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.”

Just over fifty years ago, Geraldo Rivera shocked the nation with his groundbreaking exposé on the abuse taking place at Willowbrook State School, at the time the largest institution in the world for people living with disabilities. Geraldo’s reporting, which featured interviews with patients and images of the deplorable conditions at the facility, led to the eventual closing of Willowbrook and the passage of civil rights protections for people with developmental disabilities. A new documentary, created by the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, titled, “The Path Forward: Remembering Willowbrook,” looks back on this historic event, 50 years later.

What does life look like for LGBTQIA+ youth in New York City ? “Pier Kids,” a documentary film from POV, transports viewers to the Christopher Street pier, a place where homeless queer and transgender youth of color have forged community and family. The film shines a light on the lives of amazing young people who have been marginalized by society, and chronicles how they have created an oasis for themselves in the piers, exposing a side of New York many people choose to ignore. “Pier Kids” director Elegance Bratton joins us along with one of the principal participants in the film, Krystal Labeija to discuss the film.

Dangerous Shortage of Cancer Drugs

National shortages of vital chemotherapy medications are forcing physicians to develop workarounds and the Biden administration to mount an all-out government response. The shortage of chemo drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin are leaving hospitals and doctors with difficult decisions about how to treat their patients – including delaying treatment and even rationing doses in some cases. Tonight, we talk to Dr. Amanda Nickles Fader, oncologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital and president-elect of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), about the crisis and its impact on patients and doctors, as well as what is being done at a federal level to increase supply.

"Strength in Solidarity" Annual NYC Pride March Is This Weekend

The annual NYC Pride March returns to Manhattan this weekend, celebrating the contributions and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. Billy Porter, Yasmin Benoit, AC Dumlao, Hope Giselle and Randolfe “Randy” Wicker will head this year’s celebration as Grand Marshals. Tonight Randy Wicker joins MetroFocus to talk about his 60+ years in activism for social justice, including his participation in the infamous 1966 “Sip-In” at Julius bar to bring greater awareness to New York laws preventing bartenders from serving LGBT+ people, and his staging in 1962 of perhaps the first ever radio broadcast where gay men spoke for themselves, on WBAI.

The powerful new documentary “Americonned” examines the widening economic divide that has over the last few decades decimated the American middle class and put the American dream out of reach for millions. The film argues this was the result of policies designed by powerful corporate interests whose chief goal was to destroy the labor movement and they’ve largely succeeded. But after years of losing power and losing members, there are now signs of an American labor renaissance. One example is right here in New York on Staten Island where a group of independent employees and former workers unexpectedly defeated Amazon, one of the most powerful and richest companies in the world, in a union election. Joining us to discuss this remarkable union victory and the state of inequality in America are Sean Claffey, the executive producer and director of “Americonned”; Dave Pederson, the film’s producer and writer; and Chris Smalls, the co-founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union.

NYC Council Member Warns Fellow Democrats Don't Take Voters For Granted, Says Being Anti-GOP Is Not Enough

Are Democrats taking voters in historically blue cities like New York for granted? Veteran Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents Brooklyn’s largely working class 43rd District, says yes. In a recent op-ed for “City & State,” he argues it’s a serious problem that urgently needs to be corrected. He wrote the piece not long after the City Council’s powerful progressive caucus lost almost half its members after lawmakers were asked to sign a pledge that included doing everything they can to reduce the size and scope of the NYPD. Councilmember Brannan was one of the members who left and he joins us tonight to discuss that decision, his op-ed and where Democrats go from here.

April Is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month: The Testicular Cancer Society's Social Media Campaign To Raise Awareness

The “most checked balls on Earth” are right here in New York City. That’s according to a social media campaign from the Testicular Cancer Society, using a lighthearted message to bring attention to a very serious issue. The group is using the famous Wall Street Bull statue to raise awareness on the importance of checking yourself for testicular cancer and decrease the stigma towards the disease. Over 40% of American men never bother to check themselves for testicular cancer even though doctors recommend a self-examination once a month. Tonight, Mike Craycraft, the founder of the Testicular Cancer Society joins us to discuss the media campaign and to raise awareness of the disease.

“How different might our country look if all of us fully understood what had happened here?” That is the question author Clint Smith sets out to answer in “How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America” through visits to nine locations that memorialize or distort their link to the legacy of slavery- from Monticello in Charlottesville, Va., to the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan. Clint Smith joins MetroFocus to discuss the lessons learned from his book.

Maria Shriver on Ending Alzheimer's

Millions of Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Now, one of the nation’s premier advocates, Maria Shriver, shares her fight against the illness that afflicted her father more than a decade ago.

Marilu Henner: "How I Helped My Husband Beat Cancer"

Marilu Henner, best known for starring on the hit sitcom “Taxi,” joins us with her husband Michael Brown to share their deeply personal and uplifting story of how they beat his bladder and lung cancer- without chemotherapy or radiation. Together, they take us through the tragedy and the triumph in Henner’s autobiography ‘Changing Normal: How I Helped My Husband Beat Cancer.’

Seeing Broadway for free is something New Yorkers and theater fans often only dream about. But on June 18, in honor of the upcoming Juneteenth holiday, Broadway is returning to the heart of Times Square for a free outdoor concert celebrating Black artistry and community. More than 25 Black artists from 12 Broadway shows, including smash hits such as “SIX” and “MJ The Musical,” are expected to take part in Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth as the nation commemorates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery. Joining us to discuss the concert and the ongoing efforts to improve diversity on Broadway are Gennean Scott, Chief Diversity Officer of The Broadway League; Michael James Scott, the host of the Juneteenth concert who also plays Genie in “Aladdin”; and Vanessa Sears, who is making her Broadway debut in “New York, New York” and will perform at the event.

Former President Donald Trump is now the first former president in U.S. history to face federal charges. Trump appeared in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday, and he plead not guilty to 37 counts related to alleged mishandling of classified documents. Tonight, we analyze the case with our panel: Daniel Richman, former federal prosecutor and professor of law at Columbia Law School; Bernarda Villalona, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor; and Sam Nunberg, attorney and former Trump 2016 campaign political advisor.