Convergence Partnership

Hutchinson’s Fight for Justice: How Community Advocacy Revived a Civil Rights Office

How many of my friends and kids with similar stories to mine fall through the cracks? I mean, that keeps me up at night. It puts this fire in my belly to try to address the systems that we live in.  - David Sotelo, Hutchinson County resident  When community members refuse to accept injustice, change becomes possible. In this episode we hear from Hutch in Harmony, a grassroots organization in Hutchinson, Kansas, that has fought to revive local civil rights protections after years of neglect. Following the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Miriam Khan-Kitson and group of residents founded Hutchinson Harmony to push back against racism and discrimination in their town. They joined forces with longtime NAACP leader, Darrell Pope, and other advocates to demand accountability from City Hall, calling for the restoration of Hutchinson’s Human Relations Commission—a civil rights office left unfilled for over a decade. Their persistence led to the reinstatement of a Human Relations Officer, now led by former immigrant rights advocate Dave Sotelo. Despite setbacks, Hutchinson’s advocates continue their fight to protect marginalized communities and challenge systemic racism in employment, housing, and policing. Their story is one of persistence, hope, and the power of collective action. This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity. To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org [http://www.convergencepartnership.org/].

Mutual Aid, Resilience, and the Fight for Justice in Buffalo

Now we need to make sure we have sustainable aid, ongoing. So we had to not only be boots on the ground, but also put on suits and go into boardrooms to tell stakeholders: This crisis isn’t over just because the headlines moved on.  - Stephanie Simeon, executive director Heart of the City Neighborhoods  In this episode we hear from Heart of the City Neighborhoods, a Buffalo-based nonprofit responding to the tragic mass shooting at Tops Friendly Market. Executive Director Stephanie J. Simeon shares how her organization, alongside local nonprofits, mobilized mutual aid to provide essential resources, create healing spaces, and support community resilience in the wake of white supremacist violence. The episode explores the deep historical and cultural significance of Buffalo’s East Side, a neighborhood shaped by the Great Migration and home to generations of Black families. Simeon reflects on the trauma, the systemic conditions that made the community vulnerable, and the power of grassroots organizing in moments of crisis. This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity. To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org [http://www.convergencepartnership.org/].

Holding the Land: Indigenous Resistance and Climate Justice in the Bayou

My whole story is a story of diaspora and displacement. We lost everything but what we had on our backs. That’s why tribal communities are on the front lines of this crisis—because they were forced to the furthest ends of Louisiana, to places some thought were unlivable.  — Chief Devon Parfait, chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw Host Brenden Parfait takes us to his homeland in the heart of the bayou in Louisiana, where his indigenous community is standing against the forces of climate change. He explores the ongoing fight to preserve their traditions amidst the devastating land loss threatening their way of life.  For centuries, the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw have called the Louisiana bayou home. But as climate change accelerates land loss and displacement, tribal leaders are fighting to preserve their land, culture, and future. We hear from Elder Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar and Chief Devin Parfait, who share their deeply personal stories of resilience, forced migration, and environmental stewardship. As Chief Shirell reminds us: We need to all work together so we can become better ancestors. Join us as we explore the frontline battle for climate justice and what it means to reclaim and protect the land for future generations. This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity. To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org [http://www.convergencepartnership.org/].

TikTok, Transit, and Transformation: How Elevated Chicago is Fighting for Transit Equity

I started the page because I was walking to the train station, and it felt like Mario—I couldn’t get around. There was construction everywhere. I said, maybe people need to know about this. So I started recording. - Janice Newton, coordinator for Elevated Chicago  In this episode, Chicago-based audio production team B Posi+tive Productions, with Sara Faddah and Dario Durham, interview members of Elevated Chicago about their work to advance Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) in the city and the creative ways they use social media to build support for their work. Public transportation connects Chicago’s neighborhoods, but not all communities benefit equally. We hear how Elevated Chicago is working to ensure residents can have access to safe, vibrant, and walkable spaces near transit hubs. Jannice Newton, a Chicago resident and Elevated Chicago coordinator, started using TikTok to document the stark inequities in transit access across the city. From sidewalks in disrepair to the lack of lighting and community investment, her videos bring attention to the ways systemic racism has shaped Chicago’s urban landscape. Elevated Chicago, alongside policymakers and community advocates, has been working to change zoning laws and incentivize development that serves marginalized communities. Their recent victory—the passage of the Connected Communities Zoning Ordinance—is a step toward reshaping Chicago’s transit future. This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity. To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org [http://www.convergencepartnership.org/]

Telling Our Own Stories: DocuCourse and the Power of Community Narrative

Oftentimes, what’s positive isn’t what’s promoted. And that’s been one of my biggest frustrations. They want the drama. They don’t want the uplifting story that our communities are yearning for. — Avrell Stokes, president BeGreat Together Who gets to tell the stories of Black and Brown communities? In Kansas City, Be Great Together is shifting the narrative through DocuCourse, a grassroots media platform that amplifies the voices of local changemakers. In this episode of the Convergence Partnership Podcast, we hear from Averell Stokes, the creator of DocuCourse, along with featured activists Justice Gatson of Real Justice Network and Hakima Tafunzi Payne of Uzazi Village. They discuss how documentary storytelling can be a tool for social change, providing communities with the power to define their own narratives and push back against the media’s focus on trauma over triumph. DocuCourse isn’t just a platform—it’s a movement that challenges traditional media, highlights solutions created “for us, by us,” and strengthens grassroots organizing efforts. With national recognition at film festivals from Hollywood to Philly, these stories are reshaping the way Black and Brown communities are seen and supported. This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity. To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org [http://www.convergencepartnership.org/].