In the latest episode of Cuss & Discuss, host Auburn Wideman speaks with former SONG Co-Directors Wendy Moore-O'Neil and Aesha Rasheed, reflecting on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Wendy, a lifelong New Orleanian, contextualizes the conservative recovery efforts and the throughlines that connect to today’s political climate. Aesha, highlights the spiritual and historical significance of the storm and the ways that the organizing was able to blossom in spite of. Together, they honor the lives lost and discuss the profound changes in New Orleans, urging listeners to remember and learn from the past in their organizing efforts.

Join us for this powerful retrospective that honors the past and provides crucial lessons for community organizing and resilience in the face of adversity. Listen now to understand how New Orleans' spirit remains unbroken, despite the challenges of the past two decades.

About SONG Power:

SONG Power is the power-building and advocacy arm of Southerners on New Ground (SONG). SONG is a 30 year old South organization rooted in multi-issue justice movements that unite across ability, age, class, immigration status, gender, race and sexuality.

We conjure the beautiful alchemy of queer magic – traversing the South looking for those who are looking for us, for our beloved community who is yearning for a new south, for liberation in their lifetime and a life that allows them to live free from fear.

This vision of a new south fuels us, entices us into movement, and inspires future visions of liberation, tearing down old monuments and erecting new ones that sing the praises of our ancestors and beacons us toward a new day. We organize not from a place of fear and despair but from a place of joy, love, and hope.

Learn more about SONG Power at unleashpower.org

In our inaugural episode of Cuss & Discuss, host Auburn Wideman and guests, Diamond Stylz, Cultural Anthropologist and owner of Marsha’s Plate Media, Councilmember Andrea Jenkins, City of Minneapolis Councilmember, and Ashlei Blue, North Carolina State Director, cuss and discuss about Trump’s first 100 days.

Each guest shares their unique perspective on how they’re viewing and navigating this overwhelming political climate while still finding room for joy and energy for continued resistance.

About our guests:

Diamond Stylz, Cultural Anthropologist and owner of Marsha’s Plate Media

Diamond Stylz is one of the leading Black voices. She is a 20-year veteran, GLAAD award winning activist of the trans community. She is the host and creator of the award wining Houston Based podcast, Marsha’s Plate , a weekly exploration of politics and pop culture from a trans-pro-black feminist lens that has garnered over 1.5 million streams. She has appeared on CNN, ABC, BET and The Root, among others, and has written for a myriad of websites, magazines, and blogs.

Councilmember Andrea Jenkins, City of Minneapolis Councilmember

Jenkins moved to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota in 1979. She worked as a Vocational Counselor for Hennepin County government, for a decade. Jenkins worked as a staff member on the Minneapolis City Council for 12 years before beginning work as curator of the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota's Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies.

Ashlei Blue, North Carolina State Director, America Votes

In her spare time, she is an avid songwriter, amateur storm chaser (#KashDoppler) and snack connoisseur. She also enjoys hiding in the woods with her partner, Kara, plotting about healing democracy.

About SONG Power:

SONG Power is the power-building and advocacy arm of Southerners on New Ground (SONG). SONG is a 30 year old South organization rooted in multi-issue justice movements that unite across ability, age, class, immigration status, gender, race and sexuality.

We conjure the beautiful alchemy of queer magic – traversing the South looking for those who are looking for us, for our beloved community who is yearning for a new south, for liberation in their lifetime and a life that allows them to live free from fear.

This vision of a new south fuels us, entices us into movement, and inspires future visions of liberation, tearing down old monuments and erecting new ones that sing the praises of our ancestors and beacons us toward a new day. We organize not from a place of fear and despair but from a place of joy, love, and hope.

Learn more about SONG Power at unleashpower.org