The Trend With Justin A Williams

This week on The Trend with Justin A. Williams, I’m joined by the sensational Syndee Winters—Broadway powerhouse, recording artist, and storyteller with a voice that transcends the stage. From commanding roles as Nala in The Lion King to portraying all three Schuyler Sisters in Hamilton, Syndee brings a unique perspective on creativity, culture, and claiming your narrative. Tune in as we explore the intersection of art, activism, and what it means to rise in your purpose. She has a new project out honoring Lena Horne and will be performing this year at the incredible NOLA2NOFO Festival at the Borghese Vineyard in North Fork Long Island. #Trend with us

US Military Veteran Mindy Dougherty is truly a Resilient Warrior! One who has conquered the powerful dangers of pain, injustice, and oppression in her life such that she is a real, breathing hero in all senses. We talk about her journey to overcome not being able to walk with out falling to her two great books (links below) to her current life as an advocate for healing, stem cell research and beyond! What a story she has to tell! Trend with us!

Links to her books:

https://www.amazon.com/Resilient-Warrior-Mindy-Dougherty/dp/B08CWCGT7B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YTRN8TKQ3PTL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.x_MKFe8Umn5borJoV6Apmw.U76JotX55C7VFUE1AzxJKoy76woJ0CdQnlDXjtZltIQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+resilient+warrior+mindy+dougherty&qid=1747582994&sprefix=mindy+dough%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Voice-Mindy-Dougherty/dp/B0DWMNBD4R/ref=sr_1_1?crid=358DOAEZ9UKDP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fSlHHSHQcLSZR_fnqNQl0g.T8LLJ8LUMUUVvT99f2AsPf-Yd4e40IJdAjNry5BAqc4&dib_tag=se&keywords=mindy+dougherty+dragon&qid=1747583233&s=digital-text&sprefix=mindy+dougherty+dragon%2Cdigital-text%2C60&sr=1-1

Welcome back to The Trend with Justin A. Williams! I'm your host, Justin, and today we are honored to be joined by a truly brilliant mind — Professor Hans Kajiba Kuzanga. A leading voice in African intellectual discourse, Professor Kuzanga’s work bridges cultures, ideas, and generations. Today, we dive deep into his journey, his groundbreaking research, and the insights that are shaping the future. You don’t want to miss this one — stay tuned!

For our 100th episode celebration we have a special guest with a special book !!The tagline for former CEO Bob Ravener's spinetingling drama is "As corruption consumes the early 20th-century NYPD, war hero Frank C. Smith faces a battle between loyalty and survival. From the trenches of war to New York’s ruthless streets, his fight for justice blurs the line between hero and villain."

We have a riveting interview about his story from abject poverty to the American Dream his forefathers only had a taste of. But by following his forefathers grit and the cleverness of some of the greatest heroes and complicated villains of history, Bob, like us all, is a man on a mission- to get you to believe in American and individual valor in the face of impossible and fateful odds! Trend with us

What an incredible story Brian Luu shares with us this week! He is the survivor of the tragic Fall of Saigon, and a survivor of being abandoned in the middle of the ocean there after. Its a tale of triumph and grit and ill teach every listener how to Never give Up! #Trend with us

Lapidius is the debut novel from our guest, Matthew Runals, a member of the armed services and chaplain who has a great book that can best be described like this :

"Thirteen-year-old Joey is in trouble. His mother can hardly feed him, which-because of his small size-is saying a lot. As war moves closer to their little town, his mother's options for more work are a big fat zero. Desperate, she sends him to a place where he won't starve, Lapidius. Soon after arriving, however, Joey learns that he and the hundreds of other children aren't just charity cases. Lapidius is a prestigious military institute that develops specialized skills for combat. But Lapidius is also a mysterious place where Joey learns that the battle for which they are being trained for is full of magic, malevolence, and monsters. The new students discover a nation found worthy to fight for. "

Its a stunning and relevant read that builds intrigue as much as it builds character! Trend with us! https://tinyurl.com/52akv4yc

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Trenders! It is my great honor to have the incredible Nnenna Freelon on my podcast. She and her quartet are about to open up a set at Lincoln Center this weekend, link to buy tickets is below, and she discusses with me her career, what "music" truly is within us and around us, and the current state of our emotionality in a country that seems to be in need of Jazz and all music now more than ever! Trend with us-

About her show: Seven-time Grammy Award nominee Nnenna Freelon returns to Dizzy’s to celebrate her new recording, Beneath The Skin (Origin Records). Departing from the American Songbook standards she’s masterfully interpreted throughout her career, Freelon turns inward with a collection of heart-spoken songs that aim to heal life’s personal and universal broken places. She shares, “I’m taking a lesson from my garden—from the flower that trusts itself to be enough.” It’s an evening of introspection and soulful artistry not to be missedhttps://ticketing.jazz.org/18258

With over 30 years as a top dating coach, featured on Oprah, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and more, Andrea McGinty has helped singles in their 30’s to 60’s navigate all aspects of online dating – with over a 65% success rate.  Some may say online dating would be what it is with out her! And we are thankful for that as millions have found love thanks in part to her brilliance and innovation! #Trend with us https://www.33000dates.com/

WELCOME! To our Fifth season! We couldn't be here with out our supporters and listeners as we grow the podcast this year significantly! On our official season premier, we have Bill Keegan-whose life is indelibly marked by 9/11, as he is currently battling stage four cancer while continuing to further his nonprofit’s critical mission to provide hope for individuals, families, and communities around the world.

Fueled by his experiences as one of just five decision makers at the World Trade Center site, Bill Keegan founded HEART 9/11 to build resiliency and provide hope for individuals, families and communities affected by natural and man-made disasters in the U.S. and beyond. In addition to providing disaster relief for nearly 20 years, after noticing the effects of stress on himself and other first responders, Bill created HEART 9/11’s SMART Program in collaboration with research scientists, doctors, and emergency responders to help manage job-related stress. Additionally, Bill oversees HEART 9/11’s Responder 2 Responder Assistance program, in which the organization’s volunteers retrofit homes to increase accessibility for emergency responders injured in the line of duty. #Trend with Us!

For more than 23 years, Petal has leveraged her expertise in education, law, and motherhood (not to mention being a woman of strong convictions!) to bring a distinctive perspective on parenting and child development. As a mother of two daughters in two different generations and with over 20 years of experience as a legal and higher education professional, Petal has learned that parenting is about more than the basics. It’s about recognizing that how we raise our children today will shape the world of tomorrow. When we arm them with the skills and tools that will enable them to become good citizens of the world, we also prepare them to change that world for the better.

Petal and her podcast have been featured in NY Times, GMA, Good Housekeeping, Parents.com, Medium, Madame Noire, CBS, FOX, ABC and many affiliates across the country. She has also interviewed thought-leaders and celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, J.R. Martinez and many more on her parenting show. 

She is enlightening, thoughtful, powerful and truly wants a world where Parenting is not only made easier for children, but made more welcoming and likely for adults. We can all take a deep breathe knowing Petal's advice will guide our nations parents into a world of understanding and impact!