Keep the Faith Baby is a civic history podcast about Chicago, anchored in the leadership, memory, and community practice of Black Chicago. Each episode is a conversation with someone who has shaped this city, from elected officials and nonprofit executives to organizers, artists, and neighbors who built something that lasted. Host Mark E. Payne brings 20 years of Chicago public service to every conversation, asking what it took to lead, what made it last, and what gets passed on. The show is rooted in asset-based community development, intergenerational purpose, and the belief that stories are the tools of civic courage.
Ernest Gates is a Near West Side native who transformed his deep love for his community into a powerful force for change. After building a successful trucking career, he became a founding board member of the Near West Side Community Development Corporation, where he mastered the art of grassroots organizing. He famously led the charge to stop the Chicago Bears from seizing neighborhood land for a stadium, proving that a dedicated group of residents could outmaneuver city power brokers. Gates operates on the philosophy that true leadership is invisible, focusing entirely on getting the work done rather than seeking personal credit. His story is a masterclass in how to fight, plan, and implement lasting community improvements.
20 Aug 2026
Colette Payne : "The Leader Got Buried"
In a personal interview with her brother Mark, Colette Payne recounts her life's trajectory from a tumultuous youth marked by poverty and incarceration to her current role as a prominent advocate for system-impacted women. The conversation explores the root causes of her struggles, her pivotal decision to change, the process of rebuilding her life, and how she transformed personal hardship into a powerful platform for policy change and community healing.
3 Aug 2026
Keep the Faith Baby - Opening Monologue
Keep the Faith Baby is a civic history podcast about Chicago, anchored in the leadership, memory, and community practice of Black Chicago. This opening monologue is your introduction to the show, why it exists, and what it is asking of you as a listener. Host Mark E. Payne, Executive Director of Public Allies Chicago and a lifelong South Sider, named the podcast after words his mother Elnada Payne spoke to him and after a phrase that has carried Black civic life in city politics for generations. Each episode will bring you a conversation with someone who has shaped Chicago, from elected officials and nonprofit leaders to organizers, artists, and neighbors who built something that lasted. Start here. Then go to Episode 1.
3 Aug 2026
Alderman Pat Dowell : "Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner"
Pat Dowell grew up in Queens reading Ebony magazine and decided Chicago was where she needed to be. A former social worker, city planner, and Executive Director of Public Allies Chicago, and now Alderman of the Third Ward, she has been fighting for Black neighborhoods her entire career. Mark sits down with his mentor to talk about what that fight has actually looked like, while growing people on purpose.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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