Most people struggle to do one job well. Bessye Adams is a City Councilwoman for Grand Prairie, the Financial Controller for DeSoto ISD, an entrepreneur, and a community advocate , all at the same time.

In this conversation, she breaks down what it actually takes to manage public money in education, why she ran for city council, and what community leadership looks like when it goes beyond the title. She also speaks to her involvement with the National League of Cities and what local leaders can teach the rest of the country.

This is what service looks like when it's built on purpose, not politics.

New episodes every other Thursday, follow so you never miss one.

Emmy winner. Presidential Leadership Scholar. Dallas 500 Most Powerful.

Jerry L. Hawkins has spent his career making sure Black history doesn't disappear. As the leader of Dallas Truth Racial Healing & Transformation for nearly seven years, producer of the PBS/KERA documentary Recovering The Stories, and now writing A People's History of Dallas, dropping in 2027, he's not just preserving the past. He's building the archive the future will learn from.

This conversation goes deep into what racial healing actually requires, why most cities get it wrong, and what it takes to make Black history permanent in a city that's always changing.

New episodes every other Thursday, follow so you never miss one.

She renamed a city. Now she's putting it on the world's biggest stage.

Noelle LeVeaux is the marketing strategist behind the Dallas "BIG" campaign, the rebrand that changed how the world sees Dallas. Named one of Skift's Top 50 Travel Marketers in the World, she's spent three decades shaping the city's identity through brand strategy, civic leadership, and purpose-driven marketing. Now, with FIFA World Cup 2026 bringing a global audience to Dallas, she's doing it again.

In this conversation, she breaks down what it takes to brand an entire city, what the World Cup means for Dallas's future, and how co-founding Dress for Success Dallas turned her platform into impact.

She also talks about her cancer diagnosis and how it quietly changed everything about the way she leads.

New episodes every other Thursday, follow so you never miss one.

Black women are the most educated demographic in America, yet hundreds of thousands are currently out of work.

Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew has spent her career sitting in that contradiction and refusing to accept it. From leading the NAACP chapter at University of Texas at Arlington to building philanthropic infrastructure through the HeriTage Giving Circle, she's turned community leadership into an economic force.

In this conversation, she breaks down the real gap between Black women's education and their economic power, what it actually takes to build lasting community impact, and why, in the middle of all of it, she brings up Bad Bunny and what Puerto Rican culture has to say about belonging in America.

This one goes places you won't expect.

New episodes every other Thursday, follow so you never miss one.

Roses Are Red MAC Band 1988 #1 R&B hit Babyface LA Reid Arsenio Hall Show Dallas police officer Black History Month Valentine's Day

Ray McCampbell of The MAC Band Featuring The McCampbell Brothers scored a #1 R&B chart hit in 1988 with "Roses Are Red"—then left music for 25 years in law enforcement.

This episode covers: 1988 R&B music Babyface and LA Reid production, Arsenio Hall Show performances, MAC Band touring, transitioning from R&B singer to Dallas Police Department, Heroes Cops and Kids mentorship program, Black History Month leadership stories, service and legacy.

From #1 to badge: Ray shares untold stories from R&B's golden era—recording sessions with Babyface, performing for Arsenio Hall's audience, and why he traded celebrity for serving Dallas communities. Now he mentors youth through Heroes, Cops & Kids.

Black History Month special. Valentine's Week episode about love through service.

Tags: 80s R&B, 90s R&B, Babyface, LA Reid, Arsenio Hall, Dallas, police officer stories, Black excellence, music history, career change, mentorship, Black History Month 2026

Making Black History Today podcast - real leaders, real impact, real time.

Perfect for: R&B history fans, anyone interested in inspiring Black success stories, and listeners who believe in service beyond self.

Follow Making Black History Today on Spotify and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode spotlighting leaders shaping culture, business, and community in real time.

Harrison Blair leads Dallas' oldest Black business organization. His grandfather played in the Negro Leagues. His mentor from the grave is civil rights pioneer A. Maceo Smith. Now he's preparing Black entrepreneurs for Texas' changing policy landscape.

Topics: Black business funding beyond DEI, 2024 election voting patterns, economic power building, Dallas Chamber leadership.

Making Black History Today - New episodes bi-weekly Thursdays 5am.

Listen, follow, and share to support Black leadership, legacy, and entrepreneurship.

Why do Black nonprofits struggle to get funding while billion-dollar organizations face zero scrutiny? Three Dallas nonprofit leaders expose the Trust Gap keeping minority-led organizations from resources.

Shawana Carter of Carter's House, Pastor Donald Parish Jr. of A Steady Hand, and King Shakur of Volunteering While Black discuss nonprofit funding barriers, how TV shows like Apple TV's Loot and Breaking Bad created the Hollywood Effect that stereotypes Black nonprofits, and building Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Beloved Community through radical collaboration in 2026.

Topics: Black nonprofit funding, grant access, MLK legacy, nonprofit leadership, Dallas nonprofits, community organizing, social justice, minority-led organizations, tax-exempt funding, collective impact, entrepreneur support, nonprofit funding barriers, Black business development.

MLK Birthday episode honoring Dr. King's vision. New episodes bi-weekly Thursdays 5am CST.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

Carter's House: https://www.cartershouse.org

A Steady Hand: https://www.beasteadyhand.org

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Instagram: @makingblackhistorytoday

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If this conversation resonated with you, please rate, review, and share with someone working to make change in your community.

Two Black women vice presidents at major banks reveal what it really takes to reach leadership in corporate America and how they're using their power to close the racial wealth gap.

Tiffanie Rice, Regional VP of External Affairs at Comerica Bank and Certified Diversity Professional, and Terri Thomas, VP of Business Development at Chase Bank Texas, discuss navigating male-dominated banking industries, advancing as Black women in finance, building wealth while serving community, and strategies for breaking through corporate barriers in 2025.

Topics: Black women in banking, corporate leadership, VP career advancement, racial wealth gap, finance careers, diversity and inclusion, Chase Bank, Comerica Bank, Texas banking, women in finance, corporate America, DEI initiatives, business development, financial empowerment, Black professionals, career development, wealth building.

New Year episode. New episodes bi-weekly Thursdays 5am CST.