Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Keita Demming. In addition to his work with The Covenant Group, Keita is interested in how our society can have better conversations. Keita's grandmother passed away recently before the recording of this podcast, and Ashanti lost his grandmother a year ago, so the men bond and reflect on where their emotions have taken them during the grieving process.

(1:36) Ashanti’s introduction.

(5:05) Keita introduces himself, his work, and why he believes why doing small things exceptionally well is the best way to have a big impact.

(9:58) The two men share the fronts of their masks. Keita - thoughtfulness, knowledge, optimism. Ashanti - serious, caring, hard working.

(11:36) Keita shares the back of his mask - foresight, my deepest work, who I really am. He shares how he is still learning how to be humble, instead of being secretive.

(13:20) Keita reflects on the passing of his grandmother, the good and bad of a virtual funeral, and how close his bond was with his grandmother.

(16:56) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear of failure, sadness about death, childhood trauma. Ashanti relates the passing of his own grandmother to Keita’s. Ashanti reflects on what his grandmother represents to him, and why he is upset that his family is selling his grandmother’s home.

(21:30) Keita talks about how he believes emotions are love notes to the self. He helps Ashanti unpack what "love note" Ashanti’s emotions are telling him, with regards to his grandmother.

(26:10) Keita shares why he believes he has only just begun the grieving process, and shares how he is applying what he has learned about his emotions to how he is raising his son.

(29:06) The men discuss the idea of emotional wounds and emotional scars. They discuss how this metaphor is multi-layered.

(33:31) Keita shares how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Keita Demming:

Instagram: instagram.com/kdemming/

Twitter: twitter.com/kdemming

LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/kdemming/

Website: www.betterconversationsproject.com

---

Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

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Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

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Connect with Ever Forward Club:

Instagram: instagram.com/everforward

Facebook: facebook.com/everforwardclub

Twitter: twitter.com/everforwardclub

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch hosts filmmaker Alex Gabbay, and author and lecturer Dr. Judy Chu, as the three panelists answer audience questions and discuss Alex’s new film "Beyond Men and Masculinity". In addition to discussing the effects of culture and hierarchy on child development, the panelists are joined by nine-year-old Lucian, the youngest member of Ever Forward Club’s newest boys’ circle, and high school senior Justin Odom, who has contributed significantly to the launch of the Ever Forward Club’s Peer Mentoring program.

(0:09) Ashanti gives background on the film and the panel. He then shares some masks that he collected while visiting Mexico and taking some youth through the mask-making process.

(6:40) The panelists discuss the question, “How do we get more men to say yes to showing up in vulnerable spaces, and how do we create more of these spaces?”

(11:00) Lucian, a 9-year-old boy, shares what it is like being in a newly launched Ever Forward Club circle, for boys in grades 4 through 6.

(13:00) Justin, a high school senior based in Alameda, shares why he was drawn to the work of Ever Forward Club, especially while enduring the trials of a global pandemic.

(15:49) Alex shares where people can view Beyond Men and Masculinity and get in touch with him.

(17:10) The panelists consider the idea that promoting equality and democracy is a threat to masculinity.

(21:21) Next, they address the question, “What are things that adults and students can practice daily to help shift men into more honest, vulnerable spaces?”

(27:34) The panelists discuss the question, “For mothers raising boys, what are ways to raise them to be emotionally healthy and break traditional male norms?”

(35:27) Next, they consider some of the similarities and differences around the concept of masculinity amongst different cultures.

(38:02) The next question raised is, “Is the solution to patriarchy a “co-archy”?”

(40:35) Alex shares information on another one of his films, The Price of Fairness, addressing the question, “what does it mean to be fair?”

(41:45) Finally, the panelists discuss two questions: “How should a parent gauge whether a child is too emotional? How do we move a child from acknowledging the themes of emotionality to actually practicing them?”

(46:23) Dr. Chu and Alex share some words with the audience.

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Connect with Alex Gabbay

Instagram: instagram.com/futureishumane

Twitter: twitter.com/futureishumane

To See the Full film: https://thefutureishumane.vhx.tv/

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Connect with Dr. Judy Chu

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juchu

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

---

Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Thomas Sage Pedersen. Thomas hosts the podcast Speak For Change, works as CEO of the award winning music school Everyone's Music School, serves on the Steering Committee for Santa Cruz County’s Black Coalition for Justice and Racial Equity, and is a Certified Kingian Nonviolence Trainer. Thomas and Ashanti share their masks, and their conversation centers mostly around Parker Palmer’s idea of a “Critical Gap” that exists between one’s own world as it is, and one’s own world as he/she wants it to be.

(1:36) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:04) Thomas introduces himself, his podcast, his work as the CEO of Everyone’s Music school, and his community work in Santa Cruz.

(5:00) Ashanti appeared on Thomas’s podcast, and they reflect on the experience as it relates to “taking off the mask”

(8:11) Thomas shares what it was like making a mask, and why he tried the exercise twice.

(10:00) Thomas and Ashanti share the fronts of their masks. Thomas - passion and dedication, empathy and compassion, lightheartedness. Ashanti - funny, caring, hard working.

(10:55) Thomas reflects on how he puts on a "front" during stressful situations, and how re-examining his first mask led to a deeper exploration of self. Ashanti reflects on why caring is an integral part of his personality.

(15:30) Thomas and Ashanti share the back of their masks. Thomas - insecure, playful, sensitive. Ashanti - fear of failure, trauma, mental health.

(17:48) Thomas relates to Ashanti’s experiences with family members that have mental health issues, and shares how mental health issues are symptoms of our societal value system.

(19:50) The two men discuss their insecurities. They discuss how it is hard to be objective about whatever they may be insecure of, since insecurity is an emotional, subjective experience that leads to extreme behaviors - unless we learn to accept ourselves and reframe our self-improvement goals.

(29:25) Thomas and Ashanti discuss Parker Palmer’s idea of a “Critical Gap” between the world as it is, and the world as one wants it to be. They discuss how acknowledging this gap can allow one to make incremental, healthy progress.

(37:33) They then share how embracing one’s identity, one’s strengths and weaknesses, allows for a more authentic and productive life. They also acknowledge the other side, how certain identities and characteristics are connected to gender and gender conformity. Unfortunately, for men, being playful and sensitive leads to negative experiences when rubbing up against the dominant culture.

(52:41) Thomas shares how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Thomas Sage Pedersen

Website: linktr.ee/speakforchangepodcast; everyonesmusicschool.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thomassagepedersen

Facebook: facebook.com/speakforchangepodcast

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Adam Rosendahl. As a creative entrepreneur and the Chief Experience Officer of Late Nite Art, Adam sees art as a means to humanize individuals and build connections. The two men discuss what it takes to maintain creativity while leading their respective organizations.

(1:33) Ashanti’s introduction.

(3:28) Adam introduces himself and his work, and then he and Ashanti share their friendship and its origins.

(9:22) Both men share the front of their masks: Adam - caring, adventurous, confident, creative; Ashanti - serious, funny, caring, hard working.

(10:09) Adam reflects on the front of his mask - how being caring can be a beautiful quality in a man, but at times he finds himself sacrificing for others at the expense of his own emotions. Adam also shares how proud he is of his work, and how it keeps him connected to his childhood qualities.

(13:15) Ashanti reflects on the front of his mask - why he has started to write “caring” on his mask every time, and what it’s like to have to oscillate between being a mentor and a boss. Adam then shares how he is similar and different when running his organization.

(17:52) Both men share the back of their masks: Adam - restless, worried, passive-aggressive; Ashanti - fear of failure, sadness, trauma.

(18:45) Adam reflects on the back of his mask - how he is working on addressing conflict head on, working on being okay with making others uncomfortable. He also shares how he is working on channeling his worries in a more loving, caring manner.

(22:05) Ashanti reflects on the back of his mask - how having one-sided interactions with individuals can be a detriment to success. He also shares an internal dissonance he has been tackling this year - how he is in the business of allowing young men to release their anger, yet he has not allowed himself to release emotions in the same way.

(33:00) The men discuss the power of developing and implementing a more specific, self-aware, emotional vocabulary.

(37:04) They discuss the balancing act that occurs when one wants to hold oneself accountable to high standards, but still needs to admit when one needs help and support to achieve these standards.

(43:00) Ashanti and Adam look back on the first day they met, at a workshop that built in time for everyone to decorate their name tags.

(47:31) Adam shares one last message about the power of saying something out loud, and how this act can release the power that insecurities and vulnerabilities may have over you.

(51:25) Learn about Adam’s current projects.

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Connect with Adam Rosendahl

Website: www.lateniteart.com

Instagram:.instagram.com/adam_rosendahl & instagram.com/lateniteart

Facebook: facebook.com/lateniteart

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Email: [email protected]

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jason Gant. Jason is a San Francisco native who brings an international perspective to his work in mental health and athletics. He has collaborated with and supported the youth of Ever Forward Social-Emotional Leadership Academy. Ashanti discusses Jason's curios, adventurous nature, and what he has learned while abroad.

(1:24) Ashanti’s introduction.

(3:55) Jason introduces himself. In addition to his experiences with mental health, we learn about his experience with entrepreneurial management and his travels in Spain and Taiwan.

(7:14) Jason shares the front of his mask - curious, joy, adventurous.

(8:16) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - serious, caring, hard-working. He shares how “caring” has become a new word on the front of his mask that he’s been reflecting on, and how it often replaces where he usually writes “funny”.

(9:55) Jason shares the back of his mask - victim, hyperrational, intense. He reflects on how these words change over time. He shares what it was like to write these words down for the first time, after seeing these descriptors in a personality test he recently took. He talks about what it’s like finding a balance between the front and the back, and how acquiring more mental health tools has helped him.

(13:12) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear of failure, sadness about death, his brother’s mental health. He shares that it was recently his brother’s birthday, and how he builds empathy and handles the frustrations of having a brother with paranoid schizophrenia.

(19:27) Jason shares how he found his current niche - developing the mental skills of athletes - while wandering the streets of Spain and providing space for his mind to ponder. He then shares what he learned about mental health, during the most intense moments of competitive sports, and how he can help athletes access peak performance in these moments.

(28:37) Jason shares his final thoughts on the mask-making process, and how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Jason Gant

Twitter: twitter.com/myvillagetribe

Instagram:.instagram.com/myvillagetribe

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/myvillagetribe

Email: [email protected]

Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=n_ZAkEvn5MQ&t=51s

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Check out the USA premiere of Beyond Men and Masculinity:

gofund.me/e5d204ee

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Email: [email protected]

---

Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Charles Luis Herñañdez, or “Chuck”. Among many things, Chuck is “a man on a mission to lose 300 lbs”. In this conversation, Ashanti and Chuck discuss how each man has gained purpose and inspiration from their friendship.

(1:20) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:05) Chuck introduces himself, the origins of his nickname, his family, his work in education, as well as his passion for projects in music and video. They reflect on how a chance meeting with Ashanti at a conference has grown into a friendship.

(10:42) Chuck talks briefly about starting a health group before he and Ashanti talk broadly about how they both have set and are on the pathway to achieving their weight loss goals. They each share their vulnerabilities around food addiction and how they have both inspired one another.

(21:28) Chuck and Ashanti make their masks together.

(25:50) Chuck shares the front of his mask - glowing, humorous, neutral, before Ashanti shares the front of his mask - funny, hard-working, caring. They discuss how these facets of themselves play a role in how each navigates the world, how these facets hold each man accountable to certain standards, and how Ashanti holds the youth he works with to certain standards.

(39:20) Chuck shares the back of his mask - pain, physical pain, neutrality. He shares how each item on the back of his mask is connected to a specific item on the front.

(41:55) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - food addiction, sadness, fear of failure. He shares how his mother helped him open his eyes to the concept of food addiction, and how he has just recently been able to properly name and acknowledge this addiction.

(49:05) We learn about Chuck’s current projects - his podcast, social media, and the feature-length documentary he has been working on. He reflects on how making the documentary has been therapeutic, allowing him to look at his past and process it.

(52:00) Chuck shares some final thoughts on the documentary, and how he is learning to aim beyond his targets and goals in life.

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Connect with Chuck Herñañdez:

Instagram:.instagram.com/fat.talk/

Facebook: facebook.com/startedwiththebottlenowimfat

Documentary Trailer: instagram.com/p/CJPa3dFg5Nb/

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Email: [email protected]

---

Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Aaron Jackson. Aaron is a student at the University of San Francisco. Based in Oakland, CA, he was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle’s coverage of the Bay Area’s 2020 graduating high school senior class. Ashanti and Aaron make masks together, and share their similar experiences with the passing of family members.

(1:12) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:13) Aaron shares what his southern background means to him, and why he enjoys living in the Bay Area.

(10:33) Ashanti walks Aaron through the mask-making process.

(13:27) Aaron shares the front of his mask - a can-do attitude, optimism, enthusiasm, resilience.

(16:15) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - hard working, caring, serious.

(18:20) Aaron shares the back of his mask - past experiences, anxiety. He shares how he believes in focusing on a brighter future as opposed to dwelling on the past. And he reflects on how he tends to overthink in certain situations, which can be overwhelming.

(20:03) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear of failure, childhood trauma, sadness about death. He shares with Aaron how he is overcoming his fear of sharing videos with his followers, how he is only just recently confronting his childhood traumas, and how his father’s and grandmother’s passing have affected him.

(23:06) Aaron opens up about how he has had similar experiences with trauma and death. These experiences cause him to not share his past with many people he meets. He recalls the pain he has felt over not being able to speak with his mother one last time after his parents divorced, since she passed away soon after Aaron and his father left for California.

(26:31) Aaron reflects on the mask-making experience, relates this experience to restorative justice circles, and shares how other men his age need to do this type of work more.

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Connect with Aaron Jackson:

Instagram: instagram.com/aaron.jjr

SF Chronicle Feature: projects.sfchronicle.com/class-of-2020/summer

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram:   instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook:  facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter:   twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn:    linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Email: [email protected]

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Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

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Connect with Ever Forward Club:

Instagram:    instagram.com/everforward

Facebook:  facebook.com/everforwardclub

Twitter:   twitter.com/everforwardclub

LinkedIn:    linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club

Everforward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Dan Doty. Dan has done it all, from writing, to meditation teaching, to men's coaching, to wilderness exploring, to podcasting, to filmmaking... Ashanti's relationship with Dan includes an appearance on Dan's podcast, as well as a retreat into Joshua Tree with Evryman. In this conversation, Dan and Ashanti explore the fronts and backs of their masks, and they reflect on what it means to break the "rules" of masculinity, and whether there are any rules to begin with.

(1:54) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:25) Dan introduces himself, his background, and the wide variety of work he does and has done; then Dan and Ashanti recall past adventures, specifically an Evryman retreat at Joshua Tree.

(8:23) Dan shares the front of his mask - strong, caring, creative. He shares how he makes sure to keep the front of his mask representative of his authentic self.

(10:29) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - funny, serious, hard-working. He then ponders why he has never written “caring” on the front of his mask, and shares that he often struggles to find a balance between his funny self and his serious self when running the Ever Forward Club.

(12:33) We learn about the similarities and differences between Dan and Ashanti’s experiences rubbing up against stereotypes as school teachers.

(15:50) Dan shares the back of his mask - scared and full of fear, hopeless, angry, feeling as if he does not have things in his life together. We learn about how Dan feels all these things are connected, and connected to the state of the world.

(17:55) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear, sadness, trauma. Ashanti relates to Dan’s feelings, and how his insecurities are connected to Ashanti’s tendency to compare himself to others. We learn the many ways that Ashanti wants to push his comfort zone in 2021.

(21:22) The men explore the idea that, with our career and our passions, we are trying to create the things that we lacked in childhood. And, after we achieve some of these milestones, they reflect on the many mental barriers and distractions that exist that prevent us from continuing to move forward.

(24:59) Dan shares what learned about vulnerability, mental health, and coping, while working on a pig farm in high school.

(26:42) Ashanti and Dan discuss the “rules of masculinity.” They question whether they are indeed rules, or if they are the manifestation of men lacking the tools to healthily express feelings.

(29:49) Dan shares how becoming a father further invigorates his work as a men’s coach, and Ashanti relates, with his work with young men.

(32:22) Dan shares a final message, and how we can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Dan Doty

Website: dandoty.com

Evryman: evryman.com

Instagram: instagram.com/danieldoty

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Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram:   instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook:  facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter:   twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn:    linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

---

Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Big Bruh. Big Bruh is a family man, and the host of the podcast Live with Big Bruh. Ashanti and Big Bruh find common ground over hard work, experiences with grief and loss, and conquering the urge to numb pain with distraction instead of confronting pain with honesty and vulnerability.

(1:02) Ashanti’s introduction.

(4:07) Big Bruh introduces himself. He talks about his family and what it’s like to record and host a podcast in a car, with his wife.

(9:00) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - serious, hard working, funny. He shares how he felt as if he was moving slowly this past week, and how certain emotions played a role in this.

(10:20) Big Bruh shares the front of his mask - Hard working, honest, a provider. He reflects on how he picked up these traits from his father, and how he wants to pass these traits on to his seven year old son.

(12:15) Big Bruh breaks down what it was like making a mask for the first time.

(14:15) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear, sadness, trauma. He and Big Bruh discuss what happens when you don’t give yourself time to grieve. Ashanti hadn’t dealt with sadness over his grandmother’s passing, and Big Bruh relates, with similar experiences with his grandfather and his aunt.

(19:45) Ashanti and Big Bruh explore the trend that men shut down their emotions and numb these feelings with unhealthy behaviors.

(24:40) Big Bruh shares the back of his mask - stress, over thinker, failure. He shares how his habit of over thinking fuels his stress, and how his status as an illegal immigrant adds further stress. He then shares how a supportive marriage and family allows him to move forward.

(30:50) The two men then analyze what it means to “kill the messenger”, in an attempt to “ignore the message”. They consider how this affects young people today, and how Big Bruh broke out of this cycle, overcoming alcoholism.

(35:25) Ashanti shares thoughts on the book Cry Like a Man, by Jason Wilson. They discuss what happens when men turn off a part of their “humanness”.

(39:19) Big Bruh shares his final message for young men.

(44:08) Learn where to get in touch with Big Bruh.

(45:10) Ashanti shares thoughts on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Connect with Big Bruh

Podcast: livewithbigbruh.libsyn.com

Instagram: instagram.com/livewithbigbruh

Twitter: twitter.com/livewithbigbruh

Email: [email protected]

---

Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram:   instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook:  facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter:   twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn:    linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

---

Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jordon Hodges. Jordon is an alumnus of the Ever Forward Club, a former student of Ashanti at San Lorenzo High School, and a UC Irvine graduate, who now works and lives in Orange County, California. The two men discuss how one's expression of anger can change over the course of one's life, and they look back on their experiences at San Lorenzo High School from the perspectives of identity and emotional intelligence.

(1:15) Ashanti’s introduction.

(3:45) Jordan introduces himself - an Oakland native, a father, the first black valedictorian at San Lorenzo High School, and an HR Coordinator in the cannabis industry.

(5:40) Ashanti recollects his experiences with Jordon as his teacher at San Lorenzo High School. He remembers seeing himself in Jordon, and how Jordon had an impact on EFC, bringing more young men into the club through financial literacy training.

(10:20) Ashanti and Jordon make their masks together.

(14:16) Jordon shares the front of his mask - strong, funny, confident, and Ashanti shares his front - hard working, serious, funny. Jordon reflects on what it means to be black in Orange County, while Ashanti reflects on how the front of his mask plays a role as Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club.

(18:29) Jordon shares the back of his mask - sadness, anxiety, anger. He shares the good and the bad of how he has learned to convert sadness into anger, how he can be “active” with anger, whereas he cannot be “active” with depression.

(22:06) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - sadness, fear of failure, trauma. He reflects on how giving back to young men so much allowed him to avoid examining his own mask. He also shares what it was like to transition from engineering to teaching, and how giving up the prospects of financial success pushed him to strive for a deeper impact on the world.

(25:45) Jordon shares his family’s bouts with anger, and how it stemmed from being an emotional child. Over time, his anger matured into more calculated responses, and now, he is learning to let go of his anger.

(31:50) Ashanti and Jordon further examine their past at San Lorenzo High School. They discuss what it was like to be the first black male valedictorian, and how Jordon forged an identity based around a friend group diverse in identities and points of view.

(40:00) Ashanti shares a final story from the day of graduation, before restating his mission to build a space that helps men find peace and navigate their emotions.

(43:28) Ashanti and Jordon share their final thoughts.

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Connect with Jordon Hodges:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jordon-hodges-49138b4b/

---

Create your own mask anonymously at www.100kmasks.com

If you are interested in being on the Face to Face podcast, email us at [email protected]

---

Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram:    instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook:  facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter:   twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn:    linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

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Send in a voice message:

anchor.fm/branch-speaks/message