Guess Who’s Got Next? Regina & John Jenkins Jr., when a survivor speaks...Talk Save Lives!

Today I want to share a Grief Talk segment with special guest Regina & John Jenkins Jr. “After The Storm”

When their 19 year old son Tre’ was tragically killed by a senseless act of gun violence, Regina & John faced the storm of a lifetime. Married for only 3 years at the time they found themselves at a crossroad, experiencing the most unthinkable and unique pain that accompanies the loss of a child.

This storm would test their love, marriage, and faith. Now as Authors of “After The Storm” they share their story around the country to let others know there is hope. The journey wasn’t easy; their belief in God is what carried them through. They turned their pain into action giving back to their community by organizing the Tre’ Devon Lane Foundation; which charitable purpose is to support college bound students reach their financial goal planning. The duo also supports ordinary people within their community who’s doing extraordinary things.

Regina & John has partnered with several organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, Ben’s Way, Million Mom March, The Brady Campaign, Cornelius Boakai Foundation and Not In Our Neighborhood. They have also participated in the 2019 Presidential Iowa Caucuses and other national gun safety campaigns, continuing their efforts of making a difference across America.

You can find After The Storm on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/After-Storm-Journey-through-Grief-ebook/dp/B07STPDPTZ/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=after+the+storm&qid=1590681578&sr=8-5

You can visit Regina & John Foundation Community Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/TheTreDevonLaneFoundation

OTHER VIDEOS IN THIS EVERYTOWN SURVIVOR FELLOW SERIES:

EP: 5.17.20 Grief Talk w/Rachel Maurice Life After A Mass Shooting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9aeVULy3TM&t=68s

EP: 5.15.20-Grief Talk w/Olga Williams Dominique's Life Mattered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXgIj1HuXYM&t=287s

EP: 5.5.20 Grief Talk-w/Cynthia Freeman "In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Vfeq4JfCs&t=730s

MIAMI KNIGHT LLC:

To book a guest appearance on It’s The Miami Knight Show Grief Talk:

https://miamiknightllc.com/grief-services/ola/services/copy-of-grief-talk-guest-appearance

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Check out more of The It’s The Miami Knight Show-Grief Talk on Soundcloud, ITunes, or on our website:

https://miamiknightllc.com/grief-talk-podcast-1

Rachel Maurice is a Mass Shooting Survivor and a Gun Violence Prevention Advocate for several non-profit organizations such as; Moms Demand Action, Everytown Survivor Network, the Rebels Project and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She enjoys working in peer support networks helping other survivors of gun violence, most of all those affected by high school shootings. Let's welcome her.

Olga "Loto" Williams is a wife, mother, business owner, and now a survivor of gun violence. In 2015 her 17 year old "bonus son" Dominique Williams was murdered by another teenager while visiting Coligny Beach, South Carolina with friends.

Olga and her husband Leroy decided there is a lot of work had to be done for the youth in their community. They were passionate about giving them an outlet other than violence, a voice other than anger showing them simple acts of kindness and how love can go a long way.

Since Dominique's murder she became an active Moms Demand Action volunteer, and has partnered with several local organizations, speaking to any array of audiences about gun violence and the effects it is has on our communities. Olga was also recently selected as an Everytown Survivor Fellow a national organization that brings awareness to gun violence through story sharing.

Dominique’s world was designed to influence the wayward youth by inspiring, empowering, and igniting them through various mentoring initiatives and activities. Let’s welcome her.

Cynthia Freeman is a licensed Commercial Auto Claims Adjuster for a Fortune 500 Insurance Company for over 19 years. She believes that life insurance is a vital asset for African Americans, and it’s a valuable investment when it comes to wealth creations.

Our culture is not good at investing in life insurance, so I wanted to promote and educate others to do so, she shares. She enjoys volunteering, as a Level 1 Archery Instructor and she also a licensed a Notary Public.

Unfortunately murder has become a common state of being these days….and she’s knows the affect of that pain all too well. Cynthia lost her son Danejer LaRae “Danger” Freeman to a traumatic senseless stabbing. In Cynthia story share she states “If I can help one person find hope, then that fulfills my life even more.”

Cynthia upcoming journey is to self publish her love letter poems written to her son for over the past 20 plus years, She looking forward to working with a team to research documentary why murder and death is so unusually high on both sides of my family. She is also the creator of MOMSY and TeamMomsy an Event Décor and Sweet Treat Design Company. Cynthia is a Moms Demand Action and Everytown survivor volunteer in the Georgia region advocating on losing our children to the variations of all senseless violence.

Warning: This episode contains intrusive thoughts and emotions felt during Danejer's murder trial. Each opinion or statements were Cynthia Freeman’s own. Listen with a mother’s heart and kind ear. Let’s thank God for grace!

#ItsTheMiamiKnightShow #GriefTalk

Dr. Angela Powell-Smith earned her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University. She is a Former Board Member for Licensed Professional Counseling Association (LPCA), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Certified Gatekeeper Instructor (Q-P-R Suicide Prevention), Clinically Certified Criminal Justice Specialist (CCCJS), Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) and Master Addiction Counselor (MAC).

For more than two decades, Dr. Powell-Smith has served as a treatment provider and consultant in various criminal justice and substance abuse treatment settings throughout the State of Georgia. She facilitates aftercare substance abuse groups for the Department of Community Supervision (DCS) through Spectrum Health Systems as well as evidence-based social skills training groups for the Dekalb County Misdemeanor Mental Health Court (MMHC), volunteers (quarterly) with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office (Teen Interception Program- TIP) and Chaplain for the Atlanta Dream Team (Women’s National Basketball Association- WNBA). She has a private practice (Making Your Heart Lighter, LLC) and 501C3 (Family and Community Support Services, Inc). https://makingyourheartlighter.com/

She enjoys facilitating Monday morning “Real Women” Bible Studies, teaching basketball skills to her grandchildren, bowling, ping-pong, listening to good sermons on TV, learning new gospel songs, sponsoring an annual Music Therapy Program in memory of her mother for people navigating grief and loss AND chilling waiting for her next God-assignment.

In January 2019, she published an article for the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia entitled, “A Closer Look At Homicide Survivors: The Under-Acknowledged At-Risk Citizens. She is also a co-author of the book, “Even So” (Stories of Hope and Encouragement) which was published September 2019. She is also a Homicide Survivor.

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/arrest-made-in-beloved-veteran-yoga-teachers-murder

Welcome I’m your Guide Miami Knight

This letting go of the worry, fears, and pain exercise removes invading interactive thought patterns that cling onto your belief system.

It is important to have a clear perception; about the things you fear and worry about the most. Releasing them helps to bring us into a higher perspective of our truth. This mediation will help you focus on self-awareness as you evaluate, manage, and align your thoughts and emotions.

©Miami Knight LLC 2020

Adriana Pentz is a mother, activist, and community leader in Westchester, NY. She works at the intersection of alcohol addiction and maternal mental health, leading community and building programs for individuals impacted by mental health and substance use. Her volunteer work includes serving as a local volunteer for Moms Demand Action Westchester. She was recently selected as a Fellow in the Everytown Survivor Network, working towards ending gun violence. In 2017, Adriana lost her younger brother Luc-John Pentz to a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

Julvonnia McDowell is a woman of Faith and Godly proud military wife and mom. She's a gun violence survivor, a fellow with Everytown Survivor Network and the Survivor Membership Lead for Georgia. During her four years as a fellow, Julvonnia has shared her survivor story to array of audiences; to include features in Essence, Vogue, Humanity and People magazines.

Julvonnia’s 14 year old son, JaJuan was shot and killed April 7, 2016 by another teen playing with an unsecured gun. This tragedy is what led to Julvonnia’s activism. She is also very active with the Be SMART program and a gun safety champion. She shares the importance of Be SMART and the 5 simple steps that both gun owners and non-gun owners can take to keep our children safe. She works with several local organizations educating and speaking to youth about teen gun violence and suicide. Her favorite quote is that by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

She's a fierce advocate in which her pain has birth her purpose. Julvonnia has been nominated as a Remarkable Woman. She is in the running as 1 of the 6 top finalist to win the title "Remarkable Woman of the year," out of 120 finalist across the United States. She's fierce, she's Remarkable and she's purposeful.

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Take a listen as she passionately discuss “Remarkable Woman” on Episode: 4.3.20 with our Grief Nation Listeners.

JoAnn Dean has been helping others gain clarity, elevate their confidence and move into action for over 20 years!

She’s known for being a trustworthy thought leader with a calm demeanor who over delivers. She privately helps professional women grow in areas they didn’t anticipate, recapturing their power and decoding programming that no longer serves them. JoAnn is tremendously compassionate and transparent which opens the door for her clients to feel safe, embracing their own journey. Her process includes asking questions that gets to the source of mental blockages and hidden emotional baggage. She holds you accountable in order to expand and experience your breakthrough!

JoAnn Dean is the founder of Inspired By JoAnn, LLC. It’s the place where possibilities are awakened and hearts are healed as dreams are redirected through Professional Life Coaching, Sister Circle Retreats and Messages of Inspiration.

JoAnn is a five-time self-published author. A proud graduate of Southern University at New Orleans, where she obtained both a Bachelors & Master’s Degree in Social Worker. She is an alumnus of DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative and Life Purpose Institute where she obtained her Life Coaching Certification. JoAnn was featured in VoyageATL Magazine in 2019.

She currently serves as the Executive Director of Willie Dean Ministries Inc., a non-profit organization founded by her husband to offer hope to families in need.

Diana Curtis is a sought-after grief recovery specialist, educator, coach, and speaker with a history of great successes in her work. After healing her own crippling pain of grief, Diana turned her pain of loss into a legacy of purpose and impact. 

Diana created, “Coaching to the Heart, LLC”, a coaching practice, to support other women seeking transformational breakthrough in their lives. 

She specializes in working with women without mothers to create a sacred path for healing that honors themselves and loved ones.  

She helps them gain clarity of purpose, build legacy, and introduce their gifts to the world while being well-rewarded for their gifts.   As the creator of "Grief Healing Solutions™, she offers a variety of holistic approaches to processing grief with attention to "easy peaceful coping" for anyone suffering from the pain of loss