The Trump administration has ramped up deportation efforts, saying they want to stop criminals from coming into our country illegally, but many people who are trying to go through the legal process of immigration and have no criminal history have found themselves detained by ICE, even when they’re following every rule. To get a better understanding of the legal process, the barriers, and whether or not a legal status actually means protection, Racquel Williams talks with Blanca Pacheco and Peter Pedemonti, co-directors of New Sanctuary Movement, and Sarah Paoletti, Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Transnational Legal Clinic. Then, on Shara in the City, it’s all about “The Blob”. Shara Dae Howard attends Blobfest, the annual celebration in Phoenixville that commemorates the 1958 sci-fi horror flick and the scene that was filmed at The Colonial Theatre. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lewy body dementia affects over a million people in the United States, but many people don’t know much about it. It’s difficult to diagnose and often misdiagnosed. A new documentary called “Facing the Wind” shines a light on Lewy body dementia, both living with it and caring for someone who has the disease. Racquel Williams talks with Philadelphia filmmaker Tony Heriza and Linda Szypula, who lives in Plymouth Meeting and whose journey caring for her husband is featured in the film. Scribe Video Center is hosting a screening of “Facing the Wind” on September 18. Listen to Linda’s podcast, “Lewy Body Roller Coaster”, here. Then, on Shara in the City, we visit one of Fairmount Park’s oldest buildings - the Ohio House, which dates back to the centennial World’s Fair in 1876. Shara Dae Howard takes a tour and learns about the building’s deep history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pennsylvania’s funding for after-school care ends when children turn 13, and many parents are concerned about where their teens can go after school and in the summer. Caring People Alliance⁠ runs a teen program and opened a new center last year at their South Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club where teens can go to get a meal, play basketball, make music and art, and have a safe space to talk and learn. We speak with Branon Gilmore, VP of CPA’s Boys & Girls Club Movement, Jewel Felder-James, Director of Teen Programming, and Alphonso Cobbs, a participant in the teen program. And on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard re-discovers the joy of play at the historic ⁠Smith Memorial Playground⁠. This episode was originally released on June 29, 2024. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We celebrate fifty years of Hip Hop that began as an underground party art form and grew into the global backbeat behind today’s music, fashion, language, dance and scholarship. Children of the musicians behind Philly soul music reconstructed rhyme, rhythms, and funk music into their own sound. Hip Hop artist-turned-civil rights attorney and professor Timothy Welbeck describes what makes artists the greatest of all time. Then, DJs Cash Money and Duiji Mshinda reflect on the evolution of Philly Hip Hop.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fourth-generation Ocean City, New Jersey resident Loretta Thompson Harris was inspired to write a book about the history of her African American community, as she has seen the numbers of Black homeowners slowly decline. The new book, “The West Side: Ocean City in True Color” is the product of years researching her growing family tree. Ms. Harris and members of her family share stories about growing up in their neighborhood that dates back to the 1880s. Then, Nina Ahmad will be the first South Asian woman elected to Philadelphia City Council if she wins in November. The Bangladesh-born candidate is one of the Democratic nominees for a prominent legislative seat, which would follow her leadership in the Obama, Nutter, and Kenney administrations, as well as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Racquel Williams and three breast cancer survivors share their unique journeys from the terrifying first time they were told of their diagnosis, through the exhausting treatments, to mentoring new patients. A doctor, also a survivor, explains different types of cancers, dispels treatment myths, and urges securing the right medical team. The group describes their struggles juggling family and work commitments, fears of recurrence, and triumphs by helping others. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Philadelphia's Greyhound terminal recently closed, following the competition in providing curbside transportation services with no shelter or amenities. We discuss the growing problems and solutions with a city official and two transportation advocates. Then, we visit non-profit Eddie's House, which offers daily necessities and hope for vulnerable individuals. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to the different ways housing and food are gateways to intergenerational wealth: Since 1986 Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia has been helping families build affordable homes with neighborhood partners. Habitat’s CEO Corinne O’Connell and North Philadelphia Community Development Corporation’s Executive Director, Darnetta Arce explain how their organizations will be using a recent $315,000 grant to make sustainable home repairs. Then, Germantown’s Christa Barfield believes that her FarmerJawn organic Community Supported Agriculture program makes people healthier if they eat well – no matter where they’re from or skin color. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI is increasingly a part of our lives: it can be beneficial, like using a smart speaker - and risky, like deep fakes becoming more difficult to distinguish from reality. The University of Pennsylvania’s Cary Coglianese, Edward B. Shils Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, and Michael Kearns, Professor and National Center Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science, help us understand what artificial intelligence is, where it came from, and where it is going. Then, Lauri Maple Hayes – some call her “Tree Lady” or “Tree Queen” – Director of Urban Forestry with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, is retiring after a 42-year-career in Fairmount Park. The longtime tree tender and curator describes how she’s ready for the next chapter in her growing season. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Bridging Philly features different ways of helping the next generation prepare for their future by fostering collaboration, and helping them find themselves through peer counseling. First, we hear about the journey of three South Jersey teenagers who kayaked, bushwhacked and hiked through 17 miles to discover natural beauty at their backdoor. Their expedition is chronicled in the documentary, A Search for the Cooper: A River Hidden in Plain View. Then, peer specialists from Intercultural Family Services tackle behavioral health needs of underserved youth throughout the city by sharing their own life experiences. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Music and arts lovers are able to fully enjoy outdoor festivals for the first time since 2019! Susan Slawson, General Manager of The Dell Music Center, Cathy Cahill, President and CEO of the Mann Music Center, and Jesse Lundy, talent buyer for Rising Sun Presents, have weathered pandemic restrictions and describe their summer music series offerings of 2023. Then, East Oak Lane-born-and -raised Sabrina Revelle explains how the Disney+ series , The Crossover - in which she stars - represents diversity and families in a realistic way. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We remember Charles L. Blockson, the curator emeritus and founder of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University with Diane D. Turner, the current curator of the collection, who worked closely with the man who preserved and disseminated information about people of African American descent. Then, Molefi Kete Asante, a professor in the Department of Africology at Temple University, reflects upon the “Robesonian character” whose 700,000 piece collection is one of the most important collections of African American and African materials in the U.S. Finally, Isaac Moody describes his cousin, Nathaniel Moody, the South Jersey truck driver who died in the fiery crash on I95, as a family man and careful driver. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2023 is the second year Juneteenth is recognized as a national holiday, which is based on the day in 1865, when enslaved African Americans were told they were free - more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. African Americans have been celebrating this day since the late 1800s. Our guests discuss the importance of education, in addition to the celebrations of this significant date. Timothy N. Welbeck, Esq., Director of Temple University’s Center for Anti-Racism and VanJessica Gladney, a History PhD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania examine how to reconcile the fraught event and its cultural legacy. Then, a city-wide poem’s voices of freedom and calls to action include Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, Philadelphia poet laureate Yolanda Wisher, Marsha Wesley Coleman, Director of Learning and Development with Friends Services Alliance, Dr. Reverend Malcolm T. Byrd, organizer of the Juneteenth Schools initiative, and Vashti DuBois, founder of the Colored Girls Museum in Germantown. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One in six women worldwide experience infertility, but it’s a topic we still struggle to talk about. Diona Murray was given a less than a 1% chance of conceiving - but she beat the odds and had a daughter. During her journey, she launched Barren Fruit to help other women experiencing infertility know that they don’t have to go through this alone. Diona joins host Racquel Williams to talk about the grief that comes with fertility challenges and how her faith helped her find hope. Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits VisionLink - a local organization in Center City that is working to improve accessibility for those with vision loss in the Philadelphia region with new skills, technology, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can we future-proof our economy? Our guests believe that free or inexpensive community college can help strengthen and stabilize our workforce, but the idea of community college is often misunderstood. Dr. Donald Guy Generals, President of the Community College of Philadelphia, Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett, President of Camden County College, and Sara Goldrick Rab, author of the book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, discuss the varied programs, certificates and scholarships that can help pave a pathway to success. Then, we meet Philadelphia lawyer Angela Giampolo, who is touring the United States in her Caravan of Hope to offer her legal services in support of civil rights for the LGBTQ + community. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We find out how the new Philadelphia Parking Authority is making it easier to park, bike, and walk our city streets by improving customer service. Executive Director Rich Lazer and Philly 3.0’s Engagement Director John Geeting discuss safety issues including bike path clearing and ghost car removal. Then galaei’s Executive Director Tyrell Brown describes how this year’s Philly Pride festival is providing safe spaces & resources, in addition to marching in the street. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Loneliness is more than just a bad feeling," according to a recent op ed by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. Our guests, Drs. Hallie A. Lightdale and Matthew Hurford, describe the mental and physical risks heightened by social disconnection, including heart disease, dementia and stroke. Joining them is writer and poet, Athena Dixon, who explains what inspired her to write The Loneliness Files. Then, we meet longtime civil rights advocate Rue Landau, Philadelphia’s first LGBTQ City Council nominee. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recent research shows life expectancy improves when African Americans live near Black doctors, and Temple University primary care physicians, Dr. Delana Wardlaw and Dr. Menachem Leasy, explain why they're not surprised by this data, as they see it every day in their practices. Then, Oshun Family Center’s founder, Saleemah McNeil describes how her holistic approach to birthing as a reproductive psychotherapist, certified lactation consultant and birth doula, can reduce the rising number of Black maternal and fetal death rates. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Navigating the mental health care system is a challenge for the most sophisticated of patients, but what about people looking to see a therapist for the first time? Where do you start? Do you go to someone who matches your demographic? Is tele-health private? Host Racquel Williams asks these questions and more with our panel of therapists. Then, Shara Dae Howard introduces us to the poets and musicians who are inspired by the historic Germantown Awbury Arboretum. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We pickup with the second half of host Racquel Williams’ interview with Philadelphia-born book authors Richard Dilworth and Brett Mandel, who share their ideas of solutions to make city government more transparent. Then, Shara Dae Howard talks to voters in the city’s varied neighborhoods, and finds growing gun violence to be the biggest problem they want their next mayor to fix. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Philadelphia-born book authors, Richard Dilworth and Brett Mandel, talk to host Racquel Williams about corruption in Philadelphia. Then, Shara Dae Howard remembers Harry Belafonte's civil rights activism through his collaborations with Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Philadelphia area has an expanding 378 miles of recreational trails, connecting nine counties along rivers and trees that are used by individuals and families for exercise, commuting and socializing. Iresha Picot tells host Racquel Williams how she has been introducing women to the trails for self-care and community with her cycling club, Black Girl Joy Bike Rides. Also, Shara Dae Howard walks the grocery aisles of Bebashi’s FoodFirst Pantry, which is helping to feed families in need since pandemic-era assistance has been terminated. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grant money from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office is helping to transform guns into garden tools in Kensington. Host Racquel Williams speaks with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and RAWTools Philly's Shane Claiborne about how the non-profit organization is using the anti-violence prevention funds redistributed from civil asset forfeiture. Then, Shara Dae Howard sits with Janice Sykes-Ross, Executive Director of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Paul Robeson House and Museum to celebrate the singer, actor, lawyer, athlete and scholar’s 125th birthday at the residence he called home. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sister Mary Scullion and Candice Player of Project HOME tell host Racquel Williams that if everyone had a safe place to call home, equal and livable wages, and quality health care, they could break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. For 35 years, the non-profit has been working towards creating access to affordable transitional and permanent housing programs in Philadelphia’s most challenged neighborhoods. Then, Shara Dae Howard talks to the curators of the exhibition, Rising Sun: Artists in An Uncertain America. It's a new collaboration between the African American Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts featuring 20 artists who explore the question, "Is the sun rising or setting on the experiment of American democracy?" To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone makes mistakes, especially in their youth. If a mistake lands you in prison or convicted of a crime, it can haunt you for the rest of your life - but many people are fighting to turn their lives around after a conviction. As a returning citizen, Shuja Moore started a nonprofit called Do Moore Good to help others on the reentry path and to encourage youth to achieve their full potential. He recently made a documentary called “Pardon Me” about the process and significance of getting pardoned. Host Racquel Williams talks with Shuja and two women who have been through the pardon process to reclaim their names and build better lives. You can find help getting a pardon and other legal resources through Community Legal Services. Then, on Shara in the City, Black Dragon Takeout in West Philly has been getting a ton of buzz for its fusion of soul food with the aesthetics of Chinese takeout. Shara Dae Howard stops by to hear how this idea formed, and to decide if their wings live up to the hype. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet Leth Oun, who was among the thousands of Cambodian refugees who found a home in South Philly in the 1980s. He is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, which eliminated a quarter of the country’s population. He talks to host Racquel Williams about writing his new memoir, A Refugee’s American Dream: From the Killing Fields to the Secret Service with his co-author Joe Samuel Starnes. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to our guest, Dr. Carmen Guerra, the number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer is growing, and researchers don’t know why. But they do know the age to begin getting screened for this type of cancer is 45. By the time most people feel symptoms it’s often too late for successful treatment for survival. The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine's physician is joined by Patti Hollenback, a nurse who lost her husband to colorectal cancer, and who has become an oncology nurse navigator at Crozier Health System. Then, alto saxophonist and composer, Immanuel Wilkins, describes his journey from Upper Darby to Juilliard and beyond, guided by Philadelphia jazz legacies, including Sun Ra. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the game of chess, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board. But it wasn’t until the 1500s that she gained these advantages. Two-time U.S. Women's Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade shares the history of chess with Racquel Williams and our Philadelphia-based panel of young, female chess players. She says chess became a better game after the queen’s role changed, and she is working to make top level chess more inclusive. Then, we check in about the fire damage to Camden’s MLK House with Pastor Amir Khan. The owner and founder of the non-profit is confident that they will rebuild the structure where Martin Luther King, Jr. was staying when his civil rights movement work was inspired, while studying at the now-closed Crozer Theological Seminary. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, host Racquel Williams examines the sources of and solutions to Philly’s youth violence with Youth Art and Empowerment Project’s Gabriel Jackson and Lutheran Settlement House’s Richie Schultz. Then Shara Dae Howard sits down with advocate Kendall Stephens to hear how her brutal 2020 attack has help strengthen some legal protections for the LGBTQIA+ communities and people of color in Philadelphia. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring has sprung early in Philadelphia, and the nation’s largest and longest running horticultural event has arrived. The annual Philadelphia Flower Show has moved back inside to the Pennsylvania Convention Center after two years, which runs from March 4-12. Host Racquel Williams walks through elaborate installations, and finds out how this year’s theme, “The Garden Electric” powers professionals and non-professional horticulturists’ work. She meets the President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Black Girl Florists, and educators and students who are learning from each other in creative installation builds. And Shara Dae Howard asks Mural Arts’ Jane Golden how the country’s largest public art program became a feature on the hit TV show series, “Abbot Elementary.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Bridging Philly marks a year since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, causing millions of Ukrainians to flee the Texas-sized country. In addition to Europe and other safe harbors, the United States has been a refuge to hundreds of thousands displaced Ukrainians. Host Racquel Williams talks to two people from the Philadelphia region who have been helping victims of the conflict. Immigration attorney, Cathryn Miller-Wilson, the Executive Director of HAIS Pennsylvania, an immigrant-assistance organization in Philadelphia, clarifies that most of the Ukrainians here are not legally designated as refugees, but have entered the U.S. through a complicated sponsorship program. Cooper University Health Care Emergency Medicine Physician, Joshua S. Rempell, MD, MPH, describes his experience as part of a 12-member medical professional team who recently flew to Ukraine to train local medical workers and civilians in emergency medical care, trauma and life support methods. Then, Shara Dae Howard taps into the mind of a 9-year-old Bensalem boy who just earned his high school diploma, and is deciding which Ivy League university he will attend. He attributes his remarkable success to having academic resources and love from his family. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, we learn how the Philadelphia-based Gift of Life organ and tissue donation program connects donors and organ recipients – and continues to support families through their lives in crucial ways, including grief counseling. A lung recipient and donor mother share their stories with host Racquel Williams. Then, civil rights history meets vintage and thrift clothing in a West Philly fashion boutique. KYW’s Shara Dae Howard talks to Dr. Kimberly McGlone, a former high school teacher, who has taken her social justice lessons from the classroom to the storefront. Bridging Philly is sponsored by Gift of Life. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly: child welfare agencies here and across the country were established to protect children. But after decades of research, our guest Dorothy E. Roberts tells the stories of Black children who are more likely to be torn from their families and placed in foster care than their white counterparts. The University of Pennsylvania professor of sociology and law believes the current welfare system should be abolished. Then, Motown Philly’s Boyz II Men reflect on how today's kids can stay away from the streets of crime by listening to the people who came up before them. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly - building foundations and bridging gaps between the police and the community. Many of us have viewed or heard about the fatal beating in Memphis, Tennessee of Tyre Nichols, the Black victim of a traffic stop gone wrong at the hands of Black police officers. Host Racquel Williams checks in with book author, columnist and radio host, Solomon Jones to discuss the unsettling event. Then, Dr. Angela Roman Clack helps us cope with the trauma of witnessing these violent videos by recognizing complex, underlying psychological processes and dynamics. Finally, showing youth experiencing homelessness new options and more opportunities to home ownership with NoMO Inc.’s CEO Rickey Duncan. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, we celebrate the pages of Philadelphia’s African American book authors and book sellers. Host and KYW community impact reporter Racquel Williams discusses the legacy of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University with its curator, Dr. Diane Turner, who worked closely with the scholar. She and art director Eric Battle describe the historic contributions of Black Philadelphians in their recent graphic novel, BLAM! Black Lives Always Mattered! Next, children’s book author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow shares how important it is to publish pictures of young, Black Muslim children for kids to see images that look like them. Finally, West Philly’s Hakim’s Bookstore earns a blue historic marker for the distinction of the city’s longest-operating, Black-owned bookshop. Yvonne Blake continues her father’s dream of sharing knowledge. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump has been using executive orders to roll back DEI efforts federally, but those three letters are easily misunderstood. Host Racquel Williams talks with two experts in the field: Stefanie Christmas, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Inizio, and Keva White, President/CEO of VIP Community Services and co-host of the Race to Social Justice podcast. They discuss what DEI programs actually do, why diversity in the workplace is important, how the term has gotten such negative connotations, and their advice for how businesses should think about these executive orders. And then on Shara in the City, let’s get cooking! The Junior League of Philadelphia has rolled out their annual cooking program that educates youth on food insecurity and has them whipping up some fancy recipes. Shara Dae Howard dons her chef hat for the day with Kids in the Kitchen. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, host and KYW community impact reporter Racquel Williams goes back to 2014, when a killing of a three-year-old girl shook the city. She discusses the solutions Unity in the Community’s Anton Moore is providing for neighborhood kids. Moore and his co-filmmakers say they hope their work will eliminate a “part three” to their newly released part two of “The Weight of Death” documentary series. Also, can Germantown Avenue become a version of the Avenue of the Arts? And astrology predictions for 2023. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW Community Impact Reporter Racquel Williams shines the spotlight on an initiative that involves grassroots organizations, clergy members and the city's District Attorney's Office, all collaborating to end gun violence. The newsmaker of the week is Senator Sharif Street. KYW's Shara Dae Howard checks in with the Democratic state representative of the 3rd Senatorial District Office. The Philly Rising Changemaker of the Week is a man who just wants to see clean neighborhoods. KYW's Antionette Lee talks with Hakeem Devore about the Inner City Peace Organization. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW Community Impact reporter Racquel Williams spotlights the Philadelphia Lullaby Project, which is now entering its 4th year. The project pairs new parents with local musicians to craft lullabies for their little ones. It’s presented by World Café Live in Partnership with Carnegie Hall.  The newsmaker of the week is Erica Hawkins, award winning documentary film maker, who talks with KYW's Shara Dae Howard about the work and recently winning an Edward R. Murrow award. The Philly Rising changemaker of the week is DadLab Director Dr. Jay Cherney, who talks with KYW's Antionette Lee about the work DadLab is doing to support new dads and dads-to-be. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW Community Impact Reporter Racquel Williams talks with members of The Elevation Project of Philadelphia. The Elevation Project offers a supportive space for the formerly incarcerated and those at risk of incarceration. This week's Newsmaker has been named one of Philadelphia's cultural treasures by the Ford Foundation. Vashti Dubois, founder of the Colored Girls Museum, talks with KYW's Shara Dae Howard. Our Philly Rising Changemaker is Ryan Harris, who talks with KYW's Antionette Lee about his work heading up a local non-profit dedicated to gun violence prevention. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Bridging Philly, KYW Community Impact Reporter Racquel Williams talks with the authors of the book, "White Fragility: Why Understanding Racism Can Be So Hard For White People." It's written by Robin D'Angelo and adapted by Toni Graves Williamson, the director of equity and inclusion at Friends select School in Philadelphia, and Ali Michael. Today's News Maker is Haneef Hill, founder of Urban Youth Kings and Queens. Born and raised in Philly, he founded Urban Youth Kings and Queens as a safe haven for neighborhood kids in Germantown and Mount Airy. Now the organization serves hundreds of kids all over the city through education and sports programs Our Philly Rising Changemaker is Nikki Bagby from the nonprofit A Humbled Heart.   To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The School District of Philadelphia recently announced its commitment to invest an additional $1.7M to support District paraprofessionals to become teachers. In collaboration with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the Paraprofessional Grow Your Own program covers the full cost of tuition and provides additional support so participants graduate debt-free and earn a bachelor’s degree and a teaching role in the District. We're joined by Philadelphia schools superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington and Larisa Shambaugh, Chief Talent Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW community impact reporter Racquel Williams speaks with Care Not Control, a Philly nonprofit working to end juvenile incarceration. They just released a new project that puts their message to music. For the Newsmaker of the Week, KYW's Shara Dae Howard introduces us to Imperfect Gallery, an artist run gallery opened in 2012 in Germantown. They welcome the community to connect and grow together through conversations around art and well as civic engagement. This election season, they doubled down on that mission. The Philly Rising Changemaker is David Evans, a father, realtor, part-time coach with Philadelphia Youth Basketball, and concerned citizen. Local politics first piqued his interest with a question: How could he get speed bumps installed in his North Philadelphia neighborhood for the safety of his 11-year-old son who plays outside? KYW's Antionette Lee follows his story. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW Community Impact Reporter Racquel Williams speaks with Mazzie Casher and Steven Pickens of Philly Truce, a violence prevention group working tirelessly to stave the gun violence in Philadelphia. The newsmaker this week is Beyond Literacy, a group in Philadelphia working to raise the literacy levels in the city. KYW's Shara Dae Howard learned how the organization aims to increase good outcomes for Philadelphia children by improving literacy in the home and in schools. The Philly Rising Changemaker of the week is eight-year-old Gideon Ansah, who goes by the stage name “Star Jr.”. He's been DJing for most of his life, and KYW's Antionette Lee explains how he fulfilled his civic duty this past Election Day by using his love for music to bring beats to a West Philly polling location.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, KYW community impact reporter Racquel Williams speaks with Rachel Honore and Anne Kennan of Literacy and More. Literacy and More is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide access to community resources for the empowerment of Philadelphia families living in resource-scarce areas. Our newsmaker this week is Christine Brunson, founder of Purple House Project PA, a local nonprofit focused on strengthening women fallen victim to domestic violence. She tells KYW's Shara Dae Howard that her approach is one of connection and expansion with an emphasis on holistic healing. This week's Philly Rising changemaker is 8-year-old Addie Auth, a leukemia survivor who made a video to cheer on the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.     To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

LUCY Camden (or Lifting Up Camden's Youth) is a comprehensive after-school and summer youth mentoring program. KYW Community Impact reporter Racquel Williams visited their state of the art, renovated space to find out more about the work they're doing and what's in store for the organization. The Newsmaker of the week is Joss Duncan Asé, the founder of a new multimedia platform that focuses on lifting up communities across the city. She’s recently been recognized by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists as a trailblazer for her new take on reporting local news, and she talks with KYW's Shara Dae Howard. This week's Philly Rising Changemaker is Maureen Carreno. During the pandemic, Maureen Carreno of Delaware County became known as “Souper Mummum,” sharing her soup recipes on Facebook and meals with the community. The weekly soup drive-bys have ended, but the giving hasn’t. Lately, Carreno has been using her passion and talent for cooking to help families fleeing abuse at the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, as KYW's Antionette Lee reports. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, but Pennsylvania legislators and advocates are fighting to improve maternal health outcomes. Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, and host Racquel Williams speaks with three women who are helping to organize events, raise awareness, and bring change to our health care system: State Representative Gina Curry, Co-Chair of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus; Jenné Johns, President of Once Upon A Preemie; and Saleemah McNeil, Founder of Oshun Family Center. Then, on Shara in the City, we’re highlighting Jazz Month in the Philadelphia region. Shara Dae Howard talks with a local jazz expert about some of the great musical history in our area and where the best performances will be this month. Original music by V. Shayne Frederick. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Bridging Philly, Racquel Williams talks with Kathy Rafter, Cara Gimble and Cait Pringle from Abington Senior High School. The school has two programs for young adults, ages 18-21, with IEPs, or Individualized Education Programs. ACTIVE academy and STRIVE utilizes the classroom and community to teach students vocational, travel training, and independent living skills. Students are given opportunities to practice these skills in the classroom, at their job site, and in the community. Our newsmaker this week is Nile Livingston, a public muralist with deep Philly roots. She uses her community connections to inform her work while also using her art as a form of representation for those same communities. Recently she’s gotten a lot of attention for two high profile mural commissions at both the children’s hospital of Philadelphia and another in the Gayborhood. This week's Philly Rising Changemaker is Dr. Bernadette Wheeler. By day, she is a gynecologist at the University of Pennsylvania. But Wheeler says her passion is the nonprofit store named in honor of her son Eric, who has Down syndrome. You can find Something Different by Eric at 814 W. Lancaster Ave., where the goal is not to make a profit, but to create a community. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Bridging Philly, Racquel Williams talks with two Philadelphia women who decided to take a DNA test to trace their ancestry and they got way more than they bargained for. Lisa Swyer and Donna Garey learned their true identities and reached out to Right To Know, a national support group founded by Kara Rubinstein Deyerin and Alecia Weiss. The group helps individuals who learn their true identity after using popular DNA testing kits. The Newsmaker of the week is Dr. Monique Gary, a breast cancer surgeon and local LGBTQ activist of color. Dr. Gary recently established a foundation to encourage healing in a more wholistic way, through farming. She talks with Shara Dae Howard about the foundation. Find out more at https://www.stillrisefarms.com. The Philly Rising Changemaker is YEAH Philly, the Youth Empowerment Advancement Hangout. Antionette Lee speaks with Kendra Van De Water, executive director and co-founder of YEAH Philly. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Terrill Haigler might be better known in Philadelphia as Ya Fav Trashman. The former sanitation worker has built a reputation and an online as an advocate for sanitation workers and cleaner streets. He's written a children’s book that teaches kids about clean communities. And now he's running for Philadelphia City Council. Racquel Williams sits down with Haigler to talk about why he's running and his big ideas for Philadelphia. Our Philly Rising Changemaker is Crystal Jackson, the founder of the Perfectly Flawless Foundation, a Philadelphia nonprofit that gives clothes to people in transition. Shara Dae Howard sits down with Jackson to talk about her story, what the Perfectly Flawless Foundation does, and the message she wants to get out.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices