Highlights Archive

Festival of Inclusion • Nazareth University

The Golisano Foundation, Special Olympics, and Best Buddies New York host an interactive day of fun and acceptance for the whole family.

WXXI and its Move to Include™ initiative, a partnership between WXXI and The Golisano Foundation designed to promote inclusion, is pleased to be part of Festival of Inclusion. Enjoy interactive community stations, sports and fitness activities, adaptive equipment demos. Be sure to stop by our table for some interactive fun!

Festival of Inclusion
Saturday, March 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nazareth University l Golisano Training Center
4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618
FREE and open to all

Photo: WXXI Kids/Move to Include™ table at the 2023 Festival of Inclusion • Credit: Maria Spinelli

Rick Steves Virtual French Wine Tasting

Rick Steves – Photo provided

Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning your wine journey, you do not want to miss this enchanting evening with the beloved world traveler, Rick Steves.

Rick and a professional sommelier will guide you in a tasting of six different French wines. You’ll learn the art of wine tasting with the fundamental five S’s: see, swirl, sniff, sip and savor. Sip along and learn something new about the wonderful world of wine!

Your ticket includes:

6 mini bottles of wine (enough for two to taste) that will be shipped directly to your door
Access to the virtual tasting led by a sommelier alongside Rick Steves
75 minutes of wine education and interactive Q&A
A recording of the event in case you cannot participate live

Virtual Event on Tuesday, February 6, 2024
7:00PM – 8:15PM
TICKET SALES ENDED JANUARY 12, 2024

How it works: This virtual event will take place via Zoom Webinar. Zoom is free to the public but requires a computer download. You can download Zoom here.

This event makes a great gift! We invite you to attend yourself, and give this wine tasting experience to the wine lover in your life. Ticket purchases for this event support WXXI programming.

PLEASE NOTE: Participants must be 21 years or older. Kits cannot be shipped to PO boxes, Canada, or the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Utah.

Why Do We Say “Latino”?

Danielle Bainbridge traces the origin of the term Latino, Hispanic, and Latinx in this episode of “Origins of Everything.” When you hear “Latino” you probably think of people from Latin America – places like Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, etc. But where exactly did the history of that word come from, and has it always meant Central America and South America as well as the Caribbean? Danielle traces the origin of the term “Latino” and the debates that still surround it as well as the term “Hispanic” and “Latinx.”

About Origins of Everything Host, Danielle Bainbridge

She is a fun loving, history nerd who will never shy away from a good debate or bad joke. She has a PhD in African American Studies & American Studies from Yale University, graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English & Theatre Arts, and is a new faculty member at Northwestern University in Theatre and African American Studies. Which basically means her interests run the gamut from big Broadway musicals to the social & political movements of the last 200 years.

Razing Liberty Square Screening • The Little Theatre

The Liberty Square public housing community in Miami becomes ground zero for climate gentrification

Join WXXI for a special FREE screening and discussion of Razing Liberty Square, a film by Katja Esson. Liberty City, Miami, was home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the U.S. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold. Wealthy property owners push inland to higher ground, creating a speculators’ market in the historically Black neighborhood previously ignored by developers and policy-makers alike.

Indie Lens Pop-Up presents this free screening:
On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 6:30-8:30 p.m.
At The Little Theatre, Theatre 5
240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY

Razing Liberty Square Trailer | Independent Lens

The film will be followed by a panel discussion.

Moderator: Mary Lupien, Rochester City Council Member, is passionate about preserving a livable climate through policy, increasing safe, stable and affordable housing and fighting poverty and institutional racism. For many years, Mary was an organizer with Mothers Out Front, a group working to inspire bold climate action and mobilize the community to achieve a sustainable future for our children. She has also focused on community efforts to halt displacement and create access to quality, affordable housing and Mary has supported efforts to Re-imagine how her city provides Public Safety to the community in a way that keeps all residents safe.

Panelists:
Scott C. Benjamin, President & CEO, Charles Settlement House & Community Place of Greater Rochester;

Dr. LaShunda Leslie-Smith, DSW, LMSW, Executive Director, Connected Communities, Inc.

Panelists Bios:

Scott Benjamin, CEO of Charles Settlement House & Community Place of Greater Rochester: Scott has been in the non-profit human services field for 29 years, working at The Salvation Army, Charles Settlement House and The Community Place of Greater Rochester. Charles Settlement House & Community Place formerly affiliated in 2021. Prior to entering the human services sphere, Scott worked in radio and TV news for 18 years. He is the co-chair of the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for Community Health & Prevention Community Advisory Council. He is also a board member of the Rochester Community Transportation Foundation, a board member of the Settlement Houses of Rochester Foundation, and past president of the Rochester Northwest Rotary Club. Scott is a graduate of the Leadership Rochester program.

Watch the Trailer:

Learn More: Film Website

PBS Independent Lens: Razing Liberty Square

About Indie Lens Pop-Up
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most. Learn more at pbs.org/indielenspopup

Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts. Stream anytime on the PBS App. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens.

Asian Pacific American Our Experience: Local Stories On-Demand

Asian Pacific Americans are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. WXXI in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander American Association of Greater Rochester is featuring stories from local members of the community that provide examples of culture, heritage, history and contributions to our region and nation.

Watch the Full Playlist:

Memories of Midtown

Before looking ahead, WXXI asks that you take a look back. Tune in for this special presentation and recall your memories of Midtown Plaza. Narrated by 13 WHAM-TV’s Don Alhart, Memories of Midtown features never-before-seen footage, both archival and personal, along with anecdotal interviews with noted personalities. Chet Walker remembers working at Midtown Plaza, and how the Clock of the Nations always let him know if he was on time or late for work. Ken McCurdy remembers being able to miss school to attend the opening of Midtown Plaza. The Maggios remember meeting for the first time at Midtown, and fittingly, had their wedding reception at Top of the Plaza. These individuals and many others share their memories in WXXI’s latest documentary Memories of Midtown.

In the late 1950s, the retail marketplace was changing. As people moved to the suburbs, businesses followed, which had a huge impact on downtown. It took the vision of two Rochester business leaders to rise to the occasion and reinvigorate downtown, and Rochester itself. Gilbert J.C. McCurdy and Maurice Forman joined together to build the first urban, in-door mall in America that would change retail and downtown. Midtown Plaza opened on April 10, 1962, and for the two decades that followed it kept the heart of downtown beating. But the times changed, and Midtown began to struggle in the 1980s when it couldn’t compete with the suburban shopping malls.

On October 16, 2007 the City of Rochester announced that Midtown Plaza would be torn down to make room for the new PAETEC headquarters. Today, a new generation of business leaders is working to reinvent downtown, giving it a new heartbeat of activity.

3 Memories from Midtown:

In this segment: Former Eastman School of Music student, Glenn Call, now conductor of Tuba Christmas, remembers visiting Midtown as a student. Rochester citizen, Richard Swereda, talking about Midtown being the place to go for shopping… everything you would ever want was available… especially at Christmas. Rochester citizen, Joe McDonough, talking about moving to Rochester in 1962, construction still finishing up, exciting to think of his new home as a vibrant place to live.

In this segment: Rochester citizen, Martha Bush, remembers “meeting by the clock” as a child.

In this segment: Rochester citizen and artist, Edith Lunt Small, remembers the high-end, first class shopping at Midtown Plaza.

Native Way Forward: Roadtrip Nation On-Demand

For too long, TV and film have depicted Native American experiences in the past tense. It’s time to shine a light on the present-day lives of Native young adults, and explore what’s possible for their futures. In this Roadtrip Nation’s documentary—led by director Ryan RedCorn—Native leaders are telling their stories in their own words, and illuminating the path for Native youth everywhere.

Watch On-Demand

More Roadtrip Nation Specials