Episodios

  • Reimagine We: An Evolutionary Empowerment Process

    Reimagine We: An Evolutionary Empowerment Process
    Feb 18 2026
    Two Different Meanings of Empowerment: You’ve probably heard the word empowerment your entire life. We hear it in leadership programs, self-help books, professional development, coaching, even politics. And usually when people use the word, they mean something very specific.
    Most empowerment models are built around one central idea: Helping a person increase their ability to achieve desired outcomes. Empowerment becomes confidence, skill-building, productivity, influence, or power. You learn to set goals and to improve communication. You become more assertive. You advance in your career. You gain authority. Traditional empowerment makes this fundamental assumption: If individuals become more capable, then society improves by becoming effective.
    Reimagine We defines empowerment differently based on this fundamental question: Why do highly capable, intelligent, educated, successful people still struggle deeply in relationships, conflict, and social understanding? Two people can have the same training, same education, same professional success — and still walk into the same conversation and experience completely different realities. While traditional empowerment strengthens what a person can do, it does not necessarily examine how a person interprets other human beings.
    Society improves when people interpret each other with greater awareness, clarity, dignity, and understanding. This is why highly successful organizations, institutions, and communities can still become dysfunctional. They have skilled individuals but unexamined perceptions amongst and between those individuals. Why is that? Because behavior doesn’t come directly from knowledge. Behavior comes from meaning. And meaning comes from worldview.
    Worldview is the lens through which we interpret intention, fairness, respect, threat, and belonging. And most of us didn’t consciously build that lens. We absorbed it — from family experience, community narratives, emotional memories, and cultural expectations. Reimagine We defines empowerment differently. Empowerment is not only the ability to act effectively. It is the growing awareness of the lens through which we experience other human beings. By understanding worldviews, individuals can foster a more inclusive, harmonious, and cooperative society.
    Audience Questions1) Who or what most shaped how you see “people like you” vs “people different from you”?
    2) If you had grown up in a different family or culture, how certain are you your conclusions would be the same?
    3) Do you usually assume strangers are safe, suspicious, or irrelevant — and where did that expectation come from?
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    59 m
  • The Evolution from the Cairo Question (2021) to Reimagine We (2026)

    The Evolution from the Cairo Question (2021) to Reimagine We (2026)
    Feb 4 2026
    2026 Theme: “Reimagine We Begins with Reimagine Me.” Preamble to the “Reimagine We” Declaration of Engagement:We live in a world built on extraction, not relationship.
    It was designed to consume people, land, labor, and spirit in the name of profit, power, and dominance. It taught us competition instead of cooperation, hoarding instead of sharing, and alienation instead of belonging. It told us that our worth is measured by productivity.
    That our humanity is conditional.
    We reject the principles of extraction and embrace the principles of cooperation, relationship, and collaboration.Key principles of healthy relationships include mutual respect, trust, and affection. Additionally, understanding and addressing each other's needs, effective communication, and conflict resolution are essential for building strong collaboration.
    We begin this episodic conversation with a continuation of the significance of Kwanzaa Principles as more than a year-end celebration. Here the principles are defined as a blueprint for collective liberation: Unity. Self-Determination. Collective Work & Responsibility. Cooperative Economics. Purpose, Creativity. Faith.

    Something is shifting. What we were told was permanent is being questioned in real time. This is not simply chaos—it’s an inflexion point. Or perhaps more precisely, a rupture. A rupture not chosen; but triggered. The point, however, is not the trigger. The point is our response. A moment when the future can bend toward what we choose to rethink and rebuild. But we cannot reimagine society without first reimagining ourselves. Remember this: Every system reflects the beliefs of the society that created it.Welcome to InflexionPoint Podcast. Where Reimagine We begins with Reimagine Me.
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    58 m
  • Reimagine We Begins with Reimagine Me: Kwanzaa as a Blueprint for Collective Liberation

    Reimagine We Begins with Reimagine Me: Kwanzaa as a Blueprint for Collective Liberation
    Jan 21 2026
    Opening statement of the “Reimagine We” Declaration of Engagement:We live in a world built on extraction, not relationship. It was designed to consume people, land, labor, and spirit in the name of profit, power, and dominance. It taught us competition instead of cooperation, hoarding instead of sharing, and alienation instead of belonging. It told us that our worth is measured by productivity; that our humanity is conditional; and that some lives are disposable.

    Reimagine We rejects the principles of extraction and embraces the principles of relationship, engagement, and connection. Key principles of healthy relationships include mutual respect, trust, and affection. Additionally, understanding and addressing each other's needs, effective communication, and conflict resolution are essential for building strong connections. We begin this new journey with a focus on hyper-individualism, Kwanzaa, and the fight for collective liberation.

    America's Hyper-Individualism. America worships individualism; not health individualism by hyper-individualism. Yet it begs us to consider two questions: Do we recognize that a society built on individualism will eventually devour its own people? What if we were to shift from individualism to collective agency?Kwanzaa was never meant to be just another holiday. It is a warning and a blueprint. It is a systems design manual for liberated people.

    Kwanzaa was created in1966 during a time of crisis—not to decorate the moment, but to orient a people.
    It was designed to reconnect African American with African values. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase, meaning first fruits, symbolizing harvest, renewal, and responsibility to the community. At its core, Kwanzaa asks a timeless question: What does it mean to be accountable to one another as a people? And that question is just as relevant now as it was in 1966.
    Our audience is encouraged to consider these questions: (1) Which Kwanzaa principle do I resonate with most in my life? (2) Which do I need to live more fully in my own life this year? Ask yourself these questions because transformation is not something we join; it is something we become.
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    56 m
  • Encore: 2025 Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change: An Inspirational Year in Review

    Encore: 2025 Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change: An Inspirational Year in Review
    Jan 7 2026
    2025 Theme: “Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change.” Throughout the year we have explored stories, strategies, and successes of community-driven movements making a difference. In our last show for 2025 we recap the year with our most inspiring episodes and introduce the theme for 2026. Throughout 2025 we have stimulating discussions between Anita, Mavis, and Gail. We have also had an awe-inspiring group of guests, handpicked to reflect the theme of community engagement and the grassroots of change. We honor our guests and the works they have done and continue to do in the name of transformation, empowerment, engagement across the multiple sectors of our society.Is It Possible to Build Trust in Community-Police Relations? Conversation with Shadae McDaniel Senior Vice President/Programs and Strategic Initiatives/Director, All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey. Beginning in February we hosted an in-depth exploration of the All Stars-Project and its signature program "Operation Conversation Cops and Kids." Among many accolades, Shadae was ranked among the ROI-NJ “2023 Influencers: People of Color." NJUrbanNews.com Article: “Shadae McDaniel Builds Bridges, Provides Opportunities for Youth Through the Power of Performance.” Founded in 1981, All Stars Project (ASP) is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that uses a performance-based approach to help tens of thousands of inner-city youths and their families create success in their lives. Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids (OCCK) is an innovative police–community relations model program run by ASP in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Newark Police Division (NPD). This award-winning program uses performance, improvisation, and conversation to help inner-city teenagers and police officers build trust and improve their relationship.Until We Are All Free Movement, a human rights organization led by formerly incarcerated criminal justice experts. In March our case study focused on the Until We Are All Free Movement with guest Kevin Reese, Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of UWAAF and Co-Founder/CEO of Until We Are All Free Consulting Group.Question: God, what is it that you’re working on in my life? What do you do when the answer is build a bridge of people and be a bridge through and with people? Kevin is the answer. Kevin grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He spent 14 years incarcerated inside of the criminal justice system. During that time, he founded the BRIDGE, a grassroots group of directly impacted criminal justice experts whose mission is to abolish mass incarceration and to find a path to true transformative criminal justice. Kevin says,“My idea was to create a program that builds a bridge between people like me, mostly men in prison but women, too, and the community. That bridge and this work is actually revolutionary. Because I’m not supposed to be able to make a connection to people on the outside. Prison is all about preventing that. But the BRIDGE partnership we’ve been working on gives light to an entire caste of people who are incarcerated.”Youth Empowerment Services, of Pittsburgh PA: “Ahead of its time and punching above its weight, Youth Enrichment Services (YES) formed in 1994...The heart of YES is a spirit of mentorship...By leveraging their unique skills and abilities and centering their voices, YES has created a formula for success that influences community growth, economic prosperity, and student-driven leadership." In our case study of the YES organization we invited Denise Jones, Educational Consultant at Youth Enrichment Services into the studio. Denise Jones is the daughter of two passion-driven educators. She attended Allegheny College, majored in Economics and minored in Black Studies. Later Denise applied for Teach for America and came to understand the joys and limitations of teaching, particularly in bureaucratic systems. Eventually she agreed to work at her father’s community-based non-profit organization, Youth Enrichment Services (YES), to help young people become their own best resource. She is now pursuing a PhD in education and psychology from the University of Michigan.Ujamaa Collective, Pittsburgh PA: A Unique Cultural Enriching Experience! Ujamaa Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit artisan boutique. We (Anita is a member!) serve Africana women providing cultural, artistic, and entrepreneurial exchange in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh. Our passion for cooperatives is rooted in our values of Fair Trade, meaningful work, creativity, community, and wellness. Two Sisters from the Ujamaa Collective shared their wisdom, community engagement practice, and the cooperation with our audiences — Lakeisha Wolf, Executive Director, and Alana Griffin, Ambassador. LaKeisha is a cultural worker, creative entrepreneur, and teaching artist with an emphasis on identity, racial justice, community connection, and whole-body wellness. She is a founding...
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    57 m
  • 2025 Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change: An Inspirational Year in Review

    2025 Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change: An Inspirational Year in Review
    Dec 17 2025
    2025 Theme: “Community Engagement & the Grassroots of Change.” Throughout the year we have explored stories, strategies, and successes of community-driven movements making a difference. In our last show for 2025 we recap the year with our most inspiring episodes and introduce the theme for 2026. Throughout 2025 we have stimulating discussions between Anita, Mavis, and Gail. We have also had an awe-inspiring group of guests, handpicked to reflect the theme of community engagement and the grassroots of change. We honor our guests and the works they have done and continue to do in the name of transformation, empowerment, engagement across the multiple sectors of our society.Is It Possible to Build Trust in Community-Police Relations? Conversation with Shadae McDaniel Senior Vice President/Programs and Strategic Initiatives/Director, All Stars Project (ASP) of New Jersey. Beginning in February we hosted an in-depth exploration of the All Stars-Project and its signature program "Operation Conversation Cops and Kids." Among many accolades, Shadae was ranked among the ROI-NJ “2023 Influencers: People of Color." NJUrbanNews.com Article: “Shadae McDaniel Builds Bridges, Provides Opportunities for Youth Through the Power of Performance.” Founded in 1981, All Stars Project (ASP) is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that uses a performance-based approach to help tens of thousands of inner-city youths and their families create success in their lives. Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids (OCCK) is an innovative police–community relations model program run by ASP in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Newark Police Division (NPD). This award-winning program uses performance, improvisation, and conversation to help inner-city teenagers and police officers build trust and improve their relationship.Until We Are All Free Movement, a human rights organization led by formerly incarcerated criminal justice experts. In March our case study focused on the Until We Are All Free Movement with guest Kevin Reese, Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of UWAAF and Co-Founder/CEO of Until We Are All Free Consulting Group.Question: God, what is it that you’re working on in my life? What do you do when the answer is build a bridge of people and be a bridge through and with people? Kevin is the answer. Kevin grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He spent 14 years incarcerated inside of the criminal justice system. During that time, he founded the BRIDGE, a grassroots group of directly impacted criminal justice experts whose mission is to abolish mass incarceration and to find a path to true transformative criminal justice. Kevin says,“My idea was to create a program that builds a bridge between people like me, mostly men in prison but women, too, and the community. That bridge and this work is actually revolutionary. Because I’m not supposed to be able to make a connection to people on the outside. Prison is all about preventing that. But the BRIDGE partnership we’ve been working on gives light to an entire caste of people who are incarcerated.”Youth Empowerment Services, of Pittsburgh PA: “Ahead of its time and punching above its weight, Youth Enrichment Services (YES) formed in 1994...The heart of YES is a spirit of mentorship...By leveraging their unique skills and abilities and centering their voices, YES has created a formula for success that influences community growth, economic prosperity, and student-driven leadership." In our case study of the YES organization we invited Denise Jones, Educational Consultant at Youth Enrichment Services into the studio. Denise Jones is the daughter of two passion-driven educators. She attended Allegheny College, majored in Economics and minored in Black Studies. Later Denise applied for Teach for America and came to understand the joys and limitations of teaching, particularly in bureaucratic systems. Eventually she agreed to work at her father’s community-based non-profit organization, Youth Enrichment Services (YES), to help young people become their own best resource. She is now pursuing a PhD in education and psychology from the University of Michigan.Ujamaa Collective, Pittsburgh PA: A Unique Cultural Enriching Experience! Ujamaa Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit artisan boutique. We (Anita is a member!) serve Africana women providing cultural, artistic, and entrepreneurial exchange in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh. Our passion for cooperatives is rooted in our values of Fair Trade, meaningful work, creativity, community, and wellness. Two Sisters from the Ujamaa Collective shared their wisdom, community engagement practice, and the cooperation with our audiences — Lakeisha Wolf, Executive Director, and Alana Griffin, Ambassador. LaKeisha is a cultural worker, creative entrepreneur, and teaching artist with an emphasis on identity, racial justice, community connection, and whole-body wellness. She is a founding...
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    57 m
  • Case Study: Shiftworks Community+Public Works in Pittsburgh PA

    Case Study: Shiftworks Community+Public Works in Pittsburgh PA
    Dec 3 2025
    Why Community & Public Arts? Ask Sallyann Kluz...Guest Biography: Sallyann Kluz, Executive Director. Shiftworks Community+Public Art.
    Sallyann Kluz is a Pittsburgh-based arts administrator, architect, and urban designer whose practice is situated at the intersection of art and community development. With over 20 years of practice in the Pittsburgh region, her work is focused on the public realm and the people who inhabit it. Her practice includes public art programs and strategies, community engagement, design education, public space design, and neighborhood development strategies. In her leadership role, Sallyann is focused on providing technical assistance to artists and clients, and expanding the role of artists in community development, civic design, and community engagement.
    “We work at the convergence of public art and civic design in the Pittsburgh Region.”
    Formerly the Office of Public Art (OPA), Shiftworks launched in 2005 through partnership between the public and private sectors. The vision: Support and advance the role of public art in the Pittsburgh region. Shiftworks Community+Public Arts envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change. Shiftworks Community+Public Arts now operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
    Words from August Wilson, Pittsburgh Creative & Playwright
    “Art does not change the world. It changes people and people change the world.”
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    57 m
  • When the People Pull the Plug: The Nov 25-Dec 2 Economic Blackout & What It Means for Power

    When the People Pull the Plug: The Nov 25-Dec 2 Economic Blackout & What It Means for Power
    Nov 19 2025
    When the People Pull the Plug

    In this episode we examine how comedian Josh Johnson challenges the commodification of identity; and how movements like "Blackout the System" (Nov 25–Dec 2) help people reclaim civic and moral agency over economic dependence. This deceptively simple, yet powerful critique of how capitalism commodifies identity and reduces our roles in society to economic functions rather than human or civic ones. When Johnson says “I am not a consumer; I am a citizen”, he’s rejecting the idea that his primary purpose in society is to buy, use, or dispose of things. By contrast, a citizen carries a sense of belonging, responsibility, and participation. A citizen contributes to shaping society — they vote, advocate, care, build, protect, and question. It's a reminder that citizenship is not transactional — it’s transformational.
    The "Blackout the System" movement is a living example of this rejection of commodified identity. By pausing consumption, we shift from the identity of consumer to citizen; from customer to constituent. That act — symbolic and strategic — forces society to see that the system runs on our consent and engagement, not on its own momentum. It invites people to withdraw their economic participation as an assertion of civic consciousness.
    3 Fundamental Questions:

    • What happens when we withdraw our labor and money from the system?
    • How do everyday people build power?
    • How does this relate to systemic economic injustice, corporate control, and community resilience?
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    59 m
  • Why We Didn’t Show Up: The Unseen Layers of Black Absence at the No Kings Protest

    Why We Didn’t Show Up: The Unseen Layers of Black Absence at the No Kings Protest
    Nov 5 2025
    No Kings Protest - October 18, 2025"Why didn’t the Black community show up en masse?”This question itself reveals a gap in understanding — not of protest logistics, but of protest lineage. For many Black people, the act of protest is not spontaneous but generationally weighted. We have shown up for centuries — from civil rights marches to Ferguson, from George Floyd to Juneteenth resurgence. When a movement like No Kings emerges, its message may resonate intellectually but not necessarily spiritually or experientially with a community that has lived under “kingship” in the form of systemic white supremacy.
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    51 m