The Call with Erica Williams Simon

This week I sat down with Amanda Nguyen, activist, future astronaut and founder of Rise, a national civil rights nonprofit that helps survivors of sexual assault. After being raped in college, Amanda discovered just how few rights victims of sexual assault actually had within the criminal justice system. Thanks to Amanda and the work of many others, the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act was unanimously passed in Congress in 2016. In our conversation, we talk about Rise, why no one should ever be pressured to tell their story, and why she still has every intention of becoming an astronaut. It's enough to help even the most cynical cynic believe that anything is possible -- and to always reach for the stars.

Angela Yee, co-host of the nationally syndicated, wildly popular radio show, The Breakfast Club, is the final guest of The Call's Season 2. In this episode, Yee talks about what she's learned about negotiation, how she refused to be the "female sidekick" on-air in a male dominated industry, using your platform for good, pushing past sexism, and how to be respected for your work.

Despite garnering attention for organizing a city-wide protest to fight Trump's proposed Muslim ban, 17-year-old activist Hebh Jamal isn't interested in being a "famous activist." She thinks the focus on her is a distraction from the issues at hand. So when we sat down to talk for this week's episode on her day off from class, we made sure to talk about the issues that matter to her: diversity in education, what it means to be a feminist and how answering a call to activism absolutely requires some risk -- no matter how old you are.

In this episode of The Call, Erica sits down with Latham Thomas, wellness expert, doula and author of “Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living and Crowning the Queen Within." They talk about birthing dreams, how to lean into the louder, less "socially acceptable" parts of ourselves and discuss what would happen if our work lives respected our menstrual cycles. It's a good one. Enjoy.

Clemantine Wamariya is a storyteller and writer. She first burst onto the scene with an appearance on the Oprah Show in 2006, where she was reunited with her family after the Rwandan genocide. In her new memoir, "The Girl Who Smiled Beads," she dives into reclaiming the narrative around her identity, her love of stories and Afro-centrism.