Bridging Philly

Latest Episodes:

Fighting the corrupt, contented & consenting Part 1 | Harry Belafonte, Paul Robeson & Marian Anderson Apr 30, 2023

Show notes

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.

Connecting community through urban trails | Neighbors feeding Philadelphians in need Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

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.

Turning guns into garden tools | Celebrating 125 years of Paul Robeson Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

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.

Housing our unsheltered neighbors | Art exhibit raises questions about democracy Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

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?"

I’m Not Going to Die Today: From the Killing Fields to the Secret Service Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

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 Servicewith his co-author Joe Samuel Starnes.

Avoiding colorectal cancer by getting screened at 45 | Upper Darby's Immanuel Wilkins' musical journey Mar 26, 2023

Show notes

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.

Philly Chess Queens | Martin Luther King, Jr. Camden house resists devastating fire Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

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.

Preventing Youth Violence | Fighting for LGBTQIA+ Protections Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

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.

Bridging Philly goes to the Philadelphia Flower Show Mar 05, 2023

Show notes

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.”

War-torn Ukrainians receive help from the Philadelphia region | A 9-year-old earns a high school diploma Feb 25, 2023

Show notes

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.

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