Connections & Conversations with Dee Batiste

Cynthia Williams explains the unique approach her consulting company takes to address community housing issues.

"We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein

Find out More:

MaltaWell Holdings

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Candidly Tiff joined me to discuss the importance of civic engagement and how she models it.

Civic engagement is a type of community involvement. It's modeled in many significant ways to foster community participation that leads to social change.

X: @tify330

IG & TikTok: @candidly_tiff

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Dr. Learotha Williams, Jr. Tennessee State University Professor of African American & Public History. He is also the Coordinator of the North Nashville Heritage Project.  Learn about some the phenominal African American Women who were powerful forces for social change that shaped the landscape of Nashville.

North Nashville Heritage Project

History of North Nashville: Building a Community, Challenging Jim Crow - Video

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In the Presence of Greatness:  AJ Young, Jr. is the Executive Director of Outreach for The Lifeworks Project, a 501(3c) which serves many communities in West Virginia. To close out Black History Month, AJ shares a few childhood stories that I love to highlight because they are filled with brilliant prominent African Americans like Katherine Johnson, who was his personal Algebra tutor. 

The Lifeworks Project

FB: https://www.facebook.com/PracticalSupport4TheValley

IG: thelifeworx

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Lauren Z. and Gwynne C. joined me to discuss a vital intersection of social justice, Social Work and Labor Unions.

The civil rights movement and the labor movement are intertwined. During the Civil Rights Movement, social workers played pivotal roles and still do today by providing individual support, while opposing systemic barriers. Social workers have a code of ethics to uphold social justice.

“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.”  

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Dr. Randy Westbrook and I discuss the history and significance of community art centers.

“Community art is of and by the people of a place and culture, often facilitated by a professional artist. It reflects the values, concerns, and meaning of living in that place or culture.”

There’s a symbiotic relationship between arts programs and community development

The Black Arts Movement was one of many achievements born out of the civil right movement. It only lasted around a decade, but its impact and influence is still visible today. 

For more info:

The Richmond Area Arts Center

I Need You to Survive/ An Evening of Togetherness/  Jan 2025

Book: 50 Years of Exile: The Story of a Band in Transition

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Dr. Mary Marshall shares her amazing personal story as a Historian and archivist.

Your family tree may not be filled with connections to some of America's most iconic African American sites, institutions, and people like Booker T. Washington --but you never know.  Dr. Marshall’s story highlights the richness of African American contributions to the greatness of America.  She reminds us of the importance of preserving and sharing our collective community history. 

For more on Dr. Mary Marshall:

Emory University Library: Mary M. Marshall Collection

Substack: Dr. Mary Marshall (Writings)

YouTube: Mary Marshall's Mission

Event | The Paul Robeson House of Princeton: "Powerful Texts That Change Us" 

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Episode 1 drops on Feb. 2, 2025. 

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