Why Madison Needs The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

Why Madison Needs The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

The new Center for Black Excellence and Culture [https://www.theblackcenter.org/]has officially opened! City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin sits down with founder Rev. Dr. Alex Gee at the center to talk about everything it took to open the doors and what comes next. The 37,000-square-foot space features auditoriums, lounges, a children’s library, senior area, women’s center, art gallery, innovation and business workspaces, and more. Beginning July 1, visitors can take walking tours.  To hear more from Rev. Dr. Gee, listen to his podcast Black Like Me [https://blacklikeme.libsyn.com/]. Mentioned on the show Justified anger: Rev. Alex Gee says Madison is failing its African-American community [https://captimes.com/news/local/city-life/justified-anger-rev-alex-gee-says-madison-is-failing-its-african-american-community/article_2556653d-4ac1-5a54-aee5-9619c94d36ff.html](CapTimes) 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 [tel:608-318-3367] or email madison@citycast.fm [madison@citycast.fm]. We’re also on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycastmadison/]!  📧 You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Madison morning newsletter [https://madison.citycast.fm/newsletter].  🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program! [https://membership.citycast.fm/madison] Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads [https://madison.citycast.fm/advertise]. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 15th episode: * Society of St. Vincent de Paul [https://svdpmadison.org/raffle/] * Make Music Madison [https://makemusicmadison.org/]

'Your City Could Be Better': Why Every Region Needs A Park Map Tool Like Salt Lake’s — Presented By City Cast Madison

Do you know how many parks Madison has? Residents of Salt Lake County have wondered about their parks for years — that is, until City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta set out to catalog them all. Over the course of two years, she visited all 511 parks in the county, seeking to record their amenities (e.g., bathrooms, playgrounds), write helpful summaries, and track down the people in charge. The resulting map has already become a valuable tool for locals, who now not only know who to call when trash cans are overflowing: they can also find outdoor spaces that meet their needs. Mentioned on the show: * Every Park SLC [https://saltlake.citycast.fm/parks] - The First-Ever Guide to Every Park in Salt Lake County (City Cast Salt Lake) Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  [yourcitycouldbebetter@citycast.fm] We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter [https://www.instagram.com/yourcitycouldbebetter] Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options [https://citycast.fm/advertise].

City Anticipates Budget Cuts, Madison’s Election Trust Crisis, and Free Meals for Local Kids

This week, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway told city agencies to be prepared to cut 2% from their budgets [https://madison.com/news/local/government-politics/article_490c6fc1-6e32-4189-87db-9329cf01d248.html] amid inflation and higher fuel costs. She also called for state-level reform to lessen the financial burden on Madison taxpayers. On today’s show, host Bianca Martin talks about this news with executive producer Hayley Sperling and Angela Russell, creator of the Black Oxygen [https://madison365.com/blackoxygen/] podcast and founder of The Undercurrent [https://www.emergentcurrent.com/].  We also talk about the global and national mistrust in institutions [https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2026-01/2026%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report_01.21.26_0.pdf] and how that has played out locally. [https://www.votebeat.org/wisconsin/2026/06/04/madison-deputy-clerk-jim-verbick-blamed-supreme-court-election-late-ballots/] Plus, Madison schools are offering free summer meals to all students [https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/family/mmsd-provides-free-summer-meals-to-students/article_d1a83e5b-1f32-4de0-a50a-7f68e921d2e6.html] and a free summer Metro bus pass for students entering 6th grade and older. And, for City Cast Madison Neighbors only, we react to Forbes magazine naming Wisconsin’s Diane Hendricks and Judy Faulkner among the country’s top three wealthiest self-made women [https://madison.com/news/local/business/article_38fe6786-b768-5053-906c-8756689f0264.html]. 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 [tel:608-318-3367] or email madison@citycast.fm [madison@citycast.fm]. We’re also on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycastmadison/]!  📧 You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Madison morning newsletter [https://madison.citycast.fm/newsletter].  🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program! [https://membership.citycast.fm/madison] Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads [https://madison.citycast.fm/advertise]. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 12th episode: * American Players Theatre [https://americanplayers.org/] - use code city20 for 20% off any performance in the outdoor Hill Theatre * Society of St. Vincent de Paul [https://svdpmadison.org/raffle/] * Oak Bank [https://www.oak.bank/?utm_source=CityCast&utm_medium=ad&utm_campaign=2026&utm_content=BankingOutsideTheBox] - Do you have questions for Oak Bank? Submit them HERE [https://airtable.com/app7ni84ypo5bRfEK/shrDdP0QYCiPT2GkL].

Spicy Takes From Madison’s Chef of the Year. Plus, WTF Is Cookie Salad?!?

Chef Patrick O’Halloran has been cooking for Madison for decades, and his latest business, The Deliciouser [https://thedeliciouser.com/], blends spices, classes, and global cuisine. O’Halloran was just named Madison Magazine's Chef of the Year, and [https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/patrick-ohalloran-invites-diners-to-travel-the-world-at-the-deliciouser/article_e00a8f15-e98a-4de4-9243-8ae2f49242d2.html]executive producer Hayley Sperling chats with him  about how the spice lab and the restaurant go hand in hand. Plus, Emily Tucker, host of WORT-FM’s Stuff Yer Face [https://www.wortfm.org/news-talk/news/ioby/stuffyerface/], explains what is in a cookie salad [https://mynameisyeh.com/blog/2017/11/classic-cookie-salad] and why sweet “salads” have a chokehold on Midwest culture.  🥕 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 [tel:608-318-3367] or email madison@citycast.fm [madison@citycast.fm]. We’re also on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycastmadison/]!  📧 You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Madison morning newsletter [https://madison.citycast.fm/newsletter].  🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program! [https://membership.citycast.fm/madison] Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads [https://madison.citycast.fm/advertise]. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 11th episode: * Madison Reading Project [https://www.madisonreadingproject.com/readytowear2026] * American Players Theatre [https://americanplayers.org/] - use code city20 for 20% off any performance in the outdoor Hill Theatre * Society of St. Vincent de Paul [https://svdpmadison.org/raffle/]

Hot Takes on Madison’s Queer Scene

It’s Pride Month! Gov. Tony Evers was the first Wisconsin governor to raise the pride flag over the State Capitol, and he did so again [https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/06/01/gov-tony-evers-raises-lgbtq-pride-flag-over-wisconsin-capitol-for-his-last-time/] for his final time earlier this month. Madison and Dane County officials also raised a pride flag at the City-County Building [https://www.wkow.com/news/were-not-going-to-hate-our-neighbors-mayor-kicks-off-pride-month-with-flag-raising/article_683950f0-ea89-44bf-98ae-9163d5c9e66d.html]. While these are symbols of support, we are curious about the actual day-to-day experience of LGBTQIA+ Madisonians. Host Bianca Martin talks with Sanders Weinberg [https://lgbt.wisc.edu/staff/weinberg-sanders/],  program coordinator at the Gender and Sexuality Center at UW-Madison, and producer Jade Iseri-Ramos, about how queer-friendly our city really is.  This episode originally aired on June 2, 2025. 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 [tel:608-318-3367] or email madison@citycast.fm [madison@citycast.fm]. We’re also on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycastmadison/]!  📧 You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Madison morning newsletter [https://madison.citycast.fm/newsletter].  🏠 Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events, and more. Join the City Cast Madison Neighbors program! [https://membership.citycast.fm/madison] Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads [https://madison.citycast.fm/advertise]. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 10th episode: * Madison Reading Project [https://www.madisonreadingproject.com/readytowear2026] * American Players Theatre [https://americanplayers.org/] - use code city20 for 20% off any performance in the outdoor Hill Theatre * Society of St. Vincent de Paul [https://svdpmadison.org/raffle/]