Moving Forward

The UN Refugee Agency states that nearly one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution worldwide. Yet, the Trump administration* has significantly decreased the number of refugees and asylum seekers the U.S. will accept and has now cut back on all immigration. Amidst its anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, we do well to remember the contributions that immigrants have always made to the United States.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Liuda Galinaitis, who shares the courageous story of her father's family who were forced to flee their home in Lithuania during WWII. She also shares her research on the current immigration crisis, the contributions immigrants make to our nation, and the importance of keeping up the fight today for immigrants, refugees, and asylees who help keep us strong.

Private Indiana Hunt-Martin was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion - a group of unsung heroes of WWII. The unit's nickname was the "Six-Triple Eight" and they were the first and only all Black Female Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to be deployed overseas. Their task was to clear a mountainous backlog of mail in England and France that had not reached servicemen in the European Theater of WWII. Their motto was "No Mail, Low Morale." 

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Ms. Indiana Hunt-Martin who talks about her enlistment in the WAC, being assigned to the Six Triple Eight, and being deployed overseas. She also talks about the challenges of their task of addressing the mountainous backlog of mail, the challenge of racism and segregation, and her life and work once she returned to the U.S., and the honors and recognition that are now being bestowed on the women of the Six Triple Eight.

One group of unsung heroes of WWII were the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The 6888th was the first and only all Black Female Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to be deployed overseas during under the Command of Major Charity Adams. Their nickname was the "Six-Triple Eight" and their motto was "No Mail, Low Morale." 

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Colonel Edna W. Cummings and Master Sergeant Elizabeth Helm Frazier who discuss the efforts being made to secure the recognition these women so rightfully deserve including the Six Triple Eight Monument, the "Six Triple Eight: No Mail, Low Morale Documentary" and the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019.

June is PRIDE month. Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Joy Fisher and Judy Gaver of the Westminster, Carroll County, MD chapter of PFLAG.

PFLAG is the largest national organization of the extended family of LGBTQ+ community made up of LGBTQ+ individuals, family members and allies working together to move equality forward. "PFLAG works to make sure that all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer are not only valued by society, but take pride in and value themselves

Joy and Judy talk about: the mission of PFLAG and of their chapter, the support services they provide to our LGBTQ+ community, their education outreach to all sectors of our county, and their advocacy efforts on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in Carroll County, and the role of allies to the LGBTQ+ community.

The Westminster-Carroll County PFLAG family is made up of all ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities.  "We don't just celebrate diversity in our chapter…we are diversity!"

April is Donate Life Month. Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Jim Ford, Executive Director of Donate Life Maryland, about the life-saving and life-enhancing mission of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. Register to #DonateLife today!

Donate Life Maryland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and enhancing lives by registering organ, eye and tissue donors. Donate Life Maryland maintains and manages the official Maryland Donor Registry and provides education and awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation as well as how to register as a donor.

Prior to joining Donate Life Maryland, Jim served as Director of Communications for The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland where he led community outreach, hospital relations and marketing and PR. In 2007, Jim was instrumental, along with members of The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and the Washington Regional Transplant Community in the establishment of Donate Life Maryland and the creation of the Maryland Donor Registry.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Joyce Tuten, M.S., B.S., Joyce is a high school science teacher who is an expert at teaching science to non-science people. She is a member of the Middletown, Maryland Sustainability Committee, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Steward Educator and a trained Climate Reality Project Leader.

Tuten is passionate about and committed to teaching about climate change and has developed a 60-minute presentation that she offers to groups and organizations. As she describes on her website, this presentation "connects the dots between science, our climate, people and planet – and the solutions". Joyce recognizes that we all have a moral obligation to act to address the crisis of climate change and her goal is have those who hear her talk "walk away as new ambassadors for understanding and agents for change that will last generations".

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Dr. Angela Putman, a critical intercultural scholar and Assistant Professor at Penn State University Brandywine. 

Dr. Putman's Bachelor's and Master's degrees are in Organizational Communication and her Ph.D. is in Intercultural Communication. Her dissertation focused on educating people about systemic racism, intersectionality, and white privilege. She is passionate about communication, social justice issues, education, and speaking out against injustices. 

In this podcast, Dr. Putman explains systemic racism and white privilege and presents practical ways for every white person to take action against them.

Kate Sanner, the host of Moving Forward, presents interviews with community leaders, community activists, candidates and elected officials on a number of civic, political and social justice topics.

Today's guest - Bridget McCullough, Maryland Campaign Lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - talks about taking action to prevent gun violence.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Emily Shank, who is running for Maryland House of Delegates, District 5.

In such a tense and important time for our state and country, we need real representation in Annapolis. Emily Shank believes the folks of Carroll County want a delegate who will bring a fresh perspective to the issues, shake things up, be responsive, and accountable, and maybe even have the audacity to be bipartisan. Emily will be that Delegate.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Ysela Bravo, candidate for MD House of Delegates, District 4. Bravo is running for office because she feels she owes a great debt to her community and wants to fix what's broken. She strongly believes we need to set aside partisanship and focus on issues and solutions. Ysela Bravo has learned the true meaning of what being a neighbor is from her community and wants to bring that spirit to Annapolis.