On Second Thought For Thursday, March 22, 2018

Opioid addiction is a major problem in Georgia. Several years ago, Governor Nathan Deal signed the "Good Samaritan" bill. The bill was created to prevent opioid overdose deaths by giving amnesty to anyone who reports drug-related emergencies. The measure also equips law enforcement and first responders with Naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses if given right away. We looked back at a conversation from last year with Andy Miller, the editor of Georgia Health News and with Mona Bennett, the co-founder of Atlanta Harm Reduction Center to see how this law is effecting the state. 

On Second Thought for Thursday, March 22, 2018.

March is Women’s History Month, and we are celebrating by saluting the female trailblazers. Leah Ward Sears is the first African-American female Chief Justice in the United States. She served as Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 2005 to 2009. We re-visited a conversation she had last year with On Second Thought’s Tony Harris.

American orchestras have a diversity problem. People of color make up only about four percent of the musicians in U.S. symphonies. The Atlanta Music Project is looking to change that by providing free instruments and lessons to underserved kids in southwest Atlanta. Their hopes are to empower these children to seek a classical music career. We talked with Dantes Rameau, the executive director of The Atlanta Music Project and also with Rick Robinson, the founder of Cut Time Productions on how they're using music to make this change.  

Finally, we talked with Mezzo-Soprano Jamie Barton on what music appeals to her. She grew up in Rome, Georgia and at 36, she holds the Richard Tucker Award, a $50,000 prize often called the 'Heisman Trophy' of music. She has performed all over the world, and just concluded her performance in Verdi's “Don Carlo” at the Washington National Opera. She contributed her favorite music picks to our Georgia Playlist.