Listen and share this dynamic conversation with Clifton Uckerman! Clifton is no stranger to the Forward Promise family as he is one of our beloved Fellow alums from the inaugural cohort of the Forward Promise Fellowship for Leaders. Additionally and most importantly, perhaps, Clifton is a Neuro-Psychotherapist With an Evolutionary Medicine Perspective and Medical Approach who tirelessly advocates for exceptional clinical services for people overcoming mental health and addiction problems within the socio-political and cultural systems that influence or exasperate the symptoms of those affected. He is on a crusade and life-mission to empower others to #HealGrowThrive in ways he also has been able to in all of his personal and lived experiences.

As part of the competent leadership team at Altium Health, located in Utah, Clif is striving to forward the promise; that all who are receiving services are treated without stigmas and stereotypes and individually with love, respect, and dignity. Clif believes in the re-humanization of persons in recovery from the often destructive effects of trauma, shame, and loss & grief; a triangle-cycle and recipe for the pain-avoidance, reward-seeking behaviors we see as addiction.

The views and opinions expressed by our guest do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

In this episode, Dr. Rhonda Bryant speaks with Dr. LaNail R. Plummer, Chief Executive Officer of the Onyx Therapy Group. As a leading professional in the mental health field, Dr. Plummer is committed to improving the lifestyles of others through the aspects of mental health and character development.

A United States Military Veteran and the CEO and Clinical Director of Onyx Therapy Group -- an organization she founded in 2013 -- Dr. Plummer has over 15 years of experience working with a multitude of clients and specializing in the care of young women; the Black community; and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Grounded in the values of integrity and awareness, Dr. Plummer believes that emotional, spiritual, and cultural healing is attainable for all.

*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Dana Crawford, a pediatric and clinical psychologist. She is a graduate of Howard, Temple, and Miami universities and has degrees in African-American studies, education, and psychology, and certifications in practical nursing, medical hypnosis, and biofeedback. She is also a Scholar-in-Residence in Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute. Finally, she is the developer of the Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training (CBRT) and has provided hundreds of trainings across the US.

In our conversation with Dr. Crawford, she breaks down how we must "move our jaws" to disrupt dehumanization rooted in racism, prejudice, and bias - or the other STD's...Socially Transmitted Diseases and shares some practical, yet transformative approaches for doing so!

Episode Resources:
1. Cornell University's annual conference on DEI keynote “Turning Awareness into Action”
2. Cultural Reflections, Reducing Bias podcast (15 minutes): https://open.spotify.com/show/4HSpcWB2rYcw9yWJxya1dg
3. Short talk I gave with a brilliant colleague on racism, the brain and a call to action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYY4bJjafT4
4. Crawford Bias on News 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa9nBYL23Ak&t=89s

*The views and opinions expressed by our guest do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

We are kicking off Season 4 of our podcast with an amazing episode and guest: William Jennings is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America where he studied Culinary Arts and Applied Food Studies where he gained a professional understanding of the culinary industry. Seeking to gain additional knowledge of the food system, he pursued the Applied Food Studies program where he gained a clear understanding of food systems, ethics surrounding food, and ecology. He is disrupting dehumanization by fighting against food insecurity and injustice in his community.

William is a Maryland native, who currently lives in Prince George’s County where he also interned this Summer with the Prince George’s Food Equity Council as the Summer Healthy Food Access Intern. When he isn’t learning about our current food system, he is spending his time practicing photography and painting.

Learn more or connect with William on LinkedIn

In this episode, the last of our Summer Youth Series, we have a very candid conversation with youth social justice advocate, Meti Regassa. Meti was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and moved to the heart of Minneapolis with her family in 2003. Watching her community work through trying seasons is what inspires her to be an active member of her community. She is a team player, a strong leader and her past work experiences and cultural upbringing have helped her to develop strong interpersonal skills and personal character. As an Act Six scholar, Meti lives with the reminder that the members of her community trusted in her ability to succeed in college and beyond. She is excited to continue to work and learn alongside the other Act Six fellows to create a positive ripple effect together.

*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

In this episode, we speak with Ifeoma Okeke, a Public Health Science major at the University of Maryland, an aspiring pediatrician, and a passionate advocate for maternal and child health. She shares her perspectives on the impact of public health disparities on COVID-19 outcomes, vaccine hesitancy, and maternal and child well-being.

As a student, Ifeoma is currently part of several campus organizations including Honors Ambassadors and the Charles R. Drew Pre-Health Society. Her future plans are to become a pediatrician and advocate for maternal and child health.

*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

In this episode, we’ll talk to Jessiah Paul, co-founder of the non-profit Next Generation Project, a mentoring program for youth geared explicitly toward young men with focusing on self-improvement, about his activism and organizing to address community violence

Jessiah is local to Newark, NJ, and a recent graduate of Rutgers University where he earned a MA in International Relations and Global Affairs. He also studied abroad during undergrad in the UK at the Oxford Brooks University. Jessiah currently works for the Mayor's Office under Mayor Ras J Baraka through the Mayor's Brick City Peace Collective initiative--a collaboration between organizations and institutions focused on anti-violence.

In 2015, he co-founded the non-profit Next Generation Project - a mentoring program for youth geared explicitly toward young men with focusing on self-improvement, along with his brothers. Over the years, he has taken on many leadership roles and has, along with his peers, demonstrated his ability to lead in an organized, thorough, and motivated manner.

*The views and opinions expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Forward Promise, The Moriah Group, or its employees.

In this episode, we talk to Brianna Branker-McLean, a member of the Action Research Team at Deep Center, social media fellow for Seeds of Fire, and a soon-to-be college student in Portland, OR. She shares her experience of growing up as a first-generation American with Caribbean roots in the deep South and how those experiences lead her to activism.