Truth Be Told

Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind — it ’ s what we build every day. In this final episode, Kenneth and Sharon Holley, owners of Zawadi Books, share how literacy, oral tradition and Black entrepreneurship shaped their lives and their community. From childhood comic - book libraries to decades of cultural stewardship, their story shows how family history becomes community history and how storie...

What does it mean to care for the people who once cared for you? In this episode, Rene Petties - Jones shares her experience navigating dementia, hospice and the emotional weight of becoming a caregiver for her mother. Her story shines a light on the inequities Black families face at the end of life and the cultural traditions that bring joy and dignity even in grief. A tender exploration of memor...

How does a lifetime of racial inequity shape life in our later years? In this episode of Truth Be Told, activist, educator and community leader Dr. Barbara Nevergold reflects on coming to Buffalo as part of the Great Migration, building a career and navigating health, caregiving and purpose in retirement. Her story reveals the long arc of injustice — and the joy, wisdom and resistance that sustain...

The stereotype of the “absent Black father” is powerful and deeply misleading. In this episode, Al Smith shares his journey from a childhood shaped by addiction, the crack epidemic and disrupted family systems to becoming a devoted single father and police officer. His story shows the love, intention and everyday work behind fatherhood and how one generation can choose a different path for the nex...

Homeownership is supposed to offer stability. But for many Black families, it still comes with barriers that have nothing to do with income and everything to do with history. In this episode, Wylie and Njeri Hughes share their journey across continents and into Western New York, where they face credit hurdles, loan restrictions, closed doors, coded language and outright discrimination in their sea...

What happens when the path to a good job is filled with obstacles you never created? In this episode, we follow Vanessa Hall, who grew up in public housing in Lackawanna and spent years juggling low - wage work, long bus rides, caregiving and limited opportunities. Her life changes when she walks through the doors of Northland Workforce Training Center — finding support, mentorship and a clear pat...

What does the road to college really look like for first-generation students of color? In this episode, Sherman Webb-Middlebrooks reflects on growing up in Buffalo, discovering the HEOP program by chance and navigating hunger, culture shock and isolation on a campus where few people looked like him.

When does school stop being a safe place and start pushing kids out? In this episode, Kenneth Simmons shares his journey from a promising student in the South to navigating poverty, instability and a school system that punished instead of supported.

What happens when schools stop seeing Black children as children? In this episode of Truth Be Told, Chelest Ponzo shares her family’s story navigating bias, discipline and advocacy inside America’s education system. We examine how racial bias and ableism shape educational experiences from elementary school onward.

How does identity form in childhood? And who helps shape it? Every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the world around them. In this episode of Truth Be Told, parents and educators Akil and Mariyama Ajamu share their story of raising and teaching Black children with pride, purpose and power.

What does it take to build a healthy start for a child when the odds are stacked against you? In this episode of Truth Be Told, we follow Faye Gomez, a mother of three under 3, as she works to provide health and joy for her children amid food deserts, housing challenges, and limited child care.

In this premiere episode of Truth Be Told, host Wil Green introduces us to Shyana Broughton—a mother, sister and doula—whose fight for dignity and safe birth exposes the deep inequities in healthcare and the strength that drives change.