For Our Edification Eddie Francis

Eddie and Halima talk to health and wellness success stories Eric and Maleka Beal who lost a combined 300 lbs.

Every September, HazingPrevention.org holds National Hazing Prevention Week to create and share awareness about the dangers of hazing. An instrumental figure in tracking hazing deaths is Hank Nuwer. On the old Eddie Francis Podcast Show, we talked to professional mental health counselors Leslie Brown and Von Eaglin about the psychology of hazing, particularly in the Divine Nine. As a member of a Divine Nine fraternity--Alpha Phi Alpha--I thought it important to talk to a couple of counselors who speak our language, and both came through with great insight about what goes through the mind of potential hazers.

Leslie is no stranger to "For Our Edification". A member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she appeared on episode 4, "The Mental Health Benefits of Giving". Leslie is a relational counselor with extensive experience working with military veterans, veterans' families, and women/families in substance abuse recovery. She is a doctoral candidate at Barry University where her research interests include the evolution of families, polyamory families, race/class/gender and cultural competency as well as indigenous, and traditional mental health healing modalities. Leslie earned her bachelor's degree from Hampton University in Mass Media Arts and her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Thomas University (Fla).
 
Von is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. who talks about positive psychology on One Life Radio. Von earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and master's degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He has experience working with physically and sexually abused youth, couples, men’s issues, anger management, adolescents, depression, anxiety, and addictions. Von is currently a doctoral candidate at the North Texas where his research focuses on formulating a new approaches to couples therapy using men’s groups.

WRITE TO BEAR ALMS
August is Black Philanthropy Month, so that means it's Halima time! With such a great celebration, there are many who get into the spirit of giving. One's giving should have purpose, however (thus the supporter of "For Our Edification", the Purposeful Philanthropy Foundation). For this edition of the Write to Bear Alms segment, Halima breaks down how having a philanthropic identity can lead to more meaningful giving.
Halima breaks down the philanthropic identity. She defines it, how it feeds into one's reputation, what it means to protect a philanthropic identity, the difference between influence and power in philanthropy, and how to establish a philanthropic identity.

In so many conversations about college, someone inevitably offers up that "college isn't for everybody." There's no disputing that, but we decided to challenge that statement. On this episode for "For Our Edification," we don't challenge its truth so much as we challenge the frequency with which it is said. Specifically, we discuss why that statement does more harm to Black America than any other sector of society.
For this discussion, we lean on Halima's knowledge of education. Having earned her master's degree in Educational Sociology, Halima touches on the history of higher education which includes the complex history of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). From there, we do a deep dive discussion about what is left on the table by people quickly dismissing college as a viable option for success. Unapologetically, we tie higher education into a critical part of Black America's identity and value.

Here is a pair of throwback interviews to my radio days when I was a co-producer of and contributor to the award-winning show "Sunday Journal with Hal Clark". In 2010, I was introduced to hip hop artist and educator Voice whose discography includes "Black Maria" and "Voice Presents Cutz". Voice's single "Black Maria" features her mother Zardis.  
Later, I had the pleasure of interviewing her dad, actor and acting instructor Lance E. Nichols. By far, this is one of the most entertaining interviews I have ever done thanks to Lance's energy and charm. Lance has appeared as Dr. Larry Williams in "Treme", as Gene Clancy in "House of Cards", and the Preacher in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons". Enjoy!

WRITE TO BEAR ALMS
It's a throwback on For Our Edification! On this episode, we're going back to the old "Eddie Francis Podcast Show" when Halima had a conversation about Black philanthropy. Her guests were Darryl Lester and Vince Bayyan. The conversation defined Black philanthropy, discussed trends, and the importance of empowering everyday people to be strategic in their giving.
About Darryl Lester

A leading voice in philanthropy, Darryl is the director of Service Year at North Carolina State University's Institute for Emerging Issues. He is also the founder of HindSight Consulting and the Community Investment Network. Darryl had also served as the director of Community Leadership and Programs at the Triangle Community Foundation (NC) and as Trustee of the Warner Foundation. An alumnus of Wofford College(B.A., Economics) and North Carolina State University (M.Ed. in Counselor Education and minor in Psychology), Darryl is a brother of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
About Vince Bayyan

Vince is a former development official at Claflin University and St. Augustine's University. He also has non-profit experience as a former executive director of the YMCA Clarence E. Lightner Youth Leadership Academy in North Carolina. Also a dedicated artist, Vince is the principal partner of Bayyan Ventures and the Arts Conference Event Center. Vince holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from Hampton University.