We’re joined by Tracy Davidson — award-winning journalist, breast cancer survivor, and co-anchor of NBC10 News at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tracy is also the founder and host of Lifting Your Voice, a powerful retreat designed to help women reset, refocus, and recharge. With more than 30 years in broadcast journalism and 14 Emmy Awards, Tracy is a fierce advocate for resilience, community, and purpose. She’s here to tell us about the upcoming Lifting Your Voice event taking place Saturday, October 12th from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM at White Manor Country Club — with a special VIP Happy Hour Experience to follow!
🌐 tracydavidson.com | liftingyourvoice.com
💼 LinkedIn: Tracy Davidson
We also welcome Blondell Reynolds Brown, author of the memoir Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels, which offers an unflinching look at what it takes to succeed in the bruising arena of big-city politics.
📚 Author Events:
First, we hear from Araceli Guenther, President of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia, who shares details about the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival happening Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. 🎶 Enjoy live performances from El Zarco with Grupo Imperio, DJ Jay Luv, and Banda Retoño, along with folkloric dances, mariachi, a children’s area, and the traditional “Grito” led by the Mexican Consulate. 📞 Info: 267-204-3307
Main Sponsors: PECO, DRWC, BIMBO, Lupton Law, ACME, HighMark, PA Lottery, Aeromexico, Don Julio, NBC10 | Telemundo62, El Sol News Media, and Rumba 106.1
🌐 tracydavidson.com | liftingyourvoice.com
💼 LinkedIn: Tracy Davidson
We also welcome Blondell Reynolds Brown, author of the memoir Walking a Tightrope Backwards in High Heels, which offers an unflinching look at what it takes to succeed in the bruising arena of big-city politics.
📚 Author Events:
- Sep 13, 2025 | 2:00–4:00 PM – Second Macedonia Baptist Church, 1301 W. Ruscomb St, Philadelphia, PA 19141
- Sep 17, 2025 | 6:15 – Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
First, we hear from Araceli Guenther, President of the Board of Directors of the Mexican Cultural Center in Philadelphia, who shares details about the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival happening Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. 🎶 Enjoy live performances from El Zarco with Grupo Imperio, DJ Jay Luv, and Banda Retoño, along with folkloric dances, mariachi, a children’s area, and the traditional “Grito” led by the Mexican Consulate. 📞 Info: 267-204-3307
Main Sponsors: PECO, DRWC, BIMBO, Lupton Law, ACME, HighMark, PA Lottery, Aeromexico, Don Julio, NBC10 | Telemundo62, El Sol News Media, and Rumba 106.1
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning. You're listening to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What if we could give a permission slip to women
and say this is your day. You can press pause
and sort of get back in touch with yourself.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Today we'll hear from NBC ten's Tracy Davidson about her
Lifting Your Voice Women's Retreat, then former City council member
Blondell Reynolds Brown on her candid new memoir Walking a
Tight Rope Backwards in high Heels, and we'll kick things
off with one of the highlights of Hispanic Heritage Month.
There's an event that's coming up that's absolutely fabulous. It
(00:34):
is the Mexican Cultural Festival to celebrate Mexican Independence and
we are so proud to be a part of this
wonderful event that's coming up very soon. To tell us
all about it is the chair of the board of
the Mexican Cultural Center, Ariseli Gunther. Thank you so much
for joining us here today and tell us where and when,
give us all the details of this wonderful festival.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Absolutely, thank you so much so. This is a festival
that is quite symbolic to all of you. The Mexican people,
and it is. The event is going to be held
on Sunday, September fourteenth, and it is from two to
seven pm and it is there. It pens Landing at
the IBC River Rink. That's where it was last year.
That's where it will be this year again. And we
(01:16):
have obviously everybody can come into you know, the event
at two pm for all families, children, and that starts.
Like I said, it's free of charge and there's a
lot of activities. It's a day really to enjoy the
day and really celebrate the significance of Mexican independence. The
other thing that's going to take place is we have
a lot of music. You know, there's a lot of
(01:38):
you know, little restaurants with food stands. There's artisan stuff
you know that people can actually see, and there's stables
from other you know entities that are there present at
the festival. We are so looking forward to it. Last
year we had close to thirteen thousand, so we are
hoping to have a successful event as well. The other
thing that takes place is the symbolic portion of the
(01:59):
event and is when the Consul General of Mexico and
Carlos Rador actually comes up onto the stage and does
the actual Rito Independencia. That is part of our history
in terms of us gaining our independence from Spain. We
fought from eighteen ten to eighteen twenty one, so it
was a long time in actually getting the independence. And
(02:23):
what was interesting about that is this revolution actually started
by a priest, and the priest's name is MIGUELI Dalgo Ecostia.
He's the one that started the revolution. He started going
through the streets, you know, bare arms, bear arms. You know.
We have to gain our independence from a little city,
the Lodoicidalgo in the state of Guanajuato, which is north
(02:44):
of Mexico City. So yeah, we are proud of that.
And not only that, this festival really brings a lot
of people together latinx he Spun, I mean, however you
want to call us, and we all come together that
day and other people from other countries, you know also,
and it's just wonderful. It's really coming together and enjoying
(03:04):
the day.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It's a fabulous event. I was there last year and
the food was fantastic, the music was inspiring, and just
having all those folks getting together to express pride in
Mexican culture. Mexican history, and it's really something for all
of us, not only for the Mexican community, as you
mentioned the Latin X community, but for anyone who's interested
in enriching their own cultural understanding of all the individuals
(03:29):
and groups that make up this beautiful country that is ours,
and that is what this event is all about. If
people would like more information about the event, tell us
where to go.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
They can go to our website which is Mexicanculturalcenter dot
org and there's a lot of information there. But we're
also on Facebook, We're all over social media, and those
are weekly things that are usually coming about, so there's
definitely plenty of ways to get information.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Fantastic. Thank you so much for joining us and telling
us about this fantastic event. It is the Mexican Independence
Day Festival that's happening at Penn's Landing. The date again
September fourteenth, the fourteen pm two pm, and is really
a great family event, bring the whole family, bring your friends.
It is fantastic, the food, the music, it is a celebration.
(04:16):
I thank you for joining us here today. R. Sally Gunther,
who is chair of the board of the Mexican Cultural
Center thanks again.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
It's four am Monday, and you're literally sucking baby snot
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Show them you love them, Keep them safe. Visit NHTSA
(04:53):
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the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Stand that being in an abusive relationship is difficult. How
it can make you feel trapped and alone as you
do everything possible to keep yourself and your kids safe.
We've been there, and we get it. We are here
for you. Please call us today. You can reach the
Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline at one eight sixty six seven
(05:24):
two three three zero one four. Today we're joined by
Tracy Davidson, award winning journalist, breast cancer survivor and co
anchor of NBC ten US at four and five. Tracy's
also the founder and host of Lifting Your Voice, a
powerful retreat that empowers women to reset, refocus, and recharge.
(05:49):
With more than thirty years in broadcast journalism and fourteen
Emmy Awards to her name, Tracy is a fierce advocate
for resilience, community and purpose. She's here to tell us
about the upcoming Lift Your Voice event taking place Saturday,
October twelfth at the White man Or Country Club, with
a special VIP Happy Our experience to follow. So I
am so delighted Tracy, to have you here with us
(06:12):
and to talk about your event. But also I'm going
to start with this question. I went on your website
and I love that on your website, Tracy Davidson dot com,
you have right at the very top here to serve.
I wonder if you can share with us what that
means to you.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah. In fact, that's been on my automatic signature for
a long long time, and that's what I feel I'm
called to do, and I feel really blessed that I
get to do it in the community and on the air,
that I'm here to help people, that I'm here to
serve others.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
And I just.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Saw somebody else, a dear friend of mine, had on
his signature service over self, and so that's kind of
what here to serve is I just think that we're here.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
To help one another.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
We're not supposed to be in individual than not helping
one another.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
Yeah, so that's what it means to me.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, you do that in so many ways in the
work that you do on NBC ten, but you've kind
of expanded that to a larger platform. And I wonder
if you can tell us what inspired you to create
Lifting your Voice and how this event has grown over time.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
My co founder, Jen Cronberger is a leadership consultant, so
she spends her days going into companies and teaching leaders
how to grow themselves and their teams. And she does
a lot of speaking at women's groups, and I do
a lot of speaking at women's groups. And probably twenty seventeen,
twenty eighteen, we were talking and we both felt pretty
(07:40):
burned out at that moment, and we were vulnerable and
enough to say I'm done, like I need to spress pause,
And she said, don't you feel like you're hearing that
from every woman that you talk to in all different circles?
Like women are getting the to do list done, bang
bang bang, and they're being rock stars, but they've kind
of lost who they are and what their priorities are.
(08:04):
And we said, what if we could give a permission
slip to women and say, this is your day. You
can press pause and sort of get back in touch
with yourself.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
What are your priorities?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
What you know once a year, I go away from
myself and say, I say to myself and others, these
are my priorities. But then when you sort of do
an outline of your week, are my time and resources,
my energy? Do those reflect what I say or tell
myself my priorities are. And so that's part of the
day is just giving women a chance to pause and
(08:39):
reconnect with themselves and reconnect with one another because we're
also hearing and we're hearing this before before the pandemic,
and that it made everyone feel isolated that women were
so interested.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
In connecting to one another.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And really, you know, we've expanded self care beyond you know,
manny petties, but it really expands to social too and
human connection. And women were telling us that that's what
they wanted. And so the day is a day of
Jen and I talking about some content. We share skills
of resilience and confidence and quieting the doubting voice and
(09:20):
then there's time for reflective exercises and conversation at the tables.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Women get really vulnerable and brave, and they share things,
whether it's a friend that they came with or a
stranger they've never met before. We want to get real.
We want to give women a chance to get real.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, you know, I think there's something very special about
spaces in which women are with each other. There's a
special energy that happens. It's kind of magical, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
In fact, I often say at the beginning, when I'm
telling people here's what's going to happen today, I say, really,
you're the magic. I mean, Jen and I can bring
the content, and we both do our studies and grow
what we know about resilience and confidence and leadership. Right,
we can bring the content, but the magic happens in
(10:13):
the room when women start sharing what's happening in their
life or how they see something, and then someone else
build them that and it's such a safe and supportive
environment that women really leave feeling lifted up.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Your personal journey, including overcoming breast cancer and building a
legacy in journalism, deeply informs your work, and how do
these experiences shape the messages that you share at Uplifting
your Voice.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Well, one is gratitude. I think that gratitude can help
all mindsets. You know, an attitude of gratitude can get
you through a really bad day. There's always something defined
to be grateful for. And you mentioned breast cancer. Almost
as soon as I was diagnosed, I told my friends
and my husband, I want to walk through this with
(11:01):
grace and gratitude. And I know that sounds a little crazy,
and don't get me wrong, I had some meltdowns after
the initial diagnosis.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
But when you go when I went.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Down the list, oh my gosh, I caught it early.
I don't live in a third world country. I live
in the United States in Philadelphia with world class healthcare.
I have insurance. You know, I've been doing consumer news
for a long time. I know insurance is not a
fun thing. Some people don't have it or they don't
(11:33):
have enough of it. So I'm lucky enough to work
at a place that helps me afford insurance. I have family,
I have a deep faith, I have support system, and
so every time that I would go into that spiral,
because we all get there right with something hits us,
why me? That's not helpful if you can always rewrite
the script, sort of flip your frame of mind and
(11:55):
say what do I have to be grateful for? And
so through that, through all the surgery and the months
of treatment, I just kept running through that list thinking,
I'm really really grateful. I mean, I'm really feeling pretty blessed.
And that's how I walk through life. And I remind
people I guess at lifting your voice in other places
(12:15):
that I talk to, that can change everything for you
the way you see the world, and that includes being
grateful for what you have instead of comparing yourself on
social media to all the things you don't have. That
can change everything in how you walk through a day.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I love that. Certainly, the two things I hear from
you is the importance of gratitude. And the other thing,
which I think all women need to hear, is how
important it is to get a mammogram because early detection.
You said, you caught it early, and that can make
all the difference in the world. So women need to
get those mammograms.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Well, and actually, you know, I didn't know I want
if I wanted to share my story initially because As
a journalist, we're always taught it.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Is so not about us, right, I don't want to
talk about me. That's not my job.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
My job is to serve you as our viewers, to
give you the information that you need.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
But it's not about me.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So I took a little time to figure out if
I wanted to tell people, and then I came up
with a campaign that was don't wait, telling women don't
put it off. I mean, boy, it doesn't it roll
right into my priority talk that I give at lifting
your voice, Right, you say your health at the priority.
But somehow that mammogram or whatever it is, and even
for men, that annual screening or that.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Screening you know you need, keeps getting pushed to the
bottom of the list. You got to bring it up.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Don't wait, and if you don't wait, you can have
results that are far better than Oh I put it
off for three years and now it's advanced. And when
I shared that story back in twenty fifteen, there were
a number of women who on my Facebook page said,
thank you, I needed the kick in the pants. I
(13:58):
need to go and make the appointment and go. And
there's a woman who I now feel completely connected with.
She went and they discovered breast cancer and it was
in its early stages. And she is now cancer free,
and she texts me every time she has a child
who graduates or one was getting married, and she's like,
I'm here because you put out the message do not wait.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I love that message. I was at a memorial service
just this last weekend for a woman who did not
do that, who did not pay attention, did not get
the checkups, did not do all the things she was
so interested in giving to the community that she kind
of forgot and lost herself and very tragic, died very young.
And so just another message got into the universe about
(14:44):
how important getting that breast exam and that mammogram is.
Back to the lifting your voice. So for women out there,
you know a lot of us, as you say, we're
always doing for others and we are not with any
I don't have time time, I can't do this. I
can't spend a weekend away from my family or away
(15:04):
from my whatever it is. What would you say to
those women?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I would say that you can't pour from an empty cup,
and we don't have bottomless iced teas like our cup.
Our cup is finite, and we got to fill it
back up. If you can only think about others, think
that you can't serve others unless your cup is full.
And that means feeling fully human, that you have cared
(15:29):
for yourself emotionally, physically, socially. And this is an opportunity
to press pause and say what do I need so
that I can be my best version to the people
in my life.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
If people would like more information to register for the event,
just to find out more to get involved, or find
out more about future events that you have, how do
they find out more?
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Lifting your Voice dot com?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
And that gives the dates for our events, and we're
working on adding many events because about forty percent of
our women we have it twice a year. Forty percent
of our women come back every single time because it's
all sort of slightly different. The presentation is different, but
it's all the same feeling. And I feel like we
all need these constant reminders, right, it's all a journey.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
We never really get there, we're just always we're all
walking a path together.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Thank you so much. What is the website? One more time?
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Lifting your Voice dot com?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Also we want to check out Tracy Davidson dot com
for more information about all the things you speak. You
do a lot of things out in the community, and
you want to check that out as well. Tracy Davidson
Award winning journalist, breast cancer survivor, co anchor at NBC News,
also founder of Lifting Your Voice, a powerful retreat that
empowers women to reset, refocus, and recharge. It's happening Saturday,
(16:52):
October twelfth from eight thirty to two thirty eight thirty
am to two thirty pm at white man Or Country Club,
and I'm sure is going to be a wonderful, uplifting event.
I want to thank you so much for spending the
time with us to tell us about it.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Lorraine, thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
We are lucky in this community to have you and
I'm grateful to know you.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Ah, thank you.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
The impact of a meal goes well beyond feeding our bodies,
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Speaker 1 (17:33):
Please welcome Marta Moreno.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And Alex. Hey, Alex, how did the interview go? I
did it?
Speaker 4 (17:46):
I got the job I can't believe it.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I knew it.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Let's meet up later.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
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Speaker 5 (17:57):
That's amazing, sweetie.
Speaker 6 (17:58):
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Speaker 7 (18:17):
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Speaker 5 (18:20):
You know, you could hit.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Pause when you needed to, or hit rewind like that
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Speaker 2 (18:34):
Fantastic.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
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(18:55):
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Speaker 1 (19:11):
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Speaker 1 (19:21):
Blondell Reynolds Brown is a trailblazing public servant, educator, mentor,
and advocate. A former Philadelphia City Council Member at Large,
she served two decades advancing equity for women, children, and
underserved communities. She continues to be a very active member
of our community and now she is an author with
a book that has an awesome title, Walking a Tight
(19:42):
Wrote Backward in high heels. Blondell Reynolds Brown, thank you
so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
Yes, thank you very very much, Laverne ballatmarl This is
a dejai vous because you are always very supportive of
my efforts doing those twenty years.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Yes, you taught me something which I often say when
speaking about elected official, that there is a difference between
a politician and a public servant. And I got that
from you and so whenever I see and I liked it,
official that I think is doing a great job, I
always refer to them as a public servant, and that
is truly what you have been all these many years.
(20:16):
Let's start out with this title walking a tightrope backward
in high heels, and that sort of refers back to
a quote about Ginger Rogers. That's exactly right, exactly because
she was an incredible dancer and danced with the best
Fred Astaire, and she had to do everything that he did,
but backwards in high hills.
Speaker 8 (20:35):
Exactly. That's a contrast we need to be mindful of.
He danced beautifully forward in flat shoes, right, and she
danced gracefully, flawlessly backwards in high heels, which speaks to
the notion that women always have to do more to
be equal.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Well, that is absolutely the metaphor here, and I'd like
to talk a bit about what that means to you,
walking a tightrope backward in high heels. So obviously many
challenges being a woman being in politics, but also just
managing to navigate through life as someone who's trying to
do well in the world. So tell us more about
(21:09):
how this metaphor of the title refers back to you precisely.
Speaker 8 (21:13):
We have to do more as women, and we don't
complain about it. We just choose to be about it.
And for black and brown women, we have to, I say,
not only just walk on water, we also have to
fly to be equal. And in the world of electoral politics,
the metaphor for me meant I learned in my writing
that I first spoke about this in two thousand and
six in an article, and it's stuck with me for
(21:33):
the next fourteen years in city council. But I was
a mother and a wife who literally raised my daughter
grew up in the public eye, and I had to
always find and walk the delicate balance of my ambition
and wanting to be exceptional in the philopha city council
for sixteen years is the only at large woman and
that of the role of a mother, a present mother,
(21:55):
my daughter would say, a helicopter mom and a wife,
and do that in a way that would be even
in fair on all sides. It made it was difficult
at times.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Oh no doubt, And often when women and women of
color enter into leadership roles, it's really about making room
at the table, pulling up your own chair sending it
down because sometimes that room is not allowed for us.
We're not given that seat at the table.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Right.
Speaker 8 (22:22):
That's what got me involved in the world of electoral politics.
I was working in Harrisburg for then state Senator Fatah
and I went into too many rooms where not only
were there no women, women were only in support roles.
And for me, that was very very very very very disturbing.
And so I complained to him one day and he said, well,
you know, blind doll, you shouldn't complain about it.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
You should be about it.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
And so that's when I decided, Yes, if I want
to be at the table, I need to step up
to be at the table. But more than just pulling
a chair at the table, is equally important to bring
along other chairs so that other women can have a
seat at the table. So ultimately you need multiple voices
to push a public policy along.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Well, that's exactly what you have done. You've been a
tremendous mentor to many women, in particular Catherine Gilmore Richardson,
who is now in that position that you vacated. Yes,
and you did well. She is an absolutely fantastic leader
and she certainly gives you plenty of credit for helping
nurture her leadership.
Speaker 8 (23:17):
She has made us all very very very proud. And
the world may not know that. I met Catherine when
she was fifteen years old at Almamda Girls High School,
and she expressed an interest to come as an intern
and ultimately became a member of my staff and held
every single position in my office, leading all the way
up to chief of Staff. So when I made the difficult,
anguished decision that I wanted to live not just the
(23:39):
length of my career, but the width of my career
as well, she was the second person that I sat
down and had a conversation with, and so she was prepared,
she understood because she worked, as she would say, she
had a front row seat to the world of elector
politics of being on my team, and she was a
mother and a wife, so she really had an idea
of what it required. And then she worked nine days
(24:01):
a week, send me two hours a day to win
the opportunity to represent our city. So we're all very
very very proud of her.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
You know a word that I often hear associated with
you is moxi. What is moxie? Well, my mother always
used the word gumption. She raised She was a single
mother at age thirty seven, a widower at age thirty seven,
and she reminded us often that you have to have
the gumption and the grit to go after the things
you want. And so moxie's synonymous with gumption, and so
(24:29):
gumption was my mother's word. Moxie is my word, but
its grit is determination, is resilience when you're going through
a dark tunnel. It's faith when you need that to
hold on to. These days, we're living in very interesting
times in capital letters and bold ink. Yes, as the
Chinese say, may you live in interesting times? That's a curse, actually,
(24:50):
And so we are living in interesting times. In many ways,
we seem to be going backwards, especially when it comes
to women's rights, in women's leadership. And I wonder if
you have any thoughts and advice for women who may
be reluctant to follow a path such as yours, of
making a difference in democracy and city government and government
(25:10):
in general. What would you say to those who are
a little bit reluctant because they see how hostile.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
This can be.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, we are living at interesting times.
And State Senator Roxanne Jones used to say and your
own time and your own space. With God's grace, you
can make a difference. So what I will say is
do something in your corner of the world. We can't
become complacent, because when we're complacent or silent, it's worse.
When we're silent about what we see going on, we
(25:37):
ultimately suffer as well as those around us that we
care about. So we do have a responsibility and we
don't have to do it on the big stage. We
can do it on our block. As a member of
the Democratic Party in our local organizations are Greek nine.
There's so many areas, so many opportunities, so many spaces
where we can invest our time, our talent, and our
treasury to do something. Because here's the other fact. If
(26:00):
you're going to complain about it, then really just be
quiet and salute, lift up support and push those who
have the courage to step in the ring.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
This book is out, and you also have a number
of opportunities for us to connect with you and to
hear you speak. Tell us about this.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
Yes, yes, yes, we are excited about the Philadelphia Free
Library Foundation, who will be hosting the official launch of
the book Wednesday, September seventeenth at the Philadelphia Free Library
main campus, a main branch on the Parkway. Excited about
that and co hosting that with us will be the
Delaware Valley chapter of the Links, So we're thrilled about
the opportunity. We're actually kicking off their book author series
(26:39):
there at the Free Library, and then there will be
other book launches at Barnes and Nobles stores. The African
American Museum will be hosting us in March. So we're
excited about the possibilities and the opportunities, and really it
fills my heart because it's been a five year journey,
four years of writing and then one year of editing,
three hundred pages thirteen times.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Writing a book, BOK is like birthing your baby. Is
that that analogy?
Speaker 8 (27:03):
That metaphor has been described that way?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Really is like birthing a baby. Yeah. Well, listen, if
people want more information about your book and about all
the events that are coming up and just want to
follow you in general, where's the best way to do that?
Speaker 8 (27:16):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to the
WDS listening audience. My website is www dot moxibrb dot com.
In these days of social media, My daughter has taught
me that. Yes, you can find me on Instagram and
hit me up on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Fantastic. Blondelle Reynolds Brown, formerly a city council member, always
a public servant in the highest way, and is now
the author of a book called Walking a Tightrope Backward
in high heels. Her story and it's a tale that
will help other women and other individuals who hope to
make a difference in this world. This is a nice
(27:55):
way of kind of seeing the path that's been built.
Speaker 8 (27:58):
Then we can perhaps follow excise stemps precisely. It's not
a cakewalk, but it's there for us if we choose
to take it absolutely. Blondell Reynolds Brown, thank you, Thank you, Loraine.
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to 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.
(28:22):
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL 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. You're listening to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What if we could give a permission slip to women
and say this is your day. You can press pause
and sort of get back in touch with yourself.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Today we'll hear from NBC ten's Tracy Davidson about her
Lifting Your Voice Women's Retreat, then former City council member
Blondell Reynolds Brown on her candid new memoir Walking a
Tight Rope Backwards in high Heels, and we'll kick things
off with one of the highlights of Hispanic Heritage Month.
There's an event that's coming up that's absolutely fabulous. It
(00:34):
is the Mexican Cultural Festival to celebrate Mexican Independence and
we are so proud to be a part of this
wonderful event that's coming up very soon. To tell us
all about it is the chair of the board of
the Mexican Cultural Center, Ariseli Gunther. Thank you so much
for joining us here today and tell us where and when,
give us all the details of this wonderful festival.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Absolutely, thank you so much so. This is a festival
that is quite symbolic to all of you. The Mexican people,
and it is. The event is going to be held
on Sunday, September fourteenth, and it is from two to
seven pm and it is there. It pens Landing at
the IBC River Rink. That's where it was last year.
That's where it will be this year again. And we
(01:16):
have obviously everybody can come into you know, the event
at two pm for all families, children, and that starts.
Like I said, it's free of charge and there's a
lot of activities. It's a day really to enjoy the
day and really celebrate the significance of Mexican independence. The
other thing that's going to take place is we have
a lot of music. You know, there's a lot of
(01:38):
you know, little restaurants with food stands. There's artisan stuff
you know that people can actually see, and there's stables
from other you know entities that are there present at
the festival. We are so looking forward to it. Last
year we had close to thirteen thousand, so we are
hoping to have a successful event as well. The other
thing that takes place is the symbolic portion of the
(01:59):
event and is when the Consul General of Mexico and
Carlos Rador actually comes up onto the stage and does
the actual Rito Independencia. That is part of our history
in terms of us gaining our independence from Spain. We
fought from eighteen ten to eighteen twenty one, so it
was a long time in actually getting the independence. And
(02:23):
what was interesting about that is this revolution actually started
by a priest, and the priest's name is MIGUELI Dalgo Ecostia.
He's the one that started the revolution. He started going
through the streets, you know, bare arms, bear arms. You know.
We have to gain our independence from a little city,
the Lodoicidalgo in the state of Guanajuato, which is north
(02:44):
of Mexico City. So yeah, we are proud of that.
And not only that, this festival really brings a lot
of people together latinx he Spun, I mean, however you
want to call us, and we all come together that
day and other people from other countries, you know also,
and it's just wonderful. It's really coming together and enjoying
(03:04):
the day.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It's a fabulous event. I was there last year and
the food was fantastic, the music was inspiring, and just
having all those folks getting together to express pride in
Mexican culture. Mexican history, and it's really something for all
of us, not only for the Mexican community, as you
mentioned the Latin X community, but for anyone who's interested
in enriching their own cultural understanding of all the individuals
(03:29):
and groups that make up this beautiful country that is ours,
and that is what this event is all about. If
people would like more information about the event, tell us
where to go.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
They can go to our website which is Mexicanculturalcenter dot
org and there's a lot of information there. But we're
also on Facebook, We're all over social media, and those
are weekly things that are usually coming about, so there's
definitely plenty of ways to get information.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Fantastic. Thank you so much for joining us and telling
us about this fantastic event. It is the Mexican Independence
Day Festival that's happening at Penn's Landing. The date again
September fourteenth, the fourteen pm two pm, and is really
a great family event, bring the whole family, bring your friends.
It is fantastic, the food, the music, it is a celebration.
(04:16):
I thank you for joining us here today. R. Sally Gunther,
who is chair of the board of the Mexican Cultural
Center thanks again.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
It's four am Monday, and you're literally sucking baby snot
through a tube because she's congested. Man, that's love, And
if you love her that much, love her enough to
make sure she's buckled in the right car seat. To
make sure your child's in the right seat for their
age and size, visit NHTSA dot gov slash the right Seat.
Show them you love them, Keep them safe. Visit NHTSA
(04:53):
dot gov slash the Right Seat. Brought to you by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Stand that being in an abusive relationship is difficult. How
it can make you feel trapped and alone as you
do everything possible to keep yourself and your kids safe.
We've been there, and we get it. We are here
for you. Please call us today. You can reach the
Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline at one eight sixty six seven
(05:24):
two three three zero one four. Today we're joined by
Tracy Davidson, award winning journalist, breast cancer survivor and co
anchor of NBC ten US at four and five. Tracy's
also the founder and host of Lifting Your Voice, a
powerful retreat that empowers women to reset, refocus, and recharge.
(05:49):
With more than thirty years in broadcast journalism and fourteen
Emmy Awards to her name, Tracy is a fierce advocate
for resilience, community and purpose. She's here to tell us
about the upcoming Lift Your Voice event taking place Saturday,
October twelfth at the White man Or Country Club, with
a special VIP Happy Our experience to follow. So I
am so delighted Tracy, to have you here with us
(06:12):
and to talk about your event. But also I'm going
to start with this question. I went on your website
and I love that on your website, Tracy Davidson dot com,
you have right at the very top here to serve.
I wonder if you can share with us what that
means to you.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah. In fact, that's been on my automatic signature for
a long long time, and that's what I feel I'm
called to do, and I feel really blessed that I
get to do it in the community and on the air,
that I'm here to help people, that I'm here to
serve others.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
And I just.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Saw somebody else, a dear friend of mine, had on
his signature service over self, and so that's kind of
what here to serve is I just think that we're here.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
To help one another.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
We're not supposed to be in individual than not helping
one another.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
Yeah, so that's what it means to me.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Well, you do that in so many ways in the
work that you do on NBC ten, but you've kind
of expanded that to a larger platform. And I wonder
if you can tell us what inspired you to create
Lifting your Voice and how this event has grown over time.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
My co founder, Jen Cronberger is a leadership consultant, so
she spends her days going into companies and teaching leaders
how to grow themselves and their teams. And she does
a lot of speaking at women's groups, and I do
a lot of speaking at women's groups. And probably twenty seventeen,
twenty eighteen, we were talking and we both felt pretty
(07:40):
burned out at that moment, and we were vulnerable and
enough to say I'm done, like I need to spress pause,
And she said, don't you feel like you're hearing that
from every woman that you talk to in all different circles?
Like women are getting the to do list done, bang
bang bang, and they're being rock stars, but they've kind
of lost who they are and what their priorities are.
(08:04):
And we said, what if we could give a permission
slip to women and say, this is your day. You
can press pause and sort of get back in touch
with yourself.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
What are your priorities?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
What you know once a year, I go away from
myself and say, I say to myself and others, these
are my priorities. But then when you sort of do
an outline of your week, are my time and resources,
my energy? Do those reflect what I say or tell
myself my priorities are. And so that's part of the
day is just giving women a chance to pause and
(08:39):
reconnect with themselves and reconnect with one another because we're
also hearing and we're hearing this before before the pandemic,
and that it made everyone feel isolated that women were
so interested.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
In connecting to one another.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And really, you know, we've expanded self care beyond you know,
manny petties, but it really expands to social too and
human connection. And women were telling us that that's what
they wanted. And so the day is a day of
Jen and I talking about some content. We share skills
of resilience and confidence and quieting the doubting voice and
(09:20):
then there's time for reflective exercises and conversation at the tables.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Women get really vulnerable and brave, and they share things,
whether it's a friend that they came with or a
stranger they've never met before. We want to get real.
We want to give women a chance to get real.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, you know, I think there's something very special about
spaces in which women are with each other. There's a
special energy that happens. It's kind of magical, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
In fact, I often say at the beginning, when I'm
telling people here's what's going to happen today, I say, really,
you're the magic. I mean, Jen and I can bring
the content, and we both do our studies and grow
what we know about resilience and confidence and leadership. Right,
we can bring the content, but the magic happens in
(10:13):
the room when women start sharing what's happening in their
life or how they see something, and then someone else
build them that and it's such a safe and supportive
environment that women really leave feeling lifted up.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Your personal journey, including overcoming breast cancer and building a
legacy in journalism, deeply informs your work, and how do
these experiences shape the messages that you share at Uplifting
your Voice.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Well, one is gratitude. I think that gratitude can help
all mindsets. You know, an attitude of gratitude can get
you through a really bad day. There's always something defined
to be grateful for. And you mentioned breast cancer. Almost
as soon as I was diagnosed, I told my friends
and my husband, I want to walk through this with
(11:01):
grace and gratitude. And I know that sounds a little crazy,
and don't get me wrong, I had some meltdowns after
the initial diagnosis.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
But when you go when I went.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Down the list, oh my gosh, I caught it early.
I don't live in a third world country. I live
in the United States in Philadelphia with world class healthcare.
I have insurance. You know, I've been doing consumer news
for a long time. I know insurance is not a
fun thing. Some people don't have it or they don't
(11:33):
have enough of it. So I'm lucky enough to work
at a place that helps me afford insurance. I have family,
I have a deep faith, I have support system, and
so every time that I would go into that spiral,
because we all get there right with something hits us,
why me? That's not helpful if you can always rewrite
the script, sort of flip your frame of mind and
(11:55):
say what do I have to be grateful for? And
so through that, through all the surgery and the months
of treatment, I just kept running through that list thinking,
I'm really really grateful. I mean, I'm really feeling pretty blessed.
And that's how I walk through life. And I remind
people I guess at lifting your voice in other places
(12:15):
that I talk to, that can change everything for you
the way you see the world, and that includes being
grateful for what you have instead of comparing yourself on
social media to all the things you don't have. That
can change everything in how you walk through a day.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I love that. Certainly, the two things I hear from
you is the importance of gratitude. And the other thing,
which I think all women need to hear, is how
important it is to get a mammogram because early detection.
You said, you caught it early, and that can make
all the difference in the world. So women need to
get those mammograms.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Well, and actually, you know, I didn't know I want
if I wanted to share my story initially because As
a journalist, we're always taught it.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
Is so not about us, right, I don't want to
talk about me. That's not my job.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
My job is to serve you as our viewers, to
give you the information that you need.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
But it's not about me.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So I took a little time to figure out if
I wanted to tell people, and then I came up
with a campaign that was don't wait, telling women don't
put it off. I mean, boy, it doesn't it roll
right into my priority talk that I give at lifting
your voice, Right, you say your health at the priority.
But somehow that mammogram or whatever it is, and even
for men, that annual screening or that.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Screening you know you need, keeps getting pushed to the
bottom of the list. You got to bring it up.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Don't wait, and if you don't wait, you can have
results that are far better than Oh I put it
off for three years and now it's advanced. And when
I shared that story back in twenty fifteen, there were
a number of women who on my Facebook page said,
thank you, I needed the kick in the pants. I
(13:58):
need to go and make the appointment and go. And
there's a woman who I now feel completely connected with.
She went and they discovered breast cancer and it was
in its early stages. And she is now cancer free,
and she texts me every time she has a child
who graduates or one was getting married, and she's like,
I'm here because you put out the message do not wait.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I love that message. I was at a memorial service
just this last weekend for a woman who did not
do that, who did not pay attention, did not get
the checkups, did not do all the things she was
so interested in giving to the community that she kind
of forgot and lost herself and very tragic, died very young.
And so just another message got into the universe about
(14:44):
how important getting that breast exam and that mammogram is.
Back to the lifting your voice. So for women out there,
you know a lot of us, as you say, we're
always doing for others and we are not with any
I don't have time time, I can't do this. I
can't spend a weekend away from my family or away
(15:04):
from my whatever it is. What would you say to
those women?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I would say that you can't pour from an empty cup,
and we don't have bottomless iced teas like our cup.
Our cup is finite, and we got to fill it
back up. If you can only think about others, think
that you can't serve others unless your cup is full.
And that means feeling fully human, that you have cared
(15:29):
for yourself emotionally, physically, socially. And this is an opportunity
to press pause and say what do I need so
that I can be my best version to the people
in my life.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
If people would like more information to register for the event,
just to find out more to get involved, or find
out more about future events that you have, how do
they find out more?
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Lifting your Voice dot com?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
And that gives the dates for our events, and we're
working on adding many events because about forty percent of
our women we have it twice a year. Forty percent
of our women come back every single time because it's
all sort of slightly different. The presentation is different, but
it's all the same feeling. And I feel like we
all need these constant reminders, right, it's all a journey.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
We never really get there, we're just always we're all
walking a path together.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Thank you so much. What is the website? One more time?
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Lifting your Voice dot com?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Also we want to check out Tracy Davidson dot com
for more information about all the things you speak. You
do a lot of things out in the community, and
you want to check that out as well. Tracy Davidson
Award winning journalist, breast cancer survivor, co anchor at NBC News,
also founder of Lifting Your Voice, a powerful retreat that
empowers women to reset, refocus, and recharge. It's happening Saturday,
(16:52):
October twelfth from eight thirty to two thirty eight thirty
am to two thirty pm at white man Or Country Club,
and I'm sure is going to be a wonderful, uplifting event.
I want to thank you so much for spending the
time with us to tell us about it.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Lorraine, thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
We are lucky in this community to have you and
I'm grateful to know you.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Ah, thank you.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
The impact of a meal goes well beyond feeding our bodies,
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Speaker 1 (17:33):
Please welcome Marta Moreno.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And Alex. Hey, Alex, how did the interview go? I
did it?
Speaker 4 (17:46):
I got the job I can't believe it.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I knew it.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Let's meet up later.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
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Speaker 5 (17:57):
That's amazing, sweetie.
Speaker 6 (17:58):
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Speaker 7 (18:17):
Hey, wouldn't it be great if life came with remote control?
Speaker 5 (18:20):
You know, you could hit.
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Pause when you needed to, or hit rewind like that
time you knock down that wasp's nest for that time
you forgot to roll up your windows in the car wash.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Fantastic.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
Yeah, or remote control would have come in handy then, Well,
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(18:55):
Take the one minute test today at do I have
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Speaker 1 (19:05):
With the wasps.
Speaker 7 (19:06):
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Visit do I have prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Today?
Speaker 7 (19:12):
That's do I have prediabetes dot org? Brought to you
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Speaker 1 (19:21):
Blondell Reynolds Brown is a trailblazing public servant, educator, mentor,
and advocate. A former Philadelphia City Council Member at Large,
she served two decades advancing equity for women, children, and
underserved communities. She continues to be a very active member
of our community and now she is an author with
a book that has an awesome title, Walking a Tight
(19:42):
Wrote Backward in high heels. Blondell Reynolds Brown, thank you
so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
Yes, thank you very very much, Laverne ballatmarl This is
a dejai vous because you are always very supportive of
my efforts doing those twenty years.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Yes, you taught me something which I often say when
speaking about elected official, that there is a difference between
a politician and a public servant. And I got that
from you and so whenever I see and I liked it,
official that I think is doing a great job, I
always refer to them as a public servant, and that
is truly what you have been all these many years.
(20:16):
Let's start out with this title walking a tightrope backward
in high heels, and that sort of refers back to
a quote about Ginger Rogers. That's exactly right, exactly because
she was an incredible dancer and danced with the best
Fred Astaire, and she had to do everything that he did,
but backwards in high hills.
Speaker 8 (20:35):
Exactly. That's a contrast we need to be mindful of.
He danced beautifully forward in flat shoes, right, and she
danced gracefully, flawlessly backwards in high heels, which speaks to
the notion that women always have to do more to
be equal.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Well, that is absolutely the metaphor here, and I'd like
to talk a bit about what that means to you,
walking a tightrope backward in high heels. So obviously many
challenges being a woman being in politics, but also just
managing to navigate through life as someone who's trying to
do well in the world. So tell us more about
(21:09):
how this metaphor of the title refers back to you precisely.
Speaker 8 (21:13):
We have to do more as women, and we don't
complain about it. We just choose to be about it.
And for black and brown women, we have to, I say,
not only just walk on water, we also have to
fly to be equal. And in the world of electoral politics,
the metaphor for me meant I learned in my writing
that I first spoke about this in two thousand and
six in an article, and it's stuck with me for
(21:33):
the next fourteen years in city council. But I was
a mother and a wife who literally raised my daughter
grew up in the public eye, and I had to
always find and walk the delicate balance of my ambition
and wanting to be exceptional in the philopha city council
for sixteen years is the only at large woman and
that of the role of a mother, a present mother,
(21:55):
my daughter would say, a helicopter mom and a wife,
and do that in a way that would be even
in fair on all sides. It made it was difficult
at times.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Oh no doubt, And often when women and women of
color enter into leadership roles, it's really about making room
at the table, pulling up your own chair sending it
down because sometimes that room is not allowed for us.
We're not given that seat at the table.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Right.
Speaker 8 (22:22):
That's what got me involved in the world of electoral politics.
I was working in Harrisburg for then state Senator Fatah
and I went into too many rooms where not only
were there no women, women were only in support roles.
And for me, that was very very very very very disturbing.
And so I complained to him one day and he said, well,
you know, blind doll, you shouldn't complain about it.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
You should be about it.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
And so that's when I decided, Yes, if I want
to be at the table, I need to step up
to be at the table. But more than just pulling
a chair at the table, is equally important to bring
along other chairs so that other women can have a
seat at the table. So ultimately you need multiple voices
to push a public policy along.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Well, that's exactly what you have done. You've been a
tremendous mentor to many women, in particular Catherine Gilmore Richardson,
who is now in that position that you vacated. Yes,
and you did well. She is an absolutely fantastic leader
and she certainly gives you plenty of credit for helping
nurture her leadership.
Speaker 8 (23:17):
She has made us all very very very proud. And
the world may not know that. I met Catherine when
she was fifteen years old at Almamda Girls High School,
and she expressed an interest to come as an intern
and ultimately became a member of my staff and held
every single position in my office, leading all the way
up to chief of Staff. So when I made the difficult,
anguished decision that I wanted to live not just the
(23:39):
length of my career, but the width of my career
as well, she was the second person that I sat
down and had a conversation with, and so she was prepared,
she understood because she worked, as she would say, she
had a front row seat to the world of elector
politics of being on my team, and she was a
mother and a wife, so she really had an idea
of what it required. And then she worked nine days
(24:01):
a week, send me two hours a day to win
the opportunity to represent our city. So we're all very
very very proud of her.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
You know a word that I often hear associated with
you is moxi. What is moxie? Well, my mother always
used the word gumption. She raised She was a single
mother at age thirty seven, a widower at age thirty seven,
and she reminded us often that you have to have
the gumption and the grit to go after the things
you want. And so moxie's synonymous with gumption, and so
(24:29):
gumption was my mother's word. Moxie is my word, but
its grit is determination, is resilience when you're going through
a dark tunnel. It's faith when you need that to
hold on to. These days, we're living in very interesting
times in capital letters and bold ink. Yes, as the
Chinese say, may you live in interesting times? That's a curse, actually,
(24:50):
And so we are living in interesting times. In many ways,
we seem to be going backwards, especially when it comes
to women's rights, in women's leadership. And I wonder if
you have any thoughts and advice for women who may
be reluctant to follow a path such as yours, of
making a difference in democracy and city government and government
(25:10):
in general. What would you say to those who are
a little bit reluctant because they see how hostile.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
This can be.
Speaker 8 (25:15):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, we are living at interesting times.
And State Senator Roxanne Jones used to say and your
own time and your own space. With God's grace, you
can make a difference. So what I will say is
do something in your corner of the world. We can't
become complacent, because when we're complacent or silent, it's worse.
When we're silent about what we see going on, we
(25:37):
ultimately suffer as well as those around us that we
care about. So we do have a responsibility and we
don't have to do it on the big stage. We
can do it on our block. As a member of
the Democratic Party in our local organizations are Greek nine.
There's so many areas, so many opportunities, so many spaces
where we can invest our time, our talent, and our
treasury to do something. Because here's the other fact. If
(26:00):
you're going to complain about it, then really just be
quiet and salute, lift up support and push those who
have the courage to step in the ring.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
This book is out, and you also have a number
of opportunities for us to connect with you and to
hear you speak. Tell us about this.
Speaker 8 (26:16):
Yes, yes, yes, we are excited about the Philadelphia Free
Library Foundation, who will be hosting the official launch of
the book Wednesday, September seventeenth at the Philadelphia Free Library
main campus, a main branch on the Parkway. Excited about
that and co hosting that with us will be the
Delaware Valley chapter of the Links, So we're thrilled about
the opportunity. We're actually kicking off their book author series
(26:39):
there at the Free Library, and then there will be
other book launches at Barnes and Nobles stores. The African
American Museum will be hosting us in March. So we're
excited about the possibilities and the opportunities, and really it
fills my heart because it's been a five year journey,
four years of writing and then one year of editing,
three hundred pages thirteen times.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Writing a book, BOK is like birthing your baby. Is
that that analogy?
Speaker 8 (27:03):
That metaphor has been described that way?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Really is like birthing a baby. Yeah. Well, listen, if
people want more information about your book and about all
the events that are coming up and just want to
follow you in general, where's the best way to do that?
Speaker 8 (27:16):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to the
WDS listening audience. My website is www dot moxibrb dot com.
In these days of social media, My daughter has taught
me that. Yes, you can find me on Instagram and
hit me up on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Fantastic. Blondelle Reynolds Brown, formerly a city council member, always
a public servant in the highest way, and is now
the author of a book called Walking a Tightrope Backward
in high heels. Her story and it's a tale that
will help other women and other individuals who hope to
make a difference in this world. This is a nice
(27:55):
way of kind of seeing the path that's been built.
Speaker 8 (27:58):
Then we can perhaps follow excise stemps precisely. It's not
a cakewalk, but it's there for us if we choose
to take it absolutely. Blondell Reynolds Brown, thank you, Thank you, Loraine.
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to 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.
(28:22):
I'm Lorraine Ballard MOREL 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
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