40 Lessons

For the season finale of the 40 Lessons Podcast, Marc Cheatham joins Todd B. Waldo to talk about the last ten years of The Cheats Movement and the impact it has had on Richmond.  They reminisce about Marc’s journey through 90’s hip hop and the impact 2020 has had so far on his family, career and service to his community.

Outside on a Saturday morning, Duron Chavis sits down at Canvas with Todd B. Waldo to discuss his “Resiliency Garden,” a project being constructed outside the VCU Institute of Contemporary Art in Richmond.  They discuss the importance of Black spaces, authenticity and collaboration.  Duron also shares stories from his life growing up in Richmond that still impact his family and his work as an educator and change maker.

Duron Chavis started his career in community advocacy as first a volunteer then an employee of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of VA. He worked as a museum coordinator developing programs and conducting guided tours for groups of all ages and backgrounds. In 2003 he founded the highly acclaimed Happily Natural Day festival as a grassroots effort to supplement the summer jazz concert that was held annually at the institution. Presently Duron is engaged in coordinating innovative and dynamic initiatives around the topics of urban agriculture and food security in a culturally relevant way. In 2009 he launched the Richmond Noir Market, a Saturday farmer’s market targeting low income communities located in what the USDA has designated as food deserts in Richmond Virginia. 2012 marked the development of the McDonough Community Garden, an urban agriculture project that promotes sustainable food growing, horticultural therapy and environmental stewardship.

The spotlight for this episode is Happily Natural Day, a powerful summer festival dedicated to holistic health, cultural awareness and social change. Founded at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond Virginia in 2003, the festival has grown from a one day festival to a three day event called Black Freedom Weekend. Through community partnerships and the support of socially responsible individuals and organizations, Happily Natural has become one of the most anticipated annual grassroot events in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Happily Natural focuses on social change and holistic health & wellness. Since inception, it has placed a specific focus on natural haircare, cultural heritage, and naturopathic medicine. Workshops are held annually on modalities for holistic healing, natural haircare & naturopathic medicine. Lectures on history, culture and heritage as it relates to Africans in America & throughout the Diapora are presented by scholars of wide & diverse backgrounds and specialties. Learn more at thenaturalfestival.com

40 Lessons is a podcast about the lessons we've learned about family, career, community and the lessons we are still learning.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify, iTunes or toddbwaldo.com/podcast.

Todd B. Waldo travels to Petersburg Virginia for a conversation with Yewande Austin.   They talk about the impact this year has had on their professional and personal lives. And Yewande shares insight from her work across continents to help us understand what is possible for our communities in America.

From MTV to the historic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dr. Yewande Austin’s socially charged music has taken center stage with musical icons from the Black Eyed Peas to Maroon 5, but it is her work as a lecturer, social activist and honorary U. S. Cultural Ambassador that has become her greatest achievement. Recognized as an expert in innovative leadership, diversity and inclusion, social impact and international development, her work has reached over 250,000 people in 30 countries including 23 nations across the continent of Africa. Dr. Austin was recently crowned as a Chief of the Obosi Kingdom in Anambra, Nigeria for her dedication to the African diaspora. Conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism from Stanford University, this award-winning TED speaker has also been recognized as a 2017 President Barack Obama Lifetime Achievement Award and 2018 African Global Chamber of Commerce Award honoree. She has been honored to serve as a 2019 American Heart Association Ambassador and was most recently named a 2020 CNBC “Rising Woman” – one of thirty-five women who are shaping the future of Africa through international development.

The spotlight for this episode is Change International that is leading the fight for gender equality. Equal opportunity. Equal compensation. Equal education, housing and healthcare. These are fundamental human rights that are denied to over 70% of girls and women across the globe. 131 million girls don't have access to education. Women account for over 50% of the global workforce, but earn up to 40% less than men. These disparities leave girls and women 10x more vulnerable to abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking and a lifetime of poverty. Change International’s humanitarian organization has empowered over 250,000 vulnerable women, children and human development professionals in 30 countries across North and South America, Europe including 23 African nations. Their empowerment curriculum teaches participants innovative methods that promote economic and social freedom. Through creative and evidence-based methods, Change International's education, leadership and capacity building programs are restoring the voices that have been silenced by poverty and oppression. When you empower women, you change the world! Learn more at changeinternational.org

40 Lessons is a podcast about the lessons we've learned about family, career, community and the lessons we are still learning.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify, iTunes or toddbwaldo.com/podcast.

Todd B. Waldo invites back to the podcast his daughter Samaya for a special conversation.  They talk about this summer and their reactions to the pandemic.  They also discuss Camp Diva with Girls for a Change (GFAC)  and the impact it had this summer.

Since 2013, GFAC has focused more deeply on the empowerment and uplifting of a population whose needs are most unmet—Black girls and other girls of color. We, as an organization and movement, view this action as a first step to end the prejudice, poverty and lack of resources that leave Black girls and young women vulnerable at the margins of society.

Through GFAC programs, not only do girls create change by engaging in social change projects, but in the process, they learn problem-solving skills, as well as what it means to change policy and create movements. GFAC programs also focus on leadership skills, goal-planning, financial literacy, building a network, exposure, community engagement, skill-building, sisterhood building, and socio-emotional learning among other things. We also address various issues to include institutional racism, sexism, the digital divide, and the glass ceiling, which for many Black girls can be a concrete ceiling. Learn more at girlsforachange.org

40 Lessons is a podcast about the lessons we've learned about family, career, community and the lessons we are still learning.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify, iTunes or toddbwaldo.com/podcast.

Robert and Catina Jones join Todd B. Waldo to share the journey from their first date to leading multiple businesses together as husband and wife.  They talk about selflessness, commitment, communication and growth as well as the legacy they are building for their family and the community around them.

Catina Jones is the founder and Principal Broker of ICON Realty Group. With 15 years of providing a superior service experience for her clients, Catina and her team are committed to being your advocate and advisor throughout your real estate transaction. Catina’s real estate resume includes new construction, urban revitalization, historic and luxury home sales and marketing.  As a successful business owner and entrepreneur, Robert has enjoyed over 25 years of accomplishments in the commercial industry.  This high level of success lead to a natural and smooth transition into the commercial real estate industry.  Robert serves as Chief Operating Officer of ICON Realty Group, LLC and leads the commercial division, ICON Commercial Group.  He is also the owner of Parkside Barber Shop and Grooming Lounge.

The spotlights for this episode are Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation and Better Housing Coalition.  VBCF is a statewide, Richmond-based nonprofit committed to the eradication of breast cancer through education and advocacy. Their goals include: Establish the eradication of breast cancer as a state and national priority; Advocate for the collective needs of people affected by breast cancer; Educate all Virginians on the facts about breast cancer.   Learn more at vbcf.org.  The Better Housing Coalition is the Richmond region’s largest nonprofit community development corporation. BHC creates high-quality homes for residents of modest means and empowers them with programs and tools to help them reach their fullest potential, at all stages of life. Their mission is to change lives and transform communities through high-quality, affordable housing.  Learn more at betterhousingcoalition.org.

40 Lessons is a podcast about the lessons we've learned about family, career, community and the lessons we are still learning.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify, iTunes or toddbwaldo.com/podcast.

From his rehearsal studio,  Independent Reggae Artist Mighty Joshua joins Todd B. Waldo to begin a new season of the 40 Lessons podcast.  Mighty Joshua talks about growing up in Virginia and how it shaped his musical foundation.  They talk about life on stage and at home as well as the work in community.  And they talk about the pursuit of liberation in the midst of all that has happened in our world this year.

Mighty Joshua engages audiences by opening minds and activating bodies through song. Conscious lyrics flow freely to create distinctive refrains that pulse with pride against rhythms rooted in percussion. His soulful exploration in the evolution of sound creates an expression of reggae for the modern day.

Mighty Joshua plays in a multitude of arrangements including high energy live performances with support of his back-up band the Zion #5 and as an acoustic configuration known as Roots Covenant. From mountain top festivals, to intimate club gigs, he invites listeners of all ages to experience the spirit of reggae.

His musical roots in African percussion led to experimenting with sound and rhythm. Soon after exposure to Djembe and Djun Djun drums they became a part of his playing repertoire which also includes the Didgeridoo. Mighty Joshua played percussion and supplied backing vocals for Corey Harris albums “Father Sun, Mother Earth” and “Fulton Hill Blues” and has opened for several internationally acclaimed reggae acts including Steel Pulse, Culture w/ Kenyatta Hill, the Meditations, the Itals, and Ziggy Marley.

The spotlight for this episode is Makindu Children’s Program. Makindu Children’s Program is a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Eugene, Oregon that supports a day resource facility called Makindu Children’s Centre (MCC) in a rural region of eastern Kenya.  The Centre provides for the nutritional and medical needs of hundreds of destitute AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children, as well as access to primary education through high school, psychosocial support, advocacy, and vocational training. The children live in guardian homes in the community, and come to the Centre daily for food, recreation, bathing and laundering facilities, emotional support, and crisis intervention.  Learn more at makindu.org

40 Lessons is a podcast about the lessons we've learned about family, career, community and the lessons we are still learning.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify, iTunes or toddbwaldo.com/podcast.