Just Black Talking

Hope is the last thing you lose, they say. When we depend on a miracle or expect something implausible to happen, we shake with fear and make bold promises to the gods if they have mercy on us. We pray for a second chance. Most of the time, we do it for banal things, like sports or passing on a test. But there are other times when much more is at stake, like walking again, for example, or getting our health back. And those calls are rarely attended; that is why they are more associated with miracles. 

After imploring, begging, and promising the earth and the moon, how many of us would keep their word and make every second of their existence worthy if they got a second chance. Jordan Sky is one of them, and she excelled at keeping her word. 

Joining me today is Jordan Sky; she is a model and influencer. Jordan is a member of Somnium Lifestyle and was recently crowned as Miss Valenti 2021. Jordan's parents exposed her to art and different cultures at a young age, traveling quite often and living abroad, which made her curious and fascinated about the Renaissance, Romanticism, poets, sculptors, and paints. She had an accident that kept her paralyzed for several days, which changed her perspective on life. After getting her second chance, she embraced life, and that feeling of gratitude has been her fuel since then.

In this episode, we talked about Jordan's journey into the modeling world. She kindly shared her experience as a gamer and influencer, and how after cosplaying Kitana and Lara Croft at Comic-Con, her following exploded. We talked about her preference for villains over superheroes and how that preference matches the image she wants to portray in her content. We also talked about overcoming adversity and the lessons she learned from her life-changing experience. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• You have a distinctive look, and it's unique. What’s your perspective representing beauty and fashion as a woman of color? Is it a conscious effort for you? (5:33)
• What was going on in your life before you got into video gaming and modeling. Who were you beforehand? (8:41)
• How do you balance all of this, your image? It sounds like it's somewhat of a burden to be perfect all the time. (14:47)
• What are some of your talents that nobody would know? (21:14)
• Do you have a vision for something beyond this? Or do you think this is it for you, you're going to do this until you decide not to? (28:54)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How Jordan describes herself (6:24)
• How she got interested in the gaming world (9:38)
• People are not interested in reality nowadays (13:05)
• All of us have superpowers (19:01)
• How Jordan incorporates her love for reading into her work (21:47)
• Jordan's early exposure to art and how that shaped her mind (31:07)

Connect with Jordan:

• Instagram
• Realsky Club

Let's connect!

• Website
• Instagram

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Neapolitan people are known for being receptive and curious about other countries' culinary preferences. They like to learn, absorb and incorporate new ingredients and create new dishes. Margherita - the first pizza to ever walk the earth - is a clear example of this. Pita in Arabic means bread, which is the origin of the name and the dough. The cheese used was buffalo mozzarella. These animals were brought to Naples from India to work on farms. The tomatoes weren't available before the colonization of South America. At that time, they were yellow; that's why Italians call them pomo d'oro (golden apple). Then there is basil, a local ingredient, and olive oil, a Mediterranean product.

Some suggest that the dish was named after Queen Margherita de Savoia right after Italy's unification, explaining the coincidence between the color of the ingredients and the Italian flag. 

This episode is the first installment of the DMV Pizza Wars, where we will try to find the best pizza in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. I'm joined by a frequent collaborator of the podcast, Mike Davis from Fed City Team at Century 21 Redwood Realty, a group of 15 tasters, and our guest and deluxe judge, Chef Declan Horgan, talented chef and one of Fox's Hell's Kitchen stars. Today, we visit Pacci's Trattoria, a restaurant inspired by the Neapolitan tradition and passion for fine food. 

We will taste and judge two types of Neapolitan pizza, the traditional Margherita and Il Padrino. The evaluation will be over the presentation, paying attention to the outside crust, the taste of the combination of the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, and lastly, the pizza's crispiness. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about what an authentic Neapolitan pizza should look, taste, and sound like.  

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• What makes Neapolitan pizza different from the others (4:20)
• The parameters used to evaluate Pacci's Trattoria Neapolitan pizza (7:10)
• Chef Declan Horgan's verdict (33:16)
• The results, which one people liked most (36:47)
• Final assessment about Pacci's Trattoria (40:19)

Resources:

• Pacci's Trattoria Website
• Fed City Team at Century 21 Redwood Realty Website
• Chef Declan Horgan Website

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The housing bubble of the early 2000s, where house prices peaked in early 2006 then started decreasing dramatically. By December 2008 we experienced the most significant price drop in history, prolonging the crisis until 2012. Through that time a lot of myths surged around whether or not it was a good idea to invest in a house. Regardless of what is false and accurate, the crisis showed us that many ordinary citizens had limited knowledge about real estate. When we look at the Black community, this number is even more significant. 

In this episode, co-hosted by Mervin Bourne, we talk with two members of the world's largest real estate agency, Century 21; Marc Dosik is a Senior Agent, and Mike Davis, Inside Sales Manager. They kindly explained the values of owning land and the benefits citizens can have access to just by owning a property. We talked about the lack of education on real estate, the different housing values according to owners' ethnicity, and the concept of paying ourselves before paying anyone else. 

They brilliantly explained the real estate crisis of the late 2000s and how and why it mainly affected minorities. Marc and Mike also demystified some popular beliefs about investing in real estate and the post-2008 narratives. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about real estate's intricacies and why it is so hard for many people to get into this market. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Could you tell us a little bit about the importance of homeownership? (4:05)
• Could you explain a bit about generational wealth and the wealth gap? (11:51)
• How do people find out about their possibilities in the real estate market? (16:57)
• There was just an article that we saw where a Black homeowner had their white friend stand in and pretend to be the homeowner, and all of a sudden, their appraisal value had changed. What do you know about that? (22:26)
• Marc, you were in the industry in 2008. What are some of your impressions about what was going on in 2008 from the perspective of minorities and minority homeownership? (27:46)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• McDonald's and the value of owning land (5:00)
• The five ways to get rich in America according to Mike Davis (10:13)
• Putting money in ourselves first, and the wealth gap between white and Black Americans (18:18)
• Keeping the wooden spoon on the wall. The influence of ethnicity in properties' value (22:43)
• What is a short sale in real estate, and how that affects homeowners (32:35)

Resources:

• Fed City Team at Century 21 Redwood Realty Website
• Fed City Team at Century 21 Redwood Realty Facebook

Connect with Marc:

• Cell: 301-910-9976
• Work Phone: 202-543-7283
• Office: 202-930-9371

Connect with Mike:

• Cell: 240-701-0529

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no doubt food is one of humanity's most significant connectors. It can be a bridge to get us close to our ancestors, to people from different regions, countries, and cultures. Food, and especially cooking, is about sharing, exchanging flavors and sensations. We gather to eat and celebrate, and we cook for those who are down, trying to lift their mood with a homemade meal. Someone said that food is like a tree; the roots are grounded and attached to our past and ancestors. The trunk is also linked to the roots, yet connected with the present, generating branches that expand into the future; new flavors, smells, and recipes. 

In this episode, I'm joined by Chef Declan Horgan, one of the most talented chefs in the culinary scene. He studied culinary innovation at the DIT School of Culinary Arts & Food Technology in Dublin. Declan became a Chef De Partie at Michelin-Star Peacock Alley, one of Dublin's most renowned restaurants in the early 2000s, where he perfected his cooking skill set. In 2015, Declan moved to the US; he participated in The Food Network's - Guy‘s Grocery Games and Hell's Kitchen, season 19. He was also featured as the Swagger Magazine Cover for its March 2021 edition. 

Declan's culinary journey started at age 7 when he cooked for his aunt, copying a Delia Smith recipe he saw on TV. His talent and curiosity flourished in his household, where everyone enjoyed cooking typical Irish dishes. His father, being an avid fisherman and hunter, would provide a wide variety of proteins prepared with well-prepared accompaniments. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about Irish culinary, Declan's transition and adjustment into the US, his future projects, and much more. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• How old were you when you started cooking? (1:46)
• What was your transition to the US like? (17:56)
• There are challenges of being an immigrant. What are the challenges in cooking that you see? And is there anything that's going on in cooking that might put you off of it? (22:32)
• One other thing I want to cover is Irish diplomacy. The art of telling someone to go to hell and having them look forward to the trip. Could you talk to us about it? (49:15)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The experience of serving fish & chips to Michelle Obama (12:02)
• Having a pint and a crack and forget about everything else (14:40)
• Experimenting at home, consistency, and perfection at work (19:56)
• Declan's most prominent challenges of cooking Irish food in the US (23:02)
• The difference between black and white pudding (29:01)

Resources:

• Chef Declan Horgan website
• Ramiro Productions Instagram

Connect with Chef Declan:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some minorities seem unwilling to get vaccinated against COVID, and there are countless myths and conspiracy theories that might be the cause people want to see results in others before agreeing to take the vaccine. However, there is one more factor that could contribute to this reluctance. Studies in epigenetics suggest that fears and beliefs can be handed down, generation to generation, through our DNA - and we very well know that Black people have been conditioned for centuries not to trust.

In this episode, I chat with Joseph McClendon III, Doctor of Neuropsychology, motivational speaker, leadership and ultimate performance expert, and world-class coach. We had an engaging conversation about overcoming trauma, epigenetics, and the best way to help people get over their paralyzing fears. We talked about internal wounds, how they stop us from achieving our magnificence, and the difference between knowledge, action, and activity. 

After three grown-up men tried to take Joseph's life when he was 17 because of his skin color, he received unexpected help from a stranger. The man handed Joseph a book that changed his life. When Joseph reached out and asked how he could repay for the help, the man simply asked him to do with others what he had done with him. And Joseph dedicated his life to do just that. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about the power we all have inside of us to change our lives. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• In a recent interview, when asked what advice you would give your son, your answer was to look back but not stare. Can you expand on that? (1:40)
• As African Americans, are we stuck looking back, staring at past trauma in a way that is harming our progress? (6:16)
• How can epigenetics be addressed, overcome, or combated? (11:12)
• Are you finding that African Americans address some of those unseen hurts, those intern traumas or wounds more than before? (19:54)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The positive effect of helping others (3:07)
• Today's the last day of our past (4:32)
• What people want when they are scared and what we can offer (11:44)
• Internal wounds stopping us (16:08)
• Where knowledge comes from and where to look for it (20:15)
• Knowledge is not power; it is stored information (23:03)
• The Hundredth Monkey Syndrome. (24:34)

Resources:

• Book: Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
• Book: Joseph McClendon III, Anthony Robbins: Unlimited Power: A Black Choice 
• Kenneth and Mamie Clark's doll experiment - YouTube footage
• Joseph McClendon III website

Connect with Joseph:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From their creation in the 1900s until the 1950s, when they were desegregated, public swimming pools wouldn't allow Black people. For a long time, Black Americans grew up without generational access to swimming pools nor generational swimming skills. After the desegregation, white men did not want white women in bathing suits around Black men, and stories were created about Black people polluting the water with their presence. These facts led, among other things, to the construction of swimming pools in white people's houses and gave birth to the stereotypical joke, "Black people can't swim."

In this episode, I chat with Coach Marvin A. Thorpe II, owner and operator of 4M Swim and Recreation, a swimming club started in Marvin's family backyard pool, that teaches people of all ages and ethnicities how to swim. After Marvin A. Thorpe Sr. moved to Baltimore, and with experience taking care of pools and already a physical education teacher, he bought a property with a pool in it and taught Marvin and his sister how to swim. Since 1972, when Mr. Thorpe founded the 4MSR club, more than 20,000 people learned how to swim in his backyard pool. After Mr. Thorpe passed in 2004, Marvin took over 4MSR and maintained his father's legacy.

Following his father's life work, Marvin teaches people from all ethnicities, especially African American children with no generational access, adults, and children with special needs, how to swim. Marvin was also awarded the 2020 USA Swimming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award. The award acknowledges the efforts to increase awareness and inclusion of underrepresented groups in swimming. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about Marvin's family's impact on generations of Black Americans. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Can you describe the organization you own, direct and operate? (2:22)
• Can you speak a little bit more about the importance of instruction and expertise? (15:20)
• How do you see swim instruction and confidence, and mastery relates to scholarship in our youth? (18:53)
• How many people do you estimate that you all have instructed and trained how to swim? (22:27)
• What role do you think it plays to go to a Black instructor when you're in that intimate, vulnerable space for black women? (29:49)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Marvin A. Thorpe Sr.'s journey to the creation of his legacy (4:38)
• A bit of context on segregation in public swimming pools (8:47)
• Adapting a legitimate program into the real world (15:41)
• The importance of swimming in personality development (19:03)
• Swimming gives overall health and wellness (26:59)
• The impact of being taught by someone that looks like us and shares the same vision of the world (32:14)

Resources for 4M Swim and Recreation Club:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Go Fund Me

Connect with Marvin:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Music by Danny Stewart:

• Facebook
• Music Homepage

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next step in Black culture's maturity, going from fighting the power to being in power requires economic expansion, and to achieve this goal, we first need to address the economic inequity that reinforces systemic racism.

As corporations are interested in restoring equity in a sustainable way and being more inclusive and diverse, this is the right moment for Black communities to raise consciousness about the need for equity in the global economy. 

In this episode, I chat with Tommy Johnson, Community Enterpriser and Business Development Manager, about creating programs that leverage the economic growth in Black communities. He is the founder and lead contributor of the Originals Nation, a nonprofit organization focused on organizing Black America for economic progress and addresses the economic inequalities reinforcing systemic racism, as well as the founder of Made With Black Culture - a certification process, marketplace and trademark that verifies Black culture's impact on the global economy. 

Tommy, driven by his visionary and risk-taking spirit and inspired by the Jewish organization The Orthodox Union, created the concept of ethical commercialization of Black culture, meant to harness and repurpose resources back into the Black community. 

Tune in to Just Black Talking and learn about Tommy's creative and defying alternatives to create economic equity. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Why don't we start talking about Made With Black Culture? Can you describe a bit about this? (2:40)
• You began searching, researching, you came across a model with this Orthodox Union. Where did that lead you to? (12:39)
• Can you describe the term original people? (16:17)
• Can you give me an example of how Black Culture is for sale, and it's generating income, but it's not being paid out to the stewards, creators, and makers of Black Culture? (20:35)
• What are other activities and goals for reinvesting into Black Communities? (28:14)
• Any kind of progress is political and legislative. What are some of the goals of reaching out into those avenues? (37:08)
• You mentioned blockchain and marketing. How do those two things come together? (41:13)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Tommy's moment of inspiration (6:32)
• The Orthodox Union model and its purpose (10:40)
• Dialogue, the program made to raise consciousness (14:35)
• The original people concept (16:50)
• Black culture is the number one commodity (20:07)
• A holistic approach to healing (28:43)
• The importance of blockchain in the authentication process (41:21)

Resources:

• Made With Black Culture website
• Originals Nation website
• Originals Nation Facebook
• Originals Nation Instagram

Connect with Tommy:

• Linkedin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vodka is the top selling liquor sold in the US and is one of the world's most sold spirits. The reasons behind this are as many as its different styles and brands. 

The US Government defines vodka as 'neutral spirits lacking distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color'. Vodka is not aged, it is crafted, and it can be made out of potatoes, rye, corn, wheat, grapes, and nearly any grain, fruit or vegetable. So what is the secret behind this spirits drink's success?

In this episode, we blind taste six different vodka brands, and we describe our experience from the opening aroma before the first taste until after the liquor goes down our throats. We share predictions on their price range based on how they taste and, at the end, we get some surprising results as to who's the winner for us.

Tune in to Just Black Talking and get as clear as vodka on what your taste buds prefer, instead of drinking what others market to you.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why vodka is a neutral spirit drink (3:30)
• Different types of vodka (8:50)
• Who are the ones drinking vodka straight (19:00)
• Valuable advice about vodka from a bartender (22:30)
• People that drink but want to avoid the taste of alcohol (26:00)
• Why vodka is the tofu of liquors (39:15)
• The best way to pick your drinks (59:30)

Let's connect!

• Website
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.