Jan Huff is a mother and wife and independent entrepreneur and spirit who came upon an impending health crisis a few years ago. She challenged herself to turn things around -and did so, The result of her self-discovery became her 24 hour dietary challenge that is one of the core elements of her creation- SYOLife, which means Save Your Own Life. Jan joins us on this episode of OJ to talk about her path to wellness, the challenges and discoveries she made on the way - and to offer us all an opportunity to gain a better perspective and control of our own well-being and to even save our own lives. She is also a friend of OJ

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Episode 81: Save Your Own Life (SYOLife): A conversation with Jan Huff

The Houston Women’s March will bring together women and allies for a peaceful protest on Saturday, October 2, 2021. Participants will gather at Discovery Green and then march to Houston City Hall beginning at 9 a.m. The event will also include voter registration stations, speakers, and musical performances. The march will serve as a peaceful protest of dire current events in Texas, including Senate Bill 8, which is tantamount(equivalent)to an unconstitutional ban on abortion; recently passed voter suppression laws; redistricting measures; discriminatory proposals harming the trans community; the inhumane treatment of immigrants along the border and throughout the state; attacks on Asian Americans; and more.  Joining us to add some detail and background information are Robin Paoli and Chris Caldwell. Robin is a 6 generation Texan. Robin volunteers and serves as president of the executive committee behind the group. Chris Caldwell is a newcomer to Houston. They are a 27 year old Dallas native who has always been passionate about human rights and protecting the arts. After college, they went to New York City and has been an active part of queer organizing in the Brooklyn area. They are now the VP of a grassroots organization, Hoochies of Houston.

Episode 80: Houston Women March: A Conversation with Robin Paoli and Chris Caldwell

This month marks one year since the horrific police murder of Houston’s George Floyd in Minneapolis, a galvanizing moment for the Black Lives Matter movement and the cause of racial justice in the United States and across the world. Open Journal has presented a series of discussions on race and racism over the course of time, especially this past year. Cherry Steinwender is founder and co-director of the Houston-based Center for the Healing of Racism - dedicated to the healing of racism through education and empowerment since 1989. Joel Goza is a Houston-based writer, minister and advocate. His first book, “America’s Unholy Ghosts: The Racist Roots of Our Faith and Politics” - is an examination of the religious and secular thinkers who inspired our Founding Fathers and leaders’ addiction to racist and classist ideas. 

Episode 79: A continuation with Cherry Steinwender and Joel Goza

The Texas Tribune is the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Erin Douglas is the environment reporter for the Texas Tribune. She was previously a business and economy reporter at the Houston Chronicle where she covered labor, energy and the environment. Before moving to Texas, Erin worked as an intern at Bloomberg in New York and at The Denver Post, her hometown newspaper. 

Episode 78: A conversation with Texas Tribune Reporter Erin Douglas

Tierney Malone is a visual artist and storyteller who uses African-American history and pop culture to create mixed media works that challenge contemporary culture and politics. Additionally, Malone is the creator of the Jazz Church of Houston and is host of the Houston Jazz Spotlight on 90.1 KPFT every Wednesday afternoon from 4-6pm. Tierney has exhibited his art widely throughout Texas and the United States. Born in LA, raised in Miss. and Ala. and based in Houston’s historic Third Ward, he considers himself a Southern Seed. We consider him a friend and are happy to have this conversation with him today.

Episode 77: Houston Jazz Spotlight: Tierney Malone

A conversation about the legendary Montrose restaurant store: AL Quick Stop

Episode 76: AL Quick Stop: A conversation with Mohammad Elsaadi

A conversation with Tracie Jae: The Quiet Rebel

Episode 75: The Quiet Rebel: Tracie Jay

Soccer, or futbol for most of the world, has a history that goes back 150 years to England. Soccer has long struggled to gain the mainstream American status of Baseball, Football and Basketball, even Hockey. Still, Houston as the fourth largest city now has 2 professional soccer teams, Houston Dynamo(M) & Houston Dash(F), several collegiate teams and many thousands of youth playing in leagues. And with some 2026 World Cup matches likely headed this way, soccer is definitely on the rise. With us this edition of OJ is sportscaster Glenn Davis. Best known as lead play-by-play announcer for broadcasts of the Houston Dynamo and his weekly radio show - "Soccer Matters: with Glenn Davis” -Davis has called World Cup matches, Olympic socce, MLS matches, collegiate soccer and more. A pro soccer player in the 1980s, Davis has also coached youth soccer and works as a consultant. His charitable work includes a youth soccer camp titled "Kick Cancer" that features former and current soccer players as coaches to raise money for pediatric cancer research.He also has a KPFT connection.Glenn Davis -We are happy to welcome you back to Open Journal.

Episode 74: Glenn Davis: Soccer Matters

Julia Lewis has been organizing within the climate movement for 2 years. She is a junior at St. Catherine's Montessori High School, and also works on the Actions Team at Sunrise Houston. Vidya Muthupillai(moo-two-pee-lie) has been involved in the climate movement for the past 4 years. She is currently a senior at Glenda Dawson High School and a youth organizer in other issues as well.Devin Guevara is a senior at Sharpstown International School. He joined the climate movement back in 2019, and has been working to advance a comprehensive solution to the climate crisis ever since.All three are co-general coordinators of Houston Youth Climate Strike.

Episode 73: Houston Youth Climate Strike

Located on the western edge of Memorial Park, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and the opportunity to experience the natural world. This 155-acre urban nature sanctuary plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival. Conservation Director Stephen Benigno and Education Director Tiffany Ritter are with us to tell us more about the urban oasis in the heart of the city.

Episode 73: Stephen Benigno & Tiffany Ritter, Houston Arboretum

The COVID-19 Wall of Memories is the brainchild of Mohammed Nasrullah. Observing the steady rise in the numbers of sick and dead from the disease, he began thinking of a way to memorialize them, to keep them from being merely statistics. When the United States reached 100,000 deaths, he felt called to action, to create something to remember and honor their lives. Mohammed imagined a digital version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He shared his vision with his wife, Ruth, a freelance journalist who proposed that the website also provide context and details through a news and analysis page. Mohammed’s brother added his software design skills and the Covid-19 Wall of Memories was begun.

Episode 72: COVID-19 Wall of Memories

Based in Galveston, Artist Boat was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit to promote awareness and preservation of the coastal margins and the marine environment through land conservation and fun, educational, inspiring adventures. Founder and Executive Director, Karla Klay has over 25 years experience in arts and environmental education.

Episode 71: Artist Boat: Karla Klay

We’ve long heard the nursery rhyme: March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers. April is a good time to start harvesting water so plants can drink during dry days. Nell Wheeler & Dean Cook design systems that can collect and store as much as 3,000 gallons of rainwater in metal tanks. Veterans of the KPFT’s former beloved program, Eco-ology, Nell and Dean have been involved in the environmental justice movement for many years.

Episode 70: Metal Rain Tanks

Houston Media Source provides education, equipment, and a content-neutral platform for people who want to produce their own television or radio programs. By giving Houstonians access to the mass media, HMS empowers them to address issues and tell stories that are not covered by traditional media outlets, highlighting the rich cultural tapestry of our city. Executive director Tom Richards, who is no stranger to the KPFT airways, is with us to tell us about HMS, how they have been handling the pandemic and what’s ahead.

Episode 70: Houston Media Source: Tom Richards

For nearly a week in mid-February, most of the state suffered through subfreezing temperatures. Millions lost power and heat. When pipes burst and water systems shut down. Just this week, the New York Times reported that 111 people had died in the freeze, almost doubling the number of deaths officials had reported earlier. A month and a half since the freeze hit Texas, we’re still trying to make sense of what happened. A decade ago, University of Houston Energy Fellow, Ed Hirs predicted this failure would happen. He is an energy economics professor at UH and he’s with us today to help understand how the system collapsed, the fallout since then and what can be done to prevent this from happening again.

Episode 69: UH energy fellow/professor: Ed Hirs

Open Journal is a weekly Magazine of all things going on in the Houston Community. Open Journal is hosted by Duane Bradley and Stephanie Coleman every Monday evening from 6-7pm broadcasting live on 90.1 KPFT-FM. The Open Journal Podcast includes Conversations with the interesting people who make up the diverse city of Houston Texas.

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