Radical Acts Uncut

Finishing up the 2024 leg of their "Together We Might" comedy tour just one day before the US presidential election, attorneys Jasmine Burton and Elizabeth Booker Houston masterfully blend their legal expertise with stand-up comedy to tackle complex social issues, from healthcare reform to racial justice.The episode explores their unique paths to comedy -- Jasmine's journey coinciding with her sobriety, and Elizabeth drawing inspiration from the "Kings of Comedy." Through personal stories, including Elizabeth's powerful use of dark humor to process her brother's murder and childhood health issues, they demonstrate how comedy can transform pain into purpose.Both comediennes share insights on balancing their professional lives, with Jasmine discussing the realities of juggling dating, work and comedy, while Elizabeth tackles parenthood, wifedom and the importance of support networks. Their partnership showcases the power of creative collaboration in making political topics accessible and engaging to the masses.Listen to this powerful episode to learn how these remarkable women are using humor and a touch of Black Girl Magic to break down barriers, challenge systemic issues, and create meaningful conversations about politics and social justice.Featured Guests: Jasmine Burton and Elizabeth Booker HoustonLinks: Instagram @jazzyybeatss and @bookersquared

Discover the impact of crafting meaningful narratives, even in the face of grief in this episode of Radical Acts Uncut featuring an interview with my friend and colleague, Markette Sheppard, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, children’s book author, and podcast host. As a gifted storyteller, she has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices and experiences that can positively impact humanity. In our interview you’ll hear her mission in launching Glow Stream TV, a digital platform that offers content marketing opportunities for small businesses.Markette also opens up about a recent loss in her life when she received an unexpected call informing her that her beloved cousin had suffered a stroke and would not recover. Through this heartbreaking experience, Markette learned to trust her intuition, and found comfort in her faith guiding her through grief.Listeners learn how Markette channeled her grief into a scholarship fund to honor her cousin’s  legacy, along with her grandmother who also passed away a few years prior. The Eunice L. Mason and Cora D. Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund will launch this year and provide scholarships for women pursuing degrees in communications and nursing - fields her family members were passionate about. 🎧 Join us for this moving exploration of storytelling, the transformative impact of prioritizing cherished connections, and the power of following your instincts. Listen now to discover how this woman's journey can inspire your own story.Featured Guest: Markette Sheppard Social media: @markettesheppard Web: www.markettesheppard.com and www.glowstreamtv.comDonate to the Scholarship Fund: bold.org/funds/mason-jones-memorial-scholarship-fund

Do you have a longing to return home this holiday season? In a lead up to the holidays, Radical Acts Uncut host Jacqueline Lara goes back to her ancestral home of Uganda and explains why returning to the Motherland for African Americans is a Radical Act in and of itself. We also hear from a listener who shares a very personal sobriety journey in this week's Radical Report crowdsourced segment.If you would like to share your story for a future Radical Report about a life-changing moment that inspired you to take a leap of faith, then send a short note with a read time of 60-90 seconds to: [email protected] or via Instagram @radcialactsuncut.

After graduating from prestigious institutions like Smith College and Oxford University, Esi Kagale Agyeman Gillo faced the harsh reality of limited opportunities that aligned with her passion for international development. So, with all of the right credentials, skills and experience, she decided to start her own social enterprise with her husband, Peter.Their nonprofit is called DIFFvelopment, a groundbreaking organization empowering people of the African diaspora to become socially conscious entrepreneurs. DIFFvelopment's innovative "consultrepreneurship" program combines intensive education in Black history and economics with practical entrepreneurship skills, helping participants build wealth while serving their communities. Key highlights of DiFFvelopment’s accomplishments include:Launch of their flagship program in 2017Successful gala event in 2018Transformative impact on 2,500+ participants' livesUnique curriculum blending history, economics, and entrepreneurshipFocus on community-minded business developmentListen to this inspiring conversation about turning personal challenges into a movement that's reshaping opportunities for the global Black community. Learn how Esi’s journey showcases the power of persistence and faith in creating meaningful and lasting change and donate to DIFFvelopment to help further the cause. Featured Guest: Esi Kagale Agyeman Gillo, CEO & Co-Founder of DIFFvelopmentLinks: diffvelopment.org  and @diffvelopment

In a sobering story of how one man’s experience with racial bias pushed him to the brink, Anu Gupta, CEO of BE MORE with Anu and author of Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From--and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them  shares how and why he stepped away from the ledge that nearly took his life to become a cultural bridge builder through his advocacy work.Anu Gupta is an attorney, scientist, and author who takes listeners through his powerful journey from experiencing post-9/11 discrimination to becoming a leading voice in bias awareness.“We have to re-story our humanity to overcome all sorts of biases in this century,” says Gupta. “This is the work of consciousness shift.”Key highlights from this episode include:Personal transformation from bias victim to bias expertScientific approach to unlearning prejudicesImpact of January 6 on addressing societal divisionRole of empathy in healing societal polarizationGupta also introduces his five-step PRISM method for overcoming bias. Listen and learn how it is a practical toolkit that combines mindfulness, stereotype replacement, individuation, prosocial behavior, and perspective-taking. Ready to challenge your own biases and possibly even rewire your brain to combat prejudiced behavior? Press play to hear practical tools and inspiring insights for you or anyone seeking to break free from unconscious bias to unlock the secrets of fostering more genuine human connections.Featured Guest: Anu Gupta, author and CEO of BE MORE with AnuLinks: www.anuguptany.com and @anuguptany

In this episode, we learn how actress and Tony award-nominated Broadway producer Marjuan Canady transformed her early exposure to the arts into a powerful platform for change.Growing up in Washington D.C.'s vibrant cultural scene of the early 90s, Marjuan's journey toward opening the Canaday Foundation for the Arts showcases the intersection of entrepreneurship, artistic passion, and community empowerment.Listen as Marjuan describes how she navigated significant challenges, such as overcoming fundraising anxiety through community building and maintaining her artistic integrity amid pressure to give in to the dark side of Hollywood before getting her big break. “I was invited to be a co-producer on Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. I had two weeks to raise $50k and I had no clue how I would do it as I was juggling multiple projects, two businesses, and motherhood. I suffered from incredible anxiety during these two weeks,” says Marjuan.Marjuan’s experiences offer listeners practical wisdom for navigating the entertainment industry while amplifying diverse voices.Ready to be inspired? Get started by listening to Marjuan’s powerful testimony of radical resilience, community building, and artistic excellence.Featured Guest: Marjuan Canady, Broadway producer, performance artist, educator and momLinks: www.marjuancanady.com and @marjuancanady

Are you feeling thankful for days off during the holiday season? In this week's upload, we download why taking time to rest is a Radical Act. We also hear from a listener who said goodbye to her 9-to-5 to take a chance on herself as an entrepreneur.If you would like to share your story for a future Radical Report about a life-changing moment that inspired you to take a leap of faith, then send a short note with a read time of 60-90 seconds to: [email protected] or @radcialactsuncut.

Dive into a moving conversation with Jaylen Black, an Atlanta-based activist and advocacy communications professional who is in the process of transforming her heartbreaking loss into purposeful action. After losing her close friend Paige Jenkins in a tragic murder, Jaylen channels her grief into amplifying voices for justice and equity.Having grown up in a predominantly Black county in Georgia Jaylen discusses how playing softball, a predominantly white sport where she’s from, helped her to develop a unique perspective on racial disparities. This early exposure shaped her commitment to advocacy work, particularly in supporting underrepresented communities.The episode then takes an intimate turn as Jaylen shares her raw experience of balancing professional success with personal tragedy with the unexpected loss of her close friend Paige a day after Jaylen’s birthday, emphasizing the often-unseen struggles behind social media facades. Her powerful testimony highlights the radical act of authentic grieving, leaning on one’s community for support, and self-care.Today, Jaylen's work extends to crucial issues like reproductive rights in the American South, where she continues to fight for equity and justice, honoring Paige's memory through meaningful advocacy.Listen to this powerful episode to discover how personal tragedy can transform into purpose, and learn why sharing our stories might be the most radical act of all.Listen to Jaylen’s podcast The Black Brief where she briefs listeners on the latest in politics, pop culture and problems of the day in less than 20 minutes.Featured Guest: Jaylen Black, Political and Advocacy Communicator for Equity and JusticeLinks: @TheBlackBrief and @Just_Jaylen

Reclaim your joy with Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, author of 23 books including the recently released The Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight. Featured on Good Morning America, the Playbook is a follow-up to her NAACP Image Award winning Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration.“We have an ancestral mandate to hold—not just the pain and trauma of our experiences as Black people—but to hold the joy and love and peace that is also ours,” says Lewis-Giggetts.Her hope for listeners of this podcast is that by the end of this episode you will know that:There is healing power in intentionally unearthing and pursuing joy—particularly in the midst of grief and chaos. Sometimes joy requires us to be still. (Are you willing to sit with yourself and identify your unique needs?)Black joy is unique and necessary. “Joy is a weapon, not only for resistance, but also a means for healing—a powerful tool that is all-encompassing and necessary. The Black Joy Playbook helps you mine your memories to discover what joy looks and feels like to you and then guides you to re-create it in your present-day life,” says Lewis-Giggets.Listeners can purchase The Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight in bookstores everywhere.Featured Guest: Tracey Michae’l Lewis-GiggettsLinks: @tmlgwriter and www.traceymlewis.com

The owner of Spiritual Essence Yoga & Wellness Center, Dana A. Smith, is a self-proclaimed perfectionist in recovery. Listen to find out why she now believes that perfection is a myth. In this episode you’ll also hear Dana talk about why it’s important to love what you do and why she believes happiness should be non-negotiable in everyone’s lives.“I not only love sharing the practices that help me grow and maintain balance through weekly classes, but also in yoga teacher training. Whether you want to teach or not, the course is designed for anyone wanting to experience positive transformation,” she says.Yoga teacher training at Spiritual Essence Yoga & Wellness Center starts November 7. Join the training in person or virtually from anywhere in the world. More information is available at: www.spiritualessenceyoga.com Featured Guest: Dana A. SmithLinks: www.spiritualessenceyoga.com

Hi! I'm Jacqueline Lara, host of the new podcast, Radical Acts Uncut. It's a show about entrepreneurs, experts and creatives who discuss an unexpected life test that tried to take them out.On the show, I get them to share about how they found the faith and inner fight to conquer that challenge and thrive on the other side.Who am I? Well, I'm someone with faith and fight in me, too! I'm a creative, an entrepreneur and CEO of Mpact PR, a public relations firm based in the Washington, DC Metro area. I'm also a first-generation American born to parents who migrated to the U.S. from Uganda. They raised my siblings and me in the midwest and then moved back because they thought America was just too much!So, here I am in America living the American dream, but I'm also a divorced mom of two boys who knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges. Sometimes it takes radical acts, and on this show I get the real uncut story of how my guests prevailed.Be sure to subscribe and follow the show wherever you stream your audio – so you don’t miss a single… radical… episode. I'd also love for you to share your story with me via email for a future listener feedback segment called the Radical Report. Email me at: [email protected] the show on social media at: @radicalactsuncutVisit MPact PR at: mpactpr.com