“In a time that feels very dark and hopeless, they're finding hope in the humanity of others, not just what they're doing, but what they see communities doing to help.”

- Lucy May, Cincinnati journalist, on one of the stories of the year that brought her hope


“I'm thinking about the ripple effect and the fact that you know, who started this? It was one person who said, ‘Geez, you know, this is this massive issue happening on a national scale. And I can either choose to feel completely powerless, like I have no agency and lament it, or I can just say, What's one more thing I can do?’”

- Jackie Congedo, on the local person who started the program Grocery Buddies this year, to fill in the gap when SNAP benefits fall short


In a year dominated by heavy headlines, in this episode of The Upstander Ripple Effect, we made a deliberate choice to end with hope and light. Joined by longtime journalist and host of WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition, Lucy May, the hosts explore why our brains gravitate toward bad news—and why seeking out “points of light” is not naïve, but necessary.

Through powerful stories of wrongful conviction, radical forgiveness, and neighbors stepping up for neighbors, the episode makes the case that hope is an act of courage — and essential for us as upstanders to keep moving forward.


This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/
https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/
https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Episode Resources

Watch Lovely Jackson, the documentary about Rickey Jackson
https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Jackson-Matt-Waldeck/dp/B0DZ28SSMC

Listen to the Cincinnati Edition episode covering Rickey’s story
https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-10-20/rickey-jackson-lovely-jackson-innocence-project

Find out more about the Grocery Buddies program
https://grocery-buddies.org/

Listen to WVXU coverage of the Grocery Buddies
https://www.wvxu.org/news-from-npr/2025-11-01/as-snap-benefits-run-dry-grocery-buddies-are-footing-their-neighbors-food-bills

https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2025-11-11/snap-recipients-shutdown-grocery-buddies-cincinnati

https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-11-26/cincinnati-community-comes-together-to-fill-gaps-in-hunger

Visit the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/

Read Kevin’s column about Ja’Marr Chase and his handling of the rude fan who wanted an autograph

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/06/30/cincinnati-bengals-jamarr-chase-plane-tiktok-fan/84412070007/

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As artificial intelligence of the future is applied to events of the past, how do we make sure truth and authenticity is the focus?

“We remove the human element out of it when we say, robot, go do this for me.”
- Jackie Congedo, on relying on AI to interpret history

Hosts Jackie Congedo and Kevin Aldridge welcome guest Steve Coppel to discuss his father, Werner’s, story—now part of the powerful Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. exhibition. Later, they explore how AI-generated misinformation threatens Holocaust remembrance and other historical events. With insight from the Auschwitz Museum’s Pawel Sawicki, this episode asks how we preserve authenticity and humanity in an age when even memory can be manipulated.

This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find us on social media
https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/
https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/
https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Episode Resources

Tickets for Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/auschwitz-not-long-ago-not-far-away/

Hear more from Pawel Sawicki on his role at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/a-conversation-with-pawel-sawicki-press-officer-for-the-auschwitz-birkenau-state-museum/

AI articles discussed
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4xjk1g1xo
https://longreads.com/2025/09/25/ai-holocaust-survivors-memory/
https://www.d-id.com/news/the-heroes-speak-marking-80-years-for-the-warsaw-ghetto-uprising/

More to read on AI and the work of Holocaust memory
https://holocaustremembrance.com/news/does-ai-future-holocaust-memory

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When political division and violence dominate the headlines, how can we hold on to our shared humanity? Host Jackie Congedo is joined by guest Sean Comer, Vice President of the Leadership Center at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and founder of Beyond Civility: Communication for Effective Governance. Together, they explore how empathy, humility, and connection can counter polarization and strengthen the fabric of our communities.

“Talking about difficult topics, conversations where there's going to be significant disagreement - it takes practice.” – Sean Comer

Drawing lessons from the Holocaust and the words of survivors like Roma Kaltman and Al Miller, Jackie and Sean talk about the dangers of dehumanization—and the need to rebuild our “civic muscle” for dialogue across differences. Sean shares stories from more than a decade of work bringing people together—from students and public servants to business leaders—and shares his thoughts on how we got here and how we can move forward.

This episode is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Center for Storytelling. Subscribe here https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find us on social media

https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/

https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/

https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Episode Resources

Learn more about Sean’s work

https://cincinnatichamber.com/leadership-center/

Coverage of the Eradicate Hate Summit

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/2025/09/17/eradicate-hate-summit-political-violence/stories/202509170085

https://www.wesa.fm/identity-community/2025-09-16/pittsburgh-anti-discrimination-stand-for-all-launch

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s keynote address at the Eradicate Hate Summit

https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2025-press-releases/icymi--gov-shapiro-delivers-keynote-address-on-political-violenc

Joint statement from Ohio lawmakers on political violence

https://ohiohouse.gov/news/republican/senate-president-mccolley-senate-democratic-leader-antonio-house-speaker-huffman-house-minority-leader-isaacsohn-release-statement-condemning-political-violence-137836

Former Gov. John Kasich’s op-ed

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/09/22/kirk-minnesota-killings-are-part-of-troubling-pattern-in-us-opinion/86297939007/

Read more about “red capes” and “green capes”

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/2016-01-28/latest-news/penn-professor-explores-what-it-means-be-positive

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