flanner House - An African-American community service center in Indianapolis
Urban Patch - An Indianapolis-based organization focused on inner cities.
Credits:
Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk. This episode was edited by Deqah and Vanessa and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Thanks again to Justin Garrett Moore and Zuri Phelps.
Urban Roots is a product of Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to community preservation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to us via Venmo or Paypal.
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture. Drop us an email urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Housekeeping first! Please give to our GoFundMe Campaign – we need your help to earn $5,000 by December 31: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urbanistmedia
We’re also up for an Anthem Community Voice Award! Vote for us (Sign in and click “Celebrate”) by December 21!
Now our amazing guest: Zahra Ebrahim, the co-founder of Monumental, a social purpose business working to advance equitable city-building and urban development. Earlier this year she also helped start FutureBuilds, a BIPOC Real Estate Development Incubator. She’s currently an Urbanist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, a Next City Vanguard Civic Leader, and one of the Urban Land Institute’s WLI Champions.
Mentioned In this Episode:
A refresher on who we are [0:00-2:16]
Please donate to our GoFundMe! [2:17-5:51]
Please vote for us for the Anthem Awards! [5:52-7:10]
Introducing Zahra Ebrahim [7:11-8:26]
Zahra’s background and journey into this work [8:27-25:17]
Community engagement and moving at the speed of trust [25:18-31:34]
Deep and human, not broad and cold [31:35-44:35]
Do your homework and listen [44:36-53:39]
What do we preserve and why? [53:40-1:03:20]
Why diversifying real estate matters [1:03:21-1:10:29]
Credits [1:10:30-1:11:50]
Credits:
Thank you to Zahra Ebrahim and Elaine Gant. This episode was edited and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk.
Urban Roots is a product of Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to community preservation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to us via GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/urbanistmedia
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture. Or drop us an email urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Today, pod squad, you’re in for a treat: Rukaiyah Adams is one of our favorite, most inspiring people on the planet. Rukaiyah had a long, successful career in investment banking before she moved back home to Portland, Oregon and joined the board of the Albina Vision Trust, an organization dedicated to restoring the historic Black neighborhood of Albina, where Rukaiyah grew up. Today, she’s the Chief Executive Officer of the 1803 Fund, and she’s raising hundreds of millions of dollars that she will invest not only in Albina but in community-based organizations in education, place, and culture and belonging across Portland, Oregon.
Credits:
Urban Roots is a product of Urbanist Media, a non-profit dedicated to community preservation. You can make a tax-deductible donation to us via Venmo or Paypal.
Follow us on IG at urbanrootsculture.
Drop us an email urbanrootspodcast@gmail.com
Thank you to Rukaiyah Adams. This episode was edited and mixed by Connor Lynch. Our music is by Adaam James Levin-Areddy. Your hosts are Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and Vanessa Quirk.
To celebrate Juneteenth, Urbanist Media's Urban Roots podcast has partnered with Cincinnati Public Radio (WVXU) to bring you Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati’s African American history.
Today, for our last short, we feature Marian Spencer, the civil rights activist and Cincinnati pioneer who got her start in 1952. Back then, Ms. Marian Spencer was a mother of two kids who were begging her to let them go to Coney Island.
Ms. Spencer had a hunch they wouldn’t be welcome. She called and the girl on the line said: “I’m sorry, We don’t admit Negroes.” adding “But I don’t make the rules.” Ms. Spencer replied: “I know honey, but I’m going to find out who does.” Ms. Spencer did — and she changed the rules.
Tune in to 91.7 WVXU on Thursdays at 5:49 and 7:50 a.m. during Morning Edition and again at 4:50 p.m. during All Things Considered. Additionally, episodes will air on sister station 90.9 WGUC each Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
If you missed the broadcasts, don’t worry – you can find each short on the Urban Roots podcast feed, our Instagram, and YouTube pages.
Credits
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Vanessa Quirk, Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, and Connor Lynch. Special thanks to Jenell Walton and all the folks at Cincinnati Public Radio for the opportunity.
To celebrate Juneteenth, Urbanist Media's Urban Roots podcast has partnered with Cincinnati Public Radio (WVXU) to bring you Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati’s African American history.
Today, we’re highlighting Union Baptist Cemetery, one of Cincinnati’s oldest African American cemeteries. It’s the final resting place of many of Cincinnati’s important Black residents, including the woman who integrated Cincinnati’s street cars, Sarah Fossett (along with her husband and his entire family), Jennie Porter, the first Black woman to become a principal in Cincinnati, and baseball legend Newt Allen Jr., one of the best second baseman the game has ever seen.
Find each short on the Urban Roots podcast feed or tune in to 91.7 WVXU on Thursdays at 5:49 and 7:50 a.m. during Morning Edition and again at 4:50 p.m. during All Things Considered. Additionally, episodes will air on sister station 90.9 WGUC each Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Credits
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Vanessa Quirk, Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, and Connor Lynch. Special thanks to Union Baptist Historian Chris Hanlin.
Sources
Union Baptist Cemetery website
Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Lesson Plan – Union Baptist Cemetery and Cincinnati’s African American History (Grades 6-12)
To celebrate Juneteenth, Urbanist Media's Urban Roots podcast has partnered with Cincinnati Public Radio (WVXU) to bring you Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts: weekly, 90-second tributes to people and places important to Cincinnati’s African American history.
Today, we’re highlighting Sarah Fossett, the hair stylist and Underground Railroad conductor who — with two acts of defiance in 1862 — spurred the integration of Cincinnati’s street cars. While we couldn’t quite fit it into this short, Sarah would go on to help found the First Baptist Church of Cumminsville. If you want to learn more about Sarah’s remarkable life of service, check out our season one episode on South Cumminsville.
Find each short on the Urban Roots podcast feed or tune in to 91.7 WVXU on Thursdays at 5:49 and 7:50 a.m. during Morning Edition and again at 4:50 p.m. during All Things Considered. Additionally, episodes will air on sister station 90.9 WGUC each Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
And tune in on the Juneteenth Holiday -- Monday, June 19 at noon and 8 p.m. -- when WVXU will present a one-hour special featuring some episodes (including the South Cummunsvill episode where we talk about Sarah) from Season 1 of the Urban Roots podcast!
Credits
Juneteenth Cincinnati Shorts is brought to you by Vanessa Quirk, Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, and Connor Lynch. Special thanks to Urbanist Media board member and Queens of Queens City’s Sean Andres for making this episode possible!
Sources
Wendell P. Dabney, Cincinnati’s Colored Citizens. Dabney Publishing Company, 1926.
Sean Andres, Queens of Queen City, “Sarah Maryant Walker Fossett”, 2022.