The Empowerment Zone

Teaching Children Confidence... with Dance

Jasmine Stevenson: Using dance as a tool to build healthy kids
In the art of dance nothing comes easy. Dance teaches the discipline to never give up. Dance also teaches life skills needed for other aspects of life and career. Join Ramona today as she and Jasmine Stevenson explore the value of the art of dance. They discuss how dance builds confidence within children at an early age and provides the inspiration they need to be successful adults. Jasmine Stevenson is the Founder and Artistic Director of Jazz-N-Motion Dance Studio, which she created in 2017. The company offers dance classes to all ages. Jasmine is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and continues to make the city her home.
For more information about Jasmine Stevenson and Jazz-N-Motion Dance Studio, visit https://jnmstudios.wixsite.com/website.

What is the value of Service Leadership?

Dr. Adriana Ayala: The Chicana Latina Foundation, creating scholars and leaders
Ramona and her classmate Dr. Adriana Ayala explore the importance of education, service and leadership. As the Executive Director of the Chicana Latina Foundation (CLF), Dr. Ayala talks about how the CLF helps college students by providing scholarships and leadership development. CLF uses service leadership, relationship building, and the cultural cura (embracing culture as a cure) philosophy in developing the next generation of conscientious leaders. Originally from Los Angeles, Dr. Ayala currently lives in San Jose, California.
For more information about Dr. Adriana Ayala, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-ayala-73b239120/.
For more information about the Chicana Latina Foundation, visit http://www.chicanalatina.org.

How do you build intergenerational wealth?

Dominique Vitalis: Helping others to create a mindset for financial prosperity
Financial freedom starts with having the right mindset and then seeking the knowledge. Individuals must be intentional about building credit, planning for retirement, diversifying investments and utilizing resources. Listen today as Ramona and Dominque discuss the important components of building financial prosperity and creating intergenerational wealth. A former Division 1 athlete at Georgetown University, Dominque Vitalis is a certified financial advisor by day and real estate investor by night. She lives in New Jersey.

Women in Film-Making

Virginia Diaz Laughlin: Encouraging women to pursue their dreams in the film industry
For more than 30 years, Virginia Diaz-Laughlin has broken barriers in the film and video industry in production management. She has worked on commercials, feature films, television movies and syndicated shows. Feature film credits include “Rushmore,” “Apollo 13,” and my personal favorite “Selena.” Her most recent accomplishment is “Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes,” her first feature documentary as a Producer. The film has been broadcast on PBS and is available for streaming. Join Ramona today as she and Virginia discuss the experiences of women working in film and video production. Virginia’s stories will encourage women and young filmmakers of color to pursue their dreams despite the barriers. A San Antonio native, Virginia is currently based in Houston, Texas.
For more information about Virginia Diaz-Laughlin, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-diaz-laughlin-9b960a73/.
To learn more about the documentary film “Truly Texas Mexican,” visit https://trulytexasmexican.com/synopsis/.
For individuals pursuing careers in the film and video industry, visit https://dearproducer.com/about/, a useful website that connects women and people of color in the industry and provides valuable resources.

Is the history of your family and community valuable?

Stephanie Lang: The power of telling your stories — 
Ramona talks to Stephanie Lang about the importance and power of African Americans and people of color collecting, preserving and presenting the histories and stories of their families and communities. According to Stephanie, African Americans and other marginalized communities must be agents in making sure that their voices are heard and included in historical records. Stephanie Lang is a curator and founder of RECLAIM, an organization that works to discover, recover, and showcase the narratives and histories of black people throughout the diaspora and present these finding through an artistic and thought-provoking lens.
Stephanie is a resident of Austin, Texas. She and her family have lived there for generations.

How do doctors address health disparities in the African American Community?

Dr. Herman Turner: Serving with passion, empathy and cultural competency — 
In this episode, Ramona talks to Dr. Herman Turner about health disparities and his work with indigent populations. During their discussion, Dr. Turner also explores his educational and professional experiences as an African American man in the STEM field. Listen to learn about the challenges as well as rewards of working with people who have limited access to health care. A physical therapist, Dr. Turner is originally from Selma and currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama. To learn more about Dr. Herman Turner, visit http://linkedin.com/in/herman-w-turner-jr-dpt-a59954117.

Are corporations serious about advancing diversity, equity and inclusion?

Paula McClain: Be mindful of “Diversity Theater” — 
As a result of the “awakening” on racial injustice and disparities sparked by last year’s murder of George Floyd, companies and organizations are evaluating themselves internally to assess their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Many have announced their monetary and organizational commitments, but are they just illusions? What should be considered to ensure that these efforts are real and authentic? Listen today as Ramona and Paula explore these issues in their discussion about DE&I. Paula McClain is a marketing inclusion strategist and principal of BPM Global, to be rebranded as Conscious Consulting Group, a cause marketing consulting company with a focus on crafting strategies for the greater good. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Paula continues to make the city her home. To learn more about Paula McClain, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-mcclain-53939311/.

Have communities of color worked together to advance social change?

Dr. Eddie Bonilla: Exploring the impactful history of the League of Revolutionary Struggle — 
Ramona discusses activism among communities of color with Dr. Eddie Bonilla. In this episode, Dr. Bonilla explores the far-reaching influence of activists from a multiracial organization known as the League of Revolutionary Struggle, which existed from 1978-1990. The organization was led primarily by Asian American women but was attuned to the struggles of local Latina/o, African American, and Asian American struggles particularly in labor, education, and electoral politics. As Eddie discusses, these activists utilized Marxism as a common political language to create solidarities against neoliberalism and Reaganism. Many are still on the frontlines battling injustices today. Dr. Eddie Bonilla is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Latinx Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from South Gate, California, Dr. Bonilla currently makes Pittsburgh his home.
To learn more about Dr. Eddie Bonilla, visit http://www.history.pitt.edu/people/eddie-bonilla.

How do you start a podcast?

Ramona Houston: “Just Jump In!” — 
I started my podcast with limited knowledge and technology. All I possessed was the idea. A friend and podcaster encouraged me, “Just jump in! You will figure it out as you go.” That is just what I did. Listen to this episode today as I talk about my journey to starting a podcast and how I use my experience as a tool to encourage others to “Just jump in.”

Family Matters

The Houston Sisters: On Sisterhood, Unconditional Love and Family — 
Join Ramona as she engages in an interesting conversation with her sisters Rhonda and Rhesa about their upbringing, relationship and philosophy on family. They attribute their loving, supportive and affirming relationship to great parenting and learning to respect one another. Enjoy childhood stories and more serious subjects on how these sisters work through their challenges and disagreements in order to build and sustain healthy relationships with one another.