Leon Cauthen was born in the 70s. Raised in New York City, the land of Timbs and fitted caps. It was a grittier time in the streets of downtown Brooklyn when crack vials littered the streets like sunflower seeds. David’s, of course. 8 Ball jackets were high fashion. The Decepticons terrorized many of the neighborhoods and schools back then. And, Farragut and Fort Greene projects were the neighborhoods that nurtured him. Leon would later attend Fisk University in Nashville, but would go on to earn his bachelor's degree from The City College of New York and an MBA in Sustainability and Organizational Management from Antioch University New England. Through his studies he has developed a passion for dispelling the false narrative of scarcity in favor of more equitable distribution of resources to all global citizens.He is a co-host of the hilariously funny podcast, Decoding 40. Decoding 40 is a weekly podcast where the hosts explore, debate and discuss life as entrepreneurs, husbands and parents from the perspective of four African American men. He enjoys whiskey, tequila, tacos and has recently adopted intermittent fasting to manage his caloric retention. He currently lives in Harlem with his wife and two sons.

Johnnie Ray Kornegay III is a Storyteller, Consultant and Coach. He is the Mobilization Director for Counter Narrative Project, where he advocates around issues impacting Black gay men. He is also the Founder & Artistic Director of STATICC, an arts company with the mission of “delivering beauty to the world.” Johnnie has co-curated World AIDS Day Atlanta events, I AM... - Arts, Activism and HIV (an exhibition at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights) and Canvas: Art, HIV, & The Black LGBTQ Community!. He has interviewed, fine artist, Kia LaBeija on stage at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and delivered a keynote address at Cinema Queer in Stockholm, Sweden. He hosts his own podcast Seeing Sounds, and is the creator of serval bodies of photographic work including Birth of a Black Gay King and NAKED, both projects exploring the topic of Black gay men and body image. Johnnie currently serves as Co-Chair of the Georgia HIV Justice Coalition, a broad-based coalition of both individuals and organizations working across movements to bring an end to the criminalization of people living with HIV. He is the winner of a 2017 Barbara Vick Impact Award for his contributions in response to the impact of HIV in Atlanta. His work has been featured prominently in Positively Aware Magazine, WUSSY and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is currently based in his hometown of Chester, PA.www.staticc.comwww.johnnieraykornegay.com

Jomael Young is a Fatherhood Coordinator that has been working with dads and men in communities of color for over ten years. He has one son and resides in Rockaway Beach NY.

This is a brief episode, sharing a recent particular situation. I wanted to share this because the purpose of The Dear You Project is to help others through OUR stories from our mouths.What better way for me to help others is to share my story. So here is a short episode and the LAST episode of 2019....

Come on this journey as Leslie shares her letter of self discovery and learning how to qualify herself for whatever she wants in life because of God's love.Leslie Saint-Julien is a Brooklyn, NY born actress, author, poet, dancer and screenwriter. She has published books of poetry, one of which is a children’s series that she continues to write called Brooklyn Stew. She has hit the theater stages as a classic ballerina and actress throughout New York City since the age of six appearing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Off Broadway. Following, New York City, Saint-Julien spent several years acting in the Baltimore, MD theater circuit in the portrayals of African American women in Black history, such as Zora Neale Hurston and Phillis Wheatley. In 2018, she appeared in a lead role in her first screenplay with Hit House Entertainment Group in the movie Sunny. Raised by Haitian parents and a Dominican grandmother who taught her how to pray, Saint-Julien is fearless with God at her side being her moral compass. No dream is too big for this soulful young woman. She walks to the beat of His drum and creates a rhythm of her own which makes her unstoppable. Saint-Julien wants to teach young people how to live their dreams and not chase stardom. She believes that if you will be beautiful on the inside and honest with yourself always, then everyone will see your glow and you will be the star that you were born to be!  (Leslie Saint-Julien only operates out of one social media outlet. You can follow her hashtag #livingmygodgivendreams and keep up with her on Instagram only at: @lesliesaintjulien, @brooklynstew and @whostyledme)

Come on this journey as Will share's his story on how he regained control of his self esteem to realize his own dopeness!!Will McNair is a Los Angeles-bred, Brooklyn-cured writer, who believes self-awareness is a superpower. In 2018, he wrote, produced, and directed his first short film, “So, How ‘Bout That Fettuccine?,” and is currently working on a web series about gay, black men in their late thirties whose lives he hasn’t quite yet figured out. Not today, though. Today, Will has decided, is for Netflix, copious amounts of wine, junk food, and watching his cat Meowsington nap in his favorite chair. Bliss.

Latasha Casterlow-Lalla Educator, Author, Motivational SpeakerCome on this journey as Latasha shares her letter of self love and acceptance despite the odds, she continues to strive to be the change agent the world needs.Latasha Casterlow-Lalla was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey and a proud product of the Passaic Public Schools graduating Passaic High School in 1996. Latasha attended Montclair State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education in 2002 immediately followed by earning a Master of Arts in Counseling, Human Development and Guidance in 2003. Latasha is also a sophisticated lady of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.Latasha relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts to work at College of the Holy Cross in the Division of Student Affairs. She served the students as a Community Development Coordinator and led student organizations. In 2004, Latasha married her soul mate David Lalla relocating to the diverse city of Clifton, NJ.In February 2017, Latsha was appointed to be the Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts for the Passaic Public Schools. While serving in this capacity, Latasha has worked to revive the Theatre Arts program in all high schools, establish the city’s first Dance courses and launch 5 state recognized Career/Technical Education program in Visual & Performing Arts. Latasha is on a mission to provide equity programming for modern music and traditional music for all students. Her commitment to link the Arts to core academic subjects is a core aspect of her focus on infusing Arts Integration for the 15,000 students she serves.Latasha is a published author of the book “The Quest for the Nest: Coping with Infertility” to empower women experiencing infertility through inspiration and resources which was published in the April 2010. She has written 3 children’s books including her most recent text Barbados: An Island Paradise which was published in 2016.Latasha continues on her journey to share strategies and tools that have enriched her life and that can enhance your journey. Latasha has been married for 15 years to her amazing husband David. They have 3 amazing children Jordyn - 11 years old, as well as 10 year old twins Sydney and Laurence who are making their own footprint in the world as well as their dog Jackson.Latasha is committed to offer every child equitable access to the education her grandparents were unable to attain. Her life’s work is dedicated to embrace the creative abilities of all children. Latasha works to prepare for her next challenge in her career to impact as many children as possible.Latasha can be reached via email @ [email protected]

Latasha Casterlow-Lalla Educator, Author, Motivational SpeakerCome on this journey as Latasha shares her letter of self love and acceptance despite the odds, she continues to strive to be the change agent the world needs.Latasha Casterlow-Lalla was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey and a proud product of the Passaic Public Schools graduating Passaic High School in 1996. Latasha attended Montclair State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education in 2002 immediately followed by earning a Master of Arts in Counseling, Human Development and Guidance in 2003. Latasha is also a sophisticated lady of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.Latasha relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts to work at College of the Holy Cross in the Division of Student Affairs. She served the students as a Community Development Coordinator and led student organizations. In 2004, Latasha married her soul mate David Lalla relocating to the diverse city of Clifton, NJ.In February 2017, Latsha was appointed to be the Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts for the Passaic Public Schools. While serving in this capacity, Latasha has worked to revive the Theatre Arts program in all high schools, establish the city’s first Dance courses and launch 5 state recognized Career/Technical Education program in Visual & Performing Arts. Latasha is on a mission to provide equity programming for modern music and traditional music for all students. Her commitment to link the Arts to core academic subjects is a core aspect of her focus on infusing Arts Integration for the 15,000 students she serves.Latasha is a published author of the book “The Quest for the Nest: Coping with Infertility” to empower women experiencing infertility through inspiration and resources which was published in the April 2010. She has written 3 children’s books including her most recent text Barbados: An Island Paradise which was published in 2016.Latasha continues on her journey to share strategies and tools that have enriched her life and that can enhance your journey. Latasha has been married for 15 years to her amazing husband David. They have 3 amazing children Jordyn - 11 years old, as well as 10 year old twins Sydney and Laurence who are making their own footprint in the world as well as their dog Jackson.Latasha is committed to offer every child equitable access to the education her grandparents were unable to attain. Her life’s work is dedicated to embrace the creative abilities of all children. Latasha works to prepare for her next challenge in her career to impact as many children as possible.Latasha can be reached via email @ [email protected]

Welcome back to The Dear You Project.Come on this journey as Richard shares his letter of self love and understanding his worth through the lessons he learned with an absent father.Richard Brookshire is an experienced strategic communications professional with a demonstrated history of cultivating dynamic and engaging digital + social impact campaigns. His portfolio to date spans across critical issues relating to racial & economic justice, workforce development, electoral politics and veteran affairs. Richard is the Co-Founder of the Black Veterans Project – an organization focused on advancing research and advocacy to address systemic racial inequities across the military and veteran landscape. He currently authors a column, titled ‘Negrographs’ – a critical analysis of Black electoral politics – for AfroPunk. Richard holds an M.P.A. in urban policy with a specialization in media + advocacy from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs and is a manga cum laude graduate of Fordham University. He is a proud veteran of the war in Afghanistan, having served seven years as an Infantry Combat Medic in the United States Army. In his current role, Richard serves as a strategist at Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, the nation’s leading post 9-11 veteran advocacy organization.

Welcome back to the second season of The Dear You Project!As always, as the host & creator, I can't expect anyone to share their story if I am not willing to do the same!THIS IS THE MOST VULNERABLE & HONEST I HAVE EVER BEEN. I AM SHARING SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SHARED BUT IT IS TIME TO BE A LIVING EXAMPLE!!!!Please take the time to listen to the ENTIRE episode! I can guarantee you will get a few great gems from this episode alone...This is the untold story of PJ Ryan. www.instagram.com/philnomenal IF you would like to be a part of TDYP, please email me [email protected]/dearuprojectpodwww.instagram.com/thedearyouprojectpod