Today we’re spotlighting The Velvet Whip Arts and Social Club, one of Philadelphia’s newest hubs for live entertainment, culture, and community. Joining us is Nasir “Mizzy” Mack, Creative Executive Officer of SERF, a full-service creative agency behind major events like Wawa Welcome America, The Atlantic Festival, and the upcoming launch of Velvet Whip. Nasir shares insights on Velvet Whip’s exciting debut in Callowhill, its place in Philadelphia’s arts scene, and what we can look forward to at this unique venue.

📌 Connect with Velvet Whip & SERF
🌐 Websites: velvetwhipphilly.com | serfcreativ.com
📸 Instagram: @VelvetWhipPhilly | @serf.creativ
📘 Facebook: Velvet Whip Arts and Social Club
💼 LinkedIn: Nasir Mack
📍 Location: Velvet Whip Arts and Social Club, 319 N. 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA
📧 Event/Marketing Inquiries: [email protected] | ☎️ 267-600-7446
📧 Velvet Whip Inquiries: [email protected]

 In today’s edition of SpeakOUT, our monthly feature spotlighting voices shaping the LGBTQ+ experience locally and nationally, we’re joined by Angela Giampolo, founder of Giampolo Law Group and widely known as the Philly Gay Lawyer. A leading LGBTQ+ legal expert and advocate, Angela is also the creator of the Caravan of Hope, a national initiative providing free legal services to underserved LGBTQ+ communities. She brings a powerful perspective on the intersection of law, policy, and lived experience. We discuss current efforts to undermine marriage equality and this year’s Caravan of Hope, which will travel the country providing pro bono legal services in under-resourced communities.

📌 Connect with Angela Giampolo
🌐 Websites: giampololaw.com | caravanofhope.lgbt
📸 Instagram: @yourgaylawyer
🐦 Twitter/X: @phillygaylawyer
🎵 TikTok: @gaylawyer
💼 LinkedIn: Angela D. Giampolo

🎙️ Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) with Steve Luxton Today we’re joined by Steve Luxton, CEO & Executive Director  and Lorraine Horton  the Director of Community Programs at the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). Since 1984, ECA has worked to end energy poverty in Philadelphia. Through its 16 Neighborhood Energy Centers, ECA provides bill payment help, energy education, housing counseling, and access to programs like LIHEAP. Each year, ECA weatherizes 800+ homes, repairs or replaces 5,000 heating systems, and trains 200+ residents for clean energy jobs at its nationally accredited Knight Green Jobs Training Center. Under Steve’s leadership, ECA ensures families have safe, affordable energy while preparing the next generation for green careers.
🌐 ecasavesenergy.org | 📞 215-609-1040
📱 @ecasavesenergy (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter)

🎙️ Understanding SNAP Changes with Mackenzie Libbey (CLS) Starting September 1st, many adults in Philadelphia may only receive SNAP benefits for three months every three years—unless they qualify for exemptions or meet new work rules. Mackenzie Libbey, Staff Attorney at Community Legal Services (CLS), joins us to explain what these changes mean, who may be exempt, and how to protect your benefits.
🌐 clsphila.org/SNAPchanges | 📞 215-981-3700
📱 @clsphila (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

Today we’re joined by Reverend Zemoria Brandon (she/her), Administrator and Social Worker for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America – Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter (SCDAA-PDVC). Reverend Brandon is a passionate advocate for individuals and families impacted by sickle cell disease. She leads outreach, education, and advocacy efforts, and also chairs the SiNERGe “Shine the Light on Sickle Cell” campaign, raising awareness each year on during September - National Sickle Cell Awareness Month.  Rev. Brandon continues to be a powerful voice for equitable healthcare and compassionate care.

📍 Upcoming Event: 2025 Walter E. Brandon Sickle Cell 5K Walk/Run

• Date: Saturday, September 21, 2025
• Time: 7:00 AM Registration and Morning Ceremony | 9:00 AM Start
• Location: Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
• Details: This annual signature event raises awareness and funds for sickle cell disease research, support, and advocacy. Families, supporters, and community members gather to walk or run in solidarity with those living with sickle cell.

📌 Connect with SCDAA-PDVC & Register
🌐 Website: sicklecelldisorder.com
🏃 Walk/Run Sign-Up: runsignup.com/WEB5KWALKRUN_SIGNUP
📸 Instagram: @scdaa.pdvc
📘 Facebook: @scdaapdvc
▶️ YouTube: @scdaapdvc

We’re also joined by John Parra, an award-winning, best-selling artist, illustrator, author, and educator, widely recognized for his Latino-themed children’s picture books and commercial artwork. John is passionate about connecting art and literacy for young readers. His newest book, This Moment Is Special: A Día de Muertos Story, celebrates culture, tradition, and mindfulness through beautiful storytelling and illustration.

📍 Meet John Parra in Person

• Date & Time: Saturday, September 20, 2025 – 12 noon
• Location: South Philadelphia Library 1700 South Broad Street (Broad & Morris Sts.)
  Philadelphia, PA 19145-2392
• Event: Meet Author/Illustrator John Parra – Free Author Event

📌 Connect with John Parra
🌐 Website: johnparraart.com
📸 Instagram: @johnparraart
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/JohnParraArt
🧵 Threads: @johnparraart
💼 LinkedIn: John Parra
▶️ YouTube: @johnparraart

We’re joined by Tracy Davidson — award-winning journalist, breast cancer survivor, and co-anchor of NBC10 News at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tracy is also the founder and host of Lifting Your Voice, a powerful retreat designed to help women reset, refocus, and recharge. With more than 30 years in broadcast journalism and 14 Emmy Awards, Tracy is a fierce advocate for resilience, community, and purpose. She’s here to tell us about the upcoming Lifting Your Voice event taking place Saturday, October 12th from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM at White Manor Country Club — with a special VIP Happy Hour Experience to follow!
🌐 tracydavidson.com | liftingyourvoice.com
💼 LinkedIn: Tracy Davidson

We also welcome Blondell Reynolds Brown, author of the memoir Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels, which offers an unflinching look at what it takes to succeed in the bruising arena of big-city politics.
 📚 Author Events:

• Sep 13, 2025 | 2:00–4:00 PM – Second Macedonia Baptist Church, 1301 W. Ruscomb St, Philadelphia, PA 19141
• Sep 17, 2025 | 6:15 – Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

🌐 More info: moxiebrb.com

First, we hear from Araceli Guenther, President of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia, who shares details about the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival happening Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. 🎶 Enjoy live performances from El Zarco with Grupo Imperio, DJ Jay Luv, and Banda Retoño, along with folkloric dances, mariachi, a children’s area, and the traditional “Grito” led by the Mexican Consulate. 📞 Info: 267-204-3307
Main Sponsors: PECO, DRWC, BIMBO, Lupton Law, ACME, HighMark, PA Lottery, Aeromexico, Don Julio, NBC10 | Telemundo62, El Sol News Media, and Rumba 106.1

We’re joined by Tracy Davidson — award-winning journalist, breast cancer survivor, and co-anchor of NBC10 News at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tracy is also the founder and host of Lifting Your Voice, a powerful retreat designed to help women reset, refocus, and recharge. With more than 30 years in broadcast journalism and 14 Emmy Awards, Tracy is a fierce advocate for resilience, community, and purpose. She’s here to tell us about the upcoming Lifting Your Voice event taking place Saturday, October 12th from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM at White Manor Country Club — with a special VIP Happy Hour Experience to follow!
🌐 tracydavidson.com | liftingyourvoice.com
💼 LinkedIn: Tracy Davidson

We also welcome Blondell Reynolds Brown, author of the memoir Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels, which offers an unflinching look at what it takes to succeed in the bruising arena of big-city politics.
 📚 Author Events:

• Sep 13, 2025 | 2:00–4:00 PM – Second Macedonia Baptist Church, 1301 W. Ruscomb St, Philadelphia, PA 19141
• Sep 17, 2025 | 6:15 – Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

🌐 More info: moxiebrb.com

First, we hear from Araceli Guenther, President of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia, who shares details about the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival happening Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. 🎶 Enjoy live performances from El Zarco with Grupo Imperio, DJ Jay Luv, and Banda Retoño, along with folkloric dances, mariachi, a children’s area, and the traditional “Grito” led by the Mexican Consulate. 📞 Info: 267-204-3307
Main Sponsors: PECO, DRWC, BIMBO, Lupton Law, ACME, HighMark, PA Lottery, Aeromexico, Don Julio, NBC10 | Telemundo62, El Sol News Media, and Rumba 106.1

Guest host Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati speaks with Michael Harriot, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, celebrated poet, and public historian hailed as “one of the most eloquent writers in America.” Since its 2023 release, his New York Times bestseller Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America has been the top-selling Black history book in the country. He is also the founder of the Black journalism collective ContrabandCamp.com.
🌐 Website: www.michaelharriot.com
📱 Follow Michael Harriot:

• X (Twitter): @michaelharriot
• Instagram: @michaelharriot
• Threads: @michaelharriot

  Vanesse speaks with Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia producer Berlinda Garnett for her feature “What is Philadelphia Reading?”

🎙️ In this episode, we spotlight two dynamic changemakers in Philadelphia: Erikka Goslin, Executive Director of Taller Puertorriqueño, who invites us to the Feria del Barrio Festival—a free, family-friendly celebration of Latino culture on Sunday, September 7, 2025 (12–5 PM) along North 5th Street—with music, dance, food, and art. Visit tallerpr.org or follow @tallerpr on Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter.  

 After reading an eloquent opinion piece in the Kensington Voice – I spoke with Bryan Belknap, founder of Philly Bridge & Jawn, who draws on 12 years in Kensington—first at McPherson Square Library, now leading community advocacy—who urges a shift away from the neighborhood’s “Walmart of heroin” label and toward a narrative of resilience as Philadelphia prepares for global attention in 2026. Follow his work on Instagram: @phillybridgeandjawn and click here to read his op ed.

In this episode, I speak with Bruce Rush, Treasurer of the Achievement Foundation and member of Kappa Alpha Psi, and Keith Ellison, President of the Achievement Foundation. As part of its yearlong 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Kappa Achievement Center (5521 Germantown Avenue, Germantown), the Achievement Foundation—the charitable arm of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.—is presenting the inaugural Germantown Avenue Food Truck Festival on Saturday, September 6, 2025 (12–6 PM) along the 5400 block of Germantown Avenue. Themed “Backpacks, Bites & Beats”, this free community event will feature food trucks, local vendors, live entertainment, an Art Village, a children’s play area, and a bookbag giveaway. Rain date: Sunday, September 7.  
 https://www.instagram.com/p/DNQ6U3DJ2kT/    

Next, I’m joined by Mark Wainwright, Founder & CEO of It Takes A Village To Feed One Child, a nonprofit fighting food insecurity through weekend meals for children, mobile food programs for the homeless, senior food delivery, and pop-up pantries. The organization is also hosting the Hunger Village Awards 2025 at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia this September.
🌐 Website: www.itavtfoc.org
🌐 Hunger Village Awards
📸 Instagram: itavtfocinc    

My conversation continues with Walter Pryor, author of This Leaves Me Okay: Race, Legacy, and Letters From My Grandmother. His memoir reflects on the decades-long correspondence with his grandmother, Lucille “Mama Ceal” Hatch Eldridge, whose handwritten letters helped him find belonging and resilience despite systemic racism. Through her words, Pryor intertwines personal history, the Black experience in rural Arkansas, and the ongoing struggle for racial equity.
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retlawop/?hl=en

First, I speak with Erikka Goslin, Executive Director of Taller Puertorriqueño, about the annual Feria del Barrio Festival. Taking place Sunday, September 7, 2025 (12–5 PM) on North 5th Street, this free family-friendly event will showcase live music, dance, food, art, and culture.
🌐 Website: www.tallerpr.org
📸 Instagram: @tallerpr
📘 Facebook: Taller Puertorriqueño
🐦 X/Twitter: @tallerpr  

I speak to  Dr. Kirk Noel Garratt, Medical Director of the Center for Heart and Vascular Health at ChristianaCare and former president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. A nationally recognized leader in interventional cardiology, Dr. Garratt shares his insights on prevention, education, and equity in cardiovascular care—and invites listeners to the 2025 Wilmington Heart Walk, happening Sunday, September 7 at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park.
Event Details: 🗓 Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Location: Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington, DE
🕗 8:00 AM: Event Opens | 🚶 9:30 AM: Walk Begins
🔗 Register: heart.org/wilmingtonwalkSocial Media: 📱 Instagram & X: @American_Heart
📘 Facebook: @AmericanHeart
🧠 Hashtag: #WilmingtonHeartWalk #HeartWalkDE #CPRSavesLives

Honoring Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month
In recognition of August as Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month, we’re sharing powerful stories that highlight the lifesaving impact of organ donation within communities of color. This episode features Maxine Williams of Audubon, PA, widow of Al Williams — a U.S. Navy veteran, General Mills employee, coach, and kidney recipient. Al’s transplant in 2011 gave him 12 more years of life, during which he witnessed milestones he once thought impossible while on dialysis — including his son Nico’s high school and college graduations. Al was a passionate advocate for organ donation, sharing his gratitude publicly and inspiring others to register as a Gift of Life Ambassador.  Together, Maxine and her family continue this legacy through The Al Williams Foundation, promoting preventative health, wellness, and the power of organ donation. Their story embodies the profound gift of a second chance at life — and the importance of increasing organ donor registration in minority communities.

 🔗 Learn more and register as an organ donor at www.donors1.org — the Gift of Life Donor Program.
📱 Follow Gift of Life:

• Facebook: @donors1
• Instagram: @donors1
• X (Twitter): @donors1