Change Agents

"I have not make it, but I feel confident that with the direction that I've been pointed, there is a future. Because, I'm not alone. I'm not growing only by myself. I'm growing with the community that I'm serving."

Emma Yaaka, Finding Safety, Building Home

Our Stories

Season 6

In the face of deportation, communities are stepping in to protect one another.

Across the country, intensified enforcement and shifting immigration policies are tearing at the fabric of families and neighborhoods. Deportation has become an ever-present threat, shaping daily life through fear, resilience, and resistance. This season centers the people on the front lines of the crisis: organizers, legal workers, healers, and neighbors who are building systems of care and defense where institutions have failed. Their work reveals what community looks like when survival, dignity, and justice are on the line.

Season Six Episodes

Finding Safety, Building Home

{"id":41,"season":6,"episode_number":1,"name":"Finding Safety, Building Home","subtitle":null,"description":"This episode follows Emma Yaaka, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the U.S. in 2017 and built a life centered on advocacy and community care. He shares his journey fleeing violence as a queer man, surviving displacement in Kenya, and starting over in the U.S. with almost nothing. Emma arrived in the States during turbulent times, as protections for immigrants were beginning to erode and Chicago\u2019s migrant communities faced heightened ICE activity under Trump\u2019s second term. Through his work with Heartland Human Services and the U.S. Refugee Integration Organization, we see how community networks step in where systems fall short. Produced by Grace Asiegbu, this episode is a story about survival, belonging, and the ways people grow forward together, even when the ground keeps shifting.\r\n\r\nProduced by Grace Asiegbu @epitome_of_grace for Reparations Media NFP | In collaboration with Heartland Human Care Services @heartlandhumancareservices","when":"2026-02-06T00:00:00.000000Z","embed_code":"<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18634178\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1600336\/episodes\/18634178-finding-safety-building-home.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18634178&player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.changeagentsthepodcast.com\/images\/originals\/qWoOFDPWnLWFEQwxAxY9KgVOWOq73z9SzWJ4JVnl.jpg"}

A Moment of Pause: Navigating Misinformation in Immigrant Communities

{"id":42,"season":6,"episode_number":2,"name":"A Moment of Pause: Navigating Misinformation in Immigrant Communities","subtitle":null,"description":"In this episode, Emma Yaaka, a Ugandan refugee and community advocate, shares how misinformation spreads through refugee and migrant networks and the real consequences it can have. From WhatsApp groups to TikTok and YouTube, fear can travel fast, shaping decisions about health, safety, and even relocation. Emma works with his community to pause, verify, and navigate information in an environment where trust is fragile, and stakes are high. Experts Dr. Zach McDowell of UIC and Dr. Michael Spikes of NU-Medill explain why distinguishing misinformation from disinformation matters \u2014 and why trusted connections can make all the difference. Produced by Grace Asiegbu, this episode explores how digital information, fear, and community intersect in the lives of refugees.\r\n\r\n\r\nProduced by Grace Asiegbu @epitome_of_grace for Reparations Media NFP | In collaboration with Emma Yaaka and U.S. Refugee Integration Organization","when":"2026-02-19T00:00:00.000000Z","embed_code":"<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18707007\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1600336\/episodes\/18707007-a-moment-of-pause-navigating-misinformation-in-immigrant-communities.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18707007&player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.changeagentsthepodcast.com\/images\/originals\/pmOHEkbQ2syJa6kYR5I3NcdvSaqy1JFAwwOGzFlR.jpg"}

Radical Hospitality: One Woman's Fight for Haitian Migrants

{"id":43,"season":6,"episode_number":3,"name":"Radical Hospitality: One Woman's Fight for Haitian Migrants","subtitle":null,"description":"When buses of immigrants from Texas and Florida arrived in Chicago in the summer of 2022, the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, a local organization led by members of the Haitian diaspora, stepped in to help. The group has supported nearly 350 Haitian families who fled gang violence in Haiti as they began rebuilding their lives in the United States.\r\n\r\nAs ICE operations have increased across the country under the Trump administration, the organization has continued to help families navigate the complex immigration system, access resources, and stay safe.\r\n\r\nIn this episode, we speak with the organization\u2019s executive director, Aline, about the challenges of supporting Haitian migrants and what continues to drive their work.\r\n\r\nProduced by Obed Lamy www.obedlamy.com  for Reparations Media NFP | In collaboration with Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti www.haitiancongress.org","when":"2026-03-06T00:00:00.000000Z","embed_code":"<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18801778\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1600336\/episodes\/18801778-a-local-organization-s-work-to-support-haitian-immigrants-in-chicago.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18801778&player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.changeagentsthepodcast.com\/images\/originals\/QQzqU52dIbk2C26jcbPSVoKQ8p0drpCExuygihLz.jpg"}

Always On: The Work of Resettlement

{"id":44,"season":6,"episode_number":4,"name":"Always On: The Work of Resettlement","subtitle":null,"description":"After fleeing Uganda to escape a life sentence for his identity, Adam arrived in Chicago with nothing but his background in social work. Today, he serves as a vital bridge for LGBTQ+ migrants navigating the same trauma, bureaucracy, and fear he once faced. This story explores how one person\u2019s search for peace became a 24\/7 mission to ensure no one else has to navigate the resettlement process alone.\r\n\r\nIn this audio story, we explore the intersection of global migration and LGBTQ+ rights through the voices of directly impacted community members and resettlement experts. Featuring interviews with Adam, archival context on colonial-era laws, and reporting from the resettlement frontlines in Chicago.\r\n\r\nProduced by Nadia Carolina Hernandez [@naddixo] for Reparations Media NFP | In collaboration with HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) [@HIASrefugees]","when":"2026-03-26T00:00:00.000000Z","embed_code":"<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18901797\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1600336\/episodes\/18901797-always-on-the-work-of-resettlement.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18901797&player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.changeagentsthepodcast.com\/images\/originals\/rL6onOXlV01563qVsQtw7wJONjnTzdq6GbsWE5kg.jpg"}

Preparing to Say Goodbye

{"id":45,"season":6,"episode_number":5,"name":"Preparing to Say Goodbye","subtitle":"A Haitian mother finds support from advocates to safeguard her child while facing deportation","description":"There is a fear many parents hold on to but rarely say out loud: the possibility of being separated from their child. For one Haitian mother facing deportation, that fear is now a reality.\r\n\r\n\"M\" fled gang violence in Port-au-Prince while eight months pregnant, arriving in the U.S. by boat with only a cell phone and birth certificate. After her asylum case was denied, hindered by language barriers and lack of legal representation, she now wears an ankle monitor\u2014a constant reminder that she could be separated from her four-year-old U.S. citizen daughter at any time.\r\n\r\nThis investigation reveals how not speaking English, not having legal support, and not knowing how the immigration system works can change the course of immigrant lives\u2014and tear families apart.\r\n\r\nProduced by Obed Lamy @obedlamy for Reparations Media NFP | Translation: Edine Celestin | In collaboration with Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti and immigration advocates","when":"2026-04-10T00:00:00.000000Z","embed_code":"<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18990301\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1600336\/episodes\/18990301-preparing-to-say-goodbye-a-haitian-mother-finds-support-from-advocates-to-safeguard-her-child-while-facing-deportation.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18990301&player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>","avatar_url":"https:\/\/cdn.changeagentsthepodcast.com\/images\/originals\/x24ulTu98uzNmF1bHxUVsJtYFXS2jnD8kNrBUCzB.jpg"}

Shutting Down ICE

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Our Voices

Grace Asiegbu

Grace Asiegbu is a Chicago-based writer with over five years of experience crafting human-centered stories through impactful storytelling and audience engagement.

Nadia Carolina Hernandez

Nadia Carolina Hernandez is a bilingual Latina journalist with a passion for community storytelling with a focus on identity. She graduated from DePaul University with a BA in Journalism. She is committed to using journalism as a way to create community pride, increase transparency, and keep locals informed.

Obed Lamy

Obed Lamy is a video journalist and a documentary filmmaker. As a journalist with the Associated Press, he covers breaking news — including the exclusive phone call between Pope Leo XIV and his brother broadcast worldwide — and enterprise stories on immigrant communities. His films have screened at festivals across the United States, Canada, and South Korea. He won a Student Emmy from the Mid-America Emmy® Foundation and Best Emerging Filmmaker at the Fayetteville Film Festival. Born and raised in Haiti, Obed explores collective memory and silences in historical narratives through intimate, human-centered storytelling. A Fulbright Scholar, he earned an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University and is a fellow of the Caribbean Film Academy and Kartemquin Films’ Diverse Voices in Docs program.

Carlos Acosta

Carlos Acosta has been active in the social service field since 1990. He is currently the Owner & Lead Organizer/ Counselor of Phoenix Bilingual Services. He previously served as Staff Clinician at Blair Counseling and Mediation (Crystal Lake, IL), Senior Therapist with Irene Corzo and Associates (Lake Geneva, WI), Onsite Crisis Counselor with the McHenry Co. Crisis Program, and Clinical Screener at Northern Illinois University.

Carlos Acosta has served his community in various capacities. Carlos served as an elected McHenry County Board member (5th District) from 2018 to 2022. Carlos was previously an appointed member of the Woodstock Plan Commission (2004 - 2010). Carlos also served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of McHenry County (2003 - 2008), Leadership Greater McHenry County (2004 - 2008), and the McHenry County Community Foundation (2003 - 2007).

Carlos earned his B.S. in Leisure Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his M.A. in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago.

Our Community

The following grassroots organizations serving communities of color across Chicago land partnered with the Change Agents journalists, generating authenticity, insight and trusted connections for our stories.

Other Seasons

Season Six

Season Five

Season Four

Season Three

Season Two

Season One

Blog Posts

June 18 2026 El largo camino a casa El largo camino a casa El viaje de un refugiado a través de la incertidumbre, la burocracia y la búsqueda de seguridad... Por... May 7 2026 Distinctions That Make a Difference Distinctions That Make a Difference How immigration labels and attitudes shape U.S. lives, opportunities, and legal outcomes By Grace... May 6 2026 Nonprofit Provides In-Person Interpreters to Help Haitian Immigrants Navigate U.S. Immigration System in Chicago How a Chicago Nonprofit Is Helping Haitian Immigrants Overcome Language Barriers A Chicago nonprofit offers in-person interpreters to help... April 10 2026 Haitian immigrants still need a national ID to access key services. Here’s how to get it. Haitian immigrants in the United States must obtain a national ID, the Carte d’Identification Nationale Unique (CINU), to access... March 26 2026 Finding Help Shouldn't Be Another Barrier: A Resource Guide for Haitian & African Immigrants in Chicago Navigating the U.S. immigration system is hard enough. Finding the organizations that can actually help — ones that speak your... February 26 2026 The Long Road Home The Long Road Home A refugee’s journey through uncertainty, bureaucracy, and the search for safety By Grace Asiegbu Emma Yaaka...

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Contact

If you have a story idea or know of activists organizations working to bring solutions to the needs of a Chicago-land community of color, please send us a message.