By Jenni Todd
Murray, KY – Media Release: WKMS Airs The Promised Land
Date: May 3, 2011
Contact: Membership Coordinator Jenni Todd (270-809-4748 or jtodd14@murraystate.edu)
Murray State's public radio service 91.3 WKMS presents The Promised Land, a special five-part series hosted by Majora Carter airing Thursdays at noon, May 12 through June 9.
The spring season of The Promised Land features "Voices from the Gulf Coast," and tells the stories of local visionaries who are making a difference in communities along the Gulf. The oil spill followed waves of hard luck for the Gulf region. As a result, the human needs have been overwhelming. Media and public attention have shifted away from the region rapidly, but the crisis is far from over. The visionaries in this series are helping to rebuild broken communities, often one individual at a time.
In the five hour-long segments of the series, The Promised Land explores the following.
Thursday, May 12 at noon hear Reaching for Greatness: Dr. Kyshun Webster grew up in the St. Bernard Projects of New Orleans. He created multitudes of youth programs that now extend to three states in the Gulf South.
Thursday, May 19 at noon hear Planting Seeds for a Lifetime: Nat Turner was one of the volunteers who raced to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help with the rebuilding. It's been over five years and Turner has remained in New Orleans, working with the kids of the Lower Ninth, especially drop-outs.
Thursday, May 26 at noon hear Chemistry of the Aftermath: Wilma Subra is a chemist who has spent her career defending local communities against Louisiana's powerful oil and gas industries. She's helping communities deal with the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Thursday, June 2 at noon hear Reimagining a Way of Life: New Orleans East is home to the most-dense ethnically Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam, most of whom are connected to the fishing industry. Now they are rebuilding their lives by opening gas stations and nail salons, while dealing with the disorientation of losing their lifetime connections to the water.
Thursday, June 9 at noon hear Leading Out of the Ruins: Sharon Hanshaw changed from cosmetologist to activist after Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home and hairdressing business. She started Coastal Women for Change (CWC), mobilizing women around rebuilding her home town of Biloxi.
Host Majora Carter founded the non-profit Sustainable South Bronx to advance the environmental and economic rebirth of her hometown. She is one of Essence magazine's "25 most influential African-Americans" and one of Newsweek's "25 to watch."