Podcast Summary: We Talk Back – "Never Forget" feat. Laura Dyan Kezman and William Howell

Podcast: We Talk Back
Episode Title: Never Forget feat. Laura Dyan Kezman and William Howell
Date: March 5, 2026
Hosts: TamBam and AJ (AJ Holiday)
Guests: Laura Diane Kusman and William Howell, Director and Co-Director of the film "Cycle"
Main Theme: Exploring the making and impact of "Cycle," a documentary examining the 2019 killing of Tyrese West in Racine, Wisconsin and the broader issues of police violence, media narratives, and cycles of injustice.

Episode Overview

In this powerful and emotional episode, hosts TamBam and AJ are joined by Laura Diane Kusman and William Howell, the creators of the documentary film Cycle. The film follows the personal and investigative journey into the killing of 18-year-old Tyrese West by a police officer in Racine, Wisconsin on Juneteenth, 2019. The discussion goes beyond the specifics of the case, challenging cycles of violence, media manipulation, and collective forgetting. The episode delves into the obligations and ethics of storytelling, the personal transformations of the filmmakers, and the hope that honest documentation can inspire real change.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Introduction & Personal Catch-Up

• [03:49-05:29] TamBam and AJ discuss their weekend activities, touching on finances, self-care, and dental tourism as a segue into the importance of working towards solutions and self-betterment.
• [07:31-08:30] The hosts express curiosity about peptides and alternative health methods, emphasizing the theme of seeking options outside mainstream American systems.

2. Introducing the Film "Cycle"

• [08:31-13:53] AJ introduces the main guests and the topic: "Cycle" investigates the 2019 killing of Tyrese West by police, a case largely ignored by national media.
• The documentary is described as an exploration of cycles: "The cycle of violence, the cycle of headlines, the cycle of outrage, and the cycle of forgetting." (AJ Holiday, 13:53)

3. Transforming Tragedy Into Film

• [15:06-15:28] AJ asks: “What does it mean to turn real life tragedy into film? Is it awareness, activism, accountability, or just trauma consumption?”
• [15:28-16:59] William shares the personal struggle of conveying anger productively and the need for a team:

  “Us as black people, we are just, we are too embedded in our own anger… all I was going to be able to deliver to my people, was my anger.”
  (William Howell, 15:28)

• He credits Laura’s skills and outsider perspective as essential to making the film impactful and thorough.

4. Connection and Motivation

• [16:59-18:25] William explains how he and Laura connected through mutual friends and describes the local virality and under-reporting of the case.
• [18:25-21:00] Laura recalls accidentally passing the crime scene and only learning what happened weeks later; their collaboration began with a three-hour coffee shop conversation that led to an immediate, shared determination to tell Tyrese’s story.

5. Background as Filmmakers and Journalists

• [21:13-23:42] Laura’s 17-year background in journalism and documentary film, previously focusing on issues like segregation in Milwaukee.
• William details his spiritual feeling of the project’s purpose and the unexpected but divinely ordained nature of working with a white woman on this story.

6. On Taking on Heavy Material

• [24:01-24:55] No hesitation: both felt “called” to the work.
• Laura describes how the rapidly escalating news climate of 2020 (Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd) galvanized their purpose and erased any lingering doubts.

7. Details of Tyrese West’s Killing

• [26:21-31:56] William describes the emotion of viewing Tyrese’s body and knowing from that moment the story needed to be told.
• Laura and William break down the events of the night Tyrese was killed:
  • Tyrese was an 18-year-old on a pedal bike ("not a motorbike") in an industrial, dark part of the city.
  • Officer spots him allegedly for not having a headlight, chases him, and within 90 seconds of interaction, shoots him twice in the head.
  • Critical details: no witnesses, no body camera, officer patrolled alone, and had two minutes alone on the scene after the shooting.

  “Everything that we know after that point is from the officer's point of view… within 90 seconds of trying to pull this kid over... he was shot twice in the head.”
  (Laura Diane Kusman, 29:42)

8. Media Narratives vs. Truth

• [32:09-35:38] AJ queries about the presence of a weapon at the scene—Laura and Will outline the lack of evidence for key claims in the police narrative and how media coverage echoed official statements without scrutiny.
• [35:38-38:26] They describe the long wait for charging decisions, the use of civil lawsuits to get evidence (including key deposition video), and the deep resistance to transparency from local authorities.

9. Resistance and Community Tension

• [38:26-41:33] Will and Laura discuss the tension and pushback from the police and city during investigation; both experienced resistance and subtle intimidation, especially via unanswered FOIA requests and deliberate surveillance after releasing their trailer.

  “The police... found very interesting ways of letting us know that they were clocking us.”
  (Laura Diane Kusman, 39:59)

10. Personal Stakes and Family Dynamics

• [46:01-47:52] Will shares that his uncle is the chief of police—highlighting generational divides and the hesitance within Black communities to trust law enforcement, even within the family.

11. Perspectives on Law Enforcement

• [47:57-50:24] Laura reflects on whether working on this film changed her view as a white woman:

  “It didn't change my view of law enforcement because... this was very in line with what I was expecting… This is not a new thing.”
  (Laura Diane Kusman, 48:39)

• Both comment on the cycles of selective outrage and the fatigue of systemic injustice.

12. Humanizing Tyrese West

• [50:51-52:29] Will describes never personally knowing Tyrese but recognizing his father in the young man. Both filmmakers emphasize that Tyrese was “just a kid” trying to visit his girlfriend—real, everyday humanity lost in the headlines.
• [52:29-56:33] Laura details the ways the early official narratives demonized Tyrese, focusing on past petty actions while ignoring the officer’s abuses.

13. Reflections on Breaking Cycles

• [56:33-62:49] Both William and Laura deeply reflect:
  • “The first thing that you have to do is break the cycles within yourself.”
  • Will discusses moving from anger to hope and connection:

    “It's not up to us to create this big ultimate change. That's God’s job. It is my job to play my little part...”
    (William Howell, 58:40)

  • Laura explains how the progression of the film’s narration captures the evolving personal journeys and revelations of both filmmakers, emphasizing authenticity and growth.

14. On Storytelling as Activism

• [62:51-66:23] Discussing whether independent film is now more trusted than mainstream news, Will argues for the power of new platforms to deliver trusted narratives.
• Laura frames longform documentary as a form of resistance:

  “Cycle is my form of resistance right now… more people [should be] dedicated to carrying one flag fully, and seeing it all the way through.”
  (Laura Diane Kusman, 65:47)

15. Action and Hope

• [66:23-70:43] When asked what listeners should do, Will stresses coalition-building and using the film as an “installing a new program”—inflencing both potential victims and potential perpetrators.
• Laura notes that the system is not designed to deliver justice to families like Tyrese’s:

  “Derek Chauvin was an exception. He was used as a...sacrifice... The average case does not end with that outcome.”
  (Laura Diane Kusman, 70:43)

16. Emotional Impact and Calls to Action

• [70:43-77:19] Powerful reflections on the pain, empathy, and anger that these stories provoke, with distinctions between maintaining hope and channeling righteous anger for change.

17. Where to Watch and Get Involved

• [75:49-77:27] Cycle is currently on the film festival circuit:
  • Follow on Instagram: @CycleMovie
  • Attend screenings; demand the film in your community to build momentum for wider release.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "We are too embedded in our own anger... I couldn't see through a six, seven year process to making this kind of powerful documentary."
  William Howell [15:28]

• "I needed a moment in this documentary where it feels like Tyrese comes off the screen... I truly feel like she gave us that moment."
  William Howell [51:24]

• "The official narrative... was shaped by the district attorney. The one officer who killed him is also the only officer on the scene who's able to tell you from his point of view what happened."
  Laura Diane Kusman [55:02]

• "The first thing that you have to do is break the cycles within yourself."
  William Howell [56:38]

• "Cycle is my form of resistance right now... I have to ground myself in reminding myself that."
  Laura Diane Kusman [65:47]

Social Media & Further Information

• IG: @CycleMovie
• Facebook: Cycle Movie page
• Follow William Howell: Facebook (noted for his involved presence)
• Upcoming Screenings: Check festival lineups in Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami, D.C., LA, and soon Seattle or advocate for local screenings.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & catch-up: 03:49 – 08:30
• Documentary and Tyrese West's story intro: 08:31 – 13:53
• Art vs. activism vs. trauma: 15:06 – 15:28
• Investigative process and partnership: 15:28 – 18:25
• The night of Tyrese’s killing and aftermath: 26:21 – 31:56
• Police resistance & legal facts: 35:38 – 38:26
• Humanizing Tyrese: 50:51 – 52:29
• Breaking the cycle reflections: 56:33 – 62:49
• Call to action for listeners/viewers: 66:23 – 70:43
• Where to watch / follow: 75:49 – 77:27

Summary Tone

The conversation is honest, raw, and emotional, laced with both the hosts’ signature comedic rapport and deep respect for the sober topic. The guests’ transparency about their personal growth and the ongoing impact of Tyrese’s story drive home the stakes of storytelling, activism, and seeking justice in a broken system.

Final Message

"We were never meant to be this angry. God never intended us to be this angry... It really is our hope that the film can be a blueprint for people to understand how the system was constructed in the first place."
— Laura Diane Kusman [72:02, paraphrased]

For updates, festival dates, and more, follow @CycleMovie on social platforms and reach out to the filmmakers to bring Cycle to your city.