This week on Trevor Blackman Now, we bring you four conversations that challenge, inspire and encourage us to see the world through a different lens.

We begin by welcoming back Lee Martin, drummer and founding member of South East London indie band Open Up. On his third appearance on the show, Lee talks about the band's long-awaited new album, the story behind their latest single In the Morning, and why some musical journeys are worth waiting decades to complete.

Next, we feature Amplify, a powerful youth-led podcast created with students from Bishop Stopford School. Produced as part of a wider community project, these young voices speak openly about identity, confidence, wellbeing and the realities of growing up today. It's an honest reminder that the people best placed to tell young people's stories are young people themselves.

We then turn our attention to one of the defining issues of our time—artificial intelligence. In a thought-provoking interview from Democracy Now!, journalist Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI, asks who really benefits from the AI revolution and explores the growing questions around power, creativity, data and the future of technology.

Finally, we remember Denise Oliver-Vélez, the pioneering civil rights activist, educator, Black Panther Party member and the first woman elected to the Young Lords Central Committee. Through her own words, followed by a moving tribute from her friend and fellow Young Lord Juan González, we celebrate a woman whose life's work was dedicated to justice, unity and building bridges across communities.

Join me for another edition of Trevor Blackman Now—where music, culture, current affairs and community come together through conversations that matter.

🎙 Listen live every Sunday from 12pm on Maritime Radio 96.5 FM.

Featured This Week

🎵 Open Up – "In the Morning"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqYg9kRQFVk

🎙 Amplify Podcast – Bishop Stopford School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEKl-bCYhJc&t=285s&pp=0gcJCT8LAYcqIYzv

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