Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons WBEZ Chicago

Libraries are a haven of free access to books, movies, magazines, and even social supports. But those spaces have faced attacks and an unprecedented number of book bans – 4,349 instances of book bans across 23 states – in just the last half of 2023.
Reset talks with Emily Drabinski, the head of the American Library Association, on why the county is divided between attacking and protecting libraries.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The first episode of the variety show Barn Dance aired on WLS on April 19, 1924. An event honoring this anniversary imagines what an episode of the show would sound like in 2024, with musicians, historical context and performances. It will be broadcast live on WFMT. Reset learns about the history of country music in Chicago, how the scene has evolved and what characterizes the sound today with Chicago historian Paul Durica, author Francesca Royster, Lawrence Peters of the Lawrence Peters Outfit, and musical director Jefferey Thomas.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago’s Office of Inspector General investigates misconduct on all levels of city government. And now it’s asking Chicago residents to weigh in on what’s important to them, and what governmental process or body they want to learn more about. It’s the office’s latest attempt to get public input on the inspector general’s priorities for the coming year. Reset sits down with Deborah Witzburg, the city’s inspector general, for more.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Hospitals and clinics that offer maternal healthcare have been closing on the South Side for years. And this puts mothers in those communities at risk. Reset sat down with UChicago Medicine’s inaugural Chief Obstetrical Transformation Officer, Dr. Sarosh Rana, and
The South Side Healthy Community Organization’s chief operating officer, Sarah Janvier, to learn about what work needs to be done to create safer conditions for Black mothers.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago is more than just the place where Arionne Nettles grew up, she writes, it’s in her DNA. In her debut book, We Are The Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything, Nettles takes readers through the history of how Black Chicagoans have led pop culture in America for decades, and gives insight into the ways culture shapes our lives and spreads across borders. Reset sits down with Nettles to discuss the city’s Southern roots, its cultural contributions and her own Chicago upbringing.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Since 1989, LSCs have won funding for their schools, removed corrupt faculty, renamed schools and even opened new campuses. Ideally, an LSC is typically made up of a school’s principal, a couple of teachers, parents, community members, and even students. But that’s not always the case. Reset learns more about Local School Councils in Chicago from two council members, Chinella Robinson and JP Paulus, and Chalkbeat Chicago’s Reema Amin.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.