"Hope in Practice" reported by Ariel Mejia

Lakesia Collins is a CNA determined to change the narrative. Working multiple caregiving jobs while raising kids, she had to file bankruptcy because her nursing home paid her poverty wages. Becoming a union organizer empowered her to run for state representative of Illinois’ 9th District. Her plan is not just to get bills passed but to organize her district around the issues that she understands firsthand - housing, lifting the ban on rent control and over-policing. In this episode, she explains how these issues intersect with how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting the working class and people of color, and why organizing is the answer.

Reporter ARIEL MEJIA (she/her) is a Chicago native who came to audio art and radio production by way of feminist praxis, community organizing and sexual health education. Her work has been featured on the BBC show Shortcuts from Falling Tree Productions, as well as Antibody, a podcast series from Jacobin Magazine’s The Dig. Ariel also teaches audio storytelling to teens and aspires to become a skilled tap dancer. She is most inspired by the magic of human connection, possibilities for transformation, and the changing of the seasons because of their sounds and colors.