The nonprofit organization Drive Toward a Cure challenges every licensed driver to make every mile spent on the road count for a cause. This effort seeks to raise awareness and research dollars for Parkinson's Disease. During the "75 Days of Summer" campaign, drivers are encouraged to log their mileage and recruit supporters to sponsor their travels. There are chances to win prizes and do some good for the community. Vikas Chinnan is our guest. He's an Atlanta native now living in California dia...
Jul 24, 2023•20 min
Recently, the L.E.A.R.N Foundation opened a brick and mortar location in Dallas, GA. This nonprofit seeks to provide innovative and structured educational outreach programs to veterans. The organization has a new program, Veterans Upward Bound which will allow qualified veterans to have free access to services barring them to educational success. This is one of three similar programs in Georgia. To qualify, veterans must live in one of these Georgia counties: Bartow, Carroll, Douglas, Floyd, Har...
Jul 24, 2023•24 min
AileyCamp, the nationally acclaimed summer program that uses dance as a means to stretch the minds, bodies, and spirits of middle-school students, launches in Atlanta this week in partnership with Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and continues through July 14 at Luther J. Price Middle School. Aligning with Atlanta’s “Year of the Youth” initiative announced by Mayor Dickens, the six-week, full scholarship program helps students ages 11-14 reach their full potential with classes in dance, personal de...
Jul 06, 2023•24 min
Georgia Public Service Commission Vice Chair Tim Echols joins Perspectives to talk winning the road race by driving an EV. The 13th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow educational series, hosted by PSC Vice Chairman Tim Echols and produced by Event Energy Partners together with Clean Cities Georgia, kicks off June 23rd with four tour-stops in Savannah, Augusta, Peachtree City, and Albany. Four half-day events designed for fleet operators, local government, industry, MPOs, and other community le...
Jul 06, 2023•25 min
Today we talk with author Ruth P. Watson about A Right Worthy Woman. This work of historical fiction follows the remarkable true story of Maggie Lena Walker and Virginia’s Black Wall Street. Maggie Lena Walker was the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman who eventually became the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States. As a child, Maggie helped her mother with her laundry service, opening her eyes to the overwhelming discrepancy between Black residents and h...
Jun 21, 2023•24 min
In YES PLEASE!, author, CEO and certified executive and personal coach L. Michelle Smith draws upon positive psychology, neuroscience, and the experiences of high-performing professional Black women, including herself, to reveal the seven secrets for success for the “double disadvantaged” in senior executive leadership positions, most notably tapping into positive emotion. Her book emphasizes the importance of Black women prioritizing their happiness as a pathway to achieving their career aspira...
Jun 21, 2023•25 min
Alaya Dawn Johnson is an award-winning author of speculative fiction for adults and young adults. Her most recent novel, The Library of Broken Worlds, introduces the reader to Freida, the daughter of a library god who has spent her entire life exploring the library's ever changing tunnels and communing with the gods. In the winding underground tunnels of the library, a heinous secret lies buried -- and Freida is the only one who can uncover it. Her unbelievable access makes her unique and danger...
Jun 13, 2023•25 min
Summer season has arrived and the concern over COVID continues to decline. Nonetheless, a new variant that comes with an unusual, new symptom is gaining traction in the U.S. XBB.1.16 or Archturus is responsible for a growing share of new infections which often begin with an eye infection in addition to other cold-like symptoms like coughing and sneezing. We speak with HHS Regional Director Antrell Tyson about how to avoid exposure and stay healthy. Then, it's a conversation with Atlanta's own Go...
Jun 13, 2023•20 min
National Brain Tumor Society, the largest patient advocacy organization in the United States committed to curing brain tumors and improving the lives of patients and families, will host the inaugural 2023 Brain Tumor Walk & Race at The Battery - Atlanta on June 3, 2023. Hundreds of local volunteers and participants—including patients, survivors, caregivers, families and friends, research scientists, medical providers, and local businesses—will walk and run for a critical cause: conquering an...
May 31, 2023•24 min
May 30 marks Memorial Day in the us; an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Much of what we know about key historical events are learned through documentaries, school, and history books - but most vividly, is the first-hand accounts retold from our grandparents and ancestors who were alive during these periods. However, research from America’s leading biography-writing service, Story Terrace, found over half...
May 31, 2023•25 min
During May, we acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of our neighbors of Asian American and pacific islander descent. Or simply AAPI month. Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in Georgia and in the United States. Yet their history is rarely taught in Georgia classrooms. The group – Asian American voices for education – created and launched a heritage month kit designed for not only educators, but also parents to celebrate and teach Asian American histor...
May 22, 2023•25 min
WE SEE EACH OTHER is a personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images by Tre’vell Anderson. A literary reckoning, it unearths a transcestry that’s long existed in plain sight and in the shadows of history, and further contextualizes this present moment of increased representation. Though there have been trans memoirs and histories, there has never been a book quite like this, nor a conversation like this on Perspectives. Tre'vell says, "I don’t remember exactly when I ...
May 22, 2023•25 min
The schoolyear is about to end and many students will still be reading below their grade level. Blame this learning gap on the COVID-19 pandemic. One woman, however, is working to make reading easier and more enjoyable for children. Author and child advocate Sherrika Myers is back with the third in her series of Lil' Herbie books. This one is Lil' Herbie's New Friend. Herbie is a little boy learning to adapt to change. He battles stuttering and is growing stronger in each new story.
May 19, 2023•24 min
Author Leah Johnson always wanted to be a superhero. When she discovered writing is her superpower, she became a writer which she says is the next best thing to being a superhero. Her debut novel, You Should See Me in a Crown was a best seller and won many honors including selection as one of Time's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Johnson is back with a novel for middle school students, Ellie Engle Saves Herself. This book tells a story about friendship, change and the power we have to l...
May 08, 2023•25 min
In Georgia, hundreds of young people age out of the foster care system every year. Many of these kids have experienced varying degrees of abuse and neglect without the proper health care to help them to work through their trauma. This contributes to many former foster care children's disadvantages when entering adulthood and the workforce. Young adults who grew up in the system are less likely to find satisfactory permanent employment and often become homeless. Amerigroup Georgia and the Multi-A...
May 01, 2023•24 min
Within fiction lies the seeds of powerful transformation and inspiration. Some of the most inspirational guidebooks are parable, including Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese and Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go. Both have inspired business visionaries, entrepreneurs and graduates for decades. Joining this thoughtful collective is Ed Hajim's The Island of the Four Ps: A Modern Fable About Preparing for Your Future. Ed believes that the roadmap to success is not found by using GPS or a searc...
May 01, 2023•25 min
There is a saying, that when you know better, you do better. As a lifelong learner, I’m delighted to welcome to perspectives Cat McAfee and Charaun Cash. McAfee is executive director of LA Amistad and Cash is executive director of VOX Atlanta. They along with Habitat for Humanity’s Joshua Rogers are participating in the American Express Leadership Academy. This six-month program seeks to equip leaders with new skills to respond to the rapidly changing needs of their communities.
Apr 28, 2023•25 min
Fans of the television show Power on STARZ know Councilmember Rashad Tate played by acclaimed actor Larenz Tate. What fans may not know is that Tate is the youngest of three brothers and where one goes, they all go. Lahmard is a comedian/actor and Larron runs the family business and foundation. They join me to talk about being brothers, making their grandmother proud and the importance of giving of their time, talent and treasure to their communities in both Los Angeles and hometown of Chicago....
Apr 19, 2023•20 min
The Knowledge House wants you to join them for their first in person recruitment event since COVID. The event is Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Atlanta Tech Village, 3423 Piedmont Road, NE Atlanta, 30305. Founded in New York in 2014, The Knowledge House exists to close the gaps in education to employment pipeline by leading digital skills training for underserved communities. Graduation from one of their programs often yields an internship and employment with salaries...
Apr 19, 2023•24 min
Colorectal cancer is swiftly shifting to more advanced disease and younger individuals according to Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2023, a new report on cancer facts and trends by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Researchers showed the proportion of individuals in the United States diagnosed with advanced-stage colorectal cancer increased from 52% in the mid-2000s to 60% in 2019. In addition, diagnoses of people under 55 years of age doubled from 11% (1 in 10) in 1995 to 20% (1 in 5) in 2019. Ov...
Apr 01, 2023•25 min
The key to understanding, embracing, and unleashing your God-given uniqueness is possessing an accurate picture of your true identity. After all, if you don't know who you are, how could you ever know what you've been born to do? In Your Purpose Is Calling, Dr. Dharius Daniels, founder of Change Church, takes you on a journey of discovering your identity through a threefold solution of finding fulfillment, fit, and fruitfulness
Apr 01, 2023•25 min
Despite his humble origins, Dr. Bill Pickard became the first person in his family to earn a four-year college degree. Today Dr. Pickard is CEO and chairman for multiple businesses, including VITEC LLC, Global Automotive Alliance LLC, and many more. It all started with two of his friends and a single McDonald's franchise. He guides other potential business leaders in his new book, Surviving the Shift, 7 Proven Millionaire Moves for Embracing Change and Building Wealth. His advice is golden as is...
Apr 01, 2023•25 min
Colorectal cancer is swiftly shifting to more advanced disease and younger individuals according to Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2023, a new report on cancer facts and trends by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Researchers showed the proportion of individuals in the United States diagnosed with advanced-stage colorectal cancer increased from 52% in the mid-2000s to 60% in 2019. In addition, diagnoses of people under 55 years of age doubled from 11% (1 in 10) in 1995 to 20% (1 in 5) in 2019. Ov...
Apr 01, 2023•25 min
As we close Black History Month we have conversations with a pair of present day history makers. Virgil Miller is President of Aflac, a Fortune 200, $22 billion dollar insurance company. He is the first African American male to sit in that chair in the C-suite. He follows the first woman to hold the role, Teresa White. Miller believes African Americans who enjoy success have a responsibility to give to their community. Miller once worked in an Aflac call center. He served this country in the Uni...
Mar 02, 2023•45 min
Owning a home remains the American Dream, especially for Black Americans. Yet barriers remain keeping this basic tool of generational wealth building out of reach. NeighborWorks America is a nonprofit organization working to help more Black Americans move from renter to home owner. Last year, the organization helped nearly 4,000 Black adults buy homes. Dr. Christie Cade, NeighborWorks America Regional Vice President joins me to talk through some of those barriers, steps prospective buyers can ta...
Feb 20, 2023•49 min
For the first time since the pandemic, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns to multiple theaters around Atlanta. The Festival runs through February 21st and features 60 films from 18 countries in 16 languages. There remains a virtual option for film goers. From the 16th through February 19th, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Atlanta at the Fox Theater. I sit down with Artistic Director Robert Battle and discuss what attendees might expect.
Feb 13, 2023•20 min
For Black Inventors, the road to owning patents comes with barriers. Black inventors comprise only 1.6 percent of patent holders in the United States. Moreover, gender gap in US patents leads to fewer inventions that help women. My guest is inventor Eva Jane Bunkley. She's the two time Emmy award-winning makeup artist and inventor of the Makeup Bullet®: Hi-Def Cosmetic Finger Sponge. It is one of four patents and trademarks she owns.
Feb 13, 2023•25 min
A journey for justice turned into a love story when WNBA superstar Maya Moore met Jonathan Irons. He'd been arrested, tried and wrongly convicted for a crime that he did not commit. She met him via her uncle's prison ministry. Over time they became friends. In 2019 she exited her WNBA career to commit herself full-time to winning her love's freedom. A judge overturned his conviction in March 2020. That summer he finally walked out of prison a free man. He proposed. They became engaged, married a...
Jan 30, 2023•45 min
The United Way of Greater Atlanta's VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) wants to assure no one earning less than $60,000 a year pays to have their income taxes prepared. On Friday, January 27th, the United Way will host a webinar for interested persons and groups with information on maximizing one's tax savings. My guest is Economy - yes that is her name - Jackson, Director Asset Building Income. One thing she tells me is that it is important to file for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Also, pa...
Jan 24, 2023•20 min
As people ponder their 2023 New Year’s resolutions, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging everyone to include activities to reduce risk of cognitive decline on the list. Research shows that healthy lifestyle interventions may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and help reduce the risk of dementia. There are currently more than 6 million Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s, including 150,000 Georgia residents. My guest is Linda Davidson, the Executive Director of the Georgia...
Jan 23, 2023•24 min
