Anthony Norton is a former college football player from Belle Glade, Florida turned book author.  His new book "PeeWee, I Swear I’m not Lying: Experience Changes Lives…Or So I Think!" is available online and in bookstores.  

(From Amazon) This book offers a glimpse into the significance of human perspective. Among the many lessons it holds is one that highlights the role of experiences, and the path one selects for himself. Furthermore, it teaches one that he must correct his perspective in order to move in the right direction.Secondly, this book lays emphasis on the teachings of the church and reflects how God guides us towards the right path. Last, but not the least, the book touches upon the importance of good company. Good companions guide you towards the light, while bad companions push you far into the depths of darkness. Your life is a sum of your experiences, and your experiences are brought by the company you keep. So, make sure it is worth keeping.

Gail M. Carter, is Founder and CEO of LightShift360 LLC, Global Business Impact Strategist. She is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, avid traveler, and global volunteer

At LightShift360, LLC, Gail creates strategies and programs for individuals and businesses that empower them to become great leaders, make a difference in society and ensure maximum productivity and fulfillment in life and work through increased focus and engagement.

She enjoys living her purpose, speaking, coaching and consulting empowering people and clients to unleash their strengths, their unique value, and leadership potential using her LightShift Impact360 Leadership 5 Step Strategic S.E.R.V.E. Blueprint. 

Gail has traveled to over 16 countries and four continents, and actively participates on annual international mission and volunteer trips. She held various mid-level management positions in civil engineering, construction, utility project management, as well as business planning and operations in the oil & gas industry during her 16-year career working at Fortune 500 companies and Devex Top 40 global charities before launching her consulting company LightShift360. 

She holds an M.B.A in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, M.A. in Sustainable International Development from Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University in Massachusetts and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL. She was the recipient of the prestigious Junior League’s “Woman to Watch” Award for her leadership and volunteerism.

At her “Renewal360 Encounter” and “How to Unlock Your Potential in 10 Minutes A Day” events, her emphasis on empowering attendees to renew their purpose, revive their joy, be more productive, engaged and fulfilled in life and their careers by unleashing their leadership potential. Using 5 key strategies, sharing powerful stories and creating real and powerful connections with people transforms heartfelt experiences into actionable goals and clarity on next steps and increased confidence to take purposeful action leading to results.

Jennifer Sharp is an award winning director, editor, writer and graduate of NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. In 2015, while traveling alone in Honduras, she was inspired to document the story of locals she encountered. With only her cell phone and her artistic vision, she shot the short documentary, “Solitary Worlds,” which won the grand jury prize at the 2016 Rincon International film festival.

She is a believer that Art has the power to change the world, and that artists have a responsibility to facilitate that change through sharing their truths. Her film, Waiting, reflects on how we spend our lives waiting passively for dreams to come true. Boxed speaks of the baggage that we choose to carry around. Time Travelers, is a reflection of the absurdity of humans’ obsession with time. In A Great Movie, Jennifer uses humor to address racism, tourism, and how making art a business can destroy art.

An all around filmmaker, she has numerous other credits such as writer, director, editor, producer, and art director. She volunteers making movies with teenagers affected by HIV and AIDS, and is the volunteer editing coordinator for Make a Film Foundation, an organization that makes films with children who have chronic or terminal illnesses.

Dr. Trisha Bailey-Archie is the CEO of Bailey Pharmacy, Bailey Medical Equipment & Supplies, & Baileys Scrubs. She is currently opening her 21st & 22nd location and has real estate projects internationally and domestically. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, and the University of Phoenix. Bailey’s Scrubs is a family-owned business that is committed to providing compassion and care to each and every person served.

Elliott Eddie is Chairman/CEO of DM Media, Inc., author of five published books, worldwide distributed independent filmmaker of six films, four‐time Virginia Public Speaking Champion, two‐time Internationally Awarded Public Speaker and Toastmaster International’s 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking Finalist.

As an entrepreneur, Elliott has built a corporation, which boasts six small businesses; all of which operate in the black. These businesses include; Superior Tax Preparation, P&E Reality (Investment & Development), DM Media Film & Television Productions (8 Independent Films with Worldwide Distribution), P&E Publishing (5 published books), Risqué Creations (women’s Designer Jewelry) and EESpeaks (International Speaking Company). Currently, DM Media Inc. had just introduced a new tabletop board game of which Elliott Eddie is the inventor titled, “The Entrepreneur Game by EESpeaks”. To date the game has been purchased in nine different countries around the world. 

As an International Speaker, Elliott has touched the hearts of audiences around the world. A recent recipient of the Outstanding Keynote Speaker Award from Richmond’s own Urban Financial Services Coalition, Elliott’s favorite topics to share on are: Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking and Dream Building.

Elliott has been active with the Richmond Public Library, providing Entrepreneur Workshops to Richmond City Youth throughout the summer by partnering with the Black Male Emergent Readers program of the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library and providing Entrepreneurial Books and Training for adults throughout Richmond, Virginia.

Sonja Ardoin, Ph.D. is an author, learner, educator, and facilitator. She originates from "Cajun country" - the small, rural community of Vidrine, LA specifically - and is proud of her first generation college student to Ph.D. educational journey, with degrees from Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and North Carolina State University.

Sonja's career path includes experience in student activities, leadership development, community engagement, fraternity and sorority life, student conduct, and academic advising.  She made the move from full-time practitioner to full-time faculty member in 2015, but continues to view her professional role as that of a scholar-practitioner. Sonja studies social class identity in higher education; college access and success for first generation college students and students from rural areas; student and women’s leadership; and career preparation and pathways in higher education and student affairs.

Sonja stays engaged in the higher education field through presenting, facilitating, and volunteering with national organizations such as ASHE, NASPA, ACPA, LeaderShape, AFLV, Zeta Tau Alpha, Delta Gamma, and Peer Forward.  She is a contributor to the NASPA Center for First-generation Student Success advocacy group, the NASPA Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community, and the AFLV Board of Directors. She also serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice and the College Student Affairs Journal and as a reviewer for the Journal of College Student Development.

Sonja contributes to literature through books, book chapters, journal articles, and blogs and enjoys reading the work of others.  She credits her love of reading to her grandmother, who always brought her to the local library as a child and challenged her to read the maximum number of books each week.   

Sonja also enjoys enjoys traveling, dancing and listening to music, reading, writing, sports, laughing, and spending time with people she loves.

Her new book, Straddling Class in the Academy: 26 Stories of Students, Administrators, and Faculty From Poor and Working-Class Backgrounds and Their Compelling Lessons for Higher Education Policy and Practice is currently available everywhere. 

In 2019, Jasmine Souers and Marissa Thomas went from Instagram friends to partners in purpose as the founders of For the Breast of Us, the first online community dedicated to sharing stories and imagery of all women of color affected by breast cancer. Both diagnosed well before the age of 40, the two noticed a lack of representation of women who looked like them both online, in clinical trials and in the breast cancer community at large. To help close the health disparity gap, For the Breast of Us offers resources, tools and support through storytelling to help women of color overcome the barriers to quality treatment and long-term survivorship.

Mwalimu Donkor Issa was born in Los Angeles, California, raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and has lived in Roxbury since 1989. He is the Coordinator for Targeted Programs for the Office of Opportunity Gaps and works with the 10 Boys 10 Girls initiative. He received his Bachelor's in English and Africana Studies from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester; he holds a Master's from Boston College in English Curriculum and Instruction along with a Master's degree in Special Education as well.

Donkor believes education is a transformative process that should liberate young people. He says, “education should be a reciprocal process where the educator and the scholar both transform throughout the process. The movie Waiting for Superman was not supposed to leave us feeling sad, rather it was a calling. Everyday I hope that I can continue to be the bridge between where students are and where they want to be.”

Donkor has been in Boston Public Schools for 9 years. His first assignment was as a Cluster Substitute at the Timilty Middle School, where he once was a student. He currently teaches 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts, and Robotics.

#Education #Culture #Mentors #BostonPublicSchools #Youth #Liberation #SwagBenderPodcast #Podcast #Soundcloud #Spotify #STEM #Robotics #Diversity #TeacherDiversity 

Dr. Eric Reed specializes in college and career readiness for youth from urban areas. He finds passion in developing educational and economic platforms to help people from underserved communities thrive in today’s society. He most recently completely a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Dr. Reed is currently the Director of TRIO Student Support Services at EMU. 

Mrs. Kristen Reed was born and raised on the west side of Detroit, the oldest of 10 children. After graduating from Cass Tech High School, Mrs. Reed attended Eastern Michigan University and earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work (MSW). After completing her MSW, Mrs. Reed began working as a school Social Worker at University Prep Middle School in Detroit, MI and she now serves in a similar role as an Intervention Specialist at Forsythe Middle School in Ann Arbor, MI. 

They both currently own several properties under their real estate business.

Eric Reed Instagram: @phd.ereed

Kristen Reed Instagram: @msglamdollhot

#SwagBenderPodcast #Podcast #Intervention #Specialist #TRIO #TRIOSSS #TRIOWORKS #PowerCouple #InvestmentProperties #Dissertation #MiddleSchool #HigherEd #Education #michigan #EMU #EasternMichigan

Kemisha Denny is the HIV Care Engagement Coordinator for Maryland Department of Health. She recently graduated from University of New England with her Masters in Public Health with a focus on Community and Global Health. She received her Bachelor's degree from George Mason University in Health Promotion. Graduated from Dean College in Associates Degree in Athletic Training. 

Capstone Title: Addressing STI Rates in Adolescents living in Dorchester County, MD

Social Media: 

Twitter: @miishaa11

IG: @miishaa_

LinkedIn: Kemisha Denny

Malissa Sanon is a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the Educational Leadership and Research Methodology program. Her concentration is in higher education. Sanon has presented at American Education Research Association (AERA) in 2016, University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) in 2017, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) in 2018. Currently, Sanon’s dissertation topic focuses on the Lived Collegiate Experience of Black Male Students who Have Dealt with Suicide Ideation. As a Haitian first-generation college student, Sanon has first-hand experience of hardships. There was a time when she wanted to give up because of the adversities and burdens that she faced in college, but she is resilient. Her aim is to inspire others facing hardships through her research, writing, and presentations. Sanon earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Florida Gulf Coast University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Florida Atlantic University. It is important that Sanon tells her story of challenges so that others may be encouraged and continue their pursuit in higher education. Sanon is the Coordinator of Multicultural Programs for the Center of Diversity and Inclusive Michigan Technological University.

Dr. Terrance J. McClain, is a Student Development Specialist at Texas State University and recently defended his dissertation titled Advising African American Males: From the Advisors Viewpoint. The purpose of this study was to analyze workplace learning experiences of professional academic advisors, utilizing adult learning theories (in particular, self- directed learning, experiential learning, and transformative learning). Specifically, this study sought to understand how advisors learn to serve African American males more effectively. Terrance is also a member of NACADA Region 7(National Association of Academic Advisors) where he won, Best Presentation Award in 2015.

Erline Hertilien is the Director of Leadership, Development, & Governance for Building Excellent Schools. She travels all over the country in support of fellows past and present. She advises leaders on board member recruitment, best practices, and general board governance. She is also the co-founder of Community Enrichment Scholars Foundation where their mission is to promote successful academic growth and career development for underserved high school graduates – our scholars – through scholarships, individual mentoring, and professional networking opportunities. Erline holds a  Masters of Education in Higher Education from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Stockton University.

https://www.cesfoundation.us/

Mr. Jeff Dess is the Co-Founder of Trill or Not Trill. He’s also a writer, professor, public speaker and emcee of Haitian descent. He is an author of 5 books of poetry, including his latest, Trill Motivation With over ten years of performing and student affairs experience under his belt Mr. Jeff Dess continues to strive towards helping students reach their highest potential. Mr. Jeff Dess is an author of five books with a Masters Degree in English Literature. Trill or Not Trill is a consulting firm, speaker’s bureau, media platform, alternative classroom, blog, and educational platform made to integrate culturally relevant content within the world of student development and leadership by bringing together voices from pop culture and education to student affairs. Trill or Not Trillis is currently on tour. Check out the website https://www.trillornottrill.com He also works as the Director of Campus Life at New Jersey City University.

Patrick Phillips, “The Change Agent,” is a doctoral student, college instructor, urban education specialist, award-winning speaker and author, certified educator, and school social worker. He is a recipient of the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award and the author of The Intentional Student: 17 Strategies To Survive & Thrive In College From Day 1, Decisions: A Young Man’s Guide to Avoiding the Traps, Change 101: Average Is Crowded, and the Decisions: Success Is Optional curriculum. Mr. Phillips is a graduate of Georgia State University (GSU). He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in social work.

Through his work, Patrick has partnered with various organizations, schools, colleges and companies throughout the United States. Additionally, his motivational/educational videos and audiotapes, which have more than 200,000 views and listens on YouTube and various social media platforms, have been played in classrooms and for organizations throughout the United States. He continues to facilitate change one engagement at a time.

We discuss his new book Don’t Just Love Your Son… Raise Him 15 Thought Provoking Questions For Single Mothers Raising Sons.

Austin Ashe is back to kick off season 2. He is the Associate Director, MIT Sloan Undergraduate Education & PhD candidate at UMass Boston. His research examines using Hip-Hop to inform pedagogy in ways that will make for more engaging, relevant, sustaining, and validating classrooms for students of color and others underrepresented (or unseen) by dominant culture practices and pedagogies. We discuss:

Hip Hop Pedagogy: What is it and How does it look in the classroom?

Let’s talk about the 2 Chainz album “Rap or Go to the League” 14:00

Meek Mill new album(8 out of 10) 30:00

Solange’ sophomore album (6.5 out of 10) 50:00

Is Black Thought the best ever? 53:00

Soulja Boy reflection 57:00

What’s Next? 59:00

Dissertation progress 1:00:00

In this episode, Dr. Henry and David Sher recap week 2 of the playoffs and discuss the upcoming AFC & NFC championship games. 

In this episode, Dr. Henry and David Sher discuss Week 2 of the NFL playoffs. A few topics covered include:

AFC--
-Pats again?
-Chargers most well rounded team?
-Passing the torch to Luck?
-KC will the sexy big plays work in January?

NFC--
- Foles ... nuff said
- Are the cowboys back?
- One more for Brees
-Are the Rams the new dynasty?

In this episode Dr. Henry interviews Boston Public School Math Teacher Kwame Sarfo-Mensah. In this interview Kwame discusses why he became an educator, his newly released book Shaping The Teacher Identity, and techniques for engaging the community in the education system, and the importance of increasing the number of Black Male Educators. 

Dr. Henry talks with Dr. Monica Hall Porter. Assistant Professor of Biology, Science Program Director, at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts. Dr Porter talks about her current work in STEM at Lasell College, MIT, her journey from Texas to Massachusetts, as well as her adoration of Black Panther character Princess Shuri, which is played by Guyanese-British actress, Leticia Wright.