In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on what it truly means to be “the first” — not as a slogan, but as a lived experience.

When Tony left Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to attend the University of Tampa, he entered a world no one in his immediate circle had experienced. There was no social media, no campus visit, no one close by who could explain the culture, the distance, or the emotional weight of being 900 miles from home at a predominantly white private institution.

This conversation explores the difference between going somewhere new and going somewhere new without a roadmap. Tony breaks down the uncertainty, isolation, adjustment, and growth that come with being the first person in your circle to step into unfamiliar territory — and why every success and mistake feels different when you are learning in real time.

This is a reflection for anyone who has ever had to figure it out alone, build their own reference points, and survive spaces they were never fully prepared to enter.  

Have you ever been the first in your family, your circle, or your community to step into a space nobody could prepare you for? Share your story in the comments. Your experience may be the roadmap someone else needs.

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In this episode of In the Know with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on a season when he felt professionally stuck after completing graduate school.

On paper, he had done everything right: earned the degree, kept working full-time, and positioned himself for growth. But once graduation passed, nothing changed — because he had not created a plan for what came next. Through this personal story, Tony breaks down a hard but necessary lesson: sometimes we are waiting for doors to open when we have not even started looking for them. He shares how he moved from frustration and stagnation to clarity by asking himself three simple but powerful questions: What do I want? What do I want to do? What do I want next?

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck in their career, unsure about their next move, or frustrated because their hard work has not automatically turned into opportunity.

If you’re feeling stuck professionally, take a moment today and ask yourself: What do I want next — and what am I doing to move toward it? Then share this episode with someone who may need that same reminder.

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In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on a defining high school experience with his biology teacher, Miss Jewel Watley, at Pine Bluff High School. What began as intimidation — being placed in the school’s first AP Biology class alongside some of the top students in his class — later became one of the most important turning points in his educational and professional journey.

This episode explores the role of Black educators, the “it takes a village” philosophy, and the responsibility older generations often felt to identify, challenge, and cultivate young Black talent. Tony connects that classroom experience to his later path through biology, public health, occupational safety, law school, and Social Security Disability practice.

This is a reflection on mentorship, community responsibility, and the quiet ways someone else’s belief can redirect an entire life.

After listening, think about the person who pushed you before you understood why. Send this episode to them if they are still here — or share their name, their lesson, or their impact with someone else. And subscribe to The Anthony Reeves Experience for more grounded reflections on life, identity, career, history, and the systems that shaped us.

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In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the major professional pivot points that shaped his career — from state employment to military service, law school, private practice, entrepreneurship, and the judiciary.

This conversation is not about chasing titles or making reckless moves. It is about understanding that every career decision happens inside a specific season of life. The facts, pressures, risks, and opportunities change as you evolve. Tony breaks down why career crossroads are rarely simple, why money and status are only part of the equation, and why learning to trust your analysis is essential when the outcome is uncertain. 

Subscribe for more reflective conversations on career, identity, systems, and lived experience — and share this episode with someone facing a professional decision.

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In this episode, Tony Reeves answers a question he has been asked many times:
Why did you go to law school?

The answer is not as polished or predictable as some might expect. Tony reflects on growing up as part of Generation X, watching his mother’s educational journey, and being shaped by the belief that education was the gateway to security, survival, and opportunity. He shares how law school became both a personal milestone and a professional contingency plan—even though he had no clear idea where the degree would take him.

Along the way, he opens up about imposter syndrome, fear of failure, and what it felt like to move through law school without fully believing he belonged there.

This episode is a candid reflection on education, ambition, generational conditioning, professional identity, and how sometimes the decisions we make out of uncertainty still become the foundation for everything that comes next.

Call to Action
Before you commit to the next degree, certification, job move, or major life decision, ask yourself one question: Am I doing this because it gives me real leverage for the future—or because I’m chasing security without a plan?

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In this episode of The Anthony Reeves Experience, Tony Reeves reflects on what it means to be part of Black Generation X — a generation raised by parents, grandparents, and elders who lived through Jim Crow, segregation, discrimination, and daily racial hostility.

Many of those elders did not share the full weight of what they experienced. They protected their children from the burden of the trauma, while still passing down the lessons they learned from surviving it.

Tony discusses family history, his grandfather’s military service, his mother’s experiences, the silence surrounding racial trauma, and why understanding the past is not the same as “dwelling” on it.

This episode is a reflection on memory, survival, generational silence, and the wisdom Black Gen X inherited without always knowing the full story behind it.

Call to Action After you listen, think about the elders in your own life. What did they teach you that may have come from something they survived but never fully explained? Share this episode with someone who understands that kind of generational silence.

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In this deeply personal reflection, Tony Reeves shares the emotional experience of selling his mother’s house after her passing.

For decades, that house was more than property—it was an anchor, a family gathering place, and a physical reminder of his mother’s presence. But as Tony walks through the process of clearing out the home, signing the paperwork, and saying goodbye to one of the last tangible connections to his mother, he reflects on a truth many people eventually face: letting go of a thing is not the same as letting go of the person.

This episode is about grief, legacy, family anchors, and learning that the people we love remain with us long after the physical reminders are gone.

CTA
Have you ever had to let go of something that reminded you of someone you loved? Share your story in the comments, and follow In the Know with Tony Reeves for more real conversations about life, loss, legacy, and moving forward.

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During his time as a young Black naval officer at Camp Lejeune, Tony Reeves discovered the profound importance of safe spaces and informal support networks.

What began as casual social gatherings hosted by a fellow officer turned out to be something much deeper: a deliberate effort to build a community where young Black professionals could connect, support one another, and stay aware of unseen risks. 

In this episode, Tony reflects on how those relationships became an invisible infrastructure of protection and guidance — and why having people who watch your back can make all the difference.

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After my mother passed away in 2025, I found myself facing one of the hardest decisions an only child can make: selling the house that had become the center of her life and the anchor point for mine.

Although I didn’t grow up in this house, it became the place I always returned to. It was where family gathered, where friends stayed, and where my mother built the life she had worked so hard to create.

When the time came to clean it out and sell it, I realized I wasn’t just dealing with real estate. I was confronting the loss of the last major physical connection to the person who had been my foundation for nearly six decades.

In this episode, I reflect on grief, legacy, and the difficult truth that letting go of an object does not mean letting go of the person. Sometimes the most important lesson is understanding that the memories, impact, and love remain long after the physical anchor is gone.

If you’ve ever had to say goodbye to a parent, a home, or something that symbolized a significant relationship, this conversation is for you.


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What does it really mean to be Black Generation X? We are the generation that came after the Civil Rights Movement…

Raised to believe progress had already happened…
But lived through experiences that told us something very different. In this video, I break down:

• The reality of growing up as part of the transitional generation
• The difference between progress and the illusion of progress
• How history, culture, and lived experience shaped our perspective
• And most importantly… what Black Gen X must do moving forward

This isn’t just about the past.

This is about our responsibility right now. If you’ve ever felt like you were caught between what you were told and what you experienced…
this conversation is for you.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.