Uncovered Legacy

Curtis Burke
  • 5.0 (15)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Uncovered Legacy Podcast! Where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy. But I'm here to change that by keeping our stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. I am your host Curtis Burke — please join me for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard.

  1. 4D AGO

    Making Your Mess Your Message: Reinventing Your Story When the Dream Shifts with Kevin John Peters | S06 E08

    Kevin loves Stockton, California, but deep in his heart he knew he had to leave if he wanted more. Raised in a middle-class home until his parents divorced when he was eight, Kevin watched friends get pulled into gang life while his mother made sure he had a different path. Through Jack and Jill, an organization for African American families, Kevin was exposed to HBCUs, life beyond Stockton, and the possibility of something greater. When Morehouse College offered him a full ride scholarship, his mother made the decision clear. You go where the money is. So Kevin packed his bags and headed nearly 3,000 miles across the country to Atlanta. In this episode, Kevin shares how he lost that scholarship after his freshman year due to the distractions of Atlanta, but fought his way through with loans and small scholarships to graduate in four years with a degree in English. He moved to Los Angeles with nothing but a dream, crashing on couches and working odd jobs so he could audition. Then came reality TV. Kevin landed a spot on VH1's I Love New York, catapulting him into a world where strangers treated him like royalty one minute and he returned to eating ramen in a studio apartment the next. He speaks candidly about the psychological toll of celebrity life without the money, power, or connections, and how he stayed grounded through it all. But after 11 years in LA, the passion dried up, the joy disappeared, and Kevin made the hardest decision of his life. He reinvented himself, teaching himself broadcast journalism and landing his first job in Little Rock, Arkansas. Kevin's story shows why it is never too late to start a new chapter. From Arkansas to Tyler, Texas, to Sacramento, California, he worked his way up through small markets, eventually becoming the lead sportscaster at ABC 10. Along the way, he faced severe depression and suicidal thoughts, battles he kept hidden behind a smile until he chose to share his story during Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. Kevin reminds us that vulnerability is not weakness, that acknowledging pain is strength, and that reinvention is always possible. Tune in as we witness how one man turned his mess into his message, choosing service over fame and purpose over applause. Connect with Kevin John Peters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heykevinjohn Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we're here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    45 min

  2. FEB 24

    The Gift And The Calling: A Psychologist's Journey From Chicago's South Side with Dr. Jamila Young | S06 E07

    Dr. Jamila Young’s story begins on the south side of Chicago in an area known as the low end, raised by a single mother until age four when the man who would become her father entered their lives. With no memory of her biological father except a faded photograph from age three, Jamila grew up in a working-class home that valued education above all else. Her parents made sure she attended the best magnet schools Chicago had to offer, even when that meant traveling miles across the city from the wild hundreds to Whitney Young Magnet High School, Michelle Obama's alma mater. It was there, in an AP psychology class, that something clicked. For the first time, Jamila wanted to learn everything she could about the mind. In this episode, Jamila shares how she went from planning to become a psychiatrist to discovering her true calling as a clinical psychologist. She speaks about working in a psychology lab at Emory University, falling in love with research, and deciding to pursue a PhD instead of medical school. What makes her story remarkable is not just the rigor of her training, but her intentional choice to learn from the best Black mentors she could find where she could not only learn, but show up fully as herself without code-switching or explaining her existence. Jamila's story shows why representation matters, not just in the classroom but in the therapy room. She reminds us that bravery and self-confidence are very important and that doing hard things means trusting your ability to resource and figure it out. Tune in as we witness how one woman turned a childhood photograph and a love of psychology into a career saving lives, one session at a time, from Chicago to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. Connect with Dr. Jamila Young https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjamilayoung/ https://drjamilayoung.com/ Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we're here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    1h 2m

  3. FEB 17

    Finding Your Legacy in the Sound of Your Voice with Mia Bankston-Young |S06 E06

    Mia Bankston-Young’s voice was her ticket to the world: first to the bright lights of the stage, and then to a thriving career behind the mic. But it was the quiet, deafening silence of a Christmas Eve loss and a lonely pandemic apartment that taught her what she truly wanted to use her voice for: to build a home. Born in Detroit to a musical father whose own career was cut short by illness, Mia’s journey is a profound study in resilience, legacy, and listening to the quiet call of your heart. From the vibrant halls of Tennessee State University to the grueling conservatory at Florida State, she chased a life in theater, only to have the 2008 financial crash redirect her path. In a padded closet in Brooklyn, she discovered voiceover, building a national career from the ground up that included campaigns for McDonald’s and becoming the signature voice for the OWN Network. In this heartfelt episode, Mia opens up about the earth-shattering loss of her father, the “golden handcuffs” of success, and the pivotal loneliness of the pandemic that led her to trade the New York hustle for Michigan soil, community, and a surprising new chapter of love and motherhood. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about honoring a parent’s legacy by writing your own, the courage to redefine success on your own terms, and the beautiful, unexpected life that can begin when you finally give yourself permission to rest. This is the story of how Mia Bankston-Young found her most important role yet—not behind the microphone, but in the heart of her own home. Connect with Mia Bankston-Young:  https://www.miabankston.com/ Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we’re here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    41 min

  4. FEB 10

    Building a Well-Lived Life Against All Odds with Franklin Henderson | S06 E05

    Franklin Henderson's story begins in Miami, Florida in 1929, just as the Great Depression took hold. When his father passed away at age four, his mother was left to raise four children alone with only a seventh-grade education, surviving on government relief food and navigating the brutal realities of segregation. In this episode, Franklin shares what it meant to grow up Black in segregated Miami, where every bus ride was a reminder of his place in society and every opportunity required fighting twice as hard. After graduating from Southern University and becoming a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Beta Sigma,1950), he enlisted in the Army and shortly afterward became a paratrooper at a time when the armed forces were still navigating integration. He speaks about the discipline, the danger, and the pride of serving his country, even when that country didn't always see him as equal. While serving at Fort Campbell in Kentucky he met the love of his life Doris (Bond) Henderson.  After service, he pursued a second degree (Electrical Engineering) at Tennessee State University.  He and Doris built 68 years together in Los Angeles, a marriage so strong that even after her passing in 2024, Franklin visits her grave daily, decorates their home as she would have, and refuses to leave the house they shared until his own time comes. Franklin's story shows why legacy matters, not because it's perfect or easy, but because it's honest. He reminds us that a life well-lived is measured not in years, but in purpose, connection, and the dignity of showing up. Tune in as we witness how one man's journey from Depression-era Miami to present-day Los Angeles reveals the power of resilience, love, and never giving up.  Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we're here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    59 min

  5. FEB 3

    Uncovering the Family Histories That Shape Who We Are with Mica Anders | S06 E04

    Mica’s story begins in the Midwest, growing up in Iowa in a college town where she often felt out of place, but deeply shaped by education, movement, and strong family ties. Raised between two homes, with football Sundays spent alongside her father and a steady foundation from both parents, she learned early how identity, belonging, and perception are shaped by place. From graphic design and photography to graduate school in Minnesota, her path was never linear, but it was always driven by curiosity and a pull toward history. In this episode, Mica shares how genealogy entered her life unexpectedly through art. What began as a photography degree and an MFA project turned into quilts mapping family histories, then into archival work, teaching, and eventually professional genealogy. She speaks candidly about the responsibility of uncovering buried stories, the ethical weight of working with DNA, and the care required when truth disrupts long-held family narratives. For Mica, genealogy is not about answers alone, but about how stories are handled, shared, and honoured. Mica’s story shows why uncovering the past matters, not to rewrite it, but to help people move forward with clarity, honesty, and connection. Tune in as we witness how genealogy becomes a way of making sense of loss, restoring continuity, and reminding people who they are when systems fail and answers are hard to carry.  Connect with Mica Anders Website: https://www.andersgenealogicalservices.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andersgenealogicalservices/ Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we’re here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    42 min

  6. JAN 27

    Surrendering The Old Life To Receive The New One with Dr. William Syms | S06 E03

    Dr. William Syms’ story is rooted in community, movement, and responsibility. Raised in Altadena by parents who modeled service and openness, his early life was shaped by unconventional education and deep cultural exposure. From homeschooling and early community college to Clark Atlanta University and eventually USC, his path was never about speed, but preparation. In this episode, Dr. Syms reflects on the mentors, systems, and hard truths that shaped his leadership. He shares how his years in politics, organizing, and education taught him that excellence must be the floor, not the goal. We talk about agency, accountability, and the responsibility of truly seeing people, especially young Black men, and refusing to underestimate their capacity. His work in higher education is grounded in one belief: that access, dignity, and clear expectations can change lives. The conversation turns deeply personal as he recounts losing his family home in the Eaton and Palisades Fire. What began as a normal workday ended with devastation, displacement, and the realization that there was no version of life to return to, only a new one to build. Dr. Syms shares how loss reshaped his understanding of faith, legacy, and leadership, and why rebuilding Altadena is not just about homes, but about restoring community. Connect with Dr. William Syms LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/drsyms/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsyms/ Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we’re here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    43 min

  7. JAN 20

    The Melody of A Neighborhood Diamond with Bryce Savoy | S06 E02

    Bryce Savoy's path was scored by the rhythms of Oakland and the legacy of Howard. His true purpose, however, would be composed in the silence of loss and the steady beat of a son's resilient heart. From the streets of East Oakland to the basketball courts of Howard, and from founding the community-driven The Black Neighborhood to a cross-country journey to reconnect with his father, Bryce's path has been a masterclass in adapting to life’s rhythm. In this deeply moving episode, he shares the seismic shift of losing his father and becoming a father himself in the same year, the terrifying medical journey of his infant son, and how he learned to find faith and purpose not in a perfect plan, but in the courage to face each new movement. Bryce reveals how every setback, from a career-ending injury to a heartbreaking diagnosis, became a note in a larger melody of service, storytelling, and shining light for his community. Tune in for a powerful conversation about writing your own legacy through grief, grace, and unwavering love. Discover how Bryce Savoy is proving that our greatest purpose is often uncovered in the seasons we never saw coming. Connect with Bryce:  Website: https://brycesavoy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brycesavoy510/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/BRYCESAVOY510 Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we’re here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    41 min

  8. JAN 13

    The Path of Unwavering Strength with Scean Ellis | S06 E01

    Scean Ellis was raised by an adventurous mother who taught her to move through life’s changes with grace. That lesson would become her anchor decades later, when the role of a lifetime asked her to be the steady, loving voice for her husband through a devastating diagnosis. From a childhood that moved from Rochester’s snow to the sunny sands of St. Thomas, and finally to Los Angeles, Scean learned early that family is the one constant you build through every season. In this heartfelt conversation, she shares how that foundation prepared her for a 30 year marriage, motherhood, and her unexpected calling as a caregiver and advocate when her husband, Steve, was diagnosed with ALS. Scean opens up about the sacred work of navigating grief, the importance of rekindling family bonds, and how her innate gift for nurturing, honed while co leading a marriage ministry, became her greatest strength. She reveals the profound impact of sharing their story through documentary and her vision for a next chapter focused on mentorship and empowering others. Tune in for a powerful episode about the quiet strength that holds a family together and the resilience required to advocate, love, and plan a future when life takes an unforeseen turn. This is the story of how Scean Ellis is writing a legacy of unwavering love and purposeful action. Connect with Scean:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sceaniesworld Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scean.ellis Connect with Curtis: Website: https://www.uncoveredlegacy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncovered_legacy_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curtis.burke.1088 More About Uncovered Legacy Podcast: The Uncovered Legacy Podcast is where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy, but we’re here to change that by keeping those stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. Join your host, Curtis Burke, for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curtis-burke/message

    25 min
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About

Welcome to the Uncovered Legacy Podcast! Where storytelling is not just left at the kitchen table. Many of us walk through life leaving a silent legacy. But I'm here to change that by keeping our stories alive. Each tale will allow us to learn, discover, listen, and remember. I am your host Curtis Burke — please join me for a trip around the world, through the smallest towns, biggest cities, oldest communities, and overlooked cultures. Because no matter where you're from, your part of history deserves to be heard.

Information

  • Creator
    Curtis Burke
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 060073
  • Show Website
    Uncovered Legacy