King Crush Thursday - The Interviews

Guggenheim Fellow Tommie-Waheed Evans' work explores blackness, spirituality, queerness & liberation. His training began with Karen McDonald, later receiving an Ailey School fellowship, and an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. A former company member of Lula Washington Dance Theater, Complexions, and PHILADANCO, he's created works for BalletX, Dallas Black, DCDC, and Ballet Mem...

André Robert Lee is a Film Maker, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Writer, Educator, and executive producer of the NPR radio broadcast, "Notes from America". He has committed his entire career to building an army of change agents. His process includes Many Things; New York City Public Schools, The Ford Foundation, Miramax Films, Urbanworld, Film Movement, Diana Ross, BET, Universal, PBS, HBO, Sundance...

Dr Gilbert Coleman @drgilbertc walks in the office of apostle while serving as the Overseer of the Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, Pa and the presiding Bishop of the Freedom WorldWide Covenant Ministries. After pastoring Freedom for thirty years, the Lord expanded Dr Coleman's assignment to be a leader to leaders. Dr Coleman has always desired to see men fulfill their God-given...

James Earl Davis is the Bernard C. Watson Chair in Urban Education at Temple University and Professor of Higher Education in the College of Education and Human Development. He also holds affiliate faculty appointments in the Department of Africology and African American Studies and the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program. With an explicit concern for gender equity in education, his resea...

Tony Moore hails from the city of brotherly love Philadelphia Pennsylvania and has dedicated his life to music from a young age. Tony’s dedication to his craft has a forwarded him the opportunities to be a songwriter, gospel artist music producer in both TV and film and so much more Tony’s goals in life is to gift back to his community, the culture and the world through the magic of music. See the...

EPISODE 161 Quran Dean - A passionate and driven 23-year-old born and raised in West Philadelphia, he earned an Associate's degree in Business Administration and Management from the Community College of Philadelphia in 2023. Currently, he works in the real estate industry as a tenant service coordinator for a global commercial real estate company, a role he began in December 2023. Prior to this, h...

EPISODE 83 Nashid Furaha Ali, native Philadelphian, Gratz High School graduate, attended Northwestern University, graduated from Wilberforce University. Nashid has had multiple career experiences:  Social Worker, Community Worker, Merchant, Storyteller, Jewelry Artist, Teaching Artist. Nashid is married and he and his wife enjoy 7 children and several grandchildren. Nashid enjoys meditation, Vegan...

Raheem L. Manning is a dynamic leader in business development, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement, with a deep passion for enhancing Philadelphia’s cultural and economic landscape. As the City’s first Nighttime Economy Director (Night Mayor), Raheem plays a pivotal role in shaping Philadelphia into a thriving, diverse, and globally competitive hub for arts, culture, and nightlife. Since his ap...

Michael Newmuis serves as the 2026 Director for the City of Philadelphia, a pivotal role appointed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. He leads the city’s efforts to prepare for an extraordinary year, highlighted by the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, the FIFA World Cup, and the US Navy and Marines 250th anniversary. These celebrations are set to attract millions of visitors and showcase...

EPISODE 80 Roy McFarlane is a Poet, Playwright and former Youth & Community Worker born in Birmingham, England of Jamaican parentage, living in Brighton, England. He’s the National Canal Laureate and former Birmingham Poet Laureate and Starbucks Poet in Residence. He has performed from Amsterdam to Philadelphia, sharing his passion for social justice, equality and love. Roy’s debut collection,...

Dr. Dale G. Caldwell is the President of Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey. He is the 15th President of the University and the first African American in that role. Dale is the Pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, the author of eight books and for the last four years in a row has been named one of the 50 Most Influential People in Higher Education in...

JONATHAN PINKETT  - His own words:  “I was born in Philadelphia Pa in 1949. I grew up in South Philadelphia a few blocks from the Philadelphia College of Art. After studying filmmaking at the Philadelphia College of Art, I moved to New York to study drawing and painting at an Atelier led by master painters Jacob Collins and Colleen Barry. My technique is an indirect painting practice that is influ...

Dr. Iquail Shaheed - Hailed in reviews as "a perfect example of his generation of male dancers... Technically superb and artistically infallible," Dr. Iquail Shaheed is a Philadelphia-based artist, activist and the executive artistic director of DANCE IQUAIL! through which he creates new works and programs that centers on Blackness, Justice and Joy. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ba...

Jim Turner has long been a catalyst for change in the state of Pennsylvania, with the City of Chester as his home base.    Jim is the President and CEO of Dunamis Marketing, a full-service marketing and consulting firm that specializes in mass media production and placement, strategic planning, event execution, corporate community partnership programs, and ethnic marketing. His portfolio of client...

Mello Dixon “I have always been a HUGE fan of sports and the stories behind the athletes. I wanted to figure out a way to bring the history of the story to light. I came up with a concept to develop Wearable Art. I was able through very hard work and dedication to bring to life the images that I was so amazed by.    I dedicated 3 years from 2008 to 2011 to Mastering my craft. I call it Kanye’ing i...

 Chad Feggins - Recent Morehouse College graduate and future AmeriCorps City Year Philadelphia participant, Chad Feggins is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the fields of wellness and community service. With a passion for health, fitness, and community empowerment, Chad is on a mission to inspire others to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. Graduating from Morehouse College, a presti...

EPISODE 158 A native of Baltimore, Maryland and a graduate of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Dontae L. Ryan @drdryan1979 @LearnWithRyan received his baccalaureate degree in Electrical Engineering and Doctorate in Engineering from Morgan State University in 2001 and 2012, respectively. Dr. Ryan has over 20 years of professional experience in Radio Frequency Engineering currently serving a...

EPISODE 157 Emile E. Holland is a 23 years old  west Philadelphia Native. Emile is a proud product of the Philadelphia public school system. Emile the son of a Temple Owl began his journey at Temple in the spring of 2019. Entering into Temple as a political science major, Emile quickly realized his zeal for the field of Africology, more specifically education under the discipline of Africology. Gr...

Glenn Best is the Workforce Development Consultant for T3 Creators Collective LLC. Performing complex planning, research, consultative, technical and program administration work. Provides consultative and technical services to other governmental agencies, community organizations and the private sector. Assists in establishing program goals and objectives; developing program guideline, schedules, p...

LaMar Baylor is a native of Camden, NJ and is a proud gay black man! LaMar found his passion for the arts, specifically dance, where he graduated from the Creative Arts High School and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He has danced for Eleone Dance Theatre, Rebecca Davis Dance Company, PHILADANCO, and The Lion King on Broadway as a Swing. LaMar is not only a dancer but an Educator, Chor...

Akil Parker is the founder and CEO of All This Math, LLC, an educational services company aimed at drastically improving the relationship between Mathematics and the Black Community. The company offers math tutoring as well as educational consulting and professional development for schools. All This Math also maintains a free YouTube channel where viewers can get simplified math instruction infuse...

Gerald Veasley’s creative life has taken him into two mutually supportive roles: artist and arts leader. As a bassist, Veasley has performed and recorded with a wide array of celebrated jazz artists and has released nine recordings as an artist in his own right. In his role as President of Jazz Philadelphia, he is driven to help the next generation of artists thrive in his hometown. This organizat...

Daniel Jackson  is a skilled multimedia creative specializing in videography and photography. He began his professional artistic career in the world of music promotion, playing multiple positions in the field as a mixtape DJ, graphic designer, editor and producer. Founded in 2011, Embassy: Interactive, LLC was created as a platform to promote a curated group of musical artists that were not in the...

Clayton Carothers IV @tattedfoodtherapist @dawgondrums7 - Teacher (science), musician (drummer), creator of plant-based foods (Tatted Food Therapist). Clayton was born and raised in North Jersey. Grew up in a tight family and went to college in Daytona Beach, Florida to the great Bethune -Cookman University. Graduated and moved right to Philly to begin teaching. He enjoys health and wellness. Clay...

Ty Brooks - Fashion Designer/ Creative / Son of God & Baldwin … has been designing over 20 yrs and recently showed at New York Fashion Week Winter 2022. Ty has dressed Jill Scott/ Erykah Badu, He’s a lover of the written word, color, amber hues and mahogany muses, and serious jazz: Betty Carter, Monk, Gregory Porter, Getz etc, it’s all inspirational to him, gifted to gift, blessed to be a bles...