WORLD FOOTPRINTS

Today, Tonya and Ian travel full circle from their law careers to a destination they hold close to their hearts.  (Hint:  they honeymooned there)  If you have guessed it, World Footprints will head to South Africa and they'll introduce an extraordinary student exchange program between the University of Missouri and the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Then you’ll hear about Nandi, a rescue South African manta ray who Tonya got to scuba dive (one of her great passions) with at the Georgia Aquarium.  You'll hear about the intregal role that the Aquarium plays in sea life conservation.

World Footprints will take you on a journey as we explore the artifacts from America’s greatest family battles, discover a catalyst for promoting Latin American arts and culture, and take a sip of sustainable California wines (yum!).

The home of Randall McCoy, the patriarch of the famed McCoy family, and the site of the deadly 1888 New Year’s Day showdown between the Hatfields and McCoys has been unearthed by National Geographic “Diggers” Tim “Ringmaster” Saylor and “King” George Wyatt.   Tim “Ringy” stops by to share their historic discoveries.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the leading source of development financing for Latin American and the Caribbean.  IDB has an extensive and dynamic cultural education outreach program and Ivan Duque Marquez, Culture, Creativity and Solidarity Division Chief, joins us to talk about the unique role culture plays in Latin America’s economic development.

Sustainability has taken hold in the wine industry.  One of the leaders in the vanguard is Allison Jordan, Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, a non-profit that promotes environmental and social responsibility in the industry.  Cheers!

Located in the heart of the mid-Atlantic the City of Norfolk is an important 400-year-old port city and home to the largest naval base in the world. Norfolk also played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad as one of the last port stops on the road to freedom north.  Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander from Norfolk State University joins World Footprints to discuss the newly established Waterways to Freedom Tour and Norfolk’s important role in the Underground Railroad.

Then, as we race to summer, many teens from across America will be packing their bags and exploring various destinations around the world.  Given the recent headlines from Japan, North Africa and the Middle East, travel security and safety is paramount in the mind of many families.  Mike Bowers, Senior Director of Health and Safety at People to People Ambassador Programs, will share some sage advice about what teens (and adults) need to know to stay safe.

Finally, Adelphi University’s Dr. Stephen Shore is a renowned expert of autism.  From his personal challenges with autism to his work with others, Dr. Shore takes us inside the world of autism and he’ll share how lives are being changed through research and support groups around the world.

World Footprints will take listeners on a journey that follows the North Star today. 

Many Americans are familiar with the slave revolts led by John Brown and Nat Turner, but the story of the greatest act of slave resistance in American history took place in 1811 and has remained largely untold, until now.  Daniel Rasmussen, acclaimed author of American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt has pulled back the curtain on a long neglected period in New Orleans and he joins World Footprints to discuss his research and provide a glimpse into the history of slavery in the South and our nation’s path to Civil War.

Then, Bradley Myles, Executive Director and CEO of Polaris Project joins World Footprints.  Named after the North Star that guided slaves towards freedom along the Underground Railroad, Polaris Project has been providing a comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002.  Polaris Project has created the National Human Trafficking hotline in order to combat human trafficking. 

Finally, meet SEAsoned chef Victoria Allman.   Many people have wondered what it’s like to live on a super-yacht that cruises the oceans and docks in exotic ports around the world and Victoria Allman tells all in her new book, SEAsoned: A Chef’s Journey with her Captain.  Victoria joins World Footprints to offer a first-hand account of her journey as a yacht chef with her husband Patrick on his first assignment as Captain.  From their comical adventures with their inexperienced crew, and dysfunctional passengers to the violent storm, rapidly flooding engine room and great mouth-watering recipes, SEAsoned offers a great adventure & cookbook.

Skipper Donald Lawson is making history on the water.  He is one of just a few African-American professional sailors who holds the titles skipper and captain and is working towards breaking barriers in the sport of sailing.  Donald Lawson anticipates becoming the first African American sailor to race around the world solo but his first stop will be on World Footprints. before he embarks we’re going to try to convince him that he must take this adventure radio crew with. 

As a young woman studying Spanish in Mexico in the 1970s, Mary Jo McConahay fell in love with the haunting beauty and mystery of the rainforest.  Determined to experience the jungle firsthand, Mary Jo traveled solo through the beautiful wild region that spans southern Mexico and northern Guatemala.  That first trip was the beginning of her life’s work and adventures in Central America.  Mary Jo’s newest book, Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest, draws upon three decades in Central America’s remote and dangerous landscapes where she traveled, lived, and worked as a war correspondent.

Aidah Fontenot wears many artistic hats.  With over 16 years of experience and training, she continues to raise the bar in the artistic genres of fine art, photography, graphic and fashion design.  Aidah is most recognized as an ethical fashion designer.  Her Aidah Collection supports a “green mission” to empower women and protect the environment.  The collection is handmade locally with natural and recycled materials and many designs have been spotted on the red carpet.

You may know actress/singer Gloria Loring from her character Liz Chandler on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, or as the singer in the number-one hit song "Friends and Lovers" or as the mother of singer Robin Thicke.  But what you may not know is that Gloria has wrestled with real-life dramas throughout her life.  Her oldest child was diagnosed with a chronic illness, she struggled through an unraveling marriage and faced countless professional challenges.  But Gloria also experienced the saving grace of timely coincidences. 

Today's Book Club reading "Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous" is a detailed account of Gloria's compelling life's journing and her exploration of the mystery of divine intervention.  Gloria experienced many 'accidental miracles' that occurred at just the right time.  One example was her discovery of a business card with the words "expect a miracle" that someone or something placed on her makeup table.   That event and those simple words have since become her mantra.

 

Clear HERE to purchase "Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous"

Websites:

Gloria Loring

World Footprints

Black History Month is not just for African-Americans in the United States.  The month-long celebration considers people of color from around the world.  World Footprints travels to the island of St. Vincent to discover that tropical paradise's history and that of its indigenous people.

Our first stop is to the Botanical Gardens of St. Vincent, the oldest such garden of its type in the Western Hemisphere, and we are joined by historian Dr. Edgar Adams for a look into some of the events and experiences that have defined his life and the history of St. Vincent.

Then we travel to Fort Charlotte where we meet Augustine Sutherland, a decendant of one of St. Vincent's indigeneous ethnic groups, the Garafuna.   Fort Charlotte was built by the British (1793-1806), not to defend against a naval attack but as an inland defense against attacks from the Garafuna, Kalinago and the French.  This in evidenced by the fact that the cannons of Fort Charlotte face inland.  Augustine shares some of the tragic history his ancestors faced here and some of the challenges he faced growing up as a Garafuna on St. Vincent.

February marks Black History Month, and in celebration, World Footprints returns to Missouri; a state that has made a unique contribution to America’s history. Ian and Tonya will speak to father Moses Berry, founder of the Ozarks African American Heritage Museum in Ash Grove. Then, Angela da Silva of Lindenwood University will join them to talk about a few Missourians who rose from slavery to national prominence. Finally, we journey to Independence, Missouri to explore some of the history and places were African American contributions have not been forgotten.

In honor of Black History Month, World Footprints revisits the path of the civil rights movement.  Today we welcome special guests Charles E. Cobb, Jr., Scott Hartblay and Christine Bischoff as they share their independent journeys along the path of the civil rights movement.

Author and former civil rights activist Charles E. Cobb, Jr., offers a guided tour of the civil rights trail in his book On The Road To Freedom.  Cobb introduces us to the places of the movement and the personalities who made those places historically relevant. He will give us a glimpse into the marches, struggles, triumphs, sites and profiles of the individuals whose shoulders we now stand on.  Christine and Scott traveled the path of the civil rights movement on independent trails.  We will revisit history through their stories and experiences as they recount their independent journeys along the civil rights trail through Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.  Collectively, we will walk through the pages of history and to reflect on the preservation of our history or its current state.

Step into the words and paintings of award-winning writers and artists as we celebrate black history in literary color.

Award-winning artist Michele Wood’s work reflects a deep sense of history and place. As a painter, illustrator, designer and writer, she has gained wide recognition and has earned multiple awards including the prestigious American Book Award for her first book, Going Back Home.  Michelle is also a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award recipient from the American Library Association.  Michele’s artistry continues to explode in her other works, I See the Rhythm and I See the Rhythm of Gospel.

Fond memories of swimming with “Uncle Martin” is how a small Paula Young-Shelton recalls many days with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As the daughter of former United Nations Ambassador and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, Paula offers a human side to the icons of the civil rights movement through her young eyes.  Paula’s accounts are colorfully shared in her children’s book “Child of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Pulitzer-Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles America’s Great Migration of African-Americans in her epic novel, The Warmth of Other Suns.  Isabel shares many accounts of African-Americans who left the south between 1915 to 1970 in search of freedom and opportunity and, in doing so, changed a nation and the world.  The Migration of over 6 million black folks from the south not only transformed society, politics, economics and culture, these events also changed the course of history.