In The Know with Tony Reeves

What happens when you enter a space knowing that you earned the opportunity—but still feel that you must prove you deserve it? In this companion episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the personal story behind my micro-book, I Deserve to Be There. I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, surrounded by Black educators, professionals, church members and family friends who were committed to nurtu...

During my first semester at the University of Tampa, I was 18 years old, 900 miles away from home, and struggling financially. There were times when I simply did not have enough money to wash my clothes. Instead of asking why, my roommates decided to remove my laundry, strip my bed, and scatter everything throughout the dormitory hallway. What followed was not simply a disagreement about dirty clo...

In this companion podcast episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the complicated bridge between HBCU dreams and PWI reality. Drawing from his Black Gen X college experience, he discusses representation, cultural isolation, the importance of Black-centered spaces, and the leadership lessons that came from learning how to survive and thrive in a place that was not built around him. This episode explores w...

Before GPS, Cash App, cell phones, and streaming music, taking a long road trip required planning, memory, discipline, and a little bit of nerve. In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on what it meant to drive from Tampa to Pine Bluff in the early 1990s, when every gas stop, radio dead zone, highway turn, and dollar had to be accounted for. This is not just a story about travel. It is a reminder o...

In this companion podcast episode, I reflect on the meaning behind my e-book “Gen X in the Middle: How Black Gen X Bridged Two Worlds” and why Black Generation X deserves to be understood as more than a forgotten or overlooked generation. Using the end of MTV’s 24-hour music broadcasting stations as a cultural marker, I discuss how Gen X lived through a unique transition point in American history....

In this episode of The Anthony Reeves Experience, Tony Reeves reflects on what nightlife and social connection looked like for Black Gen X professionals as they moved beyond the club scene and into more intentional spaces. From house gatherings among young officers, to cigar bars and jazz lounges, to professional socials in Tampa’s Ybor City, Tony explores how Black professionals created their own...

In this companion podcast to the main video, Tony Reeves reflects on how Black Generation X learned to navigate college, career, and predominantly white spaces without always having mentors or guides in place. The episode explores performance, self-sufficiency, safe spaces, organic support, racial identity, and the “show and prove” mindset that shaped many Black Gen X professionals.  After listeni...

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on the danger of romanticizing survival, especially from the perspective of Black Gen X. Many of us grew up having to figure things out with limited support, limited resources, and few backup plans. We learned how to survive because we had no other choice. But survival should not be confused with something glamorous. Through personal s...

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on one of the most emotionally powerful moments of his young adult life: the day after college graduation. Graduation itself was a celebration—family, achievement, recognition, commissioning, and the completion of a long journey. But the next day brought something different: silence. As the campus emptied, students checked out, and the familiar rhythm of colle...

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on what it truly means to be “the first” — not as a slogan, but as a lived experience. When Tony left Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to attend the University of Tampa, he entered a world no one in his immediate circle had experienced. There was no social media, no campus visit, no one close by who could explain the culture, the distance, or the...

In this episode of In the Know with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on a season when he felt professionally stuck after completing graduate school. On paper, he had done everything right: earned the degree, kept working full-time, and positioned himself for growth. But once graduation passed, nothing changed — because he had not created a plan for what came next. Through this personal story, Tony break...

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on a defining high school experience with his biology teacher, Miss Jewel Watley, at Pine Bluff High School. What began as intimidation — being placed in the school’s first AP Biology class alongside some of the top students in his class — later became one of the most important turning points in his educational and professional journey. This episode explores t...

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the major professional pivot points that shaped his career — from state employment to military service, law school, private practice, entrepreneurship, and the judiciary. This conversation is not about chasing titles or making reckless moves. It is about understanding that every career decision happens inside a specific season of life. The facts, pressures,...

In this episode, Tony Reeves answers a question he has been asked many times: Why did you go to law school? The answer is not as polished or predictable as some might expect. Tony reflects on growing up as part of Generation X, watching his mother’s educational journey, and being shaped by the belief that education was the gateway to security, survival, and opportunity. He shares how law school be...

In this episode of The Anthony Reeves Experience, Tony Reeves reflects on what it means to be part of Black Generation X — a generation raised by parents, grandparents, and elders who lived through Jim Crow, segregation, discrimination, and daily racial hostility. Many of those elders did not share the full weight of what they experienced. They protected their children from the burden of the traum...

In this deeply personal reflection, Tony Reeves shares the emotional experience of selling his mother’s house after her passing. For decades, that house was more than property—it was an anchor, a family gathering place, and a physical reminder of his mother’s presence. But as Tony walks through the process of clearing out the home, signing the paperwork, and saying goodbye to one of the last tangi...

During his time as a young Black naval officer at Camp Lejeune, Tony Reeves discovered the profound importance of safe spaces and informal support networks. What began as casual social gatherings hosted by a fellow officer turned out to be something much deeper: a deliberate effort to build a community where young Black professionals could connect, support one another, and stay aware of unseen ris...

After my mother passed away in 2025, I found myself facing one of the hardest decisions an only child can make: selling the house that had become the center of her life and the anchor point for mine. Although I didn’t grow up in this house, it became the place I always returned to. It was where family gathered, where friends stayed, and where my mother built the life she had worked so hard to crea...

What does it really mean to be Black Generation X? We are the generation that came after the Civil Rights Movement… Raised to believe progress had already happened… But lived through experiences that told us something very different. In this video, I break down: The reality of growing up as part of the transitional generation The difference between progress and the illusion of progress How history...

What does progress really look like—and who gets to define it? In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony takes a deeply personal and thought-provoking look at what it means to be part of Black Generation X—the generation caught between the overt racism of the past and the subtle, coded language of the present. From phrases like “I don’t see color” to accusations of “playing the race ca...

This isn’t just a story about where we sat. It’s a story about why we had to sit there—and what we built because of it. Growing up as part of Black Generation X, we entered spaces that were technically “integrated”… but not always inclusive. From: ✔️ Boot camp ✔️ College campuses ✔️ Law school ✔️ Early professional environments We found ourselves in rooms where we were often the only ones. So what...

At some point in your career, you’ll face a decision that forces you to choose between what you know and what you don’t. In this episode of In The Know with Tony Reeves, I break down one of the biggest obstacles professionals face at career crossroads: the psychological weight of the unknown. Drawing from my own journey—from running my law firm to becoming a judge—I share how fear, comfort, and bi...

We’ve all heard it: “Live your best life.” But what does that actually mean across generations? This episode explores: The structured path of older generations The urgency of younger generations And the Gen X mindset that blends both If you’re building something—or rebuilding—this conversation matters Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves...

What happens when everything you’ve relied on… suddenly changes? In this episode of In the Know with Tony Reeves, I take you back to a pivotal moment in my life—leaving a steady paycheck to start my own law practice. What seemed like a bold and exciting move quickly became something much deeper: a confrontation with uncertainty, fear, and responsibility. From losing the predictability of a direct...

There comes a point in life where you have to make a decision most people aren’t prepared for…   Do you hold on to the comfort you worked so hard to achieve—or do you take a risk on yourself? In this episode, I walk through one of the most defining moments of my life. After years of struggling just to survive—stretching groceries, living paycheck to paycheck, and dealing with instability—I finally...