 Welcome to Will Mega TV where we focus on seeking the truth and we highlight and discuss things from politics, sports, history, religion, revolutionary action. You name it, we talk about it here. Today's guest profile is Philadelphia columnist. Janice Armstrong welcome Janice how are you. I'm fine how are you. So, I'm doing well. And I don't mean to be rude but this is the question I pose to all my profile highlights. Who are you and why should we be listening to you, and what you say. That's the person with a voice someone who pays attention to things that are going on and someone who expresses her perspective on the world. So, I mean, for those who may not be familiar with your profession what you do. Give us a little more backdrop into your professional resume profile that a history. Okay, well I hope people in Philadelphia will be somewhat familiar with my work. I've been at the inquire and daily news for a long time now, writing columns, first in the new section of the paper, but since January. I've been in the memorial section of the paper. I talk about things that make me out outraged things that make me happy. Things that inspire me, and things that piss me off. And I'm pretty active on social media, and I've been in the game for a little bit. I went to Howard University where I studied journalism, and I've been working in journalism ever since. What inspired you to get involved in journalism out of all the majors you could have chosen at the prestigious HBCU Howard University, and they have a litany of majors students could choose from and of course if you qualify to get a entry into Howard. That was just mortgage board out of all things why journalism. You know, journalism kind of picked me I was at nerd, always hanging around the student newspaper you know that that kid in college who's always there. Always running around with the notebook. I started out in high school. I was that person always writing stories always being in the mix and always being the one to go run till that. I was a kid, you know, on the playground, you know, the one that would tell the teacher. And now journalism is just an offshoot of that I was really shocked when I got to high school and thought, you mean they will pay you to do that. I saw a shift in in your writing. And I was looking back into the history of some of your stories and I came across this note. And it, and it says, January 6 the column is changing. I need your help holding the powerful to account. I said, Okay, so I was on target I noticed there was a shifting in your approach, you know, I in the past. You've written much lighter stories. More happier, go lucky highlight. The fireman got the cat out of the tree. Stories, right. I mean, you know, this cliche, right. But now I've just found you becoming more political and even more global stories from the Pope to George Floyd from Meek Mill to Harry Tubman from Juneteenth to the rapping gun violence. Why, why the shift. You know the times have changed. You know, I think that earlier era in my writing I was a features columnist for the Daily News which is a tabloid. Okay, more, you know, the Daily News is sold 100% over the counter. So the emphasis is on like in your face journalism. I was covered features it was fun I was spotlighting the sexiest singles in Philadelphia. You know that was a different era. It was a different time. Things are, the game has changed somewhat, you know, in Philadelphia the vibe has changed. I think it's a much more serious time, and I have been able to be, you know, lucky to be able to evolve with the times. And I'll stop growing up a little bit. I don't run to all the parties anymore. You never see me at the clubs, but back when I was that's what I wrote about. Okay, listen, seems like you got a little club left in you if you need to whip it out. Now, we can have sexy singles. How'd you come up with that idea how long ago was that and how long did that last. That was so much fun that was back during my single girl days, you know, I thought I was like the Carrie Bradshaw Philadelphia living in this cool little apartment down by the art museum running around dating at the time reality TV was hot. And it was the hottest thing going and we wanted something a reality TV like feature in the paper. So we came up with this idea to spotlight the sexiest singles and Billy. We thought we'd do it just one time and be done with it. People carried on so much. We sold so many papers they're like I want to be in it next year, I want to be in it next year and I was like, next year, because usually you do a feature or something and you're done with it. And it became this thing in Philly and it just sort of took off. You know, all we did was find good looking, successful desirable. People and we got a really diverse group together. And people loved it. We would run it in the summertime back when everyone was like tired of bad news and text and everything. People just wanted to have some fun. And we would do it on a particularly slow day in the summer. And it always touched the nerve. Everyone would go out and buy the paper to see who was in it. I mean, marry people would buy the paper. I'd be like, really? And I really surprised us. We sold a lot of advertising. Venues would compete to host the party and they would pay us to bring the sexy singles party there. I was very proud that we didn't cross over. This could have been a very cheap project, but I was proud that it was sexy. It was hot, but it didn't. It was, we highlighted some of the best people in the city of Philadelphia. And I'm proud to say that you were one of them. That photo we took to you in that navy blue tuxedo with that basketball was epic. I mean, I can picture your pose right now. That was a hot pose. It was a hot photo. Yeah. I ran away from sexy singles for a long time. I remember when you asked me in early on, fresh off of reality TV, I'm like, I'm good. I didn't want the, I didn't want the attention of being a sexy single at that time at all. Yeah, we had to catch you between relationships. You're always booed up. I've come circling around you'd be like, ah, I think we just got lucky one year. And it was the right year. It was the right year because that photo of you was one of the best. The energy, the masculinity, you know that was just hot. I mean, don't you don't know what's what you please. Well, listen, I had the blessing of being styled by one of Philadelphia's greatest stylists ever, Anthony Henderson. And so I was, I just knew it was going to be cool. Once I knew Aunt was involved. And so that was what, that was seven years ago. And, you know, Anthony has been unbeknownst to most when he started his celebrity styling. He started with Eve and I. You, you were one of them. Wow. Yeah, I was one of his first people that he styled along with Eve so you know Ron Welch. Yes. So Ron Welch is his dad. And Ron and I were really good friends, and still are good, really good friends. And when I first got off a big brother, he would do those huge fashion shows. And so he asked me to come participate in one of the fashion shows. That's where I met and it was styling Eve at the time. And I think it was it was at the deli. I got to find that video. Did that thing out. I had a good time right. And so here's a story so it gets me as a client. I'm like, I'm all in. They are speaking engagement at Temple Ambler School. I was talking about voter education and civics. And so we got the front cover. And they were mentioning the suit. I'm like, okay, we have they really, I mean, they're what I had to say but they mentioned the suit. I'm like, all right, this guy's good. So the next piece and gets me in another fashion show at powerhouse. You get cuts to deal with FUBU. And it was their their fat Albert line or whatever right so where am I going with this. The dressing room is me and it's Eve and other models right. So we're waiting for them to bring the clothes we're just staying there it's just it's only it's a curtain covering us and a wall. We're like right behind the stage. And we are all this noise. But we're behind the curtain. We're like, well, it could be anything they're getting ready or doing whatever they have to do. And in comes this man running for his life. Alan Iverson. And he's like, his eyes are huge like oh snap. And a second later is the sea of girls running behind them and he takes off with the hell just happened. I don't know what ever happened to AI that day I did not see him for remainder of the show. Obviously he made it out safe. But that was one of my better moments and memories of brother Armstrong. I mean, Anthony Henderson. And God, you know, God bless his soul. Yeah, maybe rest in peace. I will never forget him. And the things he taught me he would be outraged I'm talking to you now, without a full face of makeup, he'd be like, get off. Well, listen, you know, I believe this is my opinion and I have, you know, the right to my opinion and I can't tell you what to do with a face. But beauty without makeup is, in my opinion, far greater than makeup because I'm going to tell you when, when after sister takes off everything, and sometimes you find a different person like who are you. So when we know that you're beautiful as you are now, and you enhance it is like okay. That's the beauty enhance so I think you're cool. He'll be he'll be all right I co sign you're good. Hopefully he's not looking down from heaven hopefully he's paying attention to other things. He has his hand on this. So you shift, you shift into these, these stories that are more serious now. You've probably interviewed some of the most powerful people in the country, share a few of those names and have there been any of those people doing a course of interviewing them that you were taking a back or surprise doors. I've never had a scene stuff with this. Oh boy you put me on the spot let me think first thing this morning. Let me just tell you so it's about 914 am already had a really interesting conversation this is not nationally known name but someone who's known in this in the city, and the state, and Vincent Hughes was teased out in San Francisco he's coming from the airport, and I enjoyed talking to him about what's going on with the budget, you know you hear the budget you go yeah. This year, they have a lot of a lot more money to work gun violence housing education, I mean, transformational type money. Okay. I mean, it sounds boring, but it is an exciting. It was I was excited. I mean to get up this morning and hear this kind of, you know they just passed budget it wasn't Friday. Okay, budget. And so that's good news but you're asking for some more names. Oh gosh, I'm drawing a blank but I have had the opportunity of being in the presence of some of the world's greatest leaders, Nelson Mandela. Okay. Barack Obama. Oh, I've heard of him. You know, was that his inauguration and so many others. So many others, you had an opportunity to talk with Nelson Mandela. No, I was at the Washington Post at the time, and he had just been released from prison and come to the United States, and someone says Nelson Mandela is downstairs and I'm like, here, here. Yes, I go into the lobby and here I see Nelson Mandela walking toward me. It was one of those moments I said, I mean never had this chance again I said what do I do what do I say. Listen, so, at that time, he was making this United States tour he was, I think he may have even been touring the globe. I was in a nation Islam at the time and he came to the, the Civic Center, it was a center right across the street at the time, across from Children's Hospital. I met Nelson Mandela and flavor Flavie at the same time. So, the fruit. We were doing security for Mandela. And the event was over. We were lined up and ranks on the side of the convention center and public enemy was there apparently I didn't see him while I was in there. And so this limousine comes driving by right. And it stops in front of the ranks. It pops up pops out of the sun. Flavor Flavie. It is like I saw a lot more like him fruit. Like him. He went back down. So every time I think of Mandela, I can't help but think about. Oh, you know, you're reminding me of some fun times in Philadelphia. Yeah. So, um, I'm glad to hear that, even though state Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes was in San Francisco, or in, where was he in San Francisco. Yeah, the airport. Okay, at the airport work, be, you know, give you an update on the budget, because that means you're on the job, or even though you're half across, you know, halfway across the country, or well actually actually absolute other end of the country, given that we're in Pennsylvania, still doing your work. Was he with his wife. I just, you know, I normally ask him that. I normally ask him but I didn't this time just because we're talking about some pretty heavy stuff and he had to get off the phone and I usually ask him that he and his wife, the great fabulous Sherri Lee Ralph and I, we had the same anniversary date so I usually ask him this time around this time what are you going to do for your anniversary what do you get what you got planned this year that kind of stuff but this time I did not ask him. Okay, I usually do. I usually do so I'm such a fan of her. So, given that you've been doing. I mean, the story did this morning was literally of government nature. You've been more political. We're coming up on a mayor's race in a city of Philadelphia, one in which black women have the highest voter turnout in the city. Yes, we vote disproportionately high numbers. Right. We've never had a woman male, a woman mayor in Philadelphia, which means we've never had a black woman mayor in Philadelphia as well. What should take on this upcoming mayor's race, what do you see. It's going to be exciting. Okay, it's going to be exciting I mean we've got some great women who either raise their hand or who we think are going to raise their hands. And it's at this point it's hard to see who's going to break free and be the front runner. That's an idea so do you think it's going to be the front runner. Well, I'm going to hold my powder until we see who files that smart smart until we get a little closer to the day. You have to, you know, the great late great Lucian Blackwell had a saying that has lived beyond his life on earth. And he says, everyone has a right to run, but do you have a good reason. And so, once people file, I'm going to be looking at those reasons to determine who I think the front runner will be. But at this point, it's still a lot of political jockeying. A lot of leveraging takes place behind the scenes of who will run who won't run, who gets the money who doesn't have them. I mean, I liken what I see coming up in this 2023 Merrill race to the, the Merrill race in the previous administration prior to Kenny, when we had Bob Brady running Philadelphia Democratic chairman. We had rags to riches Tom Knox running rich white man grew up in Philadelphia projects. And he's made it. We had Congress at the time, state representative, the white Evans who was head of appropriations, and he was bringing a lot of resources to Philadelphia from his state seat. We had Michael Nutter, who had spent a lot of time as a quality city council person, and then we had Congressman shock of a tie, who was head of appropriations and Congress, and everyone said shock is going to win hands down. He goes everyone. He was instrumental in getting President Barack Obama even interested in running for us sit it. So he's going to be able to pull on the powers that be. We have all the money. And at the last second, Michael Nutter pulls a move in, in city council, preventing people from shifting campaign dollars from Congress or the state into a city seat. And now he's no longer the front runner financially. And in the end, Nutter wins. And don't forget he had that commercial. Remember that commercial with his daughter. Yes, yes, I think that influenced a lot of people too. I think it did but at the end of the day. If you don't have the resources to counter the commercial. You shock ahead. Shackles went from the front runner in a campaign to it having to attach himself to a city council man Curtis Jones junior, who had thwarted himself and had a driving team in West Philadelphia. He had a team of friends, fatah, Vincent Hughes, in their younger years formulated the fatah organization, and shocker told Vincent, he told Councilman Jones hey, go ahead with the team the organic homegrown team. I'm going to bring in my people from that I got a national team and Kurt was like, but we built this thing from scratch you, you got to attach yourself to this team. And Kurt, you're going to need them I got this. In the end, he had to come back to home, just to try to save, save face because he didn't have the money and then you know, the rest insist. The rest is a very sad chapter in Philadelphia history. So tell me, Janice, you talked to did you have an opportunity to interview president president Obama. I did not interview president Obama I got to shake his hand that's about as much as I did. And I was at the inauguration and the inaugural wall, which was an exciting thrilling moment. My people want to hear some juice behind the scenes give us some just one person. So Vincent Hughes thing was kind of vanilla thing in the morning, I couldn't think let's see I should have come prepared with some something that I've. Oh my gosh I'm drawing a blank you know some what you want to celebrity some celebrity behind the scenes or what. Yeah, give us some juicy stuff you can it can be a select yes definitely celebrity behind the scene. And it could be. So what it might be not so famous, but well known. It's like funny interaction that I had. Okay, here's one that pops in my head. Forget what was going on and Philly wasn't the NBA finals. They'll all start game. I don't know but they sent me over to the fourth season this is back when I was a features columnist, looking for the daily news, excuse me. And they send me over there so I'm sitting there trying to be conspicuous I don't get thrown out of four seasons. Here comes up. Okay, I'm looking at him because he's you know pretty tall guy. He says something to me because you know I'm pretty tall. So. But so I told someone at work, and before I can get back to the newsroom. That's what everybody was walking around coming up to me talking about what fun so later on, I think. I was still flattered that he spoke to me and you know Alan Iverson, and he was having this top secret wedding, and he wouldn't tell anybody where it was going to be or anything so I found that where it was going to be blasted and all we had in the front page of the paper. Yes, so I'm running alongside that we're at the wedding scene and I'm running alongside the limousine. I'm going to look down, and it's, you know, Iverson's in there, right, and then shot. I see Shaquille Emile is in there too and I remember the last time I saw him. He was being sort of complimentary now I'm running next to this limousine. So I stopped and I start walking. I said I'm not going to do this. So this is silly stuff that we do to entertain that we entertain ourselves with. But, you know, most of my work hasn't been with the rich and the powerful and the famous is with the everyday people. You know what I specialize in is telling stories of an underserved neighborhood stories that otherwise might not have been told like I'm pretty proud of today's column. Okay, where I interview a former Philadelphia police officer her name is Audra McCowen, and she took the brave step of accusing the, the sitting police commissioner at the time. This is, this is back again. Yeah, well, yeah, she had she filed a suit. Right. And it went to trial in May. The suit was found in her favor, a jury awarded her and another woman, another former police officer also came forward $500,000 each. Wow. And she said it was going to, you know, retry the suit and they filed a motion, and then last week a judge stepped forward and said no denied the motion. So basically it's all over, and she'll be getting her money pretty soon. So, then it took that long for her to feel comfortable and coming out and talking and telling her story. And I'm so glad that she did because so many women, you know, working in places all around the city, all around the region all around the world are having similar, getting themselves in similar situations, through an often through no bother their own, and not enough people speak up about it. So me too has not been in the headlines lately. Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. There's me to their women who fall victim to sexual harassment at work. It's real. It's undeniable. But these two both went on record saying that they were in a relationship and what I remember, well there's two women, I know one of the women went on record saying that her in former police commissioner Richard Ross were in a relationship. Yes. And when we looked at the talk back and forth between the two. It, it appeared to me that she was requesting him to use his power to discipline a coworker, because she was upset with the coworker about whatever went on between harassing her. But she said that he did not act. He was the police commissioner, the top guy in the police department out of retaliation against her for breaking up their two year relationship. And so that's where where I'm going with this. Here we have all this gun violence and nonsense going on in the city. And we, and then you have a, the commissioner and another officer. You know, in the games, wring around a Rosie at work. Like, what, why isn't the work getting done, because so she's on her second relationship with another officer, right. I don't think she was in a relationship with that other officer who was harassing her know it was she had a relationship with Ross. This other guy had gotten some kind of attraction to her and was bothering her on the job and she needed help. She needed help from the commissioner, and he did not step up. So, is it. Don't you think that's kind of messy. It's extremely messy. She have any reason that she have any ethical responsibility as he definitely did. He is not I'm not, I'm not excusing his behavior at all because he's the head person in charge. Right. He's, he's 100% in the wrong. But when officers take their oath of office, there's ethic train ethics training. She wasn't complaining about being in a relationship with him. She was complaining about him not using his power to discipline someone else. So she had a responsibility, ethically and professionally, not to engage in the relationship with the former police commissioner. Right. Yes, yes. That was, you know, that was a misstep, and she paid a price for it. I mean she forfeited her career because of it. But the police department for 15 years. Is that fall under me to or does that just fall under YouTube. Well put, well put. Yeah. But the larger issue is, she was his subordinate. Right. And you don't do that. You know, you're running things you can't use your power and getting it just gets real mess, real messy. And this is these weren't the only problems that they that these two women had in the department there are other things she told me about being at the police academy, having some of one of the other officers say she performed oral sex on him. And then she said she went to power and said be with her written complaint about what happened and she said it out the guy bought it up and put it in the trash. Wow, right in front of her. So these women were talking about why spread. What they would they experienced a harassment on the force. So when I when I look at how we change. What's going on with gun violence and crime in Philadelphia. We, we have. We have a heavy load to lift. We certainly do hard work to do. Yes, given that based on just what you're telling me, the police department is honey combed inwardly with corruption. How the hell can they help. What's going on out in the streets when we get constant complaints and people filing claims of police brutality and police harassment. And then there's a council is calling for a re institution of stopping first of which has never been stopped to begin with. How can we have faith that things will be fixed when the top cops are pressing the officers when women can't go to work in peace. And there's this in meshed. This is a professional mess going on. Yes, exactly. Well, Mayor Kenny tried to make a step by bringing in a female police commissioner. Okay, and she's still relatively new on the job. And she's kind of cute. Listen, I just got to edit that out. Give a compliment to the black women out there because you don't get enough compliments. We have compliments on our looks so we need some more compliments on our professionalism like you've given them to me you gave me my property. I'm not happy with I'm not happy with the job she's doing. Yeah, a lot of people aren't. Okay, and I just have to be honest. I'm not happy. I felt like she was too absent during the pandemic. I'm also conversely I want to be balanced. I don't believe the FOP is supportive of her. And I think the culture of Philadelphia policing is definitely anti woman anti black woman and definitely anti officer who is not born and raised in Philadelphia I thought Mayor Kenny made a horrible mistake by not promoting from within. Yeah, but who did he have in the ranks I think the next person the acting deputy commissioner was a culture. That was a woman who was seen wearing a very problematic t shirt. Remember, Rodney King. Right. Definitely what it said I remember running a column about it saying you know really where's your judgment. Right so no problem so skip over her. I'm sure there was more than enough people to choose from who've had some experience that you could have promoted. We're looking for really senior level folks, really senior level folks. Yeah, well, we got some work to do. We have a lot of work to do in this city, a lot of work. So Janice what's next for you. I mean, you've been a journalist a columnist. No years don't say the years for a minute it's just say just say for a minute. You were anticipating where I was going. Don't do it. Don't do it. I'm not talking about your past the question is about your future. What do you see coming for you next. You know, I really love this job. I still get up in the morning excited about what I get to do. I would like to do more work, more good work, and just continue doing what I do which is covering underserved communities, giving a voice to the voiceless and hopefully making a difference in the process. Well, I wish you well and all your future endeavors. I appreciate your work and what you've been doing for Philadelphia and Philadelphians, the quality of work that you do, and your willingness to stick your neck out on the line and tackle tough issues, regardless of how people respond. I'm sure you get a lot of hate mail. I want to continue to support you. Thank you. Thank you for having me come on I commend you for what you've done in Philadelphia for being a voice where that's on the radio, they're doing your own thing, or they're in the schools, working with the kids. You know, I really admire the work you've done for a long time quietly in the background, trying to be a leader and trying to help this next generation step up and do the right thing so thank you for support. And remember people out there. I need you to subscribe to will mega TV, share with your friends. You see how great our guests are. Until next time. Peace.