Podcast appearances and mentions of blanche williams

Part two of our 2021 series on Living our UU Principles. This week we hear from Blanche Williams on our first principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person. With a background in literature, music, and information sciences, Blanche Williams earned a doctorate in psychology from the liberally-minded George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She has worked as a clinical psychologist in various settings across several states and now serves patients, families, and treatment providers at Baptist MD Anderson […]

Listen to Blanche Williams, Penny Reid, and Jeff Funkderburk as they talk about fatherhood.

Meri Ziev was born on April 12, in Pearl River, NY, where her love of music and art began.  At 12, she and her mother moved to Fort Lauderdale. She trained with greats like Ann Hampton Callaway and Marilyn Maye, who Ella Fitzgerald dubbed “the greatest white female singer in the world!”  Meri is a perpetual learner. She attended Swing-Time Jazz Bootcamp with Gabrielle Stravelli, in New York City, this summer. Meri continues to take voice and Jazz lessons, locally.  Prior to her shift into the Jazz scene, Meri garnered awards for outstanding performances in musical theatre and established a Cabaret Series at the Lake Worth Playhouse.  She studied for three summers at the St. Louis Cabaret Conference. Also, she studies with Tony Award winner, Faith Prince.  Meri is also a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She combines her love of communication, engaging an audience, and sharing music by creating lecture-performances for local retirement communities. Recently, she completed a studio recording with music director and arranger Phil Hinton, formerly with the BBC Orchestra. Meri performed with the Jupiter Jazz and Performing Arts Society. She is a regular at Jazz on J Street in Lake Worth, Florida, hosted by Blanche Williams. Legends Radio host and founder of the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, Dick Robinson said Meri has, “a great voice, filled with passion!” Meri will be a Board Member of Women in Jazz South Florida in 2020-2022. http://www.wijsf.org

Out guest this week is Michael A Fordham is the host and executive producer of A Measure of Truth on BlogTalkRadio.com. Trained in interviewing by his mentor Blanche Williams while working at SiriusXM Radio. This foundation has allowed him to develop a highly effective style of thoughtful listening, deep unobtrusive probing, seamlessly blended into a focused, but casual toned conversation.

Former XM Radio Talk Show Host, Blanche Williams, earned her reputation as a gifted communicator, debating current issues and topics from a woman’s perspective. She has conducted one-on-one interviews with extraordinary women including Dr. Maya Angelou, Cicely Tyson, Laila Ali, Kerry Washington, Charles Osgood, Quincy Jones and more. Williams is also the Founder and Moderator of the National Black Women’s Town Hall, Inc., which was established in 2008 with its inaugural meeting in association with Dr. Dorothy Height. Listen to YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Castillo and Williams share the importance of the Sisterhood of Greatness, paying it forward and how meeting Dr. Dorothy Height helped design this podcast.

In July 2008, the first annual National Black Women's Town Hall (NBWTH) meeting convened at the historical headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women in Washington, D.C. Dr. Dorothy Height invited NBWTH founder Blanche Williams, with whom she had previously worked with on The Souls of Black Girls, a film about the media impact on the self-esteem of Black women and girls, to her office to chat. Williams was feeling anxious and nervous about this first-of-its-kind, sold-out, standing-room-only event, which was being covered by C-SPAN for a national audience and featured panelists that had flown in from across the country. Seeing this, Dr. Height – a civil rights icon, longtime leader in the fight for women's rights and racial justice, and advisor to U.S. presidents – gave Williams this profound advice: "All you need to do is organize your butterflies." As Williams tells it, once Height imparted this piece of wisdom, it was “as simple as that... The nervousness didn't go away, but it sort of was shifted and it became more of an energy and more of a commitment for me to make sure that this was something that she was proud of...You organize those butterflies and you continue to get it done." Dr. Height, well known for her leadership role with the YWCA and the National Council of Negro Women, was one of our nation’s most fierce and steadfast advocates for civil rights and gained notoriety in pioneering the intersection of gender and race activism within the civil rights movement. We are thrilled to honor Dr. Dorothy Height, one of our great leaders, by naming our podcast “Organize Your Butterflies.”

This Bonus Episode of the IAMLAKEWORTH Podcast was recorded at Hatch1121 in Lake Worth during the IAMLAKEWORTH exhibit.  Interviewed were four local photographers.  Tom Johnson, Adriano Ficarelli, Sean Moss and Carl Stoveland.  Hosting and interviewing duties were expertly handled by Blanche Williams from Jazz on J Street. NOTE: The interview in this episode was previously posted in its raw form before I added music and an intro.  So if it sounds familiar that is why.

Spoke with Luisa Gomez M.Ed., Jasmine Coyle, Program Coordinators, Pine Jog Environmental Education Center and Blanche Williams, Jazz Flutist/Host of Jazz on J Street. They have several fundraising events coming up as well as volunteer opportunities. On Jan 28/29th, listeners can volunteer to help build their new Naturescape Playground. (this is an ongoing build if they can't make it those days). Coming up in February is The Wild Orchid 5K which winds through their 135 acres. (there are shorter fun runs for the kiddos). Then Blanche and her folks will be part of the Naturally Jazz - a Strolling Sax event that leads participants through the paths to the Tiki area by the lake where they can relax, enjoy drinks/snacks and great music. Pine Jog also offers afterschool programs, spring/summer camps and lots of volunteer opportunities. Listeners can get more info at www.pinejog.fau.edu

Blanche Williams was hooked on the beauty, genius, and history of jazz since her father introduced her to jazz, through music reels he brought back from overseas, while in the Air Force. On November 2, 2014, Blanche began a weekly hour-long Sunday drive to take flute lessons from Grammy Nominated Music Educator Melton Mustafa Jr. Her dedication and passion helped her become a member of the Palm Beach State College Jazz Combo, Lake Worth Campus, within a year of playing. Her stage name is Fluteity, representing the continuous flow and flexibility that jazz allows. Blanche gained notoriety as host of XM Satellite Radio show Greatness By Design in DC (2003-2010), interviewing the world's most fascinating jazz legends Sonny Rollins, George Duke, Nancy Wilson, Lalah Hathaway, and Quincy Jones. She conducted stellar panel discussions and covered historic events including front row coverage of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. She is President of Greatness By Design LLC, specializing in team development, leadership training, and strategic planning.  She holds an Master’s in Leadership with BA in Communication Studies and is the author of How To Design Your Mind For Greatness and contributing author in Chicken Soup for the African-American Woman’s Soul, Black Girls Guide: How To Be A Sister, and Tuesday Morning Love: 52 Commentaries and Weekly Affirmations to Honor the SoulWithin the Souldier. She established and convened National Black Women’s Town Hall Meetings (2008–2010), garnering a private invitation from First Lady Michelle Obama to the White House. www.blanchewilliams.com www.wijsf.org