NEXT with Marcus Atkinson

"Brother D's" Journey into community advocacy and the role the Crime Victim Center of Erie plays in dealing with trauma-induced-community  events.

Host Marcus Atkinson talks with Bishop Dwane Brock, founder of The  Eagle's Nest, a life skills training program for at risk youth. Then  Marcus talks with Matt and Cleo Harris about Character Be About It, a  prevention based program taught by trained law enforcement officers,  which instills important character traits in children in grades K  through 8.

The influence of fathers is, in a word, AWESOME! But with 19.7M children  in the U.S. fatherless, putting them at risk for innumerable challenges  from obesity to incarceration, Marcus and guests discuss fatherhood  & fatherly influences - and fatherlessness - in our communities.

Belated happy Mother's Day! Matriarchs hold our families together. How  do we cherish their role in our lives, and how do we lean on their  spirit when time, distance, or loss means they're no longer right there  beside us? This episode takes a look at those questions alongside the  all-important and evolving role of mothers in our country and around the  world. Special gu...

Public discourse about gentrification can spawn  controversy and conflict but is nevertheless more important today than  ever before, including in the communities of Erie. Marcus and guests  discuss displacement, disinvestment, and gentrification in this second  installment of our series on gentrification. Featuring: Molly  Brechtel, healthcare advocate, union organizer, c...

What is it about the concept of gentrification that sparks controversy?  Marcus shares a personal experience, and guests discuss revitalization  efforts in the neighborhoods of Erie, asking whether these developments  carry the negative connotations of "gentrification". Featuring: Dr. Adam Saeler, Assistant Proffessor, Criminal Justice, Mercyhurst University Nicole Reitzell, Vice Pr...

Marcus and guests Scott Michel, site pastor for Grace Church in McKean,  and Fred Rush, retired journalist and public servant, honor Black  History Month with a conversation about the rich history of Pullman  porters in the 19th and 20th centuries, including their impact on the  development of the black middle class.

Marcus and guests Marc Blount, Art Leopold, and Dr. Parris Baker discuss the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Marcus and guests recap the hottest local stories of 2018, starting with  the meteoric resurgence of the "pizza bomber" case, with guests Jerry  Clark and Ed Palattella, authors of "Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of  America's Most Shocking Bank Robbery". Then journalist Kevin Flowers and  Hip Hop artist Cee Brown join Marcus for a look back at a memorable  year in politic...

Returning special guests Nicci Page (D) and Robert J. Yates (R) discuss  engagement around midterm elections - and results - from the vantage  point of each party. And Rebecca Styn, executive director of Idea Fund  Erie, and Sonya Byes, host and producer of Chatting with Sonya, join in a  conversation about the historic gains by women in politics nationwide.

Get informed, get engaged, and get involved! With midterm elections  quickly approaching, local representatives from the Democratic and  Republican parties share party views, featuring special guests Gary  Carver (R), Nicci Page (D), Jim Wertz (D), and Robert J. Yates (R).

The forward momentum of Erie seems to be on everyone's  mind. But is Erie moving in the right direction, elevating new voices,  or is it just business as usual? Special guests share the perspective of  new voices, especially those of new Americans, and an economic  development perspective. In this episode, Marcus is joined by: Vanessa Belen - Governor's Council on Latino Affair...

Community advocates Tamara Johnson and Ann Young join Craig Heidelberg,  owner of Dapper Don's Style Emporium & co-founder of Men Building  Men, and Robert Manus, brother of Felix Manus, for an analysis of the  child support enforcement system, including via the documentary "Where's  Daddy" by Philadelphia filmmaker Rel Dowdell and Felix Manus's  incarceration and trag...

DACA recipient Luis Rodriguez, licensed social worker Lydia Laythe,  International Institute of Erie Director Dylanna Grasinger, and Lynn  Johnson, founder and director of Erie's AmeriMasala multicultural unity  event, join Marcus in a discussion of U.S. immigration policy and its  local impacts, from DACA - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - to  the Trump administra...