This is the final show of 2020. My guest is Professor Michael Eric Dyson author of Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America. The night of May 25, 2020 changed America. George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis when a white cop suffocated him. The video of that night’s events went viral, sparking the largest protests in the nation’s history and the sort of social unrest we have not seen since the sixties. While Floyd’s death was certainly the cataly...
Dec 27, 2020•25 min
While 2020 may have brought families closer together - literally - it has also placed a strain on some relationships. The baby boom which many experts forecast did not happen. Children continue to be educated at home while mom and dad are also working from home because of the pandemic. Howard and Danielle Taylor are founders of and lead Marriage on Deck and join me to discuss the five ways spouses can stay connected over the holidays. They are certified marriage coaches with the American Associa...
Dec 21, 2020•25 min
2020 featured multiple elections in practically every contest. Among those elected, Kwanza Hall to serve the remainder of the term of the late John Lewis. He's in office for a little over one month and talks about his goals for the district as he prepares to transition in January to Congresswoman-elect Nikema Williams.
Dec 14, 2020•25 min
On December 12, six-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, legend and artist celebrates her 80th birthday with a virtual concert featuring artists with whom she's done duets. She also talks with Condace Pressley about being the new "Queen of Twitter." Also, The Alliance Theatre has reimagined its performance of "A Christmas Carol" and moved the show to the Summerhill Parking Lot at GSU Stadium. It's a drive-in performance for families now through December 21.
Dec 14, 2020•24 min
US Democratic Senator candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock sits down with KISS 104.1FM Toni Moore to talk about the upcoming runoff.
Dec 14, 2020•7 min
December 1 is Giving Tuesday. That's the day we are all encouraged to give to the nonprofits we care about. One nonprofit seeking your gift is the ParentPreneur Foundation. This nonprofit empowers Black ParentPreneurs to be the best parents and entrepreneurs possible so that they can leave a legacy for their children. Dollars raised on Giving Tuesday will be used to underwrite mental health therapy for ParentPreneurs because of the many challenges these individuals face.
Dec 01, 2020•20 min
2020 has been the year and our city and nation have just experienced the most unusual Thanksgiving holiday in our lifetimes. As the holiday season approaches, people already battling isolation because of the pandemic now have to consider the stresses of the holiday blues. Stephanie Nichols, therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Mindful Therapy Works joins us to talk through the holiday blues and stresses that cause them. On December 10th, she'll stage an online workshop to help...
Dec 01, 2020•24 min
We are spending more time at home. As the holidays approach, why not pick up a good book? Or give one as a gift? In The End of Her, author Shari Lapena has it all: toxic men, toxic women, twists, turns and red herrings. Critics and fans both say "No one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena."
Dec 01, 2020•25 min
In the wake of racial justice unrest this summer, many businesses are working to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. Trudi Lebron is CEO of ScriptFlipt, a consulting organization doing work in this space. Lebron identifies as a biracial latina (racially white/black, ethnically Latina). At 16 she was a high school dropout and the mother of 2. As she struggled to make ends meet, she experienced gaps in equity and a lack of representation in many industries. WIth support of ...
Nov 17, 2020•25 min
The United Way of Greater Atlanta is one of many nonprofit organizations distributing CARES ACT funding to people in need. Persons impacted by the pandemic who can show that they lost a job, or hours or had to stay home with children may be eligible for up to $5000 in relief money to pay back rent, late mortgage payments or overdue utility bills.
Nov 17, 2020•25 min
Our guest is actor, author, and activist Hill Harper. Television viewers know Harper best as Hawkes on CSI New York. He currently appears Dr. Marcus Andrews on the ABC drama "The Good Doctor." He is being honored in Atlanta virtually as the winner of the Generational Barrier Breaker award from the Peachtree Village International Film Festival. Our conversation covers the COVID-19 pandemic, the influence television has had on a homebound nation, the 2020 Election and more. He’s broken barriers th...
Nov 03, 2020•24 min
This clever book—part story, part writing prompt—will help boost kids’ self-esteem as they follow Lulu’s lead to discover their very own power phrase. Lulu loves her biracial family, but people are always asking what are you? Lulu hates that question. Her brother hates it too and inspires her to come up with one line that perfectly describes her so she can easily express who she is, not what she is. Author Lynnette Mawhinney is my guest. She is Chair of, and an Associate Professor in, the Depart...
Nov 03, 2020•24 min
Fair Fight Founder Stacey Abrams joins Perspectives to talk about her film "All In: The Fight for Democracy," an examination of voter suppression in the U.S. She also breaks down the amendments on the Georgia ballot and what voters need to know in advance of Election Day. Then, Kenny Blank, Executive Director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival to discuss the festival's launch of its online film portal.
Nov 03, 2020•25 min
Ambassador Andrew Young, Mike "Killer Mike" Render and Ryan Glover have joined forces to build Greenwood. Greenwood has secured $3 million in seed funding from private investors as the first digital banking platform for Black and Latinx people and business owners. Greenwood seeks to provide banking services to communities who have not had access to or good relationships with banks.
Nov 03, 2020•24 min
2020 will be a year for the history books because of the coronavirus pandemic, a nation divided politically and a reckoning on systemic racism. Rev. Bernice A. King is today's guest for a real conversation on systemic racism and its impact on income, education, health care and housing.
Nov 03, 2020•25 min
Morehouse College will shine its social justice spotlight on filmmakers who use their artistry to promote activism at the second annual Human Rights Film Festival, which will be held virtually from Sept. 24-26, 2020. Films from five continents and 13 countries—from China to Gambia—are competing for the title award. Film submissions often explore the impact of race, gender identity, religion, and poverty on the areas of health care, housing, hunger, education, environmental justice, and law enfor...
Sep 21, 2020•20 min
Last fall Usher Raymond's mom, Johnetta Patton opened her commercial kitchen to chefs who did not have a home base from which to work. She and they joined with a new online venture called Hungry. The plan was to upgrade the business person's working lunch with chef prepared food. Things were going great. Hungry expanded into seven cities including Atlanta, and then the pandemic happened and everything shut down. Hungry did not. We talk with Founder and CEO Jeff Grass. Not only are chefs still wo...
Sep 15, 2020•24 min
Social unrest around the country has many organizations in corporate America taking a second look at their policies and practices with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion. A recent Forbes magazine article notes the reason many employees who are not of color feign interest in DE&I training is a lack of interest. Donald Jenkins leads a team of trainers who seek to evolve hearts and minds on the issue of systemic racism.
Sep 08, 2020•25 min
Martine Resnick and Eileen Lee are co-founders of the Lola is a womxn’s club and community space with a mission to amplify the voices of all womxn. Using womxn in their visual language is very intentional. They use it to be clear in their commitment to inclusivity and intersectionality for all womxn, including any person who self identifies as female. When it was safe to meet and network in person, the Lola held court in the Old Fourth Ward. Now they gather virtually and Resnick and Lee this fal...
Sep 08, 2020•25 min
COVID-19 impacts back to school in many ways. Some students are attending class virtually only while others are going to school sometimes in person and other times online. 2020 brings a new leader to the Atlanta Public Schools Dr. Lisa Herring, a Macon native, Spelman alum and former leader of the Birmingham City Schools.
Sep 08, 2020•25 min
Now more than ever the movement for social justice is finding allies in the white community seeking to know more about our different experiences. In "Why are All the Black Kids SItting Together in the Cafeteria and Other Conversations about Race," Spelman College President Emerita Beverly Daniel Tatum explores the life experiences that force the races to separate.
Aug 11, 2020•24 min
In his final essay, the late Congressman John Lewis described the hope he felt in his last days and the optimism that a new generation of activists would pick up his mantle. One of those activists is Hannah Gebresilassie, a young journalist turned activist fighting for black lives and the rights of all Americans to vote.
Aug 11, 2020•25 min
We are living in interesting times, where people are not necessarily as kind to one another as they could be. My guest believes kindness isn’t merely about getting along with others and being nice. She calls it a game changer in business, the door opener to opportunity and the key to authenticity and confidence. ABC News Anchor and Correspondent Adrienne Bankert is author of Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes Your Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone.
Jul 29, 2020•25 min
Now streaming is a 96-minute documentary about a civil rights pioneer. A legend. An icon. Georgia’s Congressman John Lewis. “John Lewis Good Trouble” is directed by dawn porter and produced by Color Farm Films. The company’s co-founder and film producer is actor and activist Erika Alexander.
Jul 14, 2020•25 min
The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta has an idea to reimagine community policing. Dr. Catherine Meeks, the Center's Executive Director works to change hearts and minds one at a time. She invites a community to join the conversation. She argues that in the wake of the war on drugs, mass incarceration and the murders of Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, change must happen now.
Jul 14, 2020•25 min
To be a great leader, you must be able to unite people from all backgrounds with seemingly competing agendas to come together under a common cause. Those words from former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial – the current President and CEO of the National Urban League – in his new book, The Gumbo Coalition.
Jun 28, 2020•24 min
My Vanishing Country is his poetic personal history. In the book Bakari Sellers awakens us to see the crisis affecting the other “Forgotten Men & Women,” who the media seldom acknowledges. For Sellers, these are his family members, neighbors, and friends. He humanizes the struggles that shape their lives: to gain access to healthcare as rural hospitals disappear; to make ends meet as the factories they have relied on shut down and move overseas; to hold on to precious traditions as their tow...
Jun 21, 2020•25 min
In the past two weeks, our country has experienced a tremendous wave of awakening and awareness regarding racism, justice, and racial reconciliation. Responses to the long-repressed issue have been sadly mixed, but one overwhelmingly positive result has been the spread of Black voices and the call for individuals to educate themselves about the underlying problems. Carlos Whittaker, the son of a Hispanic mother and an African-Panamanian father, has been especially vigilant in his message of call...
Jun 16, 2020•24 min
The country appears ready to have a real conversation about systemic racism. Today I'm talking with Debbie Irving, the author of Waking Up White. She's a 60 year old white woman who has had an epiphany about race in America. Her book is enlightening. The conversation is interesting. I hope you will listen. Her book published in 2014, is available where books and audio books are sold.
Jun 12, 2020•24 min
We say their names. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Their murders shine a white hot light on the systemic racism in America and have led to protests not only in all 50 states, but also in countries around the world. With many Americans sheltering in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 seems to be forcing us to focus on the country's original sin. People of all races are marching and demanding change. This week our conversation is with Al Vivian, CEO of Basic Diversity, ...
Jun 12, 2020•25 min
