June 23, 2020
A fascinating conversation with investigative journalist Anna Clark, author of the definitive book on the lead contamination crisis that poisoned the water in Flint, Michigan. Clark's powerful storytelling skills reveal the structural racism entwined with this perfect storm and brings to life the courageous citizens who rose up to fight for their lives against city, state and federal government officials who insisted their coffee-colored water was "perfectly safe."
June 11, 2020
Born into the Cambodian Civil War that wiped out 25% of her country's population, Thear Sy Suzuki spent her early childhood in refugee work camps. Miraculously, her parents managed to save all of their children and escape. How did a child who arrived in the U.S. at age eight, speaking no English, rise to become a top executive with global consulting firm Ernst & Young, advising Fortune 500 companies? A wife and mother of four sons and a community activist serving on multiple boards that lift others? Thear shares her remarkable story of survival, resilience and leadership, as well as her perspective on the emerging power and influence of the Millennial and Gen Z generations.
May 19, 2020
Millennials became the largest generation in the workforce, at the beginning of 2020. But as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy, Millennials were hit hard. As young workers just beginning their careers, they were some of the first to lose their jobs and less likely to have a savings "safety net" than more seasoned workers. Plus, many are earning entry-level pay while carrying heavy debt from school loans. As the big sister in a family of seven children, I have an abundance of Millennial nieces and nephews, in addition to my own son. So how are they doing? I asked four of them.
May 7, 2020
Intimate partner violence was a global pandemic long before COVID-19. But the "stay home" orders that the deadly virus triggered acted like gasoline on glowing embers for millions of domestic violence victims. Globally, the story is the same: the frequency of domestic abuse and the severity of the violence have dramatically escalated. "Safe at home" is an oxymoron for millions. Beth Morrison of OUR Family Services in Tucson, Amy Good of Detroit's Alternatives for Girls and Melissa Sinclair of Michigan's Haven Domestic Violence Shelter share their views on this worsening crisis and insights on help.
April 29, 2020
College sports is a $14B business and women's sports is one of its fastest growing markets. But just as opportunities for female athletes are accelerating, opportunities for women coaches are in freefall. Today, men hold nearly 58% of all head coaching jobs for women's teams, while still keeping a stranglehold on 99% of the jobs coaching men. What's wrong with this scenario? We asked Carol "Hutch" Hutchins, one of the most respected coaches in college sports, who was featured in this NY Times report on the leadership crisis in college coaching -- where gender equity is moving backwards.
April 17, 2020
Detroit, Michigan, one of the COVID-19 hot spots in the USA, is bearing witness to the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on African Americans. Thirty-five percent of the virus victims in Michigan are African Americans, although they make up only 15% of the state's population. The same is true in other U.S. states with significant AA populations. Podcast guests Marianne Udow-Phillips and Vern Davis Anthony saw this coming, because they both have decades of expertise in the devastating toll of generational poverty and the weaknesses in the U.S. health care system. COVID-19 is demanding that we stop ignoring both.
April 14, 2020
One of the worst COVID-19 hot spots in the U.S. is metro Detroit. The virus, which has already claimed 1,600 lives in Michigan, with 26,000 confirmed cases, is disproportionately impacting African Americans. Why? A pandemic plays no favorites, seeking victims everywhere. But its easiest prey are those weakened by health, economic and daily-life challenges of generational poverty. That's why the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), that has served at-risk youth and their families for 50 years, launched SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION: CHECKING IN SAVES LIVES -- a web of timely, factual information and help. Rob Jamerson, CEO of Detroit PAL explains the life-saving power of human contact and how YOU CAN HELP!
March 30, 2020
The Covid-19 global pandemic has been called "a time machine to our future." There is nothing like a crisis for testing the quality of our elected leaders and shining a spotlight on societal and environmental imbalances we can no longer ignore. Congressional candidate Cathy Kunkel is an energy policy expert and long-time community changemaker who is helping to lead West Virginia's "For the Many Not the Few" grassroots political movement. The alarms she is sounding and the changes she is fighting for are more urgent than ever -- for all of us.
March 18, 2020
The Covid-19 crisis started as a global health emergency, but its economic impact could be nearly just as devastating. As we all tighten our financial belts, advice from professional financial planners is more important than ever. Willa Williams and Weslia Echols of Trinity Financial Coaching share the lessons they've learned -- the hard way -- about living abundantly but within your means.
February 26, 2020
The "Guilty" verdict in the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial was a watershed moment in women's centuries long fight for respect and safety from sexual innuendo, harassment and assault. It took over 90 courageous women telling their stories to finally stop the powerful predator. Eliminating "boys will be boys," toxic work cultures requires women of all generations to raise their voices collectively to demand change. That's exactly what our guests, MI State Senator Mallory McMorrow and Journalist Julie Hinds, did when a powerful MI State Senator "had some fun" at the expense of Gen Z reporter Allison Donahue -- who had the courage to object.
