Flashpoint

Every year, KYW Newsradio and Bridging Philly present an hour-long special during Suicide Prevention Month to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the US, but there is help. Host Racquel Williams and our team of reporters and anchors talk with experts about some of the biggest mental health challenges in 2024. If you are in crisis, help is available - call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 00:00 Intro 01:30 Morning anchor Carol MacKenzie talks with Joanie Pagano about recovering from an eating disorder. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you can find support at nationaleatingdisorders.org or ANAD.org. 11:48 Reporter Shara Dae Howard visits the Attic Youth Center to learn how they support LGBTQ+ youth. 21:55 Reporter Conner Barkon explores how social media impacts our mental health and the added pressure on student athletes with Sherri Hope Culver, Director of Temple University’s Center for Media and Information

PECO does more than just keep your lights on - they’re marking 20 years of their Green Region Open Space Program, which has provided over $2.5 million in grants to preserve, protect, and expand green spaces throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. Spaces like gardens and parks are vital for our physical and mental health, but they can be hard to find in the city, especially in disinvested neighborhoods. We hear how PECO has partnered with Natural Lands and Neighborhood Gardens Trust to make nature more accessible to everyone. Then, on Shara in the City, we visit Fireman’s Hall Museum in Old City. The renovated 1898 firehouse is a treasure trove of Philadelphia fire history and home to the first exhibit commemorating the firefighters who died on 9/11. 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

Only 1 in 3 fourth graders in Pennsylvania is reading proficiently - a statistic that Teach Plus hopes to change. The organization works to improve student outcomes by empowering teachers to advocate for policy change, as well as helping to recruit a diverse teacher workforce. Laura Boyce, Teach Plus Pennsylvania’s Executive Director, joins host Racquel Williams to talk about the teacher shortage, teacher retention, the latest school budget, and more. Teachers interested in joining a Teach Plus BIPOC affinity group can sign up here or attend their mixer on September 27. Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits The Formerly Incarcerated Renaissance Museum, or The F.I.R.M., to find out how this new museum is illuminating the stories of formerly incarcerated people 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

Domestic abusers want to have control over their victims, and often, that involves knowing where they are at all times. Tracking devices have made that easier, and devices that look like a phone charger or a child’s toy are readily available. Amanda L. Murray, Center for Hope & Safety's Domestic Violence Liaison to New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency, joins host Racquel Williams to discuss what to do if you think you or someone you love is being tracked. If you need help with a domestic violence situation that involves technology, you can find resources at techsafety.org, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233), or text “START” to 88788. Then, on Shara in the City, we visit Still Rise Farms, a retreat center started by a breast cancer surgeon to encourage healing and holistic well-being. Shara Dae Howard spends the day there fishing and learning with Camp Jill Scott. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/p

The transition to college can be tough for both students and parents. Whether it’s your first time moving a kid into a dorm or you find yourself with an empty nest after all your kids are out of the house, life is suddenly different. Racquel Williams hosts a panel of moms and advisors to learn how to parent differently at this stage of life, avoid being a helicopter parent, and embrace your “second act”. She's joined by Jodi Silverman, founder of Moms Who Dare, Beth Allen, a participant in Moms Who Dare and founder of DIY HIP Chicks, and Dr. Deanne DeCrescenzo, Associate Dean of Students in the Division of Student Affairs at Temple University. Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard meets a disco legend: Russell Dabney, the drummer for the Village People. Sitting on a Philly stoop, they talk about his career, life on tour, and the unbeatable feeling of watching a crowd do the “YMCA” as he plays. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Youth and young adults in Philadelphia can learn about career options and job skills while getting paid through C2L-PHL’s youth work programs, run by JEVS Human Services. Summer and school year job opportunities range from the medical field to government, even working with horses and people with disabilities at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Academy. Racquel Williams talks with representatives from JEVS, Pegasus, and LNESC - a nonprofit that works with JEVS to place students in meaningful work experiences - as well as a student who worked at Pegasus this summer. Then, on Shara in the City, break dancing made its first appearance in the Olympics this year - and with questions over how the culture was represented on an international stage, it might not be back. Shara Dae Howard talks with some Philly OG breakers to get their takes and learn a few moves. 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://po

At 55-years-old, Marie-Monique Marthol made a life-changing decision to change careers. She learned carpentry through Rebuild’s Workforce Development Program, where participants learn trade skills while revitalizing Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Marie-Monique joins host Racquel Williams to talk about her experience. We also hear from Rebuild’s Director of Workforce Development, Tiffany Smith, about how Rebuild is bringing more women and people of color into the trades. Then, on Shara in the City, we visit Broad Street Love, where they provide stabilizing services to those experiencing deep poverty. Shara steps into the shoes of a volunteer, serving restaurant-style meals to folks who have found an affirming and supportive community in this space. 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’ve seen a surge of people facing food insecurity since pandemic relief ended, and the numbers have not gone back down. It’s a particular issue in Philadelphia, where about 22% of people live in poverty - twice the national average. Share Food Program is the city’s leading hunger relief organization. Their executive director, George Matysik, and deputy chief program officer, Cat Bartoli, join host Racquel Williams to discuss the programs they offer - from pantries to delivery, school lunches to senior programs - and how widespread the issue of food insecurity is. Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits Down North Pizza, where they hire formerly incarcerated people as employees. She joins the staff for a day to make a pizza and learn why their mission is so important. 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 Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is on tour! Their “Beloved Community” tour is stopping in towns across the state to host open discussions about civil rights issues in each community. Racquel Williams speaks with Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter to understand the purpose of this tour, the important work PHRC does, and how to reach out if you’re having an issue with any kind of prejudice or discrimination. Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits the ABA Centers of Pennsylvania in Wayne, a play and therapy center for children with autism, complete with everything from a climbing wall to a bubble machine. 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

When COVID-19 hit, Dr. Ala Stanford stepped up to help Philadelphians get access to information, testing, care, and later, vaccines. She founded the Black Doctors Consortium, and after her work gained national media attention, President Biden appointed her Regional Director of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Now, Dr. Stanford has written a book, “Take Care of Them Like My Own”, coming out August 6 with a launch event at the Kimmel Center. It’s about her personal journey, her work, and the importance of equity and representation in medicine. She talks about all of that with our host, Racquel Williams. And on Shara in the City, Lloyd Parks is the last living member of the famous Philly R&B group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - and he can still hit those high notes in songs like “I Miss You” and “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”. Shara Dae Howard takes a journey through time to hear Lloyd’s story. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-

While many schools have faced fights over book bans and how they teach about racism, Friends Select School in Philadelphia is taking an actively anti-racist approach to education. As a Quaker school, they follow the same philosophies that the Quakers who fought in the abolitionist movement did, and they’re able to incorporate social justice into their curriculum, staff training, and how they interact with the greater Philadelphia community. Racquel Williams speaks with educators and staff from Friends Select to find out how they put their mission into action. And on Shara in the City, as we get ready to kick off the 2024 Olympics, Shara Dae Howard remembers when Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee came through Philadelphia to inspire over 200 elementary students at Drexel University’s Vidas Field Day and give away copies of her children’s book, “Running for the Gold: Connecting Kids to Dreams.” – This episode of Shara in the City originally ran on Nov 4, 2023. To learn more about listener data and ou

The Focus on Fathers parenting education program shows new fathers how to have positive relationships with their kids. The “fathers to the fathers” try to fill in the gaps for men raised without a strong father figure in their lives, through child development education, job readiness, and mental health awareness, with remote and in-person classes. --This interview originally ran on Nov 19, 2023. Then, on Shara in the City, we explore a cave that’s said to be built by America’s first cult of mystics to predict the apocalypse, right in Wissahickon Park - the Cave of Kelpius. 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 experienced 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 telehealth a good option? Host Racquel Williams asks these questions and more with our panel of therapists.  Then on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard spends some time in nature and introduces us to the poets and musicians who are inspired by the historic Germantown Awbury Arboretum. This episode originally ran on May 13, 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

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 recently opened a new center 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. 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’ve seen tremendous progress in diagnosing and treating cancer, but not all people have benefited from that progress equally. The American Association for Cancer Research recently released their 2024 Cancer Disparities Progress Report, which highlights gaps in diagnoses, treatment, and outcomes for people in marginalized groups. What is being done to close those gaps? We talk with Mitch Stoller, Chief Philanthropic Officer and Vice President of Development for the AACR, and Dr. Camille Ragin, a professor and Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fox Chase Cancer Center and a member of the steering committee for the AACR’s report. And on Shara in the City, we get ready for the first year of Olympic breakdancing by visiting Philly’s longest-running hip-hop and breakdancing event, The Gathering at The Rotunda. 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/ad

The experience of traveling to a different part of the world can be life-changing, but many people don’t get that opportunity because of the cost. A new initiative called Invest in Human Potential aims to take five young Black men from Philadelphia on a two-week trip to Sardinia, Italy, and empower them with the skills to become social justice warriors over the course of a year-long fellowship. Racquel Williams talks with the director, Amir Joshua Palmer, about what the fellowship will involve and what it will take to get it off the ground. Learn more about how you can support the fellowship at investinhumanpotential.com. And on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard discovers a hidden sanctuary in West Philly to learn about Black birding. 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

A Philadelphia performing arts organization is celebrating Juneteenth with a twist on an old tradition: the house party. Running June 20 - 22, Intercultural Journeys’ “The Re-Emancipation of Social Dance” is an interactive party-performance through five “living rooms”, inviting you to reclaim the freedom of dance. We talk with the show’s curator and former Philadelphia Poet Laureate, Yolanda Wisher, and Intercultural Journeys' Executive Director, Carly Rapaport-Stein, about this performance and how Black Americans throughout history have built community through dance. Learn more, get tickets, and listen to their podcast on the history of social dance at reemancipatedance.org. And on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard hops on the El to try to catch a glimpse of all 50 murals in Steve Powers’ “A Love Letter For You” series in West 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://podcastchoi

More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Women Against Abuse aims to help domestic violence victims of all genders by providing shelters, counseling, legal services, and safety planning. Executive Director Joanna Otero-Cruz joins us along with board member Jamie Colleen Miller, who shares her own story of escaping an abusive relationship with help from Women Against Abuse. If you are facing domestic violence and need help, call their hotline at 1-866-723-3014 or visit their website for more resources. And on Shara in the City, we kick off Pride Month at The Rose Garden exhibit by local artist John Jarboe at The Fabric Workshop and Museum - an immersive exploration of her gender journey. 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

Author Susanne Munn of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, says her neurodivergent son had a hard time fitting in. She wrote a poem to help him celebrate himself, and 10 years later, she’s releasing that poem as a children’s book with the help of her friend and illustrator, Amy Towers. Susanne and Amy tell us about “The Great Shape Debate”. Plus Kim Wheeler Poitevien, MSW, LCSW, owner of Amel Counseling, joins us to expand on ways to help kids - and adults - stop comparing themselves to others and love who they are. And on Shara in the City, local musicians re-create the iconic “A Great Day in Harlem” photo, with a Philly twist. 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

Tahirah Austin-Muhammad was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was six years old. Throughout her life, she has dealt with pain and organ failures - she’s currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, living on 7% kidney function. Despite that, she is raising a daughter and has helped found Crescent Foundation to provide education and resources to others living with sickle cell disease. She joins us along with her physician, Dr. Safiyya Shabazz. And on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard learns double dutch with Majestic Jumpers. Learn more about how to find and support Black physicians in the Philadelphia area from The Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania. 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