Change Agents The Podcast

Jun 18 2024 5

Change Agents The Podcast artwork

Reparations Media & Juneteenth Productions
Are YOU a “Change Agent”? Organizer. Activist. Educator. Policy maker. Block club leader. Nonprofit founder. Religious leader. Business owner. Voter. Neighbor.
Change Agents is a documentary series revealing the power of community-driven activism told by those in the fight. These are the stories you aren’t hearing — told by and for communities of color and other marginalized communities that have long been overlooked, misrepresented and maligned.
Headquartered in Chicago and produced across the Midwest, we highlight authentic, actionable, grassroots solutions to society’s most pressing problems — including reentry after incarceration, homeownership disparities, anti-Blackness, the mental health crisis, and more.
Produced by a team made up of BIPOC, female, queer and disabled journalists, for Reparations Media, with support from Juneteenth Productions.
Executive Producers: Judith McCray and Maurice Bisaillon. Senior Producer: Mary Hall. Operations & Digital Manager: Nicole Nir. Head of Development: Alina Panek. Sound Design: Erisa Apantaku & Will Jarvis.
Follow us wherever you get podcasts, or at changeagentsthepodcast.com. Subscribe to our newsletter at bit.ly/change_agents_newsletter.

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A Place Called Home

Jun 18 2024 21 mins

When Matthew Cage’s father died, Matthew knew it fell on him to financially support his mom. But there was a problem. Matthew had just been released from prison — and many don’t want to rent or employ someone with a criminal record. Experts say a good indication of whether someone will return to prison is how quickly they find housing. A group of nonprofits across Chicago’s

Roots and Roofs: Building Wealth Through Chicago’s Two-Flats

Jun 18 2024 26 mins

When Mercedes Pickett set out to buy her first home, she wanted to do it in the same way her mom had — by living in a two-flat, renting out the bottom apartment, and making the building into an investment property. For over a century, owning and living in a rental property has been one of the most effective ways to build wealth for Black and Latino communities. Yet these quintess

Say Her Name: Women Survivors of Chicago Police Torture

Jun 18 2024 26 mins

Michelle Clopton was in her twenties when Chicago police attempted to force her to confess to a crime she didn’t commit. For 72 hours, she was brutally questioned, deprived of food, and tortured. Today, she is one of the few women to publicly share her experience of abuse. But she’s not alone. Under the leadership of CPD Commander Jon Burge, more than 100 Black people were tort

My Time

Jan 09 2024 25 mins

Produced by Dilpreet Raju | Criminal records can sometimes create seemingly insurmountable hurdles to employment, a key factor toward reducing recidivism rates. Defy Ventures teaches the incarcerated, and returning citizens how to build their own business. Their program is a game-changer, not just for the system impacted, but for business leaders who are given a chance to shed bias

Sanctuary

Jan 09 2024 33 mins

Produced by Justin Agrelo | In 2010, a group of men incarcerated at Danville Correctional Center had a thought: how could they help stem community violence plaguing Chicago from the inside of a prison roughly three hours away? The men formed an academic study group they later named Community Anti-Violence Education (CAVE). They began examining the multiple layers of trauma and viol

Reclaiming their Time

Jan 09 2024 26 mins

Produced by Daphne Watson | They gather a few times a month in prisons, inmates, educators, lawyers, activists, and legislators for the Behind the Walls Law and Policy Think Tank. Dr. Christina Rivers moderates a peer-led civics program helping members craft laws combating long-standing felony disenfranchisement and clearing a path to full citizenship for returning citizens.

Ending Permanent Punishments

Jan 09 2024 25 mins

Produced by Jane Carlson | Marlon Chamberlain couldn’t chaperone his son’s field trip or be the executor of his father’s estate because of a decades-old drug conviction. He’s now leading a group of all formerly incarcerated members working to overturn or amend nearly 1,200 Illinois laws that restrict people with records from being full citizens, from being fully free.

Giving Others Dreams

Jan 09 2024 21 mins

Produced by Citlali Perez | Women are being imprisoned at higher rates than ever. As they return home they face a unique set of challenges, because they are often their families primary caretakers they face harsher parole oversight, making it all the more difficult to reckon unresolved trauma. G.O.D. helps these women meet their immediate needs (such as clothing or housing), and th

Navigating Homeownership

Jan 09 2024 22 mins

Produced by Corli Jay | Chicago’s Choose To Own program gives low-income residents the educational and financial support to buy their first home, helping them navigate a confusing and discriminatory mortgage and appraisal system. Still, some participants worry their newfound financial stability may push them out of the program — jeopardizing the wealth the program was designed

Season 4 Trailer

Jan 05 2024 3 mins