King Crush Thursday - The Interviews

Akil Parker is the founder and CEO of All This Math, LLC, an educational services company aimed at drastically improving the relationship between Mathematics and the Black Community. The company offers math tutoring as well as educational consulting and professional development for schools. All This Math also maintains a free YouTube channel where viewers can get simplified math instruction infused with Black History and culture. 

More recently, Mr. Parker has begun offering parent workshops to help parents understand “New Math” and be able to help their children with math homework assignments. He is currently a math professor at Cheyney University and has taught high school math for a total of 19 years throughout Philadelphia. He is the author of 'How To Use All This Math, Volume 1' published in June 2023, a guidebook instructing parents/guardians in how to use everyday activities to develop arithmetic and algebra skills.

His greatest achievement is being a father of three children. Lastly, Akil Parker is a firm believer that math should be used as a tool of liberation for people of African descent globally.

See the Video Interview HERE

Gerald Veasley’s creative life has taken him into two mutually supportive roles: artist and arts leader. As a bassist, Veasley has performed and recorded with a wide array of celebrated jazz artists and has released nine recordings as an artist in his own right. In his role as President of Jazz Philadelphia, he is driven to help the next generation of artists thrive in his hometown. This organization is dedicated to unifying Philadelphia’s vibrant jazz community, celebrating its rich musical history and positioning it as an international destination for jazz. . “Philadelphia based legends from Coltrane, to Grover, from Sun Ra to Christian McBride have made major contributions to the world of jazz – I’m excited to see what the chapter brings.”

Veasley’s extensive musical resume includes work with many seminal artists in Jazz, R&B, and Gospel: Grover Washington, Jr., Joe Zawinul, Nnenna Freelon, McCoy Tyner, Pat Martino, Kirk Whalum, The Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Pieces of a Dream, Special EFX, Will Downing, Maysa, Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Special EFX, Philip Bailey, and the Dixie Hummingbirds.

Veasley has expanded his creative portfolio as a curator of the Unscripted Jazz Series at SOUTH Jazz Club in Philadelphia. Launched in October 2015, the series has presented over 250 nights of music featuring top-name contemporary jazz artists.

His passion for educating and motivating other musicians led Veasley to co-found the Bass BootCamp in 2002. The annual event has informed and inspired hundreds of bass players of all levels and ages. Veasley has also served on the faculty of Philadelphia’s University of the Arts as a Master Lecturer.  

Gerald Veasley’s contribution to arts advocacy includes a long-standing relationship with the Recording Academy, where he has served in a number of volunteer leadership roles, including Chapter President, National Trustee, and National Advocacy Chair. He is an active member of the board of the Philadelphia Music Alliance. Veasley has also been recently selected to serve on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

Musician. Arts Leader. Educator. Curator. Gerald Veasley’s life as a creative professional is multifaceted. Indeed, he wears various hats, yet he is motivated by a singular purpose - to translate his joy of music to the world - music without boundaries.

See the Video Interview HERE

Daniel Jackson  is a skilled multimedia creative specializing in videography and photography. He began his professional artistic career in the world of music promotion, playing multiple positions in the field as a mixtape DJ, graphic designer, editor and producer.

Founded in 2011, Embassy: Interactive, LLC was created as a platform to promote a curated group of musical artists that were not in the spotlight of mainstream media. The creation of original content for Embassy: Interactive to aid in the promotion of featured artists garnered the awareness and demand for Daniel’s work within the industry and he began to produce exclusive content for multiple artists. Today, Embassy: Interactive is a growing brand, working with talented independent artists who are fulfilling their passions, organizations making impact in their communities, and individuals sharing their personal moments and professional accomplishments.

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Clayton Carothers IV @tattedfoodtherapist @dawgondrums7 - Teacher (science), musician (drummer), creator of plant-based foods (Tatted Food Therapist). Clayton was born and raised in North Jersey. Grew up in a tight family and went to college in Daytona Beach, Florida to the great Bethune -Cookman University. Graduated and moved right to Philly to begin teaching. He enjoys health and wellness. Clayton says: “We all get one body and we should care for it as best as we ought to. I am a firm believer that one's gifts and talents make way for life's journey.”

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Ty Brooks - Fashion Designer/ Creative / Son of God & Baldwin … has been designing over 20 yrs and recently showed at New York Fashion Week Winter 2022. Ty has dressed Jill Scott/ Erykah Badu, He’s a lover of the written word, color, amber hues and mahogany muses, and serious jazz: Betty Carter, Monk, Gregory Porter, Getz etc, it’s all inspirational to him, gifted to gift, blessed to be a blessing. Here to bear witness to the miracle that we are.

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Kirven Douthit-Boyd @swervin_and_kirven Dancer, choreographer, director from Boston, MA. Trained at the Boston Arts Academy and Boston Youth moves. Spent summers training at The Boston Conservatory and The Ailey School. Received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. Was a member of Ailey II and performed with Battleworks Dance Company at Jacob’s Pillow before joining the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2004. Since leaving the company in 2015, he has performed as a guest artist with Evidence, a Dance Company, and served as Co-Artistic Director of Dance at the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis, MO. In 2022, he became the Artistic Director of St Louis Dance Theatre. He has choreographed works for Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Ailey II, The Repertory Theatre of St Louis, and the Black Repertory Theater of St Louis. He has also choreographed summer workshops at the Ailey school and the Juilliard school. He is also on faculty at Webster University and Washington University in St Louis.

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Mr. G  was born in Port Au Prince Haiti. He came to the U.S at the age of 5. With the help of his siblings and his first-grade teacher, who happened to be black and Haitian, he was able to pick up English very quickly. Throughout high school Mr, G excelled in Track and Field. After graduating high school Mr. G pursued a degree in Education. He obtained his degree and graduated as Student Teacher of The Year at LIU Post. Since then, he has been teaching Middle School and High School in New York for about 10 years. Through the school system he has been involved in teaching, coaching, and creating programs that promotes life skills, personal growth, and a vision of the future for young adults. Mr. G started his MasterMine Podcast in 2020. MasterMine  aims to educate, motivate, and inspire black people globally. The program promotes black excellence and self-mastery.

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Called in June 2024 to become Senior Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church—the first African American Baptist Church in New York State and one of the oldest in the nation—Rev. Dr. Johnson succeeds the late Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III who was his mentor while serving as an assistant pastor. Along with his wife—Mrs. Kimya S. P. Johnson, Esq., a corporate diversity professional and employment attorney—and their three children, Rev. Dr. Johnson considered Abyssinian Baptist Church their spiritual home even prior to this momentous appointment.

Rev. Dr. Johnson was the founding Lead Pastor of Dare to Imagine Church, Inc. In seven years, he grew a ministry that started with 20 people in his home into a 1,500-member congregation on a $2.2 million, 6.8-acre campus in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. In that time, the church donated over $750,000 to area organizations providing services for citizens in need. As an outgrowth of his commitment to holistic community development, Rev. Dr. Johnson founded and served as the President & CEO of Dare to Imagine Community Development Corporation. Prior to that, he was the President & CEO of Bridge of Hope Community Development Corporation, which built a $100 million, 14-story student apartment tower for Temple University along with The Goldenberg Group.

As President and CEO of Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), Rev. Dr. Johnson developed a new workforce-training vision and launched career-sustaining programs in banking, energy, construction, and technology. Under his leadership, the budgets of OIC and its affiliates increased from $2M to over $5M. In 2017, he secured a $6.6M alternative school contract from The School District of Philadelphia, making OIC the first to provide over-aged and under-credited youth a pathway to earning a high school diploma and a direct pipeline to life-sustaining careers. Additionally, he launched BankWork$, the first bank training program in the northeastern United States for young adults from low-income communities. While expanding OIC’s workforce programs, he successfully maintained a nearly 80 percent placement rate for jobs in the hospitality industry.

Rev. Dr. Johnson is an internationally renowned speaker, preaching and teaching in distinguished arenas including the largest Protestant church in the world, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, South Korea. He was also the first African American in 200 years to speak at Regent Road Baptist in Freetown, Sierra Leone—Africa’s oldest Baptist church. He later was inspired to raise funds, build, and establish a new church in West Africa—Bright Hope Baptist Church in Moyamba, Sierra Leone. By invitation of the American Jewish Committee, Rev. Dr. Johnson traveled to Israel and Palestine in 2008 to discuss the challenges that exist between the nations with government leaders. A prolific and respected writer and speaker, Dr. Johnson frequently writes for the oldest, continually running, African American newspaper—The Philadelphia Tribune—and is heard by 400,000 listeners every Sunday morning on WDAS-FM 105.3.

Rev. Dr. Johson has lent his expertise to the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, City of Philadelphia Workforce Steering Committee, PHL Diversity, the Forum for a Better Pennsylvania, African American Leadership Forum, and was the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Lincoln University. A recipient of numerous awards and citations, Newsweek featured him as one of the “up-and-coming” national post-Civil Rights ministers, The Philadelphia Tribune identified him as a “mover-and-shaker” in the city, and Morehouse College inducted him into the prestigious Board of Preachers. Rev. Dr. Johnson has been a guest on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, FOX NEWS, and other national media.

A Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude graduate of Morehouse College, Rev. Dr. Johnson was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. and Oprah Winfrey scholarships. He earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) as a Union Scholar from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership and Transformational Learning from Columbia University. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Alpha Boulé), and is a lifetime member of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association.

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Reuben Jones is the Executive Director of Frontline Dads, a non-profit organization that focuses empowering youth and social justice advocacy. He is a mentor, father, poet, activist and entrepreneur. Reuben Jones has won numerous awards over the years including KYW's "Gamechanger" award,  and the Presidential Service Award from Barack Obama.

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Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller  is the Senior Pastor of the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A highly sought-after revivalist, vocalist, and lecturer, Dr. Waller is a true visionary of the church and the community who serves humanity far beyond the restraints of traditionalism. His partner in marriage and ministry is Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, the leader of Enon’s Women’s Ministry and a devoted mother to their two daughters, Elynn Morgan and Eryka Lynn.

Since 1994, God’s anointing on Dr. Waller’s pastorate at Enon has been evidenced with unprecedented spiritual and numerical growth. In July 2006, Enon became “one church in two locations” with the development of a new church campus, which includes a 5000-seat sanctuary, a chapel, a computer lab, classrooms, a Family Life Center (for banquets, a summer sports camp and ministry events), and a “big backyard” for the youth ministry to participate in competitive team sports. To serve a congregation of over 15,000 members, Enon holds three weekend worship services (with internet live-streaming), multiple prayer opportunities, and three weekly Bible studies at Enon and Center City Philadelphia. Dr. Waller draws on his love for people to shape God’s vision for Enon, “A Place Where People Encounter God,” through over 75 innovative ministries. Enon regularly hosts various community awareness events and health and wellness initiatives that offer AIDS testing and other critical health screenings.

Dr. Waller’s outreach extends far beyond the walls of Enon through local community activism and radio, television, and social media commentary. Internationally, he serves as the President of the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community and, through Enon, has established church locations throughout South Africa. Also, Dr. Waller has preached in South Korea to over 100,000 persons and has presented at an Oxford University roundtable on religious theory.

The heart of Dr. Waller’s ministry can be felt through his musical gifts. In 2004, Dr. Waller released his CD, “With His Permission” and has supported various Enon CD music projects. In 2015, Enon and Pastor Waller founded the Enon Music Group record label and released, “Dr. Alyn E. Waller Presents Enon Tabernacle The Experience.” Additionally, Dr. Waller has opened for Mary Mary, the Clark Sisters, and Fred Hammond, and has headlined the “Celebration of Gospel” at the Mann Music Center (Philadelphia).

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Waller earned a B.S. in Music Business from Ohio University, an M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; a D.Min. in Ministry to Marriage and Family from Palmer Theological Seminary, and an honorary doctorate from Lincoln University. Dr. Waller served previously as Minister of Music at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church (Louisville, KY) and Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Donora (PA). He is the author of Enjoy Your Journey: Our Quest for a Deeper Relationship with Christ (2006) and Hope for the Journey: Believing God is Enough When the Road Gets Rough (2011).

See the Video Interview HERE