Monica May's Point Of View

We begin the month of November acknowledging mental maturity and trauma within our communities. Jonathan Gustave of No Limit Counseling. emphasized understanding trauma and initiating conversations of openness and healing within men. Beliefs and attitudes within the home are passed down from one generation to another, so it is important to be mindful of what standards and rules are enforced within...

2023 is an “off-year” for politics in Florida but there is a Municipal Election November 7th. In Orlando, two City Council seats as well as the Mayor are open and that is the case for several other counties. Early voting began Saturday, October 28th – for info voters can check ocflelections.com; voteosceola.gov; or voteseminole.gov. We heard from 3 of the 4 candidates for Orlando Mayor – to contac...

National mentor day is October 27th. In Orlando, we’ll celebrate Thursday Oct. 26, 5-7pm at Ivey Lane Park Recreation Center 291 Silverton Road. Meet 5 key community stakeholders; Man Up Mentoring, founded by Samantha Wallace, strives to strengthen the lives of at-risk youth through mentoring and social services. http://www.manupmentoring.com/ manupmentoringincorlando@gmail.com iHope Mentoring, fo...

In the first hour, we spoke with Congresswoman Val Demings, who served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She is passionate about people having access to a voice, that is backed by action, within the government. While it seems that the Florida governor is changing the culture of this state by removing known freedoms, Demings’ agenda is to prote...

Rod Love and Attorney Greg Jackson filled in for Monica May and discussed Public Safety - Community & Law Enforcement Engagement.

October is Blind Equality Month and in the first hour we spoke with Goddest Thrailkill, the “poster child” for sightless bravery. Goddest lost her eyesight in a car accident at a young age and was required to acclimatize to a new way of living. She claims her legally blindness has become her superpower, as it is “not an inability, but a capability”. Observed October 15, White Cane Safety Day empha...

September is a month of awareness for Sickle Cell and Suicide. In the first half-hour, we met with Robert Graham, a herbalist and personal trainer – we spoke about the importance of staying healthy. He emphasized the statement “food as our medicine, medicine as our food.” It is important that we are cognizant of our diets and use foods to heal and maintain our bodily health. www.livingtideshealth....

In the first hour, we spoke with the newly appointed State Attorney Andrew Bain. Previously a judge of the Orange County Court, community and accountability are important points within making changes in his office. Considering the “school-to-prison pipeline”, it is important that we invest in the literacy skills of the youth in our communities. State Attorney Bain is eager to hold law enforcement...

Entering the new month of September, we began our morning with a conversation on change. Our first guest, State Attorney Monique Worrell, who was duly elected to the 9th Judicial Circuit and served the community, but dismissed by Florida’s governor. Holding the appeal of her entire staff while in office, she worked towards changing the culture regarding prosecution. She continues to fight for her...

With August being Black Business month, it is important we stay informed about business policies and procedures. In the first hour, we spoke with Candice Simmons of Wells Fargo and Sadaf Knight from the Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing policies and budgets improving economic mobility. Helping those with black businesses is particularly important for creating and promoti...

August is National Black Business Month, and it is important we appreciate the contributions of Black-owned businesses in our community. In the first hour we discussed ways of highlighting and progressing these businesses with Tanisha Gary, President at the African American Chamber of Commerce. With only 3.4% of certified businesses in Central Florida being black owned, it is important we encourag...

In the first hour, we spoke with Adora Nweze, the President of the Florida Conference of the NAACP. With what has been transpiring politically, from teachers not being paid to African American studies being watered down and altered, it is important to continue spreading the knowledge of our history. Adora Nweze highlights to “never stop fighting; the fight is never over”. Research shows the dispar...

We began our morning promoting career resources with Tadar Muhammad. He encouraged the importance of helping people identify and build a career. As the Chief Operating Officer at CareerSource Central Florida, the nonprofit program curates local talent for high demand industries through job placement, training, and further education. They emphasize giving second chances to “the underestimated” and...

Serving and supporting the children in our community in this unsteady time is essential. We were joined by Sandra Fatmi-Hall, a powerhouse activist and Executive Director of the United Foundation of Central Florida: a ten-year public foundation that addresses after-school needs, housing, and college assistance. Considered the “mama” to many students, she has focused her attention on older students...

The national heating trend we’re experiencing was slated for 2053 – but it’s hitting us now with a vengeance leaving us with scorching temperatures well above 100 degrees across the country. Locally we talked with three agencies providing information on how to stay safe in this “Extreme Heat.” Lawanna Gelzer from the Community Equity Project shared an open forum Thursday July 27th 6:30 pm at Calla...

Reading is such a fundamental way to escape, learn and grow. We interviewed four authors who shared their stories. Cornita Riley, the first female chief of Orange County Corrections, joined Mindy Scarlett, founder of Center of Influence Community: a foundation that supports artists, speakers, and consultants. Together, they emphasize the power of reinventing women through their anthology, “How to...

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. We discussed it from the perspectives of children, adults, and our senior citizens. Shacara Brummitt, (www.bewelljustbe.com) a children’s mental health counselor, informed us of ways that mental health deficiencies show up in children, from anxiety to disobedience. With the rate of suicide having increased in our children over the last few y...

Starting our month of July with a hot summer, we spoke with Danielle Hodge, the founder of Alma Swim Foundation. Alma Swim is a non-profit organization that is devoted to drowning prevention education through lessons and resources for children and families. Alma meaning compassion, soul, and humanity, is a connection to the ocean being a healing body of water, encouraging safe water practices. Thr...

Salute to Black Music Month Author and historian Marsha Washington George aka “Radiolady” joined us to talk about her book “Black Radio…Winner Takes All!” She shared stories about her uncle who started the very 1st black radio station WERD in Atlanta, GA. She is set to open a museum of artifacts in 2024. Dyana Williams is the “Mother of Black Music Month,” heralded with petitioning Washington, D.C...

Opening our morning, we began with purposeful prayer in celebration of Father’s Day. Joined by Pastor Roderick Zak, we spoke with several pastors who shared their words and devotions. We prayed for the safety, discipline, and good health of the men in our community, as well as voiced the recognition and appreciation of fathers. Thank you to Pastor’s Roderick Zak, Willie C. Barnes, and David Jacque...

Diving into Pride month, we opened this morning with our guests Tatiana Quiroga, executive director at Come Out with Pride, and Dr. Earl Mowatt, Vice President of Education at OnePULSE foundation. We discussed the sudden generalization of the different definitions in the LGBT+ conversations and the stereotypes that follow, as well as the changes in Florida legislature that limit education of the L...

We spoke with Jonas Cayo, President and CEO of Elevate Orlando. Elevate is a nonprofit holistic approach to meeting student’s needs through classes, mentoring, college and career guidance, and adventure. Offering all year long mentoring, they provide a brace for young students from 2nd graders to seniors. Working with transitioning leadership schools, Jonas Cayo encourages building leaders in the...

In the first half hour we spoke with Esu Ma’at, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Orlando Magic to discuss the reality of diversity within the city and within the Orlando Magic’s organization. Ma’at emphasized, “Our work force mirroring that diversity as well as having a sense of belonging.” Dr. L. Trenton Marsh, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida, discussed the impor...

Touched by the word, we start the morning with powerful prayers in celebration of Mother’s Day. Pastor Riva joined us along with sister prayer warriors who prayed for our grieving, young, new, and single mothers. We prayed for women to reconnect with their mothers pointing out that prayers are not transactional but transformational. Thank you to Pastor’s Sharon Riley and Alexis Stevens, Minister T...

Opening the month of May with mental health awareness, we welcome Miss Kimberly Hart and Dr. Earl Mowatt to have the mandatory conversation about the acceptance of mental health. With Miss Hart, supervisor of a community response team, we discussed different approaches to positively handling crises in the community through necessary counseling and resources. Contact 407/875-3700 ext 1136. Through...