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In this podcast, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings talks about her passion for politics, systemic racism, the upcoming presidential election, and the autobiography of her late husband's (Rep. Elijah Cummings) book, "We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy."ABOUT DR. MAYA ROCKEYMOORE CUMMINGSDr. Cummings is a consultant, politician, and former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. Before her election as party chair, she briefly ran for Governor of Maryland.  Dr. Cummings was a candidate in the 2020 Maryland 7th congressional district special election to fill out the term of her late husband, Elijah Cummings, and was also a candidate in the overlapping regular 2020 election for the same congressional seat. Dr. Cummings earned her bachelor's degree from Prairie View A&M University (an #HBCU in Prairie View, TX) and earned her Masters and Ph.D. from Purdue University, where she studied political science with an emphasis in public policy.  She recently appeared on MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN where she discussed the autobiography.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

Imagine you’re in the car driving at night with two of your friends and you get pulled over by a police officer for no reason. Imagine asking your college professor for help with class work and the college professor says “no . . . figure it out.” And imagine that you’re staffing your company booth at a tradeshow and being noticeably treated very differently by a client (compared to other staff in the booth who don’t look like you).  These and more are stories that David Mosley shared with me during his podcast interview. During the interview, he shares more about his encounters with racism, his thoughts on systemic racism, the importance of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU’s), and the importance of voting in this upcoming presidential election. ABOUT DAVID MOSLEY David Mosley is President and CEO of E Smith Advisors, a customized specialty commercial real estate company that was founded by businessman, community leader, and former Dallas Cowboy Hall of Hamer, Emmitt Smith. David has over 30 years of experience in Operations, Management and Entrepreneurship and is responsible for the strategic direction for growth and expansion of the company’s portfolio. Prior to E Smith Advisors, David has years of experience in commercial banking where he was responsible for increasing minority lending. He was named a 40 Under 40 Baltimore City Emerging Leader and was recognized as an Emerging Growth Company of the Year by Black Enterprise Magazine. He’s a proud graduate of Morgan State University, an HBCU in Baltimore, MD and oversees E Smith Advisors operations in Dallas, San Antonio, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. #SpeakOut #Racism #BeAnAlly #TalkingWithThomas #Podcast *The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

“ . . . hearing [George Floyd’s] name was infuriating in the beginning . . . It felt like defeat . . . But as I have seen the country mobilize around these people [like Breonna Taylor] it has signaled hope for me. It has also signaled change and optimism.” Checkout my latest podcast interview with Yolanda Murphy, Sector Vice President of Communications at Northrop Grumman. During the interview, Yolanda talks about racism she faced at a very young age, how overt racism can be, how biases enter and impact the workplace, her thoughts on imposter syndrome, and many other very deep and profound personal views. ABOUT YOLANDA MURPHY As a communications executive in the aerospace and defense industry, Yolanda leads teams responsible for creating transformative content that transcends traditional communications boundaries and engages audiences through impactful and emotive storytelling. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication and an Associate degree in Graphic Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology. Committed to life-long learning, Yolanda later achieved her Master of Arts in Communications from John Hopkins University.   Whether it is her career, philanthropic work, or family, she puts people first and serves as their champion.  Her aspiration? To connect humanity one story at a time. #SpeakOut #Racism #BeAnAlly #TalkingWithThomas *The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

I had the tremendous honor and pleasure of interviewing a legend, Nikki Giovanni. During my Talking with Thomas podcast, Ms. Giovanni talks about how the lives of Emmett Till, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd all matter, Fannie Lou Hamer’s impact on voting rights then and now, and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement in our country and abroad.Ms. Giovanni is a renown poet, was named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legends, has received 7 NAACP Image Awards for some of her poems, is an alumni of HBCU Fisk University, and is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. *The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

"The microaggressions that me and so many [people of color] have experienced is exhausting . . . it’s something you wish you didn’t have to go through.”  In my latest Talking with Thomas podcast, Kristena Lucky talks about her experiences with racism, the need for leaders who will unify our country, and the importance of educating and sharing knowledge about black history with younger generations. Kristena is Executive Vice President/U.S. Brand Strategist at Edelman. Edelman is one of the largest global communications agencies that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Throughout her career, she has developed and executed many successful marketing programs for Fortune 500 companies. Kristena received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Michigan State University and lives in the Dallas area.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

At a young age, TJ taught his son about the “realities of being a black man in America” and spoke with me about how “biases drive our actions.” Checkout my latest podcast with TJ Abrams, Head of Global Brand Strategy and Performance at Intercontinental Hotels Group. IHG is one of the world’s leading hotel companies. You can listen to my podcast interview with TJ as he shares more about his encounters with racism, the importance of having allies, and how to drive change. At IHG in Atlanta, GA, TJ is accountable for brand growth in 80 countries around the world. He has worked for other large brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Lowes, and while at Coca-Cola he spearheaded some of the companies most iconic campaigns during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2012 London Olympics. TJ has been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Marketing and Advertising, serves on the Board of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity project, has a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Duke University. *The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

“Race is always salient . . . You must take steps to mitigate your biases.” Checkout my latest podcast interview with Sheri Crosby Wheeler, Vice President, of Corporate Social Responsibility at Mr. Cooper in the Dallas, TX area. Mr. Cooper is one of the largest home loan servicers in the country.At Mr. Cooper, Sheri is primarily responsible for diversity and inclusion strategies and integration for the entire company. She received her undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and her law degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law in Buffalo, NY. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.During the podcast, Sheri shares more about her personal and professional experiences with racism, why mentorship and sponsorship is important for people of color in the workplace, and how biases and stereotypes are formed.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

“Racism is very overt, on the rise, and is very visible . . . If you can teach people bad things [like racism], you can teach people good things too.“ These were just a few of the "DeeIsms" that Dee Baker Amos shared during my recent podcast on Talking with Thomas.Dee is Vice President of Communications & Marketing at Dallas Ft. Worth International (DFW) Airport. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree from an HBCU, Clark Atlanta University, and has over 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, PR, population health, and health impact.During the podcast, Dee shares more about her personal encounters with racism as a child growing up in Atlanta, how we all have a certain level of privilege, and the responsibility that comes along with that privilege.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

"Representation at the top level is very important to creating a more diverse [and inclusive] workforce,” said Evan Frazier. Checkout my podcast interview with Evan Frazier, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Highmark Health in Pittsburgh, PA.Evan holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He was also recently named in Savoy Magazine as one of 2020’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America.During the podcast, Evan shares more about his experiences with racism, solutions to overcoming racism in the workplace, and discusses the importance of advancement for people of color in corporate.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

Ever heard of an upstander? Check out my podcast interview with Jen Cho where she shares more about being an upstander, being an ally, and her personal experiences with racism.Jen is a big champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and is very well respected among PR agency executives and industry professionals. She’s the Founder & CEO of Pivot and Swerve, former EVP/GM of one of the top global PR agencies (Weber Shandwick), and is President-elect of PRSA Dallas.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Excited to announce today the launch of my podcast, Talking with Thomas! My podcast will feature interviews with corporate executives, business and community leaders, professional athletes, and celebrities. The first series will focus on speaking out and combating racism.My first podcast interview is with Aaron Seabron, Sr. Business Unit Director at the headquarters of Adidas. During the podcast, Aaron shares is experiences with racism and emphasizes how "acknowledgement is a first step" towards combating racism.*The views mentioned during this podcast are personal views and opinions that may not reflect each person's company or organization.