Mic Check

About Mic Check

WPKN’s ½-hour weekly public affairs and community discussion program. Our diverse roster of hosts presents a wide range of topics for discussion: focusing on global, national, and regional issues and their effect on the local Connecticut community. Just as the phrase “Mic Check” was used to mobilize people to create a human microphone during the Occupy Movement, this weekly program will amplify our local community’s many concerns and voices and bring them to the air-waves.

Publisher

WPKN

Category

news · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Nov 2024

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

33 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Housing, Healing, and Hope with Jennifer Seeley

   On the September 15, 2026 episode of Mic Check, host Mike Merli was joined by Jennifer Seeley. Jennifer is the Executive Director of Road to Home at Amos House in Danbury, where she works to support mothers and children experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. With a background in nonprofit leadership and a deep commitment to social justice, Jenn has dedicated her work to helping families move beyond crisis and toward long-term stability and independence. At Road to Home, Jenn has focused on strengthening community partnerships, expanding access to housing and supportive resources, and creating programs that recognize the dignity, resilience, and potential of every family. She believes lasting change happens through compassion, collaboration, and communities coming together to support one another. Her experiences both professionally and personally have strengthened her passion for advocating for children and families and for building a community where everyone has the opportunity to feel safe, supported, and at home. To reach Road to Home at Amos House: https://www.roadtohomeatah.org/ (https://www.roadtohomeatah.org/) https://www.instagram.com/roadtohome/ (https://www.instagram.com/roadtohome/) https://www.facebook.com/roadtohomeatah/ (https://www.facebook.com/roadtohomeatah/) 203-791-9277 Road to Home at Amos House is located at: 34 Rocky Glen Road Danbury CT 06810 Jennifer can be reached via email at: jennifer.seeley@roadtohomeatah.org (mailto:jennifer.seeley@roadtohomeatah.org) And for more on the upcoming October 22nd fundraiser: An Evening to Benefit Road to Home at Amos House (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-road-to-home-tickets-1998255992465?aff=oddtdtcreator)

2. 

   12 Sept 2026

   Jon Phillips and Bethel Defends Democracy

   On the September 8, 2026 episode of Mic Check, host Mike Merli sat down live in the studio with Jon Phillips. Jon is a Bethel resident, father, and longtime technology executive. He is a volunteer with Bethel Defends Democracy, a grassroots progressive group that has brought neighbors together for, as of September 12, 80 consecutive weeks of peaceful rallies in the center of Bethel. Jon believes democracy depends on ordinary people showing up, speaking out, and staying engaged in their communities, and that even in deeply divided times, we should never lose sight of the fact that we are all neighbors. Bethel Defends Democracy holds a weekly rally, open to all, every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm, at the corner of Greenwood Avenue and Library Place in Bethel, Connecticut. For more on Bethel Defends Democracy, and to sign up for their newsletter: http://bethelrallies.org (http://bethelrallies.org)

3. 

   4 Sept 2026

   Black August Mixtape 2026 - Volume 2

   BLACK AUGUST MIXTAPE 2026 - VOLUME 2 {Originally broadcast on WPKN on August 27, 2026} On the August 3, 2026 episode of Mic Check, Mike Merli interviewed Shaenna Taylor. During the discussion, they spoke about the Bridgeport Police murder of Dyshan Best last March, as well as the subsequent prosecution of, not the officers involved, but Dyshan’s friend Joseph Thompson aka Joe Grits. Joe is a beloved community activist, and a close friend of Shaenna's and Dyshan's. Joe's grief was criminalized, and he became a political prisoner, sentenced to 7 years suspended after 3. Letters of solidarity for Joe can be sent to: Joseph Thompson #322513 Corrigan CI 986 Norwich-New London Turnpike Uncasville, CT 06382 Throughout the second half of August, host Mike Merli used two Mic Check episodes to honor Black August, which is an annual month-long observance that is rooted in the recognition of those who made profound sacrifices in the lineage and struggle for Black liberation. Black August was launched in 1979 by incarcerated members of the Black Guerrilla Family in San Quentin Prison, as a way to honor the lives of brothers Jonathan Jackson and George Jackson, both murdered by the state, in August of 1970 and 1971, respectively. There are many individuals within the Black liberation movement who have been honored during Black August observances over the past several decades. Many were killed by police or other government agents. Many were incarcerated and spent decades behind bars as political prisoners. The annual observance is a means to honor the sacrifices of those who came before, while re-committing to supporting those who are behind bars today (both political and social prisoners). During this program, we hear Black August Mixtape 2026 - Volume 2, dedicated to Joe Grits, who is sitting in prison right now a political prisoner. In the first half of the program, we hear a segment from host Mike Merli's June 9, 2026 interview with Joe, before his sentencing hearing took place. Joe speaks about his journey, his music and activism, and the unthinkable and tragic murder of his friend Dyshan Best by Bridgeport Police Officers on March 31, 2025. The second half of the program features an interview that Shaenna Taylor conducted over the phone with Joe, after his prison sentence began. Speaking from Corrigan Correctional Institution in Uncasville, Connecticut, Joe meditates on the conditions he has experienced and observed in Connecticut’s prison system. And he reflects on his hopes and dreams for himself and his loved ones, Bridgeport, and Dyshan Best’s family. The music featured in Black August Mixtape 2026 was produced by Captain Pharo, and provided for this purpose by Alyssa Hughes.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,017,757

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

14

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact Mic Check

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.