By Kiarra Solomon
We know Lady B as a history maker. The first hip hop female solo artist (she released “To the Beat Y’all” in 1980). She is arguably one of, if not the most influential radio personalities in Hip Hop.
But the generation that Hip Hop raised is facing some major issues, especially in Philadelphia. Last summer was filled with flash mobs and gun violence. This year already there have been over 90 murders in the city. So for about two years now, Lady B (Wendy Clark) of 100.3FM WRNB has been telling us all to “Get Your Kids”.
“Get Your Kids” is a segment on her show every Wednesday afternoon dedicated to children. The segment was created by Lady B to use her platform in the community to inform listeners of programs and organizations that advocate for and assist families. “Elroy (Smith, Operations Manager of Radio One Philadelphia) asked us to find a platform that we were passionate about, and I immediately thought about children”.
In the past two years, Lady B says there have been many success stories. The programs and organizations that she spotlights on “Get Your Kids” provide alternative activities for youth, who otherwise might get into serious trouble.
There is, for example, the story of a young boy from North Philadelphia with multiple charges of car theft. At just 10-years-old he was in danger of going to a juvenile detention center for the third time. But his family through Lady B was able to get him in a program sponsored by NASCAR, where he now works. Another story is that of a young boy whose father was in jail and mother was addicted to drugs. At the time, the boy had four or five charges of vandalism, but today he is a model, an actor and holds nine patents.
A huge reason the segment has been so successful is because Lady B recognized what very few of us do. That despite our society’s technological advances, there are still a large number of low income household that don’t have computers and/or internet access. This barrier to technology prevents them from getting information that their families need. Unfortunately, they can’t just ‘Google it’. Many parents don’t find out about these programs and organizations until it’s too late, if ever. “They tell me, ‘I don’t have a computer, I’m barely putting food on the table'”, she says
That barrier is part of the reason she dedicated the time to sharing this information. Equally important, she feels is to share the success stories. “It could just be a flyer, but sharing those stories is what counts, because they are proof that people are being helped.”
Lady B says that she has been able to watch one program grow from 50 girls in a small auditorium to over 750 girls at Villanova’s Campus in just three years. “Just to know that I’m making a difference, and that lives are being changed and people are being helped, it’s very rewarding!”.
‘Get Your Kids” airs on 100.3FM WRNB, on Wednesday’s at either 3:30 PM or 4:30 PM. For more information about Get Your Kids you can visit Lady B’s webpage on the WRNB website: www.RNBPhilly.com, or reach her on Twitter at @TheRealLadyB, her Facebook fanpage (just search Lady B), or by simply calling the station at 215-263-1003. “We still take calls”, she jokes!
Tune into Lady B’s show Monday thru Saturday from 3 PM-7 PM on 100.3FM WRNB or listen online at www.RNBPhilly.com.
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