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PODCAST

In The Know with Tony Reeves

Hosted by former attorney and Judge Tony Reeves, this podcast delivers sharp insights, commentary, and real talk on law, leadership, public service, and the Black Gen X experience. Whether you’re navigating bureaucracy, seeking inspiration, or craving honest reflections from someone who’s lived it, ‘In The Know with Tony Reeves’ offers the wisdom and wit to keep you informed—and empowerBecome a supporter of this podcast:

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All Episodes

15:09

The Terrifying Beginning of My Sophomore Year:...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/27

Returning to the University of Tampa for my sophomore year should have felt familiar—but almost everyone I had depended on was gone.My best friend and roommate did not return. Other friendships I had begun building disappeared as well. I arrived back on campus after a 24-hour Greyhound bus ride, carrying a military duffel bag on my back and a footlocker on my head, knowing that I would have to figure out this new chapter largely on my own. At the same time, I was stepping into new responsibilities

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12:28

Sometimes Your Support System Finds You Before You...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/24

We often assume we’re alone when life changes.That’s exactly how I felt when I returned to college in the fall of 1988.My closest friends were gone, and I believed I was beginning the year without a support system. What I didn’t know was that others had already stepped into that role.In this episode, I share how my best friend’s family continued to watch over me, how an unexpected friendship introduced me to an entirely different culture, and why one conversation changed the way I think about being

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16:28

When Life Forces You to Reset: Lessons from the...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/22

There comes a point in almost everyone’s life when the original plan no longer works. In this episode, I reflect on one of the first major personal resets I experienced during the summer of 1988. What began as a simple return home after my freshman year of college quickly turned into a season of unexpected change. My support system disappeared, my transportation plans fell apart, and I had to decide whether I still believed in the future I had chosen.More importantly, I explore what that experience

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15:40

The Truth About Being a Black Resident Assistant at a...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/20

What was it really like to become one of the few Black Resident Assistants at a predominantly white university in the late 1980s?In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the story behind my unexpected journey from a freshman who never believed he would be hired to becoming a Resident Assistant—and eventually training future RAs on diversity, culture, and leadership.This isn’t just a story about college housing. It’s about learning to navigate unfamiliar spaces, leading with

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13:32

The Haircut That Taught Me About Perception vs. Reality

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/15

Sometimes the smallest experiences become the biggest teachers. As a freshman at the University of Tampa in 1987, all I wanted was a haircut before ROTC. Instead, I encountered racial assumptions, unexpected kindness, and a lesson about perception versus reality that has stayed with me for decades. In this companion episode, I reflect on how one ordinary afternoon helped shape my understanding of race, community, and judging people based on firsthand experience instead of fear or stereotypes.This is

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15:13

Was I Being Profiled? A Black Generation X College...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/13

As a freshman at the University of Tampa, I experienced something that would repeat itself every single year: university police stopping me while I walked across campus at night to ask for my student ID. Were they simply doing their jobs? Or was I being singled out because I was one of the few Black students on campus? The truth is, I still don’t know. In this episode, I explore one of the defining experiences of Black Generation X—living in a world where discrimination wasn’t always obvious, but

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55:51

I Deserved to Be There: When Being the Only One Makes...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/08

What happens when you enter a space knowing that you earned the opportunity—but still feel that you must prove you deserve it?In this companion episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the personal story behind my micro-book, I Deserve to Be There.I grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, surrounded by Black educators, professionals, church members and family friends who were committed to nurturing my success. Then I entered the University of Tampa, an overwhelmingly white institution where I

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26:32

My Roommates Threw My Clothes Into the Hallway: A...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/06

During my first semester at the University of Tampa, I was 18 years old, 900 miles away from home, and struggling financially.There were times when I simply did not have enough money to wash my clothes. Instead of asking why, my roommates decided to remove my laundry, strip my bed, and scatter everything throughout the dormitory hallway.What followed was not simply a disagreement about dirty clothes.It was a moment of humiliation, anger, isolation, and decision. I had to determine whether I would

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32:14

HBCU Dreams, PWI Reality: How Black Gen X Built the...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/01

In this companion podcast episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the complicated bridge between HBCU dreams and PWI reality. Drawing from his Black Gen X college experience, he discusses representation, cultural isolation, the importance of Black-centered spaces, and the leadership lessons that came from learning how to survive and thrive in a place that was not built around him.This episode explores what it means to belong, adapt, build community, and create the college experience you need when the

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41:09

The Logistics of the Long Road Trip: How Black Gen X...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/29

Before GPS, Cash App, cell phones, and streaming music, taking a long road trip required planning, memory, discipline, and a little bit of nerve. In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on what it meant to drive from Tampa to Pine Bluff in the early 1990s, when every gas stop, radio dead zone, highway turn, and dollar had to be accounted for.This is not just a story about travel. It is a reminder of how Black Gen X learned resilience, independence, and problem-solving in real time—long before

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18:45

Gen X in the Middle: Black Gen X and the Blueprint We...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/24

In this companion podcast episode, I reflect on the meaning behind my e-book “Gen X in the Middle: How Black Gen X Bridged Two Worlds” and why Black Generation X deserves to be understood as more than a forgotten or overlooked generation.Using the end of MTV’s 24-hour music broadcasting stations as a cultural marker, I discuss how Gen X lived through a unique transition point in American history. Black Gen X grew up after major civil rights victories, but we still had to figure out what those

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18:15

When We Outgrew the Club: How Black Gen X Created Our...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/22

In this episode of The Anthony Reeves Experience, Tony Reeves reflects on what nightlife and social connection looked like for Black Gen X professionals as they moved beyond the club scene and into more intentional spaces.From house gatherings among young officers, to cigar bars and jazz lounges, to professional socials in Tampa’s Ybor City, Tony explores how Black professionals created their own spaces for connection before social media, apps, and digital networking became the norm.This

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15:11

Black Gen X and the Survival Code: Learning to...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/17

In this companion podcast to the main video, Tony Reeves reflects on how Black Generation X learned to navigate college, career, and predominantly white spaces without always having mentors or guides in place.The episode explores performance, self-sufficiency, safe spaces, organic support, racial identity, and the “show and prove” mindset that shaped many Black Gen X professionals. After listening, go watch the full video for the deeper breakdown. Then leave a comment and share your own experience:

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15:28

Don’t Romanticize Survival

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/15

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on the danger of romanticizing survival, especially from the perspective of Black Gen X.Many of us grew up having to figure things out with limited support, limited resources, and few backup plans. We learned how to survive because we had no other choice. But survival should not be confused with something glamorous. Through personal stories about college, financial pressure, unreliable cars, family support, and generational

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12:24

The Silence After the Milestone

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/10

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on one of the most emotionally powerful moments of his young adult life: the day after college graduation.Graduation itself was a celebration—family, achievement, recognition, commissioning, and the completion of a long journey. But the next day brought something different: silence. As the campus emptied, students checked out, and the familiar rhythm of college life disappeared, Tony found himself confronting the reality of transition. The question was no longer

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16:04

What It Really Means to Be the First

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/08

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on what it truly means to be “the first” — not as a slogan, but as a lived experience.When Tony left Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to attend the University of Tampa, he entered a world no one in his immediate circle had experienced. There was no social media, no campus visit, no one close by who could explain the culture, the distance, or the emotional weight of being 900 miles from home at a predominantly white private institution.This

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12:47

Getting Out of Your Own Way: How to Move When You...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/03

In this episode of In the Know with Tony Reeves, Tony reflects on a season when he felt professionally stuck after completing graduate school.On paper, he had done everything right: earned the degree, kept working full-time, and positioned himself for growth. But once graduation passed, nothing changed — because he had not created a plan for what came next. Through this personal story, Tony breaks down a hard but necessary lesson: sometimes we are waiting for doors to open when we have not even

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10:47

The Teacher Who Took a Chance on Me

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/06/01

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on a defining high school experience with his biology teacher, Miss Jewel Watley, at Pine Bluff High School. What began as intimidation — being placed in the school’s first AP Biology class alongside some of the top students in his class — later became one of the most important turning points in his educational and professional journey.This episode explores the role of Black educators, the “it takes a village” philosophy, and the responsibility older generations

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12:19

Career Crossroads: Trusting Yourself Through...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/05/27

In this episode, Tony Reeves reflects on the major professional pivot points that shaped his career — from state employment to military service, law school, private practice, entrepreneurship, and the judiciary.This conversation is not about chasing titles or making reckless moves. It is about understanding that every career decision happens inside a specific season of life. The facts, pressures, risks, and opportunities change as you evolve. Tony breaks down why career crossroads are rarely simple,

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14:58

Why I Went to Law School: Fear, Leverage, and the...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/05/25

In this episode, Tony Reeves answers a question he has been asked many times:Why did you go to law school?The answer is not as polished or predictable as some might expect. Tony reflects on growing up as part of Generation X, watching his mother’s educational journey, and being shaped by the belief that education was the gateway to security, survival, and opportunity. He shares how law school became both a personal milestone and a professional contingency plan—even though he had no clear idea where

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410 results

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