Bridging Philly

According to Black and Missing Foundation, 40% of missing persons cases are people of color. The Amber Alert system was created to help find missing children, but is it doing enough for Black and brown youth? Pennsylvania State Reps. Carol Kazeem and Gina H. Curry have proposed a bill to implement an Ebony Alert system, similar to ones in other states, that would send alerts about missing children of color. Our host Racquel Williams talks with them and hip-hop artist and activist Bigga Dre, who has started a movement to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking.

To report human trafficking or get help, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard takes a walk down Afromation Avenue to hear about Mural Arts’ collection of positive affirmation street signs celebrating predominantly Black neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Have you eaten catfish and waffles? Turtle soup? As we now enjoy an enormous variety of food, these dishes are part of Philly’s culinary history. Origins of the city’s food traditions are rooted in the cultural melting pot that includes the African diaspora and the Pennsylvania Dutch. Chef & Culinary Educator Joy Parham and Elwood Restaurant Chef & Owner Adam Diltz join host Racquel Williams to share some holiday traditions and explain why the cultural foods we eat connect us to the regions in which we live.

Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard takes a holiday shopping tour of some of West Philly and Germantown’s Black-and Brown-owned businesses.

This episode originally aired on December 23, 2023.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the country has been divided, with many states banning or restricting abortion and many others passing measures to protect abortion access. Now that Donald Trump has been elected President again, and Republicans have control of both the Senate and the House, what changes could we see, and how could they affect reproductive health care beyond abortion? Rachel Rebouché, Kean Family Dean and Peter J. Liacouras Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, joins our host, Racquel Williams, to discuss the current state of reproductive rights and what could come next.

You can learn about the abortion laws in your state at reproductiverights.org.

Then, on Shara in the City, we catch up with Jeannine A. Cook, owner of Harriett’s Bookshop, after her successful fundraising campaign to bring 15 Philadelphia youth to Paris. Shara Dae Howard talks with the kids as they prepare for their trip.

New Jersey was the last northern state to abolish slavery, and you can see the impacts of that today in things like housing inequality and a massive wealth gap. Several Black advocacy groups banded together to form United Black Agenda and push for policies, education, and programs that will help close that gap. Executive Director Rev. Eric Dobson joins Racquel Williams to talk about UBA’s initiatives.

Look for Rev. Eric Dobson’s podcast “Navigating Realities: Where dialogue meets understanding” coming soon!

Then, on Shara in the City, we visit TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, where Shara Dae Howard meets the formerly incarcerated artists behind their new exhibit, “Wherever There Is Light.”

While going through a divorce, Robin Shine Maddox realized we need more opportunities to celebrate women. So she started Celebrating Sisterhood, which grew from a gathering of friends into the annual She Shines conference, which is in Philadelphia on November 9. Robin and her She Shines sisters Tracey Calhoun and Lynn Michelle Austin join host Racquel Williams to talk about the conference and share their stories of how they found passion and purpose through their struggles.

Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard reconnects with drummer Russell Dabney at his old Philadelphia house to hear more about the history of the Village People, from the wild parties they threw in Mount Airy to their new single.

Quinta Brunson named her hit TV show, “Abbott Elementary,” after her own elementary school teacher in Philadelphia: Ms. Joyce Abbott. Ms. Abbott is speaking at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women on November 7, and Racquel Williams talks with her about the event, her teaching career, what Quinta Brunson was like as a student, and more.

Her book, “Teaching the Ms. Abbott Way”, is available online and in bookstores now.

Then, on Shara in the City, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jill Scott comes home to Philadelphia to see the new mural in her honor at her alma mater, the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Shara Dae Howard talks with her about her memories of Philly, what this mural means to her, and how she hopes to inspire current and future Girls High students.

To conclude our Breast Cancer Awareness Month series, KYW Newsradio and Bridging Philly hosted a live conversation about breast reconstruction with an audience of survivors, doctors, advocates, and supporters. Racquel Williams spoke with surgeons Dr. Alexander Au and Dr. Lori Timmerman with The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program and two reconstruction patients to hear all the options available, how procedures like implants and DIEP flap reconstruction work, what recovery looks like, and more.

A study published by JAMA Oncology shows that spouses of cancer patients are at a heightened risk of suicide attempts and death by suicide. A cancer diagnosis can reshape relationships for better or worse, whether they’re family, partners, or friends. How can breast cancer survivors make sure they’re getting the support they need and that their loved ones feel supported, as well? Racquel Williams talks with a panel of survivors and supporters, along with a social worker from The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program, about these crucial relationships through the breast cancer journey.

Learn more about these survivors’ missions with The Chrysalis Initiative and Create Urgency.

Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits Unite for HER, a non-profit that provides free integrative care for breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients - from acupuncture to nutrition counseling and much more - and has built a community of support.

There’s a lot that people don’t talk about when it comes to the side effects of cancer treatment. Whether patients get chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or a combination of it all, the changes to their bodies have a heavy physical and emotional impact. Racquel Williams talks with a group of survivors and medical experts from The Penn Medicine | Virtua Health Cancer Program about everything from hair loss to sexual wellness - including how breast cancer impacts men and why “going flat” should be presented as an alternative to reconstruction.

Then, on Shara in the City, we look at what happens after a mastectomy. Reconstruction doesn’t always include nipples, so tattoos have become a popular option. Shara Dae Howard visits a tattoo artist who helps breast cancer survivors feel good about their new bodies.

Estimates say that over 300,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. The good news is that mortality rates have dropped, and we’ve made tremendous progress on detection and treatment. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re featuring a special series of conversations about breast cancer - the journey through it and the fight to cure it. To kick it off, Racquel Williams speaks with Dr. Arnold Baskies, chair of the Greater Philadelphia Area Board of the American Cancer Society, about where we are today, what testing and treatments are available, and what’s on the horizon.

Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard visits Wigs 360 to talk about hair loss and how wigs can help people reclaim and redefine their identities.

Support the fight against breast cancer at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 20 at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, NJ.

Step into the world of wigs at the Philadelphia Alternative Hair Pop-Up on October 19 in Manayunk.