CHASING THE DREAM: FOOD BANK FOR NYC AIMS TO GO ‘BEYOND FOOD’ TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY

We are facing a food crisis here in New York City, with over 1 million New Yorkers currently experiencing food insecurity. For the past 40 years, Food Bank for New York City has been working to end hunger in the five boroughs, by providing healthy meals to New Yorkers and attempting to address the structural issues that contribute to food insecurity. Volunteers, advocates, donors, and campaigns, like the Justice Served initiative, are crucial aspects of the food bank’s fight against hunger. Tonight, we’ll discuss those efforts, as well as services outside of providing meals, that the Food Bank for New York City offers.

“AT HOME WITH MUHAMMAD ALI”

In the boxing ring, Muhammad Ali floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, but what was he like when the gloves came off? His daughter, Hana Ali, shares the intimate side of growing up with “The Greatest” in her book “At Home with Muhammad Ali.”

CHASING THE DREAM - “SHE TOOK JUSTICE: THE BLACK WOMAN, LAW, AND POWER”

Throughout the course of the ongoing reckoning over racial injustice, there’s been a push to understand our past more fully as we attempt to build a better future. But this reexamination of our nation’s complicated history didn’t just start in 2020. It’s been going on for years. Roughly a decade ago, Civil Rights Attorney and John Jay College of Criminal Justice Professor Gloria Browne-Marshall started work on what would become “She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power -- 1619 to 1969.” The book reveals the courage Black women have demonstrated in the face of overwhelming racial prejudice and gender oppression. It also illustrates how they became leaders, organizers, lawyers, and judges in the fight for equality. As part of our ongoing Chasing the Dream coverage, Professor Browne-Marshall joins us to explore the stories of these true American heroes.

CHASING THE DREAM: WHAT’S DRIVING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXODUS FROM NEW YORK CITY?

It might sound surprising that with all the challenges New York City is facing, from skyrocketing rents to surging crime, the city’s population is growing. But that’s not the case for every demographic, especially African Americans, whose numbers are headed in the opposite direction. A recent Gothamist analysis found the number of non-Hispanic Black residents declined by more than 125,000 over a 20-year period. It is reportedly one of the largest such declines among major cities nationwide, so why are so many Black New Yorkers deciding to pack up and leave? And what could the ramifications be both culturally, economically and politically for the city if this continues? Joining us to discuss are: Arya Sundaram, race and justice reporter for Gothamist/WNYC whose story, “The African American Exodus from New York City,” spotlights these issues; Dr. Zulema Blair, who studies the city’s changing Black population at CUNY Medgar Evers College; and Anthony Cunningham and Joanne Saget, the husband-and-wife team who owned a heralded Brooklyn restaurant before relocating to North Carolina.

Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a multi-platform public media initiative that provides a deeper understanding of the impact of poverty on American society. Major funding for this initiative is provided by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Ford Foundation.

“MY OWN DIRECTIONS: A BLACK MAN’S JOURNEY IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE”

Like many performing arts, the theatre world has struggled with a lack of diversity. The industry has pledged to change it. But the fact remains that theatre remains a predominantly white space. Tonight, we talk with renowned director Sheldon Epps about his own efforts to bring inclusion and representation to the stage. Epps was the artistic director of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse for two decades, and currently serves as senior artistic advisor at historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. His new book, “My Own Directions: A Black Man’s Journey in the American Theatre,” describes how his journey in the American theatre has been amplified by his experience as a Black man who has frequently been “one of the few,” “the first” or even “the only.”

EMMANUEL ACHO’S “UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN”

Emmanuel Acho’s “Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man” began as engaging and intuitive conversations on Instagram. Now in a book, in collaboration with Oprah Winfrey, the former NFL linebacker and sports analyst is gathering those thoughts and answers to tackle systematic racism in America and encourage anti-racist work.

AFTER STANDOFF WITH MAYOR ADAMS, ASYLUM-SEEKERS ADJUST TO LIFE AT CONTROVERSIAL MIGRANT SHELTER

The massive influx of nearly 50,000 asylum-seekers is testing New York's ability to humanely respond to a crisis Mayor Eric Adams says has stretched the city to its limit. One of the major flashpoints unfolded this month when police cleared an encampment of migrant men outside a Manhattan hotel after the group refused to move to an emergency shelter at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal amid reports of too many people living squeezed together. The non-profit immigration news site Documented recently traveled to the Brooklyn facility and other shelters to hear what migrants had to say about the conditions and the challenges of trying to rebuild their lives in New York. Joining us to discuss their reporting and the larger crisis are Documented newsletter writer, Fisayo Okare, and engagement journalist, Rommel Ojeda.

CHASING THE DREAM - HOME OWNERSHIP: A TALE OF TWO AMERICAS

Tonight on MetroFocus we take a look at home ownership and the creation of two divergent Americas. From the suburban developments of Levittown, where Black residents were explicitly forbidden from owning homes to the redlining policies in cities like Baltimore and New York. Independent Lens explores the many ways housing policy has been manipulated over the years to discriminate against people of color and left many white Americans also trapped in decaying communities. Director Giorgio Angelini joins us as a part of our Chasing The Dream initiative to discuss his documentary “Owned: A Tale Of Two Americas.”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SCHOOL: MEET THE TEACHER REQUIRING STUDENTS TO USE ChatGPT

A new artificial intelligence (AI) program, ChatGPT, is sweeping the internet. The free software can do everything from writing essays, film scripts, and poetry, to passing graduate level law and business school exams. This revolutionary software, while no doubt exciting, also concerns many educators, who feel that students could abuse the software by using it to easily cheat on school assignments. New York City is one of several large school districts that has already banned students from using ChatGPT, as officials review the potential pros and cons of giving students access to such a powerful resource. Not all educators agree on this issue, though. Some, feel that AI is an emerging skill that we should be encouraging young people to pursue to better prepare them for the workforce of the future. One such educator, Dr. Ethan Mollick, an Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, joins MetroFocus to discuss why he not only encourages the use of ChatGPT in the classroom - he requires it.

HOW EXTREMIST GROUPS ARE RECRUITING YOUNG PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

As the country continues to grapple with a rise in right-wing extremism, many are left to wonder, “Why are so many young people seduced by so much hatred?” Joanna Schroeder is a writer, editor, media critic, and a mother of three - who focuses on gender and parenting issues. In her New York Times op-ed piece, “Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons.”, she lays out how a combination of cultural changes, social media and the awkwardness of adolescence have created a fertile ground for extremists to feed off of. Tonight, Ms. Schroeder joins us to the discuss ways to protect young people from being indoctrinated into violent white supremacist groups – before it’s too late.

CHASING THE DREAM: MISTY COPELAND LAUNCHES A PROGRAM TO BRING MORE DIVERSITY TO BALLET 

Dance superstar Misty Copeland knows a thing or two about breaking barriers, and this fall she’s pointing to the power of ballet to help New York City kids chase their dreams.  Misty, the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black principal dancer, recently launched the “Be Bold” initiative with a free, 12-week program for children 8 to 10 that includes about 120 students from local Boys and Girls Clubs. The goal is to eventually train and mentor thousands of kids, especially Black and Latino students often not seen on stage.  Misty joins MetroFocus to discuss this groundbreaking initiative and her new memoir, The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson.

Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a multi-platform public media initiative that provides a deeper understanding of the impact of poverty on American society. Major funding for this initiative is provided by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Ford Foundation.

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

It was announced last week that former President Jimmy Carter decided to forego medical treatment and instead receive hospice care at his home in Georgia. Tonight, we look back at the 98-year-old former President’s life and legacy, including his tie to New York City – with the Lower East Side being the site of the first project he did with Habitat for Humanity. Presidential historian and founder of George Washington University’s History News Network Rick Shenkman joins us.

“THE PRESIDENTS”

Tonight, we rebroadcast our interview with presidential historian Tim Naftali regarding the PBS documentary series “American Experience: The Presidents,” which looks at the critical moments of consequential modern presidents: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.

New York is facing a massive housing crisis by virtually every measure imaginable, and one of the leading proposals to help tackle the problem is turning vacant Manhattan office space into affordable homes for New Yorkers. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams both support the idea, which could reinvigorate Midtown neighborhoods still recovering from COVID and provide relief to outer-borough residents being priced out of the city. Another major backer of the proposal is a diverse coalition of supporters from the business, labor, civic and religious communities called the 5 Borough Housing Movement. The new advocacy group is keeping up the pressure on New York lawmakers to see this through and its executive director, John Sanchez, joins us to discuss the city’s housing crisis.

At age 12, Vic Barrett experienced the wrath of Superstorm Sandy, and noticed how the storm disproportionately affected people of color. Years later, Barrett is one of 21 plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, the groundbreaking lawsuit moving through the courts which alleges that the federal government violated Vic’s rights by knowing for decades that fossil fuels create pollution that leads to climate change.

BRONX BUSINESSES HIRE PRIVATE PATROLS TO COMBAT CRIME

In an effort to fight the increase in shoplifting that has taken place over the past few years; the Fordham Road Business Improvement District, responsible for strengthening the over 300 businesses on Fordham Road in the Bronx, has launched a new initiative called the patrol ambassador program. As part of the program, five paid and licensed security guards, with ties to the community, have been hired to patrol the Fordham Road area, one of the largest and most diverse shopping centers in the nation. Their goal is to use a community-based approach to discourage crime by providing additional sets of eyes to report any suspicious activity or criminal acts taking place. To discuss this program, and if community-based security is the key to lowering crime, is New York City Councilmember Oswald Feliz and the Director of Outreach for the Fordham Road Business Improvement District, Albert Dalipi.

CONVERSATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH: RACE, EQUITY & THE RETURN TO THE OFFICE

Tonight we’re talking about workers who have returned to the office and why so many employees of color are anxious about going back to the in-person workplace. Tara Jaye Frank, an equity strategist who advises companies on workplace culture, diversity, equity and inclusion tells us microaggressions are to blame because they may be out of sight, but they are not out of mind.