Here's the Problem

At the conclusion of 2020 WNBA Season and fresh out of the bubble, WNBA champion, All-Star, musician, humanitarian, and advocate Essence Carson joined the podcast to talk about racial inequality in America, the quest for basic human rights, the pandemic, and her summer in the social justice spotlight.   

Former collegiate standout and international basketball player Dominique Wilson  joins the podcast to discuss her experience with social and racial injustices across the world and the importance of mental health when playing abroad.  

Find your voice and create a better future at teenthinktankproject.com or on social media @teen_thinktank. Contact us at info@teenthinktankproject.com.

In the second part of our conversation with former NBA player and social justice advocate, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf joins Matt DeSantis and the Teen Think Tank Project Winter Research cohort for spirited, insightful, and heartfelt conversation on what it takes to effect meaningful change in society.  The dialogue left our research cohort inspired and armed to make progress in their quest for social change.

Find your voice and create a better future at teenthinktankproject.com or on social media @teen_thinktank. Contact us at info@teenthinktankproject.com.

Former NCAA & NBA stand out and social justice advocate Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf sits down with host Kelly Nagle to talk about the misconceptions surrounding his protest, his inspiration for seeking social justice and how to think outside the box to create change in the first part of a multi-episode discussion.

Find your voice and create a better future at teenthinktankproject.com or on social media @teen_thinktank. Contact us at info@teenthinktankproject.com.

New Jersey City University Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics Shawn Tucker joins Kelly Nagle to discuss racial inequality, social justice, and empowering student-athletes on the collegiate level.  The Rutgers University alums talk about the impact that the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and social protests have had on the community, both on campus and off.      

Jeremy Evans, Esq. returns to the podcast for a one-on-one conversation.  Host Kelly Nagle and Jeremy expound upon last week's discussion about the First Amendment vis-a-vis athletes' rights before veering into Hollywood to uncover why actors and athletes are treated differently when it comes to advancing social justice initiatives.  Finally, the conversation examines how sports represents some of society’s most revered ideals like equity, fairness and competition.  

Matthew DeSantis and the Social Protest and Sports Research Cohort examine the origins, implications and limitations of the First Amendment, specifically as it relates to social protest in sports with the help of the Director of the First Amendment Clinic at SMU’s Dedman School of Law, Thomas Leatherbury; NPR’s Michigan Radio Morning Edition host, Doug Tribou; and the Founder and Managing Attorney of California Sports Lawyer, Jeremy Evans who’s the Founder and Managing Attorney of California Sports Lawyer.  

As we continue of our exploration of racism in society and social protest in sports, we are joined by Dr. Richard Lapchick, the nation's  preeminent voice on social issues in sports.  The noted activist, academic, author, and scholar joins Kelly Nagle to discuss his lifelong fight against racism, not only in American but around the globe. 

The Teen Think Tank Project Winter Research Cohort is joined by four college and high school student-athletes who discuss their experience with racism in sports and society.  NJIT Highlanders Andrew Elcock and Sydney Watson discuss what life is like for an NCAA Division I athlete juggling academics, athletics, and social justice issues.  While high school basketball players Jordana Codio and Khadee Hession discuss their experiences with activism and censorship as they don Black Lives Matters shooting shirts in response to a racially-charged incident that drew national attention.  http://bit.ly/BLMCodioHession

Matthew DeSantis is back to talk about the inspiration behind the social protest and sports research focus, his role as research coordinator with the Teen Think Tank Project's inaugural cohort, and the lessons he's learned working alongside these exceptional teens.  

How have social justice movements in sports evolved from John Carlos to Mohammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick and today’s athletes? Why are players, teams and leagues so divided on how to integrate social justice issues into sports?  Is social protest in sports an effective and sustainable way to generate change? 

The upcoming season of Here’s the Problem podcast sifts through these questions by examining the history of protest in sports and the influence of government and business and generates ideas about the propensity for change.  

In the final episode of our first season, host Kelly Nagle reminisces about the season with her Teen Think Tank Project co-founder Matthew DeSantis. The pair recap the great conversations they had with students & thought leaders and reflect on some impactful moments.  Plus, we find out what the Teen Think Tank Project's inaugural research cohort is about to unveil. 

Thanks to all our listeners, guests and friends for supporting Here's the Problem podcast's debut season! Season 2 is right around the corner and we jump into the conversation about sports & social protest with some recognizable guests from the sports world.

Kelly Nagle sits down with Kira Sanbonmatsu, Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University and Senior Scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at the Eagleton Institute of Politics.  In the final episode of our series featuring thought leaders addressing the social justice topics that are important to our Teen Think Tank Project students, Kelly chats with the noted political scientist, professor, and author to discuss gender equity in American politics. 

Teen Think Tank Project co-founder Matthew DeSantis continues his series of engaging and insightful conversations about the social justice issues that TTTP research cohort members care most passionately about.  This week, he is joined by Savannah Riera, a high school senior and Coast Guard Academy appointee.  The two discuss Savannah's life as an expat student living in South America, how she found her passion, and gender equality in America.  It is a truly fascinating conversation with an absolutely wonderful Teen Think Tank Project group member.  Enjoy!    

As a follow-up to our conversation with student healthcare advocate Jeremy Cimino, Kelly Nagle chats with Suzanne Crincoli, Vice President of Clinical Quality at HealthChannels to discuss the current state of our healthcare system, access to care, the importance of local activism, and improving health outcomes.      

In an ongoing attempt to identify the societal issues that are troubling today's teens, Matt DeSantis continues our series of enlightening discussions with Teen Think Tank Project research group members.  In this episode, he sits down for a entertaining, informative, and solution-focused conversation about access to healthcare with Jeremy Cimino, a high school honor student who is living with Type 1 diabetes.  

Host Kelly Nagle sits down with Eagleton Institute of Politics's Jessica Ronan.  In part two of our discussion about voting rights, the two political scientists (and former Rutgers University MA Program in Politics classmates) discuss their own experiences as voters, issues with equal access to the process, election integrity, and Jessica's work to mobilize youth voters in her role as Program Coordinator for the Center for Youth Political Participation.   

Recorded just after the 2020 presidential election, Teen Think Tank Project co-founder Matthew DeSantis sits down with research group member and aspiring political filmmaker Jack Baranoski to discuss America's dubious history with "the right to vote," passive & active voter suppression, felon voter rights, and the "weaponization" of disenfranchisement.   

In the follow-up to last week's discussion with Jared Cannon on how teens are dealing with mental health issues, host Kelly Nagle sits down with her friend Chelsea Williamson, MSW, LCSW from Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health to discuss the stigma surrounding mental illness, navigating powerful environments, and finding ones "solid object." 

In the first in a series of insightful and honest conversations with Teen Think Tank Project research group members to discuss the societal issues that they feel the most compelled to change, Matthew DeSantis sits down with Archbishop Wood High School honor student Jared Cannon to to discuss the stigma surrounding mental illness, changing the landscape surrounding mental health, and their shared loved of Wegmans.