Making Buffalo: “Our City”

(Recorded before Covid-19). Buffalo, New York, was once a booming industrial town fueled by cheap power from Niagara Falls, a center of commerce and trade, the first city in the US to have electric light. But over a century, Buffalo’s wealth concentrated at the top and mostly moved out, leaving a largely de-industrialized city and a slump. Now, with new investment promised by New York’s Governor Cuomo, and cooler, northern cities attracting “climate refugees” from the US south, development is once again underway, but on whose terms? This time, will the wealth be more equitably shared, and who will get to decide? In this episode, Laura visits with grassroots activists who are not just hoping or lobbying for a change - they’re considering very seriously running for office.
GUESTS
Rahwa Ghirmatizion, Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo
John Washington, Organizer and political educator, People’s Action
Asim Johnson, Organizer, Coalition for Economic Justice
Harper Bishop, Deputy director, PUSH Buffalo
Luz Velez, Housing and environmental justice activist
Geovaira Hernandez, Climate Justice Organizer
India Walton, Executive director of the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust
Vanessa Glushefski, Former Acting Comptroller of the City of Buffalo
Kathryn Franco, Non-profit activist, 2019 candidate for Buffalo Common Council
Larry Scott, Member of the Buffalo Board of Education
Rachel Dominguez, Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization Exec. Ctee Member
Whitney Crispell, Community Activist & Larry Scott’s Campaign Manager
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ACCESSIBILITY
This episode is closed captioned.
#newyork, #buffalo, #indiawalton, #citycouncil, #peoplespower, #cities, #displacement, #investment, #community, #activism

[@CandaceAAdams]

It's amazing to watch this episode in retrospect knowing that India Walton is probably going to be our next mayor! This is such a great channel!

[@rconnor]

Can't wait to see it. Go Buffalo!!!

[@TheDickbeard]

excellent

[@noahrosenberg126]

Another great episode, when was this filmed though?

[@RonaldeRobinson]

“More inclusive?’ Buffalo has always been inclusive even if it had ethnic neighborhoods.
Government has been its demise, not its savior. It can nibble at correcting the problems it caused in the first place.
Yes, high taxes sends its most productive citizens elsewhere.