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A Dialogue on reclaiming power through health, protest and prose
From Sierra Leone to Champaign, Black communities around the world are faced with challenges that impact access to healthcare, immigration rights, and more.
Dialogue
Each week Dialogue features interviews people across the region along with in-depth stories from the IPM News team about education, health, politics, arts, and more as it relates to local Black communities. Dialogue airs Saturdays at 11 am and Tuesdays at 7 pm on Illinois Soul FM 101.1 and streams live at illinoissoul.org and can be heard Wednesdays at 8 pm on WILL-AM 580.
The Dialogue zone: Exploring Blerd culture
Step into the Dialogue Zone as we take listeners on a journey into the intersection of Black identity and nerd culture.
A Dialogue on how local reparations aim to repair community
What does it look like to repair generations of harm? That question is at the center of a growing movement for local reparations—led not by lawmakers in Washington, but by a coalition in Champaign-Urbana.
Hidden in plain sight: Unpacking the unique challenges facing Black undocumented communities
There are approximately 600,000 Black undocumented immigrants in the United States. A community of people whose stories often remain untold in national immigration conversations.
Campus to coast: A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign grad student investigates The Gambia’s fishmeal crisis and its toll on West African communities
What happens when coastal resources are taken, and local communities are left to stay afloat? Dialogue looks at how large-scale fishing operations in The Gambia are changing the environment, disrupting livelihoods, and raising questions about justice along West Africa’s shores.
A continued Dialogue on the state of Champaign-Urbana’s Black communities with local leaders
How can a community work together to drive positive change? and what does that really look like?
Leading the way: Examining the state of Champaign Urbana’s Black communities with local leaders
Who is really responsible for driving community change? and is relying on schools enough?
Protecting children’s future: A conversation on child advocacy and mental health
April is highlighted as Child Abuse Prevention Month, but the work doesn’t stop there. Hear how one Champaign center continues to support kids and families year-round.
A Dialogue with journalist Lee Hawkins on uncovering freedom through his family history
What happens when a journalist turns the lens on their own family story? Lee Hawkins shares how investigating his personal history shaped new perspectives on growing up Black in the Midwest.
Reclaiming ‘Fat’: Breaking Down Fatphobia and Building Inclusive Spaces
In this episode of Dialogue, host Kennedy Vincent explores the reclamation of the word "fat" as a neutral descriptor and examines the impacts of fatphobia, particularly in college environments. The show features in-depth conversations with two expert guests: Dr. Roushanda Breeden and Dr. Shaciarra Hamilton.
Kennedy Vincent is a host and producer from Las Vegas with West Indian roots. Specializing in news writing, audio, and video production work, she has earned her degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Now based in Illinois, Vincent is focused on surrounding her work with collective BIPOC stories, universal rights, and community healing. Kennedy seeks to form deeper connections in her community through her work. She continuously pushes boundaries and reshapes how audio is viewed and believes sharing meaningful stories globally is what will unite us intentionally.
Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees news reporting, The 21st talk show, IPMnewsroom.org, and occasionally hosts and produces episodes of Dialogue. Reginald came to IPM in 2019 after serving as News Director at WKAR at Michigan State University. Before that, he had a long career as a local newscast producer and manager at the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth, where he earned seven Lone Star Emmy awards and multiple honors from the National Assn. of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald was adopted and grew up on the Eastern plains of Colorado. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado.
Zainab Qureshi is a Pakistani-American journalist for Illinois Public Media who has explored various roles within the newsroom, from traditional reporting to backend digital management to social media content creation. Deeply passionate about race, religion and climate, she spends her time considering the different ways these stories can be told — because to her, journalism is about more than just big headlines and breaking news; it's about understanding the shared humanity connecting us all. By examining this theme, she hopes to find the heartbeat of the world around her and plans to listen to it closely.