MHD Off the Record

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 10 How Do We Organize Communities? Feat. Sylvia Castillo Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

We speak with community organizer and community organization strategist, Sylvia Castillo, about her work as an organizer in South LA and uniting Black and Latinx communities to action. Sylvia Castillo is the Principal Consultant for Castillo Consulting LLC specializing in nonprofit strategic planning, executive leadership development, and public policy advocacy. Sylvia’s projects cover a diverse mix of social justice initiatives and women of color organizing efforts. In 1990 she co-founded the community coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment with now Congresswoman Karen Bass. Sylvia worked from 2005-2012 as District Director for Congress Member Karen Bass and Regional Director for State Assembly Speaker Bass. Currently, Sylvia is the senior policy advisor to Jenesse, Inc., a premier domestic violence program in South Los Angeles.

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Ep. 9 How Can We Understand Black History Through Art? Feat. Naima Keith Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

MHD and Co-Host Chavonne Taylor speak with Naima Keith, Vice President of Education and Public Programs at LACMA, about the important role of Black Art in LA History.

Naima J. Keith is the Vice President of Education and Public Programs at LACMA. Within her role, she oversees all aspects of and sets the vision for LACMA’s innovative and exhibition-driven educational programming that serves more than 650,000 community members annually.

Prior to her position at LACMA, Keith was the Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the California African American Museum where she guided the curatorial and education departments as well as marketing and communications.

www.naimajkeith.com

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Ep. 8 What is the Legacy of Black Los Angeles? feat. Larry Earl Jr. Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

To kick off Black History Month, MHD and co-host Chavonne Taylor discuss the legacy and historical impact of Black Los Angeles with historian Larry Earl Jr.

Larry Earl Jr. is a Leimert Park resident and owner of 1619 Exhibits, a dynamic boutique arts firm that specializes in designing distinctive exhibitions, providing expert archival solutions, producing engaging public programming, and activating public spaces with vibrant civic art and cultural projects. With well over two decades of experience in museums and the field of cultural arts, Larry has been associated with some of our nation’s preeminent cultural institutions. Prior to founding 1619 Exhibits, Larry served as Executive Director of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum located in Culver City, CA and was the Founding Executive Director of the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC).

Ep 7: What is the Role of Community Connection in Mental Wellness? feat. Dr. Cheryl Grills Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

MHD and new co-host Chavonne Taylor discuss the importance of viewing psychology and mental wellness from a community perspective with Dr. Cheryl Grills. Dr. Cheryl Grills is a Clinical Psychologist with a current emphasis in Community Psychology. She is also a full-time Professor and director of the Psychology Applied Research Center at Loyola Marymount University as well as a Governor appointee on the California Reparations Task Force and Chair of LA County Sybil Brand Commission.

www.bellarmine.lmu.edu/psychology/parc/ourteam/cherylgrillsphd

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Ep 6: What is the Future of the South L.A. Food Scene? feat. Chef De Cuisine Martin Draluck Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

For this episode, Marqueece Harris - Dawson is joined by Martin Draluck, Chef de Cuisine at Post and Beam in South LA, formerly of Hatchet Hall in Culver City. You may know Chef Mark for his work on the Netflix Docuseries High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.

Ep 5: How do We Build Community through Entrepreneurship? feat. Cast of HBO Max's Sweet Life: Los Angeles Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

For this episode, Marqueece Harris - Dawson is joined by the ladies from HBO Max’s Sweet Life: Los Angeles: Amanda Scott, Briana Jones, and Tylynn Burns. Their conversation focuses on generational wealth and what young Black people can do to build wealth and community ownership.

Ep 4: What Makes Effective Policy? feat. Prof. Manuel Pastor Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Politics is a game just like basketball or football and when we win these seats, elected officials have the responsibility to improve the lives of the residents who elect us. Legislation and public policy are how we score points and leverage resources that positively impact our local neighborhoods. But what makes policy effective? Black and Brown communities are fighting to overcome decades of disinvestment and neglect.

Effective policy must acknowledge the institutional and structural shortcomings that contributed to the conditions in our communities

How can effective policy correct this and directly improve the daily realities for residents?

Ep 3: Go DJ! What is the Role of Black Creativity? feat. SCETCH Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Creativity plays such an important role in our community.

Partly because art is something that doesn't require permission and empowers us to comment on the conditions we see in our society while imagining something different.

Hip Hop is a key component of our culture and long before rappers became the focus, the DJ was the one who moved the crowd.

For this episode, I am joined by SCETCH, to discuss the role of the DJ and how creatives can profit from their cultural capital.

SCETCH is an acronym that stands for Success - Conquers - Everything - That - Challenges - Him

Ep 2: What is the Role of Black Media? feat. Dominique DiPrima Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

LA is the creative capital of the world and continues to lead in media and entertainment. How can the media operate as a tool to inform and empower?

Media outlets play a vital role in keeping the public informed and engaged.

This conversation with Dominique DiPrima and MHD takes an in depth look at the role of Black media and how its influence and power can shift public opinion on any subject.

Ep 1: What Makes Safe Communities? feat. Aqeela Sherrills Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

This episode takes a deeper look into what makes safe communities. My guest, Aqeela Sherrills and I are both strong advocates for holistic Community Safety Partnerships that empower residents to play a role in public safety. These programs have helped contribute to improved public safety and foster better relationships between the police and communities.

Aqeela’s dedication to ending violence and promoting community-based public safety began in Watts, Los Angeles, where he joined the Grape Street Crips. At age 19, Aqeela and Hall of Fame NFL star Jim Brown co-founded the Amer-I-Can Program, Inc. to address the impact of systemic racism and heal gang violence in cities across the country by empowering individuals to overcome factors that negatively influenced their lives.

From 1989 to 1999, more than 400,000 adult and juvenile inmates in 16 states were trained in the Amer-I-Can curriculum, and 1500 high risk youth were diverted from continued involvement with California criminal justice system.

During that time, Aqeela was a chief architect of a historic truce between the Crips and Bloods in Watts. That ceasefire began to fray because of the systemic racism that creates conditions that bred crime, drugs, and violence. Aqeela and his brothers created the Community Self-Determination Institute in 1999 to tackle those personal and social issues, including healing communities’ post (and present) traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Aqeela serves as the Senior Advisor to the Alliance for Safety and Justice’s Shared Safety Initiative, a national nonprofit working to replace justice and prison system waste with common sense solutions that create safe neighborhoods and save taxpayer dollars. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Alliance for Safety and Justice, and Chairman of the Board of the Newark Community Street Team.

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