February 2, 2024 • 28 mins
If I asked you to guess the number one killer of children and teens – what would be your answer?Shocking but true - It’s gun violence. I speak to Scott Charles Trauma Outreach Manager at Temple University about a collaboration between local hospitals to raise awareness about gun safety. www.HospitalsTogether.com
https://www.templesafetynet.org/
I talk to Michele Carreras Morales from Xiente about the work they’re doing to provide housing and other important services to under resourced residents living in the Norris square Neighborhood.
https://www.xiente.org/
I chat with members of a very positive musical group called Children of Adam Band. Joining me are Baba Kenya, Darien Ebo and John Walker. https://www.childrenofadamband.com/
First, a shout out to Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati who comes off another successful African American Children’s book fair. She partnered with City Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson to honor our Senior Vice President of Programming Derrick Corbett for his support of the event and there was a wonderful ceremony at City Hall this week.
https://www.templesafetynet.org/
I talk to Michele Carreras Morales from Xiente about the work they’re doing to provide housing and other important services to under resourced residents living in the Norris square Neighborhood.
https://www.xiente.org/
I chat with members of a very positive musical group called Children of Adam Band. Joining me are Baba Kenya, Darien Ebo and John Walker. https://www.childrenofadamband.com/
First, a shout out to Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati who comes off another successful African American Children’s book fair. She partnered with City Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson to honor our Senior Vice President of Programming Derrick Corbett for his support of the event and there was a wonderful ceremony at City Hall this week.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good morning. You are listening toInsight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. If I askedyou to guess the number one killer
of children and teens, what wouldbe your answer? I have to admit
I was a little bit shocked,but maybe not so much that it's gun
violence. I speak to Scott Charles, trauma outreach manager at Temple University,
(00:21):
about a collaboration between local hospitals toraise awareness about gun safety. I talked
to Michelle Carreras Morales from Ciente aboutthe work they're doing to provide housing and
other important services to under resourced folksliving in the North Square neighborhood. And
we chat with members of a verypositive musical group called the Children of Adam.
(00:42):
But first a shout out to VanessLloyd's Gumbody, who comes off another
successful African American children's book. Thereshe arranged with City Councilwoman Catherine Gilmour Richardson
an honor for our SVP of Programming, Derek Corbett, for his support of
the event. There is a wonderfulceremony at City Hall this week playful on
(01:02):
how his success Howe. I'm alsodesigned by him this generosity and also here
having Jackson and our friends, ourselvesin state our twenty years and the shame
(01:29):
is a high call. Vaness Lloyd'sScumbody, founder of the African American Children's
Book Fair. With firearms remaining theleading cause of injury and death in children,
the nation's largest regional collaboration of healthsystems representing fifty nine hospitals in Philadelphia,
(01:49):
Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southernNew Jersey, is kicking off the
year with a PSA campaign, apublic service campaign that encourages a community approach
to protecting children from unlocked guns.It is called it Doesn't Kill to ask,
and joining us right now to tellus all about it is Scott Charles,
Trauma Outreach manager at Temple University Hospital. Well, Scott tell us,
(02:15):
this is such a shocking statistic tome that firearms is the leading cause.
It's not mumps or the measles oranything else. So they're flu or covid,
it's firearms. Tell us more.Thanks Lorraine for first of all shining
a light on this issue. Firearmsare indeed the leading cause of death for
children and teenagers. I want tobe clear that that number includes teenagers up
(02:39):
to nineteen, but it's not reallysurprising when you think about the proliferation of
firearms in this country. In particular, one of the goals of this initiative
is to address the issue of unintentionalfirearm injury, which is really a problem.
So we have a lot of individualswho have guns and their children know
(03:01):
exactly where those guns are. There'ssomething like, you know, three hundred
and seventy seven shootings, near fourhundred shootings every year from unintentional reasons,
and all of this is so preventable. So it's important for parents to lock
up their guns in their own homes, but it's also important for parents to
know that the homes that they're sendingtheir children to have those firearms locked up.
(03:25):
And that's really the motivation about behindthis campaign is making parents feel that
they have the agency to ask abouthow those guns are stored and their children's
playmates' homes. So in addition tomaking sure that guns are stored safely,
what exactly does that involve. Isit like locking them up in a box,
(03:46):
putting any kind of special gun guard. Tell us more about yeah,
yeah, So in an ideal world, you know, the most secure way
to secure a firearm and to keepkids safe is to make sure that the
gun is unloaded and separate from theammunition, and that both the gun and
the ammunition are stored separately in safes. We also know that that's sometimes cost
(04:10):
prohibitive for certain families that are struggling. So one of the efforts that Temple
University Hospital has done for the lastseveral years is we distribute free gunlocks to
families so that they can safely securethose guns. How do parents get a
hold of these gunlocks. They canactually go to our website, which is
templesafety net dot com and they canclick on the link for the safe bet
(04:34):
program and there there's the opportunity forthem to request a free gunlock that will
send to their home, no questionsasked. Now getting a little more into
detail about that it doesn't kill toask. This campaign provides not only the
encouragement to be aware of the importanceof making sure that your guns are safely
(04:55):
locked away, and also letting parentsknow that they should ask others parents that
their kids, you know, homesthey visit also have that. But there's
also some tools and other resources.Can you tell us more about that we
want parents to feel comfortable doing ishaving those conversations and to think about how
to talk to the family that they'resending the kids over to visit. We
(05:20):
give them some tools, some ideasabout how to ask these questions, how
to talk to the family and bringup this issue that can be difficult for
some folks. You know, inmany cases this is really a political issue
in some instances. So we wantto make sure though, at the end
of the day, that parents knowhow to broach this. And one of
the things that I always mentioned,if you were sending your kid to a
(05:43):
family's home and your child had apeanut allergy, you wouldn't hesitate to bring
up the fact that your child hasa peenatalergy and ask what kind of foods
that they might be indulging in.And so similarly, with guns, we
want them to be able to broachthis subject and ask if they're guns in
the home and how they're being stored. Now, there is of course a
website that people can go to toget all the information that we just talked
(06:08):
about, and what is that website? Hospitalstogether dot com is the collaborative and
there you can find more information aboutthis effort fantastic, and of course the
work that you do. You're very, very active and prominent in this area
of providing greater safety when it comesto gun violence, and also about the
implications of what that means when peopleare in fact survivors of gun violence.
(06:31):
If people want to know about allthe work that you do and the resources
that Temple University Hospital has, howdo they find out more about that?
Thank you? They can absolutely findthat information by going to our website at
templesafety net dot org, and therethey'll find information about our Cradle to Grave
program where we educate young people aboutthe medical realities of gun violence, the
(06:56):
Safe Bet program that we just talkedabout, the Fighting Chance program where we
teach community members how to provide firstaid, and our Trauma Victim Advocacy Program
where we provide support to victims ofgun violence in Philadelphia. Thank you so
much for all the great work thatyou're doing. Thank you for raising awareness
about the importance of gun safety andthe resources that are available for those out
(07:20):
there who want to protect their children. Because it's just crazy that an average
of thirteen children die from guns everyday, making guns the leading cause of
death in children and young adults andthat is totally preventable. Through this program.
You can find out more. Itdoesn't kill to ask is the name
(07:42):
of the program, and of coursethe website that we just mentioned templesafety net
dot org, or you can goto the hospitalstogether dot com. Fantastic.
Scott Charles, Trauma Outreach manager atTemple University Hospital, Thank you so much,
Thank you so much, Lorree,just one question can save a child's
(08:03):
life. Before your child visits afriend, ask if there's an unlocked gun
in the house. With an averageof thirteen children dying from guns every day,
guns are now the leading cause ofdeath among children, ask the question
and do your part to keep childrensafe. To help get the conversation going,
fifty nine regional hospitals united to offerlife saving tips. Learn more by
(08:26):
visiting hospitalstogether dot com. That's hospitalstogetherdot com. What is dedication? My
daughter start making necklaces. She makeswhat we call affirmation fashion. I tell
her every day that you're black isbeautiful. Your black is beautiful. And
(08:50):
if there's anything better to being beautiful, it's being smart. If there's anything
better to being smart, it's beingkind and reaffirming that every day, our
method of making sure her chin neverdrops. My dad wasn't around, and
I remember riding a bike and fallingoff and cutting myself and me never We
just wanted to get back on it. People ask how your children learn how
(09:13):
to ride a bike, and youdidn't. I didn't teach them. I
just create an environment. But theytaught themselves, and all I had to
do was be there. That's dedication. Visit Fatherhood dot gov to hear more.
Brought to you by the US Departmentof Health and Human Services and the
AD Council. They are our lovebugs and companions. They are our pets,
(09:35):
our family, and they make lifebetter when we face unexpected challenges.
So do our pets. That's whywe're on a mission to support people and
their pets. Whether donating a bagof kibble, sharing an Instagram post of
a lost cat, or welcoming afoster pet into your home, every bit
of kindness counts. Visit Pets andPeople Together dot org to learn how to
(09:56):
be a helper in your community.Brought to you by Mattie's Fund, the
Humane Society of the United States,and the AD Council. We always like
to check in with community based organizationsand today we are going to be speaking
with Michelle Carrera Morales, executive directorof the North Square Community Alliance. Thank
(10:22):
you so much for joining us heretoday and give us a brief idea of
who you are and what you do. The Nordest Square Community Alliance now became
CIENTA. That is our new name, and we're a community development corporation.
We have been providing services in theNortheest Square neighborhood for over forty years.
Our focus is economic mobility, sowe provide for our housing, housing,
(10:48):
counseling, education services, and warfacedevelopment services. Let's talk about the North
Square community. Describe it to us. So, the Nordest Square community is
in the east side of Kensington andbuild the east Side and what was called
All Kensington and it was a primaryPororican community, very proud of the heritage.
(11:11):
We have a large Prooregon community inthis area that came to work on
the manufacturing industry on American Street.So right now we're facing a lot of
the gentrification, so we're seeing adisplacement of our community and also the integration
of new demographics into the neighborhood.Over ninety percent of the of the clients
(11:35):
that we serve here in North Squareare living under the poverty level based on
the income in Philadelphia, our primaryLatino. I live in that neighborhood myself,
so I've actually witnessed the tremendous changesand upheaval that is occurring because of
the gentrification of that neighborhood. Andwe also know that in order to build
(11:58):
generational wealth, homeownership is really keyto that, providing well that could result
in college education for your kids ormaybe getting assets for starting a business.
So that's a real challenge and gettingthat first leg up into having that home
(12:18):
ownership is the challenge. Tell usa little bit more about how you are
achieving that. For us, thatjourney to homeownership begins with affordable rentals.
Right. We serve a population thattheir average income is twenty to thirty thousand
dollars. So the first thing isto have enough inventory of affordable rental in
(12:39):
the neighborhood that would allow those familiesto be able to save so they can
purchase that first home. So housingis key, A dignified housing and stable
housing for them on the rental phaseof their journey is super important. The
second BANI is working with both adultsand children in the house, all to
(13:00):
make sure that we obskill the familyright, make sure that the family number
one have the support that they needto understand and to seek better career opportunities
from the youth and the children.To make sure that that generation that is
growing have an opportunity to acquire theskills either to go to college or to
(13:24):
enter in a technical career or tostart their own businesses when they graduated from
high school, because if not,if we become that poverty trap right of
generation after generation. So we dobelieve the homeowner chief is important, but
we also believe that there are someother aspects and to make sure that everyone
have the same opportunity. If peoplewould like more information about your organization and
(13:50):
about the different services that you doprovide at the North Square Community Alliance,
how do they find out more sothey can go to our website ww dot
org, dot xi e NTE dotorg. Thank you so much for your
time on your the opportunity to talkabout our work fantastic. Michelle Carrera Morales,
(14:13):
who is executive director of the NorthSquare Community Alliance. As veterans,
we're no strangers to helping others.That's what we were taught service before self.
But we do have one question forthe veterans listening. When is the
last time you reached out for help? If you or someone you know needs
resources, whether it's for stress,finances, employment, or mental health,
(14:37):
don't wait, reach out. Findmore information at VA dot slash reach.
That's VA dot slash Reach, broughtto you by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs and the AD Council.Here's a fun fact for you. The
average chameleon can point their eyes intodifferent directions. On the other hand,
the average human can't. So unlessyou're a chameleon, there's absolutely no way
(15:01):
you can focus on texting and drivingat the same time. So don't do
it unless you're a chameleon. Visitstop Texts, stop rex dot org,
a message brought to you by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Project yellow
Light and the AD Council. Substancewhose disorder and addiction is so isolating and
(15:22):
so as a black woman in recovery, hope must be loud. It grows
louder when you ask for help andyou're vulnerable. It is the thread that
lets you know that no matter whathappens, you will be okay. When
we learn the power of hope,recovery is possible. Find out how at
(15:43):
Start with Hope dot com. Broughtto you by the National Council for Mental
Well Being, Shatterproof and the ADCouncil. As veterans, we're no strangers
to helping others. That's what wewere taught service before self. But we
do have one question for the veteranslistening. When is the last time you
reached out for help? If youor someone you know needs resources, whether
it's for stress, finances, employment, or mental health, don't wait,
(16:07):
reach out. Find more information atVA dot slash reach. That's VA dot
slash reach, brought to you bythe United States Department of Veterans Affairs of
the AD Council. I am sopleased to bring back to the studio members
(16:37):
of the Children of Adam band.They're from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly
Love and Sisterly Affection and Sanctuary City. They are also the purveyors of PMB
positive Message bearing music. They're afourteen member new world music band performing original
PMB music and joining us are somefolks from the and And they are Bobby
(17:02):
Kenya, Darien Ebo and John WalkerBoba Kenya. Great to see you again,
and I kind of described the banda little bit, but tell us
a little more about who you are. Well. Thank you for inviting us
here, Lorraine. As far asthe band is concerned, would it be
okay for me to give credit tothe various band members? I think you
should, okay. This was avery large project. Our latest release called
(17:26):
a Philly Thing, and that involvednot only musicians in personnel located here on
the East Coast, but those locatedon the West coast as well. I'll
give you a rundown on some ofthe various personnel. We have Aubrey Muhammad,
Ali Kemp on guitar. We havemyself on flugelhorn, columba and vocals.
(17:47):
We have Bob Kunga on vocals andkunga's. We have Darian Ebo also
on counga's and various percussion, BobbyBryan on drums, Michael Cruz, Lynn
Leslie, Brett Jolly All on bass, Jewels on vocals, percussions, Papa
Kenneth Taylor on trumpet, Sandez Davison jimbay and African percussions, Sultana Aarifa
(18:11):
on vocals and percussions. Erv JeanBaptiste from Haiti on trumpet, and Tafari
Nobles l on the African dance productionfrom the Dogon People. People from the
West Coast included Kevin Lee, whodid the voice over on our video,
(18:32):
and also lead vocalist Roslind Pugh,who did the lead vocals on one of
our renditions of the song Philly Thing. I think that covers just about everybody.
I think. So you've got quitea crew there, and you have
some of those members right here inthe studio. We have Darien Ebo and
(18:52):
John Walker. John tell us aboutyour relationship with the band and the music
that you performed. Well, onceagain, thank you for much for having
me and the band here. Myexperience is that I met Baba. We
were just in the park a drumcircle. We got to talk in doing
(19:12):
one of the breaks, and heexpressed what he was trying to do,
and I was very interested in hisvision and I had had an opportunity to
play a lot of different types ofmusic, play with a lot of different
musicians all over the world. Hisidea of creating a band just to play
original music, positive bearing music reallyinterests me. So we got together and
(19:37):
we've been putting together good music eversince. You talk about being in a
drum circle in the park, andI've actually been in a drum circle in
a park and there's nothing like it. There is something very communal about the
music that's created in a drum circle. Right. Well, the thing is
is that you know, we comethere bringing positive their vibes and when a
(20:03):
lot of people come together with thattype of energy, with that type of
mindset, it is magical. Itis It is beautiful when when you can
do that. And uh, yes, drum circles are great, they are
great, all right. So DarienEbo, why don't you step up to
the microphone and uh, just forthe radio audience, Darian Ebo has the
most magnificent mudcloth coach. Where didyou get that cove? That's beautiful?
(20:29):
Thank you for having us. Ohyou're welcome. We grew up having our
clothes made. So I went fromSilken Wolves to mud club. So I
bought a material. I live inGermantown, Okay, Western Plan, So
I about a material from a materialstore up there or from the guy who
makes it. I have three peoplethat make my clothes. Yeah, and
(20:52):
he helps me come up with howit should be. I designed it,
but I'm not a tailor. Hemakes him, makes it, makes it
real, makes it vision. Ifyou will, yes, your vision is
you are a vision. Wow.That's I wish the radio audience could see
this. And you should check mysocial media because I will be posting.
(21:12):
But tell us about your relationship withthe band. I'm the newest member as
of last week. That is brandnew. But I've been knowing Baba Kenya
for over twenty years. Almost twentyyears. Yeah, easy, I'm not
sure. I probably met him ina cultural form because that is that is
(21:34):
the foundation and the infrastructure of ourrelationship. He invited me to be a
part of a group called Images ofthe Motherland, right, which was a
cultural group that did folkloric theater.If you will, yes, I know
I've had Barba. Can you comeup many times to talk about that performance.
(21:56):
Listen. I want him to actuallykind of I've been talking to him
about moving back in that area atleast I think that, you know,
it's been my vision that this isa great form for him to actually do
some of that, because I don'tknow how many people realize or been a
part of that experience. But itwas wonderful for me. Yeah. I
mean there's nothing like the arts andmusic and performance to really bring home the
(22:22):
message and the history. Yeah,and the education as well, because a
lot of people don't know. Andhe touched on that in this form if
you will, right, and itkind of grew from there. We stayed
in touch over the years. Latelyhe's been calling me to get him in
touch with musicians if he needs musicians, if you will, for an event,
(22:42):
or if he just needs them forthe band. So that's been our
conversations of late. But he knewthat all the time. I was looming
in the background to be a part, to be a part of Children of
Adams. Yeah, and what doyou play? I'm a percussionist, you
are, Well, that's a beautifulthing, and there's a percussion is very
(23:04):
much a part of the sound ofthe band. Bob ken you, if
you could just come back to themicrophone again, I'd like to talk about
Philly Thang. You have this reallyfun music video. Tell us about the
evolution of the song and of themusic video which you can see on YouTube,
and it has its Philly all overthe place. Well, we wrote
(23:27):
the Philly Thing, and we spellit the way you say it f I
L L Y, and then thangis th h A n G. We
wrote Philly Thang to embrace the grassrootsof Philadelphia culture behind the well known history
that dates back to the founding fathersof America. This particular song has a
(23:49):
backstory that often overlooks. So whenwe wrote the hook for It's a Philly
Thing, I knew I had toincorporate the grassroots areas and regions of the
city that make Philadelphia the place thatit is. And you did, because
you go all over the city inyour music video. Yes, yes,
(24:10):
we do. And we want totry to be as inclusive as possible because
that's the basic message or theme behindthe mission of the Children of Adam Band
to be absolutely inclusive. Yeah,and the message is very much positive and
it's kind of a fusion of jazz, funk, R and B soul,
(24:30):
a Latin African Middle Eastern spoken word. It is just a very wonderful blend
of all those musical styles. Ifpeople would like to find out more about
the Children of Adam Band, whetherthey'd like to hire you to perform,
or if they'd like to download yourmusic. How do they do all that?
Well? You can find everything aboutus on our website, which is
(24:52):
Children offadamband dot com. Website Ithink you'll find is a treasure trove of
information, videos, music, audiofiles, performance dates, performance history,
and information about the band. Wealso have a newsletter that we send out
monthly, so if you send usan email to our email address that's Children
(25:15):
of Adam Band at gmail dot com, we'll add you into our list and
help to keep you apprized of wherewe're going, what we're doing, how
we're doing it, and when,etc. Children of Adam Band is a
very positive group of individuals that arepart of this fourteen member new world music
band performing original positive message bearing music. Bob a Kenya, Darien Ebo,
(25:41):
John Walker, thank you all forjoining us here today, and we could
not fit all fourteen of you intothis tiny studio, but we're glad to
have this representation. And we'll endthis interview with Philly Thing, and before
we do, we'd like to saythat we hope that our music and our
production joins in the interactive and interconnectedaspect of our new Mayor of Philadelphia's theme,
(26:11):
One City, One Philly. Thankyou. I love that Boba,
Kenya, Darrin Ebo, John Walker. They are members of Children of Adam
Band and once again this is Phillythan. You can listen to all of
(27:53):
today's interviews by going to our stationwebsite and typing in keyword Community. You
can also listen on the I HeartRadio app Keyword Lorraine with one R.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram atLorraine Ballard. I'm Lorraine Ballardmorrow and I
stand for service to our community andmedia that empowers. What will you stand
for? You've been listening to Insightand thank you
Good morning. You are listening toInsight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. If I askedyou to guess the number one killer
of children and teens, what wouldbe your answer? I have to admit
I was a little bit shocked,but maybe not so much that it's gun
violence. I speak to Scott Charles, trauma outreach manager at Temple University,
(00:21):
about a collaboration between local hospitals toraise awareness about gun safety. I talked
to Michelle Carreras Morales from Ciente aboutthe work they're doing to provide housing and
other important services to under resourced folksliving in the North Square neighborhood. And
we chat with members of a verypositive musical group called the Children of Adam.
(00:42):
But first a shout out to VanessLloyd's Gumbody, who comes off another
successful African American children's book. Thereshe arranged with City Councilwoman Catherine Gilmour Richardson
an honor for our SVP of Programming, Derek Corbett, for his support of
the event. There is a wonderfulceremony at City Hall this week playful on
(01:02):
how his success Howe. I'm alsodesigned by him this generosity and also here
having Jackson and our friends, ourselvesin state our twenty years and the shame
(01:29):
is a high call. Vaness Lloyd'sScumbody, founder of the African American Children's
Book Fair. With firearms remaining theleading cause of injury and death in children,
the nation's largest regional collaboration of healthsystems representing fifty nine hospitals in Philadelphia,
(01:49):
Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, and southernNew Jersey, is kicking off the
year with a PSA campaign, apublic service campaign that encourages a community approach
to protecting children from unlocked guns.It is called it Doesn't Kill to ask,
and joining us right now to tellus all about it is Scott Charles,
Trauma Outreach manager at Temple University Hospital. Well, Scott tell us,
(02:15):
this is such a shocking statistic tome that firearms is the leading cause.
It's not mumps or the measles oranything else. So they're flu or covid,
it's firearms. Tell us more.Thanks Lorraine for first of all shining
a light on this issue. Firearmsare indeed the leading cause of death for
children and teenagers. I want tobe clear that that number includes teenagers up
(02:39):
to nineteen, but it's not reallysurprising when you think about the proliferation of
firearms in this country. In particular, one of the goals of this initiative
is to address the issue of unintentionalfirearm injury, which is really a problem.
So we have a lot of individualswho have guns and their children know
(03:01):
exactly where those guns are. There'ssomething like, you know, three hundred
and seventy seven shootings, near fourhundred shootings every year from unintentional reasons,
and all of this is so preventable. So it's important for parents to lock
up their guns in their own homes, but it's also important for parents to
know that the homes that they're sendingtheir children to have those firearms locked up.
(03:25):
And that's really the motivation about behindthis campaign is making parents feel that
they have the agency to ask abouthow those guns are stored and their children's
playmates' homes. So in addition tomaking sure that guns are stored safely,
what exactly does that involve. Isit like locking them up in a box,
(03:46):
putting any kind of special gun guard. Tell us more about yeah,
yeah, So in an ideal world, you know, the most secure way
to secure a firearm and to keepkids safe is to make sure that the
gun is unloaded and separate from theammunition, and that both the gun and
the ammunition are stored separately in safes. We also know that that's sometimes cost
(04:10):
prohibitive for certain families that are struggling. So one of the efforts that Temple
University Hospital has done for the lastseveral years is we distribute free gunlocks to
families so that they can safely securethose guns. How do parents get a
hold of these gunlocks. They canactually go to our website, which is
templesafety net dot com and they canclick on the link for the safe bet
(04:34):
program and there there's the opportunity forthem to request a free gunlock that will
send to their home, no questionsasked. Now getting a little more into
detail about that it doesn't kill toask. This campaign provides not only the
encouragement to be aware of the importanceof making sure that your guns are safely
(04:55):
locked away, and also letting parentsknow that they should ask others parents that
their kids, you know, homesthey visit also have that. But there's
also some tools and other resources.Can you tell us more about that we
want parents to feel comfortable doing ishaving those conversations and to think about how
to talk to the family that they'resending the kids over to visit. We
(05:20):
give them some tools, some ideasabout how to ask these questions, how
to talk to the family and bringup this issue that can be difficult for
some folks. You know, inmany cases this is really a political issue
in some instances. So we wantto make sure though, at the end
of the day, that parents knowhow to broach this. And one of
the things that I always mentioned,if you were sending your kid to a
(05:43):
family's home and your child had apeanut allergy, you wouldn't hesitate to bring
up the fact that your child hasa peenatalergy and ask what kind of foods
that they might be indulging in.And so similarly, with guns, we
want them to be able to broachthis subject and ask if they're guns in
the home and how they're being stored. Now, there is of course a
website that people can go to toget all the information that we just talked
(06:08):
about, and what is that website? Hospitalstogether dot com is the collaborative and
there you can find more information aboutthis effort fantastic, and of course the
work that you do. You're very, very active and prominent in this area
of providing greater safety when it comesto gun violence, and also about the
implications of what that means when peopleare in fact survivors of gun violence.
(06:31):
If people want to know about allthe work that you do and the resources
that Temple University Hospital has, howdo they find out more about that?
Thank you? They can absolutely findthat information by going to our website at
templesafety net dot org, and therethey'll find information about our Cradle to Grave
program where we educate young people aboutthe medical realities of gun violence, the
(06:56):
Safe Bet program that we just talkedabout, the Fighting Chance program where we
teach community members how to provide firstaid, and our Trauma Victim Advocacy Program
where we provide support to victims ofgun violence in Philadelphia. Thank you so
much for all the great work thatyou're doing. Thank you for raising awareness
about the importance of gun safety andthe resources that are available for those out
(07:20):
there who want to protect their children. Because it's just crazy that an average
of thirteen children die from guns everyday, making guns the leading cause of
death in children and young adults andthat is totally preventable. Through this program.
You can find out more. Itdoesn't kill to ask is the name
(07:42):
of the program, and of coursethe website that we just mentioned templesafety net
dot org, or you can goto the hospitalstogether dot com. Fantastic.
Scott Charles, Trauma Outreach manager atTemple University Hospital, Thank you so much,
Thank you so much, Lorree,just one question can save a child's
(08:03):
life. Before your child visits afriend, ask if there's an unlocked gun
in the house. With an averageof thirteen children dying from guns every day,
guns are now the leading cause ofdeath among children, ask the question
and do your part to keep childrensafe. To help get the conversation going,
fifty nine regional hospitals united to offerlife saving tips. Learn more by
(08:26):
visiting hospitalstogether dot com. That's hospitalstogetherdot com. What is dedication? My
daughter start making necklaces. She makeswhat we call affirmation fashion. I tell
her every day that you're black isbeautiful. Your black is beautiful. And
(08:50):
if there's anything better to being beautiful, it's being smart. If there's anything
better to being smart, it's beingkind and reaffirming that every day, our
method of making sure her chin neverdrops. My dad wasn't around, and
I remember riding a bike and fallingoff and cutting myself and me never We
just wanted to get back on it. People ask how your children learn how
(09:13):
to ride a bike, and youdidn't. I didn't teach them. I
just create an environment. But theytaught themselves, and all I had to
do was be there. That's dedication. Visit Fatherhood dot gov to hear more.
Brought to you by the US Departmentof Health and Human Services and the
AD Council. They are our lovebugs and companions. They are our pets,
(09:35):
our family, and they make lifebetter when we face unexpected challenges.
So do our pets. That's whywe're on a mission to support people and
their pets. Whether donating a bagof kibble, sharing an Instagram post of
a lost cat, or welcoming afoster pet into your home, every bit
of kindness counts. Visit Pets andPeople Together dot org to learn how to
(09:56):
be a helper in your community.Brought to you by Mattie's Fund, the
Humane Society of the United States,and the AD Council. We always like
to check in with community based organizationsand today we are going to be speaking
with Michelle Carrera Morales, executive directorof the North Square Community Alliance. Thank
(10:22):
you so much for joining us heretoday and give us a brief idea of
who you are and what you do. The Nordest Square Community Alliance now became
CIENTA. That is our new name, and we're a community development corporation.
We have been providing services in theNortheest Square neighborhood for over forty years.
Our focus is economic mobility, sowe provide for our housing, housing,
(10:48):
counseling, education services, and warfacedevelopment services. Let's talk about the North
Square community. Describe it to us. So, the Nordest Square community is
in the east side of Kensington andbuild the east Side and what was called
All Kensington and it was a primaryPororican community, very proud of the heritage.
(11:11):
We have a large Prooregon community inthis area that came to work on
the manufacturing industry on American Street.So right now we're facing a lot of
the gentrification, so we're seeing adisplacement of our community and also the integration
of new demographics into the neighborhood.Over ninety percent of the of the clients
(11:35):
that we serve here in North Squareare living under the poverty level based on
the income in Philadelphia, our primaryLatino. I live in that neighborhood myself,
so I've actually witnessed the tremendous changesand upheaval that is occurring because of
the gentrification of that neighborhood. Andwe also know that in order to build
(11:58):
generational wealth, homeownership is really keyto that, providing well that could result
in college education for your kids ormaybe getting assets for starting a business.
So that's a real challenge and gettingthat first leg up into having that home
(12:18):
ownership is the challenge. Tell usa little bit more about how you are
achieving that. For us, thatjourney to homeownership begins with affordable rentals.
Right. We serve a population thattheir average income is twenty to thirty thousand
dollars. So the first thing isto have enough inventory of affordable rental in
(12:39):
the neighborhood that would allow those familiesto be able to save so they can
purchase that first home. So housingis key, A dignified housing and stable
housing for them on the rental phaseof their journey is super important. The
second BANI is working with both adultsand children in the house, all to
(13:00):
make sure that we obskill the familyright, make sure that the family number
one have the support that they needto understand and to seek better career opportunities
from the youth and the children.To make sure that that generation that is
growing have an opportunity to acquire theskills either to go to college or to
(13:24):
enter in a technical career or tostart their own businesses when they graduated from
high school, because if not,if we become that poverty trap right of
generation after generation. So we dobelieve the homeowner chief is important, but
we also believe that there are someother aspects and to make sure that everyone
have the same opportunity. If peoplewould like more information about your organization and
(13:50):
about the different services that you doprovide at the North Square Community Alliance,
how do they find out more sothey can go to our website ww dot
org, dot xi e NTE dotorg. Thank you so much for your
time on your the opportunity to talkabout our work fantastic. Michelle Carrera Morales,
(14:13):
who is executive director of the NorthSquare Community Alliance. As veterans,
we're no strangers to helping others.That's what we were taught service before self.
But we do have one question forthe veterans listening. When is the
last time you reached out for help? If you or someone you know needs
resources, whether it's for stress,finances, employment, or mental health,
(14:37):
don't wait, reach out. Findmore information at VA dot slash reach.
That's VA dot slash Reach, broughtto you by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs and the AD Council.Here's a fun fact for you. The
average chameleon can point their eyes intodifferent directions. On the other hand,
the average human can't. So unlessyou're a chameleon, there's absolutely no way
(15:01):
you can focus on texting and drivingat the same time. So don't do
it unless you're a chameleon. Visitstop Texts, stop rex dot org,
a message brought to you by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Project yellow
Light and the AD Council. Substancewhose disorder and addiction is so isolating and
(15:22):
so as a black woman in recovery, hope must be loud. It grows
louder when you ask for help andyou're vulnerable. It is the thread that
lets you know that no matter whathappens, you will be okay. When
we learn the power of hope,recovery is possible. Find out how at
(15:43):
Start with Hope dot com. Broughtto you by the National Council for Mental
Well Being, Shatterproof and the ADCouncil. As veterans, we're no strangers
to helping others. That's what wewere taught service before self. But we
do have one question for the veteranslistening. When is the last time you
reached out for help? If youor someone you know needs resources, whether
it's for stress, finances, employment, or mental health, don't wait,
(16:07):
reach out. Find more information atVA dot slash reach. That's VA dot
slash reach, brought to you bythe United States Department of Veterans Affairs of
the AD Council. I am sopleased to bring back to the studio members
(16:37):
of the Children of Adam band.They're from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly
Love and Sisterly Affection and Sanctuary City. They are also the purveyors of PMB
positive Message bearing music. They're afourteen member new world music band performing original
PMB music and joining us are somefolks from the and And they are Bobby
(17:02):
Kenya, Darien Ebo and John WalkerBoba Kenya. Great to see you again,
and I kind of described the banda little bit, but tell us
a little more about who you are. Well. Thank you for inviting us
here, Lorraine. As far asthe band is concerned, would it be
okay for me to give credit tothe various band members? I think you
should, okay. This was avery large project. Our latest release called
(17:26):
a Philly Thing, and that involvednot only musicians in personnel located here on
the East Coast, but those locatedon the West coast as well. I'll
give you a rundown on some ofthe various personnel. We have Aubrey Muhammad,
Ali Kemp on guitar. We havemyself on flugelhorn, columba and vocals.
(17:47):
We have Bob Kunga on vocals andkunga's. We have Darian Ebo also
on counga's and various percussion, BobbyBryan on drums, Michael Cruz, Lynn
Leslie, Brett Jolly All on bass, Jewels on vocals, percussions, Papa
Kenneth Taylor on trumpet, Sandez Davison jimbay and African percussions, Sultana Aarifa
(18:11):
on vocals and percussions. Erv JeanBaptiste from Haiti on trumpet, and Tafari
Nobles l on the African dance productionfrom the Dogon People. People from the
West Coast included Kevin Lee, whodid the voice over on our video,
(18:32):
and also lead vocalist Roslind Pugh,who did the lead vocals on one of
our renditions of the song Philly Thing. I think that covers just about everybody.
I think. So you've got quitea crew there, and you have
some of those members right here inthe studio. We have Darien Ebo and
(18:52):
John Walker. John tell us aboutyour relationship with the band and the music
that you performed. Well, onceagain, thank you for much for having
me and the band here. Myexperience is that I met Baba. We
were just in the park a drumcircle. We got to talk in doing
(19:12):
one of the breaks, and heexpressed what he was trying to do,
and I was very interested in hisvision and I had had an opportunity to
play a lot of different types ofmusic, play with a lot of different
musicians all over the world. Hisidea of creating a band just to play
original music, positive bearing music reallyinterests me. So we got together and
(19:37):
we've been putting together good music eversince. You talk about being in a
drum circle in the park, andI've actually been in a drum circle in
a park and there's nothing like it. There is something very communal about the
music that's created in a drum circle. Right. Well, the thing is
is that you know, we comethere bringing positive their vibes and when a
(20:03):
lot of people come together with thattype of energy, with that type of
mindset, it is magical. Itis It is beautiful when when you can
do that. And uh, yes, drum circles are great, they are
great, all right. So DarienEbo, why don't you step up to
the microphone and uh, just forthe radio audience, Darian Ebo has the
most magnificent mudcloth coach. Where didyou get that cove? That's beautiful?
(20:29):
Thank you for having us. Ohyou're welcome. We grew up having our
clothes made. So I went fromSilken Wolves to mud club. So I
bought a material. I live inGermantown, Okay, Western Plan, So
I about a material from a materialstore up there or from the guy who
makes it. I have three peoplethat make my clothes. Yeah, and
(20:52):
he helps me come up with howit should be. I designed it,
but I'm not a tailor. Hemakes him, makes it, makes it
real, makes it vision. Ifyou will, yes, your vision is
you are a vision. Wow.That's I wish the radio audience could see
this. And you should check mysocial media because I will be posting.
(21:12):
But tell us about your relationship withthe band. I'm the newest member as
of last week. That is brandnew. But I've been knowing Baba Kenya
for over twenty years. Almost twentyyears. Yeah, easy, I'm not
sure. I probably met him ina cultural form because that is that is
(21:34):
the foundation and the infrastructure of ourrelationship. He invited me to be a
part of a group called Images ofthe Motherland, right, which was a
cultural group that did folkloric theater.If you will, yes, I know
I've had Barba. Can you comeup many times to talk about that performance.
(21:56):
Listen. I want him to actuallykind of I've been talking to him
about moving back in that area atleast I think that, you know,
it's been my vision that this isa great form for him to actually do
some of that, because I don'tknow how many people realize or been a
part of that experience. But itwas wonderful for me. Yeah. I
mean there's nothing like the arts andmusic and performance to really bring home the
(22:22):
message and the history. Yeah,and the education as well, because a
lot of people don't know. Andhe touched on that in this form if
you will, right, and itkind of grew from there. We stayed
in touch over the years. Latelyhe's been calling me to get him in
touch with musicians if he needs musicians, if you will, for an event,
(22:42):
or if he just needs them forthe band. So that's been our
conversations of late. But he knewthat all the time. I was looming
in the background to be a part, to be a part of Children of
Adams. Yeah, and what doyou play? I'm a percussionist, you
are, Well, that's a beautifulthing, and there's a percussion is very
(23:04):
much a part of the sound ofthe band. Bob ken you, if
you could just come back to themicrophone again, I'd like to talk about
Philly Thang. You have this reallyfun music video. Tell us about the
evolution of the song and of themusic video which you can see on YouTube,
and it has its Philly all overthe place. Well, we wrote
(23:27):
the Philly Thing, and we spellit the way you say it f I
L L Y, and then thangis th h A n G. We
wrote Philly Thang to embrace the grassrootsof Philadelphia culture behind the well known history
that dates back to the founding fathersof America. This particular song has a
(23:49):
backstory that often overlooks. So whenwe wrote the hook for It's a Philly
Thing, I knew I had toincorporate the grassroots areas and regions of the
city that make Philadelphia the place thatit is. And you did, because
you go all over the city inyour music video. Yes, yes,
(24:10):
we do. And we want totry to be as inclusive as possible because
that's the basic message or theme behindthe mission of the Children of Adam Band
to be absolutely inclusive. Yeah,and the message is very much positive and
it's kind of a fusion of jazz, funk, R and B soul,
(24:30):
a Latin African Middle Eastern spoken word. It is just a very wonderful blend
of all those musical styles. Ifpeople would like to find out more about
the Children of Adam Band, whetherthey'd like to hire you to perform,
or if they'd like to download yourmusic. How do they do all that?
Well? You can find everything aboutus on our website, which is
(24:52):
Children offadamband dot com. Website Ithink you'll find is a treasure trove of
information, videos, music, audiofiles, performance dates, performance history,
and information about the band. Wealso have a newsletter that we send out
monthly, so if you send usan email to our email address that's Children
(25:15):
of Adam Band at gmail dot com, we'll add you into our list and
help to keep you apprized of wherewe're going, what we're doing, how
we're doing it, and when,etc. Children of Adam Band is a
very positive group of individuals that arepart of this fourteen member new world music
band performing original positive message bearing music. Bob a Kenya, Darien Ebo,
(25:41):
John Walker, thank you all forjoining us here today, and we could
not fit all fourteen of you intothis tiny studio, but we're glad to
have this representation. And we'll endthis interview with Philly Thing, and before
we do, we'd like to saythat we hope that our music and our
production joins in the interactive and interconnectedaspect of our new Mayor of Philadelphia's theme,
(26:11):
One City, One Philly. Thankyou. I love that Boba,
Kenya, Darrin Ebo, John Walker. They are members of Children of Adam
Band and once again this is Phillythan. You can listen to all of
(27:53):
today's interviews by going to our stationwebsite and typing in keyword Community. You
can also listen on the I HeartRadio app Keyword Lorraine with one R.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram atLorraine Ballard. I'm Lorraine Ballardmorrow and I
stand for service to our community andmedia that empowers. What will you stand
for? You've been listening to Insightand thank you
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