November 22, 2024 • 28 mins
We celebrate the 140th anniversary of The Philadelphia Tribune, America’s oldest continuously published African American newspaper. I sit down with Robert Bogle, the Tribune’s esteemed Publisher, to discuss the legacy of this iconic institution, its commitment to advocacy, and its role as a cornerstone of Philadelphia's media landscape. Learn more about the Tribune’s remarkable history at phillytrib.com.
Next, I speak with Kamryn Davis, Philadelphia Regional Director of PA Youth Vote, about the 2024 election results and their impact on Black women, youth, and marginalized communities. Kamryn shares her insights on empowering first-time voters, creating collective power, and inspiring long-term civic engagement. Stay connected with PA Youth Vote:
Next, I speak with Kamryn Davis, Philadelphia Regional Director of PA Youth Vote, about the 2024 election results and their impact on Black women, youth, and marginalized communities. Kamryn shares her insights on empowering first-time voters, creating collective power, and inspiring long-term civic engagement. Stay connected with PA Youth Vote:
- Website: payouthvote.org
- Instagram: @payouthvote, @therealkamryne
- Facebook: PA Youth Vote, Kamryn Davis
- Threads & TikTok: @payouthvote, @therealkamryne
- LinkedIn: PA Youth Vote
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Welcome to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. The Philadelphia Tribune is celebrating its one
hundred and fortieth anniversary. I speak to publisher and Philadelphia
icon Robert Bogel. I met a truly inspiring young leader,
Cameron Davis, director of Pennsylvania Youth Vote, who talks about
the elections and the impact on young voters. But first,
(00:23):
one of my absolute favorite things that I do every
year is to volunteer with the Great Family Gathering. Each year,
the Church of Christian Compassion and the Compassion CDC put
together this amazing event where they feed over five thousand
people who are unhoused and it's always an amazing event.
(00:44):
It is evolved over the time over the years because
of COVID and all that stuff. So it used to
be this grand dinner, but now because of COVID, what
they are doing is there. Well, let's talk to the
folks who are very much behind this. We're going to
be speaking with Bonnie Earl and Sabrina Adams. They are
(01:04):
co conspirators when it comes to this amazing event. So
let's start with you. Bonnie. Tell us for those who
don't know what is the Great Family Gathering?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, Lorraine, the Great Family Gathering is when my pastor W.
Lonnie Herndon had a vision about the community and people
that were underserved and that needed help, food disparacies and
different things, and so he came up with this the
Great Family Gathering. How about we put this together and
(01:37):
we invite all the shelters in the city of Philadelphia
and surrounding areas, and we will never forget those that
are actually living on the streets. So what we did,
like you just mentioned thirty eight oh one Market, the
first District Plaza is where we started out at with
(01:58):
trolley works picking up all the residents from the shelters,
bringing them to this one place where we decorated and
it looked like a five star restaurant the range. You've
been there for many years, yes, And so when the
pandemic had we can no longer do in person. So
we had to figure out how can we get this
(02:19):
food to them, you know, and let it. It wouldn't
be all the entertainment and everything, but it would be
the same food, enjoyable home cook from our hearts. And
so we decided we would pack the food up individually
with platters, desserts, everything, and now we're doing what we
(02:41):
call compassion bags of hope. We decided, okay, we always
have things for the adults, so let's do something for
the children as well. So we packed their bags with
all kinds of goodies Keystone. First they provided coloring books
and crayons and different little articles to go in the
bags for boys and girls age appropriate. So now we
(03:05):
have a meal, and then they have something to get
excited about because now they have their own little top
bag full of goodies. This is our twenty first year
of doing this and we've been blessed. And I've always
said this is like a bitter sweet. The bitter part
is because the numbers are constantly increasing of people that
(03:31):
are unhoused or those that are living on the streets.
The sweet part is that God has allowed us to
be able to feed everybody that we came in contact with.
And that's the blessing. This is Sabrina. Every year for
the last twenty one years I have been kitchen manager
for the Great Family Gathering. We have the awesome opportunity
(03:55):
to prepare this food from our hearts, the turkey and
the stuff and the gravy, the rice, green stringings, and
sweet potatoes, rolls and pies. We put this dinner together
as though we're sitting at our own dining room tables,
and it's with love that we prepared this food. Last
(04:15):
year we surpassed the five thousand. We actually served over
seven thousand, two hundred people last year, and this year
we may even go beyond that. But it is such
a rewarding. This is strictly volunteer work. The hours that
are put in and the work it's just heart. It's
(04:37):
just a heart sel adventure. And we ask the volunteers
to come and volunteer for this, and they're so grateful
to be a part of this event. I love the
great family gathering and it will always always be in
my art.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So Bonnie. Of course, as always, you do rely on
volunteers and also form donations. Steve Harvey, We're very happy
to say is offering two hundred and fifty gift cards
towards the buying of turkeys. But I'm sure you can
always use more donations and volunteers tell us more.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yes, we have volunteers from all walks of life, and
I just want to say this, Lorraine, not only are
we feeding the underserved? But this bills relationships. Some people
may never cross path with the others, but this great
family gathering is bringing people from everywhere. Yes, we're doing
(05:34):
this at thirty two point fifty Chestnut Street, Drexel. Thank
God for them. They open their doors to us Mcalistair
Hall and on November the twenty fifth, it'll be a
whole lot of moving parts, but we'll be there. We're
asking for volunteers. They can contact me at lavanda Earl
(05:54):
which is La Vias and Victor A. N. D A
E L at yahoo dot com. If they dropped me
an email, make sure they have their phone number in
there and they will receive a call from us.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Fantastic and also you have a GoFundMe.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yes we do on Facebook. It's the Great Family Gathering. Again,
no amount is too small. This takes a lot to
feed this many people. And the best part about it,
we've never run out.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
It's a beautiful event and we're hoping that folks out
there listening will be able to contribute in one way
or the other, whether it's donating to this great cause
or maybe coming up and volunteering to make the meals.
It's just a really amazing experience. I'd like to thank
you both for joining us here today. Levanda Earle otherwise
known as Bonnie Bonnie Earl, and Sabrina Adams. They are
(06:57):
two of the leaders inating this wonderful event that's sponsored
by the Church of Christian Compassion. Reverend Lonnie Earndon is
the pastor there. With his vision and these women's incredible
efforts and leadership, they have fed thousands. We're talking tens
(07:17):
of thousands of people who are unhoused, not only in
shelters but on the street. Sabrina Adams and Bonnie Earl,
thank you for all that you do.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Thank you, thank you, thank you. What is dedication?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
My daughter started making necklaces. She makes what we call
affirmation fashion. I tell her every day that you're black
is beautiful, Your black is beautiful. And if there's anything
better to be beautiful, it's being smart. If there's anything
better than being smart, it's being kind and reaffirming that
(08:03):
every day. It is our method of making sure her
chin never drops. My dad wasn't around, and I remember
riding a bike and falling off and cutting myself and
me never just wanted to get back on it. People
ask how your children learn how to ride a bike,
and you didn't. I didn't teach them. I just create
an environment where they taught themselves, and all I had
(08:24):
to do was be there.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
That's dedication. Visit Fatherhood dot gov to hear more.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Brought to you by the US Department of Health and
Human Services and the AD Council. When you're high, you
feel different. You think different, to talk different, to draw different,
you listen to music different. But you probably knew that.
The problem is you also drive different, and not in
a good way. That's why driving high is illegal everywhere.
(08:55):
So if you're high, just don't drive. Make a plan
to get a sober ride, because if you feel different,
you drive different. Brought to you by NITZA and the
AD Council.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
We are joined by Cameron Davis, the Philadelphia Regional director
of PA Youth Vote. She's a passionate advocate dedicated to
empowering young people and marginalized communities in civic engagement. In
the wake of the twenty twenty four election, Cameron is
here to share insights on what these results mean for
black women, youth, and other underrepresented groups. We'll also talk
(09:36):
about the importance of building long term strategies for empowerment,
creating collective power, and inspiring first time voters to stay
engaged in the democratic process. So thank you so much
for joining us here today. And my first question from
your perspective, what are the most significant takeaways from the
twenty twenty four election results, especially for black women, youth,
(09:59):
and other marginalized communities.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
It's a great question when it comes to what everyone
should take away in this from this past election. It
is important for us to remember that we should not
take for granted people and what education they receive. A
lot of young people, a lot of just older people
right now are receiving information from social media. We are
(10:24):
not teaching Civics education in school. So when it comes
to this election and understanding the role of the president
or the role of any other position that was on
a ballot, you could see that a lot of people
were misinformed and it ultimately caused the results that we
see in this election. So we should not negate the
information people are receiving and they're not receiving. And it
(10:46):
is important for us as civic actors and even as
people in local organizations elected officials, to make sure that
we're providing this education of marginalized groups so that we
can make sure that they get out and vote in
every election, not just presidential walk.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So let's stick down into that a little bit further.
How do you approach the challenge of encouraging first time
voters who may feel discouraged by the political climate. What
role does civic engagement beyond voting play here.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Yeah, one thing I like to do is start young.
You have to help people understand that because there are
people that can't vote, that's young people that might just
be people based on their citizenship. Stead is what can
you do to participate in this process. You can write
to your elected officials, you can go on social media
and DM them, tweet them at them, but you can
(11:39):
also make sure that you are educating yourself and staying
informed of what they do for you in your community.
So when I'm trying to talk to young voters and
engage them about this political process, I help them understand
what is in it for them. Making that connection about
how these issues impact you and how these issues are
connected to people on the dial is what then gets
(12:01):
them involved in this political process. But helping them understand
right that it's voting and we have to vote. Vote
is a tool, but it's not the only tool. So
you help people understand that this is a tool to
hold elected officials accountable to what they promised you. And
if they don't do it, they say, you can fire them.
That is empowering, but also making sure that you help
(12:22):
them understand that you vote and do some other form
of direct action.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Great Black women and youth have been recognized as critical
forces in shaping the political future. How do you see
our influence and youth influence evolving over the next couple
of years.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Over the next couple of years, I think it won't evolve.
I think the thing that we need people to understand
is all social movements are led by black women. They
are also led by young people, always because they are
the ones on the front lines with the most to lose.
But it is important now more than ever that not
(13:01):
black women and young people evolve, but everybody learned to
jump in on a fight. Doctor Martin Luther King has
this quote that I love to tell to the young
children is that in justice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere. And if we don't help people understand that
your issues and what you care about are connected to
my issues and what I care about. Then we won't
(13:22):
have collective power and fight for one another, which ultimately
causes all of our rights and all of the things
that we care about to just democracy as a whole,
to be on the ballot and to be in shambles.
So it's important to not just fight or just have
young people fighting, but making sure everybody jumps in and
supports one another.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Can you tell us about youth vote strategies for creating
long term empowerment and why these approaches are essential for
sustaining civic engagement?
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Yeah, I love talking about that, pau vote. Our strategies
are number one empathy. We make sure that you understand
that everybody is experienced about voting can be different. So
you don't jump in and just say voting is important,
because you want to ask them how they feel about
voting and if they have not voted in their age,
why they aren't voting in the first place. Having that
(14:13):
conversation and understanding where somebody's experiences helps you then do
what our second model is is to provide that necessary
education and make those connections because once, like I said again,
if you connect the issue someone cares about to the
important role of who is on the ballot, then they're
more likely to say, Okay, I need to make sure
(14:34):
I'm voting this person or I'm voting this person out.
But you have to empathize first and then provide education.
And for PAUO, we make sure that young people lead
a lot of the charges. So I myself, I'm twenty
four years old, I'm the Philadelphia regional director, and there
are college interns that we work with, ambassadors that are
in high school. So a lot of the work that
(14:55):
we do. If we want to engage young people, you
have to make sure that you are being representative when
you are engaging them. So we do fun things like
a march that I was able to lead called give
Us a Ballot, a field day that's around civic engagement.
But again, when you allow young people to lead the
charge on engaging other young people, we are successful in
(15:15):
getting us out to vote. So allowing us to lead
and I think that's just anything allowing the community that
you want represented and the pole to be the community
that you lead the charge in trying to get that representation.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
What advice would you give to youth advocates who want
to inspire and mobilize their peers for lasting change.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, my advice to you would be to take care
of yourself. You can never pour from an empty cup,
and in tandem with taking care of yourself, educate yourself
and then be willing to understand where you stand on
the issues that you care about and understanding your own
lived experience. Right. You may not come from the same
(15:58):
place as a person you want to engage, but when
you take in that account who you are and how
you've been impacted, then that allows you to have empathy
for someone else. Being an advocate is because you care
about somebody else's rights. But if you care about them,
make space for them to also be cared about be
(16:18):
seen in the process. So, as a youth advocate, take
care of yourself, educate yourself, but make space for other
people to be just to be in this process, to
be seen, to be represented, and that is always done
by empathy. Lead with empathy in all of your charges
and it'll make a whole world of a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I love that if people want information about PA Youth Vote,
how do they find out more?
Speaker 6 (16:45):
To find out more about PA you Vote, you can
follow us on x you can follow us on Instagram
and always find us at PA Youth Vote. That is
our tags for everything. You can also go to our website.
We create toolkits to tell you who's on the ballance
and that is pausvote dot org and a ton of
other fun information. So check it out.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And I want to give you the last word. What
is your final word of encouragement and inspiration for anyone
out there who's on the fence who says, you know,
my vote doesn't matter, I have no power. What would
you say to those, especially young people?
Speaker 6 (17:20):
What I would say is what you'll hear a lot
of people say, if your vote didn't matter, no one
would try to take it away from you. And what
I mean they wouldn't try to take it away from
you is look at your community. Take a second and
look at the issues within the city of Philadelphia that
you care about, and then hear this. All of those
issues that you care about are connected to a person
you did or did not put on this ballot, your
(17:42):
parents did or did not put on this ballot. So
make sure that while you're advocating, do not be in despair.
But connect the power of your vote to any other
form of direct action you do, and make sure it's
a collective action. We're all voting and we will all
see the difference someday.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You inspire me. Cameron Davis the Philadelphia Regional director of
PA Youth Vote. She's a passionate advocate dedicated to empowering
young people and marginalized communities in civic engagement. I want
to thank you so much for everything that you do
and however we can support you. We're there for you.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
I'm Chris jack McK I serve in the United States
Air Force and I've deployed three times.
Speaker 7 (18:32):
So in twenty seventeen, I was serving as.
Speaker 8 (18:34):
An Air Force first Sergeant.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Our motto in that role is my job as people,
everyone is my business. But unfortunately, in that year I
would lose my own brother, Lance Corporal Adam Jackomanc to suicide.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
The majority of veterans suicides are from guns.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
I store my weapons securely, not only for myself but
for my family.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Store all your guns.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Securely, help stop suicide. My service never stops.
Speaker 9 (18:55):
Brought to you by End Family Fire and the AD Council.
When it comes to a gun suicide attempt, all it
takes is a moment.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
My son Ricky took his life by the use of
a firearm. It broke me and I come to play
his suicide my grandson. I was gonna have to be
here for him. I still own my firearm. I keep
it in a safe because I want to keep my
grandson and myself safe.
Speaker 9 (19:20):
Store your guns locked, unloaded, and away from AMMO. Hear
more safe stories at Endfamilyfire dot Org, brought to you
by Brady and the AD Council.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Right now, our country feels divided, but there's a place
where people are coming together.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I gotta tell you, I was nervous to talk to
someone so different than me.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Me too, but I'm glad you are. Love Has No
Labels and One Small Step are helping people with different
political views, beliefs, and life experiences come together through conversation
and it feels good.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Wow, your story is so interesting. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
When people actually sit down, talk and listen to one another,
they can break down boundaries and connect as human beings.
At Lovehsno Labels dot com Slash One Small Step, you
can listen to amazing, life changing conversations and find simple
tools to start a conversation of your own.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
I know one thing this conversation gives me hope.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
It gives me a lot of hope too.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Take a step toward bringing our country and your community
together by having the courage to start a conversation at
Love has No Labels dot com, Slash one Small Step,
a message from story Core, Love Has No Labels, and
the ad Council.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
The Philadelphia Tribune, America's oldest continuously published African American newspaper,
is celebrating one hundred and forty years of serving the
community with impactful journalism and advocacy. As publisher of the Tribune,
Robert Bogle has been instrumental in upholding its legacy while
guiding the publication into the future. His leadership and commitment
(20:52):
to empowering voices have made the Tribune a cornerstone of
Philadelphia's media landscape. And I'm so honored and privilege to
introduce Robert Boegel. The Philadelphia Tribune has been a pillar
of the Black community for one hundred and forty years.
What does this milestone mean to you? Personally and professionally?
Speaker 7 (21:11):
Well, historically and presently, We've built the trust of our
community and providing content and information reflecting what the African
American experience has been in Philaelphia and a region. Primarily,
that's what we've done. We've dedicated our resources and our
commitment of our employees to tell our story is reflective
(21:35):
in the fact that we've been here for one hundred
and forty years.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
How has the Tribune adapted to the evolving media landscape
while staying true to its mission challenging.
Speaker 7 (21:45):
There have been different challenges at different times for different reasons,
the latest being, of course, the transitioned from print to digital,
which has had an enormous impact on newspapers in general collectively,
not just the Full of Tribune. But today the digital
environment has grown significantly while the print environment has begun
(22:09):
to shrink and shorten. Fortunately there's still enough people who
want to read the Full of the Tribune. But we've
also introduced over the last few years our digital platform,
of which we appear to be doing recentably well in
attracting an audience in a sustainable way that they keep
coming back.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Can you share some of the most impactful stories or
moments in the Tribune's history that you believe to find
its legacy.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Well.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
While I didn't anticipate any questions you would have, this
is one that would be extremely challenging. There have been
so many events over those these one hundred and forty
years to isolate any one, two or three would be challenging.
But the transition of racism in this country and the
(22:59):
role that African Americans that played have been significant. Remember
eighteen sixty five complete slavery. Just a matter of twenty
some eight years later, Christopher James Perry, our founder, printed
the first issue of the Fall of Tribune at seventh
and Sansom Street here in Philadelphia. There have been too
(23:23):
many challenges, whether they have been political, whether they've been cultural,
whether they've been social. They've been a variety, a prepondance
of issues that certainly we have articulated and shared with
our community, many of which have been challenging for different reasons. Transitionally,
(23:48):
the Tribune has been able to provide content and information
that we believe has been relevant and important to the
African American community and what our experiences.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
What role do you see the Tribune playing in shaping
conversations around equity, representation and justice in the Philadelphia. In
Philadelphia today.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
It will continue to be a commitment that we have
had historically to articulate the conditions and the challenge is
that our community is faced in a variety of ways
and for a variety of reasons. The Tribune has articulated
what some of those have been and has continued to
(24:33):
have the commitment to share that information that content with
the African American community. There have been good days and
bad days during that time, to probably too many for
me to share, but bear in mind, I haven't been
here for one hundred and forty years, so I can't
tell you all of them. I certainly can share a
few of them with you.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
As you look into the future, what are your aspirations
for the Tribune and how do you hope it continues
to serve the commun.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
I think our commitment reflects where our future is. Our
commitment has been I suspect clearly will continue to be
to inform, to articulate, to embrace issues that have been
a part of what the African American experience has been
in this community and in this region. Every day there
(25:21):
are new ideas, new thoughts, as well as new challenges.
The role of the Tribune has been the commitment to
articulate what they have been, share those ideas and experiences
with our readership, and solicit their support to create better
outcomes that reflect our presence as well as our experience.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
As you look towards the future, what are your aspirations
for the Tribune and how do you hope it continues
to serve the community.
Speaker 7 (25:51):
Well, the Tribune has been a part of a great
deal of my life. Even before I came here. My
father was employed here and I knew the family and
the man that ran the Phillip Your Tribune. So I
came here as a child and became absorbed and committed
to the same issues that the founders had as well
(26:13):
as those who led the Tribune. For these one hundred
and forty years, the Tribune has been life challenging and
a life experience that has been quite rewarding. I don't
know if anything that I wanted to do other than
to be a part of the phill Of community and
the Philo Off Your Tribune. It's been life a life
(26:33):
changing experience, and extremely rewarding by what we have tried
to do in articulating the African American experience, some of
which certainly have been good, some haven't. But to be
a focal point, a deliverer of content of information is
a role that I think we have played and that
(26:54):
we will continue to play no matter what form it
is rent digital, and I'm certain tomorrow will present new
issues and new opportunities.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
The Tribune is doing something very special for its one
hundred and fortieth anniversary tell us more.
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Sunday, the Tribune will be published a special edition dedicated
to those one hundred and forty years and thank you
for the invitation.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
We thank you for your leadership. Publisher of the Philadelphia Tribune,
Robert Bogel, The Philadelphia Tribune, America's oldest continuously published African
American newspaper, celebrating one hundred and forty years of serving
the community with impactful journalism and advocacy. Thank you. You
can listen to all of today's interviews by going to
(27:42):
our station website and typing in keyword Community. You can
also listen on the iHeartRadio app ye Words Philadelphia Community Podcast.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard. I'm
Lorraine Ballard Morrow, and I stand for service to our
community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to Insight and thank you
Good morning, Welcome to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. The Philadelphia Tribune is celebrating its one
hundred and fortieth anniversary. I speak to publisher and Philadelphia
icon Robert Bogel. I met a truly inspiring young leader,
Cameron Davis, director of Pennsylvania Youth Vote, who talks about
the elections and the impact on young voters. But first,
(00:23):
one of my absolute favorite things that I do every
year is to volunteer with the Great Family Gathering. Each year,
the Church of Christian Compassion and the Compassion CDC put
together this amazing event where they feed over five thousand
people who are unhoused and it's always an amazing event.
(00:44):
It is evolved over the time over the years because
of COVID and all that stuff. So it used to
be this grand dinner, but now because of COVID, what
they are doing is there. Well, let's talk to the
folks who are very much behind this. We're going to
be speaking with Bonnie Earl and Sabrina Adams. They are
(01:04):
co conspirators when it comes to this amazing event. So
let's start with you. Bonnie. Tell us for those who
don't know what is the Great Family Gathering?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, Lorraine, the Great Family Gathering is when my pastor W.
Lonnie Herndon had a vision about the community and people
that were underserved and that needed help, food disparacies and
different things, and so he came up with this the
Great Family Gathering. How about we put this together and
(01:37):
we invite all the shelters in the city of Philadelphia
and surrounding areas, and we will never forget those that
are actually living on the streets. So what we did,
like you just mentioned thirty eight oh one Market, the
first District Plaza is where we started out at with
(01:58):
trolley works picking up all the residents from the shelters,
bringing them to this one place where we decorated and
it looked like a five star restaurant the range. You've
been there for many years, yes, And so when the
pandemic had we can no longer do in person. So
we had to figure out how can we get this
(02:19):
food to them, you know, and let it. It wouldn't
be all the entertainment and everything, but it would be
the same food, enjoyable home cook from our hearts. And
so we decided we would pack the food up individually
with platters, desserts, everything, and now we're doing what we
(02:41):
call compassion bags of hope. We decided, okay, we always
have things for the adults, so let's do something for
the children as well. So we packed their bags with
all kinds of goodies Keystone. First they provided coloring books
and crayons and different little articles to go in the
bags for boys and girls age appropriate. So now we
(03:05):
have a meal, and then they have something to get
excited about because now they have their own little top
bag full of goodies. This is our twenty first year
of doing this and we've been blessed. And I've always
said this is like a bitter sweet. The bitter part
is because the numbers are constantly increasing of people that
(03:31):
are unhoused or those that are living on the streets.
The sweet part is that God has allowed us to
be able to feed everybody that we came in contact with.
And that's the blessing. This is Sabrina. Every year for
the last twenty one years I have been kitchen manager
for the Great Family Gathering. We have the awesome opportunity
(03:55):
to prepare this food from our hearts, the turkey and
the stuff and the gravy, the rice, green stringings, and
sweet potatoes, rolls and pies. We put this dinner together
as though we're sitting at our own dining room tables,
and it's with love that we prepared this food. Last
(04:15):
year we surpassed the five thousand. We actually served over
seven thousand, two hundred people last year, and this year
we may even go beyond that. But it is such
a rewarding. This is strictly volunteer work. The hours that
are put in and the work it's just heart. It's
(04:37):
just a heart sel adventure. And we ask the volunteers
to come and volunteer for this, and they're so grateful
to be a part of this event. I love the
great family gathering and it will always always be in
my art.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So Bonnie. Of course, as always, you do rely on
volunteers and also form donations. Steve Harvey, We're very happy
to say is offering two hundred and fifty gift cards
towards the buying of turkeys. But I'm sure you can
always use more donations and volunteers tell us more.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yes, we have volunteers from all walks of life, and
I just want to say this, Lorraine, not only are
we feeding the underserved? But this bills relationships. Some people
may never cross path with the others, but this great
family gathering is bringing people from everywhere. Yes, we're doing
(05:34):
this at thirty two point fifty Chestnut Street, Drexel. Thank
God for them. They open their doors to us Mcalistair
Hall and on November the twenty fifth, it'll be a
whole lot of moving parts, but we'll be there. We're
asking for volunteers. They can contact me at lavanda Earl
(05:54):
which is La Vias and Victor A. N. D A
E L at yahoo dot com. If they dropped me
an email, make sure they have their phone number in
there and they will receive a call from us.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Fantastic and also you have a GoFundMe.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yes we do on Facebook. It's the Great Family Gathering. Again,
no amount is too small. This takes a lot to
feed this many people. And the best part about it,
we've never run out.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
It's a beautiful event and we're hoping that folks out
there listening will be able to contribute in one way
or the other, whether it's donating to this great cause
or maybe coming up and volunteering to make the meals.
It's just a really amazing experience. I'd like to thank
you both for joining us here today. Levanda Earle otherwise
known as Bonnie Bonnie Earl, and Sabrina Adams. They are
(06:57):
two of the leaders inating this wonderful event that's sponsored
by the Church of Christian Compassion. Reverend Lonnie Earndon is
the pastor there. With his vision and these women's incredible
efforts and leadership, they have fed thousands. We're talking tens
(07:17):
of thousands of people who are unhoused, not only in
shelters but on the street. Sabrina Adams and Bonnie Earl,
thank you for all that you do.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Thank you, thank you, thank you. What is dedication?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
My daughter started making necklaces. She makes what we call
affirmation fashion. I tell her every day that you're black
is beautiful, Your black is beautiful. And if there's anything
better to be beautiful, it's being smart. If there's anything
better than being smart, it's being kind and reaffirming that
(08:03):
every day. It is our method of making sure her
chin never drops. My dad wasn't around, and I remember
riding a bike and falling off and cutting myself and
me never just wanted to get back on it. People
ask how your children learn how to ride a bike,
and you didn't. I didn't teach them. I just create
an environment where they taught themselves, and all I had
(08:24):
to do was be there.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
That's dedication. Visit Fatherhood dot gov to hear more.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Brought to you by the US Department of Health and
Human Services and the AD Council. When you're high, you
feel different. You think different, to talk different, to draw different,
you listen to music different. But you probably knew that.
The problem is you also drive different, and not in
a good way. That's why driving high is illegal everywhere.
(08:55):
So if you're high, just don't drive. Make a plan
to get a sober ride, because if you feel different,
you drive different. Brought to you by NITZA and the
AD Council.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
We are joined by Cameron Davis, the Philadelphia Regional director
of PA Youth Vote. She's a passionate advocate dedicated to
empowering young people and marginalized communities in civic engagement. In
the wake of the twenty twenty four election, Cameron is
here to share insights on what these results mean for
black women, youth, and other underrepresented groups. We'll also talk
(09:36):
about the importance of building long term strategies for empowerment,
creating collective power, and inspiring first time voters to stay
engaged in the democratic process. So thank you so much
for joining us here today. And my first question from
your perspective, what are the most significant takeaways from the
twenty twenty four election results, especially for black women, youth,
(09:59):
and other marginalized communities.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
It's a great question when it comes to what everyone
should take away in this from this past election. It
is important for us to remember that we should not
take for granted people and what education they receive. A
lot of young people, a lot of just older people
right now are receiving information from social media. We are
(10:24):
not teaching Civics education in school. So when it comes
to this election and understanding the role of the president
or the role of any other position that was on
a ballot, you could see that a lot of people
were misinformed and it ultimately caused the results that we
see in this election. So we should not negate the
information people are receiving and they're not receiving. And it
(10:46):
is important for us as civic actors and even as
people in local organizations elected officials, to make sure that
we're providing this education of marginalized groups so that we
can make sure that they get out and vote in
every election, not just presidential walk.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So let's stick down into that a little bit further.
How do you approach the challenge of encouraging first time
voters who may feel discouraged by the political climate. What
role does civic engagement beyond voting play here.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Yeah, one thing I like to do is start young.
You have to help people understand that because there are
people that can't vote, that's young people that might just
be people based on their citizenship. Stead is what can
you do to participate in this process. You can write
to your elected officials, you can go on social media
and DM them, tweet them at them, but you can
(11:39):
also make sure that you are educating yourself and staying
informed of what they do for you in your community.
So when I'm trying to talk to young voters and
engage them about this political process, I help them understand
what is in it for them. Making that connection about
how these issues impact you and how these issues are
connected to people on the dial is what then gets
(12:01):
them involved in this political process. But helping them understand
right that it's voting and we have to vote. Vote
is a tool, but it's not the only tool. So
you help people understand that this is a tool to
hold elected officials accountable to what they promised you. And
if they don't do it, they say, you can fire them.
That is empowering, but also making sure that you help
(12:22):
them understand that you vote and do some other form
of direct action.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Great Black women and youth have been recognized as critical
forces in shaping the political future. How do you see
our influence and youth influence evolving over the next couple
of years.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Over the next couple of years, I think it won't evolve.
I think the thing that we need people to understand
is all social movements are led by black women. They
are also led by young people, always because they are
the ones on the front lines with the most to lose.
But it is important now more than ever that not
(13:01):
black women and young people evolve, but everybody learned to
jump in on a fight. Doctor Martin Luther King has
this quote that I love to tell to the young
children is that in justice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere. And if we don't help people understand that
your issues and what you care about are connected to
my issues and what I care about. Then we won't
(13:22):
have collective power and fight for one another, which ultimately
causes all of our rights and all of the things
that we care about to just democracy as a whole,
to be on the ballot and to be in shambles.
So it's important to not just fight or just have
young people fighting, but making sure everybody jumps in and
supports one another.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Can you tell us about youth vote strategies for creating
long term empowerment and why these approaches are essential for
sustaining civic engagement?
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Yeah, I love talking about that, pau vote. Our strategies
are number one empathy. We make sure that you understand
that everybody is experienced about voting can be different. So
you don't jump in and just say voting is important,
because you want to ask them how they feel about
voting and if they have not voted in their age,
why they aren't voting in the first place. Having that
(14:13):
conversation and understanding where somebody's experiences helps you then do
what our second model is is to provide that necessary
education and make those connections because once, like I said again,
if you connect the issue someone cares about to the
important role of who is on the ballot, then they're
more likely to say, Okay, I need to make sure
(14:34):
I'm voting this person or I'm voting this person out.
But you have to empathize first and then provide education.
And for PAUO, we make sure that young people lead
a lot of the charges. So I myself, I'm twenty
four years old, I'm the Philadelphia regional director, and there
are college interns that we work with, ambassadors that are
in high school. So a lot of the work that
(14:55):
we do. If we want to engage young people, you
have to make sure that you are being representative when
you are engaging them. So we do fun things like
a march that I was able to lead called give
Us a Ballot, a field day that's around civic engagement.
But again, when you allow young people to lead the
charge on engaging other young people, we are successful in
(15:15):
getting us out to vote. So allowing us to lead
and I think that's just anything allowing the community that
you want represented and the pole to be the community
that you lead the charge in trying to get that representation.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
What advice would you give to youth advocates who want
to inspire and mobilize their peers for lasting change.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, my advice to you would be to take care
of yourself. You can never pour from an empty cup,
and in tandem with taking care of yourself, educate yourself
and then be willing to understand where you stand on
the issues that you care about and understanding your own
lived experience. Right. You may not come from the same
(15:58):
place as a person you want to engage, but when
you take in that account who you are and how
you've been impacted, then that allows you to have empathy
for someone else. Being an advocate is because you care
about somebody else's rights. But if you care about them,
make space for them to also be cared about be
(16:18):
seen in the process. So, as a youth advocate, take
care of yourself, educate yourself, but make space for other
people to be just to be in this process, to
be seen, to be represented, and that is always done
by empathy. Lead with empathy in all of your charges
and it'll make a whole world of a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I love that if people want information about PA Youth Vote,
how do they find out more?
Speaker 6 (16:45):
To find out more about PA you Vote, you can
follow us on x you can follow us on Instagram
and always find us at PA Youth Vote. That is
our tags for everything. You can also go to our website.
We create toolkits to tell you who's on the ballance
and that is pausvote dot org and a ton of
other fun information. So check it out.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And I want to give you the last word. What
is your final word of encouragement and inspiration for anyone
out there who's on the fence who says, you know,
my vote doesn't matter, I have no power. What would
you say to those, especially young people?
Speaker 6 (17:20):
What I would say is what you'll hear a lot
of people say, if your vote didn't matter, no one
would try to take it away from you. And what
I mean they wouldn't try to take it away from
you is look at your community. Take a second and
look at the issues within the city of Philadelphia that
you care about, and then hear this. All of those
issues that you care about are connected to a person
you did or did not put on this ballot, your
(17:42):
parents did or did not put on this ballot. So
make sure that while you're advocating, do not be in despair.
But connect the power of your vote to any other
form of direct action you do, and make sure it's
a collective action. We're all voting and we will all
see the difference someday.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You inspire me. Cameron Davis the Philadelphia Regional director of
PA Youth Vote. She's a passionate advocate dedicated to empowering
young people and marginalized communities in civic engagement. I want
to thank you so much for everything that you do
and however we can support you. We're there for you.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
I'm Chris jack McK I serve in the United States
Air Force and I've deployed three times.
Speaker 7 (18:32):
So in twenty seventeen, I was serving as.
Speaker 8 (18:34):
An Air Force first Sergeant.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Our motto in that role is my job as people,
everyone is my business. But unfortunately, in that year I
would lose my own brother, Lance Corporal Adam Jackomanc to suicide.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
The majority of veterans suicides are from guns.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
I store my weapons securely, not only for myself but
for my family.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Store all your guns.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Securely, help stop suicide. My service never stops.
Speaker 9 (18:55):
Brought to you by End Family Fire and the AD Council.
When it comes to a gun suicide attempt, all it
takes is a moment.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
My son Ricky took his life by the use of
a firearm. It broke me and I come to play
his suicide my grandson. I was gonna have to be
here for him. I still own my firearm. I keep
it in a safe because I want to keep my
grandson and myself safe.
Speaker 9 (19:20):
Store your guns locked, unloaded, and away from AMMO. Hear
more safe stories at Endfamilyfire dot Org, brought to you
by Brady and the AD Council.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Right now, our country feels divided, but there's a place
where people are coming together.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I gotta tell you, I was nervous to talk to
someone so different than me.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Me too, but I'm glad you are. Love Has No
Labels and One Small Step are helping people with different
political views, beliefs, and life experiences come together through conversation
and it feels good.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Wow, your story is so interesting. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
When people actually sit down, talk and listen to one another,
they can break down boundaries and connect as human beings.
At Lovehsno Labels dot com Slash One Small Step, you
can listen to amazing, life changing conversations and find simple
tools to start a conversation of your own.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
I know one thing this conversation gives me hope.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
It gives me a lot of hope too.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Take a step toward bringing our country and your community
together by having the courage to start a conversation at
Love has No Labels dot com, Slash one Small Step,
a message from story Core, Love Has No Labels, and
the ad Council.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
The Philadelphia Tribune, America's oldest continuously published African American newspaper,
is celebrating one hundred and forty years of serving the
community with impactful journalism and advocacy. As publisher of the Tribune,
Robert Bogle has been instrumental in upholding its legacy while
guiding the publication into the future. His leadership and commitment
(20:52):
to empowering voices have made the Tribune a cornerstone of
Philadelphia's media landscape. And I'm so honored and privilege to
introduce Robert Boegel. The Philadelphia Tribune has been a pillar
of the Black community for one hundred and forty years.
What does this milestone mean to you? Personally and professionally?
Speaker 7 (21:11):
Well, historically and presently, We've built the trust of our
community and providing content and information reflecting what the African
American experience has been in Philaelphia and a region. Primarily,
that's what we've done. We've dedicated our resources and our
commitment of our employees to tell our story is reflective
(21:35):
in the fact that we've been here for one hundred
and forty years.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
How has the Tribune adapted to the evolving media landscape
while staying true to its mission challenging.
Speaker 7 (21:45):
There have been different challenges at different times for different reasons,
the latest being, of course, the transitioned from print to digital,
which has had an enormous impact on newspapers in general collectively,
not just the Full of Tribune. But today the digital
environment has grown significantly while the print environment has begun
(22:09):
to shrink and shorten. Fortunately there's still enough people who
want to read the Full of the Tribune. But we've
also introduced over the last few years our digital platform,
of which we appear to be doing recentably well in
attracting an audience in a sustainable way that they keep
coming back.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Can you share some of the most impactful stories or
moments in the Tribune's history that you believe to find
its legacy.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Well.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
While I didn't anticipate any questions you would have, this
is one that would be extremely challenging. There have been
so many events over those these one hundred and forty
years to isolate any one, two or three would be challenging.
But the transition of racism in this country and the
(22:59):
role that African Americans that played have been significant. Remember
eighteen sixty five complete slavery. Just a matter of twenty
some eight years later, Christopher James Perry, our founder, printed
the first issue of the Fall of Tribune at seventh
and Sansom Street here in Philadelphia. There have been too
(23:23):
many challenges, whether they have been political, whether they've been cultural,
whether they've been social. They've been a variety, a prepondance
of issues that certainly we have articulated and shared with
our community, many of which have been challenging for different reasons. Transitionally,
(23:48):
the Tribune has been able to provide content and information
that we believe has been relevant and important to the
African American community and what our experiences.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
What role do you see the Tribune playing in shaping
conversations around equity, representation and justice in the Philadelphia. In
Philadelphia today.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
It will continue to be a commitment that we have
had historically to articulate the conditions and the challenge is
that our community is faced in a variety of ways
and for a variety of reasons. The Tribune has articulated
what some of those have been and has continued to
(24:33):
have the commitment to share that information that content with
the African American community. There have been good days and
bad days during that time, to probably too many for
me to share, but bear in mind, I haven't been
here for one hundred and forty years, so I can't
tell you all of them. I certainly can share a
few of them with you.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
As you look into the future, what are your aspirations
for the Tribune and how do you hope it continues
to serve the commun.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
I think our commitment reflects where our future is. Our
commitment has been I suspect clearly will continue to be
to inform, to articulate, to embrace issues that have been
a part of what the African American experience has been
in this community and in this region. Every day there
(25:21):
are new ideas, new thoughts, as well as new challenges.
The role of the Tribune has been the commitment to
articulate what they have been, share those ideas and experiences
with our readership, and solicit their support to create better
outcomes that reflect our presence as well as our experience.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
As you look towards the future, what are your aspirations
for the Tribune and how do you hope it continues
to serve the community.
Speaker 7 (25:51):
Well, the Tribune has been a part of a great
deal of my life. Even before I came here. My
father was employed here and I knew the family and
the man that ran the Phillip Your Tribune. So I
came here as a child and became absorbed and committed
to the same issues that the founders had as well
(26:13):
as those who led the Tribune. For these one hundred
and forty years, the Tribune has been life challenging and
a life experience that has been quite rewarding. I don't
know if anything that I wanted to do other than
to be a part of the phill Of community and
the Philo Off Your Tribune. It's been life a life
(26:33):
changing experience, and extremely rewarding by what we have tried
to do in articulating the African American experience, some of
which certainly have been good, some haven't. But to be
a focal point, a deliverer of content of information is
a role that I think we have played and that
(26:54):
we will continue to play no matter what form it
is rent digital, and I'm certain tomorrow will present new
issues and new opportunities.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
The Tribune is doing something very special for its one
hundred and fortieth anniversary tell us more.
Speaker 7 (27:09):
Sunday, the Tribune will be published a special edition dedicated
to those one hundred and forty years and thank you
for the invitation.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
We thank you for your leadership. Publisher of the Philadelphia Tribune,
Robert Bogel, The Philadelphia Tribune, America's oldest continuously published African
American newspaper, celebrating one hundred and forty years of serving
the community with impactful journalism and advocacy. Thank you. You
can listen to all of today's interviews by going to
(27:42):
our station website and typing in keyword Community. You can
also listen on the iHeartRadio app ye Words Philadelphia Community Podcast.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard. I'm
Lorraine Ballard Morrow, and I stand for service to our
community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to Insight and thank you
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com