Good Trouble with Embrace Boston

In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Dr. Julie Chen, Chancellor of UMass Lowell, and Susu Wong, Founder and Chief Connector of Tomo360. Both leaders were honored at Embrace Honors MLK with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Award. This is a journey conversation where we discuss their backgrounds, what shaped their leadership, and the pivotal moments of their careers. From higher education research to building supportive networks for women, Julie and Susu discuss the work behind their titles and the values that keep them grounded in service of the community. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Rahsaan Hall, President and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, to talk about civil rights, economic justice, and the fight for equity in Boston and beyond. A longtime advocate and former Director of the Racial Justice Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts, Rahsaan brings decades of experience at the intersection of policy, law, and community organizing. We discuss the state of racial justice today, the urgent need for economic mobility, and what it takes to build systems that truly serve Black and brown communities. This conversation challenges us to think beyond headlines and toward structural change — in housing, education, criminal justice, and wealth-building. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston, produced in partnership with NBC10 Boston, featuring the leaders and thinkers reshaping our civic and cultural landscape. Watch, listen, and join the conversation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Good Trouble, we talk with Jeff Thielman, President and CEO of the International Institute of New England and a longtime leader in youth development and immigrant advocacy. Jeff shares his journey from leading youth workforce initiatives to advancing opportunities for newcomers and families across the region. Together, we examine the connection between education, economic mobility, and belonging — and what it takes to build systems that truly serve the next generation. This conversation explores leadership, access, and the long arc of creating opportunity in Boston and beyond. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston, produced in partnership with NBC10 Boston, featuring the thinkers and leaders reshaping our civic and cultural landscape. Best, Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Rev. Liz Walker — pastor, public theologian, and longtime advocate for justice — to explore the intersection of faith and social change. From her years as a journalist to her leadership at Roxbury Presbyterian Church, Rev. Walker reflects on what it means to guide a community through division, grief, and renewal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to build belonging — not in policy rooms, but in people’s lives? In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Bishop William E. Dickerson II and Lady Luella Dickerson, co-founders of Greater Love Tabernacle and longtime anchors of Boston’s faith and civic landscape. For more than three decades, the Embrace Honors 2026 honorees have led a ministry rooted in healing, justice, and radical compassion — walking with families through trauma, violence, recovery, incarceration, and transformation. Bishop Dickerson traces his journey from youth minister and educator to senior pastor and civic leader. Lady Luella reflects on decades of quiet, powerful work supporting women navigating abuse, addiction, and life’s heaviest burdens — offering safety, dignity, and restoration when few others could. Together, they’ve shaped the emotional and spiritual fabric of Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and beyond. This conversation explores faith as action, leadership as service, and belonging as a daily practice. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston, produced with NBC10 Boston, spotlighting leaders who move systems, shift culture, and expand what’s possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you build a monument that changes how a city sees itself? And what does it take to move systems that were never built for everyone? In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Marie St. Fleur — the inaugural Executive Director of King Boston (now Embrace Boston) and a 2026 Embrace Honors awardee. Marie takes us inside the origin story of The Embrace memorial on Boston Common, unpacking the political hurdles, emotional stakes, and community vision behind honoring Dr. King and Coretta Scott King’s legacy. We explore her three decades in public leadership: as the first Haitian-born person elected to state office in the U.S.; a driving force for early education reform; a cabinet chief in the Menino administration; and now a national strategist shaping policy, equity, and opportunity. This is a conversation about courage, persistence, and the quiet, essential work of building a more just Boston — one decision, one partnership, one act of faith at a time. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston, produced with NBC10 Boston, featuring the thinkers and leaders reshaping our civic and cultural landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who gets to tell the story of a city — and who gets left out? In this episode of Good Trouble, we talk with Amber Payne, Publisher and General Manager of The Emancipator, a reimagined newsroom. Now as an Embrace Boston Fellow, Amber shares her path as a journalist committed to reshaping narratives, elevating marginalized voices, and building media that serves community — not just headlines. We explore the challenges and possibilities of leading a newsroom in a polarized climate, the responsibility journalists hold in shaping public understanding, and what it takes to tell Boston’s story with depth, accuracy, and cultural fluency. This conversation is about narrative power, representation, and the work of building belonging through the stories we choose to tell. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston, produced with NBC10 Boston, spotlighting leaders who challenge systems, elevate community, and expand what’s possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to make art that studies us back? In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with playwright, anthropologist, and director Hortense Gerardo to explore the space where culture, movement, and meaning collide. From her roots in Boston’s creative community to her work leading the Anthropology, Performance & Technology program at UC San Diego, Hortense reveals how art can be both research and resistance. Together, we unpack how stories become data, why performance can reveal truths science can’t, and how artists hold power in a world that often asks them to disappear. Good Trouble is a podcast from Embrace Boston — produced in partnership with NBC 10 Boston — exploring the people, ideas, and movements shaping a more just and joyful future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Good Trouble, we sit down with Jay Vilar, Executive Director of The Fountain Fund, an organization working to dismantle the barriers formerly incarcerated people face when reentering society. Jay shares his personal journey, the powerful mission of The Fountain Fund, and how financial justice is deeply linked to racial and economic equity. From restorative lending to policy change, we dig into the bold, necessary work of returning citizens building new futures. Hosted by Embrace Boston, Good Trouble brings together the voices of leaders, change-makers, and culture-shapers who are re-imagining what equity, justice, and community look like. Like. Subscribe. Share. Join the movement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it take to design a city where everyone feels they belong? On this episode of "Good Trouble," we sit down with architect, artist, and changemaker Jha D Amazi, Principal at MASS Design Group. Jha D’s work challenges Boston’s legacy and uplifts stories that demand space, dignity, and justice. We explore how memory and design intersect, how public spaces can heal trauma, and why collaboration — not performative allyship — is key to systems change. Jha D shares her personal journey, the power of community in shaping memorials, and what “making good trouble” looks like when you’re designing for the future. Whether you're an artist, student, neighbor, or city builder, this episode is for you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this powerful episode of "Good Trouble," we sit down with two generations of change-makers: José C. Massó III — legendary cultural leader and voice of "¡Con Salsa!" — and his son, José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services for the City of Boston. Together, they unpack what it means to build community across decades, lead with love and accountability and carry the weight of legacy into new civic frontiers. From Latinx heritage and public service to the evolution of Boston’s cultural landscape, this is a conversation rooted in pride, purpose and possibility. Tap in to hear how the work continues — one rhythm, one policy, one people at a time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you don't know Nia, you haven't been around Boston long. She is the executive director of the Boston Ujima Project, which brings together the people, businesses and investors to help create a community-based economy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three local powerhouse activists who are helping to make Boston a true reflection of itself, not only in June but year-round: Meet Embrace Boston's Elizabeth Tiblanc, Black Pride's Eilakeisha Spencer and Wyatt Jackson of We Move in Color Collaborative, Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Catherine Morris, the founder of BAMSFest, and Lisa Simmons, the executive director of the Roxbury International Film Festival, sit down with Greg to talk about their upcoming festivals, and where we are at in Boston right now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Embrace Boston and Good Trouble are getting ready to put on an event for Boston and beyond on April 26 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Freedom March from Roxbury to Boston Common. Embrace Boston’s Elizabeth Tiblanc is in the hot seat this week with everything you can expect and why this event on the Common is a can’t miss for everyone. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He has carved a path of culture and inclusivity throughout the city of Boston by creating businesses and events that welcome everyone. He is a “good troubler” in every sense of the word. Now, Robert Eugene stops by to talk to Greg about his mission and what’s next for himself and the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Ball catches up with Dr. Rufus J. Faulk, author of "My Life and Times: Lived Experiences of Growing Up in the Public Education System in Roxbury," a former member of Mayor Michelle Wu’s cabinet and a proud Bostonian. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Ball sits down with the head brewer and one of the co-owners of Brockton Beer Company, one of the top Black-owned breweries in Massachusetts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg sits down with his friend and Good Trouble-maker Dart Adams, an author, journalist, historian, cultural critic and lecturer from Boston. His work has appeared in national and local print and digital publications. Greg and Dart discuss growing up in Boston and how it's not the same city the media portrays. Dart explains how representation is crucial for a community and how "whitewashing" has distorted the real-life experience of people in our city. They also talk about pop culture, music, the Celtics and the need for TV and film to start shooting real Black & brown stories in Boston. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Ball welcomes friend and business powerhouse Malia Lazu to the show. She is the CEO and founder of The Lazu Group, and executive director of MassVOTE. She is an award-winning DEI strategist and a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Greg and Malia discuss her book, "From Intention to Impact," how Emerson College brought her to Boston, her career, her work to do good and being face-to-face with Harry Belefonte, who helped her find her voice and shape her future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Greg Ball chats with political strategist and friend Jacquetta Van Zandt, the host of "Politics And Prosecco," a videocast/podcast that focuses on contemporary politics, lifestyle, current events and more. Her aim is to inform, entertain and advocate, typically for progressive causes. In this episode, they discuss everything from how her "big mouth" jump-started her political career, history, local happenings, the election and why sipping on bubbles makes talking politics a little sweeter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good Trouble host Greg Ball welcomes Embrace CEO and friend Imari Paris Jeffries to showcase the modest beginnings and evolution of Embrace Boston, originally named KING Boston. They reminisce about being roommates in Mission Hill with a group of other friends who all lived in the same building, "a broke and Black Melrose Place" where community building and strategy was released. They discuss challenges around the start of creating the monument honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in the wake of the pandemic and the George Floyd murder. We learn how building the monument became secondary to our new reality, and supporting small business and the community at large was center stage. Imari explains societal rituals and storytelling that surround monuments, and how they shape perception and ultimately history. He explains the deliberate approach ensuring "The Embrace" represents the values with a lens for all Black Americans. They talk about the future of Embrace Boston, the continued effort of visibility, through storytelling, events, festivals and its organization's overall expansion and growth. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Good Trouble" Host Greg Ball sits down with Nay $peaks, the award-winning musical artist, rapper and college student.In 2023, she was named Boston's Best New Artist of the Year at the Boston Music awards and has received acclaim and praise for her album, "Nayborhood Healer," with energy and honesty that she says has helped to heal her own Mattapan neighborhood and can help other ones around the country too. We learn where she draws her inspiration, how Boston has shaped her storytelling through music and what is on the horizon for this young, emerging talent. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Good Trouble" host Greg Ball speaks with living legend of the Boston airwaves, José C. Massó III, the Emmy-award winning host of WBUR's "¡Con Salsa!" whose name is inscribed on the base of the Embrace monument on Boston Common.In this episode, we learn about the cultural curator and community activist's journey and learn about his latest endeavor, a partnership with Embrace Boston. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this new podcast from Embrace Boston and NBC10 Boston, Greg Ball, Embrace Boston's director of Digital Strategy and Production, is sitting down with important changemakers to hear how they became the kinds of people who make Good Trouble. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.