Off Mic

On today’s show we partnered with a young artist named Summer Blake, studying film & television at Drexel University. Summer had the opportunity to interview Adjoa Andoh who starred as Lady Danbury in the Netflix production Bridgerton. Her role in Bridgerton as a quick-witted, feisty noblewoman in the Regency court not only demonstrated the strength and versatility of Black women in the arts, but also opened the eyes of the viewers to show how many different roles in the art world are now attainable for Black artists. It signaled representation. Adjoa has performed in both film and stage productions for decades both in this country and in her native England.As an aspiring Black film director, Summer always had questions that dealt with race, feminism and inclusivity. When she watched Bridgerton for the first time, Summer was intrigued by the strength of Adjoa’s character Lady Danbury. She enjoyed that Lady Danbury was an example of many of  the things she hopes to create in her own characters. 

When the FDA announced it had approved some COVID-19 vaccines, questions flooded the internet. Was it the saving grace it was being advertised as? Or was it something else, Something dangerous??  To explore some of those issues, Philly Audio Diaries invited a group of students from our partner school, El Centro de Estudiantes to listen to a vaccine expert explain how the vaccines work. Led by our producer Bianca Murray, the students were skeptical.  Our guest?  Dr. Paul Offit  of the director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, he’s a champion of the vaccines. Can he change our producer Bianca's mind about the two jabs? 

Welcome to Off Mic, a new podcast from Philly Audio Diaries. Let’s face it, most of the news we hear is white. And middle class. And where are the young people?On Off Mic, we hand the microphone over to young people of color from the great city of Philadelphia. You want to know something that’s not so great about where we come from? Philadelphia is the poorest big city in America. Our youth producers have stories to tell. They’re resilient, and curious.And here’s the thing, we need to hear these stories.

What Do You Do If Your Parent Didn’t Really Parent You? Tiamatti Ruiz has a question that haunts so many young people, and so many older people who were once young.  What Do You Do If Your Parent Didn’t Really Parent You? Tiamatti takes care of her brother and sister when her mother does not. Now she’s 18, but she’s been watching over her younger siblings since she was a little girl.  Child abuse and neglect constitute a public health crisis in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control report that 1 in 7 children has experienced abuse or neglect in the past year, which they say is likely an understatement. Childhood trauma can have long-lasting effects, such as emotional dysregulation and difficulties trusting other people. We know from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study that neglect and abuse are correlated with physical health outcomes, like diabetes and high blood pressure. “I hear you talk about your little brother and sister. But what about you?” - Chalice Jenkins, speaking with Off Mic producer Tiamatti RuizOn today’s show, Tiamatti Ruiz talks to someone who tackles these issues for a living. Chalice Jenkins is an Assistant Professor at the Marriage and Family Therapy program of Drexel University.Throughout their conversation, Professor Jenkins continually asked Tiamatti about how her experiences had affected her - not just the others around her. “In minority communities, there's this strong black woman archetype, right? We see it in our grandmothers, we see it in our mothers, and then we start feeling like we got to do that...but is that healthy?” - Chalice JenkinsListen to this episode to hear their conversation.