Guest--Toby S. Jenkins, Ph.D. serves as Associate Provost for Faculty Development and is a tenured Professor in the Department of Leadership & Inquiry at the University of South Carolina. Her scholarship focuses on the ways that cultural leadership approaches can be used as tools to transform and innovate professional practice. Her most recent book, The Hip-Hop Mindset: Success Strategies for Educators & Other Professionals explores success mindsets and transformative leadership practices found within hip-hop culture.

Guest--Hayden Downs is a defenseman on the UNC Men’s Lacrosse team, born and raised in Atlanta, GA, but spent his time at boarding school at McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. He grew up as one of the few players of color in a predominantly white sport, shaping his perspective and motivation to be a positive role model for younger athletes of color. Being at UNC has been a dream for Hayden, and he hopes to inspire the younger generation in lacrosse.

Guest: Shauntae Brown White, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Mass Communication and interim associate dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at North Carolina Central University. She earned a B.A. in journalism from Howard University, an M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Alabama, and her doctorate from the University of Kansas in Communication Studies.

Dr. White, who also serves as the coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies program at NCCU, examines representations of black women in media. Most recently, she co-edited a book, "Television Representations of Black Womanhood: Being Mara Brock Akil." White is the recipient of the 2020 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award in Teaching Excellence.

Guests:

Co-host of “Shit Blacks Girls Watch” and UNC Alum, Trish Whitfield has recently earned her doctorate in human sexuality. She brings a sharp eye and a deep love of cinema along with a passion for everything related to film.

Meah Barrington is a true multi-hyphenate creative, seamlessly navigating the realms of creative direction, production, on-air talent, and entrepreneurship. As a digital artisan, Meah has left an indelible mark, pitching and developing lifestyle and beauty concepts for renowned publications such as Allure and Glamour magazine. Her innovative concepts have garnered immense success, with shows like Allure’s Music Video Breakdown and Glamour’s Millionaire Moves amassing over 11 million views on their YouTube channels.

Driven by a passion for spotlighting underrepresented talent, Meah Denee is the visionary founder and editor-in-chief of The Reel Noire Network, a Black entertainment news site committed to highlighting excellence within the television, film, and digital media industries. Her dedication extends beyond being an entertainment journalist, as she actively provides production resources, events, networking opportunities, screenings, and workshops to empower independent filmmakers of color and assist industry professionals in navigating the media landscape.

Guests:

Leyla Santiago - Professor of the Practice, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and former CNN Correspondent

Valeria Vargas- Mexican American Student at UNC Chapel Hill

Guest--Alvernia Disnew; Spiritual Care Specialist for UNC Health.

Alvernia Disnew is a certified ACPE educator for UNC Health and PHD candidate. Alvernia graduated from Norfolk State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s in psychology, minoring in special education. She then went on to earn two master’s degrees at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University in seminary and clinical pastoral & patient counseling respectively. She focuses her work as a Spiritual Care Specialist for a diverse group of individuals. She has a plethora of experience working with children, adults, and seniors in different mental health, crises management, grief, and support situations.

Guest--Scott Geier, Assistant Professor, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

Scott began teaching as an adjunct at Hussman in 2017, after a career as an investigative reporter and web developer for Smith & Carson, Inc. His areas of interest include front-end web development, data visualization, augmented reality, photogrammetry, and generative art.

Guests: Sebastian Lunak and Louis Dramm