Black Moves First

In this episode of the Black Moves First podcast, host Alton Jamieson speaks with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley about his journey in the world of chess, the importance of passion and dedication, and the invaluable life lessons learned from the game. Maurice shares personal stories from his early days playing chess in Brooklyn, his path to becoming a grandmaster, and his unique approach to teaching an...

In this episode of the Black Moves First podcast, Alton interviews Derrick Boles, an athlete turned motivational speaker. Derrick shares his journey from playing basketball at Idaho State University and overseas, to facing life-changing health challenges. Derrick opens up about his strokes, heart surgery, and how he overcame these adversities with mental toughness and courage. The episode is packe...

In this episode of the Black Moves First podcast, host Alton Jamieson interviews Ticha Penicheiro, a retired professional basketball player from Portugal. Ticha shares her journey from playing basketball in Portugal to becoming a star player in the WNBA. She talks about her struggles, triumphs, and the lessons she learned on and off the court. Ticha also discusses her transition to becoming a spor...

In this episode of the Black Moves First Alton Jamieson hosts Wynter Patterson, a self-love and abundance advocate, entrepreneur, and author known from Ready to Love Season 3. They discuss the importance of self-love, building wealth, overcoming adversity, and the cultural mindset around finance within the church and the Black community. Wynter also shares her journey, insights on affirmations and...

In this episode of Black Moves First, host Alton Jamieson interviews Jevon Wooden, an Army veteran, mindset coach, and founder of 'Live Not Loathe.' They discuss the importance of helping one another in the Black community, overcoming adversity, and the significance of mental health. Jevon shares his personal journey through PTSD and depression, the power of vulnerability, and his commitment to up...

In this episode, Olympic legend Dominique Dawes shares her journey of overcoming barriers in gymnastics, from facing criticism about her body type and identity to being celebrated by fans for her performances. She reflects on the sport's evolution, highlighting how athletes like Simone Biles are breaking boundaries, and discusses the culture shift she’s championing through the Dominique Dawes Gymn...

In this inspiring episode, Danielle takes us on a journey through her remarkable career, beginning with her early days in Richmond, Virginia, and her rise to fame as a member of the acclaimed Christian music group Out of Eden . She shares her experiences of the pressures of the industry, the importance of staying true to oneself, and the valuable life lessons she’s learned along the way. Danielle...

In this episode, we sit down with Pastor Lawrence Shakir, a man whose life story is a testament to the transformative power of faith, family, and the unexpected ways God calls us to our purpose. Pastor Shakir, a former youth and children's pastor, shares a deeply personal account of his journey from rebellion to redemption, illustrating how his life was radically changed after a life-threatening e...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Fredenburg to discuss his inspiring journey from a high school athlete to a sought-after speaker and mentor. Dr. Fredenburg opens up about how his father’s unwavering support shaped him during his formative years and instilled a drive to excel. In high school, he found both lifelong friends and a deep passion for basketball, with dreams to continue his athleti...

In this episode, Orrin shares a journey dedicated to service, beginning in the Air Force and continuing as a state trooper, all driven by a commitment to "serving and protecting." Now, this mission has evolved into teaching young people, particularly Black youth, vital skills for navigating law enforcement interactions and life’s challenges. Through lessons on pausing, thinking critically, and car...

In this episode of the Black Moves First podcast, Alton Jamieson interviews the multi-talented Noelle Bellinghausen. Noelle discusses her journey from a basketball star at Old Dominion University to a professional musician and actress. She shares her experiences navigating the music industry, the challenges she faced as a tall woman in entertainment, and her ventures into acting and producing cont...

Pastoring during a Pandemic with Rev. Dr. William Smith Alton is joined by Reverend Doctor Smith, a faithful and committed pastor of Second Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Dr. Smith is passionate about proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, making the Word of God relevant in the lives of believers, and building the kingdom of God in the congregation and community.  In this episode Alton a...

The Life of a Single Mom with Jennifer Maggio Alton is joined by Jennifer Maggio, an award-winning author of several books and an international speaker, whose personal journey through homelessness, abuse, and single motherhood is leaving audiences around the globe riveted. At 19, Maggio was pregnant with her second child, living in government housing on food stamps and welfare, and felt completely...

Mental Health is Wealth with Dr. Sh’nai Simmons In today’s episode, Alton speaks with Dr. Sh’nai Simmons, a licensed mental health professional, about all things mental health.  Dr. Simmons shares her perspectives on many common topics in the mental health world today, from the effects of COVID, the impact of social media, common trends she notices in healthy marriages, and much more.  S...

Black Guys Can Sing Opera with Larry Jay Giddens Alton is joined by his longtime friend, Larry Jay Giddens. Larry is an Opera Singer, Praised by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for a voice that "commands the ear with a stentorian high baritone that soars magnificently through the spaces of the theatre”.  In this episode Larry shares his journey to becoming an opera singer, the scholarship opportu...

Becoming A Better You In this episode, Alton speaks with Detra Trueheart, founder of The Young Miss Buffalo Pageant Scholarship & Enrichment Program.  Sharing 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience, Detra speaks about identifying her client avatar, helping women get unstuck in life, and supporting them spiritually.  Detra also shares about the importance of tracking your finances wi...

Chess Is Life  Calling all chess lovers!  Today’s episode is with Alton’s chess teacher, Grandmaster, Petra Papp.  In her first ever english interview, Petra shares her journey of winning tournaments at the young age of 16 to achieve the title of Grandmaster, the highest title a chess player can obtain.  More about Petra: In 2009, Papp won the Hungarian Youth Chess Championship...

Overcoming Sex Addiction In today’s episode, Alton speaks with Jonathan Daughetry, the founder and president of Be Broken, and founder of the Gateway to Freedom 3-day workshop for men.  Jonathan and Alton share their own personal experiences of how they each overcame addiction and struggles within their marriage.  This episode is filled with hope, support and resources to overcoming porn...

The Right Perspective On Simone Biles In today’s episode, Alton speaks with three-time Olympian, Dominique Dawes.  In this powerful interview, Dominique shares her experience and struggles with body positivity throughout her career in gymnastics and how her fan’s love and support helped her through.  Dominique also shares her perspective & support for Simone Biles’ decision to put he...

Black Moves First Episode 04: Brandon Lee White Author, speaker, and youth mover, Brandon Lee White helps teens take ownership of who they are, what they want, and what holds them back. Born unable to speak, Brandon shares his journey from outcast to school president as well as his 6-year battle with depression and being an “unmotivated motivational speaker.” Brandon’s message of “Love the Tough a...

Black Moves First Episode: 03 Dr. Watkins Are you chasing money or is money chasing you? Dr. Robert Watkins joins me on today’s episode where we dive deep into the mindsets that are keeping you broke.  As an in-demand international speaker, Dr. Watkins’ passion for people, purpose, and profit has fired up millions of men and women across the globe to not just reach but retain financial succes...

Black Moves First Episode 01: Lisa Suhay In today’s episode I talk with Lisa Suhay about her chess program and the impact she has had on her community throughout the pandemic.  Lisa is a world changer, mentor and inspiration to everyone she meets.  Lisa has performed a TEDx of community engagement in creating chess programs for children and is the co-founder of the Norfolk Initiative for...

Black Moves First Episode 02: Parchelle Tashi Ever thought of starting your own business?  In today’s episode, I chat with my  long time friend, Parchelle Tashi about entrepreneurship.  As co-founder of a new company 36,000' Parchelle is on a mission to partner with today’s leading authors to expand their reach and revenue by creating online courses that serve as profitable compleme...

Welcome to the Black Moves First Podcast! In the game of chess, white pieces always move first, which is an advantage. And the black pieces move second, which is a disadvantage. Black Moves First is more than an oxymoron in chess. Instead it calls for people to strive for success, even when the odds are against you. To strive for success even when you may not have the advantages of others.