Too often the teachers in many public schools know very little about the students in their classes. Strong Black Girls: Reclaiming Schools in Their Own Image lays bare the harm Black women and girls are expected to overcome in order to receive an education in America. This volume, edited by Danielle Apugo, Lynette Mawhinney and Afiya Mbilishaka amplifies routinely muffled voices and experiences of Black women and girls via essays, letters and poetry. The authors make clear that the strength of these women and girls should not be defined merely as an ability to survive, but also their potential to thrive.

When Tonya Hicks was a girl, she wanted to work at NASA cracking codes and making discoveries. In college a professor told her that her best option with a degree in math was to be a teacher. That was not her goal. One summer she found herself on a job site where math dominated. Next thing, she's an electrician and owner of her own company making her way in a male dominated world successfully. We salute herstory during Women's History Month. Then we talk with Ginneh Baugh of the United Way of Greater Atlanta. More than 4000 people are signed up for their 21-day Racial Equity Challenge. It is a powerful opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives, our Greater Atlanta community, and the barriers it places on improving child well-being.

The pandemic year has provided people a "time out" to evaluate their lives, goals and dreams. In Permission to Dream, Chris Gardner, author of The Pursuit of Happiness delivers a powerful tome on dreaming your way to the next level of your life. He argues dreams not only improve your life, but they also make the world a better place. This is a philosophical guide to turning dreams into action, right now.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about the COVID-19 vaccines and many people are not getting the answers they need. Rev. Charles Maxell, Senior Pastor of The Breakthrough Fellowship has pulled together a panel of expets to answer your questions about the vaccine. It is a virtual town hall meeting on March 25, 2021 at 7pm. The forum is free and open to the public. Register to attend at www.breakthroughfellowship.org.

Atlanta's South Metro - loosely described as the city south of I-20 and the counties south of Fulton pulled together a group of leaders to examine past success, discuss current challenges for economic development in the wake of Covid and to plan for the future. The session is organized by Michael Hightower, founder of the South Metro Development Outlook conference and Managing partner of The Collaborative, Georgia's largest public policy firm.

As Jewish families prepare for the upcoming Passover holiday, many wonder how best to pass down and preserve their Jewish identity in an increasingly secularized culture. Miriam Udel, a rabbi, mother, professor of Yiddish language and Literature at Emory University, introduces modern-day families to translated versions of the cherished fairy tales, fables, folklore, and poems originally written in Yiddish over a century ago In HONEY ON THE PAGE: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature.

It's the interview everyone has been talking about - Oprah's conversation with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and take a deeper dive on the issues confronting mixed race women with Cheslie Kryst. Kryst was named MISS USA 2019, and was one of the Black Trifecta queens. She's recently been named a correspondent for the entertainment magazine EXTRA. Also, true to her legal professional roots, she recently rejoined her former law firm as Poyner Spruill's first-ever diversity advisor. Also joining us today is David Mitchell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Preservation Center to discuss Phoenix Flies, the annual celebration of the city's historic sites.

As the nation marks one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we pause to mourn the lives lost and celebrate the survivors. Nerva Altino, one half of the Altino brothers contracted coronavirus in 2020 and lost his father to the virus. So inspired by his COVID experience, Nerva wrote his autobiography, More than a Gift. He writes of immigrating to the US, mastering piano and battling bullying. Today, Nerva and his younger brother Robenson, have performed all over the world. They also teach music to New York children.

Dwayne Reed says only New Yorkers tease him about his name. This Chicago born middle school teacher inspires his students with rhyme. He's crafted a book for young people called Simon B. Rhymin'. He's inspired by his mom and other teachers and wants young people to believe they can be anything they dream. March 13 through the 27th marks the Atlanta Science Festival - a virtual and partially in person event all over the city. My guest is curator of the event Meisa Salaita. We close the show with a conversation with Leigh Anne Adams from Neighbor Works America. COVID-19 has made housing security even more uncertain for Americans. More than 20% of renters are at risk of eviction and the number of homeowners behind on their mortgages is at its highest level in five years. They are easy prey for bad actors who seek to scam them out of their homes. Adams discusses ways not to be scammed.

Miseducated is a memoir from Brandon P. Flemming. He has transformed his life from college dropout to Harvard Professor. He is the founder of the Harvard Diversity Project. He attended college on a basketball scholarship, but an injury ended his career and for a moment, his education. Debate is the tool he used to transform his life and now the lives of others. He was teaching at the Ron Clark Academy when Harvard called. His book is available for pre-order now and will be available June 15.

In this half hour of Perspectives, genealogist Nicka Sewell Smith discusses concerns people may have with sharing their DNA in ancestry research. Next a conversation with the Grammy award-winning Christian Hip Hop artist Lecrae about the work in education he's doing on Atlanta's West side. Then we talk with Delta Community Credit Union's Reina Short about their collaboration with the Martin Luther King, Sr. Collaborative to help families struggling with financial literacy during the pandemic. We close the broadcast with a conversation with Kyle Waide, CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Their biggest event, the Hunger Walk/Run goes virtual this year because of a pandemic when the need is greater than ever.