TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/qualified-black-passed-over-

Episode Video Link:

He trained the employee. The employee got the promotion. When Eric G.W. Jones asked why, management had no answer.

On A Black Executive Perspective, Tony Franklin sits down with Eric for a candid conversation about race, workplace bias, leadership, and what happens when hard work does not translate into opportunity.

From a childhood without electricity in rural Jamaica to a 35-year career and vice-presidential responsibilities overseeing a $4 billion infrastructure portfolio, Eric’s journey reflects both the possibilities and contradictions of the American dream.

Eric shares two defining promotion experiences, the differences between Black immigrant and African American perspectives, and the role workplace politics can play in deciding who advances. He also explores five qualities of effective leadership and why integrity must remain the foundation of a professional career.

Drawing from Life Lessons From Two Worlds: My Jamaican American Journey, Eric explains how he found purpose beyond his title—and became the “CEO of Me.”

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why strong performance does not always lead to fair recognition.

• How history shapes different experiences within the Black community.

• Why speaking truth to power tests an organization’s commitment to leadership.

• How to respond with professionalism while standing on your principles.

• What it means to define success beyond your career.

00:00 Passed over for someone he trained

05:00 Growing up in Jamaica: resourcefulness and a mother’s example

17:00 Coming to America: expectations meet reality

23:00 Excellent reviews, unequal rewards

28:00 Black immigrants, African Americans, and shared struggles

35:00 A promotion without a raise—and demanding answers

44:00 A $4 billion portfolio and another promotion barrier

54:00 Merit, workplace politics, and speaking truth to power

1:02:00 Five qualities of effective leadership

1:06:00 Becoming the “CEO of Me” and 136 life lessons

1:12:00 Eric’s memoir and a career built on integrity

1:17:00 Tony’s Tidbit, LESS, and closing reflections

Learn more about Eric and his memoir, Life Lessons From Two Worlds: My Jamaican-American Journey:

https://www.ericgwjones.com

Follow A Black Executive Perspective, share this episode, and leave a review to help more listeners discover these conversations.

Connect across social platforms: @ABlackExec

Learn. Empathize. Share. Stop discrimination.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/political-ads-is-there-no-bottom-

Episode Video Link:

How low can political campaigns go—and what does our tolerance for cruelty say about us?

In this episode of Need to Know with Dr. Nsenga Burton, presented by A Black Executive Perspective, Dr. Burton challenges political attack ads that she argues cross the line from criticism into misogyny and personal humiliation.

Through commentary on Keisha Lance Bottoms, Dr. Amy Acton, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign, she examines the weaponization of personal trauma, the treatment of women seeking leadership, and the responsibility voters have to demand better.

It’s an unfiltered conversation about power, politics, culture, and community accountability—with a reminder that basic humanity should never be negotiable.

00:00 Political attack ads and the politics of fear

02:00 Dr. Amy Acton and weaponizing personal trauma

04:00 Misogyny, misogynoir, and Keisha Lance Bottoms

05:00 Where is the bottom in American politics?

08:00 Demanding accountability beyond party loyalty

09:00 Lead with kindness—and vote with purpose

Follow A Black Executive Perspective for real conversations that make uncomfortable conversations comfortable.

Content note: Strong language and discussion of child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/byron-donalds-black-votes-maga-agenda-

Episode Video Link:

Does electing a state’s first Black governor automatically represent progress for Black communities?

On A Black Executive Perspective, Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed II examine Byron Donalds’ pursuit of Florida’s governorship, his MAGA alignment, and his controversial comments about Black families during Jim Crow.

The hosts distinguish Donalds’ actual words from the claims surrounding them, then challenge the historical framing. They discuss redlining, mass incarceration, the Great Society, and political narratives that portray shared social problems as uniquely Black failures.

Drawing connections between political leadership and Corporate America, Tony and Chris ask whether symbolic diversity delivers meaningful representation or simply gives existing power a different face. Donalds’ “Daddy’s back” comment brings the conversation back to Trump, political loyalty, and community accountability.

00:00 Opening: Black identity and political ambition

03:00 Does being first mean meaningful representation?

14:00 Black voters and Florida’s political choices

23:00 Donalds’ Jim Crow remarks in context

31:00 Redlining, incarceration and political history

38:00 The Great Society and racial double standards

45:00 Representation, power and community accountability

51:00 “Daddy’s back”: Donalds’ alignment with Trump

58:00 Tony’s Tidbit, the LESS pledge and closing

Follow A Black Executive Perspective, leave a review, and share this episode with someone ready for an honest conversation about leadership and accountability.

Visit https://ablackexec.com. Practice LESS: Learn. Empathize. Share. Stop discrimination.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/james-meredith-first-at-ole-miss-then-forgotten-

Episode Video Link:

What does it take to attend class when a mob is determined to keep you out?

James Meredith’s fight to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962 forced America to confront segregation, federal authority, and the gap between having rights and exercising them.

On A Black Executive Perspective, Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed II examine the political resistance, deadly riot, and personal isolation surrounding Meredith’s enrollment at Ole Miss. They explore three questions at the heart of his experience: Who gets access? Who enforces it? And what happens when admission comes without belonging?

The conversation also tackles Meredith’s controversial politics and a difficult question about historical memory: Can we reject someone’s views while still honoring their courage?

Listen for an honest conversation about Black history, systemic racism, leadership, and the human cost of opening doors for others.

00:00 A Campus Erupts

07:00 Meredith’s Fight

25:00 Kennedy vs. Barnett

34:00 The Deadly Riot

45:00 Inside, but Alone

50:00 A Complicated Legacy

1:04:00 Courage and Tony’s Tidbit

Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode to keep these conversations moving.

Explore the BEP network and subscribe to A Monthly Perspective at https://ablackexec.com.

Follow us: @ablackexec

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/confidence-or-disrespect-

Episode Video Link:

Is standing your ground a strength, or does it depend on who you are?

Grace Fooden Correy explores confidence, cultural identity, and workplace belonging through the story of a young Black woman she mentors. Educated in predominantly white environments and working in a predominantly white, male industry, this woman finds that the confidence she was taught to value becomes a source of conflict with her boss.

In this episode of A Mixed Executive Perspective, Grace reflects on the overlap between mixed identity and living between cultures, the limits of changing someone else’s mind, and knowing when to seek a workplace that values you.

When a colleague challenges you, do you hear confidence or disrespect? Would your answer change if they looked or sounded different?

00:00 Introduction: Identity and belonging

01:00 When confidence becomes workplace conflict

03:00 Knowing when to find a better workplace

04:00 Living between cultures

05:00 Confidence, disrespect, and who belongs

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/cornell-seven-justice-or-judgment-

Episode Video Link:

When does public commentary become a public verdict?

Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed examine the Cornell Seven controversy through the lens of consent, due process, campus accountability, and political influence. They discuss competing accounts, questions surrounding the investigation, Megyn Kelly’s commentary, and the debate over Letitia James’s appointment as special prosecutor.

The conversation gets especially candid when Tony and Chris disagree about whether a prosecutor’s public expression of compassion creates a reasonable concern about impartiality. They also explore why text messages and initial reactions require context, and why neither an allegation nor a denial should replace a thorough investigation.

A Black Executive Perspective brings real conversations to the intersection of power, politics, culture, and accountability. Can compassion and due process stand in the same room?

00:00 When people process harm later

01:00 Cornell Seven and the court of public opinion

04:50 The allegations and investigation questions

17:00 Megyn Kelly’s response and competing narratives

33:00 Letitia James: compassion versus impartiality

48:20 Media responsibility and minimizing allegations

56:20 Text messages, consent, and delayed processing

1:08:25 Justice before judgment and the LESS pledge

Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share this conversation.

Explore the BEP network: https://ablackexec.com

Follow our social channels: @blackexec

Content advisory: discussion of sexual assault allegations and strong language. The hosts discuss allegations and disputed accounts without determining guilt.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/vote-as-if-your-life-depends-on-it-

Episode Video Link:

Is waiting for the perfect candidate a risk voters can afford?

Dr. Nsenga Burton returns to Need to Know on A Black Executive Perspective with a forceful commentary on Black history, political accountability, and the stakes of the 2026 midterm elections.

She shares her concerns about the Trump administration, challenges voters to evaluate candidates’ full records, and argues that restoring checks and balances cannot wait. Her message is direct: vote as if your life depends on it.

00:00 Welcome Back to Need to Know

01:00 Black History and the Politics of Erasure

03:00 Leadership and Political Accountability

04:00 The Midterms and the Perfect Candidate Trap

06:00 Checks, Balances, and Your Future

Follow A Black Executive Perspective and share this episode with someone who needs to hear the conversation.

Explore more: https://ablackexec.com

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/mixed-race-a-glitch-in-the-system-

Episode Video Link:

If Black America is living inside The Truman Show, where does that leave mixed people?

Grace Fooden Correy explores biracial and multiracial identity through a powerful metaphor: mixed people as the seam in a painted sky, exposing the boundaries of society’s racial categories.

From performing different versions of yourself to navigating spaces that never quite make room for you, this episode asks what it means to belong when your existence challenges the script.

00:00 Welcome and the question of mixed identity

01:00 Black America and The Truman Show

03:00 Where do mixed people fit?

04:00 Performing identity and seeing the seams

05:00 When your existence challenges the categories

Follow A Mixed Executive Perspective, share this episode, and join the conversation. Remember, you belong.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/ai-could-kill-us-all-

Episode Video Link:

Could artificial intelligence escape human control? Or is the greater danger what humans teach it?

Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed II explore AI safety, corporate greed, racial bias, and leaders' responsibility to protect the public. Using Star Trek’s “The Ultimate Computer” as a striking parallel, they examine how a system built to help people could pursue its objectives in dangerous, unexpected ways.

From industry warnings and political responses to independent oversight and human review, this episode asks who controls AI, who benefits, and who pays the price when accountability falls behind innovation.

The conversation closes with practical ways to demand transparency and Tony’s reminder that intelligence without wisdom is dangerous.

00:00 The AI Warning

07:00 Profit vs. Safety

23:00 Star Trek’s Warning

36:00 Human Bias, Machine Power

41:00 Who Controls AI?

54:00 What You Can Do

1:02:00 Tony’s Tidbit & LESS

Listen, follow, and share A Black Executive Perspective. Join the conversation at https://ablackexec.com and follow @ABlackExec.

Learn. Empathy. Share. Stop discrimination.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/progressive-parents-invisible-kids-

Episode Video Link:

Can parents act on their progressive beliefs while overlooking what their own children need?

Grace Fooden-Correy reflects on Nikole Hannah-Jones’ essay about her daughter’s education and connects it to her own childhood navigating a predominantly white private school and a Black public school.

In this episode of A Mixed Executive Perspective, Grace explores mixed identity, race, class, school choice, and the emotional cost of appearing to be fine while feeling unheard. She challenges parents and allies to examine whether their actions match their ideals and whether children have a voice in decisions that shape their belonging.

00:00 Welcome to A Mixed Executive Perspective

01:00 School choice and progressive parenting

03:00 The conversation Grace never had

05:00 Mixed identity and progressive hypocrisy

06:00 Are we actually listening?

Follow A Mixed Executive Perspective, part of the award-winning A Black Executive Perspective platform. Share this episode with someone raising mixed children or navigating life between cultures.

Until next time, remember, you belong.

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

• YouTube Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Other platforms or by searching "TonyTidbit"

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

1. subscribe to our newsletter
2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• TikTok
• WhatsApp

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email [email protected] .