Free Thinking with Montel

Over the past quarter century, there has been a profound change in the involvement of women within the criminal justice system. This is the result of more expansive law enforcement efforts, stiffer drug sentencing laws, and post-conviction barriers to reentry that uniquely affect women. The female incarcerated population stands over seven times higher than in 1980. More than 60% of women in state prisons have a child under the age of 18.On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Qiana Johnson, the founder of Life After Release Inc, a formerly incarcerated women-led organization supporting system involved people in DC, Maryland & Virginia. She is organizing to build a post-conviction movement challenging the integrity of convictions and the judicial system. She is a local community organizer with Black Lives Matter DC, a national trainer with Silicon Valley Debug, Participatory Defense, and a proud member of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you know there are now 2.8 million people worldwide who have multiple sclerosis according to the most extensive global study to date? That means every 5 minutes, someone, somewhere in the world is diagnosed with MS. Nearly 1 million of them are living in the United States.On this epsiode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Dr george Jelink. Dr Jelinek has dedicated his life to the epidemiology of MS. He is an Australian doctor who is a professor and the founder of the Neuroepidemiology Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. This unit expressly evaluates modifiable risk factors that predict the progression of Multiple sclerosis. He has served as the Chief Editor for Neuroepidemiology in the journal Frontiers in Neurology since 2017 and was the Founding Editor – and is currently the Editor Emeritus – for Emergency Medicine Australasia. Between 1987 and 2018, he published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and eight books, and received more than 20 research grants. In 2012 he founded the non-profit, Overcoming MS, to help empower people with MS to take control of their health through lifestyle choices. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christy Pennison is a board-certified professional counselor with over 10 years of experience, a mental health consultant, and owner of Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting in Alexandria, Louisiana. Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting was created out of a passion to help individuals, children, and families by inspiring hope for change; the team of counselors has over 30 years of combined experience. She is a mental health advocate and community leader, who spearheads her local community counselors’ chapter of the Louisiana Counselors Association. Christy talks with Montel on this epsiode of Free Thinking about the importance of mental wellbeing, connections, relationships, and fostering community. She is passionate about inspiring hope for change through counseling, consulting, and speaking to help individuals of all ages move forward and live fully. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Carmelo Rodriguez, author of Dead Soldier: Story of the Living, which chronicles his story of being misclassified as “dead” by the VA, which then shares that information with social security and the IRS to make matters worse. An astonishing 4,200 vets, who are very much alive, have been mistakenly classified as deceased and had their VA benefits cut off during a recent five-year period. Carmelo is a six-time author, film maker, actor, Certified Life & Confidence Coach, and an Army Combat Veteran. He holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Business Administration. He honed the science of Life Coaching and Confidence Coaching and has designed a self- development program for military service members transitioning to civilian life. He was announced as one of the top 20 most influential people in 2020 by multiple media platforms. Even with his extensive academic and professional background, he considers himself a continuous learner and believes that his journey as a life coach and public speaker has brought immense meaning and satisfaction to his life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel chats with Jerome Foster II, an 18-year-old climate justice activist, voting rights advocate, and emerging technology developer. His work as a leader in the youth climate movement has been recognized on the international stage. He serves as the youngest member of the Biden White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. He’s the Executive Director & Founder of OneMillionOfUs, which is mobilizing a new generation of young people to register and turnout to vote. He is the Founder and Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Climate Reporter, an international youth-led climate-focused news outlet. He has spoken at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, met with world leaders, and has helped to pass the Clean Energy DC Act which is one of the most aggressive and comprehensive decarbonization bills being implemented in the nation. He was awarded the World Series of Entrepreneurship and has been featured in TIME Magazine, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The Washington Post, New York Times, and many more. He has also been awarded the Amnesty International Ambassadors of Conscience Highest Human Rights Award alongside Greta Thunberg and other youth climate leaders. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to the latest statistics available from the CDC, Traumatic Brain Injury, also known as TBI, is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. We most often associate TBI with our military veterans, but many others are afflicted with TBI due to sports and accidents. In 2014 falls accounted for almost half of all TBI related emergency room visits.On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Dr Mark Gordon, a Neuro-Endocrinologist specializing in TBI, and Jerri Sher, the Emmy Award winning filmmaker behind the Documentary “Quiet Explosions.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with renown neurologist, Dr David Perlmutter. Dr Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He serves as the medical advisor for the Dr. Oz Show and Men’s Health and is an associate professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to neurological disorders. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by several medical institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, and Harvard University. He is a 5-time New York Times bestselling author, and his 2013 bestseller, Grain Brain, has more than 1.5 million copies in print, has been published in multiple languages, and is available in 20 countries across the globe. Grain Brain kickstarted a revolution and empowers its readers to take control of their health to achieve optimal wellness for lifelong vitality. Since its publication, Grain Brain has reached #1 on multiple best-seller lists, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Shirley Raines, founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz, a non-profit organization that has supported the homeless community in Los Angeles for the last four years. Every Saturday, rain or shine, she and her team come out to share a hot home-cooked meal, conversation, and most importantly connection. Skid Row is the epicenter of Los Angeles’ homeless community, with about 5,000 people experiencing homelessness lining its corridors. For four years, Raines and her team of volunteers have made weekly visits to Skid Row to distribute donated food, hygiene products and other necessities. Beauty 2 The Streetz has also provided something unique — free beauty makeovers to the community's cisgender and transgender women. Her services were crucial before COVID-19 hit, but are even more so now, as she provides the community with essential PPE, hand sanitizer, and information on social distancing and virus prevention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel talks with Porsche Williams, a Navy veteran who’s an active member of the Veterans Mental Health Advisory Council at Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She is a Suicide Intervention Instructor and founder of Restore Life which she started in 2018 after experiencing her own mental health challenges stemming from her time serving in the Navy during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom war. Her and her team have intervened and prevented hundreds of suicide attempts throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area. She has worked closely with and trained the NFL players association, DC VA Medical center staff, veterans, adolescent, mental health providers, American university police department, Metropolitan Police Department, Maryland’s Sheriff’s department government officials, and many more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Free Thinking, Montel speaks with 33-year-old Financial Activist Dasha Kenned. A St. Louis native with over a decade of experience working as an accountant and default counselor, she created The Broke Black girl which connects, educates, and empowers minority women to achieve financial and mental wellness. The Broke Black Girl provides a safe and supportive space for women to openly discuss their financial hardships, advance their financial literacy, and seek free assistance from the professionals in the group. The platform has exceeded 60,000 women within one year, reaching women in 38 states and 96 countries. The Broke Black Girl has been featured on People, Elite Daily, Black Enterprise Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.