Real talk, Real people

Activist Barbara Fair of stopsolitary.org shares her thoughts on current political scene in Connecticut.

The journey of growing marijuana at home is over. We're smoking what we grew

We're at the end of the grow

In part one, we left you at the end of week 4 of our amateur attempt to grow marijuana. Here were are at week 8.

Marijuana is legal to possess and grow in Connecticut and Virginia where this podcast is produced. We are amateurs but decided to give growing our own a try.

From being invited by Michelle Obama to kick off her Let Move! campaign on the White House lawn to teaching in schools in Harlem and the South Bronx to now holding classes in Fairfield County, Chef Raquel has made a name for herself.

Daniel Hunt and Denval Lawrence are among 100 men of color being honored at a gala at The Bushnell in Hartford

Here is a promo for my memoir Dead Windows: My Long Journey Out Of Domestic Violence. Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books and Google Books ( https://amzn.to/47rtL3z )

State Rep. Anthony Nolan (D-39th) discusses changes in Connecticut's gun laws.

James Rawlings, president/CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Connecticut, gives an update on funding and what's being done to help the 45,000 people carrying the Sickle Cell Trait in Connecticut.

Street Safe Bridgeport seeks to reduce crime and empower youth

Lolita Bonilla Brooks shares her story of surviving breast cancer

Recorded in 2020: My guests are Eliza Caldwell, a community gardens manager at Gather New Haven who oversees 50 gardens; and Alexander Morales, an operations assistant at the Green Village Initiative in Bridgeport, which has 12 gardens.

They’re here to talk about how their gardens are benefiting low-income communities. Previously recorded in 2020.

Real talk, Real people revisit a discussion on guns

Welcome 2 Reality raises awareness of media literacy through education

We revisit an episode with the late state Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams and Activist Barbara Fair discussing solitary confinement

Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church is bringing big changes to New Haven  

Dr. Lesly Valbrun is the new president of the Greater Bridgeport NAACP says he is charting a course for the city's Black youth and wants to make an impact on the community.

The Walker family recall their childhood

The late Congressman John Lewis coined the phrase "Good trouble," meaning that sometimes it is necessary to cause trouble to call attention to injustices and enact change. My guest is Mark Colville, a well-known activist who lives in New Haven. Whether he is in North Dakota protesting the pipeline or at a naval base in Georgia protesting against nuclear weapons or fighting for the homeless in his own backyard, Mark's activism knows no bounds.  

A former criminal lawyer and current Probate Judge Clifton Graves discusses crime and domestic violence. 

Karin Smith and Derek Tompkins are the owners of the only Black-owned bookstore in Bridgeport. 

After 25  years of stop and go, "Dead Windows," my book about growing up in a domestic violence household, is available on Amazon. 

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Windows-journey-domestic-violence-ebook/dp/B0BGG1GNJF

New Haven Police want more minorities to join the force. Sgt. Paul Finch and Assistant Chief Bertram Ettienne talk about erasing the negative image about being a cop and highlight the opportunities and benefits of joining the force. 

Bridgeport Councilman Ernie Newton is the director of the city's new Reentry Welcoming Center. As a man who had to rehabilitate his reputation after a federal conviction, he is perfect for his new position and remains a powerful voice in Bridgeport.

Many children and young people are feeling the affects of having their social lives and education interrupted due to the pandemic. And as society returns to normal, many low-income kids feel it has left them invisible. 

At 24 years of age, he was appointed a commissioner in Hamden by then-Mayor Curt Leng. At age 25, the White House recognizes his volunteer efforts to help kids and his community.  

Three local women are using their individual talents to unite the Black community. Collectively, they call themselves "The Essence of Abundance." 

Doris Lorraine Walker is no longer with us but to her seven children, she will live forever. We share some of our childhood memories of the woman who meant so much to us. This episode was taped on July 9th, her birthday. 

Our guest this week on Adversary to Ally is Dr. Charles Morgan

What does Independence day mean to you?

Marcus Stallworth of the Child Welfare League of America is our guest. You also can watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/wYtLQ4JB9BE

My guest is Barbara Alexander, who runs the Westville Performing Arts Center where budding performers learn to act, dance and sing. Now, she has written a 12-step guide to help aspiring artists launch their career and win their audition.

More than 10 years ago, two men teaching at a local university asked their students if they were to create a perfect world, what would it look like? They found that younger people were making decisions based on what they learned in the media and from influencers. The two men set out to change that with their company "Welcome 2 Reality," which is now a nationwide network that collaborates with child agencies, educators, clinicians and more. 

My guests are Deborah Caviness and Diana Washington of the Southern CT Black Chamber of Commerce.  Many minorities believe it is hopeless to get a loan or grant to start or keep their business running. That may have been true in the past, but business leaders say don't throw away your dreams as it is easier than ever to start your own business. This episode also can be watched on YouTube. https://youtu.be/MAQlFxSLTcc 

Guest: Tyree Snead of Hampton, Virginia

Many advocates and lawmakers believe business tactics used by the auto dealer industry are abusive and discriminatory. Research by a Yale professor formed the basis for federal anti-discrimination lawsuits against the auto dealer industry. This roundtable discussion highlights these practices as well as key actions lawmakers and regulators can take in Connecticut and New York State to finally address abusive and discriminatory lending practices in the car business.

Related discussion: https://anchor.fm/real-talk-real-people/episodes/Black-car-buyers-face-predatory-lending-at-dealerships-e15tkua/a-a6bi7pj

This episode is also available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f9hlIuj_XlQ

We're back in Chimene's Kitchen in Scottsboro, Virginia, where she is baking bread and smothering chicken. 

Whether it is guns, theft, or domestic violence, crime in the Black community is running amok and getting worse. And with juvenile laws protecting teens who are stealing cars and committing petty crime, the question that needs to be answered is, where are the parents and whatever happened to pride and discipline? 

Adversary to Ally welcomes Capt. Mark Catania of the Glastonbury Police Department. He discusses what happens when police go on a domestic violence call and the steps law enforcement are taking to tackle the problem. 

Lawmakers are proposing or already pouring millions into mental health services for children, citing the effects the pandemic has had on them. Nearly a year ago, Dr. Regina Wilson and Shenira Billups, a certified licensed counselor for New Haven County, talked about the challenges black kids are facing. Here is an abbreviated version of that important conversation. 

Cooking is an art. But how do you prepare a tasty meal when you live in an old farmhouse where the kitchen is currently under renovation and space is limited? Chimene shows us how as she makes "Aunt Doretha's Bread." Note to listeners: All of our episodes can be watched on YouTube. Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Rc2WtQLxtN_Xekh4oYrPA

This is our collaboration with Mothers of Victim's Equality Inc., where men talk about domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Our guest is Pamplico, SC resident Joseph Woodberry.

Ty Hopkins is a multi-talented New Haven man whose website "Hip-Hop Paradise" gets more than 50,000 views a week and climbing. He says his goal is to provide a space for all artists.

Bringing the arts to the community is what drives Barbara Alexander, founder of "Arts in CT," a nonprofit with a mission to provide leadership and support to the diverse arts community of Greater New Haven." And to help her do this, she has opened "a multidisciplinary arts hub" she is calling the Westville Performing Arts Center at 351 McKinley Ave in New Haven. She is here to talk about why this is good for the community. 

Our guest is Kenneth Thompson, a former Connecticut resident now living in South Carolina. He founded the Gussie Wortham Foundation in memory of his sister, Gussie Wortham. The  conversation is about domestic and intimate partner violence.

As I told listeners at the end of December, we are making changes to the podcast and while we do, we invite you to hang out with the Walkers. We talk about everything and can be pretty funny.

Watch this interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvyovPxCc0&t=583s

The partners behind Adversary to Ally discuss why they got together and what they hope to accomplish by having men talk about domestic and intimate partner violence.