Thoughts From A Counselor

Intro (1 min)

Lebert & Paul: Happy Saturday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today we are excited to introduce our newest guest. Rather than us talking for these wonderful guests, we’ll toss the microphone to them so they can introduce themselves

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors in training who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce the topic

Episode topic: Anime and You. How Would Shonen Depict YOU

Part 1: Perceptions and Experiences with anime

(Lebert) Question 1: How did you get into anime? I’m sure between all of us we have seen a good amount. (insert guests name), would you like to kick it off?

(Paul) Question 2: Now that we are discussing anime, Were there any anime characters you identified within particular? More specifically, how do those characters speak to your identity?

(Lebert) Many casual fans like how anime brings “lost” or “misunderstood” souls together. It is their escape from whatever issues they may be dealing with and even a teacher to some. What thoughts and experiences have the anime you enjoy helped you navigate?

Part 2: Representation in anime/animation

Play before question  1:18-3:41 Black Representation in Anime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAyIy3bEIZk by-Sistah Punk

(Paul)  One of the common terms in anime is ganbatte. It means, "Do your best." Characters say it because they want to make sure that everyone does their best, works together, and works hard. I like this concept because to me it embraces the concept of persistence. Bringing their team together making them into a cohesive group. Which leads to order and outcomes. However when we discuss the progression of black and brown representation in anime we seem to still be behind or misinformed.

(Paul ) With that in mind, What do you think about the fact that anime character archetypes tend to be recycled (i.e. main characters having blue eyes and blonde hair, not being Black, women rarely being the lead, etc)?  Was that a barrier to engagement for you?

(Lebert ) Are there examples of animes where you feel like characters were misrepresented or even stereotyped? In what ways have you seen common themes in this way

(Paul) Outside of anime fan culture at conventions like Otakon, Comic-Con, etc do you feel social media has affected anime and how people view it? Skip to next section? We’re at 1 hour

Part 3: Fuuuuu-sion-ha!!!!: Intersecting Anime with identity

(Lebert) Did your enjoyment of anime ever conflict with your identity? By that, we mean the way folk expected someone like you to consume media (ex. “Why would a woman enjoy anime”)

(Lebert) Some people say they don't think about the race of anime characters since it's not live-action. How do you think that concept influences people's perceptions of themselves and the world around them?

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(Paul) To you, are there parallels between anime/Japanese culture and your own cultural identity?

Paul-Lead by Example: Where we highlight those doing good work, or who did good work

Close

Intro (1 min) Celebration Station Uzi

Lebert & Paul: Happy Tuesday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today we are excited to introduce our newest guest. Rather than us talking for this great man, we’ll toss the microphone to him so he can introduce himself

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors in training who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce the topic

Episode topic: Conceptualizing Satire

Part 1: Definitions and Experiences

Satire is an art form that many of us have come to learn and appreciate because it is so prevalent in media. Satire can be seen in many of the shows we enjoy such as The Boondocks, Black Mirror, Daria, and more, but what is satire? Well, dictionary.com defines satire as the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice (bigotry), folly (misunderstanding), etc.

(Lebert) Question 1: Since we are discussing satire, why not name some of our favorite satire shows? I’m sure between the three of us we have seen a good amount. Josh, would you like to kick it off?

(Paul) Question 2: Now that we are discussing satire, we also gotta discuss comprehension of it, so at what age did you begin watching satirical shows? As a follow-up, at what age did you begin to perceive the satire? I’ll let you start this one, Lebert. 5min

Part 2: Satire in Depth

(Josh) Question 1: Do you feel as if the black community falls back on satire driven humor to discuss issues our community faces? Why or why not? Paul can start this one 5 min

.

(Paul) Question 2: So, how do you prepare someone to consume satire? I know a lot of folks misunderstand it and even accidentally begin feeding into what should be the art. 5min

(Lebert) Question 3: Now that we have discussed satire, let’s discuss what satire is not. Many comedians falsely believe cringey jokes and our outright bigoted jokes are satire. What experiences have you had with folks who make jokes as “The devil’s advocate?”

Lebert let me know when -> 6:50-8:05 reasons why Comedian Dave Chappelle Walked Away From $50 million https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlScX2stRuo

Part 3: Satire Expanded

(Lebert) Question 1: The greatest difficulty of creating satire, really all art, is that it is left to the interpretation of the viewer. What are specific characters who are the object of satire that you have seen folk completely misperceive?

(Paul) Question 2: As the dictionary.co definition said, satire plays upon many factors of our socialization such as classism, race, gender, and more, so how do we prepare ourselves to acknowledge this component of humor and satire?

Paul-Lead by Example: Where we highlight those doing good work, or who did good work

Close

Next time on Thoughts From A Counselor:

Anime and Being Black While Enjoying It

Intro song

Intro (2 min) Lebert & Paul: Happy Sunday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today we are here with some more special guests. Our guests today are the phenomenal hosts of  After Dinner Conversations!!! Please introduce yourself and plug your pod, include a focus on your pod.

Hood Loyalty

Description: A conversation surrounded around balancing the responsibilities of your brotherhood with that of your neighborhood.

Segment 1: How do you define Brotherhood?

Lebert-Question 1: Since the topic of today is a brotherhood, why not have all our hosts define what brotherhood means to them? That way, our viewers can hear the ways brotherhood is similar, and yet different depending on who they are talking to

Lebert-Question 2: What is the first experience that comes to mind when you hear the word “brotherhood”? How does brotherhood feel to you?

Stephen leads us into our next segment-Segment 2: The dimensions of Brotherhood

Stephen- Question 1: Now, what are some things you think do not exhibit brotherhood? What are some clear signs to you that someone is perhaps not your “brother”.

Mike-Question 2: In what ways does your “brotherhood” cross the gender lines? How does your idea of brotherhood compare to the ways in which you view women?

Corey lead us into our next Segment 3: Brotherhood through lived experiences

Corey- Questions 1: How do you handle conflicts among your brotherhood?

Paul-Questions 2: As college graduates and now grad students, our ideas of the brotherhood have grown as we have. What aspects of your brotherhood have you adapted?

Paul & (Corey, mike, or Stephen) Our final segments for this episode will focus on how each show closes. So today we will not only be shouting out leaders in our lead by example segment but we will also be plugging a plug or passing the aux( we will need to explain).

Plug-A-Plug (Shoutout of an entrepreneur, small business, artist, creators, etc.)

Pass the Aux TBD- I would suggest that songs have some form of connection to the concept of brotherhood or connect to how you conceptualize brotherhood.

Close show.

Intro (1 min)

Lebert & Paul: Happy Sunday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today is also an extra special day because we have another round of guests appearing! Today we happily welcome back to today’s virtual table to kick some knowledge and good vibes with us.

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce topic

Episode topic: Let’s Talk About Black Ethnicities

(Lebert) Question 1: Since we are discussing race and ethnicities, why not open with our own to start with? How do you identify racially and ethnically?

(Paul) Question 2: How did your understanding of race and ethnicity begin?. 5min

(Mai) Question 1: What misunderstandings have you seen amongst Black identities? In what ways have you seen that navigated? 5min

(Lebert) Support: More specifically, I think about how a lot of us have internalized anti-Blackness that we have not contended with, and we do not often get the opportunity to interrogate that outside of academic spaces.

(Paul) Question 2: How do we acknowledge the ways in which we have been anti-Black in the past? More specifically, how do we hold room for both deserving apologies, needing apologies, and creating our own “closure”? 5min

Lebert let me know when -> 1:02-1:13 on #BlackAF official trailer on Netflix

Gotcha. Will do

(Mai) Question 1: Like most media, BlackAF is going to represent the internalizations we have (unless we unlearn them) no matter who has created them. What are some ways you have seen Black art still miss the mark?

(Lebert) Question 2: Many of us have not had in-depth conversations of internalized anti-Blackness, so we are making sure we provide that space. Here go some definitions. 5min

The question for this segment is in what ways have you worked through, and been exposed to your own biases as you have learned? 5min

Topic: Scholar Takeover Graduation Edition Week

Intro (1 min) “Hear Me Calling” or “Lucid Dreams”

Paul-Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Episode Topic: JuiceWRLD and the criminalization of Black addiction

Segment A: On December 9th, JuiceWRLD (real name Jarad Anthony Higgins) tragically passed due to an accidental overdose while onboard a flight. To some, this story speaks to how addiction has seemed to take hold of what appears to be a new generation of people. Instead, we plan to shed some information on how drug use has existed in the U.S. and then further interrogate what specifically caused his passing.

Info Section: “Repeated drug and alcohol use causes chemical dependency or lasting changes to the way the brain functions and operates. In fact, all abused substances alter the areas of the brain responsible for self-control, judgment, emotional regulation, motivation, memory and learning by hijacking the brain’s normal reward pathways” - A direct quote from the Caron Medical Department

Question 1) So, addiction can take many forms, what are some ways in which you have observed addiction? 5 min

Question 2) How do you know too much is too much? How can young people identify addiction around them and within themselves?

Question 3) Those who are suffering from addiction may feel that the benefits of drugs outweigh the cost of drug use. Drug usage is an objective chemical action that assists you to escape.  What advice would you provide to an individual who sees the benefits more than they see the cost of battling addiction?

Benefits

Escape

Speeds up the brain

Changes perceptions ( pain killers, mood-altering drugs)

Sensations ( pleasure)

Relief( from problems, emotions, and responsibility)

More distraction vs escape from the issue

Cost

Life

Relationships

Dependency

I

Segment B: In our society addition is both demonized and glorified in our society. Is there a connection between music, social media, television, and movies or pop culture in general to addiction? How does fame impact celebrities' addiction and messages around it?

Question 4)  Should there be regulations on media production around drug and alcohol use?

Question 5) What can we take away from JuiceWRLD’s death? What are some suggestions or supports that our listeners can use to assist them in battling or living with addiction?

Lead By Example: A segment where we highlight Black people who we think are doing or did good work

Next time on Thoughts From A Counselor:

Shipping and Handling:  The power of mentorship and its influence in our life

Close/outro -

Intro (1 min)

Lebert & Paul: Happy Sunday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today is also an extra special day because we have another round of guests appearing! Today we happily welcome back to today’s virtual table to kick some knowledge and good vibes with us.

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce topic

Episode topic: Coronavirus and Adjustment

Lebert-Segment A: Now, let’s introduce y’all to days topic: At some time in December of 2019, the first corona-virus case was confirmed in China, tho it is also believed that one was confirmed much earlier in November of 2019. In February of 2020, cases began appearing rapidly in Italy, and then cases emerged all throughout the world. Before we go into the direct questions, I just wanna shoutout and say thank you to Jeanna Bryner from “Live Science” and Mélissa Godin from “Time World”. Their hard work and writings are where we drew the information from that we just shared so, kudos!

Lebert-Question 1: This is a heavy topic, you know health is a very important and delicate part of ourselves. At the same time, so is trying to maintain peace. So, what are some things you have done to maintain your peace amongst all this information? What does your peace look like?

Paul-Question 2: What are some ways you have seen others maintain or try to create their peace? One thing for example I have seen is the reappearance of social media games to help fill the social void many of us feel is absent. 5min

Mai-Segment B: Some of us are privileged enough to be able to take this as an impromptu vacation of sorts. We get to work from home, we get to spend a little time not commuting to our campuses, but this is not everyone’s reality.

Mai-Question 3: How have recent events mirrored what you learned about how health is impacted by one’s race, and about how bigotry affects the world? 5min

Lebert - Question 4: What would you say to those who are being unnecessarily risky? We see some people needlessly taking flights, ignoring social distancing, so how would you lovingly give them the metaphorical “Now, you know better” talk? 5min

0:00-0:45 on Professor Hugh Montgomery interview

Paul-Question:5 How do you think COVID-19 will impact the way we view or live in the world?

Mai-Segment C: Now, let’s get into adjustment and more specifically how we are adjusting. For today’s topic, we will draw upon Dictionary.com’s 5th and 6th definitions of adjustment which states

Adjustment - noun: harmony achieved by modification or change of a position

Adjustment - noun: a process of modifying, adapting, or altering individual or collective patterns of behavior so as to bring them into conformity with other such patterns, as with those provided by a cultural environment.

Mai-Question 5: What have you adjusted to suit your new change? Has it mirrored the way you previously adjusted in the past? 5min

Lebert-Question 6: What are some barriers to your adjustment? Adjustment is not all grand changes, it also minor setbacks. Can you talk about those? 5min

Paul-Lead by Example: Where we highlight those doing good work, or who did good work

Close

Intro (1 min) (song) Big Brother by-Kanye

Paul: Happy Sunday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today is also an extra special day because we have another round of guests appearing! Today we happily welcome to today’s virtual table to kick some knowledge and good vibes with us.

Introduce Dr.Hines -

Dr. Erik M. Hines is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at THE Florida State University as well as the coordinator of the Counselor Education Program and School Counseling Track. Dr. Hines prepares graduate students to be professional school counselors. Dr. Hines’s research agenda centers around: (a) college and career readiness for African American males; (b) parental involvement and its impact on academic achievement for students of color; and (c) improving and increasing postsecondary opportunities for first-generation, low-income, and students of color (particularly African American males).  Additionally, his research interests include career exploration in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for students of color. Dr. Hines has secured research funding to study the college readiness and persistence of African American males to improve their academic and career outcomes. Further, Dr. Hines has worked on several grants aimed at increasing awareness of STEM careers for students of color and rural students. He has over 30 publications and secured over $6,000,000.00 in extramural and internal funding. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Counseling and Development, Professional School Counseling, The High School Journal, and Urban Education. Dr. Hines received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park in Counselor Education with a concentration in Urban School Counseling.  Finally, he has worked as a counselor in various K-12 settings and for the Ronald E McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed. This podcast is our tool to support counselors globally !!

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce topic

Segment A: Defining mentor and mentorship

Segment B: Mentorship for Black males

Segment C: Mentorship in the counseling field

Close

Intro (1 min)

Lebert & Paul: Happy Sunday everybody! You are currently tuned into another episode of Thoughts From A Counselor. We are your hosts Lebert Lester III, Paul Singleton II, and today is also an extra special day because we have another round of guests appearing! Today we happily welcome back to today’s virtual table to kick some knowledge and good vibes with us.

Paul: Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Paul pass to Lebert to introduce topic

Episode topic: Coronavirus and Adjustment

Lebert-Segment A: Now, let’s introduce y’all to days topic: At some time in December of 2019, the first corona-virus case was confirmed in China, tho it is also believed that one was confirmed much earlier in November of 2019. In February of 2020, cases began appearing rapidly in Italy, and then cases emerged all throughout the world. Before we go into the direct questions, I just wanna shoutout and say thank you to Jeanna Bryner from “Live Science” and Mélissa Godin from “Time World”. Their hard work and writings are where we drew the information from that we just shared so, kudos!

Lebert-Question 1: This is a heavy topic, you know health is a very important and delicate part of ourselves. At the same time, so is trying to maintain peace. So, what are some things you have done to maintain your peace amongst all this information? What does your peace look like?

Paul-Question 2: What are some ways you have seen others maintain or try to create their peace? One thing for example I have seen is the reappearance of social media games to help fill the social void many of us feel is absent. 5min

Mai-Segment B: Some of us are privileged enough to be able to take this as an impromptu vacation of sorts. We get to work from home, we get to spend a little time not commuting to our campuses, but this is not everyone’s reality.

Mai-Question 3: How have recent events mirrored what you learned about how health is impacted by one’s race, and about how bigotry affects the world? 5min

Lebert - Question 4: What would you say to those who are being unnecessarily risky? We see some people needlessly taking flights, ignoring social distancing, so how would you lovingly give them the metaphorical “Now, you know better” talk? 5min

0:00-0:45 on Professor Hugh Montgomery interview

Paul-Question:5 How do you think COVID-19 will impact the way we view or live in the world?

Mai-Segment C: Now, let’s get into adjustment and more specifically how we are adjusting. For today’s topic, we will draw upon Dictionary.com’s 5th and 6th definitions of adjustment which states

Adjustment - noun: harmony achieved by modification or change of a position

Adjustment - noun: a process of modifying, adapting, or altering individual or collective patterns of behavior so as to bring them into conformity with other such patterns, as with those provided by a cultural environment.

Mai-Question 5: What have you adjusted to suit your new change? Has it mirrored the way you previously adjusted in the past? 5min

Lebert-Question 6: What are some barriers to your adjustment? Adjustment is not all grand changes, it also minor setbacks. Can you talk about those? 5min

Paul-Lead by Example: Where we highlight those doing good work, or who did good work

Close

Intro (1 min)

Who are we? (2 min)

Two Black counselors who are bridging the gap between what they were taught, what they know, and what they think they know. All through understanding the world by recognizing the world is still being formed.

Today is a special day y’all, we have two great visitors who are gonna immensely add to the topic we are having today. Before we get into that, I’d love for y’all to introduce yourselves

Introduce our guest speaker: Dr. Cleweston Challenger

Episode Topic:  Grief, Love, and reflection: How do we cope with losing someone /Kobe

Segment A: Lebert gives Topic Recap: Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people recently died on January 26th in a tragic helicopter accident. The loss of life elicited emotional responses from a multitude of people, and many people found themselves reflecting on the various legacies that Kobe in particular left behind as an icon who had been in many of our lives for almost our entire lives.

Info Section: As the professional in the room, can you speak to us about grief just a little bit, Dr. Challenger?

Questions to guide your thoughts Dr. Challenger - 3 min

Question 1) What are some feelings you had in relation to Kobe’s passing? How did the passing affect you if it did  10 min

Even as a celebrity who we do not actually know, the feeling of loss has been palpable in many of our lives. Research has evidenced the celebrity deaths can authentically feel like the passing of real family members-  Great. a lil bit, but i hAve a lil something

Question 2) What are some other instances where you have felt this way? In what way did you feel connected to them? How did it positively or negatively impact you?  5 min

Celebrity, Family, Non -Family, mentor, community member

Segment B: Gayle King recently attempted to due his legacy justice in a short interview where she covered a variety of topics, one of them being Kobe’s sexual assault case with Lisa Leslie. She covered a variety of topics, and her mention of the case caused an explosion via social media discussing precisely that. More specifically, Snoop Dogg, who recently apologized, had a large barrage of words for Gayle.

Question 3) It seemed that Snoop’s attack on Gayle specifically attacked her Blackness, and this is a common trend Black women get when attempting to hold Black men accountable. How did the response make you feel? 5 mi

Question 4 ) What does the term “Legacy” mean to you? What does Kobe’s legacy look like in your eyes 5 min

Lead By Example: A segment where we highlight Black people who we think are doing or did good work

Next time on Thoughts From A Counselor:

Addiction is criminalized in our culture, and thus we often find that those who live with addiction can not properly get the help or support they so desperately need. Most recently, we have seen JuiceWRLD become one among many who are viewed harshly for their condition and ended up being a victim of the cruel system those who live with addiction are subjected to.

Close/outro -