Controversial Crucial Conversations is a long-form podcast examining race, power, and economics in American cities, using Rochester New York as a case study with national relevance.

Hosted by Quintin Dukes, the show focuses on systems rather than soundbites. Each episode explores how policy decisions, economic design, and institutional incentives shape real outcomes for communities, particularly those historically excluded from opportunity.

These conversations move beyond surface-level explanations of inequality to examine how gatekeeping, income disparity, incarceration, education, and labor markets operate in practice. The goal is not outrage or ideology, but clarity, accountability, and honest analysis grounded in lived experience and historical context.

This podcast is designed for students, professionals, educators, community leaders, and elected officials who are willing to engage with complex issues without filters or shortcuts. The conversations may be uncomfortable, but they are necessary.

If you want to understand how cities function beneath the headlines, and why outcomes persist even when intentions sound good, this podcast is for you.