Ep 398 - Dilla, the Chicago Historian, Cheerleader, and Champion

The histories of our city shape our lives as Chicagoans, whether we know it or not. City stalwart and self-taught historian Dilla has made a life and livelihood peeling back the layers of Chicago and showing us how dope and impactful the city has been around the world. He sheds light on the roots of his curiosity, what he discovered through doing his genetic ancestry testing, and some of the best hidden histories he's found about the Chicago phenomens we love and hate.SHOW NOTESLink with Dilla - https://www.instagram.com/6figga_dilla/Sign up for one of his tours - https://www.chicagomahogany.com/Photo by Ash Lane via the TriibeFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

AirGo fam, check out this brand-new podcast from our friends over at the Court Theatre. Court Theatre’s Spotlight Reading series celebrates its 10th anniversary from August 7–22, 2026, with A Century of Black Progress, a festival exploring the past, present, and future of Black storytelling through the lens of Chicago's cultural ecosystem. Get an up-close look at the inspiration, process, and creators behind one of Court's most popular programs in the Spotlight Reading Series companion podcast, Spotlight Turns Ten. On this first episode, take a deep dive into how the Spotlight Reading Series began, featuring Aaron Mays (playwright, director, and Spotlight co-founder) and Kamilah Rashied (Director of Engagement, Court Theatre). Listen to episode 1 here and subscribe to Spotlight Turns 10 wherever you get your podcasts.Credits:Spotlight Turns 10 is a production of Court TheatreHosts: Aaron Mays and Kamilah RashiedProducer: Tribble, Ask Tribble Inc. Creative Consultants: Damon A. Williams and Daniel Kisslinger, Respair MediaLine Producer: Kelcie Beene Sound Engineer: Jimmy Bonks BuonforteMusic: Roy Kinsey - BLACK ft. Ifeanyi Elswith, from the album Dandelions: Gods Don't CrySpecial Thanks: Josh McCammon (Technical Director of Audio and Video, Court Theatre), Camille Oswald (Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation, Court Theatre)Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

Do you ever feel daunted by the impending doom of climate collapse and social discombobulation? Relatable? Us too. That's why we were so glad to have Mikaela Loach on the show. Mikaela is a British climate justice activist, author and media personality. She has authored two books: "It's Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World" and "Climate is Just the Start," a companion for kids who want to face and address the climate crisis. She's also the cofounder of the AWETHU School of Organising, a transformative grassroots educational initiative based in the UK. She joins the guys to talk about what it feels like to organize for the diaspora from the metropole, the debts owed the global south, and what youth can and can't bring to the movement for climate action.SHOW NOTESFollow Mikaela - https://www.instagram.com/mikaelaloach/?hl=enBuy "It's Not That Radical" - https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2583-it-s-not-that-radicalFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is in the stu! A three-time AirGo guest (rarefied air) and longtime progressive presence in our city, Mayor Johnson reflects with the guys about how centering his values in the midst of the migrant crisis has made so much other good work possible, the lessons he's learned from the seat of power, and the ways his day-to-day policies are rooted in a politic of repair. We also get an EXCLUSIVE exposè on the origins of his frohawk...SHOW NOTESCheck out our other convos with Brandon:From the campaign trail in 2023 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-317-brandon-johnson-mayor-of-chicago-returns/id1016530091?i=1000598893440From 2018 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-132-brandon-johnson/id1016530091?i=1000408769419Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

Zayd Ayers Dohrn is the child of AirGo alums and lifelong radicals Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn (yes, we've interviewed his parents too lol). You may remember him as the creator of the podcast Mother Country Radicals.Born underground, Zayd lived in fugitivity with his parents. All his life, they said his birth marked a clean break with violent revolutionary struggle, but in his new memoir, he discovers that story wasn’t entirely true. We talk about the messiness and murkiness he uncovered as he dug deeper into his story, the contradictions he grew up in, and what it means to openly and honestly interrogate where and who you come from.SHOW NOTESBuy Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young: A Fugitive Family in the Revolutionary Underground - https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324089315Listen to Mother Country Radicals - https://crooked.com/podcast-series/mother-country-radicals/Check out our convo with Bill Ayers - https://airgoradio.com/airgo/2026/2/12/ep-386-bill-ayers-legendary-leftist-and-teacher-for-liberation-returnsListen to our episode with Bernardine Dohrn - https://airgoradio.com/airgo/2023/6/8/ep-322-bernardine-dohrnFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

Hey AirGo fam! We've got a new project we're hyped to share with you about a really big story happening right here in Chicago. Quantum Entanglements is a new multimedia investigative feature from Respair about South Side Chicago communities fighting for self-determination in response to potentially being poisoned, pushed out, and policed by an impending 9-billion dollar quantum computer on the shores of Lake Michigan. You can also check out the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@respairmedia, and share the podcast with your people here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respair-presents-quantum-entanglements/id1721426761Over the four decades since the US Steel South Works steel mill shut its doors, the land it sat on has remained undeveloped as the surrounding communities heal from the physical, environmental, economic, and social wounds left behind by this industrial behemoth. Now, a coalition of public and private power players from all levels of government and different sectors of industry is preparing to break ground on a "Quantum Campus"–a multi-billion dollar sprawling facility of next-generation technology and surveillance that could both release poisonous contamination and dismantle digital privacy around the globe. As the next industrial revolution descends on a community still reeling from the destruction of deindustrialization, we talk with organizers and neighbors living alongside the site about how they're building power, demanding answers, making sense of the area’s history, and fighting for the ability to determine the future of their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and relationships to the land on which they live.Check out the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@respairmediaShare the podcast with your people here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respair-presents-quantum-entanglements/id1721426761Get the Quantum Entanglements Listening Guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19sgxkK8Uf45YpsgjuGECzzuij4sBBoC8/view?usp=sharingQuantum Entanglements was recorded at Chicago Beyond and Kit Studios here in Chicago. Find all of our work at http://respairmedia.com. CREDITSCohosts & Executive Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger. Video Post-Production Supervisor - Troi VallesLead Video Editor - Troi VallesMultimedia Producer - Troi Valles Associate Audio Editors - Cin Pimentel & Rocio Santos  Engagement Producer - Rivka YekerAdditional Reporting - Kamari PatrickArtwork - Areanna Eggleston & Danbee KimMUSICDubstep Next Left (feat. Tom Wilkinson) - Asthmatic AstronautFunk Heaven - KetsaChina Town - AudiobingerContemplate Jat - Katrah QueyAgua - Katrah QueySleeper Agent - Tab AnitekOuter Orbit - Revolution VoidDragon Drop - Darkstorm DiabolikGlass Harp - dustmotesAscension (Leaving Earth Pt. 1) - Mr. SmithFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

Hey AirGo fam! Here's the trailer for a new project, dropping this Thursday 6/18/26, that we're hyped to share with you!Quantum Entanglements is a new multimedia investigative feature from Respair about South Side Chicago communities fighting for self-determination in response to potentially being poisoned, pushed out, and policed by an impending 9-billion dollar quantum computer on the shores of Lake Michigan. You can also check out the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@respairmedia, and share the podcast with your people here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respair-presents-quantum-entanglements/id1721426761Over the four decades since the US Steel South Works steel mill shut its doors, the land it sat on has remained undeveloped as the surrounding communities heal from the physical, environmental, economic, and social wounds left behind by this industrial behemoth. Now, a coalition of public and private power players from all levels of government and different sectors of industry is preparing to break ground on a "Quantum Campus"–a multi-billion dollar sprawling facility of next-generation technology and surveillance that could both release poisonous contamination and dismantle digital privacy around the globe. As the next industrial revolution descends on a community still reeling from the destruction of deindustrialization, we talk with organizers and neighbors living alongside the site about how they're building power, demanding answers, making sense of the area’s history, and fighting for the ability to determine the future of their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and relationships to the land on which they live.Check out the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@respairmediaShare the podcast with your people here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respair-presents-quantum-entanglements/id1721426761Get the Quantum Entanglements Listening Guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19sgxkK8Uf45YpsgjuGECzzuij4sBBoC8/view?usp=sharingQuantum Entanglements was recorded at Chicago Beyond and Kit Studios here in Chicago. Find all of our work at http://respairmedia.com. CREDITSCohosts & Executive Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger. Video Post-Production Supervisor - Troi VallesLead Video Editor - Troi VallesMultimedia Producer - Troi Valles Associate Audio Editors - Cin Pimentel & Rocio Santos  Engagement Producer - Rivka YekerAdditional Reporting - Kamari PatrickArtwork - Areanna Eggleston & Danbee KimMUSICDubstep Next Left (feat. Tom Wilkinson) - Asthmatic AstronautFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

If you live in the 33rd Ward on the Northwest Side of Chicago, you already know the political magic that's been built by this Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez and her comrades. For everyone else, it's pivotal to see how a group of grassroots socialist-leaning organizers have built power from the streets to the House of Representatives, while still doing the job of meeting people's everyday needs. Rossana returns to AirGo to talk about how this power base has been constructed brick-by-brick, the billionaire meddlers in Chicago's politics, and how she and so many others built new capacity for liberation in the face of ICE's so-called "Midway Blitz" last year.SHOW NOTESListen to Rossana on AirGo in 2020 - https://airgoradio.com/airgo/2020/4/15/episode-233-on-the-line-with-ald-rossana-rodriguezAnd again in 2023 - https://airgoradio.com/airgo/2023/3/3/ep-318-rossana-rodriguez-returnsConnect with her office - https://33rdward.org/Link with the 33rd Ward Working Families IPO - https://www.workingfamilies33.org/Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

On this episode the guys check in about living in a time of decay, dissonance, and maybe World War 3? They also dig deep into the new Louis Theroux docuseries Inside the Manosphere, and get into it about whether masculinity is savalgeable or whether we should scrap the whole concept to help humanity. Plus, some real topical takes about how good the movie Casablanca is.Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker

We have the privilege of welcoming four youthful hope-givers and fellow Chicago podcasters to the AirGo stu–JJ, Allen, Abee, and Matt of hit show the JAAM Podcast. In a little over a year, the guys have built a vibrant and very successful show sharing a razor-sharp voice and perspective on what's happening in our city, the news cycle, and beyond. Their show has welcomed guests like Hasan Piker, Chance the Rapper, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Deante Kyle, and many more. Yet they'd never told the origin story of their show and work together–until now!We break down how being a digital native can shape your worldview, what it means to wrestle with masculinity as you come of age, and much more. Get into it!SHOW NOTESTune in to the JAAM - https://www.youtube.com/@TheJAAMPod Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - [email protected] CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker