Before You Go

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Betty Chavis spent years as a star recruiter for Michigan Technological University.  If young people of color were to find their way far North to Houghton, MI, they needed someone to trust. Michigan Tech turned to Ms. Chavis, a Detroit native who grew up exploring all of her curiosities. An early career in dance led to sharing the stage with the best as in Katherine Dunham. Then Ms. Chavis formed her own company, performed for legends and opened her own charm center for Motown's finest. Detroit and its suburbs were her playground, and her heartbreak.  Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh enjoy a wonderful hour of stories--especially a most surprising scenario with an inebriated Queen of Soul. Ms. Chavis, who still drives her red Mustang convertible is charting her course for her next adventure. Join us!This episode made its debut on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

When Ajuma Muhammad was approached with a four-year old Black boy terrorizing the classroom, he relied on his years of practice and observations from his world travels to address  the  client's concerns. As we continue to perpetuate a climate where stress and distress affect the life expectancy of Black men, dedicated professionals like Mr. Muhammad are even more in demand. His loving and familial approach to healing definitely stem from African roots. This author of 101 Proven and Effective Strategies for Empowering Black Boys has  thoughts on how life's choices and  care for one another are the answer to productive lives well-lived.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

Audiences tune in to Before You Go for first-hand accounts of the lives of our seniors. What about those of a certain age behind bars? Is death-by-incarceration being discussed enough in mainstream conversation? Formerly incarcerated Yusef Jones is currently out on parole after being sentenced to 30 to 60 years in a correctional facility known for its large population of lifers. In discussing the reality of coming into the system as a young man and leaving as a senior, Mr. Jones  shares rare insight into how to survive behind bars. Education, mentoring  and hope are first and foremost, according to our guest.  And for those of us on the outside, if we want change to the enormous inequity when it comes to the justice system we have to show up and vote. As Malcolm X stated, it's "The Ballot or The Bullet."This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

Career educator and Michiana griot Brother Sage and wife Charlotte Pfeifer Gillam, a community advocate, activist and pioneering politician share a loving approach to African American history. Community  is everything to this South Bend, Indiana couple who hail from various locations prior to their current home including Ohio, Michigan and East St. Louis, IL.  In this episode they give an audio tour of the travels of enslaved peoples via the Midwestern Underground Railroad route  and its conditions at the time. The two are also generous with their advice on pursuing education, the power of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), preserving history and finding a partner in love with whom to share these senior years.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA. 

Diana Solomon-Glover answered the call from her friend and musical collaborator Chandler Carter to pursue a commission by the Santa Fe Opera for new works.  They presented the story of Fannie Lou Hamer as an opera, won the commission and  the upcoming debut is sure to be a theatrical experience like no other.Diana is a longtime friend of Before You Go co-host Nicole Franklin. In this interview, Franklin and Bryant Monteilh learn first-hand how classical  music and African American stories are what audiences have been waiting for, and in which Diana brings a lifetime of classical music experience. As the librettist, Diana took a deep dive into Hamer's life, accomplishments and colorful quotes. Hamer did not realize until her 40s that she was even eligible to participate in the electoral process. In rallying fellow Mississippians and a nation, she experienced a violent beating while in police custody and had been the victim of forced sterilization when a surgeon performed an unauthorized hysterectomy. Diana details it all. And, through it all, Fannie Lou Hamer still inspires generations of young activists and those who benefited from her fight.Excerpts from "This Little Light of Mine" rehearsals of Santa Fe opera and Kentucky Opera may be found here. Details about the opera's debut may be found here.This episode premiered on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA. 

August 1 in Canada is cause for a joyous occasion:  Emancipation Day! Before You Go was honored to hear all about the journey to commemorating the freeing of enslaved people from Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario), a champion of African Canadian education for Canadian residents. Just like crusader Opal Lee's efforts pushed national holiday status for Juneteenth in the United States, Sadlier spent a lifetime bringing  African Canadian history to national recognition.Unlike the United States and South America, slavery was abolished across the British Commonwealth (which includes Canada) in 1834.Sadlier, a prolific author and past president of the Ontario Black History Society, easily recalls fascinating details of historical figures such as Mary Ann Shadd, Harriet Tubman and more. Our Emancipation Day lesson gives wonderful insight to the activities of our neighbors to the north.This episode premiered on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

When this two star major general shared details of his military and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)  experience with our show, we knew it would be special. For the hosts there was also a jaw-dropping moment  (or two)  due to Major General Gravett's courage, agility, incredible heart and humility.  Hold onto your seat! This talented  hero, awarded the Medal of Valor, also  shares crucial information  that addresses the health and wellness of veterans, especially in California where he was appointed as a cabinet member to oversee their benefits. This Major General takes his role very seriously. and for this, we give a hearty salute!  This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

Before You Go first interviewed Mother Doyle days after the terrorist attack where an 18 year-old white supremacist dressed in tactical gear fatally wounded 10 people in his mission to kill all the Black people he could. Mother Doyle does her usual grocery run on Saturdays at 2pm. She would have been there had she not gone to pick up her dry cleaning that afternoon. Unfortunately her friend and writing colleague Kat Massey was shopping that day and became victim to this horrific tragedy.Mother Doyle is a columnist of 44 years for the city's oldest Black newspaper, The Buffalo Criterion, founded in 1924. She gives us the latest update that includes discussions around a permanent memorial, delayed distributions of millions in donations, the return of Tops and the neighborhood's plans moving forward.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

Rev. Andy Bales has  fought to end homelessness in Los Angeles County for more than three decades.  His tales of life on the streets of Skid Row illustrate the emergency situation in which Los Angeles has found itself. An average of 5.5 people die daily in LA County when they are  unhoused. Bales and his team at Union Rescue Mission have provided housing, counseling, job programs and much more. Seniors end up homeless for a variety of reasons. When they do they find themselves in a situation that is said to reduce life expectancy by nearly 30 years.  This episode is a frank discussion with someone who has literally given his life to this cause--losing both legs in the process. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh were honored to spend this time with someone who knows first-hand--and who tries to implement when he and his team can-- the steps needed to put an end to this growing human tragedy.To volunteer and/or donate, please visit Union Rescue Mission @ urm.org.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles. 

When searching Richard Press Online Gallery be prepared to experience a powerful variety of an artist's rendition of humanity on canvas. Mr. Press is a renowned artist located in Hampton, VA. This lifelong painter, muralist and educator is busier than ever with his contributions to community. Mr. Press' painting "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" is featured in  documentary produced by USA Today. His murals have also captured the attention of the masses.Before You Go hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners on a detailed tour of his artistic journey.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.  

At the time of this recording, the Port of Los Angeles has 45,000 jobs available. Working for the Port means being in the company of a business that pulls in $1.5 billion per day. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh have an eye-opening chat with Joe Gatlin about the Port and the close-knit community that borders it, San Pedro, CA. Gatlin is a member of the family who sued the Port in the 1970s for equitable hiring. The Port--often referred to as the country's economic engine--is a union-led opportunity for numerous careers and for day workers as well. In this interview audiences may be surprised at how this community provided paths toward racial harmony just by being good neighbors.   Special shoutout to KBLA host and colleague Najah Roberts for the introduction to Mr. Gatlin and this compelling story.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

Robert Branscomb is a veteran, pilot and for a number of years--and still today in his 80's--a generous, experienced financial advisor with a specialty in insurance offerings. How do you make financial planning purposeful and profitable? And how do you avoid embarrassing the family when it comes to end of life decisions? Mr. Branscomb, a Purple Heart veteran, speaks candidly on all with Nicole, Bryant and to audience members in need of advice. And Mr. Branscomb's travels in a very special pilot-for-a-day program for children will warm your heart.This episode premiered on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.

This episode follows days after a tragic event in the United States--in Buffalo known as the City of Good Neighbors.  Eva M. Doyle writes her column of 44 years "Eye On History" for the nearly 100-year-old Black newspaper The Buffalo Criterion. Ms. Doyle--known as Mother Doyle--happened to change her plans from her routine 2pm Saturday grocery run to Tops Supermarket  and picked up her dry cleaning instead. She avoided death that day. But her colleague, fellow writer Katherine "Kat" Massey, did not. At the time of this recording, Mother Doyle published a column remembering Ms. Massey and the nine other community members fatally shot at the hands of a white supremacist.Mother's Doyle's work as a writer and historian may be  found at Evamdoyle.com. This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Isaac Turner, Jr. was introduced to our program Before You Go by KBLA Talk 1580 host Najah Roberts. This 98-year-old war veteran appears with daughter Julia Hardman and recalls war stories from five invasions. Mr. Turner entered the Navy as a cook under Generals Eisenhower, MacArthur and Nimitz and when under attack, all hands were on deck. During one direct hit to their naval ship, Turner survived, but lost five of his best friends all at once. After the war ended Mr. Turner moved his young family from Shreveport, LA to Los Angeles where he at one time held two jobs while fighting for fair wages for women as a member of the UAW union. Mr. Turner also built the rocket booster used in the early years of the space shuttle program. He worked on commercial jets and other aerospace projects while establishing a good life for his wife of 71 years and their four children.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

When news personalities such as Ted Koppel and Walter Cronkite delivered news from overseas, broadcast audiences probably were not aware of who was manning/woman-ing the foreign desks of network newsrooms at the Big Three:  ABC, CBS and NBC. Eric V. Tait, Jr. and Stephen C. Miller give the inside report on how they made decisions--decisions for which they often had to fight to cover--that brought diverse story coverage into the living rooms during the early years of television news. These two and their African American colleagues played a big role in some exceptional reporting.Stephen C. Miller went on to write for the New York Times and is now authoring a number of books. Eric V. Tait, Jr. still produces and hosts a weekly series, Media Watch, to monitor the standards of African American present-day coverage. We also acknowledge the incredible storytelling brought to us by Eric's award-winning documentary, Then I'll Be Free To Travel Home hosted by the late Lena Horne, which features the uncovering of the African Burial Ground in Manhattan--one of the largest archeological discoveries on the planet. Be sure to visit www.evted2.org for viewing.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles. 

The LAUSD has been blessed with numerous dedicated educators, one of whom is Caldwell Williams. Mr. Williams was referred to Before You Go hosts Nicole Franklin and  Bryant Monteilh by a listener and fellow veteran friend of his, Farron Dozier, who considers Mr. Williams a mentor. We quickly learn why.This 88-year-old educator and mental health expert is very sharp as he carefully recounts his detailed journey through several teaching assignments as a Black male educator in the public schools of Los Angeles. His work--and success--with the "troublemakers" in the classroom quickly lead him to the role of guidance counselor where his students sought out the "cool former athlete" to help make it through the day. It worked. Students excelled, and their confidence soared. Soon adults requested Mr. Williams' meditation and counseling sessions and, as a former veteran, Mr. Williams recognized how he could get through to those military men and women who had closed themselves off after a tough tour of duty.An episode with Mr. Williams taught us lessons everyone can use for a lifetime.Before You Go:  Lessons in the LAUSD first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles. 

When Nicole Franklin first met Adger Cowans years ago in New York City she knew other being an extremely talented artist and photographer, he has a welcoming spirit that has put thousands of his subjects through the years at ease. With Adger on the mic, both Bryant and Nicole have a wonderful time recalling his childhood in Columbus, OH, weekend trips to New York to hear jazz greats eventually moving in with his mentor Gordon Parks, and falling out of his seat twice when it was time for a gorgeous nude model to disrobe. From encounters with the Fondas on the set of Golden Pond, to Sidney Poitier running out of the room when setting eyes on Adger's photograph of Diahann Carroll in a bikini, to punching a colleague in the face just to turn around and ask for a signature making Adger the first Black photographer in International Cinematographers Guild Local 600.  Adger Cowans is the supreme example of a life well lived and now, in his mid-80s, he's busier than ever.  For more with Adger, visit his website @ AdgerCowans.com and pick up his book Art in the Moment: Life and Times of Adger Cowans.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles, CA.Welcome to Before You Go Season 3!

Early in life things seem to have come easy to military veteran Frank Coats. When drafted to the front lines of the Korean War, Coats was promoted to sergeant within a year. But he quickly found out racism often puts African Americans in harm's way. Staying employed and living life responsibly had  its difficulties--even grave ones--but Mr. Coats and his never-give-up attitude came through. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh are reminded of life's solid principles during this conversation with Mr. Coats who  had to do a deal under the table when purchasing his home as only the second African American family to settle in Compton, CA. This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580.

Carmen de Lavallade grew up in a Mexican neighborhood in East Los Angeles and started dancing as a teenager. It was her time with Lester Horton that inspired her teaching and choreography career.  She was so inspired she invited her junior high school friend Alvin Ailey, to study dance with Horton as well. Both dancers moved to New York to star in an all-star cast of the Broadway show "House of Flowers." On this show she met her husband, Geoffrey Holder who was "always chasing after me." Their love story of 60 years captured our hearts. Ms. de Lavallade is also the first cousin of Janet Collins, the first Black ballerina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. When Ms. Collins retired from her position, Ms. de Lavallade was her replacement. Dance under Ms. Carmen de Lavallade's influence became a celebration of Black talent in a variety of spaces. She's got the Kennedy Center Honor to prove it!Brava, Ms. de Lavallade!This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles.

Stanley Nelson appears as a guest on Before You Go during a career milestone:  Oscar nominee. After decades of directing historical documentaries illuminating African American history through compelling interviews and a library of rare footage, Nelson, an award-winning filmmaker, made it to the big stage. Though he, co-director Traci A. Curry and his team with Firelight Media did not take the Oscar this year, he says it was truly "an honor to be nominated" and Before You Go hosts Nicole and Bryant were honored to discuss his Oscar nominated project, Attica.Laurens Grant (American Experience:  Jesse Owens), an award-winning filmmaker herself, has produced a number of Stanley Nelson's films. Grant joins the conversation and describes behind-the-scenes adventures that occur when getting the story.It's an exciting hour--especially since the hosts appeared Live on the mic in the KBLA Talk 1580 studios.Special thanks to KBLA Talk 1580's Miles Low.   

In 1970, Black Theatre Troupe founder Helen K. Mason launched the oldest Black theatre organization in the Southwest Region of the United States while in Phoenix, AZ. She was 60 years old at the time and ready for retirement, but the neighborhood children told her performing plays was what they wished to do. The theatre still exists with a thriving season under Executive Director David Hemphill. He joins the show to reflect on her legacy. A treasured archive from Bryant's road trip from San Diego to Phoenix that captured his Grandmother's story in her own words via cassette tape, sets the scene.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580.

Former Mayor Lelia Foley-Davis made history with her election  to office while a single mother of five on welfare. Her "common sense" degree enabled her leadership skills to help put Taft, OK on the map and made the three Presidents she personally met during her lifetime pay attention.Yet even as a woman in a top position of authority she found she had to fend off corruption and personal attacks--and from an unlikely antagonist, Redd Foxx. Her story of their encounter is filled with twists, turns, and gunfire! During the time spent with hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh, Ms. Foley-Davis' story takes a poignant turn which results in public plea for assistance from this history maker who continues to champion her community.If you would like to help, please visit our website, BeforeYouGo.TV. We thank you for your generosity. We thank you for listening.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Raheemah Raheem, possibly the second most famous resident of Turner Station, Maryland next to Henrietta Lacks, shares her poetry and a revealing story about a life-changing choice she had to make as a 17-year-old mother who lived in New York City at the time. Her daughter Trudy Reed joins hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh for a chat about abandonment, forgiveness, and faith.And, for those who remember, how would you rate the selection of "the switch"?This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

In this postcard from Oklahoma, we meet Cedric Johnson, the first African American to represent the State of Oklahoma at a Democratic National Convention. Since this was 2016,  Mr. Johnson, who had been a Republican earlier in life, was well into his 80s when he was asked to take on this role. And why not? He had a stellar career as teacher and principal in Muskogee, spending a significant amount of his life as both a student and educator at the historic Manual Training High School.  He has a lot to teach us about the rich history of the numerous African American towns in his beloved state. While getting to know Mr. Johnson--especially through the memories of former student Linda Taylor-Vaughn who joins the chat--it is not a surprise that this is a man, a total gentleman, who at one time owned a ranch with sixty horses and cows under his care. During this tour through a life well-lived, we are in good hands. This interview first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Before You Go hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take A Rewind In Time with more of Bryant's treasured archives--this time while on assignment with WVON in Chicago. At the feet of the 30ft Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial statue on display in Washington DC, Bryant's microphone captured the memories of Andrew Young, Rev Jesse Jackson, Dr Joseph Lowery, Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., educator Erma Williams and other visitors. It is the riveting testimony from the witness, Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, that provides a rare account of those final moments of Dr. King's life--from before The Mountaintop speech till his assassination in Memphis on the balcony where he decided to linger a little longer before going to dinner with friends.This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Host Bryant Monteilh takes listeners for A Rewind In Time with this candid 2004 interview of Southern Christian Leadership co-founder Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. In the 1950s and 60s in Birmingham, Alabama, an endorsement from Shuttlesworth's would earn the public's trust when activists came to town to fight for desegregation and voting rights. Shuttlesworth was on the front lines against the Klan and rogue authority figures. He survived two bombings and an incident where he was  fire hosed and hospitalized. In Shuttlesworth's own words he gives behind-the-scenes details of some tense moments when he had to cut his hospital stay short in order to challenge Dr. Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy who at one point leaned toward standing down in their demands for change. As Shuttlesworth pointed out quite fervently, thousands of children in Birmingham had already filled the jails in this fight during the historic Children's Crusade of 1963. And the youth along with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) had been putting their lives on the line for more than a decade. There would be no backing down--even at the request of President Kennedy.During a march in Selma just two years later, Shuttlesworth, Dr. King and Abernathy had to make an important decision again while facing down state troopers. The men made a choice while kneeling in prayer. That day went down in history as Turnaround Tuesday.  Throughout his life, Shuttlesworth stood his ground and prevailed.  The citizens of Birmingham moved the needle toward justice.This interview first aired on KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles, CA

Huntsville Alabama's own Dr. Joseph Lowery sat down with Bryant Monteilh back in 2004 to talk about growing up with a profiling experience that could have tragically changed the course of his life, run ins with the Klan, his encounters with  George Wallace and how Dr. Lowery, a reverend, managed to part "the blue sea."This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580.

Before You Go co-host Nicole Franklin has the honor of inviting her longtime friend  Juanita Smith who shares memories of her composer husband Hale Smith with Bryant Monteilh and the audience. It's a walk through musical history as Hale Smith's work in the genres of classical, jazz and spirituals brought him, Juanita and their family from Cleveland, Ohio to New York City. Upon arriving in NYC, Juanita quickly found work at the United Nations and Hale was surrounded by a nucleus of talent which included Kathleen Battle, Randy Weston, Melba Liston, Dizzy Gillespie, Ron Carter, Ahmad Jamal and more.  Juanita is now the publisher of her late husband's spiritual arrangements and because of her impeccable memory, her stories are filled with evidentiary facts and fascinating encounters. This episode originally aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.The music of Hale Smith heard in this episode may be found here: 1) This Little Light Of Mine"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUd7RMPQAxUProvided to YouTube by NAXOS of America This Little Light of Mine (arr. H. Smith) · Icy Rene Simpson I, too ℗ 2012 Longhorn Music Released on: 2012-08-07 Artist: Icy Rene Simpson Artist: Artina McCain Composer: Hale Smith Composer: Traditional  2) "Contours" Hale Smithhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t1YYuz7DV4&t=83s Hale Smith (1925-2009): Contours, for Orchestra (1960) --- The Louisville Orchestra diretta da Robert Whitney  3) Bess, You is My Womanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Panv8OJjgHk "Bess, You Is My Woman" From the Opera, "Porgy and Bess" Music by George Gershwin Lyrics by Du Bose Heyward and Ira Gershwin Featuring Todd Duncan and Anne Brown Accompanied by the Decca Symphony Orchestra Directed by Alexander Smallens Recorded May 15, 1940 Decca 29069A 4) I Love Musichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8NQgqYoVQ Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group I Love Music · Ahmad Jamal Trio The Awakening ℗ 1970 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. Released on: 1997-01-01 Producer: Ed Michel Composer: Emil Boyd Composer: Hale Smith   5) I Want to Die Easyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94EwXQTKrlY Anthony Anderson- Baritone Michael Crabill- Piano 6) I Love Musichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFk5lKLHMw8From Hale Smith's tribute concert. T.K. Blue, Saxophone & Flute Carlton Holmes, Piano Corcoran Holt, Bass Alvin Atkinson, Drums Benny Powell, Trombone  

Staying connected to our seniors and recognizing signs of depression, self-harm, sustained and existing trauma and mental illness is crucial these days, especially while experiencing a global pandemic. Here on Before You Go, we knew it was time to call in an expert. Helena Washington has a Masters of Education, Counseling. She is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (Texas & Ohio), Internationally Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) and Master Addiction Counselor (National Certification). Helena shares some practical and essential steps toward mental wellness when it comes to our more seasoned population. Her holistic and collaborative approach to healing stems from her 25 years of experience treating numerous patients from adolescents to seniors in the areas of brain trauma, addiction, mental and emotional health, physical wellness, diversity,  and women's concerns. This episode premiered on January 22, 2022 on KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles.    

Renee Rose is the Deputy-in-Charge of the Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Section of the White Collar Crimes Division of the LA County  District Attorney's Office. Eder Hernandez works as a victims  service representative within the department. This is a busy office due to the number of scams, physical abuse, neglect, and even murder that occur. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners into a day in the life of a prosecutor and her team. They often find those who prey on the elderly population are often right in their own home.This episode premiered on KBLA Talk 1580 (Los Angeles).

Our Season 2 premiere episode features hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh as they visit with stage and screen star Terry Carter. Fans of Battlestar Gallactica know him as Colonel Tigh. PBS viewers know his award-winning documentary, A Duke Named Ellington. Terry shares numerous stories from a lengthy career which includes roles on Broadway and even a history-making turn in the newsroom as the first African American news anchor when he was hired at WBZ-TV Boston.Co-starring roles alongside  Eartha Kitt, Vinie Burrows, Diahann Carrroll and Pam Grier leave Terry a lot to talk about.  Tune in to discover the key to a lengthy and impressive career.This episode originally aired on KBLA Talk 1580, Los Angeles.

For our Season 1 finale, we honor the words that often end our show: "Might be time to pick up the phone. There's no time like the present! What a gift." Before You Go co-hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh introduce this episode with the delightful and colorful reviews of Kathleen Carroll as remembered in her book My Life in the Dark. Kathleen is a retired film critic from the New York Daily News who made so many industry friends and connections she decided to bring Hollywood to her hometown of Lake Placid, New York by co-founding the Lake Placid Film Forum.  Nicole's time with Kathleen helped guide her career as an award-winning filmmaker as she took many cues from Kathleen's love of film and networking with legends behind the scenes.  We hope this episode reminds everyone that reminiscing with friends could be the most relaxing and rejuvenating part of the day. Thank you for listening to our storytelling series. See you in Season 2!

The Before You Go conversation with James Meredith sets the record straight.  Mr. Meredith, an iconic warrior, made history during the Jim Crow era in the United States.  He integrated the University of Mississippi--a fight he won with the aid of then attorney and future judge Constance Baker Motley from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Though he won the case, federal troops were called up by President Kennedy to see that Mr. Meredith made it safely to campus. This is just the beginning of the story of a man who was  denied  his civil rights by his home state and shot by a sniper during a time when he lost two towering figures in his life.   This episode premiered on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Busy casting director Mellicent Dyane had a 30-year career before deciding it was time to direct her first film. The subject was a pressing one--her mother had suffered a heart attack and no one in her family recognized the signs. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh bring listeners a first-hand account from survivor Paula McLaughlin and her filmmaker daughter. Hear how the family rallied when triple bypass surgery for an 80+ year old was the only option and how a healthy lifestyle--caffeine withdrawal and all--keeps everyone on track.  This episode first aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

Bronx, NY native Dorothy Swanston, born in 1945, is 10 years into her post-retirement career as a champion pool player. She's a three-time MVP and she and son Wayne visit with Before You Go co-host Nicole Franklin to explain the tricks of the trade--even what to look for in dirty pool! Shout out and RIP to Cue Lounge in the Bronx where Ms. Swanston got her start. Ms. Swanston and her teammates, who play in Yonkers, NY recently returned from a national competition in Las Vegas, NV. Hear how this pool shark and her favorite pool stick, Ms. Smooth, strategize and dominate the neighborhood pool halls. This episode originally aired on KBLA Talk 1580 in Los Angeles.

In this episode of Before You Go, hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners of their now weekly Los Angeles radio program on KBLA Talk 1580 to a quick visit with Aunt Pearlene and Menyoune in Chicago once more, then down the many roads traveled with Nicole's cousin, W. Jacarl Melton, from Nicole's maternal side of the family. Nicole calls Jacarl their "family detective." Jacarl tells vivid stories of the family ancestors all uncovered through research which he pursues to validate and document family lore. It's an exciting show--one where this Melton descendent began his family research journey when on a quest to learn all about the harrowing tale and tragic end of his ancestor Isaac "Getaway" Melton.

Visiting relatives during the end of the calendar year is tradition for millions of families. In this episode of Before You Go, hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners of their now weekly Los Angeles radio program on KBLA Talk 1580 to the South Side of Chicago. Aunt Pearlene and her daughter Menyoune always have entertaining catch-ups when Nicole calls. Why not have listeners tune in and grab some very important neighborhood history recorded from these first-person accounts? Hold on for a lot of laughs too. It's a family affair! And yes, our relative Aretha Franklin gets a shoutout as well!

Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh introduce audiences to Nicole's longtime friend and colleague Rafee Kamaal, a groundbreaking television producer on the team responsible for the first syndicated talk show (strictly talk), hosted by Black Women. For You Black Woman aired out of New York City and was produced by Fred and Felicidad Dukes, with Kamaal in the role of associate producer. He went on to be a consulting producer as the show was rebranded as Today's Black Woman, hosted by entertainer Freda Payne and nationally distributed on ABC network O&O's. Early on in his career, Kamaal participated in the famed Third World Cinema, founded by Ossie Davis and Hannah Weinstein among other notable industry giants and independent creatives. The workshop was for responsible for training multicultural producers and production professionals for broadcast and film careers. Kamaal took to producing, line producing, executive producing and much more, which prepared him for a lifelong career in the battlefield as he secured deals for television specials and multi-season series. "This was hand to hand combat," says Kamaal of packaging and selling shows networks would not have even considered, but when aired, ended up changing the face of television. Some shoutouts: Third World Cinema, For You Black Woman, Today's Black Woman, Claudine, the Black Documentary Collective, BADWest, St Clair Bourne, Warrington Hudlin, Maya Angelou and the provocative woman in the Egyptian Temple who inspired Kamaal's quest for longevity.This show originally aired on KBLA Talk  1580, Los Angeles.

Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh introduce audiences to author Mary Othella Burnette. Ms. Burnette self-published her book Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia. This adventure story covers the history of her community--a number of which are her extended family members. This poignant visit back in time beautifully describes the life of Black Mountaineers from a daughter descended from quite a colorful history. Mary Othella Burnette recalls her grandmother's memory of having the Emancipation Proclamation read to her family when she was five years old. Two years later--and years before Juneteenth became a popular reference--Black Mountaineers referred to their freedom as The Great Surrender. As one would suspect, Ms. Burnette's oral interview with host Nicole Franklin is just as captivating as the words on the pages of her memoir.  Her life story is a rare peek into this slice of Americana.Music by David Monteilh

Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh bring audiences a voice from the aftermath of the 1944 Philadelphia transit strike that shut down the city and disrupted the war effort at the time. White workers  were determined that Black workers would not be promoted from the back rooms to train and trolley conductors. At 100 years old Merrill Pittman Cooper shares his very candid view as an African American driver hired just one year later during very tumultuous times. He eventually meets his wife while driving the bus and he retires having served as the first African American Philadelphia transit workers union president. Mr. Cooper's story is an American story. And, there's one question Mr. Cooper has that continues to linger.

Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh take listeners back to an August 2018 interview Nicole conducted with Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan) and his career crusade to establish the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. During the Congressman's lifetime, which the Congressman spent nearly three decades on a relentless campaign, the H.R. 40 Bill never made it out of Committee.  In one of his final interviews, Rep. Conyers reflects on what reparations for African Americans would achieve and how he realized early on the journey it would take to get there. 

Who would give up a dream of playing professional baseball alongside Negro League greats Dizzie Dean, Hank Thompson, Elston Howard, Willard Brown, Larry Doby and so many others? Semi-pro outfielder Nate Crump of St. Louis, Missouri asked a friend what life on the road really meant for Black baseball players and chose a life in science instead. He was so talented that a career at McDonnell Douglass (formerly McDonnell Aircraft) led to even greater heights and recognition from NASA. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh share a delightful hour with chemist, athlete (he still played a round of golf at age 99) and military veteran Nate Crump, also joined by his talented and proud son Dr. Nathaniel Crump. 

As hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh often say, "Stories like these are just a phone call away." Nicole picks up the phone and dials Doris Carey Graeber. We invite listeners to grab a good rocking chair and some lemonade to hear about the simple life in "God's country." Award-winning filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris joins the conversation to tell us why we need to take our letters, photos and family heirlooms out of storage. 

We meet retired nurse Glyndorah Hubbard of St. Louis, MO who was born in 1916. At 15 years old, Ms. Hubbard graduated from famed Sumner High School in St. Louis. Upon graduating college, she began her life as a nurse while working at the only hospital where Black residents of the city could get medical care at the time, Homer G. Phillips. As Ms. Hubbard shares fascinating and heartbreaking family stories--including the grandmother she knew who was enslaved and the other who was not--hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh remember stories from their own backgrounds that put it all in perspective.Oral histories from this area of the United States are also the mission of the Missouri History Museum located in St. Louis, MO.

The life of Maud Carroll takes a positive turn, but only after meeting the love of her life, saying good-bye to her mother at her mother's deathbed and overcoming racism as the church organist. The music of Ms. Carroll's favorite composers carry her through. She shares her love for both the music and how her life turned out in this episode.

In this Before You Go episode we listen to the harrowing childhood story of a very special piano teacher. Maud Carroll immigrated to the United States nearly 100 years ago. Unfortunately she ended up in an abusive situation. With her life in danger, and nowhere to turn, the piano was her only friend. This is the first of two episodes with Ms. Carroll.

Welcome to our podcast, Before You Go. Hosts Nicole Franklin and Bryant Monteilh introduce audiences to guests who are 100 years old, "or just getting up there." We love our seniors. Join us at BeforeYouGo.TV. What we hope you take from our podcast is the importance of these conversations. It's a chance to discover history and there's no time like the present. What a gift!