This week, Slingshot The Podcast dives deep into the impact of defunding public education and public broadcasting — and how these decisions fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. Inspired by the iconic PBS series Reading Rainbow, we reflect on how stories, voices, and representation shape generations, and what happens when those resources are stripped away.

Joining us for this extended episode is Brent Johnstone, co-founder of FathersRead365, who is using the power of reading and mentorship to uplift Black and brown youth. Together, we explore how to keep young people engaged, motivated, and joyful even in turbulent political times.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

✅ The legacy of Reading Rainbow, PBS, and public broadcasting as tools for education and empowerment

✅ How harsh school policies push kids toward the criminal justice system

✅ How defunding public television and schools connects to the school-to-prison pipeline

✅ Brent Johnstone’s mission with Father’s Read 365 and the role of fathers in literacy and leadership

Whether you grew up with Reading Rainbow or are currently advocating for equitable education, this conversation will inspire you to take action on behalf of the next generation.

📌 Stay Connected:

🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/

📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast

📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast

📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast

⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast

📩 Contact: media@newpaproject.org

The revolution will not be televised, but it will be live. In Episode 11 of Slingshot The Podcast, we reflect on Gil Scott-Heron’s timeless words and why they matter just as much today.

Joining host Kadida Kenner is Charles Gregory, bringing a sharp perspective on what revolution really looks like in 2025 from redistricting battles in Texas to the fight for voting rights and the dangerous normalization of authoritarian tactics.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
✅ Why Gil Scott-Heron’s message still speaks to today’s democracy crisis
✅ How redistricting and gerrymandering strip power from Black and brown communities
✅ The role of performative politics — from Jasmine Crockett’s clapbacks to Cory Booker’s marathon speech
✅ Trump’s latest executive orders and what they mean for our rights, safety, and democracy

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a call to action. The revolution won’t be handed to us by TV pundits — it will be lived, organized, and fought for in real time by people like you.

📌 Stay Connected:
🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/
📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast
📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast
📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast
⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast
📩 Contact: media@newpaproject.org

🎉 We’ve hit double digits! Episode 10 is here, and we’re celebrating this milestone with a powerful conversation on the role music, community, and leadership play in driving real change.

Joining us are Cory Long, Sr., D.J. Cory Da 1, and D.J. Papo (Papo Hernandez), three Pennsylvania-based DJs with dynamic voices who know how to move a crowd and move a community forward. From the dance floor to the voting booth, they share how DJs and community leaders can use their platforms to inspire action, protect rights, and bring people together.

🎶 We’ll take you back to 2020 COVID quarantine nights when DJs like DJ Jazzy Jeff and D-Nice kept our spirits alive with #ClubQuarantine, and show you how those same skills can be used today to motivate people to take action.

💬 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
✅ How DJs became lifelines during quarantine and kept hope alive through music
✅ Why community spaces and cultural events are critical for joy, unity, and resilience
✅ Practical ways to use your talents and influence to speak out on the issues that matter most

Whether you’re here for the music, the movement, or the message, this episode will leave you inspired to get involved and keep fighting for the causes you believe in.

In Episode 9 of Slingshot The Podcast, hosts Kadida Kenner and Charles Gregory take us deep into the battleground for rights and recognition. Titled “Stand Up for Your Rights,” this episode sounds the alarm on the escalating attacks against bodily autonomy, voting rights, and due process across America.

Through sharp, honest conversation, the hosts unpack how laws that seem distant are already reshaping lives, especially those of Black women and marginalized communities. From a chilling story out of Georgia to dangerous voter suppression tactics hiding in plain sight, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who believes in freedom and justice.

🎧 In This Episode:
✔️ Reproductive rights and the tragic case of Adriana Smith in Georgia
✔️ The growing danger of fetal personhood laws
✔️ The SAVE Act and how it could be used to suppress votes, if passed
✔️ A call to action inspired by the legacy of Ms. Viviette Applewhite
✔️ Practical ways to defend your agency and advocate for your family and community
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a call to stand up, speak out, and protect what’s yours. ✊🏾

📌 Stay Connected:
🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/
📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast
📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast
📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast
⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast
📩 Contact: podcast@newpaproject.org

In this gripping episode of Slingshot The Podcast, host Kadida Kenner asks the question that cuts through centuries of injustice: “What the Hell Did We Ever Do to Y’all?”

Featuring Dyneco Gibson, Director of Programs at the New Pennsylvania Project (NPP), this conversation dives into the painful reality that Black Americans—unlike many other marginalized communities—have never received reparations or a national reckoning for centuries of systemic violence, exploitation, and erasure.

From the internment of Japanese Americans to the struggles of Indigenous Nations, this episode traces how others have received recognition, apologies and redress—while Black communities continue to be told to “get over it.”

🧠 Prepare to challenge what you’ve been taught and reflect deeply on what justice really looks like.

🎧 In This Episode:
✔️ Anti-Blackness in America: from country music to DEI backlash

✔️ What’s “unacceptable” for others—but normal for Black folks

✔️ Sundown towns, travel bans, and American double standards

✔️ The case for reparations—and why cultural love isn’t the same as people love

✔️ How appropriation and silence fuel erasure

📢 Don’t just listen—share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

📌 Stay Connected
🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/
📷 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast
📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast
📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast
⏲️ TikTok: @slingshotpodcast
📩 Email: podcast@newpaproject.org

“The Courts Aren’t All Bad: #CourtsMatter” | Episode 7 – Slingshot The Podcast

When you hear “the court system,” what comes to mind? Prison. Punishment. Injustice.

But not every courtroom is a weapon. Some are shields.

In this sharp, truth-telling episode of Slingshot The Podcast, hosts Kadida Kenner and Charles Gregory dive into what most people don’t know about Pennsylvania’s court system. Titled “The Courts Aren’t All Bad: #CourtsMatter,” this episode challenges assumptions and spotlights how PA appellate courts have protected our rights, even when politicians failed us.

From public school funding equity to the historic role of Black voters in court rulings, the Slingshot team brings the facts—and reminds us why understanding the courts is a must, not an option.

🎧 In This Episode:
✔️ Why Pennsylvania has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world
✔️ The real story behind how PA courts helped demand fair funding for public schools
✔️ What you didn’t learn in civics class about the PA Commonwealth Court
✔️ The legacy of voting rights battles and what’s at stake in retention elections
✔️ How #CourtsMatter—especially for the misunderstood and marginalized

🎙️ This isn’t just commentary—it’s a wake-up call.

📌 Stay Connected:
🌐 Website: https://slingshotthepodcast.org/
📸 Instagram: @slingshotthepodcast
📘 Facebook: @SlingshotThePodcast
📺 YouTube: @SlingshotThePodcast
📩 Media/Guest Inquiries: info@newpaproject.org

🎧 Episode 6: “Juneteenth: Invitation to the Cookout Is Gonna Cost You”

Juneteenth isn’t just a day off. It’s a reminder that freedom came with a cost—and it still does. In this special episode of Slingshot The Podcast, we ask a real question: What are you doing with the freedom our ancestors fought for?

We’re joined by Dyneco Gibson, Director of Programs, New Pennsylvania Project, for a sharp, no-fluff conversation about voter apathy, political fatigue, and the disconnect between history and action. We talk about what it takes to wake up our communities—especially young Black voters—and how honoring our ancestors means getting in the fight, not just rocking a t-shirt.

🎯 What you’ll hear:
✅ Why “our ancestors died for this” isn’t resonating anymore
✅ How to fight voter suppression in Pennsylvania and beyond
✅ The true meaning of civic power and generational responsibility
✅ Why showing up is more powerful than ever in 2025

💬 Drop “I’m showing up” in the comments if you’ve made your voting plan.

Ballers’ Lives Are Political, Too!

What happens when athletes are told to “stick to sports” but politics won't stick to them? 🏈

In Episode 5 of Slingshot The Podcast, hosts Charles and Kadida are joined by Paul “Boo Boo” Palmer, Temple football legend and former NFL running back, for an unfiltered conversation about the inescapable politics of sports, race, and identity.

From his time at Temple and the NFL to deeply personal experiences with racism, including a disturbing piece of LDS literature sent to his college dorm before a game against BYU. Paul reflects on how Black athletes have always been political, even when they didn’t ask to be.

🔎 Topics include:
✔️ NFL culture and the myth of "apolitical" athletes
✔️ BYU, racism, and college football realities
✔️ What Saquon Barkley said about politics—and why it matters
✔️ Respecting the office vs. respecting the president
✔️ How Paul stays engaged with youth and speaks out today

🎧 This isn’t just a sports episode. It’s a powerful look at how deeply intertwined Black identity, public expectation, and power truly are.

📅 New episodes drop Thursdays at 12PM ET
🔔 Subscribe + turn on notifications so you don’t miss a moment.

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📌 Stay Connected:
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