Bridging Philly

As a kid, Steven Stotts loved to take things apart to learn how they worked. Now, he’s passing on that curiosity to Philly area kids as Stevie the Inventor (www.stevietheinventor.com), leading STEM experiences throughout the city. He recently launched Build a Bot classes, where students get to build and take home a robot. Steven sits down with Racquel Williams to talk about his journey and how he fuels kids’ imaginations.

Then, on Shara in the City, it’s the end of an era - Mural Arts Founder and Executive Director Jane Golden is retiring after more than 40 years leading the organization that has made Philadelphia famous for its public art. Shara Dae Howard talks with Jane and her successor, Emily Mello, about how Mural Arts has grown and what comes next.

The Philadelphia Cycling Classic was one of the most elite bike races in the world - and it will be again when it returns after a 10-year hiatus on August 30. Cyclists and fans are excited to once again experience the competition, the celebration, and the tremendous show of athleticism on display around the city, especially at the famously steep “Manayunk Wall”. Racquel Williams talks with the team that’s bringing the race back, with opportunities for families and fans to get even more engaged - Carlos Rogers, “cycling’s biggest fan” and owner of Hush Salon, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and entrepreneur Eric Robbins.

See all the festivities of race weekend at www.philadelphiacyclingclassic.com.

Then, on Shara in the City, Philadelphia is a growing hotspot for the film industry. Shara Dae Howard visits The Story Factory, a one-of-a-kind studio in Northern Liberties that’s not only creating opportunities for major productions, but is also helping inspire the next generation of creatives.

Learn more about The Story Factory at www.thestoryfactoryphl.com.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants to expire, ruling that the decision is not subject to judiciary review. This left thousands of Haitians in the Philadelphia area and over 300,000 nationally in limbo, with their employment documents terminated, being told to return to a country in crisis. The Trump administration has terminated temporary protected status for 13 of the 17 countries given that designation, and all of those terminations have been challenged in court - cases that could be impacted by this SCOTUS decision. Racquel Williams talks with three experts and advocates to explain the decision and how it impacts immigrants at the heart of our communities: Sarah H. Paoletti, Director of the Transnational Legal Clinic at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (/www.law.upenn.edu/clinic/transnational); Rev. Dr. Josephys Dafils, Founder & Executive Director of Haitian American United for Change (www.haucpa.org); and Cathryn Miller-Wilson, Executive Director of HIAS Pennsylvania (www.hiaspa.org).

Then, on Shara in the City, a group of Philly teens are taking the trip of a lifetime to London and Paris - for many of them, their first time on a plane. Shara Dae Howard catches up with Girl Talk Global before their flight to hear how they create opportunities to take Philly youth “from a city view to a world view”.

The country is at war. The cost of living has spiked. Violent videos, disinformation, and AI fill our newsfeeds. There’s a lot to make us stressed and anxious these days. Racquel Williams takes a moment to check in on the nation’s mental health with Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka, co-founder of Centia Health (www.centiahealth.com), and Peter Andrew Danzig-Plasencia, psychotherapist and licensed social worker (www.peterandrewdanzig.com). We discuss how things like social media and the political climate impact our mental health, when to seek help, and ways to cope that may or may not include therapy.

Then, Philly’s massive sports summer isn’t over: women’s tennis is coming back to town for the first time in 22 years with the Ennoble Care Philly Open, August 23-29. Shara Dae Howard talks with the Philadelphia Sisters (www.sisterssportsgroup.com), a local group led by Alex Niedbalski-Sykes - wife of comedian Wanda Sykes - who are working to make Philly a powerhouse in women’s sports.

Some mental health resources mentioned in this episode:

988 Lifeline - call or text 988

Community Behavioral Health - www.cbhphilly.org

Healthy Minds Philly - www.healthymindsphilly.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - www.nami.org

LGBTQ+ resources:

IBA TransWork - www.transwork.org

Mazzoni Center - www.mazzonicenter.org

The Attic Youth Center - www.atticyouthcenter.org

When people talk about teens on the street in the summer, they’re often talking about some kind of trouble. But Fab Youth Philly is flipping that stereotype by sending teens out to the streets…to play. Their Play Captain initiative hires and trains teenagers to lead games and activities on the city’s Playstreets, playgrounds, and other play spaces. The teens gain work experience, develop leadership skills, and bring joy to kids around the city. Racquel Williams talks with Fab Youth Philly’s Executive Director, Rebecca Fabiano, and three Play Captains, Faith Cardona, Diego Jose Batista, and Guber Rodriguez.

Learn more about Fab Youth Philly at www.fabyouthphilly.org.

Then, on Shara in the City: you come across an old fashioned house phone in the middle of Love Park. Do you pick it up? Tons of people have, and the messages they’ve left are powerful - calls to lost loved ones, to God, or to the world. Shara Dae Howard gets a look at the social experiment gone viral called “Let’s Talk”.

See the phone messages on Instagram: @realfallrisk.

Kids will come across depictions of race, gender, and sexuality whether we talk to them about it or not. Brandee Blocker Anderson created The Antiracism Academy to help parents and educators teach kids about these topics in a supportive way that they can understand, using rhyming books and short videos. She recently released the “Teach Me Antiracism: Allyship” series, explaining words and concepts around LGBTQ+ identity from A to Z. Racquel Williams talks with her about the series, her work in DEI, and why it’s important to have these conversations with children.

Check out the series at www.teachmeallyship.com.

Then, rapper Philadelphia Freeway joins us on Shara in the City, fresh off his performance at the 4th of July One Philly: Unity concert. He’s gearing up for his annual Free Fest at the Navy Yard on August 1, and he gives Shara Dae Howard the inside scoop.

Find out more about Free Fest at www.phillyfreefest.org.

Being in nature can be both physically and mentally rejuvenating. Collie Turner, founder of Heroic Gardens, grew up around plants and chose horticulture as a way to give back to veterans. Racquel Williams talks with her and Salome Hall, a Navy veteran and founder of Sisters Affirming Sisterhood who has found community and healing through Heroic Gardens' programs.

Then, Shara Dae Howard explores the mysteries of The House of Magic, a theater/museum/library dedicated to the wonder magicians have brought us throughout history.

Learn more about the organizations in this episode:

www.heroicgardens.org

www.sasproject.org

www.houseofmagicpa.com

This episode originally aired on April 4, 2026.

It’s the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, and there’s no better place to celebrate than America’s birthplace, Philadelphia. This week, Shara Dae Howard is taking over for an all Shara in the City special edition, exploring some of the city’s hidden historical treasures.

We start at Elfreth’s Alley, one of the country’s oldest continuously inhabited residential streets, with a peek at modern life inside the 16th and 17th century homes.

Then, we visit the site of one of America’s first taverns in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps got their start. The Tun tavern was torn down centuries ago, but sailors and Marines still come to Philadelphia looking for it - so two veterans have decided to rebuild it.

We end our journey at the American Philosophical Society library, home to some of the rarest historical documents and artifacts in American history, as well as Benjamin Franklin's personal library.

Books are a great way for people in prison to improve their literacy, expand their options for when they get out, or simply pass the time . But prison libraries are often limited, if they have libraries at all. Books Through Bars was started to address this problem by sending books to people who request them in prisons. Racquel Williams talks with three volunteers about the history of the organization and why books are valuable for people who are incarcerated.

Learn more or get involved at www.booksthroughbars.org.

Then - you can smell the Wyck house and grounds from down the street. It’s home to one of the nation’s oldest original rose gardens, plus a wide variety of historic artifacts from nine generations of one of Philly’s most impactful families. Shara Dae Howard visits to discover the stories hidden in the attic and to see what’s in bloom.

Learn more or plan a visit at www.wyck.org.

Black men often find it hard to be vulnerable - they’re taught to be tough and not to show their feelings. But they struggle just as much as the rest of us. When two Black female clinicians noticed a high demand from Black men seeking therapy and facing barriers to access, they started Black Men Heal to offer free individual and group therapy programs for Black men. Racquel Williams talks with one of the co-founders, Zakia S. Williams.

Learn more about their programs at www.blackmenheal.org.

Note: after this episode was released, the job fair event was postponed to August.

Then, Shara Dae Howard celebrates Juneteenth by diving into Philly’s Black history with the “Queen of the Ring”, Vernoka Michael - owner of the Blue Horizon boxing gym, where legends like Joe Frazier trained. The gym closed in 2010, but Vernoka is making sure its legacy lives on.