My Cotton Patch Moment

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, host Mildred sits down with Rachel Louise Snyder, an award-winning journalist, Guggenheim Fellow, professor, and bestselling author whose work has appeared in The New Yorker , The New York Times , The Washington Post , and NPR. After losing her mother to breast cancer at age eight, experiencing severe domestic discipline, and being kicked out of her home...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Reverend Nibs Stroupe, pastor, author, educator, and lifelong advocate for justice. Raised by a single mother after his father left when he was an infant, Nibs spent more than five decades in ministry and community service, including early work with men returning home from prison. He joins us to explore fatherlessness, the mother who made...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Miseka Diggs, advocate, social worker, and community leader dedicated to helping justice-impacted individuals rebuild their lives. Having experienced incarceration firsthand, Miseka transformed her journey from a prison cell to a college dorm, earning her bachelor's degree and pursuing graduate studies in social work at Rutgers University....

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Mr. Morocco Coleman, a decorated Vietnam veteran, author, mentor, and lifelong advocate for veterans and their families. His memoir, Coming Full Circle , chronicles his experiences during and after Vietnam while reflecting a life devoted to service, healing, and restoring dignity to others. Today, we dive deep into what it truly means to c...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with the Honorable Aramis Donell, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution, civil rights advocate, attorney, and Florida's first Black state attorney. With a unique career spanning roles as a public defender, prosecutor, professor, and organizational leader, Aramis brings a profound perspective on justice, fairness, and accountability gr...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown, CEO of kmb Consultancy, leadership strategist, author, and advocate for economic liberation. With over 30 years of professional practice and two decades of research, Dr. Brown consults with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and government agencies to build pathways to leadership, healing, and transformation—espec...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Shay Cook, CEO and Founder of Crusaders for Change®, LLC, a mission-driven organization dedicated to helping individuals build financial stability and long-term success. As an Accredited Financial Counselor®, military spouse, Shay brings over 20 years of experience to her passion for servant leadership. Today, we go beyond the surface to d...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Ashaki Daugherty, entrepreneur, mother of seven, and founder of several Dayton-based businesses including Kula and Kula Signature. As the wife of an incarcerated husband and the mother of twelve-year-old twins—one of whom is autistic—Ashaki understands firsthand the emotional, financial, and spiritual challenges families face when fathers...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with James DeLoach, a respected former Alabama corrections administrator who spent nearly four decades inside the criminal justice system. From his early days as a prison counselor to overseeing correctional operations across the state, Mr. DeLoach witnessed firsthand how incarceration impacts not only inmates, but also the children, families,...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Darrin Dewitt Henson, a multi-talented artist, actor, choreographer, producer, and author whose work has impacted film, television, music, and literature. From his award-winning choreography for NSYNC's Bye Bye Bye to memorable roles in Soul Food, Stomp the Yard, and The Family Business, Darrin has built a remarkable career rooted in disci...

In this Season 5 premiere of My Cotton Patch Moment, I begin a powerful new conversation about the impact on families—especially children—when fathers are absent, whether through incarceration, separation, or other life circumstances. Airing just days before Father's Day, this episode shifts the focus from abstract statistics to the real, lived experiences of the thousands of children left carryin...

In this season four finale of My Cotton Patch Moment , I reflect on a season that examined incarceration not as an abstract policy issue, but as a lived reality for children and families. Throughout these conversations, one truth remained constant: children do not serve the sentence, but they live with it. This season centered the voices of formerly incarcerated parents, advocates, educators, judg...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Michael C. Williams, the newly appointed Child Welfare Director for Oklahoma Human Services and a nationally recognized leader in child welfare reform. With more than 25 years of groundbreaking service—from Connecticut to Oklahoma—Williams has reshaped how systems engage families, uplift communities, and preserve parent-child relationships...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Georgia State Representative Rhonda Taylor, a dedicated advocate for women, families, and justice reform. Representing District 92 in Rockdale County, Representative Taylor shares how poverty, hunger, and survival often push mothers into the criminal legal system—even as overall incarceration rates decline. She reminds us that behind ever...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Reverend Dr. Allison Henderson Brooks—fourth-generation preacher, scholar, and barrier breaker—to explore what it truly means to preach liberation, practice compassion, and carry hope into places many people forget. As the first woman to lead the 157-year-old Hill First Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia, and as Assistant Dean of Students...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Dr. Mika V. Battle—founder and executive director of Bridge to Freedom, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to eliminating recidivism and restoring the lives of returning citizens. After her own incarceration, Dr. Battle transformed personal tragedy, addiction, and generational trauma into a powerful mission: to help others rebuild with d...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Dr. Robin J. Bell—retired Army veteran, consultant, professor, and founder of Rehabilitation Reform and Reentry Resources (R4)—to explore the deep, generational impact of incarceration and the transformative power of giving people a real chance to rebuild. Dr. Bell has devoted her life to supporting returning citizens and children affecte...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Charlotte Garnes, founder of RENFORCE and Redemption House, to explore what it truly means to transform pain into purpose. After serving 46 months in federal prison, Charlotte used what she calls her "righteous anger" to create pathways of hope and opportunity for justice-impacted women. Today, she leads initiatives that focus on reentry...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Rudolph Brothers Jr., a seasoned attorney who has spent over 30 years in the criminal justice system—beginning as a corporate lawyer, then serving as a public defender, prosecutor, and Division Director for the Office of State Counsel for Offenders in Texas. In his decades of service representing incarcerated individuals, Mr. Brothers wit...

In this episode of My C otton Patch Moment , I sit down with Reverend Dr. Karma Johnson—Senior Chaplain, Assistant Pastor at Turner Monumental AME Church, and longtime Angel Tree advocate. With a ministry grounded in compassion and community service, Dr. Johnson has dedicated her life to supporting incarcerated individuals and, just as importantly, their children and families left behind. She open...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with retired Florida Circuit Judge Tonya Rainwater, a trailblazing leader who presided over every division of the 18th Judicial Circuit from 1991 to 2019 and helped establish Brevard County's first drug court. Twice elected chief judge, Rainwater spearheaded programs like the Rainwater Center for Girls, offering a lifeline to juvenile girls in...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Antonio Brown, entrepreneur, activist, and the first LGBTQ person of color elected to Atlanta's City Council. From growing up with parents cycling in and out of prison to dropping out of high school at 15 to support his siblings, Antonio's story is a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of possibility. He opens up about surviving...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sat down with Robyn Hasan-Simpson, Executive Director of Women on the Rise GA and co-founder of HOAPE (Helping Others Achieve Power and Equity). From serving 10 years in prison to becoming a leading voice for criminal justice reform, re-entry advocacy, and women's empowerment, Robyn shares her powerful journey of resilience, faith, and leadership. She...

In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment , I sit down with Amy Ard, the executive director of Motherhood Beyond Bars. This organization is rewriting the narrative for incarcerated mothers, their children, and caregivers. Amy's journey into this work began with one unforgettable—and heartbreaking—moment: witnessing a woman give birth while shackled to a hospital bed. That image sparked a mission t...

Welcome to Season Four of My Cotton Patch Moment . I've spent the summer reflecting deeply—on healing, justice, and the stories we rarely tell. Inspired by Nelson Mandela's quote about knowing a nation through its prisons, I knew I had to begin this new season with the voices and stories that are too often ignored: the children of incarcerated mothers. This episode is one of the most personal and...