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Friday • March 24
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The Urban Connection

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Addiction & the Pandemic This week, Leonard talks with a medical doctor who specializes in addiction treatment. He outlines our national ongoing problems with opioids and how the pandemic has affected the addiction crisis in America.

Anxiety and Depression in the Age of COVID-19 Is anxiety at the root of all of our problems? This week, Leonard talks with a clinical psychologist, for advice on how to escape fear, and to find a sense of peace and satisfaction in life.

Addiction in the Age of COVID-19 Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, drug overdoses and related deaths have accelerated across the country. This week, Leonard talks with a former addict, who along with his ex-wife, helps families in the struggle against addiction.

Taking Control--Physically and Spiritually Leonard's guest this week is a young man who has dedicated his life to making spirituality more accessible to the general public. He offers inspiring words about how you can take control of your own health, both physically and spiritually.

Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time Teesha Hadra On this week's program, we speak with a young African-American lawyer who says racism can be disrupted by relationships. If you will risk forging friendships with those who do not look like you, it will change the way you see the world, and that could change the world.

Find Success By Changing Your Mindset This week, Leonard talks with a woman who was stuck in the rut of conventional success, then wondered how she ended up feeling trapped, restless and unfulfilled. She’ll offer some suggestions to help you determine what fulfillment and success may mean in your life.

Presidential Personality Some call it charisma, others stage presence. Whatever the name, JFK and Reagan had it, Carter and Nixon didn’t. This week, we’ll discuss whether presidential personality can predict who will win the 2020 election.

Housing Healthcare Workers in the Age of Pandemic The world of healthcare has been pushed to its limits in the past few months. This week, we’ll talk to a Registered Nurse and entrepreneur who founded a service aimed at helping doctors and nurses who are traveling to hotspots where they are most needed, in this time of pandemic

Getting a Grip on Grief During the Pandemic This week, Leonard discusses loss in the age of the coronavirus, with Marcia Earhart, a life, grief, trauma coach and mediator.

Pro-American Immigration Each year, over a million people immigrate to America. This week, Leonard talks with former United States diplomat and immigrant to America, Dr. George Farag. He is the author of "Pro-American Immigration: Common Ground in our Immigration Strategy." Dr. Farag discusses gaps in our immigration policies, and suggests practical solutions to close these gaps.

Innovation in Clothing Leonard's guest this week is Mychelle Bell, a clothing designer who has created a line of clothes made from innovative organic and plant-based fabrics that are better for our body. She explains the many benefits of this new and creative approach.

Helping Kids To Navigate Through Life This week, Leonard is joined by Kenya Nicholas, the author of an upcoming series of books, "Life Books for Kids: Real Life Lessons." She explains basic life lessons that parents need to install in their children.

Growing Food at Home The trend of growing your own food at home is hot, thanks in part to the uncertain times we live in. This week, Leonard talks to Marjory Wildcraft, an expert in gardening and sustainable living, for some useful tips you can use.

Diversifying Diplomacy Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas is an accomplished black woman who beat the odds and challenged the status quo. Inspired by the strong women in her life, she followed in the footsteps of the few women who had gone before her in her effort to make the Foreign Service reflect the diverse faces of the United States

Racism, Policing and America's Future 2020 has been a difficult and traumatic year in America. This week, Leonard welcomes Arva Rice, the President and CEO of the New York Urban League, to talk about racism, policing and where we go from here as a country.

The Other Madisons: A President's Black Family For thousands of years, West African men and women have recited the stories of their people. This week, Leonard with a woman who treasures this family tradition, and shares the story of her bloodline as a descendant of President James Madison and his slave.

The Killing of George Floyd: Is America Ready for Change? The nation has seen unprecedented upheaval and mass protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Is America finally ready for change? Nita Wiggins joins Leonard to discuss what has happened and how the tumult of the past few weeks may help America.

From Drug Kingpin to Pastor This week, Leonard gets a first-hand account of a man who led a family drug empire that spanned the entire East Coast. But when he ended up in prison, he found the love of Jesus through a surprising source, and turned his life around.

Improving Your Mind and Body Especially in this age of pandemic, strengthening our immune systems is important. This week, Leonard gets some sage advice from Angela Holtz, a clinical laboratory technologist who has written "Beyond Your Numbers, Connect the Pieces to a Path of Amazing Health."

Memorial Day and the Cost of War Memorial Day is all about remembering those who paid the ultimate price to defend their families, their friends, their country. For those soldiers who did return home, a frightening number of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This week, Leonard talks with a former Army Captain, who shares some of his experiences in combat, the scars left behind and his optimistic view of lessons learned in battle.

Mental Health Challenges for African Americans Black people die at disproportionately high rates due to chronic illness, and suffer from poverty, under-education, and the effects of racism. This week, we will talk with a psychologist who believes it all has resulted in a mental health crisis in our community.

How Europe Has Dealt with COVID-19 As the coronavirus lockdowns turn into a political debate in the United States, how have other countries dealt with the virus? This week, Leonard talks to a college professor who lives in Paris, to learn how European countries have handled COVID-19.

Financial Wisdom from Patricia Davis It’s hard to imagine that we went from the lowest African American unemployment rate in history, to the economic tailspin we’re in now, in less than a couple of months. This week, Leonard gets some practical advice on how to handle your money in tough times, from a very wise personal financial coach.

The Diabetes Epidemic Did you know that African American adults are much more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than other racial groups? This week, Leonard talks with an expert to learn what you need to know about diabetes, and the connection it may have to the coronavirus pandemic.

African American Food Deserts Many African American communities are considered to be food deserts, where grocery stores are too far away to get affordable, healthy food. This week, Leonard talks with a man who is not only striving to help these areas, but also to give people with prison records a second chance.

Protecting Yourself from COVID-19 As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect every American, Leonard is joined by a medical expert who offers tips to protect yourself and your older loved ones from COVID-19.

Surviving Domestic Abuse This week, we hear the inspiring story of a woman who survived and escaped an abusive marriage, and emerged with a successful career as an optometrist. Dr. Dellia Evans is the author of “Heart Vision: How to See Your Path Forward When You're in a Dark Place.”

Strokes Among African Americans & the Importance of Sleep This week, Leonard is joined by two top medical experts. First, he discusses the shockingly high rate of strokes among young African Americans and the genetic and cultural reasons behind it. They also discuss the coronavirus epidemic. Then, Leonard talks with a sleep expert to learn about the seven types of rest you probably are not getting.

Heroes We all need heroes to look up to. Today, Leonard looks at some of the great heroes of history...from Kobe Bryant, to George Washington Carver, with author of a book about some of the greatest heroes of all time.

Keto Diet You’ve probably heard of the Keto Diet, but does it work, and is it safe? This week, Leonard finds out from an expert.

The Struggle for Voting Rights The struggle for equality obviously isn’t over, but this week, Leonard looks at the steep human price paid for the African American right to vote, and the NAACP’s ongoing battle for voting equality in America guaranteed to every citizen.

The Shortage of Black Doctors Roughly 6 percent of America’s doctors are black, even as African-Americans continue to struggle with a range of illnesses compared with whites. This week, Leonard talks with a doctor who will explain why the lack of black physicians can be a bad thing for patients.

Becoming The Best You This week, we’ll hear the inspiring story of an immigrant who escaped extreme poverty in Kenya, to become an acclaimed international speaker, transformational coach and author.

How Much Do You Trust the Media? There’s a lot of talk about fake news these days. How much do you trust the media? And who is to blame? This week, Leonard is joined by a veteran journalism instructor to talk about today's news and media landscape.

The Secrets of Prosperity This week, Leonard speaks with a dynamic young African-American woman who is an author, motivational speaker and filmmaker. She shares the secrets of prosperity that will allow anyone to unlock their full potential in life.

Ron Williams This week, Leonard hears the inspirational story of one of the most decorated body builders in the world, and how he overcame some tough challenges to get there.

The Intersection Of Race, Religion And Politics in America There are many ideologies that are as American as apple pie. But sometimes, they are used to justify and perpetuate racist ideas and racial inequalities. This week, Leonard talks with a writer, advocate and minister to discuss the sometimes unholy intersection of race, religion and politics.

The Story of a Civil Rights Freedom Rider How much do you know about the story of the Freedom Riders? They were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated south in 1961 to challenge segregation. This week, Leonard hears the compelling story of a Rabbi who was there and spent time in prison as a result.

Embracing Retirement with Dr. Cynthia Barnett No matter where you are in life, there’s always more to see and to do. This week, Leonard talks to an author who encourages people to not just settle for retirement, but to embrace it!

The Surprising Challenges of Caregiving 44 million caregivers are caught up in the “silver tsunami” sweeping America. This week, Leonard talks with an author about the surprising challenges of caregiving. She shares her personal story and the many important lessons she learned in caring for her aging mother.

A Man Falsely Accused This week, we have the compelling story of a man wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Demetrious Angelis survived years in a Canadian prison, but emerged with an inspirational story.

Getting Up From Being Down Have you ever been down in life? Really down? This week, we will hear the inspirational story of a man who faced some of the toughest challengers you can imagine and he’ll have some helpful advice.

America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation Separate but equal. You may be familiar with the phrase, but do you know it’s origin? We speak with Steve Luxenberg an award winning author, whose latest book is about the landmark Supreme Court case of Plessy v Ferguson, and America’s journey from slavery to segregation.

Setting Goals and Seeking Inspiration with Dr. Ollie This week, Leonard talks with a motivational speaker, author, songwriter, and filmmaker, who will offer you some energetic inspiration, to define and achieve your goals in life!

The Future of the NFL The future of the National Football League may not be as rosy as you might think. We’ll talk with a former NFL reporter to learn about the major changes on the horizon for America’s most popular sport.

Sub-Saharan Africa Despite billions of dollars in aid intended to help the people of Sub-Saharan Africa, the situation never seems to improve. This week, Leonard talks with Sylvanus Ayeni, the author of “Rescue Thyself: Change in Sub-Saharan Africa Must Come from Within” to learn why this issue should matter to African-Americans, and what needs to change.

Why Your Gadgets Are So Addictive Every day, we as consumers use a multitude of quite useful devices and products. But are there privacy concerns with ordinary products as technology advances? This week, Leonard talks with an expert in innovation and design.

Whistleblowers in America Misconduct by those in high places has been dangerous to reveal throughout American history. Allison Stanger is the author of "Whistleblowers: Honesty in America from Washington to Trump," and she shares some fascinating examples of whistleblowing in our nation's early days, and how they sometimes parallel present-day cases.

America's Problem with Prisons The incarceration rate in the United States of America is the highest in the world, and according to one study, one-third of black men in their twenties are either on parole, on probation, or in prison. This week, Leonard talks to a prison professional who will give you an inside view of America’s prison system.

Learning Lessons from the Holocost Nationalism, immigration, violence, racism--history often repeats itself. On this edition of The Urban Connection, Leonard talks to Ellen Korman Mains, the author of "Buried Rivers: A Spiritual Journey into the Holocaust." She shares some important perspectives on the state of our country and world today.

Battling America's High Dropout Rate This week, Leonard talks to a founder of a California-based program that aims to convince America's youth to stay in school and discover their life's passion.

Mentoring Fatherless Boys First this week, Leonard talks with a pastor who is mentoring fatherless boys. Then, he gets the inspirational story of woman who experienced child abuse and homelessness but has emerged as a successful real estate agent, author and motivational speaker.

Surviving the Foster Care System Dr. Christopher Hall shares his personal story of surviving the foster care system and discovering his love of math and science in high school. He said while he was attracted to education and becoming a productive member of society, his brother grew up in similar circumstances but chose a life of gangs and crime and was eventually sentenced to 1300 years in prison.

Knocking Out Back Pain with Winnifred Bragg This time, Leonard speaks with a medical doctor and pain specialist who says that 80% of Americans will have back pain at some point by age 55. She shares tips to knock out pain and maintain a healthy back.

Kwesha Neal: Finding True Joy Experiences such as losing a job, fear of change, and life's day-to-day rejections can cause you to lose your joy. Kwesha Neal is an author and life coach who shares wise advice to reveal your true self and the happiness that resides in all of us.

400 Years of Africans in America with Kathryn Knight 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of Africans in America. Author Kathryn Knight shares the facts of where the first Africans came from and why this anniversary is so significant.

Paying It Forward with Suzette Webb Billionaire Robert F. Smith made major headlines earlier this year with his generous pledge to pay off the student debt of Morehouse College's Class of 2019. But our guest, inspirational author Suzette Webb, says you don't have to be a billionaire to pay it forward.

Preventing Mass Shootings with Alan Banks The United States is reeling after a violent summer that saw three mass shootings across the country in less than a week. A security expert says in this current climate, situational awareness is key in potentially stopping a mass shooting before it starts.

Never Too Old to Make it Happen Fiona Harewood is an immigrant from Guyana. While in her mid-forties, she went from cleaning houses, to a Master’s Degree and then on to a prestigious job. She says if she can do it, you can too… Then, Carrick Felix a former pro basketball discusses the challenges of finding a purpose in life after his athletic career suddenly ended.

The African American Heritage Trail Our guest Elaine Cawley Weintraub is a former history teacher, and the co-creator of the African American Heritage Trail on Martha's Vineyard, which celebrates the stories of African Americans on the island.

The Power of Forgivness Leonard is joined by Reverend Anthony Thompson. His wife Myra was one of the 9 victims in the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Rev. Thompson explains why he made the radical decision to forgive the shooter, Dylan Roof, for his actions.

Culture is the Bass Gerald J. Leonard, a professionaly trained musician says companies that want to be successful, need to learn to function like jazz musicians- each department needs to play together in harmony. Then, the child of an influential comedian hopes his own personal story of addiction and recovery can inspire others.

Best Practices for Surviving a Mass Shooting Schools. Movie theaters. Churches. Synagogues. These days, it seems like a mass shooting can happen almost anywhere. We speak with security expert Alan Banks about what you can do to be prepared to survive during an active shooter situation.

The Reality of Media Bias One of the President’s favorite pastimes is taking to social media to complain that the mainstream media is biased against him. Our guest is noted journalism professor Nita Wiggins, and she says the President is right.

FGM Noted law professor Patricia Broussard discusses the practice of female genital mutilation, or FGM. Although it is a cultural tradition in many African and Middle Eastern countries, she argues that it is clearly a form of torture, and needs to be outlawed.

God and President Trump plus the Rest of Us On this week’s program, a theologian suggests that it is God’s will that Trump is in the White House. But not for the reasons you may think. Then, we speak to an author who believes the notion that winners never quit is a myth.

Emotional Emancipation Dr. Dee Caroll overcame overwhelming odds to rebuild a beautiful life, and now she wants to help others achieve emotional emancipation. Then, we speak with Jennifer Smith, a young lawyer who put her promising career on hold to do pro-bono human rights work in South Africa. She thinks more young, black Americans need to experience the motherland.

Eradicating Smallpox in India On this week’s program, we discuss and celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans in the medical field, with the doctor who helped wipe out smallpox in India. Her name is Dr. Cornelia Davis, and her book is Searching for Sitala Mata: Eradicating Smallpox in India.

Blackface Earlier this year, an old yearbook photo showing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam in blackface surfaced, leading other Virgina politicians to not only condemn the Governor for his actions, but to also admit that they also wore blackface in the past. And just last week, a predominatly black high school in suburban Chicago staged a walkout after white students posted a video of themselves in blackface at a fast food drive thru. To white people, what may seem like harmless fun is actually deeply offensive to the black community. We explore the ugly origins of blackface, and why it is so offensive with author, educator and journalist Nita Wiggins.