Pasadena Media’s award-nominated local TV talk show, “Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman,” formerly known as the award-winning “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman,” continues this Friday at 5 p.m. PT on Pasadena Media’s cable TV channels and streaming apps. The episode will feature a discussion with Nikki High, owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena.

High opened Octavia’s Bookshelf, a bookstore dedicated to BIPOC authors, earlier this year after leaving her communications job at Trader Joe’s. The store was recently burglarized, launching an outpouring of support from the community.

“Once I discovered books written by people who looked like me, I was opened to a new world of history, fiction, sci-fi, and more,” High said. “I became a walking advertisement for these works and words written by BIPOC writers. Octavia’s Bookshelf is a space where readers of all walks of life can enjoy these books, a space to find your new BFF inside a book, a space to find community, enjoy a cup of coffee, read, relax, find unique and specially curated products from artisans from around the world and in our neighborhood.”

“Pasadena Monthly” airs at 5 p.m. PT on the fourth Friday of every month on Pasadena Media’s Arroyo Channel and streaming apps, available on channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, channel 32 on Charter Spectrum, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The show is written, hosted and produced by Chapman, directed and edited by Jeffrey Stanfill and executive produced by George Falardeau, CEO and executive director of Pasadena Media.

“This is must-watch television each month for everyone who cares about this city,” Falardeau said.

Last month, Chapman won two 1^st place journalism awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, as well as a 3^rd place award and two finalist positions. He has won a total of nine awards from the LA Press Club in recent years. Last year, the previous iteration of the show, “NewsRap Local,” won a 2^nd place award in News Programming at the Alliance for Community Media West’s WAVE video awards.

Guests on “Pasadena Monthly” and “NewsRap Local” have included Congress member Judy Chu (D-27); Congress member Adam Schiff (D-28); Assembly member Chris Holden (D-41); Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo; Pasadena city manager Miguel Márquez; LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger; and many others.

Chapman was the youngest elected official in LA County when he served on the Altadena Town Council at age 19. He has served on a number of local boards and wrote hundreds of articles for two dozen print and digital publications, including KPCC/LAist, Alta Journal, Huffington Post, LA Weekly, Irish Post, Berkeley Political Review, Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena Star-News, Pasadena Now and many others. He currently serves as the District 6 Council Liaison to Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison.

Learn more at justindouglaschapman.com and pasadenamedia.org.