Excellence At All Costs

Episode 6: Developing and Leveraging Multilingualism Among Black Youth Part I with Celeste Spencer

This week we're flipping the script a bit to talk about the importance of appreciating the beauty of multilingualism within US communities of color and expanding access to multilingual education in under-resourced communities. Our special guest is Celeste N. Spencer, MAT, MA, an alumna of Morris Brown College, Xavier University of Louisiana and University of New Orleans and a proud US Navy veteran.  A seasoned educator in critical thinking and analysis as well as multiple languages (English, Spanish and French), Ms. Spencer has a passion for ensuring that students are holistically prepared to communicate effectively, appreciate the vastness of global culture, and leverage their knowledge to maximize professional opportunities. Currently Ms. Spencer is in the dissertation phase of her doctoral studies which focus on building capacity to ensure quality distance learning experiences for students of all ages. As a consultant, she welcomes opportunities to work with schools, community and faith-based organizations and businesses to build systems that are culturally responsive and effective.

Episode 5: Women's Health Beyond October - Panel Part II

We're back for Part II of Women's Health Beyond October. Our phenomenal guests picked up where we left off last night with more gems around the importance of prioritizing our physical and mental health. Particularly this episode highlighted the importance of preventative care, cultural competence, patient advocacy and how to overcome challenges that accompany economic and racial disparities among communities of color. Panelists include:  Jordan Howard, BSW - Jordan Howard, BSW is a native of Baton Rouge Louisiana. She is also a proud alumna of Southern University where she received her bachelor's in Social Work. Jordan is continuing her education at Louisiana State University to obtain a Masters in Social Work. She has interned at Harmony Transitional Services (Baton Rouge, LA) with men who were determined Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity and the Department of Community and Human Services- Sexual Assault Center (Alexandria, VA) as a Victim Service Provider and Advocate. She is a 3-year employee with the Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) as the Adolescent Health Coordinator. In that role, she is a contract Social Worker that develops youth program curriculums, marketing  materials, and leads four positive youth development programs for youth ages 10-18. She also assists with the writing, applying, and maintaining/reporting for all grants centered around LCHE's youth programs. Jordan has also added public speaking to her list of experiences after presenting at the 2022 Health Summit: Policies, Plans, and Proposals for Children's Mental Health Session, being a guest on radio station WTQT 106.1 FM, and speaking at the Gardere Initiative's MLK Day Community Program in 2020. Jordan aspires to provide services to the community and organizations in order for children, youth, and young adults to have access and equitable mental health resources in their homes, schools, and communities. Takia E. Lamb, MSW - Takia Lamb, Founder and CEO of TK Consulting & Design, LLC, completed her BA in Psychology at Spelman College and her Master of Social Work at Georgia State University. She credits her background in human studies to her emphasis on a unique twist to creative agency design structure that elevates the client through listening and execution. Her company was founded in 2016 and has served over 200 clients in over 300 individual projects. The agency currently provides web design, graphic design, web maintenance, photography, branding and business consulting services to individuals and small business owners. Brandy H. Sullivan, MD, MPH - Dr. Brandy Sullivan is a graduate of Spelman College and UNC at Chapel Hill. She is currently a resident physician in the subspecialty of Internal Medicine. Brandy is a proponent of all things self-care and the eradication of disparities within patient populations of color and under-resourced communities. Fueled by her faith, Dr. Sullivan strives to provide quality care to all irrespective of race, socio-economic status, religion and gender.

Episode 4: Women's Health Beyond October - Panel Part I

This week we decided to switch it up a bit and converse with several distinguished guests in a panel-style discussion around women's health. Specifically, we'll be tackling why conversations and continued progress toward equitable access to women's health treatment and resources must continue. This is a Part I of a two-part series that you definitely don't want to miss. I'm joined in this episode by the following guests:  Alexis Wyatt, MPH - Mrs. Wyatt is a California native and a graduate of both Spelman College and Touro University-California. Alexis is a wife and she recently celebrated the arrival of her second child. Since the inception of her public health career in 2013, Alexis has been employed at: one of California's eight freestanding children's hospitals, as well as a nationally ranked hospital. At both magnet status hospitals in which she was employed, she worked directly with Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the population of pregnant women they served. After 7 consecutive and collective years of employment at both hospitals, Alexis transitioned to government employment for a job promotion. Since 2020, Alexis has worked in management and currently serves as an unit Chief for a clinical, public health program that serves pregnant women. In her current role, Alexis continues to work with all Obstetricians and Gynecologists across the state of California as well as the population of pregnant women served. Latonia Viverette-Batiste, PhD - Dr. Viverette-Batiste is a Louisiana native and a graduate of Xavier University, Tulane University and Jackson State University. For 25 years Dr. Batiste has worked as an environmental scientist and scholar-researcher within the areas of climate change and environmental sustainability, focusing specifically on the impact that disparities within this area have on communities of color and other under-resourced populations. Dr. Viverette-Batiste is a proud wife and mother of one.  Alma C. Stewart-Allen, MSN, CCHC - Mrs. Stewart-Allen is a Louisiana native and a graduate of Northwestern State University, Louisiana Tech University, Southern University of Baton Rouge and Georgetown University. She is the Founder and President of the Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) and a veteran health care/public health professional of over 30 years. Specifically, Mrs. Stewart-Allen is a registered nurse, former career state civil servant, entrepreneur and avid public health policy advocate. She is a proud wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Episode 3: Homecoming Season: Why This HBCU Cultural Phenomenon Is Deeper Than What Meets The Eye

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Robyn Merrick, the SU System VP for External Affairs and University Relations and Southern University alumna to the podcast. In this somewhat light-hearted, but important conversation we covered the richness of HBCU history, Homecoming nostalgia, Black voter turnout and a host of other topics! Take a listen. You'll be glad you did.  Special shout out to all of our proud HBCU faculty, staff, alumni and student listeners. This one's for you! Happy Homecoming Season!

Episode 2: Cultivating Black Girl Excellence, Confidence and Peace of Mind with Dr. Rashida Govan

This week we're chatting it up with the phenomenal, Dr. Rashida Govan, a proud alumna of Morgan State University, University of Maryland - College Park and University of New Orleans. She is the founder of Project Butterfly-New Orleans, an African-centered girls mentorship/rite of passage program and Executive Director of the New Orleans Youth Alliance. During this episode we tackle self-esteem, healing from trauma, embracing joy, taking up space and soooo much more. Dr. Govan dropped some serious gems, guys! Listen for yourself and don't forget to subscribe!