Activist

Streets Dept’s CONRAD BENNER: Blogger, Podcaster, Activist

April 12, 2021 Activist, Artist, Politics, Writers 1:02:50

Conrad Benner is the person and energy behind Streets Dept. Streets Dept is a “Best of” Philly podcast as well as widely popular street-art blog. The blog is celebrating its 10th year in existence in 2021. 

Born and raised in Fishtown, Conrad has always had an interest in the arts. We talked about the early days of Streets Dept and his decision to leave a stable job in marketing and pursue his blog full-time.

Conrad is the expert in Philly street art. He discusses Philly’s current art scene, the repurposing of classic Philly buildings, and how his blog has developed over the years. Conrad discusses the influence his parents have had on him as well as their support in his  coming out as a gay man. 

Conrad also has smart, progressive views on how this city can improve and he’s not shy about his disappointment in Mayor Jim Kenney. Will he eventually run for office in Philly? 

Benner is regularly listed as one of Philadelphia’s most influential people and it’s well-deserved recognition. We think you’ll enjoy this interview with one of Philly’s more interesting and passionate residents.

LINKS:
www/twitter/facebook/instagram

Allen Hornblum – Prison Experiments, Gangs, and other Philly Tales

March 26, 2021 Activist, Authors, History, Writers 1:07:00

Allen Hornblum is an activist, writer, lecturer, and investigative journalist who has tackled some of Philadelphia’s more intense stories.

As a worker in the Philly Prison systems, Allen noticed prisoners with bandages all over their skin. He inquired what was going on, which led him to uncover one of the more egregious experiments in Philadelphia history. Dermatologists at Penn conducted a variety of tests on unknowing prisoners at Holmesburg Prison. He later discovered the government was also involved in conducting experiments involving chemical warfare agents and other drugs. He wrote a book called Acres of Skin about the unethical experiments by one of the world’s leading dermatologists.

Hornblum also did an exhaustive study and investigation into the K&A Gang out of Kensington. The K&A Gang was basically Philly’s Irish Mafia, which focused on house burglaries around the Philly suburbs. They eventually became involved in drug dealing and helped make Philadelphia the meth capital of the country. 

Hornblum talked in depth about both of these books and moments in Philadelphia history. It’s a fascinating discussion.

Hornblum is a wild and intense guy who covers very serious Philly issues. You gotta hear these stories.

LINKS:

Allen Hornblum

Judy Ni – Sharing Love Through Food and Mentoring

March 16, 2021 Activist, Food & Drink 38:07

Judy Ni is of Taiwanese decent. She started out in the corporate world, but decided to follow food obsession and enter the restaurant world. Starting at the bottom, Judy worked her way to the top at fine dining establishments in the New York City and Philadelphia area. After some years in Philly at Farm & Fisherman, Judy and her husband decided to go back to her family roots and open a casual Taiwanese restaurant in Philly. They call it Baology, it’s at 18th and JFK and it’s receiving rave reviews.

Judy is also a driving force behind the non-profit Hospitality Together which seeks to create a supportive eco-system to help underserved young adults and training the next generation of Philly chefs at the same time.

LINKS:
Baology: www/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

Queer Eye’s Tyreek Wanamaker Talks Show and Life

November 17, 2020 Activist, Entertainment, TV/Radio 49:46

Season 5 Episode 4 of Queer Eye in Philadelphia featured Tyreek Wanamaker from Philadelphia. Queer Eye is a fun, inspiring show and the episode with Tyreek may be the most inspirational. Tyreek is our guest on this episode.

Tyreek overcame a variety of obstacles in his life including having a brother doing life in prison and being homeless much of his high school years. These days, Tyreek is active in his community. He is co-founder of the non-profit organization The Block Gives Back, which aims to “promote community involvement and engagement throughout Philadelphia by targeting issues within the community and devising a plan to recruit local volunteers, businesses, organizations and community leaders to help us in working toward a solution.” They do a weekly event called Feed the Block which creates food for those in need.

He also works at The Mighty Writers were he helps kids master the art of communicating effectively through the written word.

We caught up with Tyreek about his experiences on Queer Eye, how is life has changed since the show, the community work that he’s currently involved with, and his future plans, which may include running for a local office.

Tyreek on Instagram

Arnetta Johnson – The Jazz Disrupter

October 1, 2020 Activist, Entertainment, Music 43:51

Trumpeter Arnetta Johnson has performed on the world’s stage, she’s only 26 with a bright future, and she’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.

At 13, Arnetta Johnson decided to take up trumpet at Camden, New Jersey’s High School for the Creative & Performing Arts in an effort to get out of class. Four years later, she entered the prestigious Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. Soon after, she performed at the Super Bowl as a member of Beyonce’s backing band. These days, she’s leads her own band called SUNNY.

Arnetta discussed growing up in Camden, her journey to Berklee in Boston, and the culture shock of that move. It was the first time she encountered racial slurs and faced life without a corner store. She soon realized that her fellow students had far more personal training leading into their arrivals at Berklee. She locked herself away in the practice room for most of her freshman year to catch up, and catch up she did.

She made a couple of connections at a show in Philadelphia that followed her to Berklee and eventually led to a gig in Beyonce Knowles’ band for her Super Bowl performance.

Arnetta is the self-proclaimed “Disrupter of Jazz” because she wants to disrupt everything you think of when you hear the word Jazz. NPR recently called Arnetta Johnson one of the Top 20 Artists to Watch.

Current events weigh heavily on Arnetta. She candidly discusses the importance of current events influencing the music she creates and how music has always been influenced by history.

We also talked about the pressures of being a band-leader at the young age of 26 years-old.

Arnetta’s story is an impressive and inspiring story.

LINKS:
Arnetta Johnson: www/Instagram/Facebook

BAMM ROSE – Fighting for Sex-Workers’ Rights and More

August 23, 2020 Activist, Artist, Entertainment 00:32:28

BAMM ROSE, a retired stripper, is the founder and CEO of Stilettos, Inc, a non-profit that works for improved and safer working conditions for strippers and sex workers in the Philly area. She has also organizes the Philly Stripper Strike to bring awareness to the racism and colorism in gentlemen’s clubs and to the harassment that sex workers endure on a daily basis.

Rose also organizes “dog walks,” which are protests were women dog-walk consenting white people to signify an end to white supremacy and a future that is more inclusive of women and people of color. So far, the dog walks have taken place down South Street and in Rittenhouse Square.

Bamm joined us for this episode to  discuss her activist work, her experiences as a sex worker and what brought her to the place she is now, and how she is looking to improve the sex work industry and the world around her.

Shout out to our sponsors. Shibe Vintage Sports where you can score all your Philly team gear as well as shirts about Philly’s cultural history. Local owners. Local artists. Shibe Vintage Sports where every stitch tells a story.

And Jawnville.com for the rants, ramblings, and observations of a born-and-raised Philly bloke.

LINKS:
BAMM ROSE
Stilettos, Inc.

Terrill Haigler – Philly’s Favorite Trash Man

August 2, 2020 Activist, Business 00:41:17

Philly’s favorite trash man, Terrill Haigler, joins us to talk Philly trash.

In a city that prides itself on being blue collar, it should come as no surprise that its latest viral sensation is a sanitation worker.

Terrill Haigler saw that a storm was brewing Philly, people angry at the trash department without understanding why trash was running so late. So he decided to start an instagram page where he’d explain exactly why they were running late. In about 6 weeks, he’s gotten over 9000 followers and his regular video updates get anywhere from 1000-6000 views. 

Terrill talked about a typical work day, about his theatre background, and about how he had to stay on the waiting list for 2 years before he landed the job. But most importantly, he talked about how difficult the job is in the COVID age. Going into work with not enough PPE, dealing with the heat and the Karens and the fact that people are throwing out way more trash than they used to. We discussed the good (engaging with people on route), the bad (almost a third of the workforce being quarantined because they either have COVID or were in the truck with someone who tested positive), and the ugly (sh*tboxes, which are….you’ll have to listen and find out). It’s a fascinating look at what goes on behind the scenes after you take your trash out, and Terrill has an infectious personality, which has a lot to do with the IG pages success. Informative, fun, and hilarious: this episode is really the epitome of what the Blunt is all about. 
 
LINKS:

FEMINISTA JONES RETURNS

June 17, 2020 Activist, Artist, Authors, Politics, Writers 1:13:35

Feminista Jones is one of the most unapologetically brilliant people in Philadelphia and we guarantee that you will leave this interview with a different perspective on the world than you went into it with. Hear her message to people who have just joined the movement, her thoughts on black gun ownership, and what her thoughts are on Dave Chappelle, Shaun King, and Candace Owens. And be sure to pick up her new book, Reclaiming Our Space…as soon as it’s back in stock. It’s currently sold out on Amazon. This is so good, y’all. For real. If you enjoy it, please share. A lot of things in here that people need to hear.

LINKS:
Feminista Jones: www/Instagram/Facebook/Twitter

NIKKI ALLEN POE – Pot, Police, and Sandwiches

June 12, 2020 Activist, Food & Drink, Politics 40:37

Nikki Allen Poe is a local activist and sandwich shop owner. He recently made headlines when he refused to send sandwiches during the Philly protests and later declared that he would not service police officers in uniform.

Poe is also Philly’s leading cannabis activist and played a pivotal role in Philly’s decriminalization of cannabis. 

We discuss the reaction to Poe’s business decision, his thoughts on the current protests in town, and how he is helping the cause.

We also talked about his previous campaign for City Council and the future of Philly’s government.

LINKS:

Poe on Twitter/Poe’s Sandwich Joint

MICHAEL COARD – “Angriest Black Man in America”

June 11, 2020 Activist, Authors, Crime, Politics, TV/Radio 1:08:21

Activist, journalist, defense attorney, and self-proclaimed “Angriest Black Man in America!”, Michael Coard joins us for Bluntcast #16.

We discuss the George Floyd protests here in Philly and around the world.

Michael also gave us his opinion on the Rizzo Statue. He actually wanted the statue to remain in place with a few additions to serve as a constant reminder of the city’s past racial history.

We talked about his views on defunding the police and he offered some advice on what white folks can do to be part of the solution.

LINKS:

Michael Coard: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook