Changing Charlotte: An Advocacy Podcast by UNCC Students

My name is Faith Frye and in this podcast episode, I interview Mecklenburg County's Trial Court Administrator Charleston Carter. Carter discusses his advocacy work and how his work is helpful in dismantling a piece of the prison industrial complex.

Special Olympics is a non-profit organization that aims to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a wide variety of Olympic style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Along with providing athletic opportunities to Special Olympic athletes, Special Olympics also does a great deal of work to advocate for athletes and those with intellectual disabilities. In this episode, UNC - Charlotte student Zack Kearney sits down with long time Special Olympic advocate and volunteer, Carson Boykin, to highlight the local advocacy work being done for Special Olympics in our Charlotte, North Carolina community. 

Andrew Marinelli This episode focuses on the advocacy and strategies PFLAG Charlotte uses to spread awareness on the issue of LGBTQ healthcare needs, what ways that they can be changed, how the organization uses social media and how parents, caretakers, allies and families can better the lives of LGBTQ individuals.  Special Thanks for Karen Graci, president of PFLAG Charlotte, for providing the information and her voice for this podcast. You can find more information about PFLAG Charlotte on their website pflagcharlotte.org . All music produced by Andrew Marinelli (@andrewtheidea). Andrew Marinelli

The UNCC Bonner Leaders Program invited community leaders Boris Henderson, Alexis Craghead and James Atkinson to host a semester long service learning, community engagement project focusing on gentrification in Optimist Park. In this episode, UNCC student Rebecca De Luna meets Alexis to see the response to the community’s growing attention to the gentrification in Optimist Park. If you want to reach me, email rdeluna@uncc.edu.

Loaves and Fishes is a local Charlotte organization that provides healthy groceries to families and individuals who are facing food insecurity, typically on a short term basis. In this episode, UNCC student Timberly Southerland meets Shay Merritt, the advocacy head of Loaves and Fishes, see how they are blending advocacy with ministry to address food insecurity in the Charlotte area. 

Join Dei-vonte Freeman-Jackson & Dr. Janaka Lewis as they venture into the murky waters of the infamous Bathroom Bill, HB2, and its "repeal" HB142 that plague the state of North Carolina. They focus on the issue of the bills on the UNC Charlotte campus and ways in which the faculty and staff have combatted these bills. They also ponder on things that students, both present and future, can do to aid in the advocacy of those affected by the bills.

In this episode, University of North Carolina student Alex Brockus interviews a Financial Planner, John Gugle. They speak about advocating for financial literacy and education, focusing around our youth. It dives into the common misconceptions around what financial literacy is, and how you can make a difference in your local community.

 The special education system in North Carolina Schools is not progressing at the rate people would like it to. However, the adapted curriculum teachers at the small Rowan County School, South Rowan High, are making leaps to improve the circumstances anyway they can. Anna-lee Riddle sits down and talk with one of the teachers, Tyler Ritchie, about the progress that they have made and I take an inside look at the new program and environment.

Alexandra Wysocki:  The Sandbox is an organization that is committed to helping children with cancer and terminal diseases. Their goal is to not only help the honorees, but also the entire family. I will be speaking with Advocate and active member Anna Jacobsen along with CARRE Manager, Kathy Jacobsen on how the organization helps families.

Many children that attend the Simmons YMCA located in Charlotte, NC are born into middle or low class. Due to them having this status they are deprived of resources that children receive in more affluent areas of Charlotte. The Simmons YMCA as well as many YMCA organizations across the U.S. combat this inequality by providing low to no cost resources to children of all ages. These resources include tutoring, child watch, afterschool programs, swimming lessons, summer camp and much more. During this podcast I, Terri Newkirk, will step directly into my local YMCA and see how the community benefits from these resources provided by their Y.

Byron Cousin Jr. In this podcast we had the pleasure to interview with the Disability Rights and Resources center for the Charlotte, North Carolina area. We discussed the advocacy work they do in the community, some of the people in charge, and overall some knowledge about the organization that the general public might not be aware of. Also, clarification about who the group helps and what can deem someone as having a disability. To learn more about the organization go to https://www.disability-rights.org/?page_id=37 and take a read.

The Abandon Project is a non-profit organization located in East Charlotte whose mission is “To model the love of Jesus to hurting communities who deserve freedom from negative cycles.” In this episode, Riley Smith, a senior at UNC Charlotte, interviews the Community Outreach Advocate for the Abandon Project and discusses the epidemic of broken homes in America, it’s impact, and what is being done about it. Outside audio clips used: "Impact of The Fatherless" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeD90uQR9zA "Absentee Fathers Are Destroying the United States" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df8vK3nwJYE&t=26s "Report: Fatherless homes hurting young, black teens" - https://www.newschannel5.com/news/report-fatherless-homes-hurting-young-black-teens

Present Age Ministries is an organization fighting for those who are victimized to human trafficking. In this episode, UNCC student Kamora Varner meets with the awareness coordinator working for Present Age Ministries to discuss how their awareness and outreach adapt to the changing times.

The American Foster care system needs major work but you may not know there are already people on the ground advocating for individual children. Also along the path of foster care, there are stories of families who find their missing piece.

The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation has become the leading organization in the fight against Duke Energy’s coal ash contamination of surface and groundwater resources in the Catawba River Basin. In this episode, Taylor Burns meets with the Riverkeeper himself to discuss the current state of the fight and where things go from here.

In this episode, UNCC student Kellen Hand sits down with Vietnam Veteran Richard Chenail to discuss his experience in the service and after. Later on we profile VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), a staple veterans advocacy group with a lot of big legislative decisions under their belt. Music provided by Joseph McDade and Bensound.com

Reproductive health rights are a prevalent issue in our country, and there is a persistent, ongoing fight in North Carolina. In this episode, UNC Charlotte student, Kadijah Holder, interview advocacy and organizing manager Lynne Walter at NARAL Pro-Choice NC to learn about the challenges of saving reproductive health rights in a Bible Belt state. A special thank you to Lynne Walter for her participation in this interview

Climate change is effecting so much more than just the environment. Demanding governmental action and increasing common knowledge on the conversation for change will bring a new generation of individuals who will depart from old habits. In this episode, UNCC student Madison Reed introduces 350 Charlotte, a local group that is centered around direct-action advocacy. UNCC professor, Tina Katsanos, is a member of 350 Charlotte and she shares her efforts in protest, education, and reform. 

Hope Reins is a Christian-based, nonprofit organization located in Raleigh, NC that treats childhood trauma with equine therapy. In this episode, UNC Charlotte student Mackenzie Giba meets with Hope Reins CEO and Founder Kim Tschirret to understand how the organization tries to fill a gap in mental health resources in the state of North Carolina.

With a growing population of immigrants in the Charlotte area, the need for people to step up in order to represent and protect them has grown as well. The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has done so, providing pro bono assistance to immigrants as well as low income families and people with disabilities. Christian Montoya sits down with Sharon Dove, director of the Immigrant Justice Program at the CCLA to discuss how the organization goes about advocating for a more just Charlotte.