Every day, the news delivers the same story: as a nation, we are so divided, we spend more time picking fights than solving our most urgent problems. It's exhausting and exasperating. In Remaking the Space Between Us, my guest, Diana McLain Smith invites us to see what lies behind this story: a growing trend in which more and more of us are seeking refuge in like-minded groups while distancing from groups different from our own. Although it's a natural response to the uncertainty and adversity of the past fifty years, this trend is fraying our social fabric, poisoning our politics, and weakening the moral foundation upon which our future together rests. Despite all we are up against, Smith shows why we need not—and why we must not—give up on each other or give into forces so overwhelming they make us feel powerless.

Black Violin will perform at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 20 at 8pm. My guest for Perspectives is one half of this dynamic duo, Wil Baptiste. About this group 303 Magazine wrote, "Today, genre-defying acts dominate the music industry, and artists move between styles with a level of comfort rarely — if ever — observed before. Few of these musical shapeshifters are as original and as captivating as string instrumentalists Kev Marcus and Wil B, who fuse hip-hop and classical music together as the band, Black Violin." Will shares their back story with me, their commitment to exposing young people to their talent reaching more than 100,000 students annually via their free performances and creating new and innovative music.

If you're like many people, when you think of innovation, you think of entrepreneurs. And gifted entrepreneurs have written countless books for go-getters starting their own businesses. But what if you're a visionary who wants to innovate effectively within the framework of your larger organization? It can be done says my guest Louis Gump in his new book The Inside Innovator. In this inspiring, yet practical primer, Gump shines a light on the efforts that occur behind the walls of almost every organization--from global business titans to local market leaders; from charitable nonprofits to government entities; from educational institutions to informal community groups and beyond; these are the places of the in-house innovators, the explorers, the intrapreneurs, who create value through innovation and growth, inside of a larger organization.

There's a new troop leader of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. She's Jai Ferrell, a 5th generation Atlantan and the first woman of color to lead the Atlanta Council. She's a Spelman alumna and comes to the council from Hartsfield Jackson International Airport where she was the Chief Commercial Revenue Officer. Next we are joined by former South Carolina State Legislator and author Bakari Sellers, in Atlanta over the weekend to talk about his newest book, The Moment

Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now. In this powerful and persuasive book, Sellers expands on the issues he addressed in his New York Times bestseller My Vanishing Country, examining national politics and policies that deeply impact not only Black people in his home state of South Carolina but the lives of millions of African Americans in communities across the nation

How's this for an idea and the perfect gift for any dad? Free advise, endless dad jokes, resources and virtual AI-powered confidant named Sage the Owl. Men will find all this and more at Poppa University, a free, dedicated online resource and virtual community to support fathers as they raise their kids and navigate fatherhood. My guest on Perspectives is Kenneth Braswell, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Father's Incorporated. Father's Incorporated has an overall mission to improve the societal narrative and perception of fathers to ensure the definition of family includes fathers. Established in 2004, Fathers Incorporated has a unique seat at the national table, working with leaders in the White House, Congress, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Family Law, Business, Faith-based and the Responsible Fatherhood Movement. PoppaUniversity.com features a range of A range of tools and resources to empower fathers in their parenting journey; a vibrant social media community for peer interaction; Practical parenting guides, self-help videos and brochures, and referral resources; A Fatherhood Fun Hub that includes contests, directory of TV and cinema dads, and dad jokes as well as an interactive AI powered chatbot named Sage the Owl to assist dads and engaged granddads 24/7.

Michael Hoffen and the protagonist in his new book are both teenagers, but there’s quite an age gap between them—about 4,000 years. In Hoffen’s new book, BE A SCRIBE: Working For a Better Life in Ancient Egypt, he brings to life the story of a young Egyptian, Pepi, whose father, Kheti, is intent on getting his son a job in the royal court. Hoffen, who has been translating ancient texts since middle school, became fascinated by a 4,000-year-old or so piece of literature from ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom known as The Instruction of Khety, or “The Satire of the Trades.” Under the guidance and collaboration of his two co-authors, Egyptologists Christian Casey and Jen Thum, Hoffen spent three-and-a-half years translating hieroglyphics to modern-day prose and gathering images to tell their story. Beyond the words, which reveal a wit that transcends 4,000 years, ancient Egypt comes to life with more than 100 beautiful images of vibrant and colorful ancient Egyptian artifacts, paintings, graphics and illustrations that are featured throughout the book. This young author, a scribe himself, has given us a tale that helps us to see just how little the human condition has not changed in thousands of years. Parents still want the best for their children and teenagers face important decisions as they set out on their career path. I hope that you enjoy our conversation.

My guest on Perspectives is Atlanta's Milton Jones. He is the national president of The 100 Black Men of America, an organization founded 38 years ago and recognized as the nation's premiere African American led youth mentoring organization. The national organization staged its 2024 conference in Atlanta, a conference which featured a visit and address by Vice President Kamala Harris. In March, the organization launched its "Real Men Vote" initiative focused on delivering critical voter education and engagement ahead of the 2024 Presidential election. 100 Black Men, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and enhancing education and economic opportunities for all African Americans. Through mentorship, education, health & wellness, and economic empowerment, the organization is committed to initiatives that empower community members to become self-sufficient shareholders in the economic and social fabric of the communities they serve.

Family Food Fest Atlanta is a multicultural Father's Day charity fundraiser and food-tasting

celebration where we celebrate fathers and men who impact their families and community. The

501(C)3 nonprofit Atlanta Culinary Charities, whose mission is to work with boys and girls in

after-school programs and on weekends, produces this event each year on Father's Day. Longtime Atlanta resident Diane Larche' founded the event a decade ago. She lost her battle to pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Her team has rallied and the event is on again in 2024 in her honor. My guests on the show are the new Event manager, Patty Garret and Chef coordinator and food expert extraordinaire, Kevin Ashford. Family Food Fest takes place on Father's Day, June 16 from 3pm-6pm at the Georgia Freight Depot.

Exact figures are not available. However, it is estimated that nearly one in 5 individuals have self-injured themselves at some point in their lives. The highest likelihood of this behavior emerges in young people between the ages of 14 and 22 years old. My guest on Perspectives is Amanda Beausoleil. She was motivated by her own struggles with self-injury to build a solution for others. That solution is SIRA, The Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness organization. It's a nonprofit that helps people recover by use of an effective and powerful peer-support group model. The services SIRA offers are not bound by geography as anyone in need can seek access to SIRA's resources.

My guest is David Manuel. He's a father, arts advocate and community activist. 10 years ago, he received a life saving liver transplant. He's founded the "I Am A Father 5K Run/Walk, an event uniting male-focused organizations and directing donations to youth programs like the Piedmont Hospital Foundation and others with a priority on strengthening families from the fatherhood perspective. This year's 5K walk/run is Saturday, June 8th starting at Privi at The Mall at Stonecrest in Parking Lot C. Festivities begin at 8am with an energizing warm-up session led by Stepp Steward. The event will feature appearances by Q Parker from the R&B group 112 as well as a special message from Atlanta's own Ludacris. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.iamafather5K.org.