Community Care is a monthly radio show and platform to showcase the incredible co-created community projects (and the collective humans behind them) contributing toward building community care across London. Each month will feature a special guest and we will talk all things community care whilst selecting banging tunes for listening between deep discussions.
This month I have decided to showcase a selection of Palestinian music, songs, poetry and writings. There is a genocide ongoing in Palestine we have surpassed 50 days, an a ceasefire is needed imminantly and it is important to amplify Palestinian voices now more than ever. This mix is a selection of pieces from writings and poetry by Ghassan Kanafani and Mahmood Darwish, to songs collected by the Majazz Project, Reem Kelani and Sabreen.

Community Care w/ Cleo Savva Ep 5 - Palestine Special - 27/11/23 - Voices Radio

There is a genocide ongoing in Palestine we have surpassed 104 days, over 25,000 Palestinians martyred. A ceasefire is needed NOW, this occupation MUST end, it is important to amplify Palestinian voices now more than ever. 
This mix is a selection of audio bites and sonic works, there are some snapshots taken from South Africa’s legal team at the International Court of Justice on 11th of January. This selection also features songs from the Palestinian Sound Archrive collected by the Majazz Project, Reem Kelani, Hugh Masekela, a recording of a collective sonic vocal vigil held by the My Blood is My Voice community and ending with a live Audre Lourde reading at Fasset Studio in 1970.

Community Care - Free Falastin - 22/01/24 - Voices Radio

Community Care is a monthly radio show and platform dedicated to collective care within our communities and collective liberation for all people. Community Care aims to showcase the incredible co-created community projects (and the collective humans behind them) contributing toward building and practicing collective care across London and beyond. 

This months episode is dedicated to healing frequencies and music that brings calmness. During my recovery from surgery I felt the need to have a mix of music that reflects rest as resistance, by artists who advocate for collective care and collective liberation.

Tracklist:
Be With You - Donna Thompson
1956 Unaired Interview With Billie Holiday
I Sing Because My Soul is Happy - Mahalia Jackson
Age of Ascenet - Kokoroko
Freedom Is a State of Mind - HMP Guys Marsh - Finding Rhythms
Block Life’s Not My Destiny - HMP Guys Marsh - Finding Rhythms
Cheryl’s Music - Heart n Soul
Carry Your Kin - The Breath
Life is Suffering / Send and Recieve Love Only - Levitation Orchestra
The Remembered - Sandpiper
Heavy Doubt - Nina Harries

Community Care w/ Cleo Savva - Ep.7: Healing Frequencies - 26/02/24 - Voices Radio

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. On July 28th, 1998, after the long battle for the non-discrimination ordinance had found its end, Ayron Smith-Douglas sent out a letter she had written to her activist colleagues. She expresses that despite the "win," she still feels sadness. Smith-Douglas shares her fears that COST could still win, that homophobia and hate could still undo all the work they had done. She talks about the burn-out and fatigue that comes along with a movement like this one, while emphasizing the need to continue to be visible. At the end of her letter, Smith-Douglas shares the conclusions she came to after her reflection on the ordinance campaign, and hopes her words bring comfort to her friends.

Ayron Smith-Douglas, Letter to Citizens for Community, 2023

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. What began as a refusal of service by a local print shop to a small EMU student group quickly turned into a years-long battle over who was deserving of basic human rights. To the LGBTQ activists and community members documented here, they had always been present in the community: working, paying taxes, painting their houses, mowing their lawns, attending council meetings, and even serving on council. This ordinance battle was about more than just LGBT rights—it was about protecting the human rights of all Ypsilantians. On December 13, 2021, Jones met with long time Ypsilantian, figure-skating coach, and community activist, Gary Clark. Clark became involved with the ordinance efforts very early on, when his partner encountered protestors in Depot Town after Tri-Pride was denied service. From there, they called up their friends, neighbors, and fellow community members and held what would become the first Citizens for Community (C4C) meeting. C4C became the group that took on the fight for the first campaign and initial ordinance passage. With Clark's leadership, community ties, and strong sense-of-self, the campaign was able to effectively advocate for an ordinance and bring more visibility to the LGBT community in Ypsi. He understood the importance of bringing in other communities to support the effort, and even visited the very same churches who  strongly opposed the campaigns. In this interview, Clark shares a more in-depth look at C4C's work, the initial drafting of the ordinance, and the shift towards Ypsi Campaign for Equality for the defense.

Gary Clark, Oral History Interview, 2021

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. What began as a refusal of service by a local print shop to a small EMU student group quickly turned into a years-long battle over who was deserving of basic human rights. To the LGBTQ activists and community members documented here, they had always been present in the community: working, paying taxes, painting their houses, mowing their lawns, attending council meetings, and even serving on council. This ordinance battle was about more than just LGBT rights—it was about protecting the human rights of all Ypsilantians. On January 18, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer and American Friends Service Committee staff member, Jan Wright. After she became a Quaker in graduate school, Wright spent some time living with fellow Quakers in Ann Arbor, and volunteering for the American Friends Service Committee. She eventually became the local AFSC's LGBT Issues Program Director. Wright and her AFSC colleagues hosted community workshops where people could learn to hold non-hostile communication with LGBT/opposing groups. As both ordinance campaigns utilized the workshops, Wright became more entwined in the cause, and found it necessary to support it. Her work with other community members, activists, and organizers left her with meaningful connections, which she reflects on in this interview. Wright also covers the importance of including the Black community in the ordinance, and working closely with religious groups to increase visibility and support through it all.

Jan Wright, Oral History Interview, 2022

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. What began as a refusal of service by a local print shop to a small EMU student group quickly turned into a years-long battle over who was deserving of basic human rights. To the LGBTQ activists and community members documented here, they had always been present in the community: working, paying taxes, painting their houses, mowing their lawns, attending council meetings, and even serving on council. This ordinance battle was about more than just LGBT rights—it was about protecting the human rights of all Ypsilantians. On January 3, 2022, Jones talked to community organizer, activist, and member of Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality, Lisa Zuber. Zuber had close ties to the ordinance early on thanks to her work with PFLAG in Ann Arbor, which granted her the opportunity to speak at the very first council meeting. She became an important figure in the ordinance campaigns from there, eventually taking on the role of volunteer coordinator in YCFE. Zuber worked tirelessly alongside her fellow community members and organizers, and ensured that all the canvassing and cold-calling ran smoothly. During the course of the campaigns, she formed a relationship with former city council-member John Gawlas, and they married on the anniversary of the ordinance's defense. In this interview, Zuber describes the level of coordination and work it took to successfully organize volunteers for the campaigns, the highs and lows of the movement, and how she's seen Ypsi change since then.

Lisa Zuber, Oral History Interview, 2022

In 2021, Eastern Michigan University Archives lecturer Matt Jones began documenting the story of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Ordinance #1279 in an effort to explore the ways in which local queer activism has evolved multi-generationally in Ypsilanti. What began as a refusal of service by a local print shop to a small EMU student group quickly turned into a years-long battle over who was deserving of basic human rights. To the LGBTQ activists and community members documented here, they had always been present in the community: working, paying taxes, painting their houses, mowing their lawns, attending council meetings, and even serving on council. This ordinance battle was about more than just LGBT rights—it was about protecting the human rights of all Ypsilantians. On February 23 and March 2 of 2022, Jones talked with long time Ypsilantian, community organizer and activist, and member of Campaign for Equality and Citizens for Community, Lisa Marshall Bashert. When she moved to the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas, Bashert found herself laying activist roots and finding acceptance despite her conservative religious upbringing. She volunteered with LGMPO, where she became close friends with Ayron Smith-Douglas, and got to know Jim Toy. Bashert participated in things like Take Back the Night marches at U of M, and the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. When the ordinance campaigns kicked off, she and her wife, Beth Bashert, became involved right from the start after experiencing discrimination in Ypsilanti themselves. From there, Bashert dedicated her time to supporting her community, forming close relationships with other members of C4C and YCFE, and organizing some of the earliest LGBTQ events in Ypsi. She became deeply entangled within the efforts, and recalls just how difficult it was to process things like the city council hearings and homophobia. In this interview, Bashert shares some of the ways that campaign members would try to process those feelings and how they supported each other. She also dives into some of the culture and community building programs she helped organize during the ordinance efforts, how her social world was shifting and changing, and how she's seen Ypsi's sense of community evolve.

Lisa Marshall Bashert, Oral History Interview, 2022

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Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s attempted occupation of Chicago, Beatrice speaks with Kelly Hayes about holding together in times of rising fascism and her new edited collection Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis.

Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart here: https://www.pilsencommunitybooks.com/item/vCQt68DQBH3U0CUUWZyWRw?ref=organizingmythoughts.org

Runtime 1:32:18

Show links:

Get Health Communism here: https://open-books-a-poem-emporium.myshopify.com/products/w4g-adler-bolton-beatrice-artie-vierkant-health-communism

Find Tracy's book Abolish Rent here: www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2443-abolish-rent

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Teaser - When Things Fall Apart w/ Kelly Hayes (10/13/25)

This episode was originally released October 13th for Death Panel patrons and is being unlocked today for the first time. To support the show and help make episodes like this one possible, become a patron at www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod

Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s attempted occupation of Chicago, Beatrice speaks with Kelly Hayes about holding together in times of rising fascism and her new edited collection Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis.

Find Kelly's book, Read This When Things Fall Apart, here: https://bookshop.org/a/118130/9781849355841

After many, many requests we're testing out a new Bookshop.org page (still under construction), where you can find books by past guests and book recommendations from the hosts. Find it here: bookshop.org/shop/deathpanel

Show links:

Get Health Communism here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9781839765179

Find Tracy's book Abolish Rent here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9798888902523

Find Jules' latest book, A Short History of Trans Misogyny, here: bookshop.org/a/118130/9781804291603

Outro by Time Wharp: timewharp.bandcamp.com/track/tezeta

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When Things Fall Apart w/ Kelly Hayes (Unlocked)

Politics, culture, and public policy from the left. Stay alive another week.

w/ Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Artie Vierkant, Phil Rocco and Jules Gill-Peterson. 

https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod

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Broadcasting live from Coal Drops Yard, London Tues-Sun 11-11

New tracks tagged #community care