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On this special episode, our host, LUL President and CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by key members of our organization to discuss the topic of giving and the work the League is doing. This episode ties in with Give for Good, an annual 24-hour day of giving hosted by the Community Foundation of Louisville. In the last year, the Urban League boasted 214 job placements, 2,763 voters engaged, 100% college acceptance, 2,895 barriers removed, 88 new homeowners, and $96,000 in professional services to support small businesses. But the work is not done. There are more people to reach to help build a thriving community. Will you stand with us? Donate to the Urban League to help us continue our mission any day. Or have your gift amplified on 9/18/2025 during Give for Good.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by CJ Carter, Founder of Sharp Futures. Sharp Futures establishes barbershops within schools to provide a safe space for mentorship and counseling while receiving a haircut. Our duo discusses the power of influence, entrepreneurship, and community service in shaping the next generation. Carter has 15+ years in youth mentorship, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement, blending business acumen with creative, community-focused leadership. Since launching “Kutz 4 Kidz” at Newburg Middle School in 2020, he has expanded into multiple schools in Louisville and Lexington.

Our co-host, Ramona Dallum, is joined by Zonetta English, Project Delivery Director at Louisville MSD. MSD is the regional utility for safe, clean waterways, providing quality wastewater, stormwater, and flood protection services. The duo discusses the current work of the utility, flood response, disaster preparedness, and lessons from Hurricane Katrina.English graduated with a BS in Chemistry from UK and a Masters in Business Administration, Concentration in Management and Finance. She also holds a certificate from the Design Build Institute of America.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by LUL Young Professionals Vice President Gregory Mitchell Jr. Mitchell is a Louisville native and a young adult of Generation Z.⁠Our duo discuss the generations' changing attitudes on work, success, politics, and culture. They go on to highlight the Young Professional auxiliary, its benefits, challenges, and what they are doing to shape the future. Mitchell is a proud graduate of The Louisville Male High School. In addition to his LULYP responsibilities, he is an ambassador for YPAL.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by West Louisville Performing Arts Academy Director McDaniel Bluitt. Bluitt is a retired JCPS music teacher and performer in his own right. The Academy has returned to Russell neighborhood in the remodeled Bourgard College of Music and Arts.Our duo discuss Bluitt's journey as a musician, the positive impact of music on developing minds, and the history of Louisville. Bluitt graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education from UofL and a Master of Counseling from Western Kentucky University.

Our co-host, Ramona Dallum, is joined by Amber Duke, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky⁠. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU) is freedom's watchdog, working daily in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people by the Constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.The duo discuss the current political climate, immigration policy, and Louisville's repealed status as a sanctuary city.Duke graduated with a BS in Communications from NYU and a Master's in Pan African Studies from U of L. She serves on the board of directors for the Louisville Story Program and was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2024.Duke previously appeared on the podcast in S1E37 Shifting Sand.

Our co-host, Ramona Dallum, is joined by Dr. Deonte Hollowell, ⁠Program Director of African-American Studies at Spalding University⁠. Today's conversation centers around Black emancipation celebrations like Juneteenth and August 8th and the consciousness of victory.The duo discusses the origins of watch night services, the history of Western Kentucky, and the meaning of liberation.Hollowell is a native of Hopkinsville, Ky, and a graduate of the University of Louisville (Pan-African Studies) and Temple University (African-American Studies). His special area of study is the relationship between African-Americans and the police. He is on the Board of Directors for ⁠2Not1⁠, an organization that supports fathers and families, as well as The ⁠West Louisville Math and Science Project⁠.

Our new co-host, Ramona Dallum, is joined by Stacy Bailey-Ndiaye, the founder and Executive Director of Bridge Kids International. The organization uses the power of African heritage culture to create communities that support the well-being of young people. Prior to this, she worked in higher education for over 20 years. The duo discusses the meaning of community, supporting kids through creative mastery, building community leaders, and the unique possibilities found in Louisville. Bailey-Ndiaye graduated from Ithaca College with a BA in Sociology with a concentration in Race and Ethnic Relations and a Master's in Educational Administration from the University of Albany.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Louisville Metro Inspector General Ed Harness. Harness has a long history in law enforcement with the US Army and the Milwaukee Police Department, as Director of Police Oversight in Albuquerque before becoming Inspector General in 2021.The duo discusses the profession of policing, the value of oversight, consent decrees, and the importance of community involvement. Harness graduated from Concordia University with a BA in Criminal Justice and from Marquette University Law School with a Juris Doctorate.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Bridgette Johnson, President & CEO of New Directions Housing Corporation. Johnson was recently appointed to the role, having 20+ years of experience with the agency. She has a depth of knowledge in the affordable housing sector, including real estate and market assessments, marketing and leasing, construction management, project accounting, and project redevelopment. We also introduce our new co-host, Ramona Dallum, an inclusive leader in the field of philanthropy and the arts, committed to equity-centered design and innovation for healthy communities.The trio discusses what affordable housing really means, who affordable housing is for, potential Section 8 and HUD budget cuts, and what the community can do to make a difference. Johnson graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a BS in Business Management and from the University of Louisville with an MBA. She was selected for the Neighbor Works Achieving Excellence Program at Harvard Kennedy School in 2022.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Dr Armon a Professor and Director of the BSW program at the University of Louisville's Kent School of Social Work⁠. Dr Perry's research interests center on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external factors that influence men’s involvement in the lives of their children, as well as the impact of that involvement on the family’s well-being.The duo discusses the challenges of Black fatherhood, the difference between absent and nonresident fathers, mentorship and building community relationships, and manhood.Dr Perry graduated from Alabama State with a BS in Social Work and from the University of Alabama with a Master's and PhD in Social Work. His work has been published in several publications, including the State of Black Louisville. He was named a UofL Faculty Favorite in 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019⁠.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Adria Johnson, President & CEO of Metro United Way. Before ⁠becoming CEO in 2021⁠, Johnson served as its Chief Impact Officer. The organization's mission is to improve lives in the seven-county region with a focus on thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community. The duo discusses the challenges of leading a non-profit, the struggles in advocacy work, and the dream of putting non-profits out of business due to the need no longer being required.Johnson graduated from Ball State with a BS in Accounting and from the University of Louisville with a Master of Business Administration. She spent several years working for the Louisville Metro Government and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She was named a Muhammad ⁠Ali Center Daughter of Greatness in 2023⁠.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Terrance Sullivan, Racial Justice Director of Amnesty International USA. Before joining Amnesty International, Sullivan was appointed Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights in June 2020 during the height of the new age racial justice movement. Sullivan credits growing up as a "poor Black kid in a small white town" as the reason behind his advocacy. The duo discusses the new era of civil rights, the impediment of growth in the commonwealth, the effects of bad policy, and Louisville versus the rest of Kentucky.Sullivan graduated from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. In 2020, he founded AntiRacismKY, a coalition focused on rooting out institutional racism in Kentucky state and local government policy. He is also the Vice Chair of the Jefferson County Public Schools Advisory Council for Racial Equity.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Jeana Dunlap, an urbanist, well-known development and housing advocate, and founder of META Agency. META Agency works to co-create spaces and places where access and ambition prevail in the social, natural, and built environments. Dunlap previously served for over 15 years in the Louisville Metro Government, overseeing initiatives addressing abandoned property, real estate development, and affordable housing.The duo discusses how Louisville has changed, the purpose of city planning, the progress of development, and the effects of gentrification.Dunlap is a DuPont Manual HS graduate, earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Louisville, and holds both a Master of Science in Economics and a Master of Public Policy & Administration from the University of Kentucky. She is a 2020 Bingham Fellow, a 2019 Harvard Loeb Fellow, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a Silver-Life member of the Louisville Branch of the NAACP.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Anthony Smith, Executive Director for Cities United. Cities United takes a holistic public health approach to reducing gun violence and creating better communities. The duo discuss the steps other cities are taking in violence prevention and what Louisville can do to improve. Anthony previously appeared on the podcast in the episode How We Do The Work in 2023.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by guest Maxwell Mitchell. Mitchell is a livestreamer and citizen journalist who rose to prominence following the 2020 protests in response to the murder of Breonna Taylor. The duo discusses the rise of livestreaming, the ethics of citizen journalism, and the changes in how we consume media. You can find his live streams on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

We are back for Season 3 with our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, and guest Trevin Bass⁠. Trevin is the newly elected JCPS Board Member representing District 4 (Shively area). A product of the JCPS system, he is passionate about using his voice to help others. The duo discusses the current Superintendent search, transportation issues, and new ways to make schools equitable for all.Bass graduated from Spalding University with a BA in Psychology. He is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., and advocates for mentoring the youth. He is a former PTA President.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Greg Vann of the JCPS Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department. He is the Executive Administrator of External Equity, which is to say his job is to make sure that students feel supported regardless of ethnicity, race, color, national origin, age, different abilities, religion, marital or parental status, political affiliations or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The duo discusses the fallout from the 2024 election, the importance of Black Student Unions, how the school district is working to support students outside of the classroom, and the state of education in Kentucky. Vann graduated from the University of Memphis with a BS in Professional Studies. He has dedicated his career to working with youth, starting in a residential treatment facility, then Job Corps, before landing at Jefferson County Public Schools. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is joined by Lamont Chandler of Chandler Insurance Group. He is an insurance broker specializing in Medicare education and the senior community. The duo discuss the importance of insurance, navigating health benefits, and the effects of politics in healthcare. Chandler is a Louisville native and graduate of Louisville Male High School and the University of Louisville. He began his career in the automotive industry, where he spent 25 years before pivoting to insurance and following in his grandfather's footsteps.

Our host, LUL President & CEO Lyndon Pryor, is again joined by LUL Center for Justice and Policy Director, Hon. Felicia Nu'man, to talk about the upcoming election and the League's get-out-the-vote efforts. They talk in-depth about Amendment 2, the school voucher bill, which falsely claims to increase student choice and teacher pay. To learn more about the election, how and where to vote, and to get involved, visit our website.