Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/making-history-they-cant-erase-

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of A Black Executive Perspective, Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed welcome back Valeria Howard Cunningham, President and CEO of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.

This conversation goes beyond the arena. Valeria shares the truth about Black cowboys and cowgirls, the history America tried to erase, and the work required to preserve Black Western culture for future generations.

The episode explores legacy, ownership, representation, Black women in rodeo, soul country music, community health, leadership, and the question of why the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo remains the greatest show on dirt.

This is a powerful conversation about making history that they cannot erase.

00:00 Black cowboys, erased history, and why this story matters

04:00 Valeria Howard Cunningham and the Bill Pickett legacy

08:00 Making history, they can’t erase

12:00 Why a Black rodeo had to exist

18:00 The global impact of Black rodeo culture

23:00 Ownership, independence, and protecting the mission

29:00 Black women, cowgirls, and representation

36:00 Soul country music and the Black roots of country

47:00 Community health, leadership, and responsibility

59:00 Recognition, legacy, and advice for future leaders

1:09:00 Tony’s Tidbit, LESS pledge, and closing

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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/is-college-still-worth-the-debt-

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of BEP Live, Chris P. Reed, Tony Tidbit, and MOB, also known as Brilz, tackle one of the biggest questions facing families today: Is college still worth the debt?

The conversation explores student loans, trade schools, apprenticeships, Corporate America, Black professional access, workforce readiness, and the growing impact of AI on entry-level jobs.

This is a real conversation about education, power, economics, and opportunity. College may still matter, but it can no longer be treated as the only path to success.

00:00 BEP Live opens the conversation

02:45 Why this college debate matters now

04:50 The history of college, class, and opportunity

09:00 Did America sell families the wrong formula for education?

15:00 Degrees, receipts, work ethic, and real-world skills

20:00 Trade schools, stigma, debt, and the American Dream

22:00 Are graduate jobs losing value?

25:00 Student loans, access, and the cost of opportunity

30:00 Experience versus credentials in Corporate America

36:00 Why college alone does not guarantee readiness

42:00 AI, entry-level jobs, and the future of work

50:00 Final thoughts on education, success, and choice

56:00 Closing and BEP Live call to action

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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/when-did-dei-become-a-racial-dog-whistle-

Episode Video Link:

In this Need-to-Know episode, Dr. Nsenga Burton explains how DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion, has been distorted into a racial and political dog whistle.

Using the backlash after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Dr. Burton examines how Black leaders were unfairly labeled “DEI” in an attempt to question their qualifications, minimize their leadership, and fuel misinformation.

This episode clarifies what DEI actually means, why it matters, and why inclusion and belonging are not about handouts. They are about fairness, access, and opportunity for people who have historically been excluded, even when they were qualified.

What you will learn

What DEI actually means

How DEI became a political dog whistle

Why qualified Black leaders are often mislabeled and attacked

How misinformation distorts diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Why DEI is about access, fairness, and opportunity

00:00 Welcome

00:30 Defining DEI

01:20 Why DEI is being attacked

02:20 The dog whistle strategy

03:00 Baltimore bridge collapse example

04:05 Black leadership under scrutiny

05:10 Dehumanization and misinformation

06:20 Belonging and fairness

07:20 What DEI is not

08:05 Closing moment

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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/Is AI the Next Civil Rights Battlefield?

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of A Black Executive Perspective Podcast, Roy L. Austin Jr. joins Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed for a powerful conversation about artificial intelligence, civil rights, racial justice, technology, and accountability.

Roy explains why AI is not neutral when the data behind it reflects the same discrimination found in housing, policing, criminal justice, employment, media, and corporate systems. The conversation explores biased data, cultural competency, predictive policing, content moderation, responsible innovation, and the urgent need to make civil rights part of the AI blueprint.

This episode challenges listeners to think more deeply about who builds technology, who is protected by it, who is harmed by it, and why Black communities must be present in shaping the future.

01:05 Welcome to BEP

02:00 AI and civil rights

08:30 Why the civil rights fight continues

15:00 Housing, policing, and systemic discrimination

23:05 Race, law, and power

28:30 The 16th Street Baptist Church case

39:30 Civil rights meets AI

47:00 AI bias, imagery, and responsibility

52:00 Cultural competency in technology

57:05 Fairness, red teaming, and AI accountability

01:05:40 Howard Law AI Initiative

01:07:50 What gives Roy hope

01:13:40 Tony’s Tidbit

01:14:20 L.E.S.S. and closing

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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/is-merit-still-sacred-in-military-promotions-

Episode Video Link:

In this BEP Live audio episode, Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed examine allegations that Secretary Hegseth blocked promotions for Black and female officers inside the U.S. Defense Department.

Tony draws from his military experience to explain why promotion boards, merit, leadership readiness, and military vetting matter. Chris expands the conversation into race, gender, trust, representation, and what happens when leadership decisions appear to send a message about who deserves power.

This episode challenges listeners to think deeper about military leadership, fairness, accountability, DEI backlash, and whether merit is being protected or politically manipulated.

00:00 Opening

01:00 Merit and promotions

05:45 Hegseth allegations

08:10 How military boards work

15:00 Race, gender, and bias

23:30 Networking and visibility

30:30 Impact on Black leadership

34:00 Military diversity and command culture

44:00 Leadership double standards

53:30 Merit, trust, and transparency

56:00 Final thoughts and L.E.S.S.

58:00 Closing

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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

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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/should-you-quit-corporate-america-or-build-your-exit-plan-first-

Episode Video Link:

Dr. Nsenga Burton unpacks what professionals need to know before leaving corporate America for entrepreneurship. After the Great Resignation, many people are questioning burnout, toxic workplaces, low pay, limited opportunities for advancement, and a lack of flexibility. But the answer is not always to quit immediately.

This episode explains how a side hustle can help you test a business idea, build income, strengthen your skills, expand your network, and create a safer transition from employee to entrepreneur.

What you will hear

Why corporate burnout pushed many people to reconsider work

Why is entrepreneurship not for the faint of heart

How side hustles can protect your financial stability

Why should building a business start with strategy, not impulse

00:00 Welcome to Need to Know

00:31 The Great Resignation

01:18 Burnout, pay, respect, and flexibility

01:48 Why quitting without a plan is risky

02:24 The side hustle transition strategy

03:19 The economics of side hustles

04:17 Use the skills you already have

05:10 Keep the side hustle manageable

06:05 Test the market first

07:10 Build multiple income streams

08:12 Grow your skills and network

09:10 Pilot your business idea

10:24 Entrepreneurship is hard work

11:36 Plan your corporate exit

12:15 Pick the right side hustle

13:10 Closing moment

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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

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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/what-happens-when-you-stop-waiting-for-a-seat-at-the-table-

Episode Video Link:

Today, Carlos Benjamin, Founder of High Profile Lifestyle and The Assembly Global, joins A Black Executive Perspective Podcast for a powerful conversation about Black entrepreneurship, ownership, mindset, and the hidden infrastructure behind culture.

Carlos shares his journey from Selma, Alabama, to New York City, from corporate America to homelessness, from film production to experiential marketing, and from working inside someone else’s system to building his own.

This episode explores faith, fear, personal development, Black founder confidence, experiential marketing, and Carlos’s mission to build an ecosystem for independent professionals who deserve community, opportunity, protection, and support.

What you will learn

• How Carlos transformed setbacks into entrepreneurial clarity

• Why personal development helped him remove self-imposed limits

• How major brand activations depend on unseen cultural labor

• Why independent professionals need infrastructure, not just inspiration

00:00 Opening, mindset, faith, and vision

01:00 Welcome to A Black Executive Perspective

02:00 The hidden labor behind culture and major brands

06:30 From Selma to self-discovery

17:00 Speaking success into existence

22:00 Fear, faith, and the mindset shift

30:00 Leaving corporate ceilings behind

40:00 New York, film production, and reinvention

46:30 The pivot into experiential marketing

54:30 Building High Profile Lifestyle

58:00 Navigating success as a Black founder

01:02:00 Creating infrastructure for independent professionals

01:06:00 Final message, Tony’s Tidbit, and L.E.S.S.

01:15:00 Closing thoughts

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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/did-the-american-dream-become-unaffordable-

Episode Video Link:

In this audio episode, Chris P. Reed and Tony Tidbit explore whether the American Dream has disappeared or has become too expensive for everyday Americans to achieve.

They break down wages, rent, housing, inflation, retirement, ownership, and the hard math behind middle-class life in America. This is a real conversation about economic pressure, working families, and why the old formula of school, work, and stability no longer feels guaranteed.

What You Will Learn

Why the American Dream feels out of reach

How housing and rent reshaped financial stability

Why do many Americans feel behind, even when they are working hard

Why the dream may need to be rebuilt, not romanticized

00:00 Opening the uncomfortable conversation

02:20 Has the American Dream disappeared?

03:10 Wages did not accelerate with everything else

05:00 The value of money then versus now

09:20 Minimum wage and modern survival

12:45 Why $100K does not stretch like it used to

16:15 The New Deal and economic safety nets

20:55 Factory jobs, unions, and working class ownership

23:20 The generational housing cost explosion

29:10 Rent, ownership, and the missing down payment

33:45 Retirement savings and the new financial reality

35:10 Do young people still dream of ownership?

41:20 The difference between dreaming and affording

45:20 Audience reflections on adulthood and money

49:20 The true cost of the American Dream

52:35 Redefining success in today’s economy

56:10 L.E.S.S call to action and closing

Embrace L.E.S.S to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Learn: Educate yourself in cultural and racial realities. Empathy: Understand and respect different lived experiences. Share: Share your knowledge and your story to uplift others. Stop: Stop discrimination when you see it.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

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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

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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/who-stole-black-womens-capital-

Episode Video Link:

In this audio episode, Dr. Nsenga Burton examines the fight for Black women entrepreneurs to access capital, resources, and institutional support in a climate where equity programs are being challenged and dismantled.

From the Fearless Fund to entrepreneurship centers serving students and communities, this conversation is a direct call for stewardship, measurable outcomes, and real investment in Black business ownership.

What you will learn:

Why access to capital remains a major barrier for Black women entrepreneurs

Why entrepreneurship centers must operate with accountability

How community investment can help build self-sustaining businesses

Why generational wealth matters in the fight for equity

00:00 Introduction to entrepreneurship

00:48 Fearless Fund and Black women founders

01:43 Access to capital and resources

02:35 Entrepreneurial centers and community impact

03:52 Accountability and stewardship

05:00 Generational wealth

06:05 Final message

Embrace L.E.S.S to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Learn: Educate yourself in cultural and racial realities. Empathy: Understand and respect different lived experiences. Share: Share your knowledge and your story to uplift others. Stop: Stop discrimination when you see

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

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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

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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/why-are-black-mothers-still-fighting-to-survive-healthcare-

Episode Video Link:

Dana Langford joins A Black Executive Perspective for a necessary conversation on Black maternal health, healthcare racism, policy failure, and why Black mothers are still fighting to be heard, protected, and treated like human beings.

From preeclampsia and postpartum mental health to insurance reimbursement, obstetric deserts, provider bias, and culturally responsive care, this episode exposes the gap between awareness and action.

This is a conversation about healthcare, but it is also about leadership, justice, community accountability, and the urgent responsibility to protect Black women.

00:00 Why Black mothers are still at risk

03:00 Dana Langford returns to BEP

06:15 Why Black Maternal Health Week matters

08:30 Why modern medicine still fails Black women

15:30 Preeclampsia, postpartum health, and ignored symptoms

22:30 Awareness is not the same as action

27:00 Being treated as human in healthcare

31:00 Policy, Medicaid, reimbursement, and obstetric deserts

39:00 Misogynoir, representation, and Black women-centered care

47:00 How to find providers who see and hear you

53:00 Dana’s final message and Village of Healing

58:00 Tony’s Tidbit and the L.E.S.S. call to action

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

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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

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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] .