[Whitney] Coming up on the Whitney Reynolds Show... [Man] We had just been given the green light to start marching when I heard my staffer yell, "Gunshot, gunshot."

Can you tell a difference when she's around the animals?

She was laughing and smiling.

Being able to come out and play with the animals was very helpful for her.

We felt that it was important to represent as many people as possible.

[announcer] Support for the Whitney Reynolds Show is provided by...

Together at Peace, a community dedicated to spreading the light that still shines bright, helping foster a connection to those we love and lost.

Offering suggestions, products, and curated event templates to move forward with their spirits.

We are forever together at peace.

K O'Connor Law Firm.

When it comes to your injuries, we take it personally.

JoePerillo.com, where you can browse their selection of pre-owned luxury vehicles.

JoePerillo.com is based in Chicago and ships all over the country.

And by Fair Oaks Farms, an escape to the country with acres of fun, fresh food and learning where you can explore family-owned farms and reconnect with nature, animals and our planet.

Additional support provided by Kevin Kelly Real Estate Agent, Midwest Moving & Storage.

Brendon Studzinski with State Farm, Bark Busters Chicago, Concierge Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery, and these funders.

Today we are talking hope and healing, and discovering if the two can coexist while trying to improve the future.

[opening theme music] [Whitney] It was a day that impacted a community forever.

Hope was extremely hard to find, and it was uncertain if healing would even be possible.

[Man] We were at the parade, actually standing right about here when the gunshots went off.

A lot of uncertainty.

And then right away, when the second round of shots rang out, we knew right away that it was gunshots.

And people started running and it was very scary.

I was on my way.

[Woman] I got a text that read, "Do not come.

"Turn on your television.

"And the kids, the bands, "are all either hunkered down at the hotel or they're under the bleachers."

[Man] We had just been given the green light to literally start marching when I heard my staffer yell, "Gunshot, gunshot."

July 4th was tragic.

And we knew that transformation needed to take part.

And immediately the community came together, and people really, from all over the world, came together to share and start the healing process.

[Man] In the days and weeks after the shooting, our community has come together on a number of occasions with vigils, with concerts at religious sites.

[Woman] I am so devastated by all of the violence.

I am so devastated by all of the mental illness that has been let out in our communities.

There's healing involved for us and our children.

Come out and just realized that we can have a normal night with music and laughter and kids enjoying and dogs and families.

That's really what it's all about and getting back to some sense of normalcy in Highland Park, even after such a tragic event.

And I just want you guys to know that I'm here with you.

If you need me, I'll be here with you.

And maybe we can accomplish something that would be a miracle while I'm alive.

Thank you so much.

[applause] Welcome to the show.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

We just watched that powerful piece.

Tell me, what was it like being there, for you, on the scene of a national tragedy?

It was very difficult.

I was there with my wife and kids and there were a lot of stressors whenever you're about to march in a parade.

So, I was very focused on getting the family together, making sure everyone had t-shirts and water and the car was in the right place.

And then the next thing I know, my campaign manager is yelling, "Gunshots, gunshots."

And my children were right behind me and so instinctively went to dad mode and put my hands right behind me to touch and feel where my children were and try to sort through what was happening.

Oh, my goodness.

In that moment of going into dad mode, what were your thoughts?

So, I was seeing hundreds of people running.

I was seeing police cars flying down the street, and I had to process that very quickly.

So, the first thing I did, of course, was really make sure my wife and my kids and my volunteers, we were all safe and we moved into a nearby building.

And then I told my wife that I have to go help once I knew that my kids were okay.

And I ran to the scene and even though through all that, the brain wasn't really processing what was happening.

Could you hear the rounds being fired?

You know, I don't think so.

There were a lot of noises.

At that point, I was about two blocks away so I didn't really hear what was actually happening in the sound until later when I saw the video of the scene.

And I was in a room with a lot of elected officials, including a senator, Tammy Duckworth.

And I played it on my phone and she was talking to someone else and stopped and turned towards me and said, "Bob, the last time I heard that sound was in Iraq."

You live in a suburb that you feel like it's very safe.

And then anybody, any of our viewers, we feel like we have our safety net that can all be shaken.

Do you feel like our system failed us?

I don't feel that way in the sense that we had law enforcement right there.

We had a lot of security precautions.

We had a lot of preparation for the event.

And if anything, I think what I see is the system failed in that clearly the alleged shooter, somebody who was in a lot of trouble and a lot of issues, was able to access this really deadly weapon.

What could we have done to stop that?

How do you ever stop somebody who really wants to cause harm to somebody?

How do we prevent this from happening again when it comes to this type of gun?

So, in a few weeks after the shooting, in the House, I was named to be in charge of the gun reform and the gun safety measures in Illinois with our House of Representatives.

And so, ever since then, multiple times a week, we're having regular meetings with my colleagues to talk about where are the laws that we can pass really to make it safer for everybody and to make it less likely that this happens again in any other part of our state?

So, we're working on it.

So, how is your community healing?

Everyone is dealing with it in different ways.

We have people who on a daily basis are going to the location of the shooting into our nearby memorials.

People who still, for any number of reasons, can't drive downtown Highland Park.

They need to avoid it.

We have students who are back in school who really struggle when the bus goes past the point of the shooting.

So, we're working on making sure there are supports for everybody and more as a community.

You know, the city is doing a remarkable job making sure the resources are there.

And we're trying to address the ways that people are dealing with this in different manners.

And so, some people want to be around other people.

The city is always going to have at least one memorial for people to attend.

And it, frankly, has provided so much comfort for so many people.

And you do feel hope even out of this tragic situation?

I feel a tremendous amount of hope.

Our community was already pretty tight and strong, united together, and this shared experience, what is just consistent is everybody wants to be there to help.

Again, that takes different forms in different ways.

People want to be involved or not involved, but our community is really united together going through this really difficult time.

Highland Park Strong.

What does that mean to you?

It means something really personal.

I know we use it as a catch phrase.

And if you weren't there, you're not from Highland Park, I'd see it as really the community uniting in literally the most impossible circumstances, and coming together to help each other.

And that's why I am hopeful for the future.

Thank you so much for coming on.

Thank you for having me.

[group chattering] [Whitney] At 13 years old and born with a rare condition, nothing is going to stop Angelina from feeling like a superhero.

What is usually a normal trip to the hospital has become a day of hope, healing and joy thanks to some four-legged friends from Mane in heaven.

They are a nonprofit organization whose goal is using miniature horses to brighten up the days of folks who need it the most.

The small size of the horses makes them great for petting and walking, but it is also bringing hope to everyone around them as they push through these difficult moments.

My daughter was born with Joubert Syndrome.

It's a rare genetic disorder that affects her cerebellum.

She had a heart defect when she was born.

A cleft lip and palate.

The brain malformation caused her to have developmental delays and stuff like that.

So, you know, we've been here for-- This is our third week in a row.

We've been kind of in these hospital rooms pushing her through therapies, rehab therapies for hip surgery she just got done having.

Trying to get her back on her feet.

It's been pretty difficult for her.

So, to be able to get out and just enjoy some things.

Can you tell a difference when she's around the animals that she just feels lighter or happier?

Yeah, absolutely.

She feels engaged.

She was laughing and smiling.

And being able to come out and play with the animals was very helpful for her.

From a parent standpoint, seeing your daughter happy, what is that like for you?

It's definitely helps me push through this because it's been pretty hard for me to be here for the last two and a half weeks now.

So, you know, to just see her happy and pushing through and enjoying herself is very helpful.

[Whitney] While her ability to verbally talk is limited, that did not stop Angelina from expressing the joy she found in today.

The baby horses were so cute.

And I feel happy about that.

I mean, look how little they were.

I kind of say it three-pronged.

They're definitely there for the patients.

The kids love them.

It brings their spirits up.

But I think it helps the parents, too.

Parents go through so much when their kids are sick and then to have a horse walk in and to be able to see their child smile.

I know when kids are trying to walk, when they walk with hope, it just gives them that hope, that confidence.

And it's inspiring.

[Whitney] No matter the age, the horses can bring hope and healing to everyone they meet.

Destiny visits the hospital for routine therapy due to pain in her hip and legs, something she can take her mind off of with the horses by her side.

When you come to the hospital, why do the horses help?

Because I think, like, when you walk in, it kind of, like, feels like you're in therapy, too, because you're walking too.

Sometimes you might just be walking and not even realize.

[Woman] She listens to the kids, and I think it builds confidence with the kids.

It's confidence and kind of that teamwork.

[Whitney] Well, Hope, thank you for all you do.

[Woman] She brings a lot of happiness to people.

[Whitney] And from ponies blazing a trail to a movie that is blazing another trail, this is showing us how far we have come for our LGBT community.

Let's take a look.

There has been immense progress since I first started covering the LGBTQ community in 1984, mainly known as the gay community back then, especially in the cultural space in terms of representation in mainstream media and mainstream movies.

They were usually pretty tragic stories, but you still tried to find yourself.

And what's amazing since then is not only the vast number of LGBTQ characters, but those played by LGBTQ people and also the diversity of that.

[Whitney] One of the films that has helped push for more of this representation is the movie Bros. We sat down with Billy Eichner and discovered how this movie has brought hope to his community.

We felt that it was important to represent as many people as possible.

And I wanted LGBTQ people to see themselves on the big screen, not in a tragic way.

We always get these stories about that tragedy of being LGBTQ, the suffering, the closet, and those are very important stories to tell, but we lead very joyful lives, and we have for a while now, even with all the challenges that are, of course, part of our history and part of our lives.

But we're funny, and we fall in love and we fall out of love.

And we're dealing with love and dating and sex and romance the way that everyone is.

And so, it was important for us to represent all of that.

[Whitney] Bros is one of the first movies to blaze this path as a romantic comedy by a major studio and also by the entire main cast and LGBTQ actors.

We wanted to take this as an opportunity to just introduce the world to so many really funny LGBTQ comedians and comic actors who haven't gotten an opportunity to be in a big Judd Apatow comedy.

We felt that it was important to represent as many people as possible.

[Woman] I don't know if people that come from non-marginalized spaces could even grasp how weird it would be to never see yourself represented in a holistic way on screen.

You know, we shouldn't need outside validation, but because so many LGBTQ people don't get that validation in their own families, seeing it from the outside world is even more important.

I think Bros is another in a long line of things that have shown progress for our movement.

[Whitney] And progress forward can bring healing to the past.

I survived.

I adapted.

I learned how to take my skills, be myself, not ask for pity, and not ask for the pain.

Look, listen and learn.

Look at the world today.

Hate is up.

Love is down.

A man says peace and we attack his character, but we hail a man who wages war on the land because they believe differently than he does.

[Whitney] Surviving through one of the most difficult situations, Ralph, who is now known as B.C.

The Clown, was once homeless, and despite his challenging circumstances, he was able to turn his life around and is now an author and a poet.

It was during this time of need that he found hope.

Welcome to the show.

Thanks so much for having us.

We're talking hope and healing.

And both of you have encountered these two words in a little bit different ways, but for the same cause.

B.C.

tell us a little bit about your story.

I've learned that being homeless doesn't mean it's over.

It means that sometimes it's a beginning.

The only hope that we have is other people.

If we don't have other humans that care about us or care what we're going through, it doesn't matter.

The scariest part about being homeless is it could happen to you to you, to you.

And how do you deal with that?

Like, how do you talk to somebody that's like, "Oh, well, you know, you smell"?

Maybe they need a shower.

[Whitney] B.C.

found hope through his personal interaction with Shiloh Capone of Street Samaritans.

They are a nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting the unhoused and impoverished communities.

This organization hits the streets to help bring hope and healing to those in need by connecting them with resources such as food, clothing and other essentials.

It was this foundation that helped BC's healing process began, while also building a friendship with Shiloh, who he now considers family.

And Street Samaritans is actually how you both became friends.

And B.C., before we started rolling, you actually called Shiloh family.

Yeah.

During COVID, I was working for a health care system.

It was like a few months later, it was like a pandemic, and I was like, what a time to work in healthcare.

Super bizarre, but I did what I think everyone did, which was start thinking about ways to change myself or improve myself.

Like, how am I going to use this to better myself?

I knew I wanted to be in the nonprofit field.

It's where I've always been.

So Street Samaritans is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to intervening in the cycle of homelessness and poverty by connecting people to solutions and walking with them on their journey.

Going out on the streets, we are finding people that are experiencing unsheltered street homelessness and we are meeting their needs physically, socially and emotionally.

So, we're giving them clothing, food, hygiene products, other living essentials.

But more important than that, we're giving them human connection.

I think healing begins for the unhoused in the same way it begins for us, which is relationships.

Those build self-confidence, they build dignity, and they become the foundation for a journey of personal change.

And then we're helping them overcome obstacles that they might have, such as connecting with transportation, helping them fill out paperwork that could be very difficult.

And then we're walking with them on that journey.

[B.C.]

She actually cared about people like me, and I wasn't like one of those people like them.

I was thinking all the scary things that everything that everybody thinks.

[Whitney] According to Street Samaritans, the homeless population is reaching past half a million in the United States.

They also note that in the case of B.C.

and many others they meet, looking past the current environment and seeing people for exactly who they are can truly bring hope in hard times.

Sometimes when people see someone that is experiencing homelessness, there's this sense of like, the problems are so big.

Okay, so I'm not going to be able to house this person or feed them, or what can I do?

See and acknowledge the person that they are and create space.

So, going back to hope, what was the hope that you found through Street Samaritans?

They were listening.

It was listening.

Like, you know how I met them?

I was on Michigan Avenue.

They're giving me sandwiches and socks, and I was invited to speak my mind.

I felt like the whole room warmed up to what I was saying.

I was like, hey, listen, it's not just about socks.

It's about transitional.

Like, some people that are homeless don't even know what it's like to live in a house.

[Whitney] After being given a voice and a seat at the table, B.C.

was able to grow as a person and take his love of poetry and put it to paper by writing his first book.

This once seemed impossible, but it's now his reality.

You inspire me as much as you think I inspire you.

I love that.

And you, on this inspirational journey have actually become an author.

Your poetry that we just heard.

If you read the forward of my book, I started out going, I had no intentions of writing a book.

I had no idea that I could be a writer and I had people say, "Oh, well, that seems cool.

You should write that."

So, I'm an example of growing.

Do you think that because of the connection that you found when you were at a time of need, this is what's helped to blossom?

Even more so.

Yes.

And every time I walk downtown and I see somebody that seems unhelpable, I think, we have a way we can.

I think that makes-- There's a way to deal with everyone.

And I think we should have this love for each other.

[Whitney] It was having a strong personal connection, despite the circumstance that gave hope and inspiration not only to B.C., but also Shiloh, and has become a lasting memory for them to lift their spirits and encourage others.

Do you remember the time I came and I sat out there with you?

And how many people tried to avoid eye contact with you?

They weren't seeing you for who you were.

They have this image in their head and they're making a judgment about what somebody-- You got to see the beautiful people that smiled at me when they walked past And they make all the difference, right?

Those moments are transformational, and they can make your day so much better.

And that's something that every single human being watching this show and on earth could do to make not only the world a better place, but to help people that are experiencing homelessness.

When I was producing the show, I thought to myself, hope.

A lot of the stuff we're talking about is some really tough stuff.

And healing, that can be even harder.

But I truly believe in that moment I was at the intersection of today's topic and both might actually need each other.

Remember, your story matters.

[announcer] Support for the Whitney Reynolds Show is provided by...

Together at Peace, a community dedicated to spreading the light that still shines bright, helping foster a connection to those we love and lost.

Offering suggestions, products, and curated event templates to move forward with their spirits.

We are forever together at peace.

K O'Connor Law Firm.

When it comes to your injuries, we take it personally.

JoePerillo.com, where you can browse their selection of pre-owned luxury vehicles.

JoePerillo.com is based in Chicago and ships all over the country.

And by Fair Oaks Farms, an escape to the country with acres of fun, fresh food and learning where you can explore family-owned farms and reconnect with nature, animals and our planet.

Additional support provided by Kevin Kelly Real Estate Agent, Midwest Moving & Storage.

Brendon Studzinski with State Farm, Bark Busters Chicago, Concierge Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery, and these funders.

[Whitney] Whether you want more behind-the-scenes or the whole interview, make sure not to miss one episode of the Whitney Reynolds Show.

Here's what's coming up.

Little do you know that you helped smuggle a lover out of prison?

That's right.

Out of a medium custody prison, a maximum security prison, too.

And, you know, he came up with this idea.

He said, "You know, I could hide in your van when you come in to do a dog adoption."

And I said, "Well now, that idea would probably work."

I was on America's Most Wanted.

But even that, even with all the media attention this case was getting, nobody ever looked twice at us.

You would love for there to be no shame or no stigma against people who are born in a chaotic and traumatic lifestyle.

And I think only by talking about it do you get rid of that shame.

I saw the airplane just so fast.

Very fast, very loud.

Towards us.

To me.

Then I turned my head and I looked up at the sky and I saw four bombs.

When you're asked to kind of come in and inspire people, you don't realize how much they inspire you.

And as I'm looking out and seeing these thousands of people at 4:00 in the morning, all committed to doing something so great for themselves, I just felt so inspired to be there.

Like, I knew I wanted to be an Olympic champion when I was nine.

At nine?

Yup, at nine years old.

And did you tell people that?

Yeah.

For a class assignment, I wrote, "I'd be an Olympic champion."

That was the goal at nine.

But I would say my family support and my family, they were the ones that really inspired me to be great.

My dad told me since I was 17, "You're going to be an Olympic champion.

You're going to be an Olympic champion.." And I think by the time I was 16, I believed him and then I believed in myself.

And so, I would say my family, they definitely inspired me, motivated me to be the best in the world.

You're in college.

You're on the height of your career, and then you think you're probably going to go right into the NBA, right?

It was just a lot of self perseverance, kind of having the vision of where I wanted to be.

Just put my head down and go to work.

Is that what it was?

Putting your head down and going to work?

Yeah, I was just staying really focused, really present, trying to be wherever my feet were and just work hard and give myself the opportunity.

[Whitney] For more information on today's program, visit Whitney Reynolds.com or get social with us.

Facebook @ WhitneyReynoldsShow, Twitter @whitneyreynolds, or on TikTok and Instagram whitney_reynolds.

[Kids] Our mommy!