For Our Edification

Here is a pair of throwback interviews to my radio days when I was a co-producer and contributor to the award-winning show "Sunday Journal with Hal Clark". In 2010, I was introduced to hip hop artist and educator Voice Monet , whose discography includes "Black Maria" and "Voice Presents Cutz". Voice's single "Black Maria" features her mother Zardis .   Before that, however, I had the pleasure of i...

It's a throwback on For Our Edification for the Write to Bear Alms segment! On this episode, we're going back to the old "Eddie Francis Podcast Show" when Halima had a conversation about Black philanthropy. Her guests were Darryl Lester and Vince Bayyan. The conversation defined Black philanthropy, discussed trends, and the importance of empowering everyday people to be strategic in their giving....

Social media was abuzz in early 2019 when two documentaries about the infamous Fyre Festival dropped on Netflix and Hulu . People could not believe how the event got so out of hand and how the festival's creator seemed oblivious to the harm he caused several parties in the process. I believe the reason is McFarland's narcissism. Using my professional experience and information I am gathering for m...

Halima and I continue to unpack her Ph. D. experience in part two of a conversation about how her identity and value were affected during her doctoral journey. Here, it gets even more interesting as we discuss the value of doctorates to greater society. Halima gives thoughts about how people who engage in doctoral studies shape important social issues. By the way, there are interesting segments wh...

The year 2018 was a great one for Halima . After defending her doctoral  dissertation in November 2017, she received her Ph. D. in 2018 from New York University's Steihardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Having had so many conversations about the process, we thought it would be a good idea to pick her brain about how the process affected her identity and value. In part one, Ha...

In this first installment of the Write to Bear Alms segment, we take a look at the mental health benefits of giving. To do that, we're taking it back to her old "Write to Bear Alms" radio show, which aired on the Dallas-based Radio Azad. Halima's guest was Leslie M. Brown , a mental health professional who is pursuing her Ph. D. in counseling. Leslie's mental health work includes stress reduction...

What's it like when a player makes a game-ending mistake? Of course, it's painful for us fans, but it's obviously way more painful for the players. David Grubb , a columnist for Crescent City Sports , has a very good idea of the real identity and value of the player who had a tough game. In this throwback interview (from the old Eddie Francis Podcast Show), David talked about the identity and valu...

As yet another new year rolls in, many of us are determined to be better versions of ourselves. A popular social media hashtag has been #NewYearNewMe, with folks determined to make 2019 a better year than 2018. The response? HATERATION! But not everybody is letting the haters have their way. Take this tweet, for instance: I hate when people say saying #NewYearNewMe is lame. It's a time to set benc...

Welcome to For Our Edification! This podcast is about identity and value--who we are and how we influence those around us. For Our Edification's co-pilot, Dr. Halima Leak Francis , is the host of the Write to Bear Alms segment, which provides insights and information about how giving can build sustainable communities. Being the fundraising mastermind she is, Halima will also sprinkle some helpful...