MENU
A live and pre-recorded podcast decoding
climate jargon, overcurated cocktails.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Launched in 2023, Don’t Water it Down (DWID) is a live and pre-recorded video podcast hosted by four black voices, primarily from New Orleans, decoding climate jargon, over curated cocktails. These unique hosts bring their distinct perspectives and experiences to the table, discussing complex and challenging topics authentically.
Background
Each episode is rooted in New Orleans but
grounds itself in local community, art, culture,
and libations to remind us that we are all
interconnected.. DWID focuses on topics such as
climate change, environmental justice, water,
and political hot topics, and seeks to inspire and
call in those that may feel at the margins of these
topics so they too can feel included and
connected to the issues that impact them the
most.
Deniseea taylor
Cocktail Storyteller
Better known as Chicken and Champagne, Deniseea Head born & raised in Los Angeles pairs innovative cocktails with African American history. Specializing in well curated events with compelling storytelling large scale & intimate.
Currently residing in New Orleans, Deniseea has served as an artist in Residence for “Brackish”, a cohort artist program through The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. Through creative cocktails & history Deniseea serves as a griot to engage, inform, and bring visibility to current issues, events, and how they affect the community. As seen in Imbibe magazine, Marie Claire, Food & Wine, Beverage Master(BWIF 2025, Vinepair Educator of the year 2023, Travel & Leisure, BBC, Host of BETs Cheers to That.
Executive Director of the Water Collaborative
As the Executive Director of The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans (TWC), Jessica Dandridge-Smith has dedicated her life to community advocacy, engagement, and social entrepreneurship for over twenty years. Since starting her career as a youth organizer in 2005 as part of the Hurricane Katrina recovery process, she has worked for, or collaborated with over two dozen organizations in Greater New Orleans and nationally in a range of issue areas and challenges facing marginalized communities.
Jessica holds certificates in Environmental Communications from Loyola University, Activism and Civil Rights from Brown University, and Kingian Nonviolence Strategies from the Selma Center of Nonviolence. She is also an Obama Foundation’s 2023 Obama Leaders USA, and a Louisiana state Commissioner for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. She co-authored Designing Knowledge Economies for Disaster Resilience “Case Studies from the African Diaspora” and is a guest writer in over a dozen published books and news articles. To date, awards include Gambit’s 40 under 40 in Greater New Orleans and the Grist 50 list as Policy and Advocacy leader in the United States in 2024.
nesby phips
Musician, Visual Artist, and Woodworker
Nesby Phips is a New Orleans native musician, visual artist and woodworker based in New Orleans. The grand-nephew of Mahalia Jackson, Phips's musical lineage runs deep, and as a multi-genre producer and rapper he has worked with some of the brightest stars in the industry. As a visual artist, he has created murals, canvases and art installations with the color and culture of New Orleans as his central inspirations.
His art installation, Beaucoup Power, resulted in multiple billboards located throughout New Orleans and New York, intended to support the esteem and self-awareness of the peoples of the Black Atlantic. In 2024, Nesby launched Reset and Sunset, a free community gathering space on Lake Pontchartrain, creating much needed community healing and joy. In 2024, Nesby also received recognition from the New Orleans City Council for his contributions to New Orleans culture over the years.
Ryan "phleagm" gilbert
Multidisciplinary Artist, and Educator
Ryan "phlegm" Gilbert is a New Orleans-born and based multidisciplinary artist and educator who coined the mantra "Everything You Love About New Orleans Is Because of Black People," which has been featured in Afropunk, Interview Magazine, shared by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and seen on countless lifestyle accessories.
phlegm's creative work acts as a "Ritual Drama" of his personal Black universe, serving a visual connection of the past, present, and future. It weaves together the threads of Black ethos, influence, and inspiration, affirming the lives of his ancestors, community, and himself. His work emphasizes the necessity and value of Black spiritual presence, exploring themes of duality and exploration of Black identity, history, and community.
