Episodes

  • Why Do Black Women Say They Can’t Be Their Authentic Selves at Work?

    Why Do Black Women Say They Can’t Be Their Authentic Selves at Work?
    Sep 23 2026
    A new report from Cornell University’s ILR Buffalo CoLab examines the workplace barriers facing Black women in Erie County, including wage disparities, discrimination, and the pressure to code-switch. On What’s Next?, Dr. Karen King, Sara Taylor, and Cathy Creighton discuss the report’s “concrete ceiling” and what employers and policymakers can do to create meaningful change.
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    55 mins
  • How Is New York State Funding Affecting Buffalo and Western New York?

    How Is New York State Funding Affecting Buffalo and Western New York?
    Sep 28 2026
    State Senator April Baskin joins What’s Next? to discuss how decisions made in Albany are affecting communities across Western New York. She discusses funding for food access, health services, and Buffalo’s fiscal stability, as well as efforts to expand opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses. Baskin also discusses auto insurance reform, India’s Law, and her legislative priorities for the next session.
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    55 mins
  • Why Does Human Connection Matter in Therapy?

    Why Does Human Connection Matter in Therapy?
    Sep 30 2026
    Therapist Wayne Brown of Willow Grove Counseling joins "What’s Next?" to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence in mental health care and why he believes human connection remains essential to therapy. We also talk about students, teachers, the impact of current events on mental health, and the importance of self-care for therapists.
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    55 mins
  • What Does Buffalo Need to Support Its Next Generation?

    What Does Buffalo Need to Support Its Next Generation?
    Oct 5 2026
    What does Buffalo need to help young people succeed at every stage? Kasey Gustaveson discusses the city’s childcare shortage and the need for early childhood education and family support. Then, Jennifer Matarese, Sam Capitano, and Carley Hill explore a new partnership giving Buffalo students hands-on training and pathways into skilled trades careers.
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    55 mins
  • How Can Family Support Help People Rebuild Their Lives After Incarceration?

    How Can Family Support Help People Rebuild Their Lives After Incarceration?
    Oct 14 2026
    How can families help people rebuild their lives after incarceration? Jon Monsalve joins Jay Moran to discuss the Osborne Association’s Kinship Reentry Housing Program in Buffalo, which provides financial assistance and support services to eligible families. Then, Dior Lindsay-Virgil discusses Osborne Buffalo’s efforts to keep families connected during incarceration through video visits, transportation assistance, and youth mentorship. Together, these conversations explore family reunification, successful reentry, and the support communities need to help people move forward.
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    55 mins
  • Can Financial Literacy and Homeownership Help Build Wealth in Buffalo?

    Can Financial Literacy and Homeownership Help Build Wealth in Buffalo?
    Oct 7 2026
    How can Buffalo communities build greater financial stability and create pathways to economic opportunity? On this episode of What’s Next?, Chandra Redfern, CEO of the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, discusses the growing financial pressures facing working families, the importance of accessible community services, and the center’s upcoming Building a Way Forward event featuring economic empowerment advocate John Hope Bryant. Bryant joins the conversation to discuss financial literacy, credit scores, homeownership, and strategies for building wealth and strengthening communities.
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    55 mins
  • How Can Music Education Change Lives, and What Stories Get Lost in the Headlines?

    How Can Music Education Change Lives, and What Stories Get Lost in the Headlines?
    Oct 12 2026
    Henri Muhammad discusses his lifelong commitment to music education, the impact he has made on thousands of students, and his October 16 benefit concert supporting the Muhammad School of Music. Then, Sara Kasen explores Thank You for Thinking of Me, a documentary about Diana Davis, her family, and the lasting consequences of Buffalo’s 2020 protests. Two conversations about the power of the arts, community, and the human stories behind the headlines.
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    55 mins
  • How Can Community Leadership and Local Farms Build a Stronger Buffalo?

    How Can Community Leadership and Local Farms Build a Stronger Buffalo?
    Oct 26 2026
    What does it take to build stronger communities and create opportunities for the next generation? Raúl Russi reflects on his Buffalo roots, his pioneering career with the Buffalo Police Department, and his leadership of the Acacia Network, highlighting the importance of culturally competent healthcare and civic engagement. Then, we visit Providence Farm Collective with Kristen Weltman-Weiss and Hamadi Ali to explore farmer training, access to land, and efforts to help new farmers establish independent operations. Together, these conversations examine community leadership, cultural identity, and the future of local food security.
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    55 mins