365 Brothers - Listening to Black Men

Educator and Entrepreneur, Barak Bomani, is skilled with recipes. One of his favorite memories is helping out in the kitchen as his grandmother cooked up lots of deliciousness. He wasn't trying to learn how to cook, but that's what happened. He started off serving up treats for events while he was at Dartmouth University. Now he runs City Catering which serves up "smoked meats, sides and sweets" b...

Cleveland native Alex Mayweather is unstoppable. That's not to say he never wanted to quit. It's just not in his nature to do so. In the midst of fighting skin cancer, he was diagnosed with PML - - p rogressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. PML results in deterioration of white matter in the brain. It has left Mayweather paralyzed in one arm and the opposite leg. He's retained a great and gracef...

This Veterans Day, we share our interview with Major Eric Connor of the United States Army Reserve. He has a total of 28 years of service, currently serving as United States Army Reserve, Chief of Public Affairs for the Aviation Command, based in Fort Knox, Kentucky. He also worked in television production, in front of and behind the camera, from news anchor to executive producer and everything in...

Chicago native, Aubrey Sturdivant, is here to live an authentic. He's a life coach, numerologist, psychic and author. This spiritual master is mastering the expression of spirit, for himself and others. The title of one of his ebooks says it all, Never Belittle Your Greatness: Only Your Thoughts Exist. In elementary school, Aubrey was sent to an alternative school setting. He reclaimed the designa...

When you take a step back, you gain perspective. For Kenneth Mott, those two words, step back, are words to live by. Judging by both his accomplishments and contentment, we should live by them, too. He started as an employee. Then he bought the shop. He's owned Harry's Auto Body in Lynbrook, New York for over forty-six years. He even dabbles in real estate and bought the building that houses his a...

Don Davis received a vision for a church in Austin, Texas. Forty-one years in ministry, this pastor and apostle has built that church and helped build and grow many more churches throughout Texas. A question about his favorite song leads to a story of learning from a childhood bully. And the stories keep coming. He finds wisdom from all his adventures and misadventures. Sure, he was a star Long Be...

Eric Elder is living a life built on what he loves. He jokes that he gets paid to watch cartoons and play games. It's more accurate to say he gets paid to animate, create games and build fantastic worlds--he works in animation, video game production and XR (augmented reality). He's worked in these industies for over thirty years. His 2D animation credits include Beavis and Butthead, The Simpsons a...

David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris is accustomed to people asking him "Where are you from?" The answer "Colton, California." Which often leads to "Well, where are your parents from?" That answer, too, is "Colton, California." He's has compassion for those trained to see him as "other." His business is training people to people to connect with another. His father's side of the family was brought to t...

Recently retired, Kevin Jenkins loves cruising through life. He loves cruising--spending a week or more on the ocean. His only regret is that he didn't start ocean cruising sooner. He's also found it easier to cruise through life with Christ at his side. He shares a story that many a former non-believer can relate to in terms of his view of church and pastors before he became a born again Christia...

He's a proud postal worker and union man. Well, not just proud. Courtney Jenkins is committed to advancing policies that ensure the next generation of workers enjoy a living wage, benefits and all the privileges of the kinds of union work that contribute to a satisfying working life. At age 31 he ran for Legislative Director to represent 200,000 fellow postal union workers at the national level. T...

He tells the Rabbi that he wants to be a Jew, but his Mom... Well, listen him to tell that story. He's vibrant, funny and lives his commitment to freeing others from the unseen prisons of past experience. Among his many talents--actor, singer, activist--one of his current passions is expanding the ranks of Black male entrepreneurs through his nonprofit, Global Eye Entrepreneurs . He's also Senior...

Deonte Walter's has a deep, hearty laugh that keeps the vibe light. The light vibe belies the depth and power of his faith. When invited by his pastor to preach, he prepared. And at age 15 he delivered his first message and knew he was called to ministry. If you want to hear what a deeply faithful man of twenty-five sounds like, listen in. Deonte's favorite song is I Feel Good by James Brown. Deon...

Olúwadáminí Melvin knows he is a spiritual being on an earthly sojourn. He's had his share of trouble, too. In all of it, though, he owned his choices, owned the consequences and turned the periods in his life of criminality and homelessness around. A deep connection with Spirit helps him return to center. Writing poetry and a deep affinity for music helps, too. Originally from Richmond and St. Ch...

He owned his first home at age 20. Cloudell Douglas is among the few African-Americans working as a lineman with a major utility. This brother breathes determination. He's even traveled to train lineman in the South American nation of Suriname. (The Bonus episode covers the steps and outline some of the choke points to becoming a lineman.) When he travels, he goes beyond the tourist spots. He want...

Patrick Wilson is the owner of Nrdvana , a gaming and consignment store that caters to the nerds of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A proudly self-proclaimed nerd, he was born and raised in Chicago. Patrick's father relocated to Sioux Falls and, later, so did Patrick. During our conversation, Patrick shares the difference a woman he considers as a Mom made in his life. She worked in one of the group ho...

Julius Grant is the one people ask to be their mentor. He's the one people go to when they need someone to hear them, know them. Why? He cares. Julius is stepped into the role of family elder, career elder and hero (just ask his grandson). He's a Logistics Manager for Bacardi Limited. After serving five years in the Marines on the West Coast, he returned to Jacksonville to find work. It didn't tak...

Talent is just the beginning. It's the practice, the repetition, that builds talent into skill. Herman Wrice, comedian, breaks down the road to mastery in all things, from comedy to life. This astute observer and self-reflective man was raised to value African and African-American culture. This entire conversation is about growth and development of self, of community and the United States. Herman'...

Warner Kennedy lived through the height of the Civil Right's Movement. The death of significant Black American leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. left an impact on his psyche. Not that the impact got in his way. Despite a few unique learning needs, what we now call learning disabilities or neurodivergent Warner was unwavering in pursuing a college degree. He's spent decades working...

He met her on social media. They formed a friendship. She happened to have a layover in New Jersey on her way to visit the Dominican Republic. He seized the moment. He sent a cab to pick her up. They had lunch and within a few years he's relocated from the East Coast to the West and now he and Anel Parra have been happily married for years. David Lee is goes after his dreams with gusto. A former N...

Like so many of the Brothers, Mike Stafford, Jr. is a supportive and engaged husband and father. He's an auto broker, entrepreneur and the host of  The Time Is Now podcast. The podcast is an expression of his being an avid sports fan. Michael candidly shares the ups and the downs with us. The joy of finally having the baby brother he always wanted, as well as the heartbreak of losing the baby brot...

Realtor and serial entrepreneur Kevin Cooper shares the wisdom he's gained from growing up in the 80s, serving in the military and his life as a businessman. He was taught not to back down from a fight as a young man and has taken that lesson to heart. It served him well in the military where he served in combat during Desert Storm. It also served him well in a career change that required a deep d...

Dr. David Ford is a professor in the counseling department at Monmouth University. He's committed to expanding access to counseling services for all people, and in particular, men of color. He's also a fan of building supportive communities, thrive tribes. From fraternities to collegial groupings to gatherings of the like-minded, David Ford builds communities among men of color. David Ford, Ph. D....

It started with a fifth grade class pet. The chinchilla that nipped at all the other fifth graders was tame when handled by Landon. After choosing to leave college football and plans for a professional career, he continued his studies, focused on the sciences and is now a veterinarian. He's my very own canine companion's veterinarian. He's a Midwesterner whose childhood was primarily spent in St....

William Hamilton is another exceptional Brother. He retired from the United States Navy as a Master Chief, a title reached by less than two percent of navy personnel. He did this in record time, just 17 years rather than the norm of 29 years as a Master Chief Gas Turbine Technician. He also worked as a Project Manager for the Navy's then new hovercraft. This is no surprise, given his first job was...

Chris Wilson hails from Berkeley, California. A full-on Bay Area native, he's not just a Golden State Warriors fan, but worked as part of the larger organization's team in Game Operations.  He transitioned into work with educational non-profit organizations a couple years ago and is currently an innovation educator with the Hidden Genius Project in Los Angeles, California. Favorite quote: They put...