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.

Marc Cheatham is a creator of The Cheats Movement. The Cheats Movement is a multi-media platform that celebrates the Richmond region as a hub for music, art, culture, and diversity. The Cheats Movement has been voted one of the best independent media platforms in Richmond and Marc has become one of the leading voices for Richmond's hip-hop community. In 2018, Marc transformed his popular podcast into a radio show which airs biweekly on WRIR 97.3 FM. Professionally, Marc serves as Director of Constituent Services and Casework for Senator Tim Kaine. He is married to Aria Cheatham and together they have a 5-year old son named Cameron.  Learn more about The Cheats Movement at thecheatsmovement.com.

The spotlight for this episode is Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities works with schools, businesses, and communities to achieve success by addressing prejudices, in all forms, in order to improve academic achievement, increase workplace productivity, and enhance local trust. Through workshops, retreats, and customized programs that raise knowledge, motivation, and skills, VCIC develops leaders who work together to achieve success throughout the Commonwealth.  Learn more at inclusiveva.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.

#40Lessons #podcast #storytelling #family #career #community #hiphop #culture #diversity #WESEEIT

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.

Send your feedback, questions and comments to todd@toddbwaldo.com

#40Lessons #podcast #storytelling #family #career #community #empowerment #equity #justice

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.

Send your feedback, questions and comments to todd@toddbwaldo.com

#40Lessons #podcast #storytelling #family #career #community #empowerment #equity #justice