J's Lunch Counter

This past weekend, the country watched as hundreds of thousands of students gathered for the "March For Our Lives" Rally, to advocate for gun control reform in the United States.   Today, I am joined by Katie Kerns, who attended the march in Washington D.C.  Katie shares her perspective and experience at the march, and together we look at the most significant themes and messages shared this weekend.   We talk about the diversity of the speakers, how these students intentionally opened the stage for students from Chicago and D.C. and Oakland, to talk about the larger problem around gun violence in America, beyond mass shootings in schools.   We talked about the courage of students like Naomi Wadler, DeAngelo McDade, and the students of Parkland, FL.  Both Katie and I were emotionally moved by the stories of these students and their messages of survival and calls for action.  I hope listeners can enjoy and appreciate our recap of such an important moment in this movement.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

#DeleteFacebook?  I don't know if we need to go that far - but you do need to check out this week's podcast about Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and the way our social media information is now used.   This was on display during the 2016 election, and now as part of the investigation into the collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.  Michael Oghia, an internet security specialist working in Internet Governance, joins me on the show to discuss the meaning of social media data, how it's used for good, how it's used illegally, and how it influences our spending, our information gathering and media consumption, and of course, our politics.       TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

On today's show, I am joined by Kelsey Hayes, 8th grade teacher and policy advocate, to talk frankly about the challenges that teachers face in the classroom, and in the modern political climate.  In our home state of Kentucky, we are in the middle of a serious pension crisis, and the Republican Governor and Republican leadership has proposed a pension reform bill that would dramatically and negatively impact teachers.   Listen to our discussion about the hardships teachers face, and the ways they overcome these financial, educational, and political obstacles to be able to educate future generations.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 58 is a follow-up conversation with my good friend Meredith Scalos, discussing the latest developments in the FBI's special investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Episode 57  is an important show about gun control and the Second Amendment.   In the wake of mass shootings in Parkland, Florida and Marshall County in Kentucky, J's Lunch Counter takes an in-depth look into the debate around gun control.  We are joined by special guest Paul S. John, Manager for Mayoral Outreach of the non-profit organization Everytown for Gun Safety.   We explore why its so difficult for us to talk about guns, whether there are certain gun control regulations that most Americans agree, and whether or not guns or mental health play a bigger role in the gun violence we see in these mass shooting incidents but also in communities plagued by ongoing violence.  This is an important conversation that you won't want to miss!

After years of waiting, we have finally arrived at the premiere of Marvel's Black Panther! Today we're discussing all things Black Panther - from the casting of such a dynamic roster of talented actors and actresses, to one of Marvel's best stories to date, the superb directing job of Ryan Coogler, and the display of the African utopia of Wakanda.  I am joined by my wife Chioma Brown, along with our friends and comic book superfans Coy and Laneshia Conner, to discuss our collective reaction to the Black Panther debut.  We discuss the societal impact of this cultural landmark in entertainment, the significance of the black and African excellence on display in this movie, why so many non-Marvel fans were drawn to this film, and how the film lives up to the much-deserved hype.   Black Panther certainly represents a moment in time for the culture, and we are here for it.   *THIS SHOW CONTAINS SPOILERS* so if you haven't seen the movie yet - 1) get yourself together 2) go see it NOW!   There is so much to  unpack with this movie, and we only begin to scratch the surface, so listen and enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment below!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Once I hit the record button, this Friday *Happy Hour* show took a bit of a turn.  Listen today as I share some open thoughts about ONE of the challenges to discussing politics in this Administration, hear how I've been shaped and moved by this recent immigration debate, and hear the real reason why I was upset with the totally appropriate Democrat response to the government shutdown.     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

On today's show, I am joined by Cara Stewart of the Kentucky Equal Justice Center to discuss three important healthcare stories that have gotten lost in recent political coverage.  We discuss the future of U.S. HIV/AIDS policy and research in the wake of President Trump firing the members of the Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS, the likelihood of Congress securing funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and how this affects families in Kentucky and across the country, and the impact of the GOP Tax bill on healthcare policy.   I learned a great deal from this conversation with Cara, and I hope that it can be the same experience for you!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

We're back again for part 2 of our 2017 recap, joined by my guests Junis Baldon and Griffin Brixey, to continue our conversation about the highs and lows and most important stories of 2017.   We begin this show where Part 1 left off, with an in-depth discussion about the biggest stories in sports, including Colin Kaepernick and the NFL Protests, and President Trump's war of words with professional athletes, plus Griffin's hot take on Kevin Durant and the Warriors and another look at the impact of Lavar Ball and the Big Baller Brand.   We dive into the some of the tragedies that we witnessed in 2017, including the Manchester bombing, the Las Vegas shooting, the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, and the numerous devastating Hurricanes that pummeled Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico.  Finally, we explore the year in politics, including Donald Trump's first year in office, the firing of James Comey and the Mueller special investigation, the GOP attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare, the GOP tax bill, the travel ban against Muslims, and the impact of the rise of the white supremacist movement in the wake of the protests in Charlottesville, VA.   This was an interesting look back on all of the most compelling stories of the past year!

On today's show, we look back at 2017, with a reflection on some of the biggest stories of the year.   My guests and I explore the year in music, television, film, and all of entertainment.  From the generational enthusiasm of Jay-Z's 4:44 to the rise of Cardi B, we take a closer look at how music shaped the culture in 2017.   We also discuss arguably the biggest story of the year - the ongoing allegations of sexual harassment and assault against high profile figures in media and politics.   From Donald Trump to Bill Cosby to Harvey Weinstein and more, my guests have interesting takes on the driving force behind this story.     This is part 1 of our in-depth look at 2017, so stay tuned for part 2 next week!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON iTUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Today, I am joined by Michael Oghia, an Independent Consultant who focuses on internet governance, and together we are discussing the controversial subject of net neutrality.   Net neutrality deals with our current access to the internet in many forms, and how that access could be threatened if the FCC rolls back existing Open Internet regulations, which would allow Internet Service Providers (ISP's) like phone and cable companies like Time Warner or ATT, to control and limit access to certain websites, software, apps, and content, while charging for access to preferred content and software.   This can have a tremendous impact on how we access the internet, exchange information, consume media, and communicate across the world.    If you haven't been paying attention, it's time to take notice.  Elections have consequences, and this is certainly one of the serious consequences of this current administration - one that we have overlooked but will affect all of us.

We made it 50 episodes!  Hurrah!   On this 50th episode, we begin a very important conversation around sexual assault, rape culture, and the recent wave of courageous individuals coming forward to share their stories about sexual violence.   Today I am joined by Asst. Professor of Social Work, Laneshia Conner, and Taryn Henning, Director of Community Engagement for the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center.  My guests and I explore the many facets of sexual violence - in the media, in the news, in popular culture, on college campuses, along with the alarming statistics that reveal that we all are affected by this problem.   We look at the perceptions around sex and sexual expression and how these perceptions have led to the troubling culture we experience today.   In the wake of Cosby, Weinstein, Trump, and so many others in the headlines - the only thing that is clear is that we all have a lot to learn, and hopefully this conversation can be a part of that for many of you.   Thank you for supporting us through 50 episodes and for being a part of this important show.   If you or someone you know has been the victim of rape or sexual assault, or if you would like to learn more about how you can offer support and be an ally for those who have been affected, you can connect with one of the networks or organizations below.   Rape and Incest National Network (RAINN) - www.rainn.org Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs - www.kasap.org Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center - www.bluegrassrapecrisis.org National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-HOPE (4673)   To learn more about some of the work being done on certain college campuses to combat sexual violence, check out the link below: https://inside.uncc.edu/news-features/2017-10-03/university-participating-%E2%80%98it%E2%80%99s-time-say-enough%E2%80%99   Thanks for listening!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

If it's Halloween…it must be SAW!   Ep. 49 isn't just spooky, it's downright sick!  We go in depth on mine and your favorite scary movies of all time!!!!!! With the release of the latest installment of JIGSAW, I am joined by good friends and horror aficionados Coy and Laneisha Connor, for an epic 2-hour scary movie show!   Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Hannibal Lecter, that one zombie guy that won't die, Jeff Goldblum in The Fly, The Birds, all 8 Wrong Turn movies (can you believe there were 8 of those?!?) and EVERYTHING in between - we're discussing on the show.  What makes a scary movie so scary?  Where did all classic movies go?  Are children really scary?   Which lines should never be crossed in horror movies?  We delve into the deepest darkest, most twisted depths of horror, fiction and real life, a serious discussion about the social cues of horror, the boundaries that much of Hollywood crossed a long time ago, when fictional horror intersects with real life terror, and how we as viewers consume scary movies and whether or not we take that danger as serious as we should.   Plus, hear our favorite scary movies of all time, the movies we can't bear to watch again, the films we can't get enough of, and of course, the SCARIEST FILM OF ALL TIME!   All that and much more on Episode 49!    Turn the lights off, grab your popcorn, listen, and ENJOY!

J's Lunch Counter's latest episode is now available, and if its Friday, then it's HAPPY HOUR!  On this show, we talk about the tenor of our public discourse, and how we communicate.   Through the lens of Kaepernick's collusion case against the NFL, Eminem's cypher against Donald Trump and his supporters, Trump's comments to Gold Star families and the ensuing controversy, and George W. Bush's speech about American values.  This was an unfiltered solo show with my thoughts on where we are as a country, how frustrating our debate has become, and a challenge for those who truly fight for justice, in every sense of the word.

We’re officially BACK!!!!! After a 4-month hiatus, J’s Lunch Counter finally returns with Episode 47. Listen for a quick update on the show, where I’ve been, and then dive right in to the discussion about the latest with the NFL protests, ESPN’s suspension of Jemele Hill, Trump the provocateur, and a recap of the original meaning of Colin Kaepernick’s protest.   All I can say is - it’s great to be back!!!!

On today's show, I am joined by a special guest, Ms. Danita Jones, founding principal of Capital Prep Harlem in Harlem, New  York, for an important, unique conversation about charter schools.  Mrs. Jones is a lifelong educator and principal of the newly-inaugurated Capital Prep Harlem, founded by fellow educator and charter school founder and advocate, Dr. Steve Perry, along with entertainment mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs.   In the wake of the Kentucky legislature enacting a bill to allow charter schools in Kentucky, I wanted to have a frank conversation with this experienced educator and charter school proponent about the realities, strengths, and challenges of the charter school system.   Mrs. Jones shares her experience as an educator, her motivation to become a teacher and to influence the lives of other students, and shares her journey to the Capital Prep network with Dr. Perry.   We discuss the more controversial issues around charter schools including funding, innovation opportunities, standards and accountability, and management.   We look at the role politics has played in shaping the charter school conversation, and we also discuss the realistic metrics for success in charter schools.   Mrs. Jones shares valuable insights about her time with Capital Prep in Hartford, CT and Harlem, NY, its 100% matriculation rate, and their school's unique approach to supporting the personal growth and development of each student beyond their academic coursework.   I also ask her what it's like to be a founder of a new school in New York with an icon like Diddy, and what it means for individuals with unparalleled platforms to lend their voice to these education discussions.   This is an illuminating conversation about charter schools, and one that can offer guidance around a controversial topic.   Please take a moment to listen and enjoy this important episode.  Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

J's Lunch Counter Episode 44 takes a look at the most interesting sports stories in the news.   I am joined by Renaldo and Dakarai Dorsett of 10th Year Seniors, to discuss the wrestling persona of Lavar Ball and the Big Baller Brand and how Lavar's antics will impact his son, and whether Lavar is taking a worthy gamble on the success of his sons.   We also explore a the layoffs at ESPN and whether the network's liberal politics have impacted its success.   Finally, we take a quick look at the NBA Playoffs, the inevitability of Warriors-Cavs, the future of John Wall and the Wizards, the end of the Spurs, and how Renaldo's Trailblazers will never win a championship.   Listen and enjoy!   Below are a list of links from stories and articles referenced on today's show: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/02/did-too-much-caitlyn-jenner-doom-espn-215093   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

J's Lunch Counter Episode 43 covers the latest in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the subsequent fallout.   I am joined by my good friend and political scientist Meredith Scalos, and together we explore the impact of President Trump's recent behavior in firing the FBI Director after months of attempting to influence Comey to end the investigation between the Trump campaign and Russia.   We look at the relationship between President Trump and his FBI Director and the information being reported by various news outlets about Trump's attempt to influence the investigation into his ties to Russia.   We look at the testimony of former attorney general Sally Yates regarding Michael Flynn, and whether Trump may have obstructed justice by interfering into the Flynn investigation.  We take a look at the unprecedented nature of this presidency and how difficult its become to keep this story in the proper perspective.  We also look at Russia's role in influencing the U.S. election, Putin's motives, and whether its realistic to expect Russia to be held accountable for their actions.   This show is jam-packed with news and information about the past 8 days of news and information, and we're here to try and make sense of everything.   Below are a list of links from stories and articles referenced on today's show, along with a series of links and videos that can help aid your understanding of the information shared on the show:   Bill Clinton Fired An FBI Director Two Decades Before Trump - http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/politics/fbi-william-sessions-firing/   Trump Interview With Lester Holt: President Asked Comey If He Was Under Investigation - http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-reveals-he-asked-comey-whether-he-was-under-investigation-n757821   Trump defends sharing ‘facts’ with Russia for ‘humanitarian reasons’ - http://www.politico.eu/article/trump-defends-sharing-facts-with-russia-for-humanitarian-reasons/   Trump’s tweets, interviews could cost him executive privilege - https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-tweets-interviews-could-cost-him-executive-privilege-d49d667290e7   Syria's war: Who is fighting and why - Syria's war: Who is fighting and why [Updated]   From Spy To President: The Rise of Vladimir Putin - From spy to president: The rise of Vladimir Putin     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

J's Lunch Counter Episode 42 is available for download! Today I'm going solo, and there are a few news items I needed to discuss.  First, I explore and examine the criticism leveled against President Barack Obama for accepting $400,000 speaking fees from Wall Street, and why it's wrong to hold our public officials  (and all of our public servants) to an unfair, unrealistic standard. I also discuss Trump's waffling with North Korea, and how his words and actions breed terror instead of confidence.  Finally, I look at his recent comments about the civil war, and how they demonstrate his complete ignorance about American History, and how much we have had to settle with this President.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 41 is live and available for download! Today on the show, my guests Cara Stewart, Charles Badger, Christian Motley and I cover President Trump's first 100 days in office.  From the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to the failed attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Trump administration has struggled to demonstrate any measurable success thus far.   We take a look at the healthcare fight, the Trump-Russia investigation, the Muslim Ban and more of the policy fights that have plagued this administration. We also take a deeper look into the loyalty of the Trump base and how much losing they will actually stand for.   In the mailbag, we discuss Bill O' Reilly, whether ongoing protests are useful or a waste of time, whether Jared and Ivanka can move Trump in a positive direction and whether the first 100 days tells us anything about what will happen in next years midterms.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 40 is live and available for download! Today on the show, we're FINALLY reviewing the biggest movie of the year - GET OUT!   I know…I know….its been weeks since this movie was released, but before the fervor completely dies down….we want to bring you our commentary on this complex, entertaining film.   This show is filled with spoilers - so if you are one of the few who still hasn't seen the film - go check it out first!    I am joined by my lovely wife Chioma, and together we breakdown the many layers of this film, from the underlying tension to the premise that an entire horror film could be made on the unspoken fears of interracial relationships, to the symbolism of slavery and the dog whistles of white liberal racism.    Plus, we talk in-depth about the powerful metaphor of the Sunken Place as the anti-thesis of being woke in America in 2017.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 39 is a jam-packed 2.5 hour HAPPY HOUR show, covering one of my favorite pastimes - Pro Wrestling, WWE, and WRESTLEMANIA!  It's WrestleMania Week and we are getting ready for the biggest show of the year - WrestleMania 33!   I invited my cousins, Griffin and Matt Brixey, to join me on this very special Happy Hour show to talk about our love of pro wrestling, and to break down this past year in WWE, and to make our predictions for WrestleMania 33.   Tune in to hear how I discovered wrestling as a kid, how my younger cousins fell in love with wrestling, and how we are able to keep watching after all these years.   We talk about the glory days of the 80s and 90s, the Attitude Era and the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, and the modern era of stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, the New Day and more!   We're real fans, and we definitely fan out a few times on this show, and had a good time doing it!      We also make our predictions for WrestleMania, going match by match to breakdown the winners and losers, expected finishes, surprises and more.  We go in-depth on the character development of Roman Reigns and whether he will be the one to end Undertaker's career once and for all.  We take a look the John Cena-Nikki Bella and Miz and Maryse feud and whether it was the best thing on WWE in 2017, or if it went too far.   We look at what's gone right and gone wrong with the Women's divisions, whether Broken Matt Hardy will make his surprise WWE return at WrestleMania, whether Shane McMahon is the right opponent for AJ Styles, and we talk about how disrespectful the Andre The Giant Battle Royal has become.  Plus, we place a few prop bets on the show towards the end.    If you are a wrestling fan, casual or die-hard, then this nearly 3-hour supershow is for you!  WrestleMania weekend is full of wrestling events and coverage, and you can now add J's Lunch Counter to that mix!  Thanks for listening!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

On Episode 38, I am joined by Junis Baldon to take a look at the Trump administration thus far, and the one word that may best describe the Trump administration's first 60+ days - FAILURE.  What has happened to all the winning that we were promised?  After a few months, Trump has seen failure after failure, shrouded in scandal and controversy and distraction.  From the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare to the failure of both attempts to ban Muslims from entering the country, this administration has gotten off to an abysmal start.   We'll dig deeper into the early days of the Trump administration and attempt to explain the struggles of this White House, while also looking forward to the upcoming battles for tax reform, immigration, infrastructure and entitlement reform.  Is there any hope for Trump, who currently sits on a 36% approval rating, one of the lowest numbers in modern history at this stage in a presidency.   Junis and I also look at a 2015 study that showed that African-Americans with degrees from Ivy League schools were only as competitive in the job market as white graduates with degrees from state colleges.   We'll fumble our way through this delicate discussion on race and opportunity, as we try to understand the root of this incredible divide.   We also have a full mailbag segment today.  You can send questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.  Listen as we answer questions about whether Democrats are doing enough to capitalize on Trump's failures to date, whether Junis and I would be willing to work for the Trump administration if asked, whether Obamacare is safe or just safe "for now", whether the President's golfing habits are a big deal, why I haven't talked about the movie Get Out, and finally, whether Chelsea Clinton or Ivanka Trump have the brighter political future.   Plus we debut an all-new segment called Check This Out - where we tell you what we're reading and watching these days!  Listen and enjoy, and please share this episode!     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

We're back!   For Episode 37, I am joined by two health care experts to discuss the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.  Cara Stewart, a Health Law Fellow at the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and Dustin Pugel, a Research and Policy Associate at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy join me on the show to breakdown the successes and failures of Obamacare, areas where the ACA could be improved, as well as the overall impact of this bill on the country.  We then explore the details of "The World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017" and discuss why repealing and replacing Obamacare with this Republican bill could be devastating for so many Americans.  From Medicaid Expansion to the individual mandate, the Republican plan will take us in a vastly different direction, one that will likely mean the loss of health insurance for millions of Americans.   We will break down all the details of this plan and discuss how it is expected to impact citizens across the country.  Thank you for taking the time to listen to this important episode.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Today on the show, Albert and I are breaking down the 2017 Grammy's.   Known for its high-profile performances and noteworthy celebrity appearances, the Grammy's is one of our favorite awards shows, and a great way to take a break from the madness of the Trump administration.   We take a look at the highlights and lowlights from the performers, from Adele to Beyonce, Bruno and A Tribe Called Quest, John Legend and more.   We talk about the imagery of a Beyonce performance and we discuss the messages she may or may not be sending through her work.   Plus, what does it take to do a proper tribute to a fallen artist?   How did Bruno succeed where Adele came up short?   We also talk about the artist of the night, Chance The Rapper, and how he parlayed a breakout year into three Grammy's including Best New Artist, and a stellar performance.  We go further in-depth on Chance's style, his substance, and how his artistry is shaped by his faith.   Finally, we take a look at the coveted Album of the Year, and why it has become so elusive for black artists to win.    Also, my guest for today's show Albert Shumake wants to invite the listeners of the podcast to an upcoming show in Louisville, KY, titled "This Is How We Do It - The Musical", presented by After School Urban Arts.  Come check out performances by the Lanita Rocknettes School of Dance, Albert's very own River City Drum Corp, and the West Louisville Performing Arts Academy.   The event takes place Sunday, February 26th at 4pm at The Brown Theatre.  Tickets are available for $10 and can be purchased at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.   For more information, email the show at jslunchcounter@gmail.com and I will get you connected to Albert!  Thanks for the support!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 35 is available for download.  Today I am joined by my good friend and show regular Junis Baldon to discuss and analyze President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch.   We discuss his background, his jurisprudence, and how he can potentially change the makeup of the Court.  We also discuss the Democrat's strategy to oppose his nomination and whether they are better served by a targeted resistance as opposed to blanket obstruction of the entire Trump administration.   We also discuss the latest news from the White House including the fallout from Trump's immigration ban and his foreign policy blunders in his first two weeks in office.   We also answer your questions in a full Mailbag segment.  We answer questions about President Obama's farewell speech, his legacy in the black community and what allies should look for in progressive candidates that demonstrate their ability to be effective for the black community. We also answer an important question about Trump and the media, and the incessant willingness to lie to the American people.  This is a jam-packed show that covers a ton of ground, so we hope you can set aside time to listen to the entirety of the show!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

pisode 34 won't be forgotten anytime soon!  I am finally joined on the show by beautiful wife Chioma and her sister Diana, because today we are talking about one Hollywood's fastest rising starts,  Issa Rae and the new HBO hit show, Insecure.   Join us as we go back to the origin story of the Mis-adventures of an Awkward Black Girl to being one of the hottest writers/actresses today.   We'll go into detail about "Insecure", from the writing and acting, to the music and fashion, and of course, the many hilarious and awkward stories that unfolded in Season One.   Hear how we compare this new show to some of the popular pre-dominantly black shows like Lee Daniels' Empire, Being Mary Jane, and Girlfriends, and I'll also ask my guests how they compare Insecure to Lena Dunham's Girls.   On the second half of the show, we'll do a movie review of the hit film, Hidden Figures.   We'll talk about just how hidden this story was, how outstanding Janelle Monae was in her acting debut, and the various emotional reactions we all experienced throughout the movie.  I say this often - but this was one of the most fun shows yet!     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Episode 33 is all about the Women's March that took place last Saturday, during Inauguration weekend.   I am joined by Katie Kerns, who traveled to DC and participatd in the March this weekend.  Listen to Katie's story about why she felt compelled to join this march, what the atmosphere was like, which speakers resonated with the crowd, and what calls to action they were left with.   Katie and I also discuss the broader impact of the Trump presidency and how the mere thought of Donald Trump has mobilized millions of people around the world.  Finally we discuss a bit of the controversy around the march, the idea of white women leading the charge against Donald Trump compared to the majority of white women who voted for him, and the role that privilege has played in this protest.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Episode 32 started as a discussion about shooting of the Charleston nine and the trial and coverage of Dylan Roof, but quickly evolved into a broader, important discussion about the aggression of white supremacy in America, the increase in violent hate crimes, and the relation between these crimes and the rhetoric of President-elect Trump.     I am joined by Junis Baldon and Jared Williams to discuss the violence that America saw in 2016 and whether we can expect the atmosphere to improve in the new year under a new administration.   We discuss the role that Trump will play in the discussion, and whether President Obama will continue to be a leading and influential voice once he leaves office.   This is likely only the beginning of this discussion, as we continue to see how the atmosphere continues to unfold. I hope that you'll listen and can appreciate this conversation and that you will continue to stay engaged in this conversation on J's Lunch Counter.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 31 is the finale of our  special two-part show bringing 2016 to a  close.   I am joined by my close friends Junis Baldon, Albert Shumake aka DJ Always, and introducing to the show, Jared "J Dub" Williams.   On Part Two, we begin with the amazing year in black television with the rise of Donald Glover's Atlanta, Issa Rae's Insecure, and why Marvel's Luke Cage was one of the best shows of the year.  We also discuss the controversy surrounding Birth of A Nation and how it led to the film being such a letdown this year.   We also fell down a rabbit hole and debated the value of Ava DuVernay and the 13th documentary, because of Junis' issue with the historical inaccuracies of  the move Selma.   We conclude 2016 with the two biggest stories of the year - the deaths of unarmed black men, and of course, the election of Donald Trump.   I say this a lot, but this was definitely one of the most enjoyable shows to create, and I know you will enjoy it!       TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 30 is the show that brings 2016 to a close.   In this special two-part show, I am joined by my close friends Junis Baldon, Albert Shumake aka DJ Always, and introducing to the show, Jared "J Dub" Williams.   On Part One, we take a look at some of the best, worst, and most memorable moments of 2016 beginning with what felt like an unprecedented amount of celebrity deaths, some of which will carry lasting implications.   We look at the vacuum created by the death of Ali, and how 2016 saw a new generation of athletes from Lebron James to Colin Kaepernick have  begun to speak out on issues of social justice.   We spend a good portion of the show trying to answer the question - "What happened to Kanye?"  We also explore the year in music, the best albums of the year, why none of us were high on Beyonce this year, and why Chance The Rapper has become so important to the world of Hip-Hop.   I say this a lot, but this was definitely one of the most enjoyable shows to create, and I know you will enjoy it!       TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

J's Lunch Counter makes its triumphant return!  Well, triumphant is a poor choice of words.  More like its sluggish, shameful return after weeks of wound-licking following the Presidential Election.   It's been a long time coming, and as much as Jonah didn't want to record this show, this was a very necessary show - finally recapping the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election, and of course, the new President-elect Donald Trump.    There's really no way to describe this except that this is a reaction show with an attempt to make some sense of what happened, to distinguish the voice of the head and the voice of the heart, and to begin to pick up the pieces and move forward.   This is the first step in our journey of figuring out what's next.   Jonah has words for the country, for Trump voters, for those who have been harassing people since the election, and those who are still reeling from the devastating outcome of this historic race.  What else can I say?   You just have to listen for yourself.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

It's Election Eve so we had to bring you a special edition of J's Lunch Counter Happy Hour.  On Episode 26, Junis Baldon and I are making our final predictions for the election.  We are taking a hard look at all of the toss-up and battleground states, looking at recent trends, the latest polling data, and reports of early voting, to make our final calls for each state, and for the winner of the presidency.   Can Hillary hold on to her blue state firewall in the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania?  Can Trump overcome the early voting advantages Clinton has gained in states like Florida and Nevada?  Will this be a close nailbiter race, or will we be able to characterize this race fairly early in the evening?  The only thing that's for sure is that this race will end with as much excitement and chaos as its displayed for the past year and a half.     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      JOIN THE CONVERSATION. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   SUPPORT THE SHOW. This show has weekly expenses that are required to keep it going.   From web services to hosting fees to equipment costs, this venture is certainly not cheap.  If you would like to support the show, you can make a PayPal donation to Jslunchcounter@gmail.com or by clicking HERE.  Any amount you can give would help support the show, and all donations will go towards the expenses listed above!    LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review on iTunes.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

We're only one week away from a historic presidential election that is guaranteed to have a long-lasting impact on our country.  In many ways, regardless of the outcome next Tuesday, it already has!   Today on J's Lunch Counter - Episode 25, we explore this impact in detail.  For the first half of the show, I am joined by Republican strategist Charles Badger, to discuss the damaging impact of our partisanship on our politics and government progress, looking at where Republicans and Democrats have both failed the country.  On the second half of the show, I am joined by Junis Baldon, to discuss how our parties communicate with voters, and where both parties focus on partisanship have left their messaging flawed and their voices tone-deaf.  We look at Republicans' struggles with minority voters, Democrats' struggles with evangelical voters and blue collar voters, and how both sides continue to struggle with connecting to new constituencies.  We also look at whether voters have a responsibility to focus on messaging that runs counter to their core values and beliefs, and whether there are still politicians who are willing to speak honestly in opposition to their own party interests.   Finally, we explore the prospects of a Hillary Clinton presidency and whether she has any hope of working with Republicans, and whether a Trump presidency would be as good at deal-making as the Republican nominee suggests.   This is  the beginning of an important discussion about how the political system continues to fail the American people, and how the course could change.  Please stay tuned in for the duration of this essential conversation.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

On Today's show, we're covering the final two weeks of the President election, during what has been a relatively uneventful week in the campaign trail.  We begin with the latest in electoral math, whether Hillary's lead is solid, what states have moved to toss-up status, and the only remaining path for Donald Trump to 270.   We also explore the antics of the GOP in the final weeks of this race, and how alarming their behavior has been, and what it tells us about what the Republican party has learned throughout this campaign, and in the past eight years.    Will the Republican Party save itself, or will they continue to be driven into the margins?   As we explore what's happening, we realize this problem isn't exclusive to Donald Trump, but part of a larger pattern that we've been seeing for years, a pattern that isn't good for the party or the country.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

On Episode 23, we're talking the best and worst of political comedy. I'm joined by Dakarai Dorsett of 10thYearSeniors.com to take a look at how comedy continues to shape our perspective on politics.   We discuss our favorite political comedians from John Oliver to Bill Maher, late night staples like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, and more. We also examine why the new daily show with Trevor Noah is struggling to capture an audience with his unique brand of coverage. We examine the highlights of SNL and how they impact the election and brand candidates more than other shows.  We also look at the candidates themselves, how Donald Trump has changed the face of comedy and political correctness, whether Hillary would be a funny president, and how these candidates differ from President Obama and his everlasting coolness.     For the last segment of the show, I bring back Kyndel Brown and Sam Gaines to decompress after Sunday's gruesome season 7 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead.   Hear our reactions to the horrific first show, the terror of Negan, the death of two of the most beloved characters, and the breakdown of Rick Grimes.      I promise that you will enjoy yourself with this exciting and fun episode!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 22 is a jam-packed special TWO HOUR show, plus its Friday which means HAPPY HOUR!   Today we are recapping the third and final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.   Today, I am pleased to be join by the biggest roundtable yet - political strategist Christian Motley, attorney Junis Baldon, and new to the show, Republican strategist and former White House Intern and campaign aide for Jeb Bush for America, Charles Badger.  In our analysis, we score the debate in terms of whether the needle was moved on Wednesday night, and whether Donald Trump was able to do anything to stop Hillary's momentum in the final three weeks.   We take a look at each of the issues raised in the debate and where each candidate was strongest, why Chris Wallace was the most effect debate moderator of this cycle, and we discuss which candidate most effectively communicated to the key undecided demographic of this election.  Beyond the debate, we talk about the strategy for the next three weeks, how Hillary can keep her lead secure, and whether Trump has any chance of closing the gap enough to make the race competitive.   We also look at Trump's lasting impact on the party, on several downticket races, and on the publics perception of the GOP as a national vs. regional, marginalized party.     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 21 is a must-listen preview of the upcoming Season 7 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead.  Today I am joined by my sister, Kyndel Brown, and my friend Sam Gaines, both Walking Dead fanatics, for a fun conversation about what to expect in the season premiere this Sunday.  We begin with our reaction to the brutally entertaining Season 6 finale, the introduction of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, and the prospect of losing one of our beloved characters.   We explore all of the possibilities for who we will see die at the hands of Lucille, what clues we can glean from the finale, and from the recently leaked preview for the premiere.   We also discuss our thoughts on the Negan storyline, where Season 7 is headed, and how closely we anticipate this show will stick to the comic book storyline.   We also discuss our reaction to the introduction of King Ezekiel, discuss the fate of Morgan and Carol, and wonder how many more characters will suffer throughout the season at the hands of Negan and the saviors.   We explore the psychology of the Walking Dead, the violence we continue to see, and how viewers consume such a graphic show with record ratings.   We dive into how this show has been so successful, how much longer we expect the show to continue, why Fear the Walking Dead isn't must-see, and whether we expect to see Walking Dead on the big screen in the future.   For any casual or diehard fans, this is a fun, must-listen episode that you are guaranteed to enjoy!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 20 is here to get you through the weekend.  It's Friday so it must be HAPPY HOUR!   Today on the show, Jonah covers the latest in the presidential campaign, beginning with the ongoing controversy surrounding Donald Trump and the women accusing him of unwanted sexual advances, the dangerous and disgusting narrative being floated by the Trump campaign, and why we can't afford to be so dismissive of the women who continue to come forward.  We also take a look at the feud between NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, why Ginsburg was off base for her comments, why Kaepernick should be commended, and how difficult it is to advance the conversation about race with allies that still don't get it.   We also explore the evolution of Glenn Beck, his recent comments in support of Black Lives Matter, Michael Moore, and the remarkable nature of his recent endorsement of Hillary Clinton.   We've got a full mailbag today as well, including questions on the following: whether Michelle Obama will ever run for Office, my thoughts on the Alec Baldwin impersonation of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, my sources for political news, and the important question about what happens to Trump if he loses.   This is a full show that will keep you up to date on the latest news and politics of the week.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 19 brings you a complete recap of the last 72 hours in the presidential campaign including a full review of the Second Presidential Debate.  Today, I am joined by Christian Motley to take a look at Sunday night's debate, and the spectacle leading up to it.   We discuss the panel of Bill Clinton accusers that Trump hosted just an hour before the debate, and how that played to voters.  We discuss the candidates' performance in the debate, Hillary's poise in the face of a humiliating spectacle, Trump's ruthlessness in attacking her and Bill, and the unprecedented statements made in the debate promising to prosecute her, calling her the devil, and accusing her of laughing at a 12 year old rape victim.   We talk about who this debate performance was meant for, who was behind it, and why it could potentially seal Trump's fate on election day.   Moving forward, we discuss how this weekend's events, culminating in this debate will impact the race, and equally important, how this GOP civil war is playing out and who will come out on top.   We look at the conference call held by Paul Ryan with other Congressional Republicans, and how it delved into chaos.   Where is the GOP headed, and how will its de facto leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Mike Pence fare once the dust settles?   You won't want to miss this informative analysis on this evolving story!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Breaking News - In light of the recent controversy surrounding Donald Trump's vulgar comments that were released, we bring you a special episode of J's Lunch Counter.  I am joined by my good friend Christian Motley, and we discuss the fallout of Trump's comments, the reaction of many Republicans who are attempting to disavow the nominee, where Mike Pence fits in this equation, whether there is any avenue in place to remove or replace Trump from the Republican ticket, and how he will fare on Election Day.   This is certainly a pivotal moment in the 2016 campaign, and in our democracy.  Tune in for this very important episode!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

pisode 17 Happy Hour is live to get you through the weekend, until the next Presidential Debate.  On the show today we catch up on a number of stories from the past week.   We begin with a discussion of the New York Times story published last weekend about Donald Trump's taxes in 1995, and his potentially claiming $1 Billion in losses, and how he could have used the tax code to avoid paying taxes on $50 million for 18 years.  We discuss the implications of Donald Trump's comments about his ability to avoid paying taxes, his surrogates calling him a 'genius' for not paying taxes, and how remarkable it is that working class voters identify with Trump.  We then discuss Trump's recent comments about veterans who suffer from PTSD, what his comments demonstrate about his understanding about military service and his compassion for our military men and women.    We also look at Bill Clinton's unnecessary comments about Obamacare being the craziest thing in the world, why his comments may have been valid,  but his approach was stupid and put the Clinton campaign at a risk when they were finally gaining a solid lead.   We also break down the Vice Presidential debate, the strengths of both Mike Pence and Tim Kaine, why Pence was trying to win the debate, and Kaine was trying to injure someone.   We also explore their very meaningful discussion about abortion as a demonstration of what a healthy political dialogue can look like, compared to their exchange on race relations and implicit bias, where Mike Pence came up woefully short.  On the mailbag, we discuss my thoughts on Lebron James' endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the best political ad so far in this election cycle (HERE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaxNEzA3jRs) , my thoughts on Mary J. Blige's upcoming interview of Hillary Clinton, and we discuss the meaning and some important examples of the "October Surprise".       TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 16 is another end of the week show, which means HAPPY HOUR!!!! Today, Jonah closes out the week with a solo show discussing the latest in the presidential race and the aftermath of the First Presidential Debate.   He discusses the fallout from Hillary's attack on Trump fat-shaming a former Miss Universe, Trump's responding by continuing to fat-shame this former Miss Universe, and the Trump campaigns unhealthy and ill-advised obsession with talking about Bill Clinton's sex life.    He also looks at the nature of how we consume politics, how we are now conditioned to only access the information that affirms what we want to hear and believe, and how easy it is to disregard objective facts in favor of spin.   He also examines President Obama's recent townhall comments on Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who need to understand they are causing military families.   He discusses how the President got it wrong, and how people who antagonize this protest are getting it wrong in the most un-American way.   Today's MAILBAG segment includes a question about whether Trump's rising poll numbers in the past month are an indicator of actual growing support in the country, or if we are still seeing a really loud vocal minority, plus he takes a look at the issue of police body cameras, and whether footage of shootings from police body cameras should be released to the public.     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 15 is our special Post-Debate show!  Join us as we breakdown the First Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.   I am joined by my political analysts, Christian Motley, as well as Dakarai Dorsett of 10thYearSeniors.  The three of us discuss the highlights and lowlights of the First Presidential Debate.  Listen in to find out who each of thought came out as the victor in the debate, who landed the strongest punches, and who showed vulnerabilities headed into the final six weeks of this election.   We discuss Trump's hard-hitting attacks on Hillary's trade policy, his Chris Christie-inspired prosecutorial attacks on her support for TPP, and her comprehensive approach to improving the economy. We also discuss Trump's aggressive, interrupting style and whether it will be viewed as a strength or a weakness to the new and undecided voters.   We also look at Hillary's 20 second answer about her email controversy and lament why it took 1 year to develop those 20 seconds.  We take a look at Trump's refusal to release his tax returns and why Hillary best explained the significance of his tax controversy that we've seen on the campaign trail.  We go in-depth on the discussion on race, and disagree at times about how strong Hillary appeared in her initial response.  We discuss Donald Trump's ongoing aloofness, the disingenuous efforts he's made to court black voters, and how he demonstrated his true self to minorities tonight.  We discuss the temperament of both candidates, and which candidate masterfully wove that into the national security conversation and which one fell woefully short.   Finally, we acknowledge the highs and lows of both candidates, and yes, I do say a couple of fairly nice, undeserved things about the Republican Nominee.  Overall, this was an informative, exciting conversation about a highly anticipated debate and a pivotal moment in this race.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Episode 14 is a solo show that I recorded for the end of the week, which means one thing….HAPPY HOUR!   Today on our second Happy Hour edition, I recap the week in news and politics.  I begin with candid thoughts on the Trump's ongoing outreach to black voters using, of all people, Don King as a surrogate on the campaign trail, as well as Don King's controversial use of the n-word, and the thing I found most troubling about this entire show.   I also take a look at two new shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charlotte, North Carolina, of black men at the hands of the police.  I explore the media coverage and the ensuing outrage over these killings, and I also spend some time attempting to encourage those who have been emotionally impacted by the ongoing imagery of this violence.   I discuss the idea of vicarious race-based trauma, and how it can impact those who consume and experience videos and photos and articles and social media posts around this violence.   Today, I also debut our new Mailbag segment, where I answer questions submitted by listeners of this show.   Today's questions include my thoughts on which of the four upcoming debates will be the most important to the overall outcome of the election, who will be the winners and losers of the Republican party in the event Donald Trump loses the election, whether or not I can give credit to Donald Trump for his attempts at black outreach, and finally, whether or not Hillary Clinton is responsible for starting the birtherism issue against President Obama.    If you have a question you want to submit for a future mailbag segment, email the show at jslunchcounter@gmail.com with your name, city and your question!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 13 is a hard-hitting show featuring Coy Conner, who joins me in a frank, difficult discussion about Donald Trump, birtherism, and where black people find themselves in America in 2016.  We take a deeper look into the questions raised about the 'otherness' of President Obama, since his 2008 campaign until now, and we explore what his persecution really meant for him, and what it meant for black people across the country.  We look at the history of citizenship being challenged, even during slavery, how much that parallels to how Donald Trump has treated President Obama.   We lend perspective to the notion that blacks in America continue to struggle to find an identity in the fabric of America because of the ongoing attempts to delegitimize black people and attempts to minimize and rationalize the oppression of black people in America.   We also discuss an important, difficult question about the implication of Donald Trump support - Is one racist if they support Donald Trump?   You won't want to miss this part of a heavy discussion on race.  We then delve even deeper to the implications of Trump support, exploring the role of faith and religion in the political process, and what it means to be a Christian, and to hold Christian values, while supporting Donald Trump.   This conversation was important, sometimes disagreeable, but hopefully lends much-needed perspective to an overly-simplified election that has been dumbed down many times over.  It may make you uncomfortable to hear some of the perspectives that we share, but that doesn't make them any less important, because they are very real to Coy and I.   Please take a few minutes out of your day to listen to this important show. TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 12 covers the latest in the 2016 presidential campaign, as the race continues to tighten and the polls show a real fight in many of the battleground states. On the show, I am joined by political strategist Christian Motley, and together we take a look at the recent tightening in the polls, and try to predict why the recent change and where the race is headed in the final two months. We also make discuss the recent Commander in Chief Forum and how both candidates struggled through an awful format, and more importantly, what weaknesses Hillary revealed and what she can do in the upcoming debates to counter this weakness. We go in-depth on strategy for the upcoming presidential debate, and I tell you exactly how Hillary could win the debate against Donald Trump.   We also discuss Hillary's recent comments about the "basket of deplorables" supporting Donald Trump, and whether these comments are accurate, fair, and necessary.   We also explore the recent controversy around Hillary's health, the reveal of her pneumonia diagnosis, and whether she really has a transparency problem and how she continues to be held to a different standard. Finally, I've been gone for awhile due to an illness - tune in to learn more about what's been going on and for a quick update on my own health.   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 11 covers one of the most interesting new shows on Netflix - Last Chance U - a six-episode docuseries that chronicles the football season of the players of East Mississippi Community College, as they try to balance their academic workload with their passion for football and their drive for redemption and a chance to return to Division I.   Today on the show I am joined by cousin and former student athlete Griffin Brixey to discuss the many stories and subplots of this series.   THIS SHOW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!! If you haven't yet seen it, go back and watch and enjoy.  Griffin and I break down the season of the EMCC Lions, the controversy surrounding their temperamental coach Buddy Stephens, and his mid-season suspension, the season-ending brawl and the racial overtones displayed in reaction to the players.   We also go in-depth on the personalities of the show, from Ronald Ollie and John Franklin to DJ Law, Coach Wood, and the ever-supportive Ms. Wagner.  This episode is a review and breakdown of a really, fun behind the scenes look at the junior college football experience, the pressures and struggles of being a student athlete, and the redemption of players with difficult pasts and family stories, who are working to regain the opportunity to one day play in the NFL.  You don't have to be a sports fan or football fan to enjoy the show, or to enjoy this episode, but if you are, I promise you'll enjoy today's podcast that much more!   TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 10 is up and it's the first-ever J's Lunch Counter Happy Hour show!  Happy Hour is our time to provide a brief recap of two or three of the more interesting stories in the world of news and politics, with some sports and entertainment thrown in as well.  This will be a much shorter show, with commentary and analysis on the week in news and more.   Today, I'm talking Trump and immigration.  I take a look at Trump's first diplomatic trip to Mexico and his meeting with Mexican President  Enrique Pena Nieto.  I also break down Trump's contradictory, angry, hate-filled ignorant speech doubling down on his harsh immigration policy he gave just hours after the more diplomatic meeting with the Mexican President.  I also shed some much-needed light on the faux-controversy surrounding the health of both candidates, why it makes no sense, and why you should disregard these as desperate, meaningless attacks with little factual basis whatsoever.  Finally, we preview next week's Apple product launch and how underwhelming these demonstrations have become, and we discuss the upcoming Commander in Chief Forum and why it makes me think of old school wrestling.  It's Labor Day weekend, so make sure you use some of your down time to tune in to the show and ENJOY!

Episode 9 is live and it is LIT!   Today, on the show - When Race and Politics Collide!  I am joined by my friend Dakarai Dorsett of 10thYearSeniors.com discussing the latest news in the 2016 Presidential Election, focused on Donald Trump's attempts to appeal to black voters.   We discuss the effectiveness of his messaging, how tone deaf the Republicans continue to be, and whether this latest message is actually meant for black people, or from someone else entirely.   We also raise the question about whether some of what Donald Trump says is true - is Hillary Clinton a bigot?  Well, no not that part.  But we tackle whether Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are genuinely courting black voters or if this is all just political opportunism that we can expect every four years!   PLUS, the second half of the show gets heavy with the controversy surrounding NFL Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, and his recent protest during the playing of the national anthem.   The outrage for this protest has been exactly what we've come to expect, and we discuss the real issue behind this protest, and try to understand why the discussion always devolves so quickly.   Listen to hear my first EPIC RANT on this issue, so much that by the end, I was sweating and my hands were shaking, and I spilled ketchup all over my floor.   We also hearken back to the message of Frederick Douglass and his infamous "What to a slave is the 4th of July?" speech as we raise the question - why can't the country understand that the American experience is not the same for everyone.  This was a difficult, yet thoughtful discussion and I promise - you won't want to miss.  For further background on this topic, please check out this article by Bomani Jones on TheUndefeated.com.    TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!  

Episode 8 is all about one of the hottest movies of the summer - SUICIDE SQUAD!   I am joined by good friend Coy Conner, and together we break down all thins Suicide Squad.  Listen as we share our thoughts on all of the characters, the portrayals by Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and of course, Jared Leto as The Joker, what this movie means for the DC films including the upcoming Justice League movie.   We also give our thoughts on the Marvel Universe, how they get right what DC continues to get wrong, and whose comic characters are stronger for the film world!   Plus, you won't want to miss our thoughts on the newest Joker, how he lives up to the legacy of Heath Ledger, and what his future holds in the future DC films.   Also, tune in for Coy's skewering of DC's Gotham tv series on Fox.   We also dig deeper into the Marvel Universe, how Marvel continues to experience success in their film arcs, and where that success is headed.  We also provide an in-depth preview of Marvel's Black Panther film.   In this episode, we dig deep into the world of comics, comic book movies, and the superheroes of the past, present and future.  We also briefly explore comics as a social vehicle, discussing the success and failures of past and present comic characters that represent the diversity of our world, and why some succeed where others struggle.  Plus, learn which comic characters were created to represent the transformative civil rights figures, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. Overall this was a fun show to do , and great reprieve from the more serious shows about politics and race and the news of the day.     TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!   STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to jslunchcounter@gmail.com.      SOCIAL MEDIA. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!   LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!