What does it actually look like when someone uses power to serve their community instead of leaving it behind?

Dr. Tiffany M. Clark grew up in DeSoto, Texas and instead of moving on, she moved up and came back. Now serving as the Texas State Board of Education Representative for District 13, Dr. Clark is in the rooms where decisions get made about the future of Texas students, and she's making sure those students are seen.

In this conversation, we talk about what real education leadership looks like from the inside, the policy battles, the responsibility that comes with the seat, and the mindset it takes to create change that actually lasts beyond your tenure.

We get into:

*What the State Board of Education actually does and why it matters to everyday families

*The decisions being made right now that will shape Texas classrooms for years to come

*What it meant to come back to DeSoto and lead from home

* How Dr. Clark thinks about legacy, responsibility, and generational impact

* What it takes for more Black women to step into policy and education leadership

This is the kind of conversation that reminds you that history isn't just made in the past, it's being made right now, by people who chose to show up.

Making Black History Today is the podcast that spotlights Black leaders who are actively shaping history through their work, their influence, and their commitment to community.

New episodes drop bi-weekly.

Season 2 launches June 18th, follow now so you don't miss it.

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.