Produced by YMC member Rena, this episode explores different methods of language preservation, focusing on Ojibwemowin, the language spoken by the Ojibwe people of so-called Canada and Turtle Island . This episode features Renas' friend Caley Coyne, an Alaskan Native (Athabascan and Yupik) who has lived in Minnesota her whole life and began learning Ojibwemowin when she was young, and John-Paul Chalykoff, an Anishinaabe Studies professor and a member of the Michipicoten First Nation Ojibwe commu...
Jun 26, 2025•26 min•Ep. 42
Part 2 of 2: In our journey of voicing resistances, join Solo and Hiwi on YouthSoup as we dive into the world of public radio with Dr. Laura Garbes and Cydney Grannan. From challenging exclusion to uplifting authentic storytelling, we explore how integrity and voice are reshaping the future of public media. This episode is the fourth in our 7th season, "Voicing Resistance," completed in residency at the University of Minnesota's Liberal Arts Engagement Hub. This activity is made possible by the ...
Jun 12, 2025•30 min•Ep. 40
Part 1 of 2: In our journey of voicing resistances, join Solo and Hiwi on YouthSoup as we dive into the world of public radio with Dr. Laura Garbes and Cydney Grannan. From challenging exclusion to uplifting authentic storytelling, we explore how integrity and voice are reshaping the future of public media. This episode is the third in our 7th season, "Voicing Resistance," completed in residency at the University of Minnesota's Liberal Arts Engagement Hub. This activity is made possible by the v...
Jun 05, 2025•49 min•Ep. 39
In this episode of Listen Up Youth Radio, we will look into the complex world of censorship with Dr. Sima Shakhsari, a professor at the University of Minnesota and a longtime advocate for marginalized communities. From student protests against war-related investments to the censorship of voices speaking out against injustice, we explore how censorship works in media, academia, and activism. We also talk about how narratives around refugees, gender, and civil society are shaped or silenced throug...
May 29, 2025•43 min•Ep. 38
Join Hiwi and the Sudanese Student Union at the University of Minnesota as they explore how sound through music, poetry, and protest shapes Sudanese culture and resistance. Discover how these expressions preserve heritage and fuel unity amid the ongoing war in Sudan. This episode is the first in our 7th season, "Voicing Resistance," completed in residency at the University of Minnesota's Liberal Arts Engagement Hub. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from t...
May 22, 2025•57 min•Ep. 37
Join us - as a collective, along with our guest Dana Silverman from SPNN - as we explore what it means to be a youth in today's world. As individuals from both Gen Z and Millennial generations, we reflect on how we define youth and youthfulness in the era of social media. From shifting perceptions over time to the cultural and societal forces shaping our experiences, we dive into the impact of modern technology, identity, and community. Tune in for an open discussion on what it truly means to be...
Mar 06, 2025•58 min•Ep. 36
Summer Media Intensive 2024, Bonus Episode: To close out our publication of SMI 2024, were excited to share the results of an experimental pop-up recording studio. We hope you enjoy this funny little episode, featuring some wonderful members of the Listen Up community!
Dec 28, 2024•21 min•Ep. 35
Summer Media Intensive 2024, Part 4: Join Siham as she talks about multimedia visual arts and has the chance to interview professional visual artist Hend Al-Mansour. She dives into depth about the importance behind its cultural representation and audience impact, while Hend tells her more about the creation behind it. Find out more about Hend's work on her website www.hendalmansour.com, and check out her exhibit up at SooVAC in Minneapolis until January 5, 2005 - and her murals around the Twin C...
Dec 20, 2024•15 min•Ep. 34
Summer Media Intensive 2024, Part 3: In this episode, Hamza Ali talks about mental health within video games. He sits down with his friends Hamse and Dinasha to talk about their favorite video games and how video games have improved their mental health. Even if you don't play video games, Hamza hopes that you can see how video games can positively affect others' lives. In the other half of this episode, Hamse Sahardid dives into his Somali culture and cuisine. He interviews his friend and his si...
Dec 19, 2024•31 min•Ep. 33
Summer Media Intensive 2024, Part 2: In this episode of youth soup, Josie and Destiney talk about the importance of art. Josie sits down with her close friends James and Hadiyah to talk about the importance of art education and what that means to them. Later in the episode, Josie talks to her 8th grade English teacher, Mr. Mulhern to get a teacher's perspective on the situation. Destiney talks about the more personal aspects of art; how it improved her mental health, how it can improve mental he...
Dec 18, 2024•25 min•Ep. 32
Summer Media Intensive 2024, Part 1: Movies have had a long history of misrepresenting or showing Queer and Black people in a negative lightwith the Horror genre being one of the biggest offenders. In this episode Dinasha and Kiara dive into stereotypes and how they negatively affect culture and communities. We will also talk about how movies are changing and making an effort to create positive representation while also including intersectionality between Queer and Black people. SPOILER WARNING:...
Dec 17, 2024•31 min•Ep. 31
In this episode, Hiwi sits down with Abdul Yousuph, a political science and international relations graduate from the University of Addis Ababa, to talk about how Ethiopian identity has changed across generations. Abdul shares what being Ethiopian meant for his generation and reflects on how recent conflicts and our history of internal colonization have shaped what it means for us, the youth, today. Join Hiwi and Abdul as they discuss the journey of where we come from, how we see ourselves now, ...
Dec 12, 2024•36 min•Ep. 30
Listen in on Siyams new YouthSoup episode in which she takes a deep dive into poetry, exploring the power of words and how they can evoke emotions, paint vivid pictures, and tell compelling stories. Joined by poets Sagirah Shahid and Ibtisam Sid. We asked Sagirah how listeners can find her work - she recommended folks look for the local organization Mizna ( mizna.org ), one place where Sagirah's poetry has been published; you can often find her at their events where she might be performing, supp...
Nov 30, 2024•28 min•Ep. 29
Join Hiwi, Solo, and Bethy in this thought-provoking episode about Ethiopia's unique history and its ongoing internal struggles. They dive into the pride of being from one of the only African nations never colonized and discuss the ethnic-based civil wars in Tigray, Oromia, and Amhara. Together, they explore what these conflicts mean for Ethiopian identity today. Tune in for a heartfelt conversation about pride, unity, and the challenges of internal conflicts.
Nov 22, 2024•32 min•Ep. 28
Teens coming together to talk about a topic usually kept lowkey. In this episode Solo, Hiwi, and Siyam deep dive into the profound and mysterious subject of death. Exploring various perspectives, including cultural beliefs and personal experiences. Aiming to shed light on the often taboo topic and providing a space for reflection and understanding. Come along on this journey with many curiosities, stories, and debates of lifes inevitable end.
Jul 18, 2024•33 min•Ep. 27
In this episode, Rena chats with Astrid, a wonderful Urban Roots staff member and the biggest beet lover. They talk all about food justice, youth work, and cooking! Tune in to hear about our food stories! (This is one of Renas favorite episodes ever, thanks to Astrid)
May 13, 2024•43 min•Ep. 26
In this episode, Luka interviews Robert Two Bulls, a Missioner for the Department of Indian Work at the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. They talk about religion, death and why Robert chooses to be a Christian. Please enjoy!
Feb 08, 2024•27 min•Ep. 25
This episode is a YouthForum that was hosted/filmed in August of 2023 during the Summer Media Intensive. Rena and Gloria of the Youth Media Collective sat down with members of the Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA! MN) from Climate Gen. Featuring Aniela Kunkel Iinares, Anna Bennet, and Toby Kyle Stickles of YEA! MN.
Feb 02, 2024•53 min•Ep. 24
In this episode, Emerson and Hamsa are here to take you on the journey of food, exploring the vast cultures of your favorite snacks and food and various delicacies and culinary experiences across the world. Keep listening to hear more about peanut butter cupcakes, ph?, and Big Chicken
Oct 20, 2023•29 min•Ep. 23
In this episode of Youth Soup, join Siyam as she takes a deep dive into Oromo culture, discovering its various values, traditions, and culinary arts through talking with Illily and Abdurahman. All about Culture, Family. and Love. Then, Diamond, a passionate youth producer, talks to her former Ojibwe teacher and mentor Mathew Lafave and her amazing mother Deidre Raymond about the cultural significance of frybread."
Oct 06, 2023•29 min•Ep. 22
Is going viral all that? In this episode Luka Cook interviews Yves, a member of the local music scene in Minnesota, to talk about their music journey and what it means to be a part of the scene. Luka also sits down with VIALs KT Branscom to talk about how VIAL started and the effects capitalism has on the music industry. Ben interviews Gloria, a fellow youth producer at Listen Up to share their social media experiences, capture the thoughts on mental health within social media, and ways to impro...
Sep 21, 2023•31 min•Ep. 21
Brooklyn talks to two different teachers, Christopher Polly and Chole Bluth who do a whole lot for their school and students and do not get paid enough for what they do. Lanah sits down and talks with Molly Keenan, a teacher, a parent, and working artist about what her life is like alongside her job. They discuss how much Molly works, how she balances her business and family, and her thoughts about the public education system.
Sep 07, 2023•30 min•Ep. 20
Kay sits down with their friend Sandi to have a chat about her queer identity, and how she got to this point in life where she is able to accept herself as an aro-ace person. In part 2 of this episode, Dana talks to Abby about their experiences going into middle school during and after the COVID pandemic, touching on topics that impacted them socially, emotionally, and academically.
Aug 24, 2023•32 min•Ep. 19
Part two of the conversation with Jolene Jones and Cassie Holmes about the struggle for community control of the Roof Depot and the deadly environmental racism present in East Phillips. This episode contains discussion of the deaths of young people, police violence, and systemic colonial abuse.
Aug 11, 2023•26 min•Ep. 18
In May, Youth Soup producers had a conversation with two long time residents and community leaders in Little Earth MN, Jolene Jones, and Cassie Holmes, about the communities needs for the Roof Depot site. This is part 1 of a longer conversation, so stay tuned for the second half! Gratitude and respect to Jolene and Cassie for their time, knowledge, and leadership.
Aug 11, 2023•20 min•Ep. 17
In this episode, we invite the lovely and wonderful Junauda Petrus who is a local author, artist, and community member to join Rena, Jacy, and Sara. They discuss the importance of maintaining and being involved in community, building intergenerational relationships, queer elders, the nuances of being a BIPOC artist in the Twin Cities, as well as read aloud Junaudas childrens book, Can We Please Give the Police Department to the grandmothers? Come listen!
Jul 13, 2023•54 min•Ep. 16
For this episode of Youth Soup, Rena and Jacy and Ella had the honor of speaking with 2 members of the COFED Organization, AB and Axl, about relationships between the land, liberation, community and identity.
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 15
This episode of Youthsoup contains vulgarity and mentions of self injury. Clara inquires a close friend about her upbringing in a hostile household. She recounts her conflicting parents, disdainful parent figures, details her struggle with self image as a result of scorn from her mother and a frayed bond with her misogynist father. Despite a dreary topic the conversation between friends isnt without laughs and delivers needed catharsis.
Jun 15, 2023•31 min•Ep. 14
In this episode of YouthSoup, Ella invites her longtime friend Grace to discuss their experiences with their stepmoms, what its like, how their feelings have changed, and how they grew out of the stereotype of the evil stepmother.
Jun 01, 2023•25 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, Gloria has a sit-down interview with Emmy-Nominated journalist Georgia Fort based in the Twin Cities to discuss the importance of representation in media. They discuss the stigma behind Black journalists on the screen, stories that dont have a light shed on, and how storytellers can contribute to amplify those untold stories. What was it like being one of the two journalists in the sentencing of Derek Chauvin? How can storytellers create a space of inclusion? Find out in this cu...
May 19, 2023•26 min•Ep. 12
