Shared Humanity
Host Nelba Márquez-Greene talks to the humans behind the headlines of gun violence in a moment in history where all too often we focus on everything but our shared humanity.
info_outline
12: Honoring My Dad
08/04/2025
12: Honoring My Dad
Six years ago this week, a young person radicalized by anti-immigrant rhetoric, armed with an AR-15, entered a Walmart in El Paso. He murdered 23 human beings, and he physically injured another 22. He changed the lives of millions. On that same day, Stephanie Melendez's parents had volunteered to take her eldest daughter shopping. Stephanie's dad, David Johnson, saved the lives of his wife and granddaughter. He was one of the 23 killed at the Walmart in El Paso on a random day in the United States. On today's episode of Shared Humanity: The Humans Behind the Headlines, Melendez remembers her father. She talks to host Nelba Márquez-Greene about how her family is doing in their "new regular" (with the help of a biker organization), coping with a mass tragedy motivated by hatred, and how she talks to her children about what happened. When asked how we can best honor her dad, Melendez said, "Just be kind and don't forget." Listen to their full conversation now wherever you get your podcasts. Link from this episode: Learn more about Shared Humanity:
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/37641710
info_outline
11: On Healing Trauma and Gun Violence
06/06/2025
11: On Healing Trauma and Gun Violence
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, LMFT, Yale School of Public Health Community Scholar, is joined by Dr. Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, Principal of the Neurosequential Network. Dr. Perry's work on the impact of abuse, neglect, and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs, and policy across the world. His most recent book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, has been translated into 26 languages and has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for over 100 weeks. He is also a primary responder to many communities that have been impacted by gun violence. Márquez-Greene and Perry discuss shifting mental health work to a public health model, the impact of early childhood experience on long-term wellness, and healing trauma. Links from this episode: Learn more about Shared Humanity:
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/36871540
info_outline
10: Uvalde, Activism, and Remembering
05/23/2025
10: Uvalde, Activism, and Remembering
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene is joined by Kimberly Mata-Rubio. Mata-Rubio is the mother of Alexandria Aniyah “Lexi” Rubio, one of 21 victims who died in a mass shooting three years ago this week at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX. Mata-Rubio and Márquez-Greene, who are both mothers of daughters who were killed during school shootings, discuss remembering and making change possible. Mata-Rubio is the president of Lives Robbed, a non-profit organization formed to combat the gun violence epidemic in America. Follow along at @livesrobbed. Links from this episode: livesrobbed.com Learn more about Shared Humanity: sph.yale.edu/SharedHumanity
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/36681015
info_outline
09: What We Learned From the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
04/16/2025
09: What We Learned From the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, Yale School of Public Health Community Scholar, is joined by the two former deputy directors of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Gregory Jackson and Rob Wilcox. They discuss the successes of the Office — we saw the biggest reduction in gun violence in U.S. history — and how those accomplishments can continue to be replicated, even after the Office’s closure. "We have the solutions that work," said Wilcox. "We just need to put them in place." Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Bluesky: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: Threads: TikTok:
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/36158255
info_outline
08: Firearm Injury, Public Health, and Hope
12/11/2024
08: Firearm Injury, Public Health, and Hope
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, is joined by Megan L. Ranney, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health. The two discuss firearm injury as a public health issue, partnerships between academia, survivors, and communities, and how they continue to find hope. The episode was recorded the week before the twelfth anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook School, where Márquez-Greene’s daughter, Ana Grace, 6, was one of 20 students and six administrators and teachers who were killed. Learn more about Yale School of Public Health’s firearm injury prevention work: sph.yale.edu/fip Sign up for our mailing list by reaching out to [email protected] Learn more about Shared Humanity: sph.yale.edu/sharedhumanity Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph #SharedHumanity #YaleSPH
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/34371775
info_outline
07: Somewhere in America - Gun Violence and Grief 20 Years Later
11/13/2024
07: Somewhere in America - Gun Violence and Grief 20 Years Later
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, Yale School of Public Health Activist in Residence, is joined by gun violence survivor and gun violence prevention advocate Tara Donnelly. Donnelly lost both her mother and father on February 2, 2005 when they were killed in a shooting at their family jewelry store in Fairfield, Connecticut. The person who committed the crime stole the gun from an unlocked nightstand in a home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Donnelly discusses grief 20 years later, becoming a parent without parents, expanding Ethan’s Law in Connecticut to require gun owners to secure firearms in all homes, not just homes with minors, and her GV Angels holiday drive. This episode also features snippets of the song “Somewhere in America” by Tara’s brother Eric Donnelly and his band the Alternate Routes. To support GV Angels, email . Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph #SharedHumanity #YaleSPH
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/33914902
info_outline
06: The Shooting at Mother Emanuel – One Survivor's Story
10/23/2024
06: The Shooting at Mother Emanuel – One Survivor's Story
In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, Yale School of Public Health Activist in Residence, is joined by Reverend Sharon Washington Risher. Reverend Risher was catapulted into the limelight after the Charleston, South Carolina shooting at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015. Her beloved mother, Mrs. Ethel Lee Lance, was killed along with eight others – including two cousins and a childhood friend. Today she is a sought-after inspirational speaker, traveling across the country telling her personal experience of losing loved ones to gun violence, racism, and hate in America, as well as the path to forgiveness and an offering of hope for tomorrow. Her book, For Such A Time as This: Hope and Forgiveness After the Charleston Massacre, was released in 2019. Risher is a volunteer spokesperson for MOMS Demand Gun Sense and the Everytown Survivor Network, two of the largest grassroots advocacy groups for common-sense gun laws and reform in America. She is also a volunteer and Chairwoman of the Board of the Death Penalty Action Organization. Winner of the Bronze Film Festival Short Doc category- Best Short Film, “Quiet No More”, produced by Blue Chalk Media, tells Risher's story. Risher has published articles with the Washington Post, New York Times, and Oprah Daily, and has appeared on national news. Connect with Reverend Sharon Risher twitter@RisherRev Facebook, sharonrisherspeaks Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/33585382
info_outline
05: Grieving Suicide in the Public Eye
09/18/2024
05: Grieving Suicide in the Public Eye
CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses suicide and may contain distressing content. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is available. Call, text, or chat 9-8-8 anywhere within the United States to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. In this episode of Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, Yale School of Public Health Activist in Residence, is joined by Kay Warren – author, speaker, and Bible teacher. Warren discusses grieving suicide in the public eye and how she keeps hope with the help of a hope box. Warren co-founded Saddleback Church with her husband, Rick Warren, in 1980 and served until Rick's retirement in 2022. After the death of her son Matthew, who lived with serious mental illness, she founded Saddleback's Hope for Mental Health Initiative and the Hope for Mental Health Community to support individuals and families. In 2019, she started BREATHE, a ministry for parents of children with serious mental illness, offering respite retreats for moms, online retreats and prayer calls for moms and dads, and webinars with leading mental health professionals. In 2024, Kay launched Hope for Brighter Tomorrows, a nonprofit supporting families affected by mental health challenges and equipping churches to assist them. She served on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention board for 8 years and is active in mental health efforts in Orange County, CA. Kay authored several books, and has three children – Amy, Josh, and Matthew, and five grandchildren. Links from this episode: Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph #SharedHumanity #YaleSPH
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/33111992
info_outline
04: Teaching After Tragedy
08/28/2024
04: Teaching After Tragedy
You may have seen Abbey Clements share her story in one minute during the Freedom from Gun Violence segment at the DNC last week. Activist in Residence recently sat down with Clements for 45 minutes to discuss teaching after tragedy. Clements and Márquez-Greene share an inextricable link. Clements was a teacher at Sandy Hook School on December 14, 2012, where Márquez-Greene lost her daughter, Ana Grace. Since that fateful day, Clements, who has been an elementary teacher for 32 years, has been a gun violence prevention activist. Clements is the Executive Director and co-founder of . She is also a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers and a member of the Brady Pac National Advisory Council. During this episode, Clements talks about her activism, survivor’s guilt, and what it’s like to discuss all of this in front of a mom who lost a child. Links from this episode: Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph #SharedHumanity #YaleSPH
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/32778187
info_outline
03: The Mass Shooting That Never Made the News
07/17/2024
03: The Mass Shooting That Never Made the News
Celeste Robinson Fulcher is a mother, wife, and retired federal employee specializing in veteran services. She and her family lived in West Haven in 2013 when her daughter Erika Robinson was killed in a mass shooting in New Haven. Since that time, Celeste has committed to honoring her daughter’s life, her own, and sharing support for other moms and families who are impacted by gun violence. Her influence can also be felt as one of the four founding mothers who helped build the New Haven Botanical Garden Dedicated to Victims of Gun Violence – a place of hope and healing we all should visit. Links from this episode: Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: Facebook: X: TikTok: LinkedIn: Threads:
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/32148952
info_outline
02: Kristin Song on Safe Storage and What Will Never Be Quieted
06/12/2024
02: Kristin Song on Safe Storage and What Will Never Be Quieted
Kristin Song became a gun safety activist after her 15-year-old son Ethan was killed with an unsecured gun in his best friend's house. In the second episode of our Shared Humanity: The humans behind the headlines podcast and video series, our activist in residence Nelba Márquez-Greene talks to Song about safe storage and how the unjust loss of a child changes life forever. Song’s unifying approach in Connecticut resulted in the passing of Ethan's Law with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law requires all guns to be secured if a child or unauthorized person can gain access. Now Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, and Maryland have passed child access prevention laws and Song is currently working with six other states to pass Ethan’s Law. Links from this episode: SongStrong.org Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph #SharedHumanity #YaleSPH
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/31704627
info_outline
01: Sybrina Fulton on Empowering Mothers Who Have Lost Children to Gun Violence
05/08/2024
01: Sybrina Fulton on Empowering Mothers Who Have Lost Children to Gun Violence
In this first episode of Shared Humanity: the humans behind the headlines, host Nelba Márquez-Greene, Yale School of Public Health Activist in Residence, is joined by author, activist, and mother of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton. As Mother’s Day nears, the two speak about what loss is like more than ten years later, how their community supports them, and Circle of Mothers, an organization founded by Fulton through the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Links from this episode: Circle of Mothers: https://www.circleofmothers.org/ Trayvon Martin Foundation: Learn more about Shared Humanity: Follow the Yale School of Public Health: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalesph/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YaleSPH/ X: https://twitter.com/YaleSPH TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yalesph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/yalesph/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yalesph
/episode/index/show/da698798-dcae-4f13-80e5-3367d45545e9/id/31150918