Welcome Dr. Ayoka Bell to the Blue, Gold and BLACK Podcast. Dr. Bell is a licensed clinical psychologist who currently works in the UCR Counseling and Psychological Services. Recalling her roots, she guides us through a childhood immersed in the Black Panther Education Program and touched by the mature realities of early race consciousness. Enveloped by a strong family tradition of education by any means, obtaining a Ph.D. might have been destiny, but the journey there was an Adventure rivaling the Odessey. Empathy for self and others is key in Dr. Bell’s practice. Empathy used to build bridges across communities and spaces could be the element that creates trust in our socially divided world.