Afleveringen
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Being in nature can be both physically and mentally rejuvenating. Collie Turner, founder of Heroic Gardens, grew up around plants and chose horticulture as a way to give back to veterans. Racquel Williams talks with her and Salome Hall, a Navy veteran and founder of Sisters Affirming Sisterhood who has found community and healing through Heroic Gardens' programs.
Then, Shara Dae Howard explores the mysteries of The House of Magic, a theater/museum/library dedicated to the wonder magicians have brought us throughout history.
Learn more about the organizations in this episode:
www.heroicgardens.org
www.sasproject.org
www.houseofmagicpa.com
This episode originally aired on April 4, 2026. -
It’s the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, and there’s no better place to celebrate than America’s birthplace, Philadelphia. This week, Shara Dae Howard is taking over for an all Shara in the City special edition, exploring some of the city’s hidden historical treasures.
We start at Elfreth’s Alley, one of the country’s oldest continuously inhabited residential streets, with a peek at modern life inside the 16th and 17th century homes.
Then, we visit the site of one of America’s first taverns in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps got their start. The Tun tavern was torn down centuries ago, but sailors and Marines still come to Philadelphia looking for it - so two veterans have decided to rebuild it.
We end our journey at the American Philosophical Society library, home to some of the rarest historical documents and artifacts in American history, as well as Benjamin Franklin's personal library. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Books are a great way for people in prison to improve their literacy, expand their options for when they get out, or simply pass the time . But prison libraries are often limited, if they have libraries at all. Books Through Bars was started to address this problem by sending books to people who request them in prisons. Racquel Williams talks with three volunteers about the history of the organization and why books are valuable for people who are incarcerated.
Learn more or get involved at www.booksthroughbars.org.
Then - you can smell the Wyck house and grounds from down the street. It’s home to one of the nation’s oldest original rose gardens, plus a wide variety of historic artifacts from nine generations of one of Philly’s most impactful families. Shara Dae Howard visits to discover the stories hidden in the attic and to see what’s in bloom.
Learn more or plan a visit at www.wyck.org. -
Black men often find it hard to be vulnerable - they’re taught to be tough and not to show their feelings. But they struggle just as much as the rest of us. When two Black female clinicians noticed a high demand from Black men seeking therapy and facing barriers to access, they started Black Men Heal to offer free individual and group therapy programs for Black men. Racquel Williams talks with one of the co-founders, Zakia S. Williams.
Learn more about their programs at www.blackmenheal.org.
Note: after this episode was released, the job fair event was postponed to August.
Then, Shara Dae Howard celebrates Juneteenth by diving into Philly’s Black history with the “Queen of the Ring”, Vernoka Michael - owner of the Blue Horizon boxing gym, where legends like Joe Frazier trained. The gym closed in 2010, but Vernoka is making sure its legacy lives on. -
Throughout history, barriers have been put up between African Americans and water. Segregated swimming pools, violence and discrimination against Black folks who try to swim in public pools - all of this was documented in the “POOL” exhibit that was on display at Fairmount Water Works from 2022-2023 and has now been transformed into a mobile exhibit. Racquel Williams sits down with a few of the folks behind the exhibit and a legendary Philadelphia swim coach to discuss the history, as well as how to overcome a fear of water and learn to swim.
Then, Shara Dae Howard gets a behind-the-scenes golf cart tour of the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill, where up to 15,000 people per day are expected to watch the World Cup games from now through July 19.
Learn more about:
Habithèque - www.habitheque.com
Diversity in Aquatics - www.diversityinaquatics.org
PDR Swimming for Success - www.instagram.com/pdrswimming
FIFA Fan Festival - www.phillyfwc26.com/fifa-fan-fest -
GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy are all over the news and TV ads lately. Are they really a safe way to lose weight? Racquel Williams talks with medical professionals from Penn Medicine’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders about the benefits and risks of GLP-1s, plus how social media impacts body image and how mental health is connected to food.
Then, Philly Pride is bigger than ever this year! Shara Dae Howard hits up the kickoff event at Sofitel Philadelphia to find out what’s going on all month - including a performance by Patti LaBelle - and how the LGBTQ+ community feels about the Pride festival moving from the Gayborhood to the Ben Franklin Parkway. -
A cancer diagnosis is the beginning of a scary, overwhelming journey that takes a toll on the patient as well as their loved ones. For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation gives cancer patients and their families time to breathe and heal together through travel and “staycation” respite experiences. Founder Marci Schankweiler joins Racquel Williams to talk about the power of respite and their new respite center, Pete’s Dream - a vision of Marci’s husband, Pete, who died of cancer when he was 30.
Learn more about For Pete’s Sake at www.fpsrespite.org.
Then, Shara Dae Howard checks in at VisionLink to hear about their latest efforts to help people with vision loss find independence and community, and to try out some of their new gadgets, like Meta AI glasses.
Learn more about VisionLink at www.visionlinkphl.org. -
As we look back on 250 years of American history, you might be inspired to look into your own history. Monica O. Montgomery believes it’s important to preserve your family’s legacy, as she did after her parents passed away. Out of her grief and healing journey grew the DiasporaDNA Story Center, an “un-museum” and cultural center offering workshops, talks, bus tours, and more experiences centered around discovering ancestral history on both a personal and cultural level. Learn more or book an experience at www.diasporadna.org.
Then, Shara Dae Howard heads to Philly’s Avenue of the Arts, as the Philadelphia Music Alliance celebrates their 2026 Walk of Fame inductees, including Sun Ra Arkestra, Lady B, Pablo Batista, and Earl Young receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. She meets some of the honorees and their family, friends, and collaborators. -
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, yet funding to support patients can be hard to come by because of the stigma attached to it. While smoking is associated with lung cancer, many people who have never smoked are diagnosed with the disease. Racquel Williams talks with Ride Hard Breathe Easy, an organization that raises funds and awareness for lung cancer patients through community bike rides, as well as a social worker at Fox Chase Cancer Center and a woman who is on her fourth battle with the disease, to understand how we can support lung cancer patients and how to get screened.
Get involved or learn more about Ride Hard Breathe Easy at www.rhbe.org.
Then, on Shara in the City, Shara is heading out of the city to join the circus! She gets a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the Philly-area premiere of Cirque du Soleil's “Luzia,” at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks now through June 7.
Tickets to “Luzia” are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com. -
For decades, women have been taught that they don’t need to understand money - their fathers or husbands will handle that. But women, whether single, married, divorced, or widowed, should feel confident taking control of their own financial present and future. Regina McCann Hess is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, President of Forge Wealth Management, and author of "Super Woman Wealth: How to Become Your Own Financial Hero". She sits down with Racquel Williams to share some financial tips and inspiration.
Connect with Regina or get her book at www.reginamccannhess.com or www.forgewealth.com.
Then, Shara Dae Howard heads to Chestnut Hill to hang out with Philadelphia’s 2026 poet laureate, Raina Leon, who’s promising to bring Philly’s many communities together through poetry and presence. -
Philly Truce formed in response to the rise in homicides in 2020, with a mission to stop the violence and support sustainable Black manhood. Five years later, they’ve made tremendous progress with efforts like their Peace Patrol, and they’re celebrating with a gala on May 8. Racquel Williams talks with their co-founder Mazzie Casher and Executive Director Kelly Greene.
Learn more about Philly Truce at www.phillytruce.com.
Then, Shara Dae Howard visits our Bridging Philly sponsors, Gift of Life, for their annual Donor Dash at the Navy Yard. She talks with organ donors, recipients, and West Chester University students there to honor their friend, Garrett Nicholas, who was hit by a car and killed, but whose organ and tissue donation saved lives.
Learn more about Gift of Life at www.donors1.org. -
Autism and neurodiversity are becoming better represented in media - like the HBO medical drama “The Pitt”, which features a neurodivergent character, Dr. Mel King. A Philadelphia doctor actually helped create that character and has made major contributions to autism research nationally and internationally. As we close out Autism Acceptance Month, Racquel Williams talks with Dr. Wendy Ross, director of Jefferson Health's Center for Autism and Neurodiversity, along with her student, Kelly Ryan. Together they discuss “The Pitt”, how autistic individuals can thrive in a real-life work environment, and how their medical school is helping to change the culture around autism from the ground up.
Then, Shara Dae Howard visits the site of one of America’s first taverns in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps got their start. The Tun was torn down centuries ago, but sailors and Marines still come to Philadelphia looking for it - so two veterans have decided to rebuild it for America’s 250th anniversary. -
Millions of menstruating people worldwide experience period poverty and have trouble accessing the products they need. Many people skip work or school during their cycles, or have to choose between paying for pads or food. It’s a large-scale problem, but one woman is trying to help the Philadelphia community on the ground. Shelley Aragoncillo created sheds full of free menstrual and postpartum products in several locations around Philly. She calls her grassroots effort "Grab N’ Flow". Racquel Williams visits one of the sheds to find out how serious this need is and how Shelley is drawing on mutual aid to help.
Then, in celebration of Jill Scott’s new album “To Whom This May Concern”, Shara Dae Howard looks back on the time Jilly from Philly returned to her hometown and was honored with a mural at her alma mater, Girls High.
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Theater has the power to move people to make change, and Jay Sefton is hoping to draw on that with his one-man play, “Unreconciled,” which tells his story of being sexually assaulted by a parish priest as a 13-year-old. The play is touring Pennsylvania ahead of potential action in the State Senate on two bills that would revise the state’s statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Racquel Williams talks with Sefton and Rep. Nate Davidson, who introduced the legislation.
Then, Shara Dae Howard gets a backstage tour of the Walnut Street Theatre, hailed as America's oldest theatre. Their upcoming production of the musical “1776” looks back at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, right before its 250th anniversary.
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Being in nature can be both physically and mentally rejuvenating. Collie Turner, founder of Heroic Gardens, grew up around plants and chose horticulture as a way to give back to veterans. Racquel Williams talks with her and Salome Hall, a Navy veteran and founder of Sisters Affirming Sisterhood who has found community and healing through Heroic Gardens' programs.
Then, Shara Dae Howard explores the mysteries of The House of Magic, a theater/museum/library dedicated to the wonder magicians have brought us throughout history.
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Philadelphia is at the heart of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, so there’s no better time to look at some of our city’s unique history. First, Racquel Williams talks with two producers of a docuseries highlighting women who made important contributions to the founding of America, but whose stories have been hidden. “For the Common Good: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation” is a partnership between The National Society of the Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and You’ll Never Forget Productions.
Then, Shara Dae Howard explores one of Old City’s hidden gems: the American Philosophical Society library, home to some of the rarest historical documents and artifacts in American history, as well as Benjamin Franklin's personal library. -
A group of Philadelphia school parents from across the city have come together to make a powerful movement supporting all students in the district. Lift Every Voice first fought to get nurses in every school, and most recently, they achieved a major win when the district created a new wellness policy ensuring that teachers won’t withhold things like bathroom breaks and recess as punishment. Racquel Williams talks with two parent members about how they made their case and won, and how they plan to continue speaking up for students.
Then, Shara Dae Howard heads to West Philly to visit a new cafe run by two women, one from India and the other from Philly. They combine a commitment to their community with curated Indian tea at Chai Nashta Cafe.
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A new report from Children First called “Pa’Lante – State of Hispanic Children” shows that Hispanic children in Philadelphia are not receiving equitable access to things like education and health care. Racquel Williams talks with representatives from Children First about their initiative based on this report, bringing people together from across the city to support Hispanic children and help them use their unique skills and experiences to thrive.
Then, Shara Dae Howard visits the African American Museum in Philadelphia to get a peek at their “Afrofuturism in Costume Design” exhibit, highlighting the work of Ruth E. Carter - including “Black Panther”, "Do the Right Thing", and “Sinners”, which is nominated for 16 Oscars this year.
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As kids, work, and life get hectic, it’s easy to lose the connection in marriage. Rev. Kahlil Carmichael, senior pastor of Live Well Church in New Jersey, wrote a book called “Restore Us” to help married couples have tough conversations and return to the foundation of their relationship: each other. He talks with Racquel Williams about what often goes wrong in marriages and how to get back to “us”.
Then, on Shara in the City, we visit an art experience in development - the Ministry of Awe, opening March 14 inside a renovated 19th century bank. Shara Dae Howard explores the visual, performance, and immersive art coming to Old City.
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Food insecurity is an ongoing problem, especially with recent changes to SNAP benefits and the economy. Mark Wainwright founded It Takes a Village to Feed One Child in 2017 to provide meals to families in need. They’ve since partnered with many local organizations to expand on the types of holistic enrichment they can offer, from education to financial literacy. Racquel Williams talks with Mark and Dr. Corinne Green, Executive Director of one of their partner organizations, Mighty Writers.
Then, on Shara in the City, Shara Dae Howard returns to The Colored Girls Museum as they celebrate 10 years of honoring Black history and culture in their own unique, theatrical way.
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