On June 10, 2022, Rushern Baker suspended his campaign for Governor. Ten days later, he's on our show to tell you what he thinks about the 2022 Primary, why public financing needs some tweaks, and how Maryland's next Governor should declare a state of emergency for Baltimore City. He even gives some hints about who he may be endorsing for Governor …

Candace and Tom go back to the hyper-local for this interview with Howard County Board of Education candidate Jacky McCoy. They discuss everything from what it was like to be educated in the "capital of the south" to her grandson's curriculum in Howard County schools. These races don't always get the coverage they deserve, so please make sure to tu…

Candace and Tom continue their Maryland gubernatorial interviews with Democrat John King, Jr. This is Dr. King's third time on the show and he joined us hot off the release of a new poll showing him tied for second place. Tune in to hear his prescriptions for Maryland, why he's not running away from CRT, and the "three-legged stool" of housing poli…

Candace and Tom start their round of interviews with candidates for Governor with former US Labor Secretary and DNC Chair Tom Perez. Tom provided a detailed, and often wonky, review of his plans for Maryland and how his experience on the national stage will help him get "stuff" done.

Candace and Tom celebrate FIVE YEARS of podcasting by hosting a live interview with Howard County Council District 4 candidate Janssen Evelyn. He addressed why housing is one of his top priorities and the way in which art infuses itself into his life. Janssen also recounts some stories from the field as he works to become the first person of color …

Candace and Tom meet with law professor Sheryll Cashin to discuss her new book, White Space, Black Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality. In her book, Professor Cashin argues that the "ghetto", and all of our ideas about it, performs a political function that reinforces inequality and is used as a basis for further seg…

Delegate Brooke Lierman is running to be the first woman Comptroller of Maryland, but that is far from the only reason you should be excited about her candidacy. In this episode, Candace and Tom talk to Brooke about her ideas for bringing an equity lens to the office and how that could improve the lives of thousands of Maryland families. Brooke als…

Every year, Candace and Tom break down the year that was - the ups, downs, and in betweens. And, believe it or not, 2021 ends with an ominous note, but it also brought us days of hope and joy. Continuing Elevate's annual tradition, Tom and Candace also close the show by answering their own Elevator Speech questions and provide goals for the year ah…

In Elevate Maryland's return to live shows at its new location, Busboys & Poets, Candace and Tom sit down with Howard County Council-member Opel Jones to discuss his first three years in office and his recently announced campaign for re-election. He addressed the difficulty in diversifying the Council, challenges he's faced as the only person of co…

Columbia, Maryland was created with an eye towards intentionally integrating neighborhoods based on race and income. Despite their intent, many of the methods utilized by The Rouse Company were made illegal with the Fair Housing Act, most prominently the practice of "steering" homeowners or renters to certain properties based on race. As these meth…

Edgar Villanueva is a globally-recognized activist and author of the award-winning book Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. In this interview, Edgar discusses the troubled foundations of philanthropy from how these funds are derived to the discriminatory manner grants are awarded. He also challenges the hiera…

Takirra Winfield Dixon - Founder, Unapologetic Communications Gabrielle Wyatt - Founder, The Highland Project Erica Green - Reporter, The New York Times Coming off of Erica Green's powerful profile of former Queen Anne's County Superintendent Dr. Andrea Kane, our guests discuss their work, their challenges, and what they want you to know about thei…

Richard Rothstein is the author of the New York Times Bestseller The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. In this interview, Mr. Rothstein describes how our communities continue to be segregated by law due to laws and policies adopted in the early 20th century. He also recommends action at the local level to r…

In this show, Candace and Tom interview retiring Howard Community College President Dr. Kate Hetherington. She discussed how following a set procedure and path set HCC up to be one of the few community colleges recognized with the distinguished Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Dr. Hetherington also describes how the school charted a path t…

In this episode, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., discusses his decision not to run for Governor and instead seek reelection. We also hit on the topics of housing, education, equity, and his prolonged stint as a prominent local DJ! You won't want to miss his unpopular benign opinion, even though it technically has to do with food.…

UpSurge was founded to make Baltimore the first "Equitech" city in the world. This effort is premised on the idea that Maryland's tech ecosystem is primed for exponential growth with the incorporation of Baltimore's diverse workforce. In this episode, Jamie describes UpSurge's methodology of bringing people into the tech sector who have been boxed …

The Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, religion, national origin, and, since 1974, sex. Our guest this week believes we need another amendment that will prohibit discrimination in housing based on economic status. Although racism and sexism are seen as overtly bad, Richard Kahlenberg notes that…

We live in a great time of cynicism and apathy as it relates to politics and political power. In this episode, Candace and Tom interview coauthor Hahrie Han about her new book Prisms of the People: Power and Organizing in Twenty-First-Century America. She describes how people mistake attention for power and how the key to effectuating political cha…

The 2021 General Assembly Session will be remembered for many things, but top among them is Maryland's historic legislation on police reform. In this episode, Candace and Tom interview the co-chairs of the Maryland House Judiciary Committee, Luke Clippinger and Vanessa Atterbeary. They review the ups and downs of a unique COVID-impacted session and…

Candace returns for this interview with Howard County Library President and CEO Tonya Aikens to discuss the new "Brave Voices Brave Choices" campaign. This new initiative will replace the iconic "Choose Civility" campaign, which has adorned resident bumpers for over a decade. Tonya explains why it was necessary to move past the "Choose Civility" fr…

Vox's Jerusalem Demsas has burst onto the scene as a thought-leader on housing policy across the country. We were fortunate enough to book her for an interview to discuss the disjointed politics of land use policy, the economic impacts of SFD zoning, and how President Biden's new infrastructure plan may change all that.…

Accessory Dwelling Units, or "ADUs", are a hot topic in housing policy and provide the opportunity for lower cost housing options in areas with high housing prices. Annapolis Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier has cosponsored legislation with Alderman DaJuan Gay to legalize and regulate ADU's in Maryland's state capitol. Kol Peterson is an ADU expert an…

This week, Ainy and Tom interview UMD Entomologist and nationally recognized cicada expert Dr. Mike Raupp. We discuss everything from the precautions you can take to protect new landscaping to the manner cicadas may be prepared (or plucked) for human consumption. This podcast is for all of those who don't know want to make of the forthcoming cicada…

This week, Tom and Ainy interview Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson to discuss Thrive Montgomery 2050, urbanism, and affordable housing. This week’s featured business from The 3rd is “Simply Kashonna” founded by Kashonna Holland. “Simply Kashonna is building leaders through both a lifestyle, and corporate brand, focusing on moti…

Erika Strauss Chavarria is the founder of Columbia Community Care, a start up food and supply bank for those in need in Howard County. In twelve months, this organization has transformed from a start-up collecting in a parking lot to a service many residents rely on for their everyday needs. In this interview, we discuss the unserved needs of one o…