QNA: Questions Need Answers

What does it really take to serve in the Florida Legislature?

In this episode of QNA: Questions Need Answers, Munch sits down with Florida State Representative Ashley Gantt for a conversation about public service, Florida politics, civic engagement, and what actually happens after someone gets elected.

Ashley shares her journey from teaching in the Mississippi Delta to becoming an attorney and eventually serving in the Florida Legislature.

We talk about how bills become law, working across party lines, voting and civic participation, the pressures of public service, political succession, and developing the next generation of leadership.

More importantly, the conversation helps demystify a position many of us vote for without fully understanding.

What does a State Representative actually do?

QNA doesn't tell you who to vote for. We ask the questions so you can better understand the people, positions, and institutions shaping our communities.

What happens when the lessons learned through athletics, mentorship, and youth development become the foundation for public service?

In this episode of QNA: Questions Need Answers, Munch sits down with Rod Mack, former University of Miami football player and candidate for Miami Gardens City Council.

Rod talks about the difficult transition that came when his journey as an athlete ended, earning dual degrees in Finance and Business Administration, and eventually finding another purpose through developing and mentoring young people.

We discuss his youth sports program, leadership, accountability, community engagement, and why he believes the work he's done with young people can translate into service at City Hall.

At its core, this conversation is about what happens when one chapter of your life ends—and you find another way to lead.

QNA doesn't tell you who to vote for. We ask the questions so you can hear directly from the people seeking to serve our communities and make an informed decision for yourself.

What experiences should someone bring with them when they're entrusted with making decisions that can change another person's life?

In this episode of QNA: Questions Need Answers, Munch sits down with attorney and judicial candidate Bonita Jones-Peabody for a conversation about law, justice, experience, and cultural competency.

Bonita shares her journey from becoming a teenage mother to working as a journalist and ultimately becoming an attorney. We discuss how those different life experiences shaped the way she understands people, the legal system, and the responsibility that comes with serving on the bench.

The conversation goes beyond credentials and asks what fairness looks like when judges encounter people whose backgrounds and circumstances may be very different from their own.

QNA doesn't tell you who to vote for. We ask the questions so you can hear directly from the people seeking to serve our communities and make an informed decision for yourself.

How do you understand where a community is going without understanding how it got here?

In this episode of QNA: Questions Need Answers, Munch sits down with Kenneth Kilpatrick, a longtime community leader whose work spans neighborhood advocacy, transportation, youth services, and civic engagement.

Kenneth serves as President of the Brownsville Community Neighborhood Association, Chair of the North Central Municipal Advisory Committee, Executive Director of Alternative Programs, and a member of the Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust.

We talk about the history of our community, incorporation, political disenfranchisement, expanding transit north to County Line Road, community development, and what decades of experience have taught Kenneth about the systems shaping our neighborhoods.

For Munch, the conversation is also personal, as Kenneth reflects on knowing his father during his years as a community organizer.

At the center of the episode is the importance of understanding our history so the next generation doesn't have to start from scratch.

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson's decision not to seek reelection has set off a wave of political movement across South Florida.

Seats are opening up. Politicians are making moves. Campaigns are forming.

But what's the end game?

In this episode, Munch sits down with attorney and community advocate Stephen Hunter Johnson to discuss the future of Black political power, Senate Bill 1134, leadership succession, voter engagement, and why being involved in your community means more than just voting every election cycle.

• Frederica Wilson's retirement
• The political domino effect happening across South Florida
• Senate Bill 1134 and Black Affairs Advisory Boards
• Why some millennials feel disconnected from politics
• Leadership succession and preparing the next generation
• Why civic engagement starts before Election Day

Question of the Day:

What's the end game?

Everybody wants to be successful.

The real question is: successful by whose standards?

On the first episode of QNA: Questions Need Answers, Munch challenges us to think about something most people never stop to define for themselves.

What does success actually look like?

For some people, success is money.

For others, it's peace.

For some, it's making it out.

For others, it's making sure nobody gets left behind.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• Where our definition of success comes from
• How social media has changed the way we measure success
• The difference between looking successful and feeling fulfilled
• Why survival mode makes it hard to think long-term
• When success became disconnected from community
• The pressure many Black men carry to constantly prove their worth
• Why peace, purpose, health, and relationships matter more as we get older

Most importantly, we ask:

Are we chasing success, or are we chasing the appearance of success?

Because at some point, the money, titles, and recognition stop being enough.

Then you're left asking yourself:

Am I actually happy?

What does success look like to you today?

And is that the same answer you would've given ten years ago?

Listen. Reflect. Join the conversation.

QNA: Questions Need Answers

Keep asking questions.