Healing the Hurt: Breaking the Silence Around Black Men’s Trauma | Sam Simmons on Community, Healing & Hope

Surviving Prison, Cancer, and the Streets: Mayor Ferg’s Story of Redemption

James “Mayor Ferg” Ferguson joins YANA: You Are Not Alone for a raw, emotional, and deeply inspiring conversation about survival, redemption, faith, and brotherhood.   After spending 31 years incarcerated for murder, Ferguson opens up about the painful realities of prison life, the spiritual awakening that transformed him behind bars, and the purpose he discovered through restorative justice and mentoring other incarcerated men. Known inside prison walls as “Mayor Ferg,” he became a voice of encouragement and leadership for men searching for hope in dark places.   But his greatest battle came when doctors diagnosed him with a rare and aggressive brain cancer while he was still incarcerated, giving him only three weeks to live. Nearly two decades later, Ferguson is still here, still fighting, and still using his testimony to uplift others.   In this powerful episode, Ferguson shares: * How prison changed his life forever * The moment he surrendered his life to God * What it means to survive cancer against all odds * Why family and community matter so deeply * The work he’s doing now through Agape to help formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives * His message to Black men about unity, love, and healing

Captain Horeb on Black Identity, Faith, Order, and the Future of Black Men”

In this powerful and unfiltered episode of YANA: You Are Not Alone, host James Trice sits down with Captain Horeb of Israel United in Christ for a raw, thought-provoking conversation about Black identity, spirituality, manhood, oppression, accountability, and community.   From personal transformation and incarceration culture to faith, biblical law, and the search for purpose, Captain Horeb shares how discovering Israelite teachings changed the course of his life—from the streets to becoming a husband, father, and leader. Together, James and Captain Horeb tackle difficult questions surrounding religion, social conditioning, Black unity, moral responsibility, and the role of order and discipline in rebuilding Black communities.   This episode does not shy away from controversy. Instead, it creates space for honest dialogue, challenging perspectives, and deeper understanding—even when disagreements exist. At its core, this conversation is about listening, learning, and confronting the issues many Black men wrestle with in silence.

Lamont Jackson: Seeds in the Soil: Breaking Cycles, Building Futures

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, host James Trice welcomes back Lamont Jackson for an unfiltered dialogue on what’s really happening inside our schools—and our communities.   Lamont, a social behavioral educator working with middle school students in underserved communities, pulls back the curtain on the daily realities facing young people navigating trauma, instability, and broken systems. From classroom disruptions to deeper emotional struggles, he shares what it means to stand in the gap—not just as an educator, but as a mentor, advocate, and “surrogate voice” for accountability and hope.   Together, James and Lamont tackle hard truths: the impact of fatherlessness, the normalization of dysfunction, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the tension between systemic inequities and personal responsibility. But this episode isn’t just about problems—it’s about purpose.   Lamont offers a compelling vision for change rooted in community, faith, and relationship-building—challenging families, churches, and leaders to move beyond talk and into action. He reminds us that real transformation starts with planting seeds—seeds of discipline, love, accountability, and identity—even if we may never see the full harvest.

Healing the Hurt: Breaking the Silence Around Black Men’s Trauma | Sam Simmons on Community, Healing & Hope

What happens when Black men are finally given permission to speak openly about pain, trauma, healing, and hope? In this powerful episode of YANA: You Are Not Alone, host James Trice sits down with behavioral consultant and licensed chemical dependency counselor Sam Simmons for an honest and deeply needed conversation about Black men’s mental and emotional health, trauma, healing, masculinity, and community. Sam shares the powerful story behind the creation of the 18th Annual Community Empowering Through Black Men Healing Conference, a movement born from a heated debate that evolved into a mission to create safe spaces for Black men to heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves and each other.

Coley Gates Episode 3: What does it take to come back from a 999-year sentence—and not just survive, but transform?

In this powerful third installment of YANA: You Are Not Alone, host James Trice continues his deeply moving conversation with Coley Gates, a man whose story defies logic and redefines faith, brotherhood, and purpose. After spending 25 years incarcerated, Coley opens up about the emotional weight of reconnecting with family, the unbreakable bond of the “Seven Mighty Men,” and the spiritual foundation that carried him through the darkest seasons of his life. This episode dives deep into what real brotherhood looks like—men who prayed together, cried together, held each other accountable, and ultimately helped one another survive and thrive against impossible odds. Coley shares what shocked him most about the world after his release—the disconnect in community, the shifting dynamics of family, and the tension between opportunity and temptation. With raw honesty, he speaks on navigating freedom, resisting old paths, and stepping into his calling as a voice of hope for others still trapped—physically and mentally. From mentoring youth and serving the homeless, to returning to prisons to uplift those still inside, Coley is living proof that transformation is real—and that no one is beyond redemption. The episode closes with a gripping spoken word performance, “Oh Say Can You See,” challenging listeners to reflect on justice, identity, and unity in today’s world.