Nina Calahan-James s,Executive Producer and Host of The Politics and Life Talk Show

How did it start? 

The Beginning

A beginning shared by many Americans Nina volunteered with the presidential campaign of 2008 and decided she needed to do more to keep people informed and motivated.

Nina had an idea during a period of unemployment. As a concerned citizen, she wanted to interview President Barack Obama’s Michigan Communications Director, then Brad Coluburn on the radio. Accomplishing the task, was more than a notion. At the time she was working as a volunteer recruiter for the campaign utilizing previous experience as a recruiting manager.  Several radio programs were willing to partner with her including religious programing such as the Gospel of Love radio program, hosted by Pastor Leslie Walker and The Saint's Perspective on Faith Talk AM1500 in Detroit, Michigan. Nina's goal was to help raise voter partipaticpation in young people.

After the interview with one of the President's then Communication Directors, Nina was asked the same day, to help cultivate a radio program and co-host a talk show of political and religious nature with Kwame Hardy. Shortly there after, Nina was invited by the United States Senate Media Committee, to the Swearing in Ceremony of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama.

Moving Forward

After postive community responses, a Station Manager of the national network Salem Communications, reached out to Nina and requested, she become the host of her own show. He gave her, a book entitled, "The Wizard of Ads".

Nina created the Politics & Life Talk Show.  She later developed the Honor Student Showcase Segment, hosted by students designed to inspire and educate people to strive for the best and stay in school. Her employer, Angel Child Advertising later produced the radio program for several radio stations. 

To listen to Nina's interviews with political leaders, community leaders and average people making a difference in their community, click on Interviews from the column to the left.

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Dalton Roberson Jr, is the Co-host of Politics and Life Talk Show.

Dalton Born on Election Day (November 8th) 1972 to Recorders Court Chief Judge, Dalton Roberson Sr. and DPS Social Work Supervisor, Pearl J. Roberson.

Dalton was one of the 167 candidates running for Detroit City Council primary race in August 2009. During that time, Dalton appeared on Politics & Life Talk Show with 9 other candidates to convince Detroit why they should vote for him.

With a must win spirit and compassionate about the future of Detroit, Dalton returned to Politics & Life Talk Show to co-host and moderate debate interviews for the final run of the 19 Detroit City Council Candidates.

In an article published by the Detroit Free Press titled; ” Detroit can't afford to lose this family

Keeping young professionals is key to the city's turnaround

Dalton and Jakeema Roberson are exactly the kind of folks Detroit needs to keep.

Young professionals, the couple bought their first home in Detroit out of loyalty to the city, choosing a tree-lined neighborhood of older brick homes on the west side, off Wyoming and Outer Drive, where neighbors have lived for decades and watch out for each other

In his own words, Dalton tells us “As young child, my parents taught me the importance of civic engagement and compassion for my fellow man.

However, it was a childhood spent listening to the discussions between my father and men like Coleman A. Young, Ken Cockrel, Sr. and Robert “Buddy” Battle that helped foster my commitment to political activism.

Upon graduating from high school in 1990, I chose to follow in the footsteps of men like Stokley Carmichael and Benjamin Hooks and continue my education at Howard University; a school with a long history of political and civil rights activism.

During my time at Howard University, I served as a mentor for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, organized campus rallies and volunteered on a number of local and national elections including President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign for the U.S. presidency.

However, it was my time spent as a congressional intern that sparked my passion for the legislative process. After graduating in 1994 with a dual degree in Political Science and African American Studies, I passed up employment opportunities in Washington D.C., Atlanta, GA and Philadelphia, PA and instead chose to return to my native Detroit where I could use my education to help create a better life for my fellow Detroiters.

Upon returning to Detroit, I took a position as an Intake Specialist with the Wayne County Department of Community Corrections where I helped first time, non-violent offenders secure the rehabilitation and educational services necessary to help them become positive, productive members of society. After leaving the Wayne County Department of Community Corrections, I went to work for Ser-Metro Detroit Jobs for Progress as a Case Manager/ Job Developer helping single mothers make the transition from government assistance to full time employment and self sufficiency.

In 2001, I accepted the position of Senior Program Associate for Economic Equity with New Detroit where I worked closely with Detroit’s political, corporate and community leaders. As part of my responsibilities at New Detroit I worked with diverse constituencies to develop policies and programs that led to increased investments in the City of Detroit, created jobs, grew and strengthened small businesses, improved the quality of life in Detroit’s neighborhoods and reduced economic disparity and racial divisions in S.E. Michigan.

Most recently I worked with the Michigan State AFL-CIO helping organized labor elect Barack Obama and promoting the legislative agenda of America’s working men and women.

Jasmine Jennings
Host, Honor Student Showcase

Jasmine is an honor student and senior at Cass Technical High School in Detroit.  Jasmine served as a 2008-2009 United States Senate House of Representatives Paige in Washington DC.  Jasmine wants to become a foreign affairs journalist. She is considering attending college at either the University of Toronto, University of Chicago or a few other out of state schools.

This is where I spent my junior year
in Washington DC working on Capitol Hill
for the senate every day and
sometimes the wee hours of  the night.

Jassmine pictured here working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. She  is a member of Cass Tech’s Christian club, will be participating in Cass Tech’s Children’s Theatre, and will be participating in the Detroit urban League’s Detroit/Southeastern College Club. Jasmine would like to major in Communications when she begins college during the fall of 2010.

LaNiesha is the Host and  the Managing Editor of the Mumford Times Student Newspaper and is enrolled in the Detroit Free Press High School Journalism Program. LaNiesha has a 3.8 G.P.A 

"The road getting there was not easy, Nope Not for me. Not at all But I did it! Yes I did and you can do it do!!!. Anything worth having requires you to work for it. In school I am involved with both the newspaper and YWTeens,
I am the Vice President for this club for teenage girls.
 

Shayna Fields-Clark
Honor Student *Researcher

Shayna is a 2008 high school graduate
of Detroit, Renaissance High School.

 
During her senior year, Shayna completed a SCOOP, broadcast curriculum program.  While participating in SCOOP, Shayna earned a “My TV20” trophy for a Public Service Announcement titled “Dare to be Different”.  Also in her senior year, Shayna had the opportunity to shadow Randy Henry, a director of WDIV-TV local 4.  After her high school graduation, she returned to work for SCOOP. Shayna also worked the past summer as a reporter for Detroit Entertainers & Musicians News, a local magazine.

Shayna is a sophomore at Wayne State University majoring in journalism. She recently served as a member of our
Honor Student Showcase team and a student researcher. 

She has worked as a photographer and production with new video technology behind the scenes of another program launched by Angel Child Productions. 

Andre is a volunteer and has worked with local political campaigns. He also worked as a student team member with the national media covering the Barack Obama rally at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.  
Andre wants to become a local broadcaster and will soon be a freshman attending Wayne State University.

 We need a new Legal Analyst to replace Mr. Humphrey

 

Nina Calahan-James,
Owner, Executive Producer & Host