In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with JaMel Jermaine Brown. He is a Montgomery based pastor, community activist, and Democratic candidate for Alabama governor in 2026. Brown is also the pastor of House of Chosen. He founded the JaMel J. Brown Foundation and hosts The JaMel Brown Show.

Brown describes himself as a conservative Democrat, or what he also calls an independent Democrat. He argues for a blend of labor and economic reforms alongside socially conservative positions. We talk through his core priorities, including fully legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, establishing a lottery and expanding gambling, a 32 hour work week, criminal justice reform focused on nonviolent offenses and sentencing, and a public safety model that supports law enforcement while demanding stronger training, mental health resources, and accountability.

We also discuss one of the most talked about parts of Brown’s public persona. His social media presence is extremely active, and it can draw strong reactions. In this conversation, he explains why he believes authenticity matters more than fitting the traditional expectations of how a candidate “should” look or sound.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Jeremy and Heather Clark, the husband and wife team behind C.4 Cattle Company and Vets to Cowboys in Grand Bay, Alabama.

What started as a way to feed their special needs son clean, tolerable food grew into a working cattle operation. It also grew into a nonprofit mission. Vets to Cowboys focuses on bridging a real gap in Alabama agriculture. An older generation of farmers is aging out, too many family farms are disappearing, and first generation landowners often have no clear path to learn the basics safely and sustainably.

Jeremy, a retired Army veteran, and Heather, with a background in healthcare and animal husbandry, explain what mentorship looks like in practice. They walk through the “blueprint” they wish they had. Soil studies before cattle. Fence and handling systems before buying animals. Rotational grazing, local networks, and why organizations like the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association matter even for people who do not own cattle yet.

This conversation is about more than cattle. It’s about food, land, workforce, veteran transition, and what it takes to keep Alabama’s country roots alive while helping people build something real.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this Candidate Conversations episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Jodie Minor, a Carrollton native, retired U.S. Army officer, and candidate for Alabama State Senate District 21.

Jodie shares the personal losses that shaped him, including the murder of his father when he was a child, and how those experiences pushed him toward public service. He walks through his career path from Army intelligence to becoming an officer, two combat tours in Iraq, and his time on Capitol Hill as an Army Congressional Fellow. He also discusses serving as Human Capital Director at the White House National Security Council under both the Biden and Trump administrations, and why he chose to step away in early 2025 to return home and focus on Alabama communities.

The conversation digs into what Jodie calls the difference between “audio and video” in government: what’s said publicly versus what policy actually does. Together, they unpack school choice and public education funding, the closure of Pickens County Medical Center during the 2020 pandemic and what it has meant for rural families, and why hospital access is tied to economic survival in small counties.

They also connect the dots between rising utility costs, PAC influence, and the push to change the Alabama Public Service Commission from an elected body to an appointed one. Neeli and Whitney keep it grounded in how these decisions hit real families, from monthly bills to poverty being criminalized.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.