SEASON 4

In it’s 4th season,The Folding Chair podcast continues to engage people around the topics of racial equity, activism, civic engagement, art, storytelling, social awareness and more in Arkansas. The Folding Chair is hosted by the Panel’s Racial Equity Coordinator Osyrus Bolly and debuted in February 2020 as a way to share honest stories to build empathy, equity, culture and to start multigenerational conversations that advance trust. 

In previous seasons, some of the guests have included award-winning fashion designer Korto Momolu, NBA Hall of Famer Sidney Moncrief, Senator Joyce Elliott and author Coffy Davis. Each episode celebrates our guests' unique stories and educates the audience on relationships that help transform social and cultural institutions. 

So far this season, we've interviewed author and publisher Wesley Peters, social justice advocate and movement builder Kaleem Nazeem, and Dr. Billy Thomas, the first Black neonatologist in the state of Arkansas. This podcast encourages the listener to understand the journey of triumphs, failures, challenges and to dream with a radical imagination as we regain control of our narratives because it's essential that we all think critically as we fight for change. 

Check out The Folding Chair podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google Podcasts and more.

SEASON 3

Season 3 of The Folding Chair podcast continues in a discussion with Senator Joyce Elliott of Get Loud, Arkansas!

Senator Elliott represents Senate District 31, comprising parts of Little Rock and Pulaski County. She was elected to the Senate in 2008, after having served three terms in the House of Representatives, from 2001 through 2006. In 2013 Senator Elliott received the Arkansas Municipal League Distinguished Legislator Award. In 2003 the Central Arkansas Labor Council honored her with the Marty Schuller Community Service Award. The same year WiLL (Women's Legislative Lobby) recognized her with its Pacesetter Award for leadership and commitment to the vision of a just, peaceful and inclusive world. Also, she was named by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as one of the Ten Best Legislators of the 2003 General Assembly and the 2005 General Assembly.

In 2004, Elliott also was recognized by Women and Children First: The Center Against Family Violence for her advocacy. In 2004, Elliott was one of only 15 women state legislators nationwide to participate in the Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators sponsored by the Center for Women's Policy Studies. She was also selected by the center as one of 16 women — six from the U.S. and 10 members of parliaments from 10 other countries — to participate in the GlobalPOWER Class of 2006, which focused on the status of women around the world.

Senator Elliott was honored by LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) with the 2005 President’s Award, was named by Power Play magazine as the 2005 Power Player of the Year, was honored by The Omni Center for Peace and Justice and Ecology with an Arkansas Heroes Award for Peace and Justice.

In 2005, she was honored by her alma mater, Southern Arkansas University, with a Distinguished Alumni Award; by the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame with the Founder’s Award; and by the Arkansas Public Service Association with an Advocacy Award. The same year, she was honored by the National Conference for Community and Justice with its 2006 Humanitarian Award, and the Democratic Party of Arkansas honored her with its Gressie Carnes Democratic Woman of the Year Award.

In 2006, ACLU-Arkansas named Elliott the Civil Libertarian of the Year. In 2007, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families presented her its 2006 Legislative Friend of Children Award. Later that year, the Arkansas chapter of 100 Black Men recognized her with its Pillar Award for Education.

Senator Elliott was born in Willisville, where she graduated from high school. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and speech from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia in 1973 and a graduate degree in English from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia in 1981.

For 30 years Elliott taught high school juniors and seniors Advanced Placement and standard courses. She has taught in Florida, Minnesota and Texas. In 2004 Senator Elliott left the classroom and began working for the College Board, focusing on expanding access to AP classes for students currently underrepresented: African-American, Latino, rural and low-income students.

Senator Elliott has been active with the Democratic Party at the local, state and national level, having served as first vice chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and its Resolution Committee.

She is a member of Mosaic Church and enjoys reading, whitewater rafting, canoeing, traveling, walking/hiking, working out at the gym, listening to various types of music, dancing and seeking an overall balanced life. Senator Elliott has one son, Elliott Barnes of Little Rock.

The next chapter for Senator Elliott is the start of her non-profit Get Loud Arkansas. Get Loud Arkansas is a non-profit organization working to register new voters, engage low propensity voters and mobilize all eligible voters to utilize the power of their vote to shape the future of Arkansas.

SEASON 3, EP. 5: PULASKI COUNTY VOTERS’ GUIDE, WITH SPECIAL GUEST LORIEE EVANS

Season 3 of the #TheFoldingChair podcast continues in a discussion with Loriee Evans about the Pulaski County Voters' Guide, (https://www.vipvoter.org/voterguide) released this month as a collaborative effort by Indivisible Little Rock & Central Arkansas, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Little Rock Freedom Fund-LRFF, Little Rock Branch NAACP and North Little Rock NAACP, W. Harold Flowers Law Society, Inc., Decarcerate, League of Women Voters Pulaski County, and Arkansas Community Organizations.

Copies of the Pulaski County Voters' Guide are available at any branch of the Central Arkansas Library System.

Loriee Evans is the lead organizer for Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas, as well as the campaigns director for Arkansas Community Organizations.

Indivisible Little Rock & Central Arkansas is a grassroots voter education and mobilization organization. Arkansas Community Organizations organizes low-income and working families to work toward affordable healthcare, secure housing, and livable incomes.

This episode is out now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast and Spotify. Check it out!

Season 3, Ep. 4: The Power of Youth-Led Activism, with special guests Hadia Choudhary and Abby McMullin of End the Uyghur Genocide

End the Uyghur Genocide is a youth-led activism project started in 2021 by students in Arkansas. Its mission is to spread awareness and bring attention to the genocide of Uyghur people. The group plans to support several bills within Congress and urge them to prioritize the issue. They are passionate about giving voices to those who cannot speak out and will continue until the Uyghur people are given the security, freedom, and peace everyone is entitled to.

Hadia Choudhary is founder of End the Uyghur Genocide and is currently a junior in high school. Besides working on this project, she attends Quranic classes with an institute in Pakistan and with an institute in Canada. She is an official poet, a tutor, and a social justice activist. She loves to serve her community and spend time with her family and friends. She is also highly involved in her school activities, some of which include theatre, student Congress, future business leaders of America, the youth advisory council, French honorary, and student council.

Abby McMullin is a junior in high school. When not working on the End the Uyghur Genocide project, she can be found working on her school’s yearbook, teaching and playing the piano, taking pictures, reading, or listening to music. She is passionate about learning history, engaging in politics, and advocating for what’s right. Abby joined the Uyghur project in the summer of 2021.

For more information, follow End the Uyghur Genocide:

Instagram: @uyghur_project

TikTok: uyghur.project

YouTube: uyghur.project

SEASON 3, EP. 3: We Are Each Other's Harvest, ft. Shandrea Murphy-Washington.

Shandrea is an Arkansas native, born in Pine Bluff and raised in Little Rock. She is a graduate of the Mills University Studies High School, UA Little Rock, and the Clinton School of Public Services. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, a certification in Nonprofit Management, and a Master of Public Service.

She is the owner and lead consultant at Murphy-Washington Consulting, an agency that focuses on improving the quality-of-life of African American youth and families through holistic and culturally responsive programs and services.

She also works as a program assistant for the African American Policy Forum, a New York-based social justice think tank that connects academics, activists and policymakers to promote efforts to dismantle structural inequality.

She is the author of Talking to Myself, a poetry collection that focuses on family and mental wellness.

• Talking To Myself: https://www.amazon.com/Talki.../dp/B08FNMPFRG/ref=sr_1_11...

• Murphy-Washington Consulting: https://www.murphywashingtonconsulting.com/

• Contact Shandrea: smurphywashington@gmail.com

African American Policy Forum: https://www.aapf.org

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast. Check it out!

SEASON 3, EP. 2: Silence No More! BLACK HISTORY MONTH interview FT. Lisa Hicks-Gilbert, Founder of Descendants of the Elaine Massacre of 1919

The Red Summer of 1919 was a period where white supremacy terrorism took place in more than 3 dozen cities in the United States including Phillips County, Arkansas. The Elaine Massacre was by far the deadliest race massacre in Arkansas history and possibly in the history of the United States. While its deepest roots lay in the state’s commitment to white supremacy, the events in Elaine (Phillips County) stemmed from tense race relations and growing concerns about labor unions. A shooting incident that occurred at a meeting of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union escalated into mob violence on the part of the white people in Elaine and surrounding areas. Although the exact number is unknown, estimates of the number of African Americans killed by whites range into the hundreds(estimated more than 800 African-American people were murdered.

The conflict began on the night of September 30, 1919, when approximately 100 African Americans, mostly sharecroppers on the plantations of white landowners, attended a meeting of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America at a church in Hoop Spur (Phillips County), three miles north of Elaine. The purpose of the meeting, one of several by black sharecroppers in the Elaine area during the previous months, was to obtain better payments for their cotton crops from the white plantation owners who dominated the area during the Jim Crow era.

Lisa Hicks-Gilbert is the Founder of the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre of 1919, the group is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the descendants of Elaine Massacre victims, reclaiming our narrative, honoring our ancestors, honoring our ancestors, organizing and collaborating to support the historic and economic empowerment efforts of Elaine, Arkansas and the surrounding communities . Hicks-Gilbert learned that she is related to Frank and Ed Hicks, two of the dozen Black men who were convicted and sentenced to death after the massacre in sham trials. They are known collectively as the Elaine 12. If you want to contribute assistance to the Descendants of The Elaine Massacre organization, contact Lisa Hicks-Gilbert via Facebook: @Descendants of The Elaine Massacre of 1919. The organization is currently accepting donations via Cash App: $DOEM1919 or its GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. To find it, go to www.GoFundMe.com and search for: “Help the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre!”

SEASON 3, EP. 1: EMBRACING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION FT. COACH SIDNEY MONCRIEF

Sidney Moncrief

• Served as founder of over six successful companies from retail automotive to people development and consulting

• A life-long entrepreneur with over 34 years of company start-up experience

• Served on the Board of Directors of multiple organizations from a Fortune 500 company to community non-profits.

• Coach Moncrief has been recently elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and an NBA All-Pro.

• He is a former head coach and assistant coach. As a coach, Sidney Moncrief has served on the coaching staff of the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks. He has been an international team as the head consultant in Beijing

• Sidney is also author of seven books:

• “My Journey to the NBA”

• ” Your Passport to Reinventing You”

• ” Your Passport to Becoming a Valuable Team Player”

• ” Your Passport to Back2Basics Leadership”

• ” Your Passport to Manhood”

• “Inspiring Tips for All-Star Entrepreneurs

• Reinventing You – No Risk, No Reward

He is currently managing partner of Moncrief One Team. Moncrief One Team is a people development company specializing in Team Enhancement, Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, and Career Readiness.

SEASON 2

SEASON 2, EP. 01: Nothing about us, without us FT. MAYOR JULIAN LOTT

Mayor Julian Lott made history when he was elected as the first African-American mayor of Camden, Arkansas in 2018. In this episode of The Folding Chair, we learn more about Mayor Lott, his advocacy during the 2021 Arkansas legislative session, and how we can all get involved in local politics. He says "don't wait on the baton" which is a call to action for all of us to get activated.

Lott is the current mayor of the city of Camden, Arkansas; a bishop/pastor, and a mentor/teacher born and raised in Grenada, MS. He soundly won the Independent nomination on Nov. 6, 2018, and is serving his first 4-year term as the first African American Mayor elected by popular vote in Camden. Since taking office, Mayor Lott is bringing a performance-driven approach to the job, creating a more responsive, streamlined approach and efficient delivery of city services while spiraling up the financial future.

As mayor of the city of Camden, he is dedicated to promoting a high quality of life for residents and strong neighborhoods. Mayor Lott’s priorities are focusing on street repairs, economic development, community outreach, and youth engagement, along with much more.

He has been very active in the community serving in several capacities in the city. Lott previously held the office of President of the Camden Area Ministerial Alliance and currently facilitates the program Getting Ahead In A Just Getting by World while pastoring full-time in the ministry.

Mayor Lott serves as Senior Pastor of Koinonia of Grace Church in Camden and is a gospel artist. He is the husband to Nancy Humphrey Lott and a father and grandfather.

• SEASON 2, EP. 02: PROCESSING RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE! UNDERSTANDING DEBT-FREE JUSTICE + ELIMINATING JUVENILE FINES AND FEES FT. RACHEL WALLACE AND HANNAH FELDMAN, UC BERKELEY SCHOOL OF LAW

We discuss criminal justice policy in the Arkansas State Legislature 93rd General Assembly, with special guests Rachel Wallace and Hannah Feldman of UC Berkeley School of Law. In this episode we discuss the need to implement debt free justice in Arkansas specifically in the juvenile justice system. Rachel and Hannah educated us on how juvenile courts charge fines and fees to children and their families, who desperately need relief from these harmful and costly practices. This discussion is a part of a national movement for fee abolition and the promise of debt-free justice for young people and their families. Learn more about the bill introduced during Arkansas legislative session and how we as a community can support those efforts.

Senate Bill 455 would eliminate all fines and fees associated with juvenile court and juvenile detention. In the Arkansas code it states that the purpose of juvenile detention is to be rehabilitative and not punitive, eliminating fines and fees takes a step towards that goal intervening during a crisis in those formative years. The costs of charging youth and their families far outweigh the benefits. Monetary sanctions actually increase youth recidivism and although juvenile justice system revenue is low, the debt burden on families can be huge. This bill would order a halt to all collections and the discretionary fees some juvenile court judges impose. If passed into law the bill is retroactive so parents or guardians with outstanding fines would not be responsible for paying the remaining balance. The effort to transform the juvenile justice system presents more opportunities for juvenile diversion programs and community service that focus on rehabilitation for youth and offering parental responsibility training for guardians to encourage parent engagement. The movement for debt free justice is national, California, New Hampshire, Utah, Maryland and Nevada have all either taken steps to relieve juvenile fines and fees or eliminate them completely. Young people who are supported by their communities are less likely to become incarcerated are more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. We support SB455 because this is an effort to transform the juvenile justice system and it will strengthen trust and build a sense of unity among your community's diverse members.

• SEASON 2, EP. 3: TRUST THE PROCESS, ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOUR VISION! FT. PATRICK M. OLIVER

Recently, Patrick M. Oliver published On My Own: Vision Board Guidebook for Young People 5th Anniversary Edition and we caught up with him to discuss youth engagement, writing, vision boards, Arkansas, and much more! Oliver is a literary and education consultant dedicated to promoting reading and writing as tools of empowerment. Through a variety of innovative projects, Oliver engages children, youth, and adults in activities such as writing workshops, virtual series, author talks, book discussions, professional development sessions, and community forums. Currently serves as a literary and business development consultant for educational institutions, non-profit organizations, publishers, best-selling and award-winning authors. Founded Say It Loud! Readers and Writers, a literary arts organization created in 1997. The City of Little Rock proclaimed April 29, 2017, Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Day.

On My Own: Vision Board Guidebook for Young People 5th Anniversary Edition

https://www.speakloudly.com/product/on-my-own-vision-guidebook-for-young-people/

Ananse Journal writing project for boys and young men

https://www.speakloudly.com/product/ananse-journal/

Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Visions

https://www.speakloudly.com/product/our-voices-our-stories-our-visions/

• SEASON 2, EP. 4: Lift Others As You Climb! The Good Fight For The Culture FT. Korto Momolu

SEASON 2, EP. 5: Moving Beyond Performative Actions: Teaching With Love! FT. Stacey McAdoo

SEASON 2, EPISODE 6: Examining the Debate Around Critical Race Theory FT. Dr. Caree Banton

SEASON 1

• SEASON 1, PILOT: FT. DAWN JEFFREY, ACTIVIST/FOUNDER OF NAYBORHOOD ACTIVISTS

Dawn Jeffrey is a local activist and community advocate known for the passion she dedicates in all issues affecting the community.

She founded Nayborhood Activists in 2018 to help provide power to the people through information that can be used to create change in the community.

• EPISODE 2: FT. LORENZO LEWIS, FOUNDER OF THE CONFESS PROJECT; DR. ALEXIS DAVIS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST/OWNER OF BBLVK JEWEL PODCAST, EVENTS & MARKETING

• EPISODE 3: FT. FURONDA BRASFIELD, ATTORNEY & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ARKANSAS COALITION TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

Furonda Brasfield is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ACADP), the only organization devoted primarily to abolition in the state. In her capacity as Director, Furonda manages the day to day functions of ACADP, including community organizing, development, and policy development. Furonda led the group during their response to the #8in10 executions of April 2017, when Governor Asa Hutchinson set 8 executions to be carried out over 10 days, beginning with the day after Easter. Prior to joining ACADP, Furonda worked on a number of social justice issues, including economic equality, reproductive justice, HIV/AIDS awareness, criminal justice reform, and raising the state’s minimum wage (2014). She has also served as interim-director of “Traveler’s Rest Ministries,” a non-profit organization formed to assist in community development in disenfranchised communities.

A licensed attorney, Furonda received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen Law School.In addition to numerous volunteer and civic involvements, Furonda is a member of Decarcerate, the Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System Steering Committee, the NAACP, WAND, The League of Women Voters, and Longley Baptist Church.

• EPISODE 4: FT. KWAMI & CLARICE ABDUL-BEY, ARKANSAS PEACE & JUSTICE MOVEMENT

Kwami and Clarice Abdul-Bey, based in Pulaski County, are co-conveners of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement to document and mark where racial terror, lynchings and riots have occurred across Arkansas. 

Founded in 2018, APJMM embodies a statewide collaborative effort to acknowledge, and to learn from, our shared documented history of hundreds of incidents of extra-legal racial, political and religious violence and injustices.

Clarice and Kwami bring a wealth of knowledge through their organization as well as with PHAT LIP Youth Talk Radio, Duafe Unity, Washitaw Foothills Youth Media Arts & Literacy Collective  and The Shelter In-Place Virtual film Series all of which educate and empower the people.

They believe that instead of trying to "give our youth a voice," to work with youth to provide the resources and tools necessary to harness, and then express, the innate power within their own voices.

Kwami and Clarice Abdul-Bey are music lovers as well so check them out as Baba & Iya Cratediggers on their acclaimed radio show “Jadestone Vintage Soul” which airs on KABF 88.3 FM Community Radio every Tuesday afternoon from 2-3 PM CST.

Episode 5: Producing the soundtrack of Systemic Blackness: Intentionally Dismantling Racism with Airic Hughes

Airic Hughes is a Ph.D candidate in the Department of History at the University of Arkansas. His research examines environmental segregation in modern urban America. Airic is an artist, philanthropist and the founder of Visionairi.

Visionairi produces media and events with a mission to promote and preserve black culture. Visionairi engages communities in areas of education, creativity and social justice.

In this episode of The Folding Chair, we talk about his research on the I-630 divide in Little Rock, the incARceraTed Series, the #FreeKennethReams campaign, the value of systems and what conscious blackness representation affects.

For more info on Visionairi visit their website https://www.truvisionairi.com/

EPISODE 6: Representation Matters! Cultural exchange, youth engagement, policy advocacy, endurance + how we apply pressure fT. Rosa VelázqueZ

We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with this #RepresentationMatters episode featuring Rosa Velázquez. 

Activist. Immigrant. Social justice. Power builder. Policy shaker. #AbolishICE #DefundThePolice #BlackLivesMatter #HereToStay

Rosa has been actively organizing and advocating for immigrant’s rights since the Federal DREAM Act Campaign in 2010. Since its failure in Congress, she became involved with the youth-led organization United We Dream, where she was elected as a National Coordinator for the mid-south region of the country. During her time as National Coordinator, Rosa actively engaged, advocated, and helped build a national immigrant youth movement, geared towards student activism. Her work ranged from writing and passing local city resolutions that help immigrant families, passing state laws like in-state tuition equity and building youth-led immigrant college chapters throughout the country.

In 2012 she aided in the development of the Right2Dream campaign, where she played a vital role in the immigration policy change we know as DACA. With six states under her supervision, she led teams that helped thousands of dreamers apply for relief under DACA, including about 3,000 Arkansans.

Because of her work, Rosa has received numerous prestigious recognitions, including “Dragon Slayer in Education Award” by the Citizens First Congress,  “Arkansan of the Year” by Arkansas Life Magazine and “Arkansas Visionary” by the Arkansas Times. Rosa was also nominated by the White House in 2015 as a “DACA Teacher Champion of Change.”

Since 2015, Rosa has actively served as Trustee of The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation where the mission is to relentlessly pursue economic, educational, social, ethnic and racial equity for ALL Arkansans.

During the 2019 Arkansas Legislative Session, Rosa led the campaign that assured the passage of the Arkansas State DREAM Act and DACA Nurses, now laws.

She now works for the immigrant advocacy organization, Arkansas United, as the Advocacy Coordinator with the major pillars of her work being direct state, federal and local advocacy, equity and inclusion and a black/brown power youth builders fellowship.

Rosa loves spending time with her family, going fishing, trying out new foods and reading. She and her Husky, Whiskey, reside in Little Rock, Arkansas.

EPISODE 7: The Power of HERstory: Unapologetically Black, Poetic and Gifted. Ft. Coffy Davis

Coffy Davis is an author, poet, and playwright. Davis was born and raised in Oakland, California, and resides in Little Rock.

She has an English Degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 2004, she became a trailblazer and created The Underground Railroad Neighborhood project (TURN Project), an initiative that bridged art and literacy with at-risk communities.

She is a spoken word artist that competed and won in various local and national slams as a solo artist as well as a founding member of the local troupe, Foreign Tongues. She was the Assistant Editor for the Localist magazine which fused Hip Hop and Punk Rock music and was subsequently sought after to instruct a Hip Hop afterschool program that used the genre as a vessel to teach life skills-- a program that was featured on CNN's Black in America. S

he hosted The Urban Hang Suite KABF radio and sat as the vice president for the Arkansas Community Arts co-op for three years. She has won the Senator Pryor Award for Community Service (2009), the Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship Award (2017) and the Nan Snow Emerging Artist Award (2018.) As an author, her published written works include Freedom in 2008, MEdusa Reflections of an Angry Black Woman, Ghetto Politics, and MEdusa Reflections in Poetry — all of which were published in 2019.