Soapbox Diaries

Our guest today is Chester Grundy. Chester is a cultural arts activist and educator.

Our guest today is Chanel Minnifield. Channel is an actress and vegan influencer. She is the host of the TV Show, “Yes! That's Vegan.” 

Our guest today is Jaria Gordon, executive co-director of Kids Make It Institute, a STEAM youth nonprofit. She is also a founding member of Commonwealth Alliance Voter Engagement.

Our guest today is Dr. Howard Conyers an aerospace engineer with NASA who designs facilities for testing rocket engines. But he is also known for his work to document the history of Blacks in barbeque.

Our guest today is David Laurenvil, a first-generation Haitian transplant from the Little Haiti Burroughs of Miami, Florida. David is a seasoned businessman, restauranteur, scientist, and researcher focused on community empowerment, self-determination, and the creation of a wealth-minded nation for young people living in Lexington, KY.

Our guest today is Greg Harbut. Greg is the owner of Harbut Bloodstock which specializes in finding top-class broodmares for his clients, many of whom are overseas. He was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, where he inherited his love for thoroughbreds and the industry from his forefathers. Greg is a third generation horseman, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Will Harbut, groom to the famous racehorse Man o' War.

Our guest today is Keith Alexander. Keith is a Pulitzer Prize winning D.C. crime and courts reporter for The Washington Post. He was also recently named the technical editorial advisor for Howard University's The Hilltop, the nation's oldest black collegiate newspaper. 

Our guest today is Mike Goodwin. He's a full-time comedian from South Carolina.  Mike uses his ability to merge leadership and laughter, to help meet his goal of leaving places and people better than he found them. His comedy style leaves audiences laughing hysterically and completely inspired, without a foul or vulgar word spoken. He's appeared on America's Got Talent, Dry Bar Comedy, Lifetime, and BET.

Our guest today is Crystal Wilkinson, the 2021-22 Kentucky Poet Laureate. She is the first African-American woman to hold this position. In addition, she is the author of the newly released, “Perfect Black.” It is said that Perfect Black combines Crystal's deep love for her rural roots with a passion for language and storytelling in this compelling collection of poetry and prose about girlhood, racism, and political awakening, imbued with vivid imagery of growing up in Southern Appalachia.

Our guest today is Dr. Michael Robinson, pastor of Total Grace Baptist Church, here in Lexington, and also author of the new book Black Conscious Christianity. He is a man on mission for God with a ministry that aggressively pursues the disregarded, disposed, despised and denied of society.

Our guest today is Gerard Morrison. He is the creative force behind the annual John Coltrane Music Edu-tainment Festival in Hamlet, NC. John Coltrane was born just 6 miles from my hometown. Coletrane, an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, is an iconic figure of 20th-century jazz. He was born in Hamlet in 1926.   

Our guest today is Roszalyn Akins, the executive director of Black Male Working Academy and Dean of Scholars at the Carter G. Woodson Academy.  She is working to close the achievement gap which is a problem not only for African American students, but the entire country. According to Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO of PolicyLink, In the United States, a black public school student is suspended every four seconds, while every 27 seconds a black high school student drops out of school. Black students are also 3.5 times more likely than white students to be suspended or expelled. Within this group, black male students fare the worst. Akins is working to change that.  

Our guest today is Jamaal Bell, the creative director behind the films “A Reading of The Letter From Birmingham Jail” and “Free to Ride.”  I am on my soapbox today about using your creativity to bring others into the story. Great storytellers know how to engage an audience and bring them along on the journey. It can be from the standpoint of pure entertainment, or it can raise awareness and activism around issues that just need to be illuminated. Our guest today is one of those types of storytellers.  This is Part 2.

Our guest today is Jamaal Bell, the creative director behind the films “A Reading of The Letter From Birmingham Jail” and “Free to Ride.”  I am on my soapbox today about using your creativity to bring others into the story. Great storytellers know how to engage an audience and bring them along on the journey. It can be from the standpoint of pure entertainment, or it can raise awareness and activism around issues that just need to be illuminated. Our guest today is one of those types of storytellers.  This is Part 1.

Our guest today is Ricardo Franklin, a gun violence activist and community outreach coordinator with the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. His role involved fostering the connection between the community and law enforcement.   I am on my soapbox today about reducing gun violence which is at epidemic proportions in our nation. In many instances, the debate centers around the second amendment, but there is so much impact that gun violence has on our society at large. In Lexington, one mother chose to act. After her death, her son Ricardo stepped up to continue the work she started.   

Our guest today is Jasmin Graham, a marine biologist with the Mote Marine Laboratory and specializes in the study of sharks, skates, rays and their evolution. She is also the co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS). I am on my soapbox today about breaking the mold. There are times when people may have a view of what you should or should not do or be, but I'm encouraged by people that choose to follow their passion, chart their own course, and forge a path for others. 

I am on my soapbox today about the transformational power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). As an HBCU alum, I am grateful that our schools set the bar high and we reached for it, transforming the dreams of our ancestors into reality.  Our guest today is Jared Bryson, founder of WeAreHBCUs, whose mission is to strengthen the cultural legacy of Historically Black Colleges & Universities and develop HBCU students. Jared is also a graduate of the esteemed Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nicole Barnett is the author of a new book titled "Out of the Mouths of Babes." In this 31-day devotional, she shares light-hearted stories about motherhood with insights for spiritual growth. As a postpartum depression survivor and clinical social worker by training, Nicole also engages in maternal mental health advocacy, education, and support.

I am on my soapbox today about being the change you want to see. Many times we complain about why things are not the way we want them to be, but most of us never take the next step not only to actively change the narrative, but also to be active in creating space to make the change we want to see. That is why I am excited to hear from our guest today. Kennisha Fisher is the creator of a YouTube show for preschoolers called “Learn This with Miss Fish.”

I'm on my soapbox today about reclaiming our history. Where are the monuments that celebrate our African heritage. Who will tell our story today and for the generations that will follow?  That is why I am so excited to kick off Season 5 of Soapbox Diaries with Gabrielle Miller, an instructor candidate with Diving with a Purpose, where she collaborates with other Black divers to discover and document shipwrecks of the slave trade. She is also a third-year doctoral student with an emphasis on African Diaspora Archaeology at the University of Tulsa.

Earth Day is this week. Our guest on this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries is Ariel Green, host of the Sustainable Brown Girl podcast, a community created to connect and inspire women of color to live more sustainably. https://www.sustainablebrowngirl.com/

Our imagination has to be big enough that we are not contained by what this world says should be our place. On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, we are pleased to have Sean and Tia Edwards, the owners of Fresh Bourbon Distilling Company in Lexington, Kentucky, proclaimed by the Kentucky Senate as the first African Americans to produce bourbon in the state of Kentucky since slavery. 

On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Leslie Covington, Executive Director of The Carying Place that serves working families with children who are experiencing homelessness. The pandemic has had an impact on everybody, but people who were already struggling are facing even more challenges. Even when the economy has recovered, there will still be families who need assistance, who need advocates that champion creative ways to address issues like poverty and homelessness. The Carying Place is doing that.  

Our guest today is Vince Bingham, he and his wife Chantel, are owners of His Will My Hands Entertainment, an independent film company in Lexington. We will be discussing his creative journey and his vision to diversify storytelling content and creation.

I learned about my next guest when she was battling leukemia. I am glad that she is here to share her own story with us.  On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), a social policy and advocacy organization. This is the FINAL episode in our Women’s History Month series highlighting four Phenomenal Women in one Amazing Family. 

After reaching the age of 18, 20 percent of children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless. Less than 3 percent of children who have aged out of foster care have a chance to earn a college degree. My guest today is fighting to change that.  On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Lesley Jones Sessler, a nationally recognized and award winning educator and regional specialist with Foster Success.  This is the third episode in our Women’s History Month series. We discussed her fight for children on the margins.

"Kasserian Ingera" is a Masai greeting. It means "And how are the children?" The traditional answer is "All the children are well." Their reason for being meant protecting the young and the powerless.  On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Elsa Jones, a child development specialist and advocate.  This is the second episode in our Women’s History Month series. We discussed the value of high-quality preschool for all children as well as Elsa's life experience in a fourth generation civil rights family.

On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Natalie Jones, she has been involved professionally in the world of fine art for more than 45 years. Natalie kicks off our celebration of Women’s History Month with a series that highlights four phenomenal women in one amazing family. I interviewed William Jones III in Season 1 and this season we will learn more about his  accomplished mother and three sisters. 

On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is the incomparable and talented Tanya Torp, Executive Director at Step By Step, Inc which encourages and equips young, single mothers. We will be discussing the power of knowing your own worth and advocating for the value of other people.

Our guest today is Sydney Satchell, a Paralympian for Team USA. Sydney is on the sitting volleyball team. The 2021 Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled for this summer in Tokyo. We will discuss her journey and hopefully inspire you to overcome any obstacles that you may be facing in your own life. 

It is reported that 44,000 people in Louisville, Kentucky live in areas where there are limited options for affordable, nutritious food, and more than 120,000 are food insecure. On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Shauntrice Martin, the founder of #feedthewest and owner of Black Market KY – two food justice initiatives in the West End of Louisville.

This is our debut of Season 4. Today’s guest on Soapbox Diaries is Frank X Walker, former Kentucky Poet Laureate and author of the new book, Masked Man: Black, Pandemic and Protest Poems. We discuss his creative work in response to coronavirus and this summer’s protests, as well as his take on where America goes next.  

On this week’s episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Dr. Jerika Ross, a licensed psychologist. She is the owner of Therapy 419, a private practice which specializes in women's health and identity. In this world filled with so many daily traumas, today we will be discussing mental health in the Black community.  

Our guest today is Wayne Riley, founder of the Laurel County African American Heritage Center. We will be discussing the power of history to shape the next generation and how to move from under the shadow of tragic events in the past. **This episode was recorded prior to the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Judge Melissa Moore Murphy, Fayette District Court Division 4, joins us to discuss next steps for those wanting to stay engaged following the general election. We discuss criminal justice reform, the power of the vote, and how to fight against despair after election losses. Plus, a quick lesson on the structure of the judiciary.  

The national buying power of Blacks in 2019 was $1.4 trillion, but a dollar stays in the Black community just 6 minutes. Our guest today is working to change that. Ashley Smith is co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Episode 2 of 2

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Ashley Smith, co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Catch the full episode where we discussed the power of cooperative economics in the Black community. 

The national buying power of Blacks in 2019 was $1.4 trillion, but a dollar stays in the Black community just 6 minutes. Our guest today is working to change that. Ashley Smith is co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Episode 1 of 2

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Melanie Kirkwood-Marshall, a literacy educator and doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Catch the full episode where we discussed the impact of multi-cultural children’s literature and where we still have work to do. 

Our guest is Melanie Kirkwood-Marshall, a literacy educator and doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We’ll discuss the impact of multi-cultural children’s literature and where we still have work to do. Plus, Kirkwood-Marshall provides a list of notables to surprise the booklover in your life this holiday season.

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Dawn Runyon, coordinator of Green Dot in Lexington, Kentucky. Catch the full episode where we discuss the impact of intervention in reducing violent interactions and how we can change the culture.

Everette Sands has spent 25 years coaching college football. As the force behind the creation of The WES Foundation, he harnesses the power of athletics to guide youth on the path of success in many of life's arenas.

Dawn Runyon, coordinator of Green Dot in Lexington, Kentucky, discusses the impact of intervention in reducing violent interactions and how we can change the culture.

Blanche Brown is an art therapist, community activist, poet, and storyteller. Today, we will be discussing how important the arts are for our mental health as a means to express what is going on in our heads and in our hearts.  

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Jade Merritt, founder and president of Mikey's Miracle Foundation.

Jade Merritt, founder and president of Mikey's Miracle Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients and their families during their fight against cancer. 

Michael Morrow is a historian and genealogist from Russellville, Kentucky. He is also an archivist and curator at the SEEK Museum (Struggles for Emancipation and Equality in Kentucky). Today we will be discussing how to honor our ancestors by keeping our history alive. We will also learn about a community built by enslaved people in Western Kentucky who were freed and given property in the 1830s.

Ralph Hodge, senior pastor of Second Baptist Church of South Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, helps us observe Juneteenth with a discussion on black wealth, domestic terrorism, effective propaganda, and Confederate monuments. Plus, recommendations on a number of must read books. 

Missy Hagans, a 2020 Census recruiter, discusses the many facets of our daily lives impacted by census data. She makes the case for why it is critical for communities of color to be counted accurately.

Professor Anthony Hendricks is the Director of the Center for Biblical Unity at Williamson College. Today we will be discussing hard conversations we need to have in the church around race relations and biblical unity.

Our guest today is Dr. Marcus Bernard, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture Communities, and the Environment at Kentucky State University. Today we will be discussing the history and work of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund as well as implications for residents.