Bridging Philly

This week Flashpoint invited the Philadelphia Citywide Coalition Project's Co-Founder Charlotte Brown and Dr. Deshawnda Williams to discuss their ongoing prevention and intervention strategies against gun violence through their pop-up event. The Pop-Up Community Resource Center is held weekly from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and plans to provide job application services, Tech and Business opportunities, and community resources. For more information, please email [email protected].

The Flashpoint Newsmaker highlights Lynette Medley and her daughter Nya's efforts in delivering period supply care packages to women and girls across the Delaware Valley. Medley also runs sexuality empowerment nonprofit, No More Secrets, Mind Body Spirit Inc. and this past year opened The Spot, a 2,500 square-feet "menstrual hub" in Germantown, the first of its kind in the nation.

The Philly Rising Changemaker is Ryan Harris, founder of "As I Plant This Seeds," created a haven for at-risk youth in Hunting Park, where they could get an education, family values, and mentorship they might otherwise miss out on.

This week Flashpoint meets up with the Ertz Family Foundation to hear their latest project initiative with the Grace and Peace Community Fellowship building. Executive Director Lisa Ertz and Program Director Manager Kiersten Ferguson tell us how the House of Hope Project plans to develop and implement critical resources and services to the North Philadelphia community.

Our Newsmaker of the week is the founder of Urban Kings & Queens, Inc. Haneef Hill is bringing together communities from across Philadelphia and surrounding areas, and he’s using sports and education to do it.

The Philly Rising Changemaker highlights Shameka Sawyer, an award-winning local filmmaker and founder of 5 Shorts Project whose goal is to create spaces to teach Philly youth who faced hurt by gun violence to own their stories through her organization 5 Shorts Project.

This week Flashpoint rides out with Erin Brown, also known as The Concrete Cowgirl, and the Executive Director of Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy, on the meaning of Horsemanship and how today's youth can benefit from equestrian programs.

The newsmaker of the week is Danny Kilson, owner of 410 Specialties, deals in BMW automobiles and is one of few men of color in the industry to do so, but his work educating black youth to bridge that gap within the world of luxury automotive technicians is how he's making a name for himself in the Philadelphia area.

The Philly Rising Changemaker of the week presented by Patriot Homecare is the Chocolate Ballerina Company. Their mission is to illustrate the experiences and successes of African American culture through dance that will inspire change. This month, the community-based dance company plans to take the stage performing Philly's first all-black cast performance of ' The Nutcracker....dipped in Chocolate.'

This week Flashpoint is recapping the best of our segments from earlier this year.

The podcast dives into a deep discussion on the community relationship with and trust in media. Many news outlets' have been criticized for how reporters report on crime, and specifically on gun violence. With local news outlets reporting the 400th homicide this year, we wanted to discuss ways media can improve their reporting on crime while maintaining their mission to serve the public with facts. We hear from a community leader and founder of the Young Chances Foundation, KYW Newsradio's Brand Manager and Program Director, and lastly, Jessica Beard, a trauma surgeon at Temple University Hospital and Director of the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

The newsmaker of the week is Angela Anderson, a Master’s level Therapist with a background in Child psychology who now works in Philadelphia public schools helping students cope with the pressures of school, home, and peers.

The Philly Rising Changemaker of the week presented by Patriot Homecare is Crystal Evans, founder of Money Talks, a local non-profit dedicated to promoting urban issues, hosting financial discussions, provide resources and personal finance tips to Philadelphia youth.

This week Flashpoint brings back Northwest Victim Services Executive Director Melany Nelson and court and community advocate Wendell Louissaint to update us on their victim services and resources since the uptick of gun violence in the city.

The Newsmaker this week highlights a Delco native and Temple graduate, Lydia Peterson, who is set to debut her first film “Walking On.” Her film is already being compared to movies like Love and Basketball. She says she wants to “tell stories we want to see.”

The Philly Rising Changemaker is Reuben Jones, founder of Frontline Dads Community Food Bank. Jones shares their efforts in being a mutual aid in making deliveries to seniors, veterans, pregnant mothers, and people living with disabilities amid the pandemic and just in time for the holidays.

So far we've talked to mothers who lost their children to gun violence, community leaders working to prevent violence, and medical experts about the state of Philadelphia's gun violence crisis. This week's Flashpoint focuses on the solutions to gun violence and hearing from youth and their perspective on how youth can make an impact in finding solutions to prevent gun violence.

This week's newsmaker highlights Swarthmore College's collaboration with local groups and activists in the launch of Delco's first homicide database with CeaseFire Pa's Executive Director, Adam Garber.

The Philly Rising Changemaker honors the Shelton T. Hayes Foundation created by Rhonda Gore, after the death of her son in 2018, in an effort to help other families survive the grief of losing a loved one to gun violence.

This week Flashpoint discusses the domestic violence issue amid the pandemic and highlights the recent uptick in domestic homicide. Marcella Nyachogo, Assistant Director of the Bilingual Domestic Violence Program at Lutheran Settlement House shares the impact of safe housing, but there are many barriers that prevent survivors from obtaining, maintaining safe and affordable housing. Jess Ivey is a domestic violence survivor and consultant advocating awareness of domestic abuse that leads to domestic homicide.

The newsmaker of the week is Angela Anderson, a Master’s level Therapist with a background in Child psychology who now works in Philadelphia public schools helping students cope with the pressures of school, home, and peers. The Philly Rising Changemaker highlights Bucks County's only domestic violence shelter, A Woman's Place, and the increase in demand for their help during the pandemic.

This week's Flashpoint is focused on education and critical race theory. KYW's Jay Scott Smith sits with Kristin Leubbert, a local Philadelphia school teacher who has taught mostly Black and Brown students, explains why she is not afraid of critical race theory.

The newsmaker of the week is Yolanda Wisher, the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia as well as an educator who uses spoken word poetry focusing on her experiences as a Black woman as well as the collective Black experiences in Philadelphia.

The Philly Rising Changemaker highlights Ron Curtis of Final Touch Academy. Curtis shares his story of once being incarcerated and opening his dream academy for those chasing their dreams.

The recent tragedy of the rape of a woman on public transportation last week has sparked national outrage and resentment. Many reports claimed that witnesses watched the incident transpire and took videos of it for their own gratifications. NBC10 reported District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer "That is simply not true. It did not happen. We have security video from SEPTA that shows that is not the true narrative.” This week Flashpoint will focus on the importance of bystander intervention. KYW's Antionette Lee speaks with WOAR's Teresa White-Walston, Director of Education Services, and Rachel Copen, Director of Counseling Services on their bystander intervention program in their efforts to fight against sexual violence.

Our Newsmaker of the week is Sappho Fulton CEO of Sappho and LaRoyce Foundation an organization specifically for the QTBIPOC community. Sappho has been a long-time community activist with a focus on domestic abuse and violence within the communities.

The Philly Rising Changemaker is Dr. Helena Fontes of the NewView Institute and her efforts to aid domestic violence and counsel young men to prevent domestic violence.

This week Flashpoint is highlighting National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, which occurs every October. Marisa Brahney, a TV host from New Jersey, shares her experience in losing her first daughter and her effort to continue to raise awareness and understanding for families in need. Dr. Rayna Markin is a local therapist who focuses on maternal mental health, pregnancy loss, and infertility with women and couples who have experienced pregnancy loss/infertility advises parents who need support.

Our Newsmaker of the week is Asasiya Muhammad, founder of Inner Circle Midwifery in Germantown. Muhammad is one of few midwives of color in Philadelphia and has been a tested community source of support for women of color during pregnancy.

The Philly Rising Changemaker is a local non-profit catering to parents and families who are grieving the loss of a child. Three Little Birds LLC was founded by Kristen Samuelson who is working to bring awareness of infant loss.