What A Word!

Vanessa Blake is a filmmaker and a visual artist. Vanessa has been capturing still images of all kind since 2013. In 2017, Vanessa was awarded a video residency at Express Newark in Newark New Jersey. That residency afforded Vanessa the opportunity to connect with other like-minded creatives. In 2018, Vanessa wrote and produced her first stage play, The Race Before, A story of liberty and justice for some. In 2019 she also wrote, directed and produced her first short film, In My Solitude. In My Solitude is currently in the editing phase and is scheduled to be released later this year. Also, in 2019, the feature length documentary Being Gladys, which Vanessa worked on in several capacities won best documentary at the Newark International Film Festival. Vanessa is currently in the beginning stages of her next film project, The Waiting Room. She also is scheduled to work on two documentaries in 2020, Gone Too Soon and The Story of Dr. John A. Kenney. Vanessa is a proud board member of Women in Media – Newark.

A lifelong New York Knicks fan and a Brooklyn/Queens native, Vanessa currently resides in New Jersey with her husband. To follow Vanessa Blake check out her website www.summershowerproductions.com. You can also follow her on IG @mbele_life, @summershowerpro, and @Vanessablake ; Twitter @summershower Featuring: Olivier “I Love my Black Life”; Warner “I feel your Fear”; William “My Blackness is Beautiful” ; Sebastien “Do you really see Me?”

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Sefton Dale Brown, Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, was born and raised in a musical family. His parents are Sefton Brown Snr and Claudette Brown, gospel music legends from the ministry "New Creation Heritage". Sefton jnr (known to most as Dale, has been singing for over 35yrs. He has ministered all over the Caribbean serving as the choir director, praise team coordinator, music director, worship and arts director for many ministries all across North America and the caribbean. He formed a ministry called Dale Brown and Truth also known as DB&T which started in August 2009 and is currently comprised of 18 active members from across the United states and Canada. The group blends traditional and contemporary gospel music with their own musical style. They have ministered across the United States, the Caribbean and now Canada. The ministry released their first album "Tru Celebration" in December of 2013; their second album "Under Construction" in September of 2015 and in January of 2018 they released a gospel reggae fusion project. They were also nominated in 2018 for the "best contemporary gospel group award" at the Eddy awards, held in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to their albums, the ministry has a clothing line which includes: tshirts, dresses and sweaters.

Dale has currently relocated to Toronto Canada where he is very active in the gospel music industry. He is currently the music teacher at Crawford adventist academy, the praise and worship director for the Apple Creek church, The music consultant for the Meadowvale Church and the director of the promotion company Muzikizlife. Dale Brown and Truth has expanded their ministry to now having a chapter in Toronto called "Dale Brown and One Voice".

God has been really good to this ministry and for that they are grateful. It is their desire to take God with them wherever they go, spreading His love to those who may or may not know how miraculous He is. Their charge to you today is to “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” - Psalm 37:5 Social Media: Instagram: @dalebrownandtruth @classymuzikman Facebook: Dale Brown andTruth ; Resources Mentioned: My Worship A Praise and Worship 4 Week Master Class, August 9th to September 3rd, Sunday’s and Thursday’s. Vocal Techniques, Praise and Worship Leadership, Song Composition Training, True Worship Guidelines, Proper Vocal Blending, Register at https://muzikizlife.simpletix.ca/e/55912 ; hosted by Dale Brown, Gospel Recording Artist, Sharon Riley, Gospel Recording Artist, Dr. Wayne Bucknor, Professor of Piano, Lamar Campbell, Gospel Recording Artist

Ms. Smith is from New York City and holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in geotechnical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a well-traveled geotechnical engineer and has worked in Wiesbaden, Germany; Cancun, Mexico; Jamaica W.I.; Washington, D.C., and currently works in New York City as a geotechnical engineer with AECOM. Upon working with AECOM for 3 years she has led a variety of geotechnical engineering projects which include roads and bridges, airport facilities, port and marine facilities, and rail. She works with a diverse group, represented by different ethnicities around the world such as Chinese, Egyptian, Brazilian, Polish and German. She has worked on various boards and committees such as the handpicked National ASCE Technical Program Planning Committee, The Ground Improvement Deep Foundation Committee, and the Women In Deep Foundation Committee. On a local level she leads internal meetings to collaborate the skill sets and visions of entry and mid-level engineers. She leads a Ministry team, LEGACY, where they sing, play instruments, visit the sick and shut in, and lead community initiatives. As a public speaker, Ms. Smith represents her brand, AECOM’s brand, and her supporters by fostering the mindset that diversity and inclusion will bring stronger relations, companies, and most of all a powerful future. Unity is power and it is only through unity that power will manifest. Her goal to empower minorities from all walks of life to be a part of the equation and have a voice within STEM fields and leadership roles. Ms. Smith is excited to work with the Diversity and Inclusion committee to bring these ideas to fruition. Closing Word: “You Matter” by Eric Thomas; Website: https://www.joannagsmith.com/ ;Social Media: Instagram @joannasmiththeartist @daleysmithmusicinc Facebook: Joanna Smith

Sean Anthony Thomas was born in Harlem, NY and raised in the Hudson Valley. He attended Choate Rosemary Hall for high school and later graduated from Brown University in 2003 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. While at Brown, he was a captain of the Division I Track and Field Team and was Ivy League Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the Triple Jump. Dr. Thomas graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical Center with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2011 where he earned the Alumnae Award for Leadership, the Community Service Award, and the Best Research Award for his thesis entitled “Facilitating a Positive Change in Physical Activity Level with African American Adolescent Girls using the Trans-Theoretical Model.” Dr. Thomas has been working at Jag-One since 2012 and is currently the Clinical Director of the Georgetown Office. He is a Graston Provider, a certified kinesiotape practitioner, and is SFMA Level 1 certified. Dr. Thomas has competed over 19 Spartan Races, is a 4 time marathoner, a former professional dancer, and the C.E.O. of Be More Today, a company that provides information and inspiration to help ordinary people do extraordinary things. He is the author of “Be More Today: A 40-Day Guide to a Better Version Of You” and hosts a weekly podcast called The Be More Today Show. Dr. Thomas offers free weekly workouts in Brooklyn with a community based organization called Spartan Sundays, a fitness group he helped to co-found in 2012. He also serves as an ordained Elder and a Health Ministries Leader. Dr. Thomas is married to Hemangi Pai Thomas, who works as a Public Defender in Brooklyn and together they have a five year old daughter named Sonali. Closing Word: “Failing Forward” by Eddie Pinero ; Website: http://bemoretoday.com ; Social Media: Instagram @seandpt @thebmtshow ;Twitter @SeanDPT

Dr. Eva Michelle Wheeler is a college professor and semi-retired attorney who has made it her mission to travel the world and to learn as much as possible. In her overlapping personal and professional pursuits, she is committed to problem solving, advocacy, and highlighting underrepresented voices.

Resources mentioned: Faces at the Bottom of the Well - The Permanence of Racism by Derrick Bell; Seventh-day Adventist and the Civil Rights Movement by Charles Long ;The Autobiography of Malcolm X with Alex Haley ; Closing Word : “We Are Still Here” by Joseph Solomon

Sherika Wynter is the CoFounder & Managing Partner of T|W Tote, a subsidiary of Thomas & Wynter R&D. Sherika’s background is in mechanical engineering and industrial design from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and University of the Arts, respectively. She has an extensive career in hardware and software product development, with over 11 years of experience in private sector and government affiliated companies. Sherika’s approach to product management and development is simple: “Does this solution solve the underlying problem?” Closing Word by Maya Angelou. “Still I Rise!” Resources mentioned: http://centerforendo.com/.org/ https://www.endoblack.org/ website : https://www.thomasandwynter.com/ Twitter @Endomebad Instagram @sherikawynter @twtote @slipguards

Dr. Fiona B. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Science in Fire Investigation from the University of New Haven in 2000. She then earned a Master of Science in Nutrition and Wellness from Andrews University and became a nationally credentialed Registered Dietitian in 2007. In 2013 she earned a Doctorate in Public Health with an emphasis in preventative health from Loma Linda University. Fiona completed the UMMC Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE research fellowship program in 2016. She has also completed a professional chef training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Healing and the Culinary Arts with an emphasis on plant-based cooking in 2018. She has certificates of training from the Commission on Dietetic Registration in childhood and adolescent weight management, and adult weight management.

Fiona has practiced as Registered Dietitian in the clinical and home care settings in New York City. She has served as Assistant Professor and Interim Program Director for the Andrews University distance MPH Program 2013 to 2014 in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She also served as Assistant Professor from 2014-2017 and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics from 2014-2016 at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.

Fiona has been slowly transitioning out of academia and research since 2017. In 2017 she founded LLBJ Culinary and Wellness Enterprises LLC, a whole food plant-based culinary nutrition and wellness start-up, and it’s subsidiary culinary brand, SHE DID THAT_FOOD. Through SHE DID THAT_FOOD, Fiona conducts plant-forward culinary nutrition workshops, seminars, and cooking classes.

Fiona is also the author of several prayer and couples journals, some of the titles include A Flavorful Life: 12 Spiritual Lessons from the Kitchen, Align, Hustle, and Grind: The Girl Boss Alignment and Prayer Journal, Of This I am Confident: 17-Day Confidence Challenge, Won’t He Though? Sister God Will! 40-Day Gratitude Challenge, Mi Luv Yuh Like A Fresh Vegetable: 40-Day Black Love Challenge, and Let’s Make It Last: 40-Day Black Love Challenge.

Fiona believes that she is a creator and builder, like she God who created. One of her favorite names of God is Elhoim. She enjoys building and creating new things. She also likes supporting others and seeing them win. Closing Word by Dr. Martin Luther King; Additional Resources Mentioned: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will Of God by Henry T. Blackaby; David R Williams: The coronavirus is a "call to action" in America's treatment of its communities of color” Social Media : website https://shedidthatfood.com/ ; Instagram @shedidthat_food; Facebook: She Did That Food

Kevin Jackson is an entrepreneur and worship leader. We talk about his journey as a student at Pratt Institute where he studied Interior Design. His company : the Before and After Salon, which he co owns with his Aunt and Business Partner and why he gives his all when he leads worship. Social Media : Instagram @mysterjackson. Closing Segments Features Kingsboro Temple of SDA’s Temple Praise and Temple Praise Band rendering of an awesome selection of Todd Galberth's "How Great is our God." Special shout out to Cito Crandle for the audio edits/mix and Samantha BrookLyn Howard for creating the final video along with the video edits/mix. We thank you! 👏🏾🙏🏾

Kevin Jackson 🎤

Tasheima Young 🎤

Tameka Thomas 🎤

Jesse Laurent 🎤

Cito Crandle 🎹

Brandon Chase 🎹

Kyle Everett 🥁

Kenny Dyer 🎸

Sidney Antoine 🎸 Closing Word: When it Hurts, featuring Tyrese Gibson, Nick Vujicic, Les Brown and Eric Thomas

Robert Kennedy III (RK3) is a leadership communication expert, international keynote speaker, corporate trainer and best- selling author. For the past 10 years, RK3 has spoken for and worked with some of the world’s largest companies, associations, government and faith based organizations. Notable clients include AARP, Social Security Administration, Comscore, U.S. Coast Guard, and many others. RK3 discusses how he went from failed businesses and lay offs to running a successful company: Kennetic Kommunications and getting speaking opportunities, getting hired by companies to train and getting hired by clients to coach them on presentations, communications and leadership. Closing Word features Inky Johnson, Les Brown, Eric Thomas and Steven Furtick. Website: https://robertkennedy3.com/

Dr. Tasha Brown is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York who specializes in providing clinical care to children, adolescents, and young adults. Dr. Brown is passionate about helping the children, adolescents, young adults, and families she works with, function adequately at home, school, and in their communities. She gets excited when her clients are able to incorporate skills learned in treatment into their daily lives. Dr. Brown prides herself in being able to provide client centered care with a strength- based approach.

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Dr. Brown graduated from Syracuse University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies and Psychology; and minor in African American Studies. In 2013 she received her Master of Arts from DePaul University in Clinical Psychology. She then completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Phd) in clinical psychology in 2016 from DePaul University. Dr. Brown then went on to complete her Predoctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.

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She is currently a licensed clinical psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and is a faculty member at Columbia University Medical Center, where she serves as an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Brown is passionate and committed to providing children, adolescents, young adults, and their families with efficient, effective, evidence-based treatment.

Closing Word “Your Value” by Ben Lionel Scott Website: www.drtashabrown.com Social Media: @dr.tashabrown Resources Mentioned: Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Dr. Joy Degruy