Good Things from Lemonada

Latest Episodes:

Introducing: When It Clicked Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

What’s it like to spend years in a state penitentiary and then make it big in Hollywood? What makes a death row warden become a leading voice in prison reform? How does a conservative Christian in the deep South decide we can’t incarcerate our way out of a drug crisis? For all of these people, they had a moment when their thinking about justice and safety changed. In this series, host Ana Zamora – founder of The Just Trust – sits down with business leaders, advocates, actors, artists, and unexpected changemakers to learn about when it all clicked for them, and what they’re doing about it.

You’re about to hear the first episode from When It Clicked, focusing on the transformation of a tough-on-crime conservative Christian from Mississippi into a powerful advocate for drug policy reform. For Christina Dent, it was her experience as a foster mom. That launched her on a path to found End It For Good, an organization fighting to revolutionize America's approach to drugs. From sharing her personal story to working with lawmakers, Christina challenges us to question our assumptions about drugs and addiction and imagine a different path forward.

To learn more about Christina’s story and how to get involved, check out her book, Curious: A Foster Mom's Discovery of an Unexpected Solution to Drugs and Addiction, and visit enditforgood.com

Follow When it Clicked wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership.

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To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

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Listen Again: Saving Lives Through Criminal Justice Reform in Indianapolis Jan 28, 2025

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In the final episode of our CAPS series about community violence intervention work we talk about how improving the criminal justice system is a huge piece of the puzzle. Travon checks in on Indianapolis, Indiana and sees how people there are pushing for less incarceration and breaking cycles of recidivism. Executive Director at the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform David Muhammad and RecycleForce Director and councilwoman Crista Carlino share the ways in which they are reducing crime while investing in formerly incarcerated men and women.

Thank you to the Coalition to Advance Public Safety, and in particular the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and RecycleForce for making today’s conversation possible. To learn more about CVI, and the individual organizations at work in this coalition, visit capsinitiative.org.

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Listen Again: Saving Lives Through Violence Prevention in Baton Rouge Jan 21, 2025

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In the third episode of our series about The Coalition to Advance Public Safety (CAPS) and its partner organizations making a difference in communities across the U.S., we take a closer look at Baton Rouge. Antohony Smith is the Executive Director of Cities United which works closely with the local community street team to reduce crime and boost violence prevention efforts. He tells Travon why this work starts with shifting people's perception of public safety, nurturing relationships with city leaders, and saving seats for everyone at the table.

Thank you to the Coalition to Advance Public Safety, and in particular Cities Unitedfor making today’s conversation possible. To learn more about CVI, and the individual organizations at work in this coalition, visit capsinitiative.org.

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Listen Again: Saving Lives Through Credible Messaging in Newark Jan 14, 2025

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In the next episode of our series about The Coalition to Advance Public Safety (CAPS) and its partner organizations spearheading community violence intervention efforts throughout the U.S., we hear from changemakers in Newark, New Jersey. Travon chats with co-founder of the Community-Based Public Safety Collective, Aqeela Sherrills, and CEO of New Direction, Shadee Dukes. We learn how they are leveraging relationships to curb crime inside their neighborhoods and serving as prime examples of why those who are most impacted by violence are best equipped to bring solutions to their own problems.

Thank you to the Coalition to Advance Public Safety, and in particular the Community-Based Public Safety Collective and New Direction for making today’s conversation possible. To learn more about CVI, and the individual organizations at work in this coalition, visit capsinitiative.org.

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Listen Again: Saving Lives Through Hospital-Based Care in Baltimore Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

In this special 4 part series, we’ll be highlighting The Coalition to Advance Public Safety (CAPS), a coalition of organizations working to intercept and prevent violence in communities across the U.S. The coalition’s work builds on years of knowledge of public health, gun violence prevention and the particular needs of different locales, as well as the lived experience of community members on the ground. With these tools, CAPS creates and maintains community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystems around the country. In our first episode, Travon Free sits down with Joe Kim from CAPS’ Health Alliance for Violence Intervention and Freedom Jones from LifeBridge. They chat about what it means to implement a health-centered approach to combating violence in Baltimore and what lessons can be applied to other cities in the U.S.

Thank you to the Coalition to Advance Public Safety, and in particular Health Alliance for Violence Intervention and LifeBridge for making today’s conversation possible. To learn more about CVI, and the individual organizations at work in this coalition, visit capsinitiative.org.

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Good Things Presents: Making of an Activist (Part 3 of 3) Dec 20, 2024

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In episode three of Making of an Activist we discover that after stints in Baltimore and Harlem Children’s Zone, DeRay Mckesson heads to Minneapolis to lead the human capital department for Minneapolis Public Schools. In the safety and security of a career-defining role, DeRay watches the immediate aftermath of Mike Brown’s brutal murder at the hands of a police officer in Ferguson and simply cannot sit still. There is no going back for DeRay, we discover what sparked his drive down to Ferguson, and how life changed forever. Expert and historical context provided by Harvard Professor Brandon Terry, and others. We learn more about what came before the death of Mike Brown and the systemic issues of policing in the US.

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Aldine: Creating a Seismic Shift Dec 17, 2024

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Aldine Independent School District in Texas began the journey of drastically changing how reading is taught in 2020 – not knowing that a global pandemic was on the horizon. When COVID hit, the district didn’t abandon the plan; they persevered. In part three of our series on literacy, host Gloria Riviera talks with Aldine Superintendent LaTonya Goffney and Executive Director of Literacy and Social Studies Jacqueline Beas about what it was like to make the seismic shift.

This episode is created in partnership with the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Thank you to Aldine Independent School District for making this conversation possible.

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Showing Up for Care in 2025 Dec 10, 2024

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What does the upcoming Trump presidency mean for the care economy and the over 105 million family caregivers in our country? In this post-election bonus episode, caregiving expert and policy advocate Ai-jen Poo returns to tell us what challenges lay ahead for families and care workers, and how we can keep fighting for a better system that allows us to truly show up for care.

This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system.

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Good Things Presents: Making of an Activist (Part 2 of 3) Nov 22, 2024

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In episode two of Making of an Activist we dive into DeRay Mckesson’s college years where he was the first and only class and student body president at Bowdoin, DeRay was the centre of civic life on campus. We explore the formative experiences on and off campus, what drew him to the classroom, and revisit what key people in his life at that time remember about DeRay the student, leader, and teacher.

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Immigrant Justice: Taking Back the Narrative Nov 19, 2024

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At age 14, Luz Hernandez left her home country of Honduras to cross borders into the U.S. She was fleeing poverty, sexual abuse, and medical malpractice. The journey was harrowing and so was making a new start in the U.S. Eventually, Luz became a social worker and now offers youth and families the support she had needed when she arrived. In the second episode of our two-part series created with Voice of Witness, host Maya Rupert talks to Luz about grit and determination, hope and belonging, and why hearing directly from immigrants is crucial to understanding the topic of immigration.

This episode is created in partnership with Voice of Witness, an oral history nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice. To learn more, visit voiceofwitness.org.

You can read Luz’s full story in the Voice of Witness book “Solito, Solita,” along with the powerful oral histories of fourteen other youth refugees from Central America.

For more info about this storytelling project and others, including education resources and ways to take action, visit voiceofwitness.org and subscribe to the newsletter.

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