Collateral Damage

In 2014, Valerie Dent lost her two youngest sons, ages 24 and 31, to gun violence. That same weekend, Edith Williams lost her great nephew. A few months later, her pastor asked her to help start a local chapter of Mothers in Charge.

Nationally, this organization is known as "a violence prevention, education and intervention-based organization, which advocates and supports youth, young adults, families and community organizations affected by violence."

Locally, Williams and Dent help grieving families cope when violent tragedies strike.

Get in touch via the St Louis Mothers in Charge Facebook page.

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Here's a look at how the conversation goes:

1:15-10:30 - Mothers in Charge in St Louis. The tough stories that brought Williams and Dent to this important work.

10:30-13:45 - Working with the police and how Mothers in Charge helps grieving families.

13:45-20:00 - "Structure to give back..." How Edith and Valerie make this work happen.

20:00-23:30 - "When I call them, I want them to show up..." more on working with the police.

23:30-27:00 - The nuts and bolts of reaching out to a grieving family.

27:00-32:30 - "Think before you react." "Retaliation needs to stop." The best ways to decrease violence.

32:30-40:00 - "Show children love... and that they can trust you." Wrapping up and what gives Dent and Williams hope.

Here is a rough breakdown of how the conversation went.

Stockley Trial= 3:00-35:00

Amazon in St.Louis? = 36:35-42:00

Scottrade renovations= 42:01-45:00

Metro Link Crime= 45:22-49:22

For 15 years, four hours every morning, Lizz Brown woke up the St Louis region with her WGNU show, "The Wakeup Call."

The title of her talk radio program was more than a witty double entendre, it was a way of life for the firebrand host who wasn't afraid to declare that she was "liberal and lovin' it."

Adella Jones is a public information specialist who worked for the St. Louis Police Department and sometimes went toe to toe with the radio host while Brown was in her prime with "The Wakeup Call." Jones has since left the SLPD and now works in the private sector.

Jones and DJ Wilson are both full of respect and admiration for the radio personality who passed away on Sept 6, 2017 after battling cancer for some time.

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Here's a look at how the conversation went:

2:30-8:30 - Reporting from the back of a paddy wagon. Brown obviously talked the talk, but she walked the walk, too.

8:30-14:15 - A voice for North St. Louis. "The Wakeup Call" provided a voice for the otherwise unheard.

14:15-15:45 - Multiple dimensions. While Brown was known for her fiery on-air personality, she had some surprises in store.

15:45-23:30 - "She'd make you sharpen up your game..." Brown made local government better by holding them accountable.

23:30-37:00 - Media is lame now. Not only did Brown host her own show, she influenced the rest of the St Louis media market.

37:30-48:00 - "Talking releases pressure." No one is doing what Lizz did anymore... "disengagement is not to our advantage.

48:30-54:20 - Lizz at her best and the media landscape today.

Jeanette Mott Oxford is the executive director of Empower Missouri, an organization that "envisions Missouri becoming a more just, equitable and democratic society that assures every person's health, safety, security, independence, human rights, dignity and the opportunity to reach full potential."

DJ and Jeanette's conversation follows Mott Oxford's career in politics, the work of Empower Missouri, and, of course, our state and nation's political climate.

Here's a look at how the conversation went:

0:00-15:00 - Who is J-MO and what does Empower Missouri do? "Why should workers live in poverty?"

15:00-22:00 - How does EmpowerMO help children and combat structural barriers to overcoming poverty? "It's in everyone's interest to solve housing and hunger."

22:00-28:15 - Toxic stress and kids. Some children are growing up with PTSD - what can we do about it?

28:15-32:00 - What's it like working with our state and federal representatives? Missouri is #2 in hunger and misconceptions are holding us back from making a change.

32:00-36:30 - EmPOWer Missouri's upcoming conference. POW stands for "Persisting in Organizing to Win."

36:30-40:30 - How has the MO house of representatives changed since J-MO left office? Mott Oxford's hope is in people, not party.

40:30-43:00 - Mott Oxford is a plaintiff in a lawsuit to prevent city funds going to support upgrades to the ScottTrade Center, something DJ has discussed with Cara Spencer (episode 108) and Fred Lindecke (episode 107).

43:00-49:00 - Why Trump is president and wrap-up. No president can just make things happen, that's why organizations like Empower Missouri are needed to advocate for change.

With the passing of comedian, civil rights activist, and cultural icon Dick Gregory, d.j. pays homage to the life of the St. Louis native, by reading excerpts of Gregory's 1964 autobiography, "nigger." Gregory attended Cote Brilliante elementary school, graduated from Sumner High School, and attended SIU-Carbondale before becoming a comedian. he was active in the Civil Rights struggle, and ran as a write-in candidate for president in 1968.

What follows is a rough breakdown of how the conversation went down.

What inspired you to stat this academy? (3:00-8:00)

Soccer in STL (9:00-10:30)

The Field (10:40-13:00)

Youth Soccer in STL (14:00-17:30)

How to get a coach (17:45-19:00)

Why Soccer? (19:30-30:00)

Challenges of soccer (36:15-42:00)

Fifa Fair Play (42:10-47:00)

Popularity of the sport (47:00-49:30

How to get this field (49:45-66:00)

If the name Bosley rings a bell, that's because the new 3rd Ward alderman is the son of Freeman Bosley Sr. who served the third for 39 years. Brandon's brother served as the city's first black mayor from 1993 to 1997.

The young alderman was narrowly elected in April of 2017, inspired by the mobilization in Ferguson that showed Bosley that his community is ready for change. He wants to help find realistic ways to make that change happen.

Here's a look at how the conversation went:

0:00-16:00 - Who is the new Alderman Bosley? Where Brandon comes from, who he serves, what inspires him, and his governing philosophy.

16:00-19:15 - A divided community? Bosley discusses building realistic credibility in his neighborhoods.

19:15-26:45 - "Building our own blocks..." Tax incentives, the LRA, and alternative development models.

26:45-31:30 - Understanding crime and the people who commit crime: Discussing a new police chief and the city workhouse.

31:30-35:00 - Alliances on the BoA? Dynamics at City Hall.

35:00-43:15 - The 3rd Ward: What Alderman Bosley's constituents (aka neighbors) are telling him.

43:15-48:30 - What's the role looking like four months in? What's next?

Collateral Damage is hosted by veteran journalist Dennis (DJ) Wilson.

Kathleen Henry and Bruce Morrison from the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center join D.J. in the KDHX studios to discuss a variety of federal, state, and local environmental issues and what they mean to us here in the St. Louis region.

Here's a glance at how the conversation goes:

1:30-8:15 - What does the GRELC do and why?

8:15-21:00 - What does the Trump administration mean for the environment in St. Louis? Streamlining the development process isn't very good for Missouri and Illinois streams.

21:15-26:30 - How are things at the state level? What can the average citizen do to help?

26:30-35:00 - What's going on closer to home? Development in St. Louis County parks, in particular, is not being done to promote outdoor recreation.

35:00-47:00 - Putting it all in perspective. Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy and seeing if there's any reason for hope.

Surprisingly, DJ ends on an optimistic note!

John Amman, SLU law professor, and Catherine Frizell, staff attorney for Children's Rights, discuss the federal class action suit against Missouri to stop the over-prescription of psychotropic drugs to the state's foster children.

Virvus Jones stopped by to speak with DJ about many issues facing the city of St. Louis, including crime, the budget, the national economy, the guaranteed annual income, and many other topics effecting the entire country on this episode of Collateral Damage.

4th of July : 3:00

VP Fair : 5:20

Gina Scott : 8:40

Veteran Life : 14:00

Housing : 20:00

Green Housing : 22:00

Universal Basic Income : 25:38

Crime : 33:30

City Budget : 36:55

Confederate memorial removal : 57:00