Community Connection - August 20, 2026 - Tina Cosby welcomes

Community Connection – August 20, 2026 – Tina Cosby welcomes Marshawn Wolley – Denise Abdul-Rahman – Rev Annettra Jones and Danny Bridges

Community Connection: Exploring Resilience Hubs and the Future of Education

In a world where natural disasters and economic uncertainty are becoming increasingly common, it’s essential to have a plan in place to ensure our communities are resilient and prepared for the unexpected. On the latest episode of Community Connection, host Tina Cosby and producer Eric dive into the concept of resilience hubs and their importance in the face of adversity.

The episode begins with a discussion about the recent flooding in Gary, Indiana, and the devastating impact it had on the community. Tina and Eric are joined by Denise Abdul-Rahman, Project Director- CEO & Founder of Black Sunlight Sustainability, who explains the concept of resilience hubs. “Resiliency hubs are basically community-serving facilities that are there to support residents and coordinate resource distributions services before, during, and after natural hazard events,” she says.

These hubs are designed to provide essential services such as food, water, and energy to communities in need, and can be a gamechanger in the face of disaster. Denise shares her expertise on how resilience hubs can be a vital part of community preparedness, saying, “When you have intentional urban gardens, if you have intentional community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, or just organic folks that want to come together and just imagine how they can strengthen their community, it has to be where the different community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, or just organic folks that want to come together and just imagine how they can strengthen their community.” Rev. Annettra Jones, Senior Pastor of Scott United Methodist, shares here experience as her church is moving toward becoming a Resiliency hub in the Martindale – Brightwood community and working with Denise Abdul-Rahman.

The conversation also touches on the importance of education and the future of IPS (Indianapolis Public Schools). Marshawn Wolley, President and CEO of Black Onyx Management and Public Policy Chair of the African American Coalition of Indianapolis, joins the discussion to talk about the upcoming referendum on property taxes and the implications for IPS and charter schools. “We’re trying to have a conversation, learn about the implications of this new situation with the referendums,” he says. “IPS has never had a referendum fail, but now it’s not an IPS referendum, it’s an IPS and charter referendum being led by another entity, and so there’s a lot of moving pieces and we’re just trying to make sure that the community is informed.”

The episode also delves into the world of sports, with Danny Bridges, Sportswriter, Indianapolis Recorder discussing the upcoming IndyCar event in Washington D.C. and the challenges of hosting such a large-scale event. “It’s a one-off, I don’t think we’ll see it again in Washington,” he says. “There’s just not the financial incentives there.”

Throughout the episode, Tina and Eric engage in lively discussions with their guests, covering topics from resilience hubs to education and sports. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics and hearing the full conversation, be sure to listen to the latest episode of Community Connection.

Listen to the full episode on Praiseindy.com