Voices of Black Folk

This season on the Voices of Black Folk Podcast, we have learned from an assortment of phenomenal Black Folk, who are serving as trailblazers within their respective fields and industries. To close out season two, I elected to bring on someone that I not only admire; but an individual who is mission-driven and working on a daily basis to ensure that we understand the lessons of our past, in order to work towards the promise of our future.

Darryl Lockett currently serves as the Executive Director of the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative. In this role, Darryl is leading a historic non-profit initiative by developing partnerships with key stakeholders nationally to advance the mission of MLK and Bobby Kennedy. Building on the historic events of April 4, 1968, when then-Senator Kennedy announced the assassination of Dr. King.

In this conversation, we cover topics from college life to civil rights historical events, all the way to the impactful work he currently undertakes and everything in-between. As we close out season two, I encourage you to sit back, take a listen, and reflect, because this is an episode you definitely do not want to miss. 

For as long as I can remember I was always told, don't waste your money on a nice car, that's nothing but a liability. But what if I told you that anyone can turn that liability sitting in their driveway collecting dust into a cash-flowing business.

Well... That's exactly what my next guest did. Utilizing the car-sharing app Turo, Marcus Isiah started Southwest Luxuries and subsequently Southwest Advisors.

For those of you contemplating how to produce more income passively, tune in and learn from this mastermind. This is definitely an episode you do not want to miss!

For many Black people in America, we often are told that our history and culture begins with slavery. But as we know this is furthest from the truth. In an effort to educate our people of their, history Kultured.Kitchen was born.

Kultured.Kitchen believes memorable moments happen around the dinner table and the plates you use should be as creative as the stories you share. They want to help you create an unforgettable dining experience that radically represents the revolutionary within each of us.

Are you excited yet?!? So am I, tune in as we hear from the founder of this revolutionary brand.

One thing many of us suffer from is hair loss. This can be traumatic as both men and women take pride in their crowns. When this occurs, we often run to the store or go online trying to find something to remedy this, but have you ever asked the question what am I actually putting in my hair?

Well for those of you struggling with hair loss, this is an episode you do not want to miss. Nia Gipson, the founder of Nia Hope & Co., has created a product that is all-natural and guaranteed to bring your beautiful main back. So tune in and listen, as she discusses her hair loss and the journey toward creating a product that has brought back the hair of thousands around the world.

AZA Allsop, MD, Ph.D., is a Third-Year Resident in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. He is also a music artist with a burgeoning career, and co-founder of Renaissance Entertainment LLC, a company that operates at the intersection of art, science, and community building to drive culture.

Join us on episode eight of the Voices of Black Folk Podcast as we discuss his educational journey, sacrifice, and owning his truth. For those who have ever dreamt big and been told to dream smaller, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

When is the last time you actually looked up the ingredients that make up your favorite body butter, lotion, shampoo, or conditioner? Let's be honest, thanks to multimillion-dollar advertisements that convince us the products we purchase are good for us, we often don't bother reading the back of the bottle.

But, there is hope...

Chantee Butler, Founder of Nayko Natural decided she not only wanted something more wholistic, but she also wanted to create a product that was natural, ingredients that are good for our skin, and most importantly, something for US!

Join me on episode seven, as we discuss Chantee's path to creating a product that was curated for the culture.

Danielle Scott serves as the Founder & CEO of the Leverage Collective. A champion of women, minorities, and workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, Danielle strongly believes in "Making the Ask" and advocating for yourself in any setting.

Her career has been spent advancing policies that make corporate spaces more diverse and inclusive for women and people of color. Due to this passion, she started the Leverage Collective in an effort to formally facilitate customized solutions for those struggling to find their voice in the workplace.

If you have ever felt unheard or fearful of negotiating your compensation, this is an episode, you do not want to miss!

Throughout my K-12 education, I struggled with math like so many other low-income students around the nation. In fact, at one point, I remember convincing myself math was not my thing.

If this sentiment sounds familiar and/or you know a young person struggling with their math skills, then this is an episode you do not want to miss. Jasmine Williams is a North Carolina Central University and Johns Hopkins University trained teacher who has revolutionized teaching young people math through her company, Mobile Math LLC.

Through Mobile Math LLC, Jasmine is meeting students where they are at and showing them that they are capable of learning. Tune in, sit back, and listen, because this is an episode you do not want to miss. Lastly, if you are interested in learning more about Mobile Math, you can reach Jasmine and her team at https://www.mobilemathmd.com/

For many of us, as children, we were told; do well in school, get a good education, and subsequently, get a good job. For Serges, an immigrant from Rwanda, this was the path his parents foresaw for him.

But after obtaining his B.A., from Duke University and working for Microsoft for a few years, he knew he wanted more out of life.

Join us as we discuss leaving a "promising career," in an effort to live out one's truth. This is an episode you do not want to miss.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tierney J. Bates, Executive Director of University Career Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Bates and I spoke about his journey from corporate America to the halls of academia and everything in between. For those who have ever aspired to embark on a career within higher education, this is an episode you do not want to miss. 

Join me as we learn what it means to be a Black man traversing the trenches of higher education.