In The Know with Tony Reeves

Anthony Reeves
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Hosted by former attorney and Judge Tony Reeves, this podcast delivers sharp insights, commentary, and real talk on law, leadership, public service, and the Black Gen X experience. Whether you’re navigating bureaucracy, seeking inspiration, or craving honest reflections from someone who’s lived it, ‘In The Know with Tony Reeves’ offers the wisdom and wit to keep you informed—and empower Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  1. 2d ago

    The Haircut That Taught Me About Perception vs. Reality

    Sometimes the smallest experiences become the biggest teachers. As a freshman at the University of Tampa in 1987, all I wanted was a haircut before ROTC. Instead, I encountered racial assumptions, unexpected kindness, and a lesson about perception versus reality that has stayed with me for decades.  In this companion episode, I reflect on how one ordinary afternoon helped shape my understanding of race, community, and judging people based on firsthand experience instead of fear or stereotypes. This is another chapter in my ongoing Black Generation X journey. Call to Action If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who appreciates honest conversations about history, race, and personal growth. I’d also love to hear about a time when your own experience challenged what you had always been told.  #BlackGenerationX #Storytelling #PersonalGrowth #GenerationX #Podcast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  2. 4d ago

    Was I Being Profiled? A Black Generation X College Experience

    As a freshman at the University of Tampa, I experienced something that would repeat itself every single year: university police stopping me while I walked across campus at night to ask for my student ID. Were they simply doing their jobs? Or was I being singled out because I was one of the few Black students on campus? The truth is, I still don’t know.  In this episode, I explore one of the defining experiences of Black Generation X—living in a world where discrimination wasn’t always obvious, but where many of us constantly questioned whether race played a role in how we were treated. Sometimes the hardest part wasn’t proving discrimination. It was never knowing for sure. If you’re part of Generation X—or if you’ve ever questioned whether an experience was about who you were rather than what you did—this conversation may resonate with you. Have you ever experienced a situation where you couldn’t tell whether you were being treated differently—or whether there was another explanation? Share your story in the comments. I’d love to hear your perspective, especially from fellow Generation X listeners. For more conversations about Black Generation X, professional life, and the experiences that shaped us, visit The Anthony Reeves Experience and subscribe so you never miss a new episode.   #BlackGenerationX #GenerationX #CollegeLife #RacialProfiling #TheAnthonyReevesExperience Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  3. Jul 8

    I Deserved to Be There: When Being the Only One Makes You Question Your Place

    What happens when you enter a space knowing that you earned the opportunity—but still feel that you must prove you deserve it? In this companion episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the personal story behind my micro-book, I Deserve to Be There. I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, surrounded by Black educators, professionals, church members and family friends who were committed to nurturing my success. Then I entered the University of Tampa, an overwhelmingly white institution where I suddenly found myself searching for people who understood my experience. My college journey included isolation, financial hardship, conflict with roommates, cultural misunderstandings and moments when I seriously questioned whether I belonged. It also included mentorship, Black student community, ROTC, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, leadership opportunities and recognition that showed me how deeply I had become part of the university community. This episode explores the pressure many Black Gen X students carried into newly accessible spaces: the belief that we had to work harder, perform better and continually demonstrate that we deserved opportunities we had already earned. Ultimately, I discovered that belonging was not something another person could grant me. I deserved to be there from the moment I arrived. Listen, reflect and share this episode with someone who has ever been the first, the only or one of very few in a professional, educational or social space. Visit anthonyreeves.com to explore more content from The Anthony Reeves Experience and learn more about the Black Generation X Starter Kit. Podcast Call to Action After listening, share this episode with someone who may be questioning whether they belong in the room. Then visit anthonyreeves.com to explore I Deserve to Be There and the other stories in the Black Generation X Starter Kit. Podcast Hashtags #INTheKnowWithTonyReeves #IDeserveToBeThere #BlackGenX #BlackGenerationX #Belonging #ImposterSyndrome #BlackStories #CollegeExperience Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  4. Jul 6

    My Roommates Threw My Clothes Into the Hallway: A College Lesson in Dignity

    During my first semester at the University of Tampa, I was 18 years old, 900 miles away from home, and struggling financially.There were times when I simply did not have enough money to wash my clothes. Instead of asking why, my roommates decided to remove my laundry, strip my bed, and scatter everything throughout the dormitory hallway.What followed was not simply a disagreement about dirty clothes. It was a moment of humiliation, anger, isolation, and decision.  I had to determine whether I would respond violently, report what happened, leave school, or find another way to protect my dignity and my future. In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on the experience, the friendship that helped me survive it, and the lessons I learned about navigating spaces where you may belong—but still may not feel protected. This story also connects with my micro-book, I Deserved to Be  There, from the Black Generation X Starter Kit. Call to ActionListen to the complete episode and reflect on this question:Have you ever experienced a moment when someone made you feel as though you did not belong—and how did you respond?Visit anthonyreeves.com for more stories, podcasts, books, and reflections from the Black Generation X experience. Hashtags#IDeservedToBeThere #BlackGenX #CollegeStories #ProtectYourDignity #FirstGenerationCollege Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  5. Jul 1

    HBCU Dreams, PWI Reality: How Black Gen X Built the Bridge

    In this companion podcast episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the complicated bridge between HBCU dreams and PWI reality. Drawing from his Black Gen X college experience, he discusses representation, cultural isolation, the importance of Black-centered spaces, and the leadership lessons that came from learning how to survive and thrive in a place that was not built around him. This episode explores what it means to belong, adapt, build community, and create the college experience you need when the institution does not automatically provide it. Call to Action If this story connects with your own college experience, share it with someone who attended an HBCU, a PWI, or who is trying to figure out where they truly belong. And if you want to explore more of the Black Gen X Starter Kit series, visit anthonyreeves.com or check out The Anthony Reeves Experience on Fourthwall. Hashtags #BlackGenX #HBCUExperience #PWIReality #BlackCollegeExperience #AnthonyReevesExperience Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  6. Jun 29

    The Logistics of the Long Road Trip: How Black Gen X Learned to Move Different

    Before GPS, Cash App, cell phones, and streaming music, taking a long road trip required planning, memory, discipline, and a little bit of nerve. In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on what it meant to drive from Tampa to Pine Bluff in the early 1990s, when every gas stop, radio dead zone, highway turn, and dollar had to be accounted for. This is not just a story about travel. It is a reminder of how Black Gen X learned resilience, independence, and problem-solving in real time—long before technology made the road feel safer and easier. From $0.99 gas to sunflower seeds, Cherry Coke, back roads, and calling home before you left, this episode captures a generation that had to figure it out while moving forward.   Call to Action Take a listen, and think back to your own first long road trip. What did you have to plan for before GPS, smartphones, and digital money made everything easier? Share this episode with someone who remembers what it meant to really “know the route.” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  7. Jun 24

    Gen X in the Middle: Black Gen X and the Blueprint We Had to Build

    In this companion podcast episode, I reflect on the meaning behind my e-book “Gen X in the Middle: How Black Gen X Bridged Two Worlds” and why Black Generation X deserves to be understood as more than a forgotten or overlooked generation. Using the end of MTV’s 24-hour music broadcasting stations as a cultural marker, I discuss how Gen X lived through a unique transition point in American history. Black Gen X grew up after major civil rights victories, but we still had to figure out what those victories meant in real life. We were raised by parents who experienced restriction, segregation, and overt racism, while we entered schools, workplaces, and cultural spaces that were supposedly more open but still complicated. This episode explores three major takeaways from the book: First, Black Gen X moved without a blueprint. Second, representation shaped how we saw ourselves. Third, we had to learn how to navigate a softer, more subtle version of racism. This episode also serves as an introduction to my Black Generation Starter Kit, a collection created to help preserve, explain, and share the Black Gen X experience.  \To go deeper into this conversation, check out the companion long video on YouTube and explore my e-book “Gen X in the Middle: How Black Gen X Bridged Two Worlds.” You can also find the full Black Generation Starter Kit at anthonyreeves.com or through the links connected to this episode. Black Gen X has a story worth telling, and this is one entry point into that story. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

  8. Jun 22

    When We Outgrew the Club: How Black Gen X Created Our Own Safe Spaces

    In this episode of The Anthony Reeves Experience, Tony Reeves reflects on what nightlife and social connection looked like for Black Gen X professionals as they moved beyond the club scene and into more intentional spaces. From house gatherings among young officers, to cigar bars and jazz lounges, to professional socials in Tampa’s Ybor City, Tony explores how Black professionals created their own spaces for connection before social media, apps, and digital networking became the norm. This conversation highlights the importance of safe spaces, professional community, cultural identity, and the quiet innovation of a generation that had to build its own rooms when no one showed them how. Think back to the spaces that helped shape you. Was it a house party, a lounge, a church event, a Greek gathering, a professional mixer, or somebody’s living room? Drop a comment and share where your generation found community. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

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About

Hosted by former attorney and Judge Tony Reeves, this podcast delivers sharp insights, commentary, and real talk on law, leadership, public service, and the Black Gen X experience. Whether you’re navigating bureaucracy, seeking inspiration, or craving honest reflections from someone who’s lived it, ‘In The Know with Tony Reeves’ offers the wisdom and wit to keep you informed—and empower Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

Information

  • Creator
    Anthony Reeves
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    386
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Anthony Reeves
  • Show Website
    In The Know with Tony Reeves