Episode 120 – Lisa Snowden of Baltimore Beat

Jason V. talks with Lisa Snowden, founder and editor in chief of The Baltimore Beat, a Black owned and operated nonprofit newspaper. Lisa grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, and after receiving her degree in journalism, she started her career on TV Hill. After years of honing her craft including a stint in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lisa launched, then re-launched, The Baltimore Beat to provide local Black stories by local Black journalists, in an industry that routinely struggles with representation in the newsroom. 

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 119 – Beth Banger

Baltimore rapper and singer Beth Banger channels her inner “fire sign” to bring listeners fresh and engaging music and lyrics. Her most recent project, It Girl, completes a trifecta of albums that were made during pivotal moments in her life. 

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 118 – Social Media Comedian Nkunim Owusu

Social media comedian Nkunim Owusu started making comedy videos to send to friends, and they encouraged him to share his talents with the world. When one of his videos got more than 24 million views on TikTok, he decided to continue making content. Nkunim’s unique brand of comedy touches on anime, video games, and sports – all centered around the Black experience. 

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 116 – Tashira Halyard


Entrepreneur and “attorney in recovery” Tashira Halyard of Politics and Fashion talks about her early days hustling in the world of law, explains why she had to break the cycle of putting everything before her health, and she drops some gems for those looking to scratch the itch of entrepreneurship.

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 15 – Mylez Danielz

Remember when you were a kid and you just did what you wanted with no fear or trepidation about what others would think about you? As we get older and have the capacity for guilt and shame, we close off that playful, capricious side of ourselves because we have to be “serious”. But Mylez Danielz makes music while maintaining that playful yet confident spirit, music you’d blast in your car to get pumped up for the day ahead, but maybe with the windows up because it can get a little crazy. Listen as Mylez talks about growing up in Harford County, how he came to music as a kid, pursuing projects with childhood friends, and what the local venue “The Crown” means to him.

Episode 114 – Jessica LaShea

Technology has a weird way of slowly pushing us to a future we’d only see in sci-fi movies as kids, while still maintaining and rooting us in tradition. For hundreds of years ailing people sought the help of energy healers, traveling far and wide to seek healing from “experts”. Nowadays a Google search or YouTube video can bring you the same relief our ancestors risked their lives to receive. Enter Jessica “Jet” LaShea. Listen as the Arlington native talks about her life growing up in Virginia, the winding path she took to get where she is today, and why she thinks more than ever, Black people are comfortable seeking and practicing more traditional and esoteric forms of worship.

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 113 – A’Lelia Bundles

Names hold power in our lives, and life has a weird way of moving in a circle. For A’Lelia Bundles, her name shaped her life, and in turn, her life circled back to her name. She’s the great-great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, but she kept that to herself because she wanted to be her own person. Listen as we talk about A’Lelia’s childhood in Indianapolis, making her own way in media and journalism, and how from graduate school to the present day, A’Lelia carries and protects the stories of her ancestors and her own story as well.

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 112 – Jerome Chester

This interview is the result of running into Jerome at the Juneteenth pop-up in Reservoir Hill. Think of it as a follow up to his first interview with the podcast back in 2020. If you haven’t listened to that episode, go back and check it out so you can get the full picture and see the evolution of Jerome as an artist and as a man. On this episode, we talk about self-exploration, the blurred lines of a brand and an identity and about Jerome’s upcoming solo exhibition, “It’ll All Make Sense.”

Be sure to check out “It’ll All Make Sense,” from September 1st to October 2nd at The Alchemy of Art, 1637 Eastern Ave.

Local Color is hosted and produced by Jason V. and is distributed by Your Public Studios.

Episode 111 – Ada Pinkston

Ada Pinkston has been a mainstay in Baltimore’s arts scene for quite some time now. She’s got the CV, performance pedigree, and enough Ws in the “grants received” column to stand next to anyone in DMV that calls themselves an “artist”. Listen as Ada talks about her childhood and travels all over the country, what influenced her move to Baltimore and why she stayed, advice for would-be grant applicants, and much more!