He always dreamed of becoming a parent - so when he met the love of his life, they got started right away, adopting three adorable, black children as soon as they could - siblings with the same biological parents.  

Mark Chambers, Gay athlete, Founder of the National Gay Basketball Association and partner of 34-years to his husband Stephen, was an at-home dad for years, making his kids lunches, coaching their teams, advocating for them with their teachers.

But what would you do if one day you got the call that every parent dreads, where the voice on the other end of the phone tells you that one of your beloved children has been murdered? Do you allow your son to become another faceless statistic? Joining the thousands of Black children who are murdered every year on our streets? Or do you write to the local papers and tell them who your son really was, making sure they print the whole story and not just the version that sells papers?

More From Mark Chambers:

visit the website: https://ngba.org

Follow on Instagram: @ngba05

Find NGBA on Facebook

Be sure not to miss our new Now Normal series releasing every Thursday.

If you'd like to ask a question for either the Dear Laura segment or of an upcoming guest on Now Normal, be sure to join our Facebook Group .

You can also DM us on instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website www.theonlyonepod.com.

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins such as live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

Don't miss our bonus after show Scott Talks, where co-host and producer Scott Slaughter (aka Hon) briefly chops it up with our guest immediately after the interview.

*If you know someone who might be feeling like they're the "Only One" be sure to share this or one of our other unique episodes with them. Also be sure to subscribe, comment and review us on iTunes!

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To mark the occasion of our one-year anniversary this past April, we asked YOU, our listeners, to submit your fabulous Only One stories with the objective of having that winner come on the show and share their story. We thought we might get four or five submissions, and had no idea how many of you would submit your stories for consideration. Can I just say that we were completely blown away by the response?! So blown away in fact, that we’ve decided to make this the start of a new series for us, called The Only One In The Room, Sunday Edition. But today, we are over the moon to bring you our winner! The story that took our collective breath away. As soon as Scott and I read Patti’s story we looked at each other, because there was no doubt that author, performer, public speaker and Cantor, Patti Linsky was our contest winner.

Instagram: @pattilinsky

Patti Linksy on Facebook

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

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If somehow you missed 19-year old, Valyn Lyric Turner’s phenomenal spoken word poem, Bleeding Red White and Blue, please stay tuned at the end of this episode to have your mind blown. It will not only give you context as to why we rushed to get her on the show, her words and the way she delivers them will change your life. I have so many things to say about the power of this performance and how it impacted me. I can’t EVER remember feeling compelled to listen to something over and over again like this. And from the wellspring of feedback that we’ve been getting, it seems that I’m not alone.  

Valyn Lyric Turner is a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Boston University where she double majors in Theatre Arts and Spanish. Valyn has always found her home on stage performing through theatre, poetry, and songwriting. In April of 2018, she was able to share her passion for literature on the national stage as the representative for the state of Georgia in Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation contest through the National Endowment for the Arts. Her mission is to inspire, empower, and serve others through her craft.

Follow her on Instagram: @valynturner

Follow her on Twitter: @valynlyric_t

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

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Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Tracy McMillan right after the show.

Don't miss our new Now Normal series releasing every Thursday.

If you'd like to ask a question on the Dear Laura segment or of an upcoming guest on Now Normal be sure to join our Facebook Group.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your white mother couldn’t raise you and your black father, who adored you, was in and out of prison for most of your life, leaving you to child services in Minnesota where you were one of the few mixed race children entrusted to their foster care system?

Tracy McMillian, Best selling author, screenwriter, relationship thought-leader and influencer, was raised by a foster family with solid Minnesotan values, getting a paper route in the dead of winter and visiting with her biological father whenever she could.

But what would you do if after growing up, you had a chance to forgive your circumstances, including the mother and father who’d abandoned you? Would you put your past feelings aside, deciding to believe that they did the best they could? Or would you leave your past behind and move forward with the amazing life you’d built — for yourself?

More From Tracy McMillan:

Visit her website www.tracymcmillan.com

Buy her BOOKS

Finding Tracy McMillan:

Twitter & Instagram: @tracymcmillan

Be sure not to miss our new Now Normal series releasing every Thursday.

If you'd like to ask a question for either the Dear Laura segment or of an upcoming guest on Now Normal, be sure to join our Facebook Group .

You can also DM us on instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website www.theonlyonepod.com.

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins such as live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

Don't miss our bonus after show Scott Talks, where co-host and producer Scott Slaughter (aka Hon) briefly chops it up with our guest immediately after the interview.

*If you know someone who might be feeling like they're the "Only One" be sure to share this or one of our other unique episodes with them. Also be sure to subscribe, comment and review us on iTunes!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, podcaster Sara Dean of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast, talks to us about what it’s like to be a white woman during the current Black Lives Matter movement. Sara is a friend, a generous resource for women, mothers and her fellow podcasters. She also gave me the honor of being the opening keynote speaker at Shameless Mom Con 2020 and has been a huge supporter of The Only One In The Room from day one.  

The Shameless Mom Academy Podcast is a top rated podcast with over 2 million downloads. Her biggest passion is helping women own their space. Today, Sara motivates and inspires women to stop shrinking and start growing in every aspect of their lives. She is on a mission to inspire women and moms, in particular, to live bigger, bolder, braver #everydamnday. 

Connect with Sara: www.shamelessmom.com

Listen to the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast

Free Facebook Group: www.shamelessmom.com/facebook

Instagram: @shamlessmomacademy

Podcasts Mentioned: Check Your Privilege, Hello 7, Unlocking Us

Laura's Huffington Post article mentioned:

White Women, I’m Glad You’re Showing Up. But I’m Not Sure I Trust You Just Yet

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

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Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room reflects on our favorite episodes from Season 5 of the Only One In The Room and our new additions "COVID Warriors and The NOW Normal" as well as announces our up-coming Season 6 dropping on July 7th. Make sure to listen to the end of this one, as we feature a powerful spoken word by the talented Valyn Turner entitled "Bleeding Red, White & Blue".

Watch Valyn Turner's "Bleeding Red, White & Blue" on YouTube

Instagram: @valynturner

Twitter: @valynlyric_t

Don't miss our new Now Normal series releasing every Thursday.

If you'd like to ask a question on the Dear Laura segment or of an upcoming guest on Now Normal be sure to join our Facebook Group.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Got MILK? We do! Introducing MILK podcast hosted by Mallory Kasdan. As we gear up for our Season 6 premiere on July 7th we wanted to share with you another podcast that we love and know you'll love too. Enjoy!

Meena Harris joins Mallory in the MILK Studio. Meena is the author of “Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea," an illustrated picture book based on a true story from the childhood of Meena’s mom and aunt. Meena is founder of the groundbreaking Phenomenal Women Action campaign, she is a respected entrepreneur and is recognized as an influential voice for women’s equality. In the book, two sisters make a difference in their community by dreaming big and fighting for what they believe in. It’s an early lesson on the power of community organizing, and an example of what Meena’s grandmother always told her: “Each of us has a role to play.” Meena believes that to fight for women’s equality, we need to start with girl’s equality, and her book focuses on listening to girls of color, supporting their big ideas, and following their lead.

Currently, Meena is head of strategy and leadership at Uber, where she leads brand transformation initiatives focused on corporate citizenship, customer loyalty, and employee engagement. In addition to Uber, she has advised major brands on diversity and inclusion. Meena is also an attorney with extensive experience in consumer protection, data privacy, and cybersecurity. She is a graduate of Standford University and Harvard Business School. She lives in San Francisco with her partner and two daughters. The book can be purchased through a link on phenomenal girl dot com. Follow Meena @meenaharris or phenomenalwoman.us

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All Black Lives Matter came on my radar last week after it was painted down the center of Hollywood Blvd here in Los Angeles. The issue on the table is that black queer people in this country have been hit twice. Being black and queer in America can be seen as a double threat and not necessarily in a good way. Many black members of the LGBTQ+ community feel like a people without a country. They experience racism within the LGTBTQ+ community and they experience prejudice and homophobia from straight, cisgender members of the black community. And now that the George Floyd protests and Pride month are erupting at the same time, where do our Queer black people stand? How do you know which identifier to fight for first? Black or Queer? 

Travis Coles is an actor, comedian, air force brat born in Germany and then raised in Texas, DC and Maryland. He still looks great in lederhosen. He attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and began his improv training after moving to Los Angeles.

Instagram & Twitter: @travesties

Opportunities To Educate Yourself:

Definitions:

Heteropatriarchy- a society or culture dominated by a ruling class of heterosexual males whose characteristic bias is unfavorable to gay people and females in general. 

Cis gender (adj)- one’s personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex. 

Microaggression- a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group, such as a racial minority. 

(Webster Dictionary,https://www.merriam-webster.com/) 

People Mentioned Whose Names You Should Know:

Dominique Fells

Riah Milton

Breonna Taylor

James Baldwin

Resources Mentioned:

Los Angeles LGBTQ Center

Donate to the LALGBTQ Center

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Manon Mathews right after the show.

Don't miss our new Now Normal series releasing every Thursday.

If you'd like to ask a question on the Dear Laura segment or of an upcoming guest on Now Normal be sure to join our Facebook Group.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices