WSRE's new show 'Connecting the Community' showcases the people of Northwest Florida
On Thursday, WSRE and Pensacola State College are partnering to present the first episode of their new TV series, "Connecting the Community."
The new series will address the arts, culture, history and works of people in the Northwest Florida community. Jill Hobbs, general manager of Pensacola WSRE, said she wants to unite the community by sharing impactful stories and addressing topics that are of importance in the area.
“We hope to be able to bring together people in organizations, projects and things that are going on to make our community a better place by bringing people together to talk about it, to discuss it and to bring awareness,” Hobbs said.
The show will be hosted by Rameca Leary, coordinator of diversity initiatives and part of the faculty in the Business Department at Pensacola State College.
“We're always seeking ways to engage the community,” Leary said. “Even more so, the president of our college, Dr. Ed Meadows, was really intrigued and interested and was really behind the idea of getting a show like this started. So our college is really behind it 110%."
The first episode will focus on veterans and will feature segments honoring Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., the first African American to reach the rank of four-star general in the U.S. armed forces. The show will bring in his son, Claude James, to talk about his father, and Cris Dosev, the chair of the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial Foundation, who will talk about the Gen. Daniel Chappie James Jr. Memorial Bridge, the erecting of a F-4 Phantom aircraft, and a statue and pedestal all honoring Chappie.
It will also feature guests such as Rob Gregg of Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council and veterans who will speak about Freedom Quest 2021, an event held at WSRE Studio on the Pensacola State College campus last year to recognize the 20-year anniversary of 9/11.
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Another segment of the first show will honor women veterans and feature guests Traci Solt, director for clinical services at National VHA Office of Primary Care, and Michelle Caldwell, who is the CEO and founder of the Monument and Museum to Women Veterans in Pensacola.
The Pensacola's Monument and Museum to Women Veterans is a nonprofit that recognizes and provides services for veterans such as post traumatic stress, military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injuries, domestic violence and more. One of its missions is to have a monument to honor the 2.8 million women veterans in the country which there is none to do so anywhere in the country.
But said Caldwell the biggest need for her is to make sure there is an infrastructure set up for returning veterans.
“If we don't have programs in place to address the needs for these returning vets, there's no need for me to build a monument because when I build the monument, they will come,” Caldwell said.
“Connecting the Community” will premiere on the second Thursday of each month on WSRE.
The broadcast premiere is at 7 p.m. Thursday, and then the show will be available for on-demand viewing at program on demand at video.wsre.org or via the PBS Video App.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Connecting the Community TV show highlights and honor U.S. veterans
