There are situations that arise and we have to be able to maintain or standard of excellence and that’s easier said then done. When those type of situations present themselves we’ve got to have that resolve knowing what we have to lose in that moment. Pride sometimes take over and might make us think we’re being weak. Every battle ain’t worth fighting and we’ve got to recognize when we fight and when we walk away! #realtalkpodcast

I found what I’d consider to be a jewel in Northeast, DC. It’s Educare Washington, DC. it’s a program based on the best of early education practices that ensure the school readiness of children most at risk for academic failure. It’s a place of early learning that sends a clear message that we must invest in early childhood education because children are born learning. Their partnerships comprised of philanthropists, head start and early head start providers and school officials dedicated to narrowing the achievement gap for children in their communities. I was brought up to speed about Educare first hand by their enrollment coordinator JaiFawn Hood. I received a brief tour and quick conversation about Educare and the impact their making on families in the community. #realtalkpodcast

May is Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as "Mental Health Month") has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, reaching millions of people in the United States through the media, local events, and screenings. Since 1949, the month of May has been observed as Mental Health Month in the United States and many national organizations such as NAMI, Mental Health America, and other affiliates spotlight Mental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to stop the stigma associated with mental health. #realtalkpodcast

Taking a moment to reflect on the impact and influence that hip hop music had on me. The artist Scarface “Face” helped me navigate through pivotal life changing moments in my life. I wanted to show my respect for his body of work and the impact it’s had on me in a era where I needed help navigating the streets of southeast. DC has is divided into 4 parts NE, NW, SW and SE where you had to be built a certain type of way to survive. This music helped me do just that because I’m still here and sharing my story with my perspective. #realtalkpodcast

I’m a firm believer that people’s success and overall happiness stems from the ability to change their mindset. Our mindset and belief system affects our daily life. It has everything to do with how you respond to the world around you! In order to achieve your goals your mindset needs to match your aspirations, otherwise it might be holding you back from getting where you want to be! #realtalkpodcast

I had the pleasure of sitting down with former ANC Commissioner Sharece Crawford. We discuss I’ll let someone else discuss concerns regarding restorative justice, racial equity, reparations and voter suppression. Ms. Crawford has very strong views on changing the narrative for the residents of the District of Columbia. We both were born and raised in ward 8 so, the connection of seeing better things for our people are very important. J. Eager Hoover once said “the biggest threat to society is the unity of black people”. If we want better we’ve got to do better period point blank. #realtalkpodcast

In relationships things can get boring and folks are looking for that spark. It’s a lot of folks that tell you off the break what they not willing do but, still find themselves single. At some point we all have to think outside the box and try something new you’ll never know what may work unless you try. Relationships are what you make them and nobody can tell you what your situation should look like. Life is too short not to be happy and finding that person that does that for you is rare. Thinking outside the box and trying something new you might be surprised what you might like. Keep it spicy! LOL #realtalkpodcast

It’s been 3 incidents in the last 4 months of young black males being detained and handcuffed. The AG says their office will review the departments practices. We keep hearing that police departments are making an attempt to bridge the gap between the community and police. These 3 incidents show that the gap is still wider than some might think and that respect needs to come from both sides. The long term effects on these young men will be real and will need positive reinforcement on a regular basis in order to get a positive result. The young people are our future let’s be better for them! #realtalkpodcast

It’s a story that’s told all too often and still gets over looked. The epidemic of fatherless children is real in our community and the trauma and concerns attached to it is real too. Black men are becoming more extinct everyday all over this country and the job of raising these young black men has fell into the hands of his mother! Almost 70 of black males are born out of wedlock to single black mothers. This is a job that becomes so frustrating at times giving up becomes an option because it gets so hard without the adequate help and resources needed to complete this task day in and day out. I wanted to get a real life perspective from single mothers looking at how the frustration sets in and overall concerns during this on going process. #realtalkpodcast

I watched these two young men grow up and I’m proud of the men they are today. They are black entrepreneurs that won’t take no for an answer. We all grew up in SE where we had to adapt to our environment to survive. We’ve all got a past that wasn’t pretty but, we’ve planted seeds and now we’re watering them waiting to see the impact they’ll make on our community. It’s truly a blessing to hear them speak about where they’ve been versus where their going now. We all have lessons that were learned which allows us to be better than we were yesterday! It’s time to change the game doing something different that’s positive and impacting our community!