What if we stopped asking young people, “What are you going to do?” and started asking, “What possibilities do you see for yourself?”

We are joined by Dr. Alaina Harper, Executive Director of OneGoal in New York, for a conversation about education, career pathways, and helping young people envision their futures.

OneGoal partners with schools and districts to make college and career planning an integral part of the high school experience, helping students explore their aspirations, discover their purpose, and navigate pathways toward college and career success.

A lifelong educator with more than 20 years of experience, we explore Alaina’s journey in education, helping students discover career pathways, and the assumption that a four-year college degree is the only route to success. We also discuss trade school and other alternative pathways, and how an emphasis on grades, metrics, and traditional measures of achievement can sometimes limit how we see a student’s potential and future opportunities.

Because there isn't just one path to a meaningful future — and every young person deserves the opportunity and support to discover their own.

Connect with Dr. Alaina Harper & OneGoal: https://www.onegoalgraduation.org/

Connect with the hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Dr. Antija Allen & Justin Stewart⁠

IG, TikTok, and YouTube: @thenotokpodcast

Who gets to tell Black stories, and who gets to decide which ones are worth funding, promoting, and seeing?

Dr. Antija Allen and Justin Stewart sit down with filmmaker, novelist, and Black Film Space co-founder Lande Yoosuf to talk about Black storytelling, representation, identity, and creative ownership. They explore the myth that Black films don’t sell, the pressure to make stories more palatable for mainstream audiences, the challenges facing independent filmmakers, and how AI may reshape the future of storytelling.

Plus, Lande shares how her Nigerian-American identity shaped her work and why culturally specific stories can still connect with audiences everywhere.

Connect with Lande & Black Film Space: @Blackfilmspace @LandeYoosuf

Website www.blackfilmspace.com

YouTube www.youtube.com/BlackFilmSpace

Connect with the hosts: ⁠⁠Dr. Antija Allen & Justin Stewart⁠

We’re back for a new season!

In our season premiere, we welcome Dr. Seanna Leath, Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and director of the Fostering Healthy Identities and Resilience (FHIRe) Collaborative.

Dr. Leath’s work centers the lives and well-being of Black girls, women, and families. Together, we explore misconceptions about Black girls’ development, psychological safety and the freedom to be yourself, building confidence in underrepresented spaces, and the impact of adultification.

We also discuss friendship as a source of healing and belonging, the emotional labor Black mothers carry in preparing their daughters for the world, and the power of community—the reminder that sometimes, it truly takes a village.Connect with the hosts, ⁠Dr. Antija Allen & Justin Stewart