Bridging Philly

Host Racquel Williams and three breast cancer survivors share their unique journeys from the terrifying first time they were told of their diagnosis, through the exhausting treatments, to mentoring new patients. A doctor, also a survivor, explains different types of cancers, dispels treatment myths, and urges securing the right medical team. The group describes their struggles juggling family and work commitments, fears of recurrence, and triumphs by helping others.

Philadelphia's Greyhound terminal recently closed, following the competition in providing curbside transportation services with no shelter or amenities. We discuss the growing problems and solutions with a city official and two transportation advocates.

Then, we visit non-profit Eddie's House, which offers daily necessities and hope for vulnerable individuals.

Listen to the different ways housing and food are gateways to intergenerational wealth: Since 1986 Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia has been helping families build affordable homes with neighborhood partners. Habitat’s CEO Corinne O’Connell and North Philadelphia Community Development Corporation’s Executive Director, Darnetta Arce explain how their organizations will be using a recent $315,000 grant to make sustainable home repairs. Then, Germantown’s Christa Barfield believes that her FarmerJawn organic Community Supported Agriculture program makes people healthier if they eat well – no matter where they’re from or skin color.

AI is increasingly a part of our lives: it can be beneficial, like using a smart speaker - and risky, like deep fakes becoming more difficult to distinguish from reality. The University of Pennsylvania’s Cary Coglianese, Edward B. Shils Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, and Michael Kearns, Professor and National Center Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Science, help us understand what artificial intelligence is, where it came from, and where it is going.

Then, Lauri Maple Hayes – some call her “Tree Lady” or “Tree Queen” – Director of Urban Forestry with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, is retiring after a 42-year-career in Fairmount Park. The longtime tree tender and curator describes how she’s ready for the next chapter in her growing season.

This week, Bridging Philly features different ways of helping the next generation prepare for their future by fostering collaboration, and helping them find themselves through peer counseling. First, we hear about the journey of three South Jersey teenagers who kayaked, bushwhacked and hiked through 17 miles to discover natural beauty at their backdoor. Their expedition is chronicled in the documentary, A Search for the Cooper: A River Hidden in Plain View. Then, peer specialists from Intercultural Family Services tackle behavioral health needs of underserved youth throughout the city by sharing their own life experiences.

Music and arts lovers are able to fully enjoy outdoor festivals for the first time since 2019! Susan Slawson, General Manager of The Dell Music Center, Cathy Cahill, President and CEO of the Mann Music Center, and Jesse Lundy, talent buyer for Rising Sun Presents, have weathered pandemic restrictions and describe their summer music series offerings of 2023. Then, East Oak Lane-born-and -raised Sabrina Revelle explains how the Disney+ series , The Crossover - in which she stars - represents diversity and families in a realistic way.

We remember Charles L. Blockson, the curator emeritus and founder of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University with Diane D. Turner, the current curator of the collection, who worked closely with the man who preserved and disseminated information about people of African American descent. Then, Molefi Kete Asante, a professor in the Department of Africology at Temple University, reflects upon the “Robesonian character” whose 700,000 piece collection is one of the most important collections of African American and African materials in the U.S. Finally, Isaac Moody describes his cousin, Nathaniel Moody, the South Jersey truck driver who died in the fiery crash on I95, as a family man and careful driver.

2023 is the second year Juneteenth is recognized as a national holiday, which is based on the day in 1865, when enslaved African Americans were told they were free - more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. African Americans have been celebrating this day since the late 1800s. Our guests discuss the importance of education, in addition to the celebrations of this significant date. Timothy N. Welbeck, Esq., Director of Temple University’s Center for Anti-Racism and VanJessica Gladney, a History PhD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania examine how to reconcile the fraught event and its cultural legacy. Then, a city-wide poem’s voices of freedom and calls to action include Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, Philadelphia poet laureate Yolanda Wisher, Marsha Wesley Coleman, Director of Learning and Development with Friends Services Alliance, Dr. Reverend Malcolm T. Byrd, organizer of the Juneteenth Schools initiative, and Vashti DuBois, founder of the Colored Girls Museum in Germantown.

How can we future-proof our economy? Our guests believe that free or inexpensive community college can help strengthen and stabilize our workforce, but the idea of community college is often misunderstood. Dr. Donald Guy Generals, President of the Community College of Philadelphia, Dr. Lovell Pugh-Bassett, President of Camden County College, and Sara Goldrick Rab, author of the book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, discuss the varied programs, certificates and scholarships that can help pave a pathway to success. Then, we meet Philadelphia lawyer Angela Giampolo, who is touring the United States in her Caravan of Hope to offer her legal services in support of civil rights for the LGBTQ + community.

We find out how the new Philadelphia Parking Authority is making it easier to park, bike, and walk our city streets by improving customer service. Executive Director Rich Lazer and Philly 3.0’s Engagement Director John Geeting discuss safety issues including bike path clearing and ghost car removal. Then galaei’s Executive Director Tyrell Brown describes how this year’s Philly Pride festival is providing safe spaces & resources, in addition to marching in the street.