A Better Chance TV...with Mz Mo!

What Happens When Representation Becomes The Program

You can feel it when a city decides to stop “talking about” Black excellence and actually programs it. We’re counting down to HBCU weekend in San Antonio, and we’re doing things differently this year with a real run-of-show that centers culture, family, and students not just a room full of tables. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to make an HBCU celebration feel meaningful, organized, and alive, this conversation gives you the behind-the-scenes. We’re joined by powerhouse performer and creative leader Devon Matthews, who breaks down her work as founder and artistic director of Art Noir Productions, an all-Black performing arts organization built to fix a representation gap across dance, theater, spoken word, and more. She shares why training and stage opportunities matter, how young people grow when the standard is high, and why she’s bringing a tribute that honors Black culture and HBCU pride. We also welcome Anthony Harris Brown back as we talk program upgrades, why youth performers belong on an education-centered weekend, and how quickly people underestimate Black kids until the talent hits the mic. Then the energy shifts to pure community fun with Rod Eckles and the fashion talk, plus a reminder that tickets are moving and the door price jumps if you wait. We also shout out honorees and resources that support college-bound students, including tools like the Common Black College App and HBCU trivia that keeps the history close. Listen, share this with someone coming to the weekend, and then subscribe and leave a review so more people find the show. What part of an HBCU weekend matters most to you: the awards, the performances, the networking, or the student spotlight? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/support]

What If Your Purpose Has No Deadline

Graduation season brings a lot of applause, but I want to talk about what happens after the caps come off. I share a message I originally delivered as a school speech, built around one idea that changed how I see education, success, and purpose: graduation is only a concept, and in real life we graduate every single day. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re enough, worried your dreams are too big for your circumstances, or felt behind because of someone else’s timeline, this conversation is for you. I get personal about not starting at the top, making mistakes, and learning the kind of lessons no classroom can teach. We unpack what it really means to “shrink yourself” and why I keep repeating this line: do not dim your light so others can shine. We talk self-worth, confidence, and how social media comparison can steal joy, especially for students and young professionals trying to figure out who they are. You’ll also hear a clear reminder that titles, awards, and recognition can be nice, but they’re not your value. Then we zoom out to community and opportunity, with a spotlight on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and why they matter for culture, connection, mentorship, and lifelong belonging. We share community voices connected to the HBCU Community Icon Awards and the bigger mission of supporting student scholars, connecting alumni with students, and building real networks that pay off later. If you care about education, mentorship, scholarships, and helping the next generation lead without apology, press play and stay with us. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs the reminder, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s one way you’re ready to stop shrinking and show up fully? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/support]

I Celebrate By Giving Back To Future HBCU Students

A birthday show can be more than candles and dinner plans. I’m celebrating the whole month, but I’m also turning that celebration into support for A Better Chance for Youth Incorporated because it’s crunch time and our students need us. If you’ve ever wanted a practical way to invest in youth mentoring, college access, and real outcomes for college-bound seniors, this conversation lays out exactly how we’re doing it and how you can plug in. I walk through our upcoming HBCU Community Icon Awards and People’s Choice Awards, including why ticket sales and business sponsorships matter and how the event helps fund our South Texas HBCU summer send-off. The goal is simple: celebrate excellence while making sure more young people can step onto the campus of a historically Black college or university with confidence, community support, and a network behind them. I also share a quick tip for saving money on tickets: the newsletter is where the promo code lives. Along the way, we spotlight helpful HBCU resources like the Common Black College Application, which lets students apply to 50+ HBCUs at once for a low cost, plus a fun educational option with an HBCU trivia game. Then we shift into the heart of the celebration with a tribute montage full of love, laughter, and reminders that mentorship is built over years, not moments. If you believe in lifting students and strengthening HBCU pathways, listen, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the mission. What’s one way you’ve seen community support change a young person’s future? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/support]

What Happens When We Keep HBCU Memories Alive

You can feel HBCU pride when it’s real and Alfonso Scott brings the real. After a quick run of community updates and award-season reminders, we sit down with Alfonso to trace his path from Dayton, Ohio to Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama, including the culture shock that nearly sent him back home. What changed was the thing HBCUs do better than almost anywhere: community. He talks candidly about finding his people, growing through campus life, and carrying that foundation into adulthood.  Then we dig into his decade-long passion project, “We’ve Got Something to Talk About,” built from hundreds of interviews with HBCU alumni across generations, schools, and cities. It’s not a single-campus story, it’s a living collage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities told by the people who lived it. If you care about HBCU advocacy, college choice, student success, or simply preserving Black education history, these testimonials explain why HBCU alumni stay so loyal and so loud.  We also talk about his HBCU commemorative calendar that pairs images with quotes from the book, plus practical resources for families navigating application season, including the Common Black College Application. Listen for the through-line: when we share our stories, we widen the path for the next student.  Subscribe, share this with an HBCU-bound scholar or proud alum, and leave a quick review telling us what your HBCU story says about you. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/support]

Brotherhood Is Not Optional Because Healing Happens In Community

We map the moments when the road gets heavy and the answer is not more toughness, but more brotherhood. We break down a simple way to build real support through mentors, peers, and the people we pour into, then challenge ourselves to connect on purpose.  • redefining brotherhood as accountability and vulnerability  • why healing happens in community not isolation  • the Paul Barnabas Timothy model for mentorship and growth  • lessons from my father and mentors that shaped my life and health  • the role of peers who check you and stay close in hard seasons  • pouring into the next generation and letting roles evolve  • the loneliness crisis for men and what it costs families  • three words to live by: connect reflect support  If you don't just want to be part of the moment and you want to be part of the movement, join me later on today. I'll be doing a breakout session in one of the sessions in one of the rooms around 11:30. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2404105/support]