Everyday Ubuntu

This week’s guest teaches us that it is our differences that make us stronger. Meet Alphonso B. David, an accomplished and nationally recognized LGBTQ2S+ civil rights lawyer and advocate, and the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Mr. David is the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of colour to serve as president of HRC in the organization’s nearly 40-year history. He has served at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ2S+ equality for more than a decade and has worked at both the state and national levels.

In this episode, the two discuss his approach to leadership, an approach based on spirit instead of ego, as well as the skills and tools he brings to his role as HRC's first civil rights lawyer as President. He shares his upbringing in the U.S. and Liberia and the effect it had on his view of the value of democracy and the purpose of life. Mr. David also speaks about his experience being a leader in a historically white space and how making a real change means putting ourselves in the shoes of others, while using our history to inform and learn from our current experience. To learn more visit, www.hrc.org.

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This week on the podcast, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by Theodore R. Johnson III. Theodore is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Fellows Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, where he undertakes research on race, politics, and American identity. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, he was a National Fellow at New America and a Commander in the United States Navy, serving for twenty years in a variety of positions, including as a White House Fellow in the first Obama administration and as speechwriter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His work on race relations has appeared in prominent national publications across the political spectrum, such as the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the National Review.

In this conversation, Mungi and Theodore touch on his time in the military, the challenges the military faces and the paradox of the Black American experience. Theodore also speaks about his book, When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America, which outlines a path toward multiracial national solidarity to finally overcome the existential threat of racism in the United States. He shares honestly where he is in his life's purpose and explains the concept of the power in "I am" instead of "my name is."

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This week, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by Carole Stone CBE. Carole is a British Author and Freelance Radio and Television Broadcaster, who spent 27 years at the BBC, starting her career as a newsroom secretary and eventually becoming the producer of Radio 4‘s flagship discussion programme, 'Any Questions?' In 2018, Stone established The Carole Stone Foundation to support her belief that connecting people, exchanging ideas, and building friendships around the world is essential to creating a more equitable society.

In this episode, Mungi and Carole discuss why networking is so important, and Carole speaks about her journey through grief following the death of her husband, Richard Lindley, in late 2019. The two discuss the causes close to Carole's heart, including eliminating domestic violence and mental health awareness. With both of these causes, Carole highlights the importance of people sharing their stories. She is a true champion for kindness, and like Mungi, is inspired by her mother!

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Today’s guest is the epitome of leadership. This week on the podcast, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. Serving as Wisconsin's 45th Lieutenant Governor, he was elected on November 8th, 2018 and is the first African American to serve as a Lieutenant Governor in Wisconsin— the second African American to ever hold statewide office. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lt. Gov. Barnes is the son of a public-school teacher and a manufacturing assembly line worker—both union members to whom he credits with shaping his worldview. The Lieutenant Governor and Mungi discuss the importance of public service in his life, what his role entails, and what needs to change in U.S. politics. Lt. Governor Barnes also shares how his role interacts with structural racism and police violence, and how he tries to create and build bridges. Like many of us, his greatest fear for humanity is climate change, which is why his role serving as the Chair of the Governor's Task Force on Climate Change is so important to him.

Milwaukee has been described as one of the worst places to be raised Black, but Lieutenant Governor Barnes was able to see first-hand the difference that opportunity makes. Listen to this episode to hear how he uses a platform of sustainability and equity to fight for solutions that invest in opportunities and fairness for every child, person and family in Wisconsin.

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This week, Mungi is joined by Randy S. Stevens, the Head of St. Timothy's boarding school for girls, where she attended high school. Randy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Studies from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s of Public Administration from Cornell University. Previously, Randy held various administrative positions including Robert G. Engel Associate Dean of Students at Cornell and served as Dean of Student Life at Northfield Mount Hermon School. In this interview, Randy discusses how he got into education, and some difficult moments that taught him that you always have to have a plan B, plan C or sometimes, even a plan D. Randy and Mungi discuss the importance of teaching critical thinking, and how her time at St. Timothy's shaped her as a woman. Since St. Timothy's was all-white at its founding, Mungi asks how conversations around race have been handled and encouraged at the school. The two speak about girl's education and the pros of single-sex education.

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This week on the podcast, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by John Allen, a South African journalist with experience in newspapers, news agencies, a journalists’ union, churches and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Over the course of his career, John has worked in the U.S., the U.K and South Africa, and has won awards in South Africa for his excellence in defence of press freedom, and in the U.S. for excellence in church journalism. John shares his experience working with Mungi's grandfather Archbishop Desmond Tutu for years, and how he went on to write a biography about him titled, "Rabble-Rouser for Peace". The two speak about the importance of relationships and our human qualities that are missing from our resumes, and the skills needed to be a decent journalist in this time of immense misinformation and disinformation.

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This week, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by British actress, director, and writer Kelechi Okafor. Kelechi is the host of the Say Your Mind podcast, where she explores her journey of unapologetic self-acceptance. Mungi and Kelechi discuss the serious topics of motherhood, racism, and dealing with and overcoming shame. The two discuss the ever-changing concept of empowerment, and how they hope to inspire people to empower themselves in the work they do. Listen to this episode to hear why it’s so important to step into yourself unapologetically and not allow Black people's humanity to be put on the table for discussion. To see and hear more of Kelechi, visit www.kelechiokafor.com

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Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American, born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. A well-known businessman and entrepreneur, he is a managing partner of Applied Information Management, a consulting firm specializing in business development with a niche focus on start-ups and providing executive counsel. Sam is known for being instrumental in the establishment of two publicly traded firms: the Palestine Telecommunications Company, which was the first Palestinian private telecommunications platform, and the Arab Palestinian Shopping Center.

Sam writes frequently on Palestinian affairs and has been widely published in leading outlets. He is currently an independent director at the Arab Islamic Bank, a policy analyst at Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, and an advisory board member of the Open Society Foundations’ MENA Office. Bahour serves in various capacities in several community organizations, including co-founder of Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy, and board member of Just Vision in Washington, D.C. In this enlightening conversation, Sam talks to host Mungi Ngomane about the true source of his motivation behind all the work he does.

This episode dives deep into the dignity of the Palestinian people, explains the BDS movement, and discusses the international community's responsibility and lack of action when it comes to Israel-Palestine— as well as what is likely to change and remain the same under the new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennet. Sam also shares some advice for activists and those who may not consider themselves activists. Find him tweeting at @SamBahour and see his blogs and recommended reading list at www.epalestine.ps

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This week, Olivia Charmaine Morris joins host Mungi Ngomane to talk authenticity, inclusion, and intersectionality. With over a decade of industry experience, Olivia is a film & TV producer, having worked for Kerry Washington's Simpson Street Productions, as well as current shows like "The Last OG", starring Tiffany Haddish and Tracy Morgan. In 2020, Olivia felt the urge to create an authentic space that embraces intersectionality and fosters inclusion. This urge led her to start her own production company, Black Monarch Entertainment. Olivia discusses the lessons she has learned from opening a production company during a pandemic, and the importance of maintaining relationships with her peers in Black Hollywood and Hollywood. To learn more about Olivia and Black Monarch Entertainment, visit www.oliviacharmaine.com

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This week, host Mungi Ngomane is joined by the Canadian actor and producer behind the Netflix show 21 Thunder, Emmanuel Kabongo. While today he is known for his acting work, few people know that years ago, Emmanuel had to make a choice between the stage and his other passion, basketball. Emmanuel opens up to Mungi about his family's journey moving from the Congo to South Africa, and finally, Canada, and discusses the hardships his family endured while living in South Africa. Listen as the pair discuss the importance of relying on faith and discipline and the role that Emmanuel's mother played in teaching him about honour and sacrifice.

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