Bridging Philly

Latest Episodes:

How families are transformed by organ donation | Teaching history through fashion Feb 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

Torn Apart: Rethinking the Child Welfare System Feb 11, 2023

Show notes

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.

The Brutal Death of Tyre Nichols: Understanding and Healing Racial Trauma Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

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.

Black Lives Always Mattered! Philadelphia’s Historic Literature Legacy Jan 28, 2023

Show notes

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.

The Weight of Death: Neighborhoods bear the heavy burden of gun violence Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

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.

57 Blocks: the grassroots collective fighting gun violence in Philadelphia Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

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.

Custom lullabies for new parents from the Philadelphia Lullaby Project Jan 07, 2023

Show notes

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.

Game changing support for formerly incarcerated people Dec 17, 2022

Show notes

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.

Why talking about 'White Fragility' can make people uncomfortable Dec 10, 2022

Show notes

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.

Investing $1.7M for paraprofessionals in Philly schools Dec 04, 2022

Show notes

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.

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