Community conversations continue in person at Boston Public Library Jan. 30, watch on YouTube starting Jan. 20

(Boston, Mass. - Jan. 16, 2025) – GBH today announced a community conversation series, GBH Amplifies , focused on expanding the reach of local voices from Greater Boston and beyond. The series features community leaders hosting public conversations in the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, providing a platform for inclusive perspectives on the issues that matter most to New England communities.

For five weeks starting Jan. 20, prior GBH Amplifies conversations will be released each Monday on the GBH Forum Network YouTube channel . On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the first conversation will premiere hosted by Ron Mitchell, Publisher and Editor of The Bay State Banner, who invites Black leaders to look beyond post-election and ahead to the new administration. The following week, Alberto Vasallo III, President and CEO of El Mundo Boston and producer/host of the La Hora del Café streaming show, invites Latino leaders to discuss culture and issues in their community. The GBH Forum Network , funded by the Lowell Institute, partners with Greater Boston leaders and organizations to provide technical and production support for more than 150 annual panel discussions, lectures and town meetings focused on a wide range of topics, issues, and individuals.

“It is exciting to be one of the first hosts to participate in GBH Amplifies, working with the GBH team to bring even more dialogue and attention to the important issues in our community,” said Mitchell. “This is a great opportunity for us to build on The Banner’s news reporting and community outreach.”

“GBH Amplifies has given me the opportunity to highlight the many, many inspiring faces and voices of my community. I look forward to a dose of positive energy every time we roll the cameras in such a fun and entertaining setting,” said Vasallo. “The GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library is the perfect venue as it also incorporates live audience participation. Come on down and join us!”

In GBH Amplifies, rotating hosts from local media and community organizations create their own shows featuring neighborhood artists, activists, and other local leaders making an impact in the Greater Boston area. Each host records their conversation at the Boston Public Library in front of a studio audience situated in the adjacent Newsfeed Café. Hosts and guests invite the public up to the mic to ask questions, welcoming audience participation during tapings. The conversations address a wide range of topics, from social justice and equity to cultural trends and local politics.

The next tapings will occur 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. – one on Thursday, Jan. 30 with Alberto Vasallo III and then on Thursday, Feb. 6, with Ron Mitchell. Check the BPL Studio calendar for future recording dates and new hosts. These events are free and open to the public.

 “By handing the mic to local leaders and opening up GBH’s studio at the Boston Public Library, we hope to foster a welcoming environment for thoughtful discussion and frank dialogue about issues that really matter to our neighbors in Boston and beyond,” said Susan Goldberg, President and CEO at GBH.

 “National narratives often dominate the conversation, but local stories are what shape our communities,” said Liz Cheng, GBH & WORLD General Manager of TV & Streaming, who leads the GBH Forum Network. “GBH Amplifies is part of our work to ensure that the stories and issues impacting Boston’s neighborhoods are heard and understood.”

 GBH Amplifies is also being supported by the Barr Foundation.

 More information about the series can be found at wgbh.org/forum-network/series/gbh-amplifies.

 About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.

Media Contact
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GBH External Relations
Vitoria_Poejo@wgbh.org