Joe Speak! Podcast

In this Joespeak Podcast, Author Leslie Ferguson shares thoughts on her memoir “When I Was Her Daughter, a compelling story of her difficult upbringing with a severely mentally ill mother who vacillated between harming herself and harming her children. She chronicles being homeless, and having things get worse in foster care when she finally spoke up for herself. Leslie discusses the duplicity and ironies that she saw around her, and how she had to make sense of it all, as if she was an adult, while being a child. Finally, Leslie talks about finding home with a grade school teacher (and her husband) who rescued her from the uncertain life that she had to live.

In this Joespeak! Podcast, Executive Dora Barilla shares her experience as a healthcare strategist, executive, educator, and entrepreneur. She is president and co-founder of HC2 Strategies Inc, a transformational leadership and strategic planning firm based in Southern California, and the newly designated Public Health Officer for McCune Wright Arevalo. Dora talks about public health as a cornerstone of community infrastructure, and how COVID-19 laid bare the progress yet to be made in availability of public health related services. Finally, Dora discusses the equity implications of public health, and, looking toward the future, makes the case for a legal services component to whole person health.

On this Joespeak! Podcast, Candace Clark Trincieri joins us, talking about her new book, “Dream Redefined: The Struggle and Success Through Infertility as a Woman of Color.” Candace talks transparently about her own infertility story, which starts many years before trying to have kids--with a diagnosis of Endometriosis as a young adult after years of symptoms. The daughter of parents active in the civil rights movement, and the granddaughter of one of first black mayors of a major southern city, Candace talks about finding her multigenerational activist voice providing the unique (and forgotten) perspective of women of color through infertility diagnosis and treatment. Now an ambassador for RESOLVE – The National Infertility Association, Candace talks about the stereotypes and stigmas that surround this issue, which both assume the fertility of black women and treat the infertility of white women with more sensitivity (and resources). She reminds that the already existing racial inequities of our health care system do not disappear, but intensify, when dealing with infertility issues, and discusses policies that would improve the situation. In sum, Candace gives us a window into a complex issue through her compelling story of finding peace in the midst of long personal storm.

In this Joespeak! Podcast, Dr. Josie Johnson, longtime civil rights leader, previews her book “Hope in the Struggle,” which gives us nearly a century of her lived perspective on the civil rights movement. Receiving a multigenerational legacy of servant leadership, she talks about walking precincts with her family as a child fighting to get rid of the poll tax. Dr. Johnson gives an account of events leading to the passage of a landmark housing bill in Minnesota, an effort for which she served as chief lobbyist and which served as a national blueprint for fair housing legislation. Dr. Johnson breaks down the commonalities in the movement, then and now, and reminds of the always prominent battleground of voting rights and its current urgency. She connects the dots between her generation and the current one, giving some advice on how to identify and embrace commonalties in the overarching goal to move us toward a more just society. Ultimately, Dr. Johnson reminds us all of the embrace of both the sacrifices and accomplishments of the ancestors that should keep us hoping, marching, and expecting.

In this Joespeak Podcast, we are joined by Pastor Sam Casey, the pastor of New Life Christian Church and Executive Director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, a 501(c)3 faith-based organization. Pastor Sam talks about the convergence of his roles as pastor and community organizer over more than two decades, and explains how he approaches his advocacy for issues in communities of color. He makes clear that churches must be involved in justice issues to be true to their fundamental spiritual mission. He lets us know how the playing field changed with COVID-19 in both the church and the larger community, and how his organization is partnering with public and private entities to sound the alarm on available resources and deal with long held community distrust. Finally, Pastor Casey talks about why he remains optimistic and casts a wide net to encourage involvement of everyone, spiritually inclined and otherwise-- in today’s fight for justice.

In this Joespeak! Podcast, writer and former Redlands City Councilwoman Toni Momberger joins us. She discusses her upbringing as a person of color in Redlands, how she became the “Toni” that the community knows. and the multigenerational family heritage she continued to uncover as an adult. She talks about her extensive experiences in journalism, much of it as the editor of the Redlands Daily Facts. Toni points to equal moments of clarity in her life that led to both her resignation as editor, and her next destiny as a key member of the Redlands City Council. Toni gives transparent “real talk” about the challenges of being in elected office, (including the goal of being representative as opposed to political), and states why she did not seek re-election despite widespread popularity. Toni reveals the next frontier in her journey: sharing her children’s books with the world. Ultimately, she gives us all a lesson in approaching every endeavor with your whole heart and community in mind.

In this Joespeak! Podcast, our guest is Eric Woolridge, who created American Veteran, a 501©(3) non-profit organization, to specifically address the overwhelming challenges plaguing military veterans throughout the country. Eric talks about how his reality as a veteran, and a licensed social worker whose work is connected to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, influence his desire to affect change for veterans. A “hands on” leader who has created a food bank for veterans, Woolridge shares plans to achieve specific objectives surrounding housing and wrap around services for veterans, and shows the connection between veteran’s issues and social justice issues. Most importantly, he explains how he uses his work to create listening opportunities between very different types of people, and build bridges for the future.

In this episode of the Joespeak! Podcast, Pastor Frank Oliver talks about coming up in a family involved in ministry for multiple generations, and his experiences as an educator, activist, and pastor. Frank talks about how his entrepreneurial ventures, from the restaurant business to the fitness space, reflect his desire to address health issues in the black community. From being a kid leading schoolyard prayer for his classmates' safety, to monitoring current day protests, Frank shares how he saw the tradition of spiritual leadership translating to activism show up in his life and educational career. Finally, Frank offers observations on what this time of COVID-19 and racial unrest means for us socially, politically, and spiritually.

Jon Nielsen, businessman and style consultant, talks about his journey rising from Division III college sports to playing pro football as a record breaking run and shoot quarterback. He shares how he utilized his positioning to create space for himself in sports marketing and acting, and was responsible for the hiring of the motion actors used for video games from Microsoft to Madden. Jon adds how his talent for lifestyle marketing led to work for music groups New Edition and Boyz II Men, as well as several pro athletes. Jon discusses his giving back through mentoring and coaching, including several eventual pro players, and family members that broke state passing records. Finally, he talks about trophy culture, travel ball, and avoiding mistakes of the coaches he grew up with.

In this episode, legendary Civil Rights attorney Carl Douglas of Douglas Hicks Law explains his front on the war for justice for nearly 40 years: bringing police brutality cases. A disciple of the late attorney Johnnie Cochran, Carl discusses how successful change has to do with dealing with police culture as much as diversity and recognizing institutional racism. He also discusses his latest high-profile case: that of Dijon Kizzee, a black man shot 15 times in the back by L.A. County sheriffs. Carl shares how he decides which cases to take, how he approaches jury selection, and calls the O.J. Simpson case the “elephant in the room” he has learned to embrace. Finally, he provides needed perspective that allows those working to end racism hope going forward.

In this episode of the Joespeak! Podcast, Pastor Frank Oliver talks about coming up in a family involved in ministry for multiple generations, and his experiences as an educator, activist, and pastor. Frank talks about how his entrepreneurial ventures, from the restaurant business to the fitness space, reflect his desire to address health issues in the black community. From being a kid leading schoolyard prayer for his classmates' safety, to monitoring current day protests, Frank shares how he saw the tradition of spiritual leadership translating to activism show up in his life and educational career. Finally, Frank offers observations on what this time of COVID-19 and racial unrest means for us socially, politically, and spiritually.

In this episode, Kurt Bruich, teacher at Citrus Valley High School in Redlands, California, and state champion football coach, talks about his multigenerational family traditions of teaching and coaching, shares thoughts on the wellness of students in the COVID-19 era, and how football has improved the lives of many of his students off the field. He confesses his own early bumps in the road, and how his sincere desire to be the best teacher he could be actually fueled his coaching success. Kurt shares how he approaches coaching, the challenges of changing culture, and the connections he sees between the high school and college football spaces. Finally, he identifies traits from football that can be used to build bridges between very different people in all aspects of life.

In this episode, David Rabb talks about his journey of distinguished service, from his upbringing in Inland Southern California, to Stanford Law School, military deployment just after taking the bar and his landing back in the community of his birth. As a District Attorney in the Domestic Violence Unit, he discusses how cases come about in his unit, and doing justice through balancing protection of the public with thoughtful discretion related to defendants and potential defendants. He shares his inspiration for returning to his community and serving as a city councilman, and how his legal work and council work inform one another. Finally, he offers insight on legislation and common-sense problem solving, along with things ordinary citizens can do to better their communities.

In this episode, South-Central L.A. native, attorney Derrick Smith, Supervising Deputy Public Defender in San Bernardino County, talks about the origin of his passion for criminal defense work. He tells stories from the courtroom and puts expert eyes on the police situations playing out in society today. As an attorney who has tried cases ranging from misdemeanors to murder, Derrick provides perspective on the criminal justice system as an African-American man, father and husband, and reminds citizens not to neglect duties that can be the difference for his clients.

Joe and Jim Bueermann talk about the state of policing in America and recent events, including the death of George Floyd, and discuss how police wellness greatly impacts what "policing" looks like in 2020. Jim analyzes the "Defund" movement and discusses the necessary measures policing needs to undertake for a better world moving forward.