Let's Talk: Recent Episodes
WDIY 88.1 FM
Let’s Talk is home to hard-hitting but necessary conversations, brought directly to listeners' ears. Let's Talk about the tough topics that others shy away from. Let's Talk about what's standing in the way of community progress. Let's Talk about how we can be better Lehigh Valley neighbors and residents. Join host Dr. Hasshan Batts for a program that will leave you thinking.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks with Phyllis Alexander, an elder who describes herself as a consultant to liberation, about how she became someone who wants to help her community heal.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes PA Bucks, a local rapper and community leader, to talk about how he went from growing up in a shaky home to becoming a role model for kids in similar places.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks with Wilfredo Melendez about his journey to studying philosophy and his love for wrestling with questions that don't always have answers.
Dr. Hasshan Batts sits down with Onaje Muid to share the importance of loving those around you, fighting for Black empowerment, and restoring the village.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes Aisha Rilwanu and Florence Nabi, two 2024 participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship, which brings young leaders from Africa annually to the U.S.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks with Kumari Ghafoor-Davis, a social worker, wife, and mother, about the importance of positive leadership, the damage of anti-Blackness, and the work of spreading love.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes Kimberley Alexander, Executive Director of Moms of Black Boys United, to talk about the national organization's work and the fear Black moms feel for their sons every day.
Dr. Hasshan Batts sits down with Najah Wakil to talk about her ongoing journey of discovering herself and the idea of collective victory.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks with Kenyatta Uqdah about growing up in Bethlehem and Baltimore, being a child of divorce, and his ongoing goal of being a healer for other people.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes his friend Raoul "Great" McFall to talk about his journey from being a regular inmate to being a great father, and a great person.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks with Shoshanah Tornberg, a Rabbi and leader in the Allentown Jewish community, who shares her thoughts on Jewish faith in today's world.
Dr. Hasshan Batts sits down with his friend Michael Richardson to discuss growing up in Brooklyn, addiction, and his desire to be known simply as a loving father.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes Carmen Bell, Director of Healthy Aging at United Way Lehigh Valley, to discuss the needs of our elders and the importance of connecting between generations.
Dr. Hasshan Batts talks to Zaleeae Sierra and Arielle Brown to break down the difference in generations and the experience of young people in today's world.
On this episode of Let's Talk, Dr. Batts dives into the world of nonprofits and nonprofit aid with Anne Gingerich, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO).
Dr. Batts is back with another episode of Let's Talk, this time welcoming Cody Bright from REFORM Alliance to talk about parole and probation reform.
Dr. Batts welcomes author Saide Saddiq-Cisse, who talks about his personal experiences as a father and navigating high conflict in co-parenting situations.
Dr. Batts sits down with a community elder, former NFL football player Walter Beach III, for a conversation about his life, experiences, family and more.
Dr. Batts is back with another episode of Let's Talk, this time welcoming Dr. Angelique Orr for a conversation about her life journey, community organizing, self-love, and more.
Dr. Batts welcomes Ruth Santiago, a climate activist, attorney, and member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, for a conversation about climate change, environmental justice, and more.
On this timely and powerful episode of Let's Talk, Dr. Hasshan Batts sits down with Lehigh Valley native Larry Spagnola, co-author of The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption, Rodney King's autobiography.
Dr. Batts welcomes Rodney Bushe and "Positive" Kyle Lassiter for a conversation about "coming from the bottom," rising out of hardship to become successful and happy in life.
Dr. Batts talks with Taquil Mason about what it means to have a "real model" when growing up, then welcomes Shaheid Hasan for a conversation about giving people a second chance to improve their lives.
Dr. Batts welcomes guest Keenan Hudson, who was incarcerated at 15 years old for his role in a fatal armed robbery, spent 15 years in adult prisons, and has since transformed his life.
Dr. Batts welcomes Tyrone Russell and Kevin Greene from the Cleveland School of Cannabis to talk about entrepreneurship and entering the growing cannabis industry.
Dr. Batts is back for a timely and important conversation about what mental health and mental illness really are with NAMI Lehigh Valley's Leo Rooney and Darnell Scott.
Dr. Batts welcomes Dr. Cynthia Mota, president of Allentown City Council to talk about the current matters of importance to the community, the importance of communication, as well as her background and connection to the city.
Dr. Batts welcomes Dwayne Jones of Preventive Measures, Inc. and the Preventive Measures Foundation to talk about giving back to the community through philanthropic support, Black charitable giving, Preventive Measures' future plans, and more.
Guest host Katarah Jordan welcomes Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Jamilla Campo and local social worker JoAnna Richardson to offer their reactions and insight on the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the near-certain impact on health outcome statistics within communities of color.
With the recent spate of mass shootings throughout the nation, Dr. Batts welcomes a conversation about gun violence in America and Pennsylvania with CeaseFirePA Executive Director Adam Garber, the Commonwealth’s leader in advocating for an end to gun violence and Freedom School Director Katarah Jordan, who provides an educator's perspective on this deadly issue.
Dr. Batts explores the history of racism and recent controversy around the issue with faith and community leader Dr. Gregory Edwards of the Resurrected Life Community Church.
Dr. Hasshan Batts brings another tough, important topic to listeners’ ears – Islam, and what it means to be Muslim in the Lehigh Valley – through conversations with Shaykh Mohammad Elshinawy from the Islamic Education Center of Pennsylvania, and Monerra Laila Hosin about unjust stigmas and stereotypes, Islam's peaceful reality and the holy month of Ramadan.
Dr. Hasshan Batts sits down with Ivan Watson from the Watson Organization and Clayton Mitchell from Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals to talk about the work being done in Philadelphia to overcome neighborhood violence and reduce recidivism within the criminal justice system.
For Black History Month, Dr. Batts brings focus to the personal history of two mothers, Jeani Garcia and Movita Johnson-Harrell, who share their stories of tragic family loss due to violence and incarceration that can be traced to the social determinants of law enforcement, the legal system, and justice.
Dr. Hasshan Batts welcomes Julie, Marcus, and Mike Viglianti as his first guests on Let's Talk where they discuss "The Talk," a common practice in many households with various interpretations.