Chris Norwood joined Dr. Peterson for this week's Critical Commentary to discuss Stephen A. Smith's response to Donald Trump's appearance at the New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs game 3 finals matchup at Madison Square Garden, the possible reduction of social security benefits, and the intense police presence at the Philadelphia Gay Pride parade.

Chris Johnson was a Democratic Nominee for Pennsylvania State Representative of the 200th Legislative District, currently held by Rep. Chris Rabb. He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss May's primary election, the facilities plan, and progressive policy.

Maia Peele is a recent Harvard Divinity School graduate who wrote her thesis entitled “Let Her Rest: A Womanist Approach to the Afterlife Archive", which examines how Black girls enter and remain within institutional archives through histories of racial violence, premature death, and dispossession.

She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss her graduation from Harvard’s Divinity School and thesis.

Jessica Byrd is a nationally recognized political strategist, civic educator, the founder of Black Camp, and someone who dedicated her career to winning elections and uplifting a new generation of transformative Black leaders. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss Black Camp’s national tour.

Dr. Phillip Roundtree is a scholar-activist, therapist, and journalist whose research over twenty years of advocacy focuses on Black men's mental health. Dr. Roundtree is also the founder of Quadefy LLC and YouGoodMan Inc. He joined Dr. Peterson for Men's Mental Health Awareness Month to discuss the free YouGoodMan Men's Mental Health Group happening every Monday from 6 PM - 7:30 PM at Ubuntu Fine Arts in Germantown.

Matthew Koveal is the new Executive Director of the Philly Pops, where he leads a reimagined symphonic pops organization dedicated to accessibility, artistic excellence, and deep community connection. His leadership is rooted in a simple conviction that great music belongs to everyone, and the Philly Pops should reflect the full richness of the city it calls home. Matt has made efforts to make The Pops more inclusive, and recently hosted a series of jazz and Motown performances in locations throughout the city.

After the abrupt shutdown of the former Philly Pops in 2023, Matt stepped in to help lead the displaced musicians through a period of profound uncertainty. Working closely with orchestra members, he co-founded the No Name Pops, a resilient, artist-centric ensemble built on transparency, collaboration, and public trust. Under his guidance, the orchestra not only survived but thrived, quickly establishing itself with high-level performances, new community initiatives, and a growing base of support before reclaiming its place in Philadelphia's cultural life with an official return to the Philly Pops name in July 2025.

Matt joined the show to talk about the upcoming performances of The Pops, and to also talk about some previous Jazz & Motown performances they had in Philadelphia.

Bumi Fernandez joins the show. She is CEO of Odunde and talks to us about Sunday’s 51st Anniversary of Odunde Festival

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas joins the show. He is chairman of City Council’s Education Committee. Councilman Thomas talks to us about the city budget and the lack of school funding.

Linn Washington Jr., is a Professor of Journalism at Temple, where he is a co-founder of the award-winning Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab. Linn talks to us about the attack on media, and a growing white supremacist threat.

Joe Illidge is a legend in the comic book world and specifically with Milestone, the first Black owned imprint of DC comics that introduced characters like Icon and Static Shock to the DC universe. He's a well respected and established writer, editor, producer and IP strategist whose work spans comics, publishing, film and multimedia development.

He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss his new book, "Bloodletter", his other recent DC contributions, and upcoming Bloodletter release event at MultiVerse this Saturday, June 13th.