Ruby Bridges

Guest: Dr. Selcuk Sirin, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology at New York University Of the more than 4 million refugees fleeing war and poverty in Syria, about half are children – most under the age of twelve. Now, we’ve all seen how resilient kids can be in adapting to new environments and overcoming hardship. But what these young Syrians have – and continue – to experience is something different altogether. And the research of New York University psychology researcher Selcuk Sirin suggests the mental health needs of most of these children are not being met by the international community. Sirin spent time interviewing young Syrian refugees at a camp in Turkey to get a handle on both their mental health and educational needs.

Guest: Josip Paro, Croatian Ambassador to the United States The refugee crisis has placed enormous strain on the European Union and its open border policies – leading some experts to speculate it could be the end of the union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel finds herself at the center of the storm, having led the creation of migrant policies across the region. She faces new pressure to restrict access after a number of asylum seekers were linked to sexual assaults that took place in Cologne on New Year’s Eve. One of the European Union’s newer members – Croatia – is a cross-roads for migrants making their way up from Greece, bound for Austria, Germany and further West.

Guest: Kathleen Harris, PhD, James E. Haar Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Adjunct Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Having friends is important to mental health, and over the last 20 years, research has shown positive social relationships can improve physical health and even help us live longer. But to this point, the exact connection between friends and the health of our bodies has been unclear. What’s biological mechanism that translates BFFs into better body weight? Is having friends more important when we’re younger, if good health is the goal? And what about the question of quantity? How many friends is the right amount to maximize good health?

Guest: Hasan Kwame Jeffries, PhD, Professor of African American and US History at Ohio State University, Author of “Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt” It’s Black History Month, a time to reflect on the fight for racial equality here in America. Fifty-one years ago, the historic march from Selma to Montgomery helped usher in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The midpoint of that march passed through rural Lowndes County, Alabama, which is where author Hasan Kwame Jeffries focuses his account of the Civil Rights movement.