The Chavis Chronicles

News and Public Affairs Series / 4 Seasons

Hosted by civil rights icon Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., a thought-provoking half-hour weekly talk show with an urban American flair featuring interviews with famous leaders and politicians, doctors and scientists, cultural leaders and influencers from around the globe.

Watch Latest: S5 E526

27m 29s / TV-PG

Everett Sands, CEO Lendistry

S5 E526 / 27m 29s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Everett Sands, CEO Lendistry, a leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on providing access to capital for underserved small businesses and nonprofit organizations. The CDFI prioritizes minority-owned businesses and those in economically distressed areas, offering loans that support long-term sustainability and community development.

Amanda Costa

S5 E525 / 26m 52s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to global environmentalist Amanda Costa, founder of Perifa Sustentável, a youth-driven institute championing climate justice in Brazil. As a United Nations Youth Ambassador Amanda’s mission is to inspire marginalized communities to tackle climate challenges while amplifying their voices within the international climate movement.

Wole Coaxum, Founder and CEO of MoCaFi

S5 E524 / 26m 31s / TV-PG

Wole Coaxum, Founder and CEO of MoCaFi, joins Dr. Chavis to discuss transformative strategies for empowering excluded communities by improving access to public, private, and social capital and solutions to address the needs of the 50 million unbanked and underbanked Americans.

Dr. Shari Rogers, CEO Spill The Honey

S5 E523 / 26m 10s / TV-PG

Dr. Shari Rogers, CEO of Spill The Honey Foundation in Michigan talks to Dr. Chavis about the historical and cultural connections between the African American and Jewish communities, emphasizing shared struggles and collective resilience. The foundation focuses on creating impactful programs, initiatives, and dialogues that inspire unity and drive progress toward equality and mutual respect.

LeBron James I Promise Foundation

S5 E522 / 26m 6s / TV-PG

Superstar basketball player LeBron James’ mother and other family members discuss the partnership between the LeBron James Family Foundation, Akron Public Schools and the I PROMISE program. I PROMISE aims to improve educational outcomes for underprivileged students. The project's goals also include breaking the cycle of generational poverty and ending the school-to-prison pipeline.

Samantha Tweedy

S5 E521 / 27m 39s / TV-PG

Samantha Tweedy, CEO of the Black Economic Alliance (BAE), joins Dr. Chavis to discuss the powerful coalition of Black business leaders and allies working to accelerate economic progress within the Black community. Tweedy emphasizes advancing policy solutions to enhance work opportunities, increase wages, and build generational wealth for African Americans.

Wright Thompson, New York Times Best-Selling Author

S5 E520 / 27m 44s / TV-PG

New York Times best-selling author Wright Thompson talks to Dr. Chavis about his latest book “The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi.” Thompson says the brutal murder of Emmitt Till still matters because so many facts have remained buried. The book examines the tragedy, while shedding light on an artifact hiding in plain sight: the barn where Till was beaten and killed.

Dr. Tshaka Cunningham, PhD Molecular Biologist, Co-Founder & CSO, Polaris Genomics, Inc.

S5 E519 / 27m 22s / TV-PG

Geneticist Dr. Tshaka Cunningham talks to Dr. Chavis about the critical need for a broad spectrum of ethnic diversity in genetic research. Dr. Cunningham shares how people of African ancestry have been historically underrepresented in genomic studies and in order to create medicines of the future more people of color need to participate in genetic research.

Margaret Seidler, Journalist and Author

S5 E518 / 26m 45s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to journalist and author Margaret Seidler, about her book “Payne-ful” Business: Charleston’s Journey to Truth that follows Seidler’s mission to learn and process her family’s genealogical past as slave owners. Using extensive research and personal experience, Seidler discusses the realities of Charleston’s racial history while acknowledging a more complete truth about our past.

Dr. Russell Wigginton – Civil Rights Museum

S5 E517 / 27m 16s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Dr. Russell Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is one of the nation's premier heritage and cultural institutions. The National Civil Right Museum was established in 1991. It is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Tony Wyllie – CEO Sports and Branding Management - The Collective Engine

S5 E516 / 25m 51s / TV-PG

Tony Wyllie, CEO of The Collective Engine talks to Dr. Chavis about managing star athletes, his prior work as regional president and managing director for Special Olympics North America and the power of giving back to the community.

Calvin Butler – CEO Exelon

S5 E515 / 27m 6s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon, the nation's largest utility company by customer count. As the first African American to serve as CEO of a major utility company, Butler discusses climate change, the need for diversity, equity and inclusion in corporate America.

Ayanna Gregory

S5 E514 / 26m 33s / TV-PG

Educator, activist and singer Ayanna Gregory, daughter of legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory, shares with Dr. Chavis her unforgettable journey as a child of the civil rights movement and the powerful, historic events that lift the human spirit.

Professor Herb Boyd

S5 E513 / 27m 16s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Herb Boyd, a journalist, activist, teacher, and author of twenty-three books, including his latest, The Diary of Malcolm X, edited with Ilyasah Al-Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter.

Charles “Shorty” Garris & Mark Gusakov

S5 E512 / 26m 44s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to international radio host Charles “Shorty” Garris about “Go-go” music, a subgenre of funk created by Black musicians in the mid-60s. Also, Dr. Chavis interviews Mark Gusakov, digital infrastructure expert and board member of Nomad Futurist Foundation, regarding innovative technologies that will open new careers for the next generation.

Chris Thomas and Sir Frank Cooper (Comedians)

S5 E511 / 25m 56s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis interviews veteran comedians Chris Thomas and Sir Frank Cooper about the African American Humor Awards (AAHAs) and the history of Black comedy in America.

Roger Gore + Lance London

S5 E510 / 26m 57s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis interviews two serial entrepreneurs, brand mogul Roger Gore and restaurateur Lance London. Both businessmen share insights on how they learned to prosper during and after the pandemic.

Armstrong Williams

S5 E509 / 26m 14s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Armstrong Williams, media mogul, conservative political commentator, entrepreneur, nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and host of a daily radio show about politics, entrepreneurism and striving for excellence in the Black community.

Clifton Johnson – Empower Series/Financial Expert

S5 E508 / 26m 33s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to money guru Clifton Johnson, creator of the 501(c) 3 organization the EMPOWER Series about financial literacy. The non-profit encourages communities of color to plan for wealth. The educational series has educated over 150,000 students and adults about increasing financial literacy.

Dominque Calhoun – 81st President National Bar Association

S5 E507 / 25m 56s / TV-PG

Dr. Chavis talks to Dominique D. Calhoun, 81st President of the National Bar Association. Attorney Calhoun talks about how the Black experience has evolved and where there is still a need for drastic change regarding major issues such as civil rights, social justice and protecting voting rights.

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