Episode 40: This is an interview with Fazana Saleem-Ismail, recorded on January
10, 2017. Fazana Saleem-Ismail is a mother of two who works as a
research scientist. She is the founder of Jazzy Sun Birthdays, a
volunteer project that hosts personalized birthday parties for homeless
children. As a practicing Muslim with a diverse group of friends,
Fazana strongly believes that to reduce barriers and build bridges
between people of different backgrounds, they must have opportunities
to interact with each other. Over the past year, she has participated
in a number of activities designed to educate individuals about Islam
and dispel misconceptions about the religion. In this interview, Fazana
talks about her experiences as a Muslim and discusses ways we can work
to support our Muslim friends and neighbors in the current political
climate.
Episode 41: This is an interview with Jamaica Miles and Joe Lombardo, recorded
on March 8, 2017. Jamaica is an activist and organizer for Citizen
Action and other Capital Region organizations. Joe Lombardo is the
co-coordinator of the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and a
founding member of Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. Joe and Jamaica
discuss their activism, focusing on how activism has changed since the
Trump inauguration. Jamaica played a key role in the organization of
the Albany Inaugurate Resistance protest in Albany on January 21, 2017,
that drew more than 7,000 participants. Joe was an organizer of the
march that took place in Washington on the same day. The march in
Washington, was attended by about 1 million people, and may have been
the biggest march ever in Washington DC. In this interview, they
discuss many of the issues that have been the focus of their activism.
Episode 42: This is an interview with Alice Brody, recorded on April 10, 2017.
Alice is a long time activist who has traveled to over 50 countries. In
this interview, she discusses the issues that she is most concerned
about today, including war, labor unions, health care and environmental
concerns. She discusses the future of the planet, Trump in the White
House, and talks about how her perspective has changed since becoming a
grandmother.
Episode 43: This is an interview with John Amidon, recorded on May 2, 2017.
John Amidon is veteran of the Marine Corp and a long time peace
activist. In this interview, John Amidon talks about his recent civil
resistance at the Hancock Airfield in Syracuse, NY on Good Friday,
where he and several other activists were arrested. John also talked
about why he opposes the use of military drones, and what he thinks we
need to do to make Americans aware of the true cost of war. John also
discussed the annual Kateri Peace Conference, held every August at the
Kateri Shrine in Fonda, NY for the past 18 years.
Episode 44: This is an interview with Martha Harausz and Toni McGrath, recorded
on June 6, 2017. Martha Harausz and Toni McGrath are members of
Bethlehem Morning Voice Huddle, a relatively new organization that was
formed as a result of the Women’s March in Washington DC. In this
interview, Tony and Martha discuss the Women’s March, and why they
decided to join the Bethlehem Morning Voice Huddle, after the election
of Donald Trump. They discuss their previous activism, and why they
believe it is important to get informed,organized and active, in order
to resist Trump. They also discuss what their group is working on now,
and how others can join them.
Episode 45: This is an interview with Dan Wilcox, recorded on September 5,
2017. Dan Wilcox is a member of Veterans for Peace, a long time peace
vigiler, and a poet. In this interview, Dan discussed his lifetime of
antiwar activism. He talked about Veterans for Peace, their
participation in the Albany Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day parades, and
the support this participation has gotten over the years. Dan discussed
his early motivation for becoming a peace activist, and why he has
maintained this commitment over the years. Dan also discussed the Third
Thursday Poetry Night, which he had been hosting for many years,and he
read a few of his poems. The interview was produced by the Public
Access TV studio in the Bethlehem Public Library.
Episode 46: This is an interview with Oliver Holmes, recorded on October 16,
2017. Oliver Holmes is a long time environmentalist and an advocate of
sustainable living. In this interview, Oliver discussed how he becam
e an environmental advocate and how he learned about the importance of
building a sustainable future. He discussed various ways that we can
all advocate for sustainability, and about the need to address Climate
Change.The interview was produced by the Public
Access TV studio in the Bethlehem Public Library.