Heal, Grow, Thrive: The Podcast

Listen and share this dynamic conversation with Clifton Uckerman! Clifton is no stranger to the Forward Promise family as he is one of our beloved Fellow alums from the inaugural cohort of the Forward Promise Fellowship for Leaders. Additionally and most importantly, perhaps, Clifton is a Neuro-Psychotherapist With an Evolutionary Medicine Perspective and Medical Approach who tirelessly advocates for exceptional clinical services for people overcoming mental health and addiction problems within the socio-political and cultural systems that influence or exasperate the symptoms of those affected. He is on a crusade and life-mission to empower others to #HealGrowThrive in ways he also has been able to in all of his personal and lived experiences.As part of the competent leadership team at Altium Health, located in Utah, Clif is striving to forward the promise; that all who are receiving services are treated without stigmas and stereotypes and individually with love, respect, and dignity. Clif believes in the re-humanization of persons in recovery from the often destructive effects of trauma, shame, and loss & grief; a triangle-cycle and recipe for the pain-avoidance, reward-seeking behaviors we see as addiction.The views and opinions expressed by our guest do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees. 

In this episode, Dr. Rhonda Bryant speaks with Dr. LaNail R. Plummer, Chief Executive Officer of the Onyx Therapy Group. As a leading professional in the mental health field, Dr. Plummer is committed to improving the lifestyles of others through the aspects of mental health and character development. A United States Military Veteran and the CEO and Clinical Director of Onyx Therapy Group -- an organization she founded in 2013 -- Dr. Plummer has over 15 years of experience working with a  multitude of clients and specializing in the care of young women; the Black community; and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Grounded in the values of integrity and awareness, Dr.  Plummer believes that emotional, spiritual, and cultural healing is attainable for all.*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees. 

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Dana Crawford, a pediatric and clinical psychologist. She is a graduate of Howard, Temple, and Miami universities and has degrees in African-American studies, education, and psychology, and certifications in practical nursing, medical hypnosis, and biofeedback. She is also a Scholar-in-Residence in Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute. Finally, she is the developer of the Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training (CBRT) and has provided hundreds of trainings across the US. In our conversation with Dr. Crawford, she breaks down how we must "move our jaws" to disrupt dehumanization rooted in racism, prejudice, and bias - or the other   STD's...Socially Transmitted Diseases and shares some practical, yet transformative approaches for doing so! Episode Resources:1. Cornell University's annual conference on DEI keynote “Turning Awareness into Action”2. Cultural Reflections, Reducing Bias podcast (15 minutes): https://open.spotify.com/show/4HSpcWB2rYcw9yWJxya1dg3. Short talk I gave with a brilliant colleague on racism, the brain and a call to action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYY4bJjafT4 4. Crawford Bias on News 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa9nBYL23Ak&t=89s*The views and opinions expressed by our guest do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.  

We are kicking off Season 4 of our podcast with an amazing episode and guest: William Jennings is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America where he studied Culinary Arts and Applied Food Studies where he gained a professional understanding of the culinary industry. Seeking to gain additional knowledge of the food system, he pursued the Applied Food Studies program where he gained a clear understanding of food systems, ethics surrounding food, and ecology. He is disrupting dehumanization by fighting against food insecurity and injustice in his community. William is a Maryland native, who currently lives in Prince George’s County where he also interned this Summer with the Prince George’s Food Equity Council as the Summer Healthy Food Access Intern. When he isn’t learning about our current food system, he is spending his time practicing photography and painting.Learn more or connect with William on LinkedIn

In this episode, we speak with Ifeoma Okeke, a Public Health Science major at the University of Maryland, an aspiring pediatrician, and a passionate advocate for maternal and child health.  She shares her perspectives on the impact of public health disparities on COVID-19 outcomes, vaccine hesitancy, and maternal and child well-being.  As a student, Ifeoma is currently part of several campus organizations including Honors Ambassadors and the Charles R. Drew Pre-Health Society.  Her future plans are to become a pediatrician and advocate for maternal and child health.*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

In this episode, we talk to Brianna Branker-McLean, a member of the Action Research Team at Deep Center, social media fellow for Seeds of Fire, and a soon-to-be college student in Portland, OR.  She shares her experience of growing up as a first-generation American with Caribbean roots in the deep South and how those experiences lead her to activism.

In this episode, Moriah Group intern, Bikhari Reyes - an aspiring law student and future lawyer - has the opportunity to chat with former intern, DaNia Henry, a recent graduate of Georgetown University Law Center beginning her career in law. They discuss DaNia's experiences as a young professional Black woman navigating institutions of higher learning and now, the professional world of law and how these experiences have shaped her and solidified her commitment to upholding the humanity of marginalized individuals. *The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees. 

In this episode, the first of our Summer Series featuring youth and young adult voices, we give our audience a deeper look into the lives, perspectives, and experiences of our dynamic Moriah Group interns. Bikhari & Jaela have a conversation with one another about how they have navigated COVID, college, and racial unrest over the past year as well as the impact of attending HBCUs, interning, and their aspirations as emerging leaders in the world. 

In this episode, we will have a conversation with Keith Miller regarding the importance of holding space for the LGBTQ+ community. The history, identities, experiences, and needs of LGBTQ+ people are often overlooked when it comes to their intersecting racial identities. Keith Miller is the Deputy Director at the Deep Center and founder of Healing By Any Means. In his work and art, he explores concepts of masculinity, sexuality, intimacy, and art as a form of resistance, transformation, and healing. In our conversation with him, we unpack why intersectionality matters deeply, the power of representation through his work Pritty: The Animation, and how to honor and respect the narratives of LGBTQ+ people of color. 

“Every month is PI Heritage Month for me. Colonization meant the banning and suppression of our cultures, so to claim and study it now feels revolutionary.” – Tavae SamueluIn this episode with Tavae Samuelu, she shares healing lessons from the Pacific Islander community from historical trauma and toxic stress rooted in the dehumanization of people of color. Although AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated nationally in May, we should uplift Asian and Pacific Islander peoples, cultures, and heritages all year round.Tavae Samuelu (she/her) is the daughter of a pastor from Leulumoega and a nurse from Saleimoa. As the Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), she's a passionate advocate for Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders and is committed to liberation for all. Tavae was born and raised on Tongva land and credits her time on unceded Ohlone territory for her political identity and consciousness. Before joining EPIC, she served as the Development Director for the RYSE Center in Richmond and has since become a member of RYSE's Board of Directors. Tavae is also the Vice President of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and an alumna of the Forward Promise Fellowship for Leaders. The pandemic has taught her that her most important title is Aunty Vae.Episode Mentions & Resources:Dr. Maile Arvin's Possessing PolynesiansDr. Jamaica OsorioDr. Joyce Pualani WarrenZora's Daughters PodcastBookslep Jaltok: Poems From A Marshallese Daughter Remember We Have Choir Practice Polynesian PanthersSamoan Queer LivesTales of the TikongsNight Is A Sharkskin DrumFrom A Native DaughterDecolonizing MethodologiesPouliuliCheck out this IG account for more recommendations.FilmsFor My Father's KingdomA Place in the MiddleLeitis in WaitingKapaemahuThe RogersPower MeriIsland SoldierVaiCheck out more at PIC's website.

Dr. Rhonda Bryant talks with Dr. Taquan Stewart about his experience as a principal in South Los Angeles where he re-created his school as a caring institution. He shares many insights about how to focus on the humanity of students, as well as fundamental questions about the role of police in schools.Biography:Dr. Taquan Stewart serves as Faculty Advisor for the CalStateTEACH and Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency (LAUTR) programs at California State University, Los Angeles. In addition, he is Program Director for Project Youth California– a non-profit organization designed to provide additional educational services to underserved youth of the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. From 2007 through 2012, Dr. Stewart served as a secondary principal in South Los Angeles. As a teacher educator, Dr. Stewart stresses a humanizing pedagogy. Resources:Transforming Practices in Urban EducationThoughts of a Ghetto Scatterbrain: The EPDisrupting Dehumanization and Affirming the Humanity of Boys and Young Men of Color and their Villages

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Rhonda Bryant talks with Tamieka Mosley and Nathaniel Smith about the issues faced by African Americans in the South during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and this time of heightened racial tension.Biography:Tamieka Mosley is Director of Grantmakers for Southern Progress (GSP). GSP seeks to engage Southern-based and national funders on the importance of supporting and achieving equity focused structural change in the South. Nathaniel Smith is Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE). PSE advances policies and institutional actions that promote racial equity and shared prosperity for all in the growth of metropolitan Atlanta and the American South.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact & ResponseGrantmakers for Southern ProgressPartnership for Southern EquityThe South Has Something to Say: COVID-19 and our Chance for TransformationForward Promise

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Howard Stevenson talks to Anpao Duta Flying Earth, Head of School at Native American Community Academy (NACA) in Albuquerque, NM, about the issues faced by the Native American community during the COVID-19 crisis.Biography:Anpao Duta Flying Earth grew up on the Standing Rock Reservation in rural South Dakota and North Dakota. He is of the Lakota, Dakota, Ojibwe, and Akimel O’odham tribes. Duta joined NACA to assist in founding the charter school in 2006. In his capacity as co-founder and Head of School at NACA, Duta has been instrumental in representing NACA as a premiere example of Indigenous education nationwide. Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact & ResponseNative American Community AcademyForward Promise

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Howard Stevenson talks to Dr. Angela Diaz,Director of the Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center, about how their center has shifted rapidly to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and needs of the youth they serve in one of the hardest-hit regions of the country, New York City.Biography:Dr. Diaz, an international leader in adolescent medicine, is the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor in Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine, and a member of the Governing Council of the National Academy of Medicine. She is also a member of the Forward Promise National Advisory Committee.Mt. Sinai is one of the nation’s largest adolescent health centers, known for outstanding research and training, and for serving more than 12,000 vulnerable youth each year with confidential health care at no cost to them.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact & ResponseMt. Sinai Adolescent Health CenterForward Promise

In this candid conversation, Dr. Howard Stevenson speaks with Dr. Tashel Bordere, Assistant Professor for the Department of Human Development and Family Science at University of Missouri, talk about COVID-19 and grief. Dr. Bordere shares how racism, historical trauma, and inequities in health are impacting how communities of color—including her own family—are experiencing the COVID-19 crisis.Biography:Tashel Bordere, PhD is an Assistant Professor, State Extension Specialist, Youth Development at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Her research specializes in youth development, dying, loss & bereavement and African-American children, youth and families. Dr. Bordere’s participatory action research and programming areas are focused on Black male youth and family grief, survival and resilience due to historical and contemporary race-based trauma and sudden violent losses. She is also a Forward Promise Leadership Fellow.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact and ResponseForward Promise

Dr. Rhonda Bryant, speaks with Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), a civil rights organization representing the largest refugee community ever resettled in America. Quyen shares what they have seen as the greatest challenges and needs of the Southeast Asian community due to the COVID-19 crisis and how SEARAC is responding.Biography: Quyen Dinh is the Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). She leads the organization’s efforts to empower Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities to create a socially just and equitable society through policy advocacy, advocacy capacity building, community engagement, and mobilization. Quyen also serves as a member of the Forward Promise National Advisory Committee.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact and ResponseSoutheast Asia Resource Action CenterForward Promise

In this conversation, Dr. Howard Stevenson talks with Dr. John Rich and Dr. Ted Corbin about how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted their program, Healing Hurt People, an initiative of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice of Drexel University School of Public Health. Healing Hurt People is a Forward Promise grantee organization.Biography:Dr. John Rich and Dr. Ted Corbin are Co-Directors of The Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia, PA. Their initiative, Healing Hurt People, trains young men who have gone through violence to become first-responders who provide trauma-informed care to victims of violence in Philadelphia hospitals.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact and ResponseHealing Hurt PeopleForward Promise

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Howard Stevenson, talks with Vanessa Hernandez and Kate Teague of California Youth Connection (CYC) about the unique challenges that current and former foster youth are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. CYC is a Forward Promise grantee organization.Biography:For more than 30 years, California Youth Connection has been at the forefront of a fundamental paradigm shift in child welfare policy in California and beyond, placing foster youth voice at the center of policymaking for the first time in history. Vanessa Hernandez serves as Deputy Director of Advocacy and Impact and shepherds the organization’s legislative goals to actualization while developing youth into leaders who harness the power of their voices and experiences. Kate Teague is the Lead Community Advocacy Coordinator, where she works with the CYC Chapters in LA County providing technical assistance to support CYC members in developing their leadership and putting their campaigns for change into action both locally and regionally.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact and ResponseCalifornia Youth ConnectionForward Promise

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Howard Stevenson, speaks with Michael Byun, Executive Director of Asian Counseling Referral Services (ACRS) about how their organization and services have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. ACRS is a Forward Promise grantee organization.Biography:Michael Byun is the executive director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle, WA. ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing and advocating for innovative, effective and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services.Resources:COVID-19 Community Impact and ResponseAsian Counseling and Referral ServiceForward Promise

Forward Promise Co-Director, Dr. Rhonda Bryant, interviews Kisha Bird, Youth Policy Director at CLASP about what impact they see COVID-19 having on youth of color, where there are gaps in policy response and assistance, and how their organization is responding to the needs.Biography:Kisha Bird is the director of youth policy at CLASP, a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty nonprofit advancing policy solutions for low-income people. She leads a team of experts focused on economic justice, criminal justice reform, and mental health policy. Kisha is also a member of the Forward Promise National Advisory Committee.Resources:COVID-19 Community ImpactCLASPForward Promise