Somewhere In The Middle With Michele Barard

Diane Sears, United States Coordinator for International Men’s Day, shares why we need prison reform DIANE A. SEARS is the United States Coordinator for International Men’s Day (www.imd-global.org) – a position she has held since 2009; the creator of the International Day of Prayer for Men and Boys which launches the United States’ observance of International Men’s Day; Chair, USA 2012- 2022 International Men’s Day Ten Year Plan Committee; a member of the International Men’s Day Coordination Committee where she represents the United States; Editor of a book on Fatherhood and Men’s Issues – IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® -- TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES (www.xlibris.com); and Managing Editor of a quarterly Fatherhood and Men’s Issues Journal —IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® -- which moderates a Global Dialogue on Fatherhood. The concept for IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® was created by Sears’ mentor, the late L.T. HENRY, a classically trained jazz musician who briefly performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and was a former drummer

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Samuel Woods, author of Imprisonment Samuel Woods is a native of Canton, Ohio, where he was indoctrinated into street life at the age of twelve. Despite a strong desire to turn things around for himself, Sam found himself moving from the juvenile court system to the adult prison system. He currently is incarcerated in Mansfield Correctional Institution serving a 35-years to life sentence for murder. He has been in prison for 6 ½ years. Sam Woods has a beautiful and loving wife, Ashley Woods, and two wonderful children, Samuel Woods, Jr. and Daeshona Miller. It is their love and support that keeps Sam motivated to fight for justice in his case. He wants those who are in a similar situation to continue to never give up the fight for their freedom and encourages them to go to the legal library to learn everything they can about the law. Sam Woods is the author of Imprisonment, which will be out in June 2020. Visit http://booksbytheshelf.org to learn more.

Alan Black shares his journey of surrender to become a Christian author Alan Black grew up in the United Methodist Church. While he proudly embraces his background and personal history within the United Methodist Church, he does not feel that denomination is important. What matters most is the relationship that you have with the Lord. Through the years, if Alan were to describe his relationship with the Lord using one word it would be “transformation” marked by daily growth in his walk with the Lord, and as well continuing to display the fruits of his Spirit. For these times, his attitude and belief are that the world is looking to Christians to see if, in fact, their talk does indeed match their walk. Like all of us, Alan has experienced twists and turns along the road of life. But each step along that road has led him to this point in life to humbly say that he is an author. But being able to say that he is a Christian author is the most important thing of all to him. To everything, there is a time and seas

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Education Consultant Joy Simuel  Joy is an energetic and experienced special education professional with a passion for pushing students to realize their full potential. With over 10 years of experience, she is a dedicated and resourceful educator with a solid commitment to the growth of the whole child. Giving parents the knowledge and confidence they need to advocate for their child. It was during an annual review of IEP (individualized education plans) and re-evaluation meetings that Joy realized parents were signing documents, leaving meetings not feeling heard and overwhelmed. She decided that she would start her own special education consulting business to help parents navigate the special education process. After much prayer Joy resigned from her teaching position on June 13, 2019, from Fairfax County Public Schools and took the leap of faith to start Joy Simuel Consulting LLC. Joy received her bachelor’s degree from Peace College in 2011 where she majored in Child Devel

Kaolin K shares her experience working with white people seeking to foster equality in their lives Kaolin K is originally from Brooklyn, NY, where she raised her two adult children. She worked in politics and the Arts, and in the 90’s Kaolin moved to Northampton, MA, attended Holyoke Community College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and matriculated in the Opera Department at Smith. Kaolin developed the Talking About Race self-study curriculum, which is designed for white people who want to foster equality in their lives, drawing upon the Kaolin’s classroom experiences teaching a course for college students titled Let’s Talk About Race. Kaolin has also worked in politics organizing marches on Washington, DC for peace and justice, ending US Intervention in Central America, and as the Health Benefits Field Representative for the Local 205 - DC 1707 Welfare Fund in NYC. Deeply invested in social services and education since 1991, Kaolin was also a member of the Anti-Racism Committee in the National

Author and Community Activist DeWandus Johnson Shares His Journey from Prison to Activist DeWandus Johnson Sr. was born and raised on the westside of Chicago, in the Lawndale Community. He fell into street life at an early age and was sent to prison when he was seventeen. Upon his release and while on parole, he left the grimy streets of Chicago and landed in Omaha, Nebraska. Unable to shake his “go get it by any means necessary” attitude, he found himself in prison again. While in Federal prison, he was introduced to one of the legends of the Chicago lifestyle and gained knowledge about other ways to live successfully. This friendship between the two men awakened a new understanding of life for DeWandus, and a new goal was born. Today, DeWandus is the author of several books and has no plans to stop writing. His goal is to give unfiltered testimonies to the people that either don't know or don’t care about the untold truths about ghettos in America. DeWandus’s writing style can be described as alive, vivid,

Somewhere in the Middle with Michele Barard Welcomes Business Mentor Ana Robles Ana Robles is the founder of Life’s Journey to Excellence in Covina, California. She helps business owners, sales professionals & entrepreneurs by providing sales training, create a system and business strategy in both group and one-on-one environments. Ana specializes in working with Small Businesses, Emerging & Established Entrepreneurs, and Independent Contractors.

Education Mentor and Author Darrian Tanner Encourages Educators to Create Win-Win Situations in the Classroom Darrian Tanner is currently an 11th-year secondary education English teacher and a 2nd-year Instructional Mentor in the state of Florida. She was born and raised in East St. Louis, IL, and this is where her love for education truly began as she was inspired by both her teachers and aunts who were educators and administrators in the school district. Darrian graduated from the College of Education at Michigan State University with a B.A. in English Ed and completed the teacher certification program with a yearlong internship at a local high school. Throughout her years of teaching, she came across great success on the school campus whether it was through her student mentorship programs or The Classroom Experience. Darrian was presented with the Florida High Impact Teacher Award two years in a row because of the significant growth in her students’ reading and writing state testing scores. She has a philo

Tawana Williams "The Hope Coach" Discusses the Choices She Made to Build Her Writing and Speaking Career Tawana Williams was born without arms and impaired use of her legs. She’s an award-winning Keynote Motivational Speaker, TV Personality, Author, Artist, Mentor, Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Businesswoman, Humanitarian & CEO. She’s a highly sought-after speaker with a powerful and uplifting message for all generations. Her compelling story is one of Triumph, Perseverance, and Determination. She’s overcome many obstacles and has never let her disability stop her. Tawana is the first black Tha-li-do-mide baby in the U.S. that became an Internationally acclaimed Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker! She’s the author of six books including her classic book UNarmed but Dangerous. This book is her personal testimony and will be featured as her Debut Movie “Eagle Without Wings” coming soon to theaters. She became a professional speaker in 1996 and travels the country with her husband, Toby, speaking at

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Food Activist Yvette Blair-Lavallais Reverend Yvette Blair-Lavallais was seven years old, sitting in the pew at Lee Chapel AME Church in Dallas, when she sensed that God was calling her to preach. By the age of 10, she became involved in children’s Sunday School and afterschool Bible studies. God continued to shape her for ministry as she took on leadership roles within the church and the community throughout her teen and young adult years. Yvette has held pastoral appointments in The United Methodist Church, including serving as the Associate Pastor of Discipleship at the historic St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in Dallas. Her fruitful ministry included cultivating and leading the Young Adult Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Bible study, e2 Elevate Your Experience Wednesday Night worship, and serving as Director of The Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. Servant Leadership Institute. Yvette was named the 2017 Woman of the Year by IMessenger News/Texas Metro News for speaking out a

Christian Coach, Author, and Inspirational Speaker Dr. Kendra Davis-Burch helps women change their lives for the better Dr. Kendra Davis-Burch is a 1999 & 2009 graduate of Winston-Salem State University. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology (1999) & a Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling (2009). She is also a 2016 graduate of Apex School of Theology where she earned a Master of Divinity Degree. Kendra earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Biblical Studies at Apex School of Theology May 2017. In 2010, Kendra established K*METAMORPHOSIS, a Christian counseling organization whose vision, mission and philosophy were birthed out of the desire to fill a much-needed treatment gap in the community. The organization’s mission is to utilize a holistic approach to restore fallen humanity. This organization believes that individuals; despite their past are capable of transforming spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. In 2012, Kendra became a published author. Her boo

Education Expert and Social Worker Dr. Terriyln Rivers-Cannon shares her experience working with and helping children succeed in the Atlanta public school system Dr. Terriyln C. Rivers-Cannon is a School Social Worker in the Atlanta area and has devoted over 18 years to improving the lives of Georgia’s school-aged population. Her role is that of a child advocate, providing appropriate interventions and services that help an average of 2,500 children and families per year who are at risk for educational failure. Terriyln had a spotlight press release for CUTV News Radio in 2017 followed by a featured interview on December 1st that provided her with an opportunity to discuss her nonprofit organization Karing Actions Towards Inspiring Eagles (K.A.T.I.E.), which she dedicated to her aunt, Katie Mae Tindal, who was also a Social Worker. She is also the host of “DARE to Soar with Doctor R.C.” on The Bold Brave MEDIA network, which airs every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Terriyln was the recip

Did you know the United States is the last Western power to use the death penalty? Steffen Hou discusses the devastation the death penalty causes in individual lives and entire communities. Steffen Hou is a Danish author and filmmaker, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. As a true-crime author, he has worked all over the world and written about topics such as child abductions, the Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacy movement, human trafficking, and the death penalty. Steffen Hou emphasizes that he always describes problems through the people who are victims of them rather than through experts sitting at their desk. Therefore, he always follows his main characters closely over a period of time and he is not afraid to put himself in danger zones. He is also known to tell his stories in a captivating and engaging way, so readers feel that they have a good reading experience. Besides the authorship, Steffen also produces documentary movies. You can find Steffen Hou's book, The Deprived: Innocent on Death Row on Ama

Sherry Hill, author and mother of late New England Patriot's player Marquise Hill, shares her journey through grief after her son's death Sherry Hill is the proud mother of the Late Marquise Hill who played as #94 at LSU and #91 with the New England Patriots. Ms. Hill is a ’79 Alumna of Alabama A & M University where she earned a B.S. Degree and Pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha in ’77. She has ten years of experience in the public school system and 16 years of experience with the Federal Government. Ms. Hill’s proudest achievement is helping steer young people in the right direction while working as a Juvenile Counselor with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Ms. Hill has a passion to help the youth and needy. Sherry Hill’s first book, The Marquise Hill Story: From the Cradle to the Bowl, is five-star rated on Amazon. Hill shares the story of a little boy growing up in a cutthroat environment in South Louisiana from the perspective of a grieving mother who gave her all to guide and support her son while r

Julia Black and I discuss how African-American Characters are portrayed in literature and film in the US Julia Black and I are getting into the topic of how African-American Characters are portrayed in literature and film in the US a little bit deeper this time, and it's just because the topic is so big. It's it really warrants a lot more discussion, a little bit more thoughtfulness. So, we are doing a special True Talk. This is like a little bonus True Talk. It's a little bit longer than the other ones. And that's why we're making it a bonus. And the topic required a little bit more than 10 or 15 minutes, which is what most of our True Talks end up being. For the full show notes, visit https://urbanbookeditor.com/blog/julia-black-and-i-discuss-how-african-american-characters-are-portrayed-in-literature-and-film-in-the-us.  

Tammy Hopson shares her quest to see black romantic love captured in photographs and poetry Tammy Hopson, also known as Sefa Noir, was reared in the suburbs of Northern NJ. She did all the right things and followed every societal rule, moving through life doing the expected: college, career, family. Today, she is a single mother, HR professional, and dedicated daughter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA with a focus on organizational development. Hopson currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources for a $500 million dollar a year physician group. However, underneath her responsibilities beat the heart of a passionate poet and a student of Black Culture and eroticism. After a trip to a local bookstore in 2010, left her feeling unrepresented when trying to find a gift book about black romantic love, she began the journey create to one. As a longtime lover of poetry, sonnets, and great photography she chose to use these elements to create her first collection of poetry. Sefa Noir us

Leadership Coach, Trainer, and Speaker La Toya Gadson shares how we can act as leaders in the lives of others and how role models shape lives for the better La Toya Gadson is the Founder of La Toya Gadson Coaching L.L.C, leadership and personal development company based out of Charlotte, NC. She is also a proud certified John Maxwell coach, trainer, and speaker. La Toya coaches and trains leaders how to lead boldly and take audacious action to intentionally improve themselves, their teams, and their businesses. La Toya’s passion is to help organizations cultivate a result-driven environment while improving employee engagement to reduce turnover and increase the effectiveness of leaders to identify top talent to avoid external hiring. Before devoting her work to La Toya Gadson Coaching LLC full-time, La Toya held various leadership roles within Corporate America for more than 10 years where she discovered her purpose and calling to coach and mentor others in the workplace. She has been recognized for her abili

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Hikes Heal! Creator Leslie Ann Roszyk as she explains how our best healing takes place when we release what no longer serves us Leslie Ann moved to Las Vegas 20 years ago, with dreams of illuminating the neon lights beyond measure. With no decent plan of action, she studied many different areas of interest, then after nine years of studying, she finally graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While attending college, Leslie Ann worked in three high profile resorts as a Security Manager on the infamous Las Vegas Strip. That unique hands-on experience was just what Leslie Ann needed to fulfill her illuminating leadership dreams, yet she didn’t know it at the time. With encouragement from senior leadership, Leslie Ann took a risk and entered the realm of loyalty marketing as a developer. Leslie Ann did not have any marketing experience, yet from her background in improv and speech performance, she stumbled upon her

Author and Inspirational Speaker Tawana Williams shares how she overcame being born without arms to create an amazing life and business with her husband, Toby Tawana Williams was born without arms and impaired use of her legs. She’s an award-winning Keynote Motivational Speaker, TV Personality, Author, Artist, Mentor, Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Businesswoman, Humanitarian & CEO. She’s a highly sought-after speaker with a powerful and uplifting message for all generations. Her compelling story is one of Triumph, Perseverance, and Determination. She’s overcome many obstacles and has never let her disability stop her. Tawana is the first black Tha-li-do-mide baby in the U.S. that became an Internationally acclaimed Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker! She’s the author of six books including her classic book UNarmed but Dangerous. This book is her personal testimony and will be featured as her Debut Movie “Eagle Without Wings” coming soon to theaters. She became a professional speaker in 1996 and tr

Lashone vs. Shaneek discusses pushing past the naysayers and haters as you pursue your goals on Somewhere in the Middle with Michele Barard Lashone Vs. Shaneek, was born in Charleston. She is a mother of three and now resides in Charlotte, NC. Lashone writes action-packed mysteries filled with love and loss. Her characters are both feared and fearless, though ironically, in real life Lashone is afraid of looking in the rear-view mirror while driving at night and walking up the stairs in the dark. Lashone is a hard-working dreamer, who started out writing a stage play but instead turned it into I, BEAUTY, her debut novel which is the first of a book series. She has an interest in everything from fantasy to forensic science. Her true passion lies within whatever she can create. In Lashone's world, everything is in balance, whether positive or negative. Along with the graphic design skills that Lashone has picked up over the years, she has a great love for Blues & Jazz. Particularly, she developed a deep int