Soapbox Diaries

Our guest today is Gerard Morrison. He is the creative force behind the annual John Coltrane Music Edu-tainment Festival in Hamlet, NC.

John Coltrane was born just 6 miles from my hometown. Coletrane, an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, is an iconic figure of 20th-century jazz. He was born in Hamlet in 1926.

Our guest today is Roszalyn Akins, the executive director of Black Male Working Academy and Dean of Scholars at the Carter G. Woodson Academy.

She is working to close the achievement gap which is a problem not only for African American students, but the entire country.

According to Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO of PolicyLink, In the United States, a black public school student is suspended every four seconds, while every 27 seconds a black high school student drops out of school. Black students are also 3.5 times more likely than white students to be suspended or expelled. Within this group, black male students fare the worst.

Akins is working to change that.

Our guest today is Jamaal Bell, the creative director behind the films "A Reading of The Letter From Birmingham Jail" and "Free to Ride."

I am on my soapbox today about using your creativity to bring others into the story. Great storytellers know how to engage an audience and bring them along on the journey. It can be from the standpoint of pure entertainment, or it can raise awareness and activism around issues that just need to be illuminated. Our guest today is one of those types of storytellers.

This is Part 2.

Our guest today is Jamaal Bell, the creative director behind the films "A Reading of The Letter From Birmingham Jail" and "Free to Ride."

I am on my soapbox today about using your creativity to bring others into the story. Great storytellers know how to engage an audience and bring them along on the journey. It can be from the standpoint of pure entertainment, or it can raise awareness and activism around issues that just need to be illuminated. Our guest today is one of those types of storytellers.

This is Part 1.

Our guest today is Ricardo Franklin, a gun violence activist and community outreach coordinator with the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. His role involved fostering the connection between the community and law enforcement.

I am on my soapbox today about reducing gun violence which is at epidemic proportions in our nation. In many instances, the debate centers around the second amendment, but there is so much impact that gun violence has on our society at large. In Lexington, one mother chose to act. After her death, her son Ricardo stepped up to continue the work she started.

Our guest today is Jasmin Graham, a marine biologist with the Mote Marine Laboratory and specializes in the study of sharks, skates, rays and their evolution. She is also the co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS).

I am on my soapbox today about breaking the mold. There are times when people may have a view of what you should or should not do or be, but I'm encouraged by people that choose to follow their passion, chart their own course, and forge a path for others.

I am on my soapbox today about the transformational power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). As an HBCU alum, I am grateful that our schools set the bar high and we reached for it, transforming the dreams of our ancestors into reality.

Our guest today is Jared Bryson, founder of WeAreHBCUs, whose mission is to strengthen the cultural legacy of Historically Black Colleges & Universities and develop HBCU students. Jared is also a graduate of the esteemed Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nicole Barnett is the author of a new book titled "Out of the Mouths of Babes." In this 31-day devotional, she shares light-hearted stories about motherhood with insights for spiritual growth.

As a postpartum depression survivor and clinical social worker by training, Nicole also engages in maternal mental health advocacy, education, and support.

I am on my soapbox today about being the change you want to see. Many times we complain about why things are not the way we want them to be, but most of us never take the next step not only to actively change the narrative, but also to be active in creating space to make the change we want to see. That is why I am excited to hear from our guest today.

Kennisha Fisher is the creator of a YouTube show for preschoolers called "Learn This with Miss Fish."

I'm on my soapbox today about reclaiming our history. Where are the monuments that celebrate our African heritage. Who will tell our story today and for the generations that will follow?

That is why I am so excited to kick off Season 5 of Soapbox Diaries with Gabrielle Miller, an instructor candidate with Diving with a Purpose, where she collaborates with other Black divers to discover and document shipwrecks of the slave trade. She is also a third-year doctoral student with an emphasis on African Diaspora Archaeology at the University of Tulsa.