J's Lunch Counter

Episode 9 is live and it is LIT!   Today, on the show - When Race and Politics Collide!  I am joined by my friend Dakarai Dorsett of 10thYearSeniors.com discussing the latest news in the 2016 Presidential Election, focused on Donald Trump's attempts to appeal to black voters.   We discuss the effectiveness of his messaging, how tone deaf the Republicans continue to be, and whether this latest message is actually meant for black people, or from someone else entirely.   We also raise the question about whether some of what Donald Trump says is true - is Hillary Clinton a bigot?  Well, no not that part.  But we tackle whether Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are genuinely courting black voters or if this is all just political opportunism that we can expect every four years!

PLUS, the second half of the show gets heavy with the controversy surrounding NFL Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, and his recent protest during the playing of the national anthem.   The outrage for this protest has been exactly what we've come to expect, and we discuss the real issue behind this protest, and try to understand why the discussion always devolves so quickly.   Listen to hear my first EPIC RANT on this issue, so much that by the end, I was sweating and my hands were shaking, and I spilled ketchup all over my floor.   We also hearken back to the message of Frederick Douglass and his infamous "What to a slave is the 4th of July?" speech as we raise the question - why can't the country understand that the American experience is not the same for everyone.  This was a difficult, yet thoughtful discussion and I promise - you won't want to miss.  For further background on this topic, please check out this article by Bomani Jones on TheUndefeated.com.

TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 8 is all about one of the hottest movies of the summer - SUICIDE SQUAD!   I am joined by good friend Coy Conner, and together we break down all thins Suicide Squad.  Listen as we share our thoughts on all of the characters, the portrayals by Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and of course, Jared Leto as The Joker, what this movie means for the DC films including the upcoming Justice League movie.   We also give our thoughts on the Marvel Universe, how they get right what DC continues to get wrong, and whose comic characters are stronger for the film world!   Plus, you won't want to miss our thoughts on the newest Joker, how he lives up to the legacy of Heath Ledger, and what his future holds in the future DC films.   Also, tune in for Coy's skewering of DC's Gotham tv series on Fox.

We also dig deeper into the Marvel Universe, how Marvel continues to experience success in their film arcs, and where that success is headed.  We also provide an in-depth preview of Marvel's Black Panther film.   In this episode, we dig deep into the world of comics, comic book movies, and the superheroes of the past, present and future.  We also briefly explore comics as a social vehicle, discussing the success and failures of past and present comic characters that represent the diversity of our world, and why some succeed where others struggle.  Plus, learn which comic characters were created to represent the transformative civil rights figures, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. Overall this was a fun show to do , and great reprieve from the more serious shows about politics and race and the news of the day.  

TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo! Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

SOCIAL MEDIA. We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. You can also follow the show on Instagram @JsLunchCounter.  Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 7 is what J's Lunch Counter is all about.  This is the first show recorded live in person, with my long-time friend and guest, Albert Shumake aka DJ Always!  Together, before we talk about the news of the day, we go back in time and share about our backgrounds, looking at the moments when we became aware of race and racism, and what it was like for both of us, with two different backgrounds, on a predominantly white college campus.   We talk about our experiences in life, how those experiences shape our understanding of the world, and what we’ve learned about race from our experiences. Listen to a meaningful conversation about race in America, in response to a Washington Post article that poses an important question of the day - "Why are white people just now waking up to racism?"   We discuss the biggest challenges for people attempting to understand the plights of people from different backgrounds, how race shattered our innocence as children, whether that's different for the current generation, and how it will continue to change in the future.  We go in-depth on our own personal experiences growing up in Kentucky, attending the University of Kentucky, and learning to understand our identity and shape it beyond race in our society.   Learn about the traditions that make it difficult for us to support our alma mater, how we attempted to shape and be shaped by people of different backgrounds, and how our children will experience race.   

We also have a little fun trying to figure out why Frank Ocean still hasn’t released his latest album Boys Don’t Cry, whether Charles Barkley’s new TNT show, The Race Card, is good for black people, and whether Kanye can actually pull off a $30 shoe!   Plus find out which 90’s rap group inspired me to grow my hair out and start wearing bandanas in middle school!

TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo!   Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 6 is the biggest show yet!   For all the political junkie listeners – this one’s for you!  Today we’re talking politics, polls, and the Presidential Election!   Two weeks out of the convention, the race is taking a sharp turn in favor of the Democrats – but will it hold?  Today I am joined by Junis Baldon, and first-timer to J’s Lunch Counter – Kentucky political strategist and analyst, Christian Motley.  Together, the three of us will breakdown the latest in the polling data nationwide, and in each of the battleground states.  We also evaluate how successful the conventions have proven to be for each candidate, and which candidate keeps shooting themselves in the foot? (Hint: It is exactly who you think it is!).    We go in the weeds on all the latest polls, looking at whether Hillary Clinton is in line for a record electoral college victory, whether she can outperform President Obama in 2008 or 2012, how demography and the increase in minority voters will shape this election, and we spend a good amount of time trying to figure out this question – “WHAT EXACTLY IS DONALD TRUMP’S STRATEGY!?!?”  We will also preview the upcoming debates and analyze Trump’s antics leading up to the debate.  We’ll also look at how the presidential race is shaping the down-ballot races, especially some of the closer races for Senate.  

TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo!   Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us atwww.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 5 continues our conversation with Renaldo Dorsett of 10thYearSeniors.com and Junis Baldon discussing the complexities of being a professional athlete who speaks out on issues of social justice, and how athletes are perceived by the media and their fan-bases as they get involved in meaningful causes.   In Part 2 of this conversation, we break down how Serena Williams has been perceived by the media and how that perception continues to change throughout her career.   We discuss the legendary OJ Simpson trial and aftermath and how race shaped his story and his perception by the media, both during his career at USC and in the NFL, and in the aftermath of the infamous trial. The guys move on to Tiger Woods and how he chose to navigate the waters of being a multi-racial athlete who avoided controversial issues until he found himself at the center of the controversy. Also, listen for the hottest of takes about Michael Jordan, his infamous “Republicans wear sneakers too” comment in the early 90’s, the opportunities he passed up to use his platform for certain causes during his career with the Chicago Bulls, and why Air Jordan finally decided to speak out now, and whether his words will have any impact, or if it was simply too late for Nike’s most iconic player to actually be relevant in the discussion of race.   In the wake of the killings of unarmed black civilians, and the killings of police officers, and national unrest, our most beloved superstars struggle to lend a voice to the problems we see around us.   The guys shape their discussion around how this challenge is faced by athletes in different sports, and what we can expect in the future from some of the rising stars across the NBA, NFL and all other sports.   This is PART 2 of a 2 Part conversation, so be sure to go back and check out Part 1 if you missed it!

TELL A FRIEND. J’s Lunch Counter is a platform for each of you to engage in conversation that matters, so please help others join the convo!   Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!   Share our posts on Facebook and Twitter and let your friends know what you find most interesting about each show!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

We would also love for you to follow along on social media!   Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us atwww.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode 4 finally steps away from the presidential election and the Donald Trump Hillary Clinton saga and instead brings you an important, fun conversation on athletes and their roles in social activism especially on issues of the day including race and black lives matter.   Jonah is joined by Junis Baldon, and introduces the audience to his good friend Renaldo Dorsett, sportswriter and editor of 10thYearSeniors.com and co-host of the 10thYearSeniors Podcast.   The three take on a host of issues involving the influential figures in our sports world, the role and responsibility they share in using their platform to advance social causes, and the factors that exist to keep athletes from speaking out.  We look deeper into the recent efforts of NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony and his involvement with Black Lives Matter, the responsibility of Lebron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony at the 2016 ESPY Awards, how these men compare to NFL legend Jim Brown and boxing legend Muhammad Ali from the iconic Ali Summit in 1967 in Cleveland, OH.  They also discuss the imagery of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and whether we can expect to see that magnitude of protest again. This is PART 1 of a 2 Part conversation, so be sure and tune in next week for the conclusion of the show!

TELL A FRIEND. Stay tuned for future episodes of J's Lunch Counter.  Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us atwww.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES.  Enjoying what you've heard so far?  Then take a moment to leave a review.  Reviews help us move up the ranks so that more people will have access to the show!   Thanks again for all your support!

Episode Three of J's Lunch Counter - The Podcast! covers the best and worst of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, including the politics and pageantry and political theater in Philadelphia.  In today's hour-plus episode, Jonah goes solo, breaking down the highlights and lowlights of the past week in politics, and how the Democrats created a stark contrast to the Trump convention in Cleveland. Listen to his thoughts on the choice of Tim Kaine for Vice President, the DNC email hack and how poorly the DNC handled the Democratic primary, the ongoing protests of the Bernie Sanders "Bernie or Bust" supporters, the rise of Cory Booker, the all-time great speech of the First Lady Michelle Obama, the awkward, edited re-telling of the Bill and Hillary love story, the Joe Biden Convention that never was, why the delegates were wrong to boo and heckle Michael Bloomberg, Tim Kaine and his most un-presidential shirt, President Barack Obama's most presidential performance, and the historic, slightly underwhelming but strong performance of Hillary Clinton.   The show ends with a reflection on the impact of the two-decade narrative of Hillary Clinton and how dangerous that narrative can be in the face of a potential Donald Trump presidency.

TELL A FRIEND. Stay tuned for future episodes of J's Lunch Counter.  Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].

Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

We made it back for a second episode of J's Lunch Counter - The Podcast!    In today's hour-plus episode, avid political junkie, attorney, consultant and good speech enthusiast Jonah Brown is joined by guest Junis Baldon to continue their conversation about the final night of the Republican National Convention.  Hear their thoughts on whether Ivanka Trump and the rest of the Trump children helped to humanize their mogul father Donald Trump, how they reacted to the record-breaking 74-minute acceptance speech of Trump,  whether the 2016 Republican National Convention was an overall success or failure, and whether Trump will benefit from this convention in the polls.  We will also preview the pick for Hillary Clinton's Vice Presidential nominee, and make our predictions for who will shine in the Democratic Convention.   Plus, the guys try to answer the most interesting question of this election cycle - who will play the role of Donald Trump in Hillary Clinton's debate prep???

TELL A FRIEND. Stay tuned for future episodes of J's Lunch Counter.  Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!

WELCOME to the very first episode of J's Lunch Counter, featuring your host, Jonah Brown.   On today's inaugural episode, Jonah introduces himself to the audience, and goes right into the 2016 Republican National Convention.   Joined by his guest for the show,attorney and political junkie, Junis Baldon, together the breakdown the first three nights of the Republican National Convention including the fallout from the Melania Trump speech plagiarism controversy, the lack of statesmanship by Chris Christie, the emergence of the Trump children, the boldness of Ted Cruz, and the struggle to paint a human narrative for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.   

TELL A FRIEND. Stay tuned for future episodes of J's Lunch Counter.  Tell a friend about the show and help grow our audience!

STAY CONNECTED. Stay connected to the show!  Submit your questions about news, politics, popular culture, social justice, entertainment, music, and sports, and we will cover them for a future Mailbag segment.   You can send your questions to [email protected].   

Like us on Facebook.  www.facebook.com/jslunchcounter.  Follow us on Twitter and tweet us at www.twitter.com/jslunchcounter. Check out our website at www.jslunchcounter.com for more podcast and blog content each week!