What does it mean to "be finer"? Calandra McDonald, international co-director of Zeta Amicae affairs and a Zeta Phi Beta member for 35 years, joins Dr. Ray Minor and Dr. Horace Huntley for this Divine Nine conversation.

She tells how a "Saturday at 3 p.m." invitation from a woman she called her aunt turned into a sorority meeting, and how that "yes, ma'am" grew into leadership at the state, regional and international levels. She walks through Zeta's core values (scholarship, service, sisterhood and finer womanhood), its youth groups and international reach, and the Power of XI: social, health and economic justice, from the March of Dimes and the Stork's Nest to a community food pantry in the Birmingham area.

Her closing message to the Divine Nine: "We are stronger together."

Keep Looking Up: History and Hope is a production of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Emmy-winning journalist Art Franklin joins Dr. Ray Minor and Dr. Horace Huntley for the Divine Nine series, speaking for Omega Psi Phi.

Franklin traces his path from a Detroit childhood shaped by his Mississippi-born mother, Annie Franklin, to the Birmingham anchor desk, where he recalls becoming the city's first Black male prime-time anchor. He shares the newsroom moment that tested whether he would keep pushing for the stories his community needed told; how Omega Psi Phi serves Birmingham through scholarships, mentoring and a planned multi-purpose community center in Ensley; why he wrote a book for young men after losing a nephew to violence; and what he felt on a recent trip to Ghana.

His through-line: "God blesses you so you can be a blessing to someone else."

Keep Looking Up: History and Hope is a production of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Your body talks. Are you listening?

Birmingham cardiologist Dr. Jimmie Dotson sits down with host Ray Minor to talk plainly about heart health, and about the warning signs that too many of us wait on.

Dr. Dotson is a board-certified cardiologist with Alabama Cardiovascular Group in Birmingham. He is certified in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, endovascular and vascular medicine.

In this episode:
• Why high blood pressure is called “the silent killer,” and how it can weaken the heart over time
• Why you should see a doctor or nurse practitioner at least once a year
• Why a diabetes diagnosis is not a death sentence, and why foot care matters
• “A heart attack for the foot”: why a wound that won’t heal needs a doctor
• The warning signs that mean go to the ER: chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, unexplained blackouts
• The difference between a heart attack, a stroke and a cardiac arrest, and why CPR matters
• Mental, physical and spiritual health as the foundation of a healthy heart
• What to do when insurance gets in the way, and when to find a doctor you can talk to

This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your own doctor about your health, and call 911 or go to the ER for emergencies.

Keep Looking Up: History and Hope is a production of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama.