I wrote the following after Alton Sterling was killed by Police after being pinned to the ground & shot multiple times in the back in July, 2016 on My FaceBook page. Now, here We are as a Nation 4 years later after many instances of killing Black & Brown, Men & Women later still addressing these same issues and these words, my word still ring true in America today. Soon after this event & many others I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer, and as a Cancer Survivor & a Black Male Survivor in America, I'm putting My Story Out here so that We as a Country & a People can began to Heal. Healing starts with the Acknowledgement of your part/our part in order to move forward. Mutual Respect & Mutual Admiration is what's needed so that we as a nation can truly move forward and heal this "Dis~Ease" that has kept us apart for far too long. Welcome to Spread Joy the Podcast. Spread Joy!!! Change Lives!!! Reggie Valentino

... HAVING SPENT THIS PAST WEEKS~END IN DEEP REFLECTION... AND MANY WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH STRANGERS & FRIENDS ALIKE... ABOUT LAST WEEKS HORRIBLE EVENTS... I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WHAT WE NEED AS A COUNTRY IS... MORE... HONEST... AUTHENTIC... CONVERSATIONS AS A WHOLE... FIRST... WITH OURSELVES... THEN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES... NEXT... WITH OUR LOCAL LEADERS... ( WHO WE VOTE FOR AND PLACE INTO OFFICE )... ONCE WE AS A NATION FESS UP TO ALL THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED INSTEAD OF WHITE WASHING THEM... AND GLOSSING THEM OVER... WE CAN GET PAST THE FINGER POINTING... AND START... WITH WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON... TODAY!!! AND HOW WE CAN... MOVE FORWARD... TODAY!!!

 ... YOU HEARD ME!!!

 ...AS A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA... I UNDERSTAND... THAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THIS COUNTRY... DID NOT HAVE MY BEST INTEREST IN MIND... WHEN THEY WERE DRAFTING THE CONSTITUTION... THE IDEA... THAT ALL MEN/WOMEN WERE CREATED EQUAL IN THIS COUNTRY... IS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO EVOLVE... IT DID NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!!! I WAS BORN IN 1966 AT WHAT I FEEL WAS... THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT... IF I STILL HAVE TO BE HYPER VIGILANT TODAY... AS I MOVE ABOUT IN A COUNTRY IN WHICH I WAS BORN... YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG... IF MY GRAND MA~MA & MY MOTHER HAVE TO TELL ME... TO BE CAREFUL WHEN I LEAVE THE HOUSE AT 49 YEARS OF AGE... YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG... IF MY PRESENCE IN WHAT SHOULD BE... A NORMAL ROUTINE SITUATION... MAKES PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE... YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG... HAVING ALMOST BEEN KILLED 3 TIMES IN MY LIFE... BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN... YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG... WELL NOW... THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION... HOW DO WE... PROPOSE... TO FIX THIS... WHEN DO WE SIT DOWN... FACE TO FACE... AND HAVE CONCRETE DISCUSSIONS... I'M READY... ARE YOU??? THERE ARE ENTITIES OUT THERE... WHO'S MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER US ALL... BUT IN MY HEART... I KNOW OF ENTITIES WHO'S LIGHT AND LOVE ARE STRONGER!!! I'M AN AMERICAN... BORN AND RAISED... UNTIL WE STOP... MAKING PEOPLE FEEL LESSER ABOUT THEMSELVES... IN A PLACE WE ALL CALL HOME... WE WILL GET... NO WHERE... I'M JUST SAYING... THIS CONVERSATION... BEGINS WITH YOU!!! SPREAD JOY!!! CHANGE LIVES!!! O MY BUDDHA!!! GOOD~MORNING!!!