In The Know with Tony Reeves

In this episode, I break down one of the most overlooked realities of growing up Black as a member of Generation X — the confusing part of racism. Not because racism itself is confusing, but because the presentation of racism changed between our parents’ world and ours. Our parents and grandparents grew up with laws, signs, institutions, and culture that made second-class citizenship undeniable. T...

This 20-minute audio reflection pulls back the curtain on my IN THE KNOW video “Sign of the Times.” I share personal insights about the realities Gen X faced growing up between parents divided by the Jim Crow experience. For many White Gen Xers, that meant dealing with relatives whose biases still lingered. For Black Gen Xers, it meant hearing stories of survival and injustice at the dinner table....

In this episode, I take a hard look at what we mean when we say something was just a “sign of the times.” For generations, that phrase has been used to excuse racism, discrimination, and hate — as if time alone could justify injustice.  As a member of Black Generation X, I reflect on growing up surrounded by family members who lived through segregation, the Klan, and systemic racism — yet often st...

For many of us in the Black Gen X generation, the N-word wasn’t something we were supposed to hear anymore. We were told that the world had changed—that the battles of our parents and grandparents had been fought and won. But all it took was one word to remind us that the past was never really gone. In this episode, I share a deeply personal story—the first time I heard the N-word directed at me a...

Have you ever walked past a building and felt its history? For many of us in Black Gen X, we live among reminders of what our parents and grandparents endured. The homes, parks, schools, and even restaurants we move through every day are living witnesses to segregation, struggle, and change. In this episode, I reflect on how the past is still present — not in history books, but in the physical spa...

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on how a simple kindergarten classroom in 1974 became the backdrop for one of the most profound social transformations in American history. Born in 1969 and starting school just two decades after Brown v. Board of Education, Tony shares what it was like to begin his education during the final waves of school desegregation in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. What felt lik...

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Anthony Reeves, we take a deep look at what it meant to be Black Generation X — the first generation to grow up in a multicultural America while still carrying the emotional weight of segregation, loss, and social transformation.  Anthony reflects on how his generation was shaped by the trauma and triumphs of their parents and grandparents — from the assassinati...

(00:00:00) Lessons from the Past: Why Black Travelers still move differently (00:00:08) Intro: Moving Differently for a Reason (00:00:32) The Myth That Time Erases Danger (00:02:00) The Generational Warning System (00:03:37) From Emmett Till to Interstate 10 (00:05:51) It’s not about fear. It’s about Focus (00:07:29) Closing: Blueprints, not baggage For many of us in Black Gen X, travel has never...

In 1987, I was just 18 — a college freshman at the University of Tampa and a brand-new Army Reservist trying to earn a $4,000 bonus. What should’ve been a routine weekend drill turned into one of the wildest, most dangerous journeys of my life.  No car. No money. No phone. Just a uniform, a highway, and the belief that I could walk 80 miles from Orlando back to Tampa — because, at that age, I thou...

In 2008, I had just started my own law firm in Central Florida and was commuting daily through the quiet backroads of Polk County. One day, a young woman in my mentor’s office pulled me aside and said, “Be careful driving through that town — the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan lives there.” That moment stopped me cold. Not because I feared what might happen, but because it revealed something deep...

In 1996, I was a 27-year-old Black naval officer stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. One late night, I was driving home from Jacksonville along a dark, two-lane rural road — no lights, no traffic, just me and the sound of my tires against the pavement. Then I saw it — headlights, brake lights, and the unmistakable turn of a police cruiser making a U-turn behind me. In that moment, every ima...

In this episode, Tony Reeves takes listeners beyond the viral video “Beware of the Klan County” to unpack what it truly meant for Black Generation X to grow up after the fall of legal segregation. The Civil Rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s—Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act—changed the laws. But they didn’t immediately change t...

In 1995, I arrived in Jacksonville, North Carolina — a young, proud Black naval officer reporting for duty at Camp Lejeune. Like anyone new to a duty station, I was trying to find my way — where to live, where to eat, and how to adjust.  But within weeks, I received a warning I’ll never forget. A senior non-commissioned officer pulled me aside and said:  “If you’re driving, make sure you drive the...

In this special Commentary on the Comments episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I’m responding to a viewer who asked a simple but powerful question: “Why do you keep talking about Black Generation X?” My answer goes far beyond nostalgia. Black Gen X stands at the crossroads of history — the first generation to grow up in a legally desegregated world but still carry the weight of institutional...

At 7 years old, I thought I found the perfect friend. We played, laughed, and shared childhood joy—until one day, he told me we couldn’t play anymore because I was Black. That moment of rejection was my first real encounter with how quickly a welcoming space could become unwelcome. In this episode, I reflect on the innocence lost that day and how it shaped my understanding of race, belonging, and...

In this episode, I reflect on what it meant to be a Black Gen Xer navigating college life, cultural misunderstandings, and the loneliness of being “the only one” in spaces where I didn’t always feel welcome. From being told that HBCUs weren’t “the real world,” to living four years as the only Black student on my dorm floor, I share the raw lessons and coping strategies that my generation had to in...

In this episode, I share my very first experience of being exposed to racism as a child growing up in the rural South during the 1970s. At just eight years old, an innocent invitation to play on a trampoline turned into a painful lesson about exclusion, bigotry, and the way prejudice is passed down through generations. But this story is also about courage. When I was told I wasn’t welcome, one Cub...

What was it like to hit the road in the late ’80s and early ’90s without cell phones, GPS, or streaming music? In this episode, I take you back to my days as a Black Gen Xer making 14-hour road trips from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Tampa, Florida. From glovebox maps and pay phones to dodging sundown towns and planning gas stops, traveling was more than just getting from point A to point B — it was su...

In this episode, I reflect on the unique reality of being part of Black Gen X—caught between two worlds that often felt at odds. Our parents, mostly Baby Boomers, grew up under segregation and faced open hostility, while we were the first generation to come of age in a fully desegregated society. I share my story of growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas—a majority-Black town in a majority-White state...

IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves dives deep into the intersections of law, life, and lived experience. Hosted by Administrative Law Judge and storyteller Tony Reeves, this podcast explores the realities of navigating professional spaces, surviving systemic barriers, and finding your voice in a world that often overlooks it. From reflections on growing up post–Jim Crow, to the challenges of being “the...

 Black Gen X grew up with no blueprint. Mainstream TV and movies didn’t reflect our lives—until the arts began to open the door. From The Cosby Show to Hip Hop, from BET to School Daze, representation transformed how we saw ourselves and how others saw us.   📖 For more insights, check out my book Black Gen X in the Middle, where I share how our generation bridged the gap between era https://mynam...

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, our lives changed overnight. Schools shut down, graduations moved to front lawns, and families were thrown into a reality no one had prepared for. Even after two years, many were left traumatized by the sudden shift.  But what if we take that same lens and look back further? Imagine living under 90 years of Jim Crow and then seeing those laws vanish virtuall...

In this episode, I revisit a powerful college conversation that revealed how deeply history shapes our everyday choices. Two young women — one from Jamaica, one from Georgia — faced the same situation: walking into a space known for hostility toward people of color. The Jamaican friend walked in without hesitation. The Georgia friend held back, cautious and wary. What followed was more than a diff...

McDonald’s was a cultural staple for me—growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, hanging out after games, and later during college nights in Tampa. But I discovered something that changed my perspective forever: my great aunt lived her entire life without ever stepping foot into a McDonald’s.  The reason? She remembered when McDonald’s was segregated and refused to serve Black customers. For her, that...

Have you ever thought you landed your dream job—only to realize it was just comfortable? In this episode, I open up about what it’s really like to hit a career crossroads at 40. I share my personal journey of thinking I had my “forever” job, only to be forced into an unexpected pivot. That moment became the shock I needed to leave my old firm, build my own practice, and run it successfully for nea...