A Frank Conversation

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s goal is to raise awareness of the challenges that impact racial and ethnic minorities. Dr. Raquel Martin is a psychologist who is also a professor at Tennessee State University, who encourages mental wellness on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. “Therapy is not the only way to make mental health progress,” said Dr. Martin. “I focus on Black mental health because when I focus on everyone, I focus on no one. A lot of times, we do better with race-concordant relationships when clinicians look like us.” Dr. Martin said there aren’t many specialists in her line of work who are Black, making it difficult for some people to find the help they need.

We're talking about Black music on A Frank Conversation. There's never a moment that I'm not playing something from my favorite artitst. It doesn't really matter the genre: Jazz, Blues, R&B, Classic Soul, Rock and Country. All of it has roots in Black music. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in 1979 President Jimmy Carter designated June as a time to highlight the contributions of Black musicians. I sat down with music giants Karyn White, Gregory Williams and Jackiem Joyner to get an inside look at Black music and its impact.

This one took a group lift. The idea — give men fishing poles and encourage them to invite their kids to join. But, it's deeper than catching fish. The Bay Area program is called Fatherhood is MANdatory. It started about a year ago and is overseen by Jasen Glanton.

Maxine and Kenneth Reyes have been married for 26 years, and they've fought to make it work, despite multiple military deployments. Now retired from military service, both are now relationship coaches and have written a book titled "Happily Joint: The Secret to Relationship Resiliency."

Lea Manningham runs Girls of the World. The Tampa Bay-area program offers mentorship to dozens of young girls. Manningham finds them tutors, takes them on college tours, and uses her background, time, talents and treasures to help them lead fulfilling, successful lives.

Men's health and wellness — let's talk about that and what it looks like. Men's Health Unscripted is working to normalize conversations about wellness. Their target audience is men, but they're also going after the ear of women, but they know those men will listen to them.

Wellness is a journey, and a Tampa Bay Area woman wants to bring people along with her. Giving back, after nearly losing herself is how Stephanie A. Wynn educates and inspires. In 2017, pounds were falling off her frame. Specialists said it was something called Crohn’s Colitis. Wynn had never heard of it. It’s a form of inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. Her sickness and her story are leading to strangers' wellness through the Stephanie A. Wynn Foundation. The nonprofit's mission is to "remove healthcare and financial disparities faced by underserved African Americans who are diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) specifically Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease," according to its website.

His courage is historic. Leon Jackson pursued a career as an officer with St. Petersburg in the 1960s. Although he vowed to protect and serve his community, he says he didn't always feel protected. Jackson was a member of the Courageous 12 — a dozen Black police officers who became trailblazers for change, but it took help from the courts.

On this episode of A Frank Conversation, I talked to a trailblazer who became friends with legends. Sheldon Epps is a director, producer and writer. He just released his memoir, "My Own Directions: A Black Man's Journey in the American Theatre." You've got to hear what he told me about Della Reese willing her career into an iconic role. It became the show "Touched by an Angel."

About 1 in 44 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to the CDC. A Tampa Bay area family is caring for their son, who is on the autism spectrum. Years after learning about his diagnosis, Tanya Hines is providing the emotional support she wishes she had received. Hines’ youngest son, Avery, has autism. The developmental disability can cause social communication and behavioral challenges. Four years ago, Hines gave her plan a name: Experienced Autism Alliance. She’s on social media, and there’s site dedicated to creating the community.

Happy New Year! No doubt you've heard it — new year, new you. Building a new version of yourself can be overwhelming as we welcome in 2023. Whatever your goals, Dr. Ebony Butler, a licensed psychologist, said to connect your challenges to what you know. “Work on something or choose something that you can improve on that you’ve already been doing that you can master,” Butler said.

About 30 years ago, Chloe Coney started Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa or CDC Tampa. She wanted to eliminate blight and poverty in areas across the Tampa Bay region.  Decades later, people and families across the Tampa Bay area are benefitting from Coney’s efforts and the programs CDC Tampa provides.

The opioid overdose crisis is getting worse. Fentanyl, a drug that is 100 times more potent than morphine is the reason why. We had a Frank Conversation with investigative reporter Jennifer Titus about her trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to learn about what's being done to stop the drug from entering your neighborhood.

Joshua Rivera has survived Ewing's Sarcoma, and he's using his testimony to encourage others. Rivera helps Moffitt Cancer Center spread a message of hope through Miles for Moffitt. The push raises awareness and funds for cancer research.

What is cryptocurrency? October is National Cryptocurrency Month, and we’ve had A Frank Conversation with experts about how to invest in the technology. We also discussed how secure cryptocurrency is, and the jobs that could follow the technology.

Pro Football Hall of Fame member, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend, Derrick Brooks had A Frank Conversation with Brightside Anchor, Frank Wiley. Brooks discussed the importance of community service, his relationship with former Bucs head coach, Tony Dungy and Tom Brady. Brooks also talked about his emotions leading up to his Hall of Fame induction.

September is national suicide awareness month, and 10 Tampa Bay is having A Frank Conversation about growing wellness concerns. Founder and Clinical Director of Male Behavioral Health, and Center for Men and Boys, Jewel Woods, spoke about trauma has also been felt even more in the Black community. Woods also discussed suicide prevention. “Just the mere idea of a parent admitting that their child is suffering from depression, anxiety or trauma is something parents are the fastest to admit. Because then you have to what? Let somebody else talk to your child about problems? And imagine end up being about problems in your household. So, there’s a lot of shame and potential guilt that comes with that. Which ends up being part of the reason why black parents don’t even think to have their kids get the treatment that they need,” Woods said. Also, dial 988 if you need to speak with someone about your own struggles. The lifeline is open 24/7.

There is a shift in focus toward a skillset that could really help students. The hands-on learning is called STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Former professional basketball player, Niesha Butler started a program called S.T.E.A.M. CHAMPS. Her curriculum offers camps to help kids gain interest in steam. “If they chose to go and be an engineer, an architect or whatever, I feel so comfortable that they will be a professional making a lot of money,” said Butler. Butler also discussed her career as a professional basketball player, her injuries and why a back up plan is necessary.

August is Black Business Month. It is an opportunity to highlight and support Black-owned businesses. 10 Tampa Bay had A Frank Conversation with a team of ladies who are entrepreneurs. The tandem invited students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to learn from them. Rebekah Ratliff and Ngozi Nnaji, cofounded a non-profit incubator, called HBCU IMPACT. Rebekah and Ngozi are helping students earn their insurance licenses.

Homeownership rates just surged the most they ever have in a year. But, Black homeownership rates are still lagging behind. Inflation and other barriers are hurting would-be homebuyers. We explore ways to make homebuying more equitable.