Join two therapists from two different worlds as they break down the social narrative through their mental health lens. As a licensed Clinical Social Worker, educator, activist and truth seeker, JD engages with Hollywood royalty and therapist, Suzy Unger
Fatimah Gilliam, Esquire. is the Founder and CEO of The Azara Group. As a skilled strategist, business leader, negotiator, and trusted advisor, she has spent her career advancing her clients' goals. She leverages her expertise to provide real-world guidance. Her mission is to empower her clients to be strong business leaders, drive results, have successful careers, and be strategic in influencing others. She is an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur whose career combines expertise in the law, diversity, human capital, leadership, stakeholder engagement, and negotiations – helping organizations gain influence and strategic leverage, build coalitions and consensus, drive business and organizational goals, and advance workforce optimization. Ms. Gilliam is the author of the groundbreaking book, Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You, which is an innovative, practical manual of the unwritten “rules” relating to race, helping people navigate polarizing issues. Race Rules provides much-needed how-to advice to drive equity and behavioral change. Introducing a straightforward, universal 3-step framework to unlearn racism, drive equity, and challenge misconceptions, it provides tips and tools on cross-racial interactions in people's personal and professional lives. What You Will Hear:Being on CNN to discuss her uncle Jesse Balmore's murder by the government and it impactWhat Fatimah learned about herself during her incredibly diverse and successful careerThe key component in the art of negotiationDifference between a good leader and a great leader.DEIRace Rules: What Your Black Friends Won't Tell YouQuotes:“Don't ask don't get…… if you want it, you've got to ask for it because no one's going to ask for it for you.”“Don't negotiate against yourself.”“One thing that I think is really important for people to recognize or think about when it comes to race is that it's not neutral….there is no neutral zone. You're either standing in opposition to racism, or you are standing in support of it.”MentionedRace RulesFatimahGilliam.comI AM Music Group
Portia Burch is a Black queer activist and Omaha native with a specific focus on anti-racism work and abolition. Portia was activated by the murder of Michael Brown Jr. and the subsequent protests and riots in Ferguson, MO. As consciousness shifts towards reckoning with racism and white supremacy in the world, Portia is working to create spaces that are just and equitable as a way to build communities that are focused on healing and growing. She does this by curating and nurturing spaces to unlearn and decolonize behaviors that have upheld racism and white supremacy culture. Her priority is and will always be the uplifting of Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of the global majority. She is intentional in her work so that people working to be active anti-racists and social justice accomplices understand that by making the groups they advocate for their priority, the decolonization becomes a natural act and creates effective change.What You Will Hear:The motivation for and importance of podcast episode “Let's Heal Together: Make the Most Marginalized Voices the Ones Most Heard”The unaddressed white supremacy in the LGBTQ+ communityWhy black women, cisgendered, lesbian, hetero, and trans are still the most disrespected and silenced womenHow Portia deals with moments of hopelessnessSurviving suicide attempts. LifeaversariesQuotes:“I need for queer white people to remember that they are white first…….You can be white and gay, white and bi, white and poly, white and pan, any of those things, but you're white first, which means that if we're standing in a line and we're talking about anti-black rhetoric, you can appear to be straight and you don't have to deal with any of that. You might internalize it, but are you directly harmed by it? No, because nobody knows that you're queer. For me, if I wanted to, I could tuck my queer away, but I'm black all day long.”“Twitter is the place where critical and cognitive thinking goes to die.”“White women need to know that they still benefit from the patriarchy because the men that are in office, even though they're making laws that are detrimental to all white women, it's gonna hit them last. It's gonna go through us first.”“A sense of urgency is a characteristic of white supremacy.”“Rest is an act of resistance, rest is an act of liberation and rest is a requirement not a reward. The sense of urgency isn't helping anybody because we're rushing to do things and what we're actually fighting for isn't working.”“If you're not checking in with you, if you're not touching in with you, part of you starts to die.”“it's important to be loved. It's important to allow people to love you. It's important to share that love with somebody else. Whatever that love looks like, platonic, romantic, whatever the case may be, it's just important to have people.”Mentioned@portia.noirInstagramTiktokXLinktreehttps://portiaburch.com/White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial DivideI AM Music Group
Portia Burch is an activist and educator, with a focus on deconstructing current societal norms and systems in power to create a more equitable and just world. She believes in creating change from the inside out which involves identifying the root cause, where change needs to begin, and encouraging growth beyond. Portia works with both nonprofit and for profit organizations as well as private sectors.What You Will Hear:Portia's father's influencePortia's why and her legacyWhite Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial DivideWhiteness, white supremacy, white fragility and aggressionChildren learning about raceCommunity and collective mind setQuotes:“We're just human beings and we're doing our best, and if somebody shows you that they're trying, hold them close and hold that space for them.” “I do what I do for black women.”“Whiteness, inherently, is a place of defensiveness. it is never at fault. It's white people never do anything wrong. White people expect black people, indigenous people and other people, the global majority, to just give them a free pass, to accept the same apology over and over again.The tears. the caring, the acting out because you didn't get your way, those are all characteristics of whiteness because white people can get away with it. You're melanated people cannot.” “You cannot be an ally in a war that you created.”“there's no reason why a black child at five years old can have a conversation about race and a white child can't.” Mentionedhttps://portiaburch.com/White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial DivideI AM Music Group
Jill Nagle is a published author, coach, facilitator, and founder of Evolutionary Workplace. She aims to help reduce harm to Black and Brown people, as well as support white people in liberating themselves from the effects of white supremacy's toxic mythology. She uses somatic tools to help white anti-racist leaders dismantle white supremacy and liv their most aligned lives from the inside out. She's working on her book called Skin in the Game: How White People Benefit from Dismantling White Supremacy, and hopes to find a publisher very soon. You can find out more about Jill Nagle at EvolutionairyWorkplace dot com.What You Will Hear:Corporate contract work and Jill's focusHealersDismantling white supremacyDysfunctional white psycheQuotes:“I think that dismantling white supremacy, mythology, that work ought to be done by white people and it ought to be done by white people seeking out other white people, particularly those who are resistant because we have a certain kind of privilege. ““The compartmentalization is attached to the, into the individualism of the white culture and so it can compartmentalize it and not necessarily feel this today and recognize it tomorrow, and that is yet another bit of access and privilege that can be experienced on behalf of the white culture.”“I think that what white supremacy, mythology does to white people is it strips us of our full humanity. ““Poor and working class white bodies do not have a collective identity within which to organize.”“My intent is to shift the discussion from whether or not an individual white person is racist and how racist are they, that kind of provokes defensiveness and shame, to let's stand together and look at this phenomenon called white supremacy mythology that we are all subject to and let's think together and work together to unpack that from our beings so that we can feel more sane and we can be more effective in dismantling it and preventing harm to black and brown bodies. MentionedEvolutionaryworkplace.comLinkedInRobin DiAngeloLily Jang The Ethical SelloutJacob Holt American PicturesDaryl DavisI AM Music Group
James Joyce III is Founder and Chief Visionary Ocer of Coee With A Black Guy, an innovative movement in which he provides consultation and coaching that is rooted in facilitating conversations about race and perspective for community groups and organizations. Joyce is an educator, a former award-winning journalist, and runner up in the 2021 Santa Barbara mayoral election. James Joyce III is an educator, public servant—civil rights activist and social entrepreneur that founded Coffee with a Black Guy. At its foundation, CWABG serves as a safe place for interactive, community conversations about a variety of issues from the perspective of a Black man. It's been a growing, grassroots effort hosted by Joyce and his team to help put an end to racism.For these efforts and more, several organizations have recognized Joyce and his innovation, including the Ventura County (CA) branch of the NAACP who awarded Joyce with their 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award. It's bestowed upon an individual whose groundbreaking work increases understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. Forbes also featured Joyce and his work with CWABG in a piece published during the Covid-19 outbreak. In that, Joyce was recognized for his outstanding leadership in aiding anti-racist conversations even during a worldwide pandemic. He's also served as keynote speaker for the University of British Columbia's 2021 Social Enterprise Conference, among more.Currently serving as adjunct faculty for the Santa Barbara City College Career Skills Institute, for much of the past decade Joyce has served as District Director for California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (Ret.), who represented nearly 1 million constituents within Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, until terming out in Dec. 2020. In that role, Joyce was responsible for the day-to-day operations representing the Senator and her work. Known as a sturdy leader and champion for justice, Joyce has served on various advisory boards in the area including Impact Hub Santa Barbara (now Kiva Cowork), the Ventura County Leadership Academy (Joyce was awarded the 2021 Alumnus of the Year), and the Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals.Joyce is also on the board for the Common Table Foundation (formerly the Lois and Walter Capps Project), Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara, TV Santa Barbara, formerly the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapist Education Foundation, as well as the national board for Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), where he helped found the collegiate chapter while a student-athlete at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.An award-winning journalist, Joyce, a Maryland-native is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., currently active with Xi Iota Lambda Alumni Chapter, seated in Camarillo, CA. Joyce was runner up in the 2021 Santa Barbara mayoral election, securing 27 percent of the votes cast among 6 candidates. Now, Joyce leverages more than two decades of public service and journalism experience to provide impactful insight for groups an individuals seeking to gain better cross-cultural understanding
KL Collins is a Cornell University graduate who has worked for several large studios, including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks. After years of writing as hobby, he took a draft of his screenplay, Talk Show, and used it to gain entrance into the Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship Program at the University of Southern California. Kevin has written a number of books but more recently, he has completed his third book—his first non-fiction work—The White Supremacy Playbook: Decoded about the inner workings of white supremacy and its impact on Blacks and other people of color. We are so excited to discuss his latest endeavor and to catch up Kevin today on CTN w/JD FullerWhat You Will Hear:The motivation behind Kevin's new book, The White Supremacy Playbook: DecodedTone, anger, sadness and the messageWhite supremacy indoctrinationThe manifestations of racismThe unfortunate marriage of racism and misogynyCollateral damageHollywood's racism and desensitizingRebranding: What does it look like to rebrand the US and the world. What Kevin has learned throughout the years and throughout the process.Quotes:“People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.”“When I worked in corporate, I didn't try to sit at the table. If I went into a conference room with a bunch of people, a lot of times I would go sit on the wall and you don't realize all the different ways in which you're subliminally saying, I don't see myself as being valid sitting there.”“We've been living in this narrative as if it's reality, and now we're starting to deconstruct it and realize that it's narrative. It's not reality.”“There's a discomfort of seeing black people congregating, even if they're just having fun, that makes some people uncomfortable.”MentionedThe White Supremacy Playbook: DecodedFacebookLinkedInJames BaldwinJoy DeGruyConnect with JD @chnge_the_narrative I AM Music Group
DescriptionLeteria Bailey is a motivated Jamaican-American professional with a passion for serving and advocating for youth and people of color (POC). Through her work serving 5 NGOs in Montgomery County, Maryland, Leteria has researched and developed digital platforms, coordinated public-facing organization events, and supported the distribution of over 1.3 million dollars to fund countywide youth development programs.In 2016 Leteria founded Young Black and Aware to bring national awareness to police brutality and racism in communities of color. Young Black and Aware has garnered international recognition by highlighting social justice issues on a daily basis. As of January 2021, online engagement surpasses 350,000 persons monthly. Notable supporters of Young Black and Aware include American Filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Activist Brittany Packnett-Cunningham, and Artist Bisa Butler. Follow @youngblackandaware on Instagram. She has gotten into so much this since the last time we shared space so we are so happy to welcome her back to catch up on CTN with JD FullerWhat You Will Hear:Consistent theme of lessons and growthWhat it's like to be an activist in white space, especially corporate AmericaThe sellout factorActivism throughout the countrySense of urgency about the banning of black historyWhite supremacyThe awakening after George Floyd's murder Using social media to inform the work without desensitizing itAddiction TraumaShould black people stop using the N-wordQuotes:“You never know when you might need some kindness back….Get what you give out.”‘Grassroots is the answer.”“I feel a sense of urgency about the fact that they're banning black history in our schools, and I don't think that there's enough of an outrage about it.”“White supremacy demands the perfect victim. ““In this anti-black world. They will demonize you before they try to give you grace.”“George Floyd wasn't the first, and there was many after him.”“We have to stop subscribing to the fact that there is not enough power amongst us to finally Cease and desist. “Mentioned@YoungBlackandAwareYoungblackandaware@youngblackandawareSleuth, Gang or DieConnect with JD @chnge_the_narrative I AM Music Group
Buck Angel's message of empowerment through self-acceptance and the mission to encourage everyone to be comfortable in their own skin - whatever that means to them - has struck a passionate chord with people around the world. Buck was born female on June 5,1962. He never felt female and struggled through life until he had the life-changing opportunity to transition from female to male and finally live life authentically. He had many obstacles during his transition mostly due to no information for transitioning for FTM transsexuals. Since then he has managed to live his truth and he continues to help to educate the world with his story. His mission is to inspire people to redefine gender and to foster a new generation as they discover the fluidity of sexuality and navigate gender politics. His message, "It's not what is between your legs that defines you." has sparked many conversations and opened minds. Buck is a truth teller and he is here to share his perspective and experience today on Change the Narrative with JD Fuller.Mentioned@buckangel InstagramTwitter/ XYoutubeI AM Music Group
When David Romano began to feel the early symptoms of depression in middle school, he thought everyone felt that way, and that it was part of growing up. The popular student and multi-sport athlete tried to maintain his outward image as the fun, goofy kid, and used sports and other activities to cover his inner struggle. A mental health checklist he read in health class shone a light on his symptoms and his life changed forever. After some ups and downs, David began his mental health journey. Since then David has focused his energies on self-healing and spreading awareness about mental health and Suicide prevention. David has a private practice and he travels around they country to share his lived experienceMentionedMinnesota Center for PsychologyGuiding Light WellnessActiveMinds.orgInstagram @guidinglightwellI AM Music Group
DescriptionDr. Jennifer Mullan, founder of Decolonizing Therapy, wrote the book, "Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma & Politicizing Your Practice,”. Dr. Mullan, lovingly called “The Rage Doctor”, is also an organizational consultant, teacher, course creator, community builder, and decolonized mental health movement starter. She has been featured in Allure, GQ, The Today Show, Cosmopolitan, and The Calgary Journal. She received ESSENCE magazine's 2020 Essential Hero Award in the category of Mental Health. What You Will Hear:Dr. Mullan's childhood and adolescencePivotal moment Development of her new bookConnection to lineageUnraveling the cultural and collective nooseDecolonizing therapyMental HealthReclamation of the pastCultural limitationsRageQuotes:“Living in the Bay Area and doing some really deep inner work on myself and doing rage work with Ruth King and others allowed me to reframe and restructure how I allowed whiteness to see me and how I allowed that gaze or that view to impact me and my spirit.”“For too long the goal of therapy has been to help people adapt to oppression and cope with ongoing trauma of colonial, capitalis and white supremasists.”“That gatekeeping, even into the ivory tower, is real.” “Decolonizing Therapy is really supposed to be a resource for a lot of therapeutic classrooms.”“Me and rage have a love affair.”“Rage, I believe, is the love child of ancestral trauma and all different types of trauma, shame, and the kind of grief we're not allowed to talk about, that disenfranchised, suffocated grief.”“It is important for us to try to build new ways of coping in our bodies and our systems in ways that help us ground ourselves.”MentionedDecolonizingtherapy.comInstagramLinkedInFacebookDr. Tasha BorchellMaria Yellowhorse BraveheartI AM Music Group
DescriptionDr. Eric FitzMedrud is a culturally aware clinician, trainer, speaker, podcast guest, author and a licensed psychologist. He specializes in evidence-based practices that include sex-positive wisdom and celebrating the joys of pleasure. Eric's new book is The Better Man, A Guide to Consent, Stronger relationships and Better Sex.What You Will Hear:Consent conversations and pleasureIntersection of varied bodies and cultureVulnerabilityMeta communicationBecoming a better assholeSexual shame and core woundsDeveloping empathyQuotes:“The reality of vulnerability is also when we are vulnerable with each other, sometimes we hurt each other unintentionally. ““Empathy is a two-way street, but sometimes it needs to only flow in one direction at a time.”“if there's not something that you love, then you're dangerous because if you don't love something, then you don't have any basis for empathy. Your pain comes because you are alive. Your pain comes because you love something. And if you can't pay attention to and integrate that pain, you can't mobilize your love.”MentionedThe Better ManDrEricFitz.com@drericfitz InstagramLinkedInFacebookTwitter/XJames BaldwinI AM Music Group
Dr. Eric FitzMedrud is a culturally aware clinician, trainer, speaker, podcast guest, author and a licensed psychologist. He specializes in evidence-based practices that include sex-positive wisdom and celebrating the joys of pleasure. Eric's new book is The Better Man, A Guide to Consent, Stronger relationships and Better Sex.What You Will Hear:Who is Eric FritzMedrud?Relationships and sexMisconceptions about open relationships and polyamoryImprovements as a clinicianBook: The Better Man, A Guide to Consent, stronger Relationships and Hotter Sex.Out of control sexual behavior and porn addictionCommunicationIdentifying as a man, performance demand, romantic myths and toxic masculinityEric's personal experience and consent conversationsQuotes:“If there isn't heart connection, if there isn't an ability to regulate conflict, if there isn't a lot of other capacity for relationship and self-soothing, then showing up vibrantly and energetically sexually becomes impossible.”“If you are with a male partner and he's having a hard time showing up for you, receiving your desire, telling you what he really desires, one of the most important things that you can do is bring a non-judgmental openness.”“it's so important to understand that it's a loss for for men and when they subscribe to a patriarchal culture as well.”MentionedThe Better ManDrEricFitz.com@drericfitz InstagramLinkedInFacebookTwitter/XI AM Music Group
Qasim Rashid is a human rights lawyer who built his career fighting for survivors of domestic violence, asylum seekers, and low income communities. He and his family immigrated from Pakistan to the United States with his family when he was five. As a child, Qasim grew up in Section 8 housing in DuPage county. Qasim's parents, who were both teachers, instilled in him a deep commitment of service to humanity and upholding justice. Throughout his legal career, Qasim has seen how the country's laws and systems unfairly worked for those who already had money and power and left everyone else behind. He's running for Congress to demand justice and ensure that the government works for everyone. Outside of public service, Qasim is an author, lawyer, and dad joke aficionado. The loves of his and Ayesha's lives are their three children, aged 14, 10, and 7. They are trying to convince Qasim to adopt a special breed of dog that gets sad when you feed it cantaloupe…known as a melon collie.What You Will Hear:Qasim's upbringing and being an immigrantAnti-blackness and immigrationThe depth of Islamophobia in the USAPost 9/11 unity mythHow Qasim got in to law and his specific practiceService to humanityThe power of collaborative educationGun control and the right wing media's indoctrination tacticsPolice brutality and the injustice system in the USQualified immunity and psychological testingClimate crisis and poverty statsWhat true government powered by the people could look likeEngaging the global majorityQuotes:“In Pakistan I'm not really Pakistani because I was raised in the United States and the United States I'm not really American because I wasn't born here and so there's a constant struggle that's in the back of your mind and it's the duality that society wants you to force you into a box.”“ I've been extraordinarily fortunate to have brilliant scholars guide me and teach me and the good fortune to have the sense to shut up and listen.”“If you wanna talk to me about your values, show me your actions and service to humanity, ““For me greatest form of worship is to serve all humanity.”“Service to others is the rent you pay for your time here on Earth.” - Muhammed Ali“I think foundationally it's important that people find their comfort zone and learn to step out of it. That's really where life begins to have, in my view, more value, more meaning and more sustainability.”“I believe healthcare is a fundamental human right and just because someone is a bigot or a racist or an islamophobe or a homophobe doesn't change the fact that healthcare is a fundamental human right and we need to provide that support no matter what.”“The reality is that if we continue to send law enforcement for issues that don't reflect their training, then we are perpetuating a system of violence…..because we're asking them to do things that they're just not trained to do.”“Law enforcement responds to crime, but a living wage, healthcare, access, education, clean food, air and water, prevent crime. So if we want safer communities, invest in people, not punishments.”“It is not diversity for the sake of diversity, it's representation for the sake of reality.”“For us to dismantle these systems of white supremacy and the economic injustice that they uphold, we have to create a sense of reality.”“Ensuring children have leaders and mentors that have their lived experiences allows our children to have better lived experiences as well.” “Those systems of white supremacy are dismantled when we uphold justice, when we have representation that reflects reality and we have a multiracial, multi-cultural, multi-gender coalition of people working together for that common cause of justice.”“ I know that which I'm asking you is...
DescriptionFletcher Cleaves is a native of Memphis, TN who decided to turn his tragedy into a testimony. As an advocate and motivational presenter, he speaks out against the dangers of texting and driving as well as overcoming adversity. He aspires to share his journey in hopes it will save lives and inspire others to reach their goals, regardless of the challenges they may face.What You Will Hear:Growing up and family dynamicsRecognizing his athleticismBenefits from growing up and learning in different environments inner city vs suburbsLife altering car accident, recovery and sacrificeBecoming the Wheelchair NomadSky Is Not The LimitQuotes:“Team sports and the way I was rendered definitely gave me the mindset of facing all the obstacles I face today.”“If you ain't been through nothing in life, that means you ain't live long enough. So understand adversity is going to happen, It's part of life. ““It's not what happens to you that defines you. It's how you respond to it.”“Don't let your current circumstances dictate your future. You can always make a better tomorrow.”“Within the path of the journey of being me I became an inspiration and I'm just so happy that something so simple as being myself can help so many people change lives.” “How big would you dream if you knew you couldn't fail if you knew failure was impossible? ““Stop being afraid to fail. Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. Everything you want in life is on the other side of, I don't feel like it. So once you get past, I don't feel like it and once you get past being afraid your greatest success is right around the corner.”MentionedFletchercleaves.comInstagram Twitter @rollinonfaithFacebook @thewheelchairnomadYoutube @fletchercleaves I AM Music Group
Urban educator and inner-city school advocate Jasmyn Williams is an Upper Elementary School Dean in East Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years she has developed the awareness, compassion, and knowledge to effectively lead and educate students with severe behavioral needs and learning disabilities in the inner city realm. In 2019, she received a Master of Education from Ursuline College. Prior to graduate school she attended Bowling Green State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. As a speaker with a focus on Urban Ed, Jasmyn leads professional development sessions and coaches teachers on various strategies to use when building relationships and working with Students of Color. As an advocate for Students of Color, she works to bring awareness through dialogue and community service in hopes of liberation.What You Will Hear:Impact of being raised by a young mother and grandparentsProviding resources rooted in wellness, equity, intellectualism and loveLeadership and being an instructional coach, an assistant principal, and an urban educator. Urban education in non urban communitiesReading proficiency. Systemic issues in assessments and testingSocial emotional learning Environmental effects on learningBook suggestions (See Mentioned below)Quotes:“Wellness is accessible to you even if you are from an environment that is not ideal.”“Equity is asking how can I get every student there? There can be so many different things and so my job is to figure out what is there for my children, for our students, and then what can we do to get them there.”“I think that it's our job as educators to show what healthy love is.”“There's just so many layers that go into a child's ability to be successful ““The earlier we can allow children to know that they're individual, the better, because they're not forcing themselves to fit in these spaces that they just don't fit in.”MentionedThe Urban EduInstagramLinkedInBlack Appetite, White FoodWhy Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?The Color of LawWe Want To Do More Than SurviveThe Equity and Social Justice EducationI AM Music Group
Ernest Crim III is an Anti-Racist Educator and hate crime survivor who uses (Black) historical narratives to empower and educate families and train educators through an equitable lens. Mr. Crim, a south side of Chicago native and University of Illinois graduate, is a former high school history educator of 12 years, who now advocates for social justice issues and teaches Black History to the world through social media with a platform that reaches over 2 million people monthly. Additionally, he is the CEO of Crim's Cultural Consulting LLC, an international speaker, an author of two bestsellers (‘Black History Saved My Life' and ‘The ABCS of Affirming Black Children') and a passionate progressive education activist, who has been featured on CNN, ABC, WGN, PBS, CBS, NBC & Newsweek, amongst various other outlets. What You Will Hear:Attending HBCUsThe importance of communityTeaching and historyBlack culture and cultural genocideBlack on black crime phenomenonNutritional options in black communitiesQuotes:“As black folks we have to have community to exist and to thrive and oftentimes in a majority white or mixed environment we might not be able to fully find that .”“That was the process of enslavement, to disconnect us with who we naturally are and who we really are.”“The engine of our group oppression is always cultural genocide,” - Asa Hilliard“We are community first, family first, spirituality first, and all things flow from that.”“Whoever controls your kitchen, controls your revolution.” - Elijah MuhammadMentioned @MrCrim3 Instagram facebook X Youtube@Ernest Crim III LinkedInErnestcrim.comGreg CarrDaniel BlackBrian MidlerAsa Grant Hilliard IIICarter G. Woodson Elijah Muhammad I AM Music Group
Ernest Crim III is an Anti-Racist Educator and hate crime survivor who uses Black historical narratives to empower and educate families and train educators through an equitable lens. Mr. Crim, a south side of Chicago native and University of Illinois graduate, is a former high school history educator of 12 years, who now advocates for social justice issues and teaches Black History to the world through social media with a platform that reaches over 2 million people monthly. Additionally, he is the CEO of Crim's Cultural Consulting LLC, an international speaker, an author of two bestsellers, ‘Black History Saved My Life' and ‘The ABCS of Affirming Black Children' and a passionate progressive education activist, who has been featured on CNN, ABC, WGN, PBS, CBS, NBC & Newsweek, amongst various other outlets. What You Will Hear:Ernest's books, Black History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to An Awakening and The ABCs of Affirming Black Children.Raising children within the systems of the USCreatively strategizing how we can use our past to create a better future entrenched in equitable practices. Crim's Cultural Consulting LLCStandardized testing and language Quotes:“A hate crime is usually the one of the least racist things we deal with in the present day.”“We need our kids to see themselves in all shades, like all of it.““We feel as though just playing by the rules of this society that we'll be okay and it comes to a point as black folks in this country and in the world where you're reminded that you have to do more. There's whiteness everywhere you look. That becomes the mirror, and if we look in the other mirror and don't see that then we start changing things”“We are so accepting of so little.”“Your household should really look like a school. I 'm not saying chalkboard. I'm saying the images your kids see, I'm saying the time you devote to talking with them and conversing with them, because we talk about equitable practices, that starts at home,”“I'm pro-black, so it's like, equity for me means we gotta make sure that we are building things moving forward that can help us all, gotta make sure we're all good.”“One of the things I really dislike about our public education system is it is the antithesis of science-based. It defines logic.”MentionedErnestCrim.comInstagramBlack History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to An Awakening The ABCs of Affirming Black Children.I AM Music Group
DescriptionDaniel Collins has had a challenged but also blessed journey. He had it all, then lost it, more than once and now he's coming back. Daniel is transparent about his journey and the good news is he didn't give up! Daniel continues to be an activist for anti Black racism and prison reform. He's back to give us updates and to talk about his new adventure with a wonderful company that has a unique housing solution designed to make housing more affordable. Welcome back to Change the Narrative with JD Fuller.What You Will Hear:Losing his professional baseball career to drugs and addictionDaniel's childhood and upbringingLife altering change in prisonBlowing up on social media after his releaseMental health court, therapy and opportunityPrison reformLessons learnedProject LiftContaining Luxury building container homesQuotes:“I still had emptiness inside of me, and that's what addiction was for me. It was just filling that void.”“This whole idea of incarceration in and of itself is, to me, barbaric and archaic. Like everything about it.”“It's modern day slavery, the 13th amendment is the abolishment of slavery except when punishable by a crime.”“The black codes literally started targeting black people for nothing other than essentially being black.”“Slave labor was such an integral part of the southern economy that without it the economy will collapse.”MentionedInstagram @confessionsofaconvictTikTok @dannyfcollinsThe New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander13th Ava DuVernayProject LiftContaining LuxuryI AM Music Group
JD and Martin Drux discuss the need for diversity and inclusion in corporate spaces. Martin is a multinational executive who manages cross-cultural teams for a Global US-headquartered consulting firm. When the world shut down Martin's opened up and that's when he found Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B). It became his new passion and Martin is now committed to owning & driving the agenda from within the business he is in charge of. In 2023, Martin became a finalist for the AXCO Global Insurance Award in the Diversity & Inclusion category. What You Will Hear:Martin's journey and backgroundWhat a multi-national executive who manages cross-cultural teams for a global US headquarters consulting firm does.The key element of networkingPost-pandemic sustainability, recruitment policy, and practiceLack of equity, opportunity, and accessPrevalence of anti-black racismQuotes:“What I think I really like is the opportunity to participate in somebody else's lived experience.”“I think what we need to change the narrative here is that it's really more about looking at the entire talent out there and give an equal opportunity and really try to get the best to the top.”“If we look at our top management it's still very much dominated by white men.”“I find the world more interesting where there is fair competition.”MentionedLinkedInJolly Good GingerI AM Music Group
JD and Dr. Ally continue their conversation around mind, body, community, healing and everything next level. Dr. Allycin Powell Hicks, aka Dr. Ally has her PhD in clinical psychology. She is the host of Discovery Plus and OWN's tv show that she hosts with her mother, Dr. Cynthia, aptly named Like Mother Like Daughter. From self worth, to anxiety, to self doubt, Dr. Ally has the coolest card decks called Doux. As a consultant, a coach, a mental health expert and brand strategist she helps other and shifts their perspective aligning with their true purpose and building confidence
JD Welcomes back Dr. Ally. Dr. Allycin Powell Hicks, aka Dr. Ally, has her PhD in clinical psychology. She is the host of Discovery Plus and OWN's tv show that she hosts with her mother, Dr. Cynthia, aptly named Like Mother Like Daughter. From self worth, to anxiety, to self doubt, Dr. Ally has the solution. She is an entrepreneur, a media personality and the creator of one of the coolest card decks called Doux. As a consultant, a coach, a mental health expert and brand strategist she helps others and shifts their perspective aligning with their true purpose and building confidence.AllycinHicks.com
Resmaa Menakem is the author of “My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies,” published in September 2017, which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list in May 2021 as well as "The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating our Nation's Upheaval and Racial Reckoning," published in 2022. Resmaa is the founder of the Cultural Somatics Institute. He also wrote Monsters in Love: Why Your Partner Sometimes Drives You Crazy- and he tells us what to do about it. He has done more interviews than I can count, including the Breakfast Club. Resmaa has single-handedly changed JD and many others' professional and personal life. What You Will Hear:The Quaking of AmericaHealing in and through the bodyWhat do bodies of culture need to do to continue thriving and moving forwardWhite bodies deflecting white body supremacy and embodied gnawingThe growth area = gnawing and discomfortThe soil of AmericaTrauma Trump and learned templates (victim and perpetrator)The MirrorWhat's next for ResmaaQuotes:“Recent studies and discoveries increasingly point out that we heal primarily in and through the body, not just through the rational brain. We can all create more opportunities for growth in our nervous system, but we do this primarily through what our bodies experience and do not through what we think or realize cognitively.”“We learn from what our parents or our care caregivers recoil from and lean into, not just by what the instructions that they give to us.”“You are not defective.”“Bodies of culture have been gnawing at us every moment we live because racial trauma persists.”“Embodied gnawing is the way towards generative knowledge. You cannot get knowledge without gnawing.”“The growth area is actually in the shit that you don't like to do.”“The Dark Ages wasn't the dark ages because motherfuckers turned off the light. It was the Dark Ages because it was some brutal, foul shit happening from powerful white bodies to less powerful white bodies.”“The plantation organized white people.”“White folks have created a world that is on fucking fire, like literally on fire, and we keep trying to take our buckets and throw water on it, and they keep squeezing kerosene on the other side.”MentionedMy Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and BodiesThe Quaking of AmericaResmaa MenakemMama Rose Underground BooksPenumbra Theater GroupI AM Music Group
Resmaa Menakem is the author of “My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies,” published in September 2017, which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list in May 2021 as well as "The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating our Nation's Upheaval and Racial Reckoning," published in 2022. Resmaa is the founder of the Cultural Somatics Institute. He also wrote Monsters in Love: Why Your Partner Sometimes Drives You Crazy- and he tells us what to do about it. He has done more interviews than I can count, including the Breakfast Club. Resmaa has single handedly changed my professional and personal life and numerous others. What You Will Hear:The catalyst and ripple effect of My Grandmother's Hands IatrogenesisWhite supremacy trauma and how it can manifest in culture, family traits, personality traits, et cetera.Decontextualizing trauma The Plantation and white body supremacyClean pain vs dirty pain and white feralityOur virtues and our limitationsHow white bodies can hold each other accountableTools vs toysThe pervasiveness and persistence of white body supremacyHuman growth and healingPrivilege vs advantageLiberatory work and appealing to the kindness of white peopleQuotes:“Trauma works in alignment with your virtues. Trauma works in alignment with what you do best. Trauma works in alignment with what fuels you.”“The white body deems and has deemed itself the supreme standard by which all bodies, humanity shall be measured structurally and philosophically.”“The most enduring structure in America is the plantation.”“White bodies have collective understanding or efficacy when it comes to race.”“A key factor in the perpetration of white body supremacy is many people's refusal to experience clean pain around the myth of race. Instead, usually out of fear, they choose the dirty pain of silence and avoidance. And inevitably or invariably, Prolong the pain.”“Our virtues are wrapped inside of our limitations. It is only when we are close in proximity to others that we begin to intimately explore the boundaries of virtues by slamming into our limit limitations.”“White folks want to do good shit and wanna do good things when it comes to race but they have not developed the conditioning and done any conditioning around race communally……they have to begin to get together in a room and sit with each other and try and work with not a book club. A book club is like crack to a white woman.”“When you're talking about liberatory work, you're talking about a toy box, an exploration, a sitting with I don't know if this is gonna work, but I'm gonna try it anyway. That's different than tools.”“White body supremacy is the water, not the shark.”“You can both be brutalized by something and be benefited by the brutalization at the same time.”“In today's America, we tend to think of healing as something binary, either we're broken or we're healed from that brokenness, but that's not how healing operates. It's almost neverHow human growth works.”“What has happened to our peoples and continues to happen to our people ain't happening to our people individually. It's happening communally. So only developing individual response to a communal horror is inadequate. It's not enough.”“White folks are not privileged by white body supremacy. They're advantaged by white body supremacy.”MentionedMy Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and BodiesI AM...
DescriptionNatasha Desjardins is a trusted, creative, result-driven Human Resources Practitioner and DEI Strategist with expertise at the intersections of HR, DENI, and Wellness. Natasha has a proven track record of enhancing employee experience, engagement, and retention. Her impact spans industries such as Public Media/ Broadcasting and trade associations (Non- profit), Marketing and Branding Agencies (For-profit), and Federal Government Consulting Agencies. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Management with an HR focus from the University of Maryland , and a certificate to Lead in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from North Western University.WeWhat You Will Hear:What is most important about NatashaNatashas childhood in HaitiMicro aggression vs intentional aggressionBecoming a Human Resources Practitioner BurnoutTherapyThe biggest barrier to driving transformative change.Pregnant Workers Fairness ActMental health advocacy within HRDEI and accessibilityQuotes:No matter what your background is or what industry that you work in, you need a network. You need people who support you who are there for you and for me, it has been friends, family, but most importantly, my therapist.”“There is a misconception that people get into HR because they love people.”“Communication and follow up are keys to successful HR practices.”“If we are inclusive, if we are truly inclusive to the diversity of our audiences, the accessibility should be covered “MentionedLinkedIn
JD sits down with filmmaker Pallavi Somusetty to talk about identity, representation, consumerism, truth and filmmaking. Pallavi creates doc portraits that center BIPOC voices in the hope that we feel fully seen in the complexities of our identities and journeys, and that meaningful impact can result. Since 2020, she has been a series producer for A-Doc (including Emmy-nominated series Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond) and is a supervising producer for their 2024 shorts initiative in partnership with WORLD Channel. Pallavi's feature directorial debut in progress, COACH EMILY, is a 2023 DocLands DocPitch Industry Award recipient, and Athena's 2022 Works in Progress Pitch Forum participant. Pallavi is also producing CHIRAKU (Dir. Neelu Bhuman) about a young transman's dreams of becoming a commercial pilot. She is a 2023 Unlock Her Potential Mentee working with Linda Goldstein Knowlton, and a 2022 Center for Asian American Media Fellow with mentorship support from Marjan Safinia. Her award-winning short doc, Escaping Agra, which chronicles a young trans Indian American teen's experience of being illegally detained in Agra, India after their gender and sexual orientation are discovered, has screened in festivals across the world, and her work has been supported by The Puffin Foundation, Eddie Bauer, Studio IX Project, Center for Cultural Innovation, and more. Pallavi holds a documentary-focused Master in Journalism from UC Berkeley and a BA in Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz. In her spare time, she climbs rocks with her kids and supports incarcerated pregnant people as a trained doula.What You Will Hear:Pallavi's backgroundGetting in to film makingFeature documentaryMoving to IndiaFilmsCoach EmilyQuotes:MentionedChandi Filmscoachemilyfilm.com
Attention white women! White women unite! Pam Ditto declares all of this, not because white women are smarter, but because they use that historical narrative to not stand up for justice, injustice, and racism. Pam says that the road to success is not the one paved by the white man. She stands up to patriarchy, white people, and white women. She is sick and tired of “white is right” and white women in particular who cannot tolerate the discomfort of change. She is honest, and real and uses her voice to share not only her experience from everything from her dental procedures to her adoption to her feelings on interracial adoption. What You Will Hear:Uplifting marginalized voices on tiktok by passing the micLessons learned from successIndentured servitude vs chattel enslavementWhat white women can learn from PamPrivilge, the right to comfortContinuing to learnIs it peossibe for white people to move from denial through sympathy, past allyship to something that's more productive in the outcome of where we are?Mass shootingsQuotes:“I think it's interesting that, you know, there's so much privilege around fearing,”“If you are under threat of losing your security safety support, you never had it. So go make your own community to gather that from. That is real. That won't threaten you every time you step out of line. Because if they're watching to see if you are in line, they're not supporting you.”“the things that we say we fear are so inconsequential.”“Guilt becomes a guilty pleasure for white people.”MentionedTittok @pamstillwontshutup @pamwontshutup @pamwontevershutupIntagram @@Crutches_and_spice
DescriptionSonia Russell, CEO, and David L Walker Jr, CSO of BlackFullness sit down with JD to discuss Blackfullness. Sonia uses her obsession with technology and her passion for mindfulness to organize and harmonize almost every aspect of her life. She has been a black woman her whole life, a small business owner for nearly 20 years, and an active leader for more than a decade. She received her minister's license from the School of Spiritual Leadership in 2021.David designs, builds and cultivates successful and productive sales and strategic partnerships to increase awareness, affinity, buy-in, and revenue - all with mindfulness at the core. With over 15 years of experience, David puts the FUNK in cross-functional training and leadership, and he uses his intense desire to serve to intentionally and effectively connect people, places and ideas.What You Will Hear:What it means to be a licensed New Though Minister with a degree from the School of Spiritual Leadership.Benefit vs privilegeUnapologetic optimismBlackfullness Individual sovereigntyBeing intentionalBeing a light and reciprocityQuotes: "I'm unapologetically optimistic in that I wanna be about what we cando. I believe in us, I wanna be about that.”“It's not pretending that the things that we see are not happening, it is acknowledging that they are happening and knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that there is something more expanded for all of us to experience collectively and for me to experience individually.”“Practice makes permanent.”Mentioned@theblackfullnessInstagram@blackfullnessTikTokLinkedInTwitterFacebookYoutubeLinkTree
Tony, The Ghetto Activist is a self-taught historian that focuses on Black history through an Afrocentric lens. He created his blog roughly three years ago with the primary objective of countering thousands of years of misinformation, degradation, & systemic oppression by any means necessary.What You Will Hear:Tony's upbringing, influences and his mother's impact on his lifeHow Tony became the Ghetto ActivistBlack Amnesia, Saint CovaThe Myth, The Bible is not black historyThinking blackDismantling internalized racismQuotes:“We actually don't know how great we once were.”“If you're black, you should be thinking black. If you're black and you're not thinking Black at this late date, well, I'm sorry for you.” - Malcolm X“We sold ourselves into enslavement. You can't hate the roots of the tree without ending up hating the tree. You can't hate your origin without ending up hating yourself. You can't hate the land, your motherland, the place that you came from, and we can't hate Africa without ending up hating ourselves.” - Malcolm XMentionedSt CovaAnthony BrowderTheGhettoActivist.comCCGhetto Sunday SchoolTimeless TeachingsTikTok @TheGhettoActivistInstagram @TheGhettoActivistTwitter @GhettoActivistPatreon - The Ghetto Activist
Joquina M. Reed is deeply shaped by her lived experience, ancestral wisdom, formal undergraduate and education in Communications. She is the curator behind her own podcasts, AntiBlackness Reader and Divesting from Whiteness. Joquina proudest claim to fame in her life is being a fabulous aunt to 8 nieces and nephews! In addition to being Nanny Kina, she is also a DEI consultant and facilitator, researcher, learning strategist, and community advocate. Kina says, she is constantly looking for opportunities to help others enlarge themselves and step out of the boxes they no longer fit. What You Will Hear:Urgency, white supremacy and black murders by the stateReaction vs responseAnti-racist ethicsJ Reed Consulting inception, motivation and purposeDivesting from whitenessRisk taking vs bing unsafe The fallacy of a safe space for black and brown bodiesCan we end racism?Quotes:“A sense of urgency is the tenant of white supremacy”“I don't think black people should be watching other black people being murdered. ““I am the embodiment of knowing what it feels like to not have wellbeing in the workspace of not being safe in the workplace”“Lived experience matters.““If I could be got no matter what, then I might as well live as freely as I possibly can for myself and stop subscribing to their rules and regulations and prescriptions and the white math and all the other white shenanigans that white people create to govern themselves and the rest of the world.”“Our freedom, until the world systems change, can only be ascertained in ourselves, that's the only place we have it.”“I'm not sure how we end racism when people still believe in the construct of race.”MentionedInstagram @divestingfromwhiteness Linktree LinkedInJreedconsultingllc.comJoquinareed.com
Joquina M. Reed is deeply shaped by her lived experience, ancestral wisdom, formal undergraduate and education in Communications. She is the curator behind her own podcasts, AntiBlackness Reader and Divesting from Whiteness. Joquina proudest claim to fame in her life is being a fabulous aunt to 8 nieces and nephews! In addition to being Nanny Kina, she is also a DEI consultant and facilitator, researcher, learning strategist, and community advocate. Kina says, she is constantly looking for opportunities to help others enlarge themselves and step out of the boxes they no longer fit. What You Will Hear:Humanity and Anna Julia CooperAncestryImmigration and assimilationPet to Threat (Kecia M. Thomas) and Black ExcellenceCollective bargaining powerQuotes:“The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class-it is the cause of human kind, the very birthright of humanity.” - Anna Julia Cooper“If there is anyone who should be sitting up there with lobster steak in a grocery cart, it should be the descendants of enslaved people who have never received reparations for building this place for free.”“I can no longer afford to collude with whiteness and supremacy culture. Because everyone loses in it. ““That is a product of white supremacy that we don't trust our bargaining power, and that's what white supremacy has enforced us to believe.”MentionedInstagram @divestingfromwhiteness Linktree LinkedInJreedconsultingllc.comJoquinareed.com
Glenn Block is a seasoned product leader with 25 years+ of experience in software engineering and product management. He is currently the founder of two companies, one as CEO of ProdSense, where he advises early-stage companies as a Fractional CPO, and the second as CPO of a stealth home coffee roaster startup. Throughout his career, he worked at a number of hi-tech companies including Microsoft, Docusign, Auth owe, and Splunk. Glenn has been a big advocate for the open source and developer community and was a maintainer for several successful open source projects. Glenn is also a big champion and advocate for changing the tech industry and making it more inclusive. He devotes a large amount of this time to dismantling white supremacy and working to mentor and sponsor folks from underrepresented groups. He is also a volunteer coding instructor at CodeNation, helping high schoolers from marginalized backgrounds to enter the tech industry. Glenn is a lifelong learner and recently received his Executive MBA from Seattle University. He lives with his wife in San Francisco, and is just a stone's throw from his daughter, who attends USF. Please join me in welcoming Glenn Block to Change the narrative with JD Fuller.What You Will Hear:Ramadan and what it symbolizes for GlennDeciding to leave corporate AmericaNon-NegotiablesPartners and communicationNew Company ProdsenseRace and Equity in corporate AmericaWhite supremacy, trigger words and privilegeRacist vs Anti-RacistThe reality of making an impactQuotes:“Ramadan is a time of learning and discipline.”“A lot of times all we need is people to plant a seed in our minds. ““We know that silence is violence and yet it continues. Privilege continues to silence itself in far too many ways.”“There is no middle way. You're either a racist or you're an anti-racist.” - Ibram X. Kendi“I started to realize that it's not just about the dealings I have with people, it's the system.The system is the thing that has to go, and you still have to do those other things, but the change is not gonna happen. You can have these great thoughts of like, oh we'll just learn to be nice with one another, but there's a system in place that's telling you not to do those things, and as long as that system exists, things are not gonna change.”“Whenever there's an opportunity to point out inequities or just get people to think,.I'm trying to bring that, and that to me is powerful to be able to do that. “ “White supremacy is not a thing that is just over on the side here and sometimes pops up. It's everywhere. So we need to look at it that way.”MentionedPodcast : Until The Ice Cream TruckLinkedInhttps://www.tiktok.com/@glennblocktokHudsonAgneshka GirlingIbram X. Kendi “How To Be an Anti-Racist”Elizabeth Leiba “I'm Not Yelling: A Black Woman's Guide to Navigating the Workplace”Glenn@prodsense.net
Autumn Walker is a Mental Health therapist licensed in Maryland. Her passion is centered around healing anxiety and racial trauma among Black & Brown communities through a God-fident lens. After obtaining her Masters from Johns Hopkins in 2020, she combined her devotions to social justice, faith and mental health awareness to launch The Soul Reasons on social media platforms. The Soul Reasons encourages the Black community to foster a secure sense of self to both heal from and resist a racist sociopolitical system. She continues to expand her message through digital and community platforms to help others find their soul reason admist this destructive social climate.What You Will Hear:Autumn's personal story and the life changing moment that influence her journeyAutumn's awareness of racism, its power and its impactAngel ReeseRebrandingAnxiety and racial traumaCountertransference. Can therapist from other cultures treating black and brown people?LegacyQuotes:“I am now finding myself more connected to a call or mission to help black women to feel more secure and free in their own skin and so that they know who they are so no one can tell them otherwise .”“Trauma, broadly is essentially, is describing any moment of time where we feel an intense level of fear or threat that can pretty much reshape our worldview our perspective.” “ I think everything is related to capitalism.”“I really to be change agent and let folks know that there's another way, we don't have to settle for the the status quo. I'm a strong believer in once you know who you are know who you're not.”MentionedInstagramText “Soul” (206)640-0594Tiktok
Jessica Wilson, is a co-creator of the Amplify Melanated Voices challenge that went viral in 2020. She is a clinical dietitian, consultant and author, whose experiences navigating the dietetic fields as a Black, queer dietitian have been featured on public radio shows and in print media, including the New York Times, Bustle, and Cronkite News. Jessica has worked as a clinical dietitian since 2007 and is acutely aware of how both the public health and medical framing of “healthy eating” and “obesity” has contributed to disordered eating and self-blame. Jessica co-hosted My Black Body Podcast, which changed the conversation about who has eating disorders and how treatment fails so many people. Her book, It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies was published on February 7, 2023, and we can't wait to talk all about it today on CTN with JD Fuller. What You Will Hear:Who decides what size you are and what is healthy for you?Questioning her educationIntegrating therapy and nutrition. Identity developmentWhite Supremacy, redlining and accessWhat we can do to help. NormingVeganism and what is truly considered best for individualsIndividuality in collective culturesQuotes:“I really want people to have different perspectives on what it means to be be healthy.”“It's challenging to have people embrace their culture when it has turned on them.”“Only eating when you're hungry for physiological needs is the same concept as having sex only for procreation.“Food is the source of happiness.“MentionedInstagramTiktokJessicaWilsonMSRD.comTwitter
Jessica Wilson, is a co-creator of the Amplify Melanated Voices challenge that went viral in 2020. She is a clinical dietitian, consultant and author, whose experiences navigating the dietetic fields as a Black, queer dietitian have been featured on public radio shows and in print media, including the New York Times, Bustle, and Cronkite News. Jessica has worked as a clinical dietitian since 2007 and is acutely aware of how both the public health and medical framing of “healthy eating” and “obesity” has contributed to disordered eating and self-blame. Jessica co-hosted My Black Body Podcast, which changed the conversation about who has eating disorders and how treatment fails so many people. Her book, It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies was published on February 7, 2023, and we can't wait to talk all about it today on CTN with JD Fuller. What You Will Hear:Jessica's background and what helped develop her self imageDietetics and therapyNeurodivergenceRegionality and intersectionalityPassion and purpose behind her bookPlastic surgery and black women's bodiesThe term obeseRacismQuotes:.”My blackness was by far my most salient identity in a lot of the work that I was doing,”“Black women's body stories have been written by whiteness.”“You're telling us from a very young age that we need to be worried about our eminent demise. But that's not because of me, it's because of medical racism. It's about white supremacy, it's about trauma and toxic stress.”MentionedInstagramTiktokJessicaWilsonMSRD.comTwitter
JD sits down with Cassandra Geter to talk about organic health and wellness. With the knowledge that health and wellness are reflective of our lifestyles Cassandra founded Have Faith and Live Well with Chasadah LLC to provide health and wellness coaching services to women with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Cassandra uses a non-judgmental approach with a healing presence to guide others to reach their goals. What You Will Hear:Cassandra's attraction to chemistryChemistry and wellnessPharmaceutical industryThe effects of stress on healthChronic illnesses and dietFaith and nutritionSmart goalsBudgeting for healthy eatingPortion controlTeaching kids about healthy eatingQuotes:“The pharmaceutical industry is a billion-dollar industry. It doesn't make people well, it's only good for keeping people sick.”“Let your life be your testimony.”“Your goals have to be time manageable and attainable and sensible.”MentionedHavefaithandlivewell.comFacebook Organically Reversing Chronic IllnessesInstagram Cassandra1974
Marvin Toliver is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, born and raised in East Oakland California. Marvin currently resides in Philadelphia Pennsylvania working as a therapist with the Radical Therapy Center. He's also a co-founder of the mental health collective Melanated Social Work. Marvin is a queer Bi-sexual Black creator, writer, consultant, public speaker, mentor, wedding officiant, and radical educator. He encourages others to see the power within themselves and use their voices to fight for justice. Marvin's work will be complete when white supremacy is dismantled and ALL Black people are liberated. What You Will Hear:Social mediaReflectingImposter syndrome vs internalized racismPolitical aspects of being a therapistChoosing the correct therapist for youReparationsMusic Therapy Mondays and Black Social Work WeekTEDx TalkQuotes:“Therapy is not neutral”“Each of our moral compasses are, are gonna be shaped by our environment, by our family, by our education, by our location, and by our politics.”“I always encourage folks who are seeking therapists to ask all of the questions. Ask who you voted for in that 2020 election? Ask what you think about the Black Lives Matter movement? What you think about Palestine? All of those things are gonna inform me as a client if we're aligned and if we're not aligned, then I don't wanna work with you.”“My ancestors already paid for this school debt.”“To demand money from black folks, from indigenous folks for anything really, for literally anything I personally think it's criminal. The wealth, the power, influence that so many white folks have was because of enslaved Africans.” MentionedInstagramLinkedInLinkTreeMarvinToliver.com
Marvin Toliver is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), born and raised in East Oakland, CA. Marvin currently resides in Philadelphia, PA, and works as a therapist with the Radical Therapy Center. He's also a co-founder of the mental health collective Melanated Social Work. Marvin is a queer (Bi-sexual) Black creator, writer, consultant, public speaker, mentor, wedding officiant, and radical educator. He encourages others to see the power within themselves and use their voices to fight for justice. Marvin's work will be complete when white supremacy is dismantled and ALL Black people are liberated.
Samantha Hawkins is a public speaker and storyteller. She writes freelance in her spare time and her essays have appeared in many print and online publications, including Madame Noire, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and two Chicken Soup for the Soul collections. Her debut children's picture book, "My Momma Marches," is forthcoming through Lantana Publishing in March 2023.What You Will Hear:Samantha's childhoodHomeschooling and misconceptionsWhen and why Samantha starter writingMy Momma MarchesPriorities to keep changing the narrativeQuotes:“You can't stop the power of the pen. The pen is still mighty, and that I will continue to write my heart out and lay it bare in verse.”MentionedMy Momma Marches@forevertellingtales
LaNysha T. Adams (@edlinguist) is an award-winning education consultant and speaker focused on teaching students to put their knowledge of self at the center of all learning. With 20 years of experience in education at school, district, and state levels, Dr. Adams holds a Ph.D. and is a certified coach on a mission to revolutionize how people learn. She is the author of the award-winning, #1 best-selling book on Amazon, Me Power. DescriptionLaNysha T. Adams (@edlinguist) is an award-winning education consultant and speaker focused on teaching students to put their knowledge of self at the center of all learning. With 20 years of experience in education at school, district, and state levels, Dr. Adams holds a Ph.D. and is a certified coach on a mission to revolutionize how people learn. She is the author of the award-winning, #1 best-selling book on Amazon, Me Power. What You Will Hear:Where and when LaNysha knew she was headed in the direction of education as a careerLaNysha's mom and early influencesAllocation of resources for education and making a change in communityThe notion of power and challenging the systems Edlinguist.com Leaning into listening and problem solvingFederal contractsInteractive blog and Me PowerEmpowering people to find their own powerQuotes:“So much of what's wrong with education has to do with the allocation of resources and how the money that is allocated for said resources to improve education goes to small businesses and big businesses.”“I may not actually have the answer because I don't know the genesis of the problem.”“Everything you need for making change in your life, you have within you.”“Even when the world is telling you, you can't, and there is a no, if that is so important to you and you want to go after it, do it.”MentionedLaNysha.com@edlinguist Instagram twitter clubhouseEdlinguist.comIt's All About (Our) Me Power
Sarah DeArmond is 36 and is the CEO of the nonprofit, Voiceless Behind Bars™️ that raises money through tax-deductible donations to help pay for the legal fees for those who have been wrongfully convicted. She also uses her nonprofit as a safe space for inmates to contact her about the cruel treatment they're facing daily in the prison system. Sarah hopes that her nonprofit can help bring more awareness to the inhumane treatment that prisoners are subjected to. Prior to running her nonprofit, Sarah spent her early twenties acting in a few indie films. She spent the rest of her twenties reviewing movies and doing interviews for a Christian film site before moving on to her own blog which she ran until her early thirties. Sarah lives in Alabama with her husband, Sean, who is a librarian and is also on the board of her nonprofit. They've been married for 14 years and have a dachshund, Baxter.What You Will Hear:What people should know about Sara DeArmondLearning about wrongful convictionsBeing diagnosed with NeurodivergenceHow Sarah became so passionate about prison advocacyWrongful conviction statisticsTimothy McGruder wrongful convictionSheron Edwards wrongful convictionAlabama's prison systemVoiceless Behind BarsWhite women's obsession with black women. Bethany FrankelDeath penalty and wrongful executions. Nathaniel WoodsQuotes:“This whole prison system, the justice system, it needs to be abolished completely and then we need to rebuild it.”“People do not understand the difference between rehabilitation and punishment.”“Wrongful convictions, they're more common than people realize.”“It's more expensive for someone to be executed than being in prison for life.”MentionedVoices Behind BarsTikTok Instagram
Zach Gray is more than simply a white guy from Michigan! He is very intentional about empowering individuals and families to reach their fullest potential. In Zach's Psychology Today profile he says, "our stories and life experiences are valuable and important; they inform the way we navigate and see the world". Zach believes it is possible to find healing and create change in one's life in a way that helps you find the best quality of life." Zach has lived through it and come out on the other side. I believe that we are worth all of the hard work to get to where we want to be. His clinical interests include trauma, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, interpersonal dynamics, substance use needs, relationship issues, anger management, self-exploration, and identity development. He is intentional about creating a safe and accepting space for individuals of all different backgrounds and walks of life. Cultural competency is important to him and it is something he consistently learns about both through education and the stories from individuals within his community. He values and respects everyones life experiences.What You Will Hear:Zach's background and how he got into social workSocial mediaTraumatic brain injuryAdopting and raising black and brown childrenTherapyCentering black voicesMixed race familyQuotes:“We are here for a very short amount of time and the issues of white supremacy and racism Justice, they're life or death And I need as a white person other white people to understand that we can't just have gentle calm conversations about things that are taking people's lives”“the one thing that has given me longevity is being authentic and standing in my truth.”MentionedTiktokInstagram facebook
JD is joined by certified public accountant Holly Reid to talk about financial education and the importance of imparting it early to our youth. Holly is an experienced finance professional who loves her career and believes we all have knowledge, experiences and a purpose to add value, contribute to society and enrich the lives of others. As a personal finance advocate, Holly is dedicated to helping adults and the next generation manage their finances as responsible stewards. Growing up in a household where, “we may have been poor in material possessions, but we were rich in love, family values, and an unwavering work ethic,” she speaks on how the lack exposed the economic disparities and piqued her interest to understand the economic landscape and specifically money management. In 2012, Holly created The Master Playbook to break the cycle of paycheck to paycheck living and to help adults and the next generation create a financial legacy worth leaving. She has educated thousands of people through her book, speaking engagements, and coaching sessions using sound financial principles, practical tips and her personal experiences. What You Will Hear:Holly's backgroundBiggest and earliest lessons learned about financesKnowledge vs. applicationSpending consciously and raising awareness Advertising, consumerism and youthHistory: Black Wall Street, Tulsa Oklahoma, BirminghamUsing credit responsiblyThe Master Playbook and parenting todayCelebrities and financial educationQuotes:“One thing about personal finances is it's very personal, what's good for you, what process or app or thing that may work for you may not work for me and my situation, personality or what makes me feel safe or secure or stabilized.”“Our society does not teach us to make our money work for us, it teaches us to spend.”“Credit is one of the biggest things that tears us down.”“The bible has the greatest number of scripture that speaks to money than any other topic.”“If you look at the biggest lessons in my life it's where I didn't get something I wanted or I failed at something I attempted and those are the biggest life lessons.”MentionedMoney Camps for KidsThe Master Playbook@themasterplaybook Instagram Facebook TikTok LinkedIn
JD and Bobby Morgan continue their conversation about the current state of education and his efforts and goals to improve it. Bobby is a principal, writer, speaker, and consultant who works with other educators to promote equity and culturally responsive teaching practices. With over a decade in education, primarily in under-resourced populations, Bobby is passionate about cultivating brilliance in Black and Brown communities. Through coaching, workshops, and meaningful professional development, Bobby desires to change the educational landscape, ensuring pathways of success for students. In addition to his work within academic institutions, Bobby works as an educational advocate partnering to fight for equitable policies and legislative priorities for all students. Today we welcome Bobby Morgan with Liberation Lab to change the narrative with JD Fuller. What You Will Hear:Teacher shortage and challenges Emotional and mental health in education. Liberation LabSchool Districts being culturally responsive and providing means of accountabilityExcellence in communityWho would you be without oppression?Quotes:“We honestly don't pay teachers enough.”“Educators are realizing that the same skills that they have, In the classroom can merit so much more outside of it.”“What has rocked education to its core is the need for us to be prioritizing mental health and the ways in which we have not done that. And the ways we have not done that in a way that is even culturally responsive.”“We should be able to inspect what we expect.”“We've been trained as a culture to be afraid of the repercussions, and so there is power in knowing how to navigate those potential repercussions.”“I'm not gonna leave you outside of the thing you enjoy. You're gonna be an active participant in your liberation.”MentionedMy Liberation Labinfo@myliberationlab.com@liberation.lab Instagram TikTok@liberationlab Facebook LinkedIn
Bobby Morgan is a principal, writer, speaker, and consultant who works with other educators to promote equity and culturally responsive teaching practices. With over a decade in education, primarily in under-resourced populations, Bobby is passionate about cultivating brilliance in Black and Brown communities. Through coaching, workshops, and meaningful professional development, Bobby desires to change the educational landscape, ensuring pathways of success for students. In addition to his work within academic institutions, Bobby works as an educational advocate partnering to fight for equitable policies and legislative priorities for all students. Today we welcome Bobby Morgan with Liberation Lab to change the narrative with JD Fuller. What You Will Hear:Bobby's journeyWhat is it like to be BobbyObserving the benefits of privilegeRaising childrenEquity, Belonging and actionHistory and its accuracyTeaching teachers, education and special educationEquity in education and teaching “trouble makers”Quotes:“Part of the reason I'm so passionate about the things that I am is because I know what it's like to live in a world where you're not necessarily wanted, you're excluded and you're pushed aside.” “If we're really gonna talk about equity beyond black boxes and anti-racist statements on your website, show me where the money is going. Show me that you're putting your finances behind the things that you say you believe.”“For somebody of African descent in this country, you are always as good as what you could produce. Always as good as how you can help the bottom line.”MentionedTeach Like a Champion
J. Denise Fuller (she, her, hers) is an African American LCSW who has over 25 years of experience as a mental health clinician, educator, writer, and consultant. With a Masters of Social Work from Smith College JD has held positions as an Adjunct Professor as well as a Clinical and Area Director for outpatient mental health programs. JD is an activist and “truth teller”. As an advocate for equity and inclusion she constantly speaks out against inequality. Focusing through a mental health lens, JD is a widely sought after clinician, providing education, training and consultation on ways to navigate the difficult conversations related to systemic and internalized racism, white privilege, and the tenets of oppression. She is esteemed for her insight, empathy, authenticity, unique perceptive, and ability to empower, while providing education. JD is a firm believer that one's truth lives in the body and the lived experience guides the process of how we integrate new information. The youngest of nine children, JD experienced how myopic teaching distorted her understanding of American history. This realization coupled with her thesis, The Racial Identity Development of the African American Female, catalyzed a lifetime of experiential learning and commitment to teaching about and advocating for others. JD works within the Black and White continuum to facilitate the learning process in the safe space she creates in order to explore the systems that have oppressed our learning. Solution-focused in guiding change, her clinical work has been girded by her dedication to help others discover their authentic selves. JD continues to speak out wherever she sees social inequity today to Change The Narrative.What You Will Hear:Early life and transition into a career in mental healthEducation and career trajectoryGraduate thesis “The Racial Identity Development of the African American Female.”First experience of racism and becoming obsessed with what it means to be blackRecognizing legacy and lineageManaging anger and making it useful/productiveLearning the truth about all of American HistoryChallenges faced, white supremacy, young activismEmpowering youth, accessibility and messagingCreating economic soundnessWhat drives and motivates JD. Why therapy?How do therapists self careSelf discovery, femininity, sexuality, black gay and trans community and societyPodcast experience and lessons. Decolonization of mental healthActivism 30 years ago vs todayQuotes:“I didn't feel seen, kids act out what they don't have the language for…..I was a professional acter outer.”“I was resentful for not being taught the truth.”“Managing the anger and turning it into something useful was the most challenging.”“Resilient only means that you can keep knocking me down and all I'm gonna do is bouncing back.”“To be human is not to be strong it's just to be aware of all the plethora of feelings that we are left to feel throughout our lifetime.”“White supremacy is a constant, constant barrier to our emotional and mental health.”“As we expand the vision for the youth there are opportunities to see different pathways.”
At just a young age, Williams knew she wanted an impactful life filled with enriching and powering others' lives. She had a passion for working with underserved, underrepresented, underprivileged communities, which led her to social work. Keyonia reflects on past advocacy experiences working in the foster care system. Currently, she is specializing in culturally specific counseling, coaching, consulting for individuals, groups and organizations.What You Will Hear: 1:32 Keyonia's cultural identity development with black pride 3:15 Growing up in an inner city as a significant catalyst for change 4:17 Inspiration to become a teacher of influence 5:27 Escaping inner cities to be faced with gentrification 6:08 Sacrificing a piece of black cultural to gentrification 7:34 Lack of resources to further strengthen the foster care system 11:37 Separating prejudice and racism from therapy 14:15 The BBS and the system's need to take responsibility for licensure 15:13 The interconnectedness of your wellbeing and your profession 16:18 Teaching through an Afrocentric Theory Perspective 17:31 Williams current career path with cultural specific counseling 17:43 Black people receiving therapy with only Black Clinicians 21:04 Having education as access not as a privilege 23:09 Healing Black Souls program and efforts to destigmatizing/decolonizing mental health and PTSD 28:04 Intersectionality of Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health 35:27 Parenting Classes from the Black perspectiveQuotes:“The choices we have to make come with a selling out factor.”“ There is no good that comes from removing children from their home.”“To think that one can practice therapy and separate who you are as an individual, your belief systems and your values is absolutely ridiculous.”“If we are not checking in with our values and our belief systems, and how that's showing up for us and our professional life, then we're being problematic.”“I am my community. My community is me.”“As a black person seeking therapy from another black person, there's only one thing I can do. I can show up and be my full self.”“You cannot be Black in America and not have PTSD.”“There is religion/religiosity, which takes on forms of a cult-like experience. There is spirituality, which can be individual, but also community, and then there's mental health, which looks many different ways in collective cultures.”“Black people were raised to understand, take care of, and be careful of whiteness.”“Black babies deserve to grow up in homes that love and value them because they are not going to get that in this society.”MentionedInstagram: @healing_black_souls_consultingHealingblacksouls.orgKeyonia@healingblacksouls.orgAfrocentric Theory
JD sits down Dr.Han Ren to talk about generational trauma, decolonizing mental health and her brilliant approach to helping people live liberated and intentional lives. Dr. Han Ren is a licensed psychologist and licensed specialist in school psychology (LSSP) practicing in Austin, Texas specializing in anxiety, perfectionism, high achievers, and children of immigrants. Although her degree specialty and background were originally with children, she has experience working with individuals across the lifespan, both individually and as part of family therapy or parent consultation. Currently Dr. Han Ren mostly works with high achieving young adults. In addition to psychotherapy she provides psychoeducational and psychological assessments. Dr. Ren has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Texas in their Special Education and Human Development and Family Sciences departments. In her former life, she was a member of Teach For America and worked as a special educator for preschoolers. Outside of the therapy chair, you can usually find her trying to keep up with her two young kids or spinning on her Peloton.What You Will Hear:Dr. Han Ren journey into mental healthHow early attachment disruptions have affected Dr. Ren's relationships and parentingImmigration trauma and long term effects through generationsDecolonizing mental health White supremacy and white fragilityTranslating science and theory into stackable applications for liberated and intentional lives.Transforming shame into guilt and religiosityThoughts vs feelingsGlobal majority, people of color, BIPOCFinal Thoughts: Decolonizing family traditionsQuotes:“There is so much more ease when we can trust each other and ourselves.”“It's really, really hard when people who are used to, historically, being centered are de-centered, even if they're not truly being de-centered.”“If you can separate yourself from whiteness as an identity marker, you're so much more than your whiteness.”“People are more offended by being called a racist than they are about racism.”“There is power in collective cohesion and in working together.”MentionedDr.HanRen.comInstagram @dr.hanrenTikTokPivotpsychologyatx.comTedX
Di Barbadillo is a community organizer who works alongside Black Lives Matter LA, the Check the Sheriff Coalition, and the Philippines-US Solidarity Organization (PUSO SoCal). In addition, Di is an active Legal Observer and Co-President of the Executive Board for the National Lawyers Guild, Los Angeles. Di was born and raised in Los Angeles and is second-generation Filipina-American. She went to college at UCLA and law school at The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. In her free time, she likes to organize pop-up markets for local small businesses owned by people of color. She is a power house and we are so happy to have her on CTN with JD todayWhat You Will Hear:IntroductionHow Di's education facilitated her activismDi's parent immigration experiencesPrivilege vs opportunitySecond generation definedCultural student groups in collegeTension and change between the black and asian communitiesWhite supremacy and proximity to whitenessUnifying, bonding and solidarity across culturesThe phrase “Asian Hate” and why we should stop using itBuilding collective powerConversation and facing internal conflictLAPDMental healthQuotes:“When you realize how much you didn't learn, you are kinda wondering how much of the history you were taught was revisionist, and you realized it was probably all of it.”“Capitalism is very much like white supremacists”“I look at Gen Z and I see a lot more open-mindedness. I see a lot more young people fighting for ethnic studies and I think if we can make people understand that we're trying to solidify a bond that used to be there and that was broken apart at some point, we're not just building something new.”“We are not free until black people are free.” “I takes conflict, cooperation, and solidarity moving together in different spaces.”“Conflict is necessary. And conflict doesn't have to be a knock down, drag out, we're falling out, end all, be all like discussion.”Mentioned@DeeeeezzyyyInstagramlinktr.eeRescission Act
JD sits down with Andre White Jr. to discuss history and the untold layers of it. Andre is 27 years old with roots in Cleveland, Ohio and Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a voiceover actor, marketer, content creator, anti-racist, and host of the podcast Redacted History. Andre is active on social media using his personal experiences, creativity, and extensive knowledge of history to engage his audience under the handle @Blackkout.. He's a wealth of knowledge and creativity. What You Will Hear:The inner city in Cleveland, OH and Charlotte, NCBreaking into the voice over and audio industryRedacted History PodcastPurpose Social media and being your authentic selfFinal thoughtsQuotes:“I would love to be afforded the opportunity someway, somehow, to go back and give back to all the black kids in Cleveland one day.”“No one really cares about the inner city.”“All it takes is one person to see who you are, potential, what you have to bring to the table.”“The things that I preach about the podcast the most is that I can really be myself, for real.”“Just encouraging people to take what you think you know, and you don't know, and find the surface and then peel back the layers. And what you think you're peeling back, you're wrong because there's more to peel back and there's more to understand, why and how things are happening around us.”MentionedRedacted History Podcast Apple Spotify Youtube Instagram@Blackkout___ tiktok InstagramLinktr.eeIf you enjoyed this episode of Change The Narrative with JD Fuller Podcast, make sure to subscribe and drop us a five-star review.
Dara Starr Tucker is an American singer, songwriter, social commentator and satirist. She draws from the 1960's and 1970's, an era that holds special significance to her musical journey.Tucker has released four studio albums: All Right Now, Soul Said Yes, The Sun Season, and Oklahoma Rain, as well as a limited-release, live album, Dara Tucker Live in 2013. Vocalist and songwriter Dara is establishing herself as one of the premiere voices in contemporary music. She is poised to establish herself as one of the fresh, contemporary voices that will help to seamlessly move one of music's greatest traditions into the 21st century. Tucker's new album brings to life a collection of songs that reaffirm her belief in our shared humanity. Dara is here to tell us about her journey, her passion and her plan for the future. What You Will Hear:Growing up in Tulsa Oklahoma in a home of ministryStandout factor growing up as the middle child (number 3 of 7)Establishing herself and standing out in her field and vocationGuided by the diversity of her narrative.How Dara's identity was impacted by constantly moving from extreme environments, culture shock and raised under higher standardsGreatest fall and greatest comebackSatire, comedy, social commentary and social mediaEric Monte activism, Go Fund Me fundraiserDeflection dollMajority culture. Cultural appropriation vs cultural appreciationQuotes:“Being black in America is very complex.”“I do feel like I was better prepared for the realities of what the world is about from an early age” “What is culture in the United States? At least it's not really something that's understood well and certainly not understood from the standpoint of black Americans possessing, having a sense of culture that is uniquely ours where we're seen as just a subset of American culture.”MentionedDr. DementoEric MonteNorman LeerMusicSpotifyApple MusicI'm All Over The Place Podcast Apple Podcast Spotify@darastarrtuckerTwitterTikTokYoutubeLinkedIn@daratuckerbInstagram Linktr.ee
JD continues her conversation with Ernest Crimm III, the man who says Black History saved his life and wrote a book about it. He is a self-proclaimed Black History Advocate who is a native of the south side of Chicago and a product of the late 80's. Mr. Crimm is a University of Illinois Urbana Champaign alumni who advocates for Black History, equity and justice as a speaker, cultural consultant, socio political commentator, cast member on the PBS documentary ‘Divided We Fall', author of the Amazon best-seller, Black History Saved My Life, former City Council Candidate and high school social science instructor. Mr. Ernest Crimm the third is a “must follow” on social media and we am so excited to share this space with him today,What You Will Hear:The emotional impact of being the victim of a racially motivated attackUnpacking racial traumaThe importance of knowing who you are and the essence of your identityThe Little MermaidAdvice for the white community who wants to understandThe illusion of allyshipColin KapernickQuotes:“The education system is a corporate entity.”“Traditional therapy is not for everyone but it is an important opportunity to develop awareness and insight.”“If you don't know who you are anyone can name you.” - African Proverb“In this realm nothing could exist without our existence. It all comes from the motherland.”“When a group of people doesn't truly have a history that they're proud of they will put more into mythology than what actually happened." "Black folks who felt comfortable expressing their anger, it's justified anger. You need to hear it and stop following the people that are fed to you through mainstream media.”“For a lot of folks, racism or being called racist, they've equated that with us being called the N word.”“There's no allyship in unlearning, there's only abolition and there is only taking charge of...