***This episode was recorded a month ago. This episode focuses on the field of robotics and the great work my guest is doing in the field to expose our youth to technology and coding. My guest and brother-in-law, Jean Mahoro, software engineer/instructional manager for the non-profit organization, code crew, out of Memphis, TN, came to speak with me about how kids getting involved and intrigued about coding, building robotics that respond on command through computer programming languages like Python, what has been the community's response and support to getting their kids signed up, and even how kids are enjoy participating in the gaming and robotics competitions. Jean spoke about how important it is for kids today to be exposed to the idea of not just being consumers of the technology, but become influencers and impactful coders and designers of it in their own right. Kids today are born into a world where technology is the focal point of their education, entertainment and somewhat upbringing. It is imperative that they learn how not only use it but obtain the knowledge on how to members of the technological society that has become the highest demanding industry in the world. There's so many areas of technology to go into and be successful in, it's all about exposure. Jean also spoke about representation; the fact that more of our young black children are getting exposed to technology gives them the opportunity to go into the field and being the representation that they want to see and Code Crew has provided that opportunity. Since May 2015, Code crew has taught more than 1,000 students to code through our summer camps, after school programs, in-school electives, and special events. Of the 250 kids they serve weekly, 91% are black and latinx youth, 41% are girls who code, and overall, 89% of their students are more likely to study computer science. Speaking of representation, a special congratulations are in order for my guest. This past weekend, Jean was recognized as one of the 40 most influential urban elite professionals under the age of 40 in the city of Memphis for his work in robotics with Code Crew. I'm extremely proud of him and happy for him for this accomplishment and look forward to talking with him again on what latest technological phenomena he's teaching the kids in Memphis. If you would like to sign your kids up for virtual sessions and workshops and you are in the Memphis, TN area, you can visit their website @https://www.justmymemphis.com/CodeCrew and follow them on Instagram @_codecrew for more information on events, workshops and robotics competition that your kids can sign up for.

This episode focuses on the ways to overcome childhood trauma in the black community. Despite it being a very uncomfortable and touchy subject, it is important to talk about. My guest, Fatima Oliver, author of the book "The Prescription is in the Dirt" and life coach, helping black women deal with childhood trauma, discussed how she herself has been able to overcome her own personal traumatic events in her life, how counseling has helped her and most importantly, how making the ultimate choice to save her own life for the sake of herself and her children and in doing so, getting to the place where she let go of the people who hindered her growth, which we all know to be a very difficult thing. Fatima spoke about how she was on the brink of taking her own life, not knowing how or when she would snap or react irrationally, and how it was for her to make a choice to prioritize her mental and spiritual health. She also speak to me about how hard it was to let go of certain people in her life because of the family dynamic she shares with them. We talked about how as adults and parents in our own right, how hard it is to navigate through life dealing with unresolved issues and how sometimes we don't know whether they're resolved until something triggers a nerve within us.  In prioritizing our mental health, we have to keep in mind that those who were responsible for the physical, mental, and emotional damage to us won't always own up to it or even apologize for it, but it is our responsibility to seek the professional help we need to forgive those who took our innocence and youthfulness away from us in order to move forward in our lives to be our best selves. A special thanks to my guest, Fatima Oliver, for being on this show to share what has worked for her, how she is helping black women with her efforts to guide them onto a path to becoming more than their traumatic circumstances.  In order to move forward, we have to let go of the past. We are not responsible for our trauma as kids, but we are responsible for our healing as adults.

I want to take the time to reintroduce myself as the host of this podcast and give a backstory as to why I started it. To all of my new viewers and subscribers, thank you so much for your viewership and support. I have officially changed the premise of the show to now being about imparting education to the black community being provided by black professionals of all professions, platforms and/or organizations. Continue to follow me on social media as well: On Instagram @speaktothemic_podcastshow and on Facebook @Speak To The Mic Podcast Show. I look forward to your hearing thoughts, comments, and criticisms, as I continue to put out helpful content that is primarily focused on helping encouraging and enlightening the black community.

This episode focuses on how to get into the real estate industry as a rental property owner. This week's guest is none other than Lisa Phillips, an investment property coach, author of the book, "Investing in Rental Properties for Beginners", and the founder of Affordable Real Estate Investments, where she helps turn black professionals into rental property owners, help them achieve financial freedom through passive income rental portfolio to build real generational wealth. She provided some great insight on how investments should be affordable for beginning investors--costing $30,000 - $50,000, and without buying in a war zone, or getting headache tenants. Affordable Real Estate Investments is a platform that provides step-by-step tools, online coaching, and training for investment in rental properties. She specialize in helping Black professionals build profitable rental property portfolios. Her clients are generally first generation college, first generation white collar, and this is the best way to wealth investing in minority neighborhoods. She went into detail on how to avoid painful experiences dealing with tenants who don't consistently pay their rent, how to vet both tenants and property managers to assure the needs of the tenants are being met in a respectable time frame, and how to expand your search when looking for potential properties to purchase to rent out based on the market where those houses are located. She is truly helping black people obtain financial stability in the real estate industry by training them on how to become responsible landlords. If you have any questions for her as to how to get started with the idea of becoming a potential rental property owner, you can visit her website at www.affordablerealestateinvestments.com, check out her Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/users/affordablerei, on social media you can find her at Facebook.com/affordablerei, and her book can be found and purchased on Amazon at https://but.ly/OwnRentalPropertiesToday. I am honored to have had her on the show to share this very vital and helpful information which is what this podcast is about.

This episode focuses on how to establish and sustain a healthy dynamic within the black family. My guest, Nicole Odom-Hardnett, a mother, wife, and relationship coach who specializes in healthy blended family dynamic, here to discuss just how we in the black family take back control over the foundation, love and nurture of our black families. She spoke about how black couples can establish a healthy balance when it comes understanding what you're good at verses what your mate is good at and how to defer to each other's expertise.  Nicole also brought up just how things used to be when it came to it taking a village to raise a child, which unfortunately, we don't live in that time anymore. The growth and development of our children is predicated on the people around them that they need to constantly pour into them. In it's divine order, each person within the black family has a role that they each play; man/husband/father, woman/wife/mother, and child or children. Whenever one of the parents is not present in their role, the other one has to do all they can to remain in their role but also have one foot in the absentees' role, which leaves the child or children to have to step halfway into an adult role all while trying to maintain their innocence of a child. Children too often are witnesses to unhealthy relationships being displayed by the parents which puts them in very unpleasant situations like being forced to take sides, arguments and fights occurring and parents bad-mouthing each other to the kids, and parents not fully being there for their kids. We have to do a better job together to be the change that we want to see, which starts at home.A mother and a father is needed in every home of our black children, whom we're losing to the streets, prisons and the grave. In this millenium, our children should only have one responsibility; their education. They shouldn't be asked or be put in positions to have to grow up too soon. Special thanks to Nicole for being on the show to talk to me about this.

This episode focuses on the recent acknowledgement of Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, which was recently approved by the government to become a new federal holiday. My guests for this episode are two black men whom I have tremendous respect for, both of which are from my Alma Mater, Rust College and one whom which was my roommate in school. Secondary educator/black history lecturer/Afrocentric Education Advocate, Dr. Anthony Thompson and public school educator, Dr. Louis Henderson.  We each spoke from a place concern for not only our community but the real history of America being told which encompasses the history of how majority of our ancestors didn't even know that they were "free" until two years after the Emancipation proclamation was signed and put into effect in 1863. They were told they were free in downtown Galveston, TX in 1865 and shortly after finding that out, they all took to the city of Galveston to celebrate, rejoice, and fellowship of their new found freedom. As black people, we can never forget our history nor can we let the powers that be turn the clocks back to the time where we had little to no rights. We each have to do our parts in preserving and protecting our heritage by being the monolithic people that we once were.  These two black scholars shared their perspective on the significance of Juneteenth, what it means to have a huge piece of black history be acknowledged in this country, how much work needs to be done to assure our history is incorporated into the American education system despite the fear-mongering tactics that right wing idiots spew about CRT, and ways we can be inclusive and open-minded about multiculturalism; being educated and enlightened on all cultures and their history. Thanks to my brothers/guests for being on the show to speak about this topic. I look forward to having many more talks with them as it pertains to our history which is American history.

This week's episode is about Masculine & Feminine Toxicity that exist in the black community; the unhealthy ways and behaviors of black men and black women. My guest, Bree Banks, Host of the Podcast Show, "The Fearless Faith Podcast", and I discussed the toxic ways that have been problematic when it comes to domestic relationships and marriages. In the wake of what took place at the Oscars, which has been used as an example of how black are supposed to stand up for his black woman.... which is a terrible example to use. This black woman spoke truths about how most black women, not all, lack accountability when it comes to admitting when they're wrong and how they need to stop playing victim to situations by using the "damsel in distress" approach. In situations where a black woman see her black man getting hostile and upset at someone, as his significant other, at the very least, she should want to do all you can to calm him down and help try and prevent him from escalating the situation and if you don't do that, how can you say you care about him? Bree spoke to the fact that most black women too often want black men to be listen to them when it comes to what we black men aren't doing but not willing to listen to black men when they tell them what they're not doing. Some great points about how black women need to make better decisions when it comes to choosing the right man versus making generalizing statements about ALL men instead of just the men she's dealt with. As a black man, there are things we do that are toxic in relationships, like being petty, not protecting black women, disrespecting black women, etc. As black men though, we have feelings too. The black relationships and marriages can't consist of just the black woman's feelings and her happiness alone because she's not in the relationship herself. The black man's feelings and concerns matter too. We have to stop this narrative that if a black man disagrees with a black woman, he's deemed as a man who hate women. That can't be further from the truth. Speaking for black men as a black man, WE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY BLACK WOMEN. It is okay to agree to disagree, respectfully. Most black women who tend to be very opinionated about black men usually don't want to listen to the constructive criticism that black men are trying to give. As critical as it is for black men to fix their issues to be better men, black women have to do just the same to fix their issues. Bree and I talked about how the healthiness of the black relationship rely on how black women need to admit when they're wrong and learn to listen just twice as much you talk and black men we have to be more considerate of the things we do that hurt your feelings. We agree on the fact that the only way we can have healthier relationships is if we do it together.  This is an ongoing conversation that I will have again with Bree as well as a few other guests to bring more perspectives into the fold that we need to consider to get into more internal issues that lie beneath the surface within us. If you want to reach out to Bree about things we spoke about on this show, she can be reached on IG @breebanks. Be sure to check out her podcast show on Spotify @FearlessFaithPodcast, she has some very insightful takes on standing in your truth as a black woman and being able to admit your wrongs and shortcomings and be willing to do something about it. Much love to Bree Banks for speaking facts that we men can't speak about when it comes to black women. 

This episode focuses on life coaching. My guest, Dr. Nakisha Watts, life coach, had some very profound things to say regarding the everyday struggles we deal with, more specifically, have dealt with during these difficult times of hardship. This pandemic has left us with so many uncertainties to a point where we have been forced to sit and deal with things in real time, like personal issues, children, spousal issues, and the balance of our work life. Nakisha spoke about how it is okay to not be okay, how to lean on the friends, love ones, and/or significant others for help in balancing things out that we in life have to juggle. What was fascinating about learning what a life coach essentially is, Nakisha explained the difference between a life coach and a counselor or a therapist; counselors and therapists for the most part, are licensed professionals who unpack past issues verses a life coach, who meets you in the present moment and time and help coach you through life by suggesting things such as finding yourself, understanding that you are not without flaws, and admitting you need help and asking for it. She also talked about the importance and outsourcing the things you're not so good at and focusing on the things you are as well as being able to admit that you're not good at everything. For those who are struggling to keep things together without a spouse or significant other, Nakisha discussed the way of reaching out to friends and love ones for help. If these past 2 years have taught us anything, it is the importance of valuing our relationships with our friends, love ones, spouse, etc and to be able to lean on them in times of need.  Much love and appreciation to my fellow Rustite (a graduate of my Alma mater, Rust College) for being on the show. For questions to ask Nakisha about becoming a life coach or life coaching advice, you can reach her via Instagram @sheupliftsllc, Facebook @sheupliftsllc, and you can visit her website at www.sheupliftsllc.com

With this month being "Financial Literacy" month, it's only right to focus on that very subject. My guest Johney Johnson, a financial coach, a Licensed Financial Professional, a College Endowment Funding Specialist, and a Financial Fitness Director with FinFit Life, discussed the many ways he helps his clients, preferably in the black community, become both financially independent and financially empowered with the various options he provides. From Life insurance, Roth IRAs, to savings options in order to establish generational wealth for our kids, grandkids, etc.  For many generations, the black community has been far behind the wealth gap and most of that has been the case due to lack of financial knowledge on what it means to save and invest in our future. In the black community, we've been taught and conditioned to always being in survival mode; only being concerned about now and spending irresponsibly with no long term financial goals for ourselves or families. Having an impoverished mindset has widen the wealth gap even more to our disadvantage. Johney spoke about how important it is to have life insurance where oppose to relying on "GoFundMe" accounts as a means of paying for funeral costs, burial arrangements, and other ways to provide for grieving loved ones. This has unfortunately become a common practice in the black community versus having a long term plan to leave to our families when that time comes for us to be buried, which for Johney, hit home for him personally and what helped sparked his interest into choosing this field and profession. If you would like tips and guidance on how to become more financially independent or help with coming up with the best affordable plan for you to invest in your financial future, you can reach via Instagram @johneykash06 and Facebook @JohneyJohnson. The goal ladies and gentlemen is establish generational wealth for a generation we will not be alive to see and applied knowledge is the key to economic empowerment. 

This episode focuses on the most talked about subject in today's society, preferably in the political realm...CRITICAL RACE THEORY. This week's guest is Dr. Marco Robinson, Assistant Professor of History and Assistant Director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice, speaks about the origin of this subject, how it's been hijacked, how racist politicians are using scare tactics to convince and confuse people that this is about white kids hating themselves, and what we as the black community can do more of when it comes to learning our history. For those who are still confused on the matter, CRT is merely the acknowledgement of racial disparities that currently exist due to the systemic and institutional barriers that were established in this country during slavery, carried on during Jim Crow, and even exist in today's time.  Fair Fight initiative, an organization that advocates for equality states that "fundamentally, CRT is an approach to holistically studying U.S. policies and institutions, with a wide focus encompassing such subjects as criminal legal, employment, housing, health care, and education, among others. In plain terms, CRT suggests that racism is part of a broader pattern in America. At the highest level, CRT posits that racism is implicitly woven into our laws, including the nature of policing and law enforcement in our communities. Drilling down to everyday life, this systemic racism impacts everything from hiring practices to home loans". Dr. Robinson spoke about how most of us don't learn most of what CRT is about until undergraduate or mostly in graduate school. For the last 2 years, politicians have been pushing the agenda of removing black history (American history) from school districts on a secondary level when kids today already are not being taught things about black history outside of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and the civil rights movement but have made conscious decisions to remove anything that consist of the origin of slavery, how this country was really founded, and even go so far as to say racism is in the past, as if it doesn't still exist.  The right wing media and politicians have made ridiculous claims that black people are trying to teach white kids to hate themselves and where they come. Dr. Robinson discussed how this subject matter is an on-going topic with a means to get to some type of resolution; where America, who claims to be the greatest country in the world without any definitive proof of it, needs to be held accountable for not living up to its own principles but it's going to take the entire black community get them to legislate laws that will allow our history in this country to be taught to all kids of all ages to prevent what has racially oppressed and marginalized us from continuing on. This is the first of many discussions on this matter and we will continue to provide the adequate information that lawmakers need to know to dismantle the racial barriers that have existed for far too long.