Resilient Voices & Beyond

Author: Michael D. Davis-Thomas Aka MDDTSpeaks

Resilient Voices & Beyond is a podcast that amplifies the voices of those who were once silenced and aims to empower a new generation of foster care alum leaders. Through conversations with community partners, leaders, advocates, and activists, this podcast educates listeners on reforms, policies, and advocacy related to foster care, adoption, kinship, CCIs, JJ, and the child welfare system. The podcast challenges stigmas and labels surrounding these topics and creates a dialogue on reform and advocacy that is already happening or needs to happen. The core values of Resilient Voices & Beyond include empowerment, inclusivity, education, collaboration, authenticity, and innovation. The mission of the podcast is to create a platform for silenced voices to be heard and received, while the vision is to inspire and empower a new generation of leaders committed to making a positive change in the world.
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Language: en

Genres: Education, Kids & Family

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It Can Be Done
Episode 53
Saturday, 6 December, 2025

🎙️ Episode 53 — “It Can Be Done”Guest: Hery “Eddie” Acosta | Author, Speaker, Youth AdvocatePodcast: Resilient Voices & Beyond – A Healing-Centered ConversationFoster Healing Fellowship Capstone SeriesEpisode Description:In this gripping and hope-filled episode titled “It Can Be Done,” host Michael D. Davis-Thomas sits down with author, speaker, and youth advocate Hery “Eddie” Acosta, whose life story is both testimony and blueprint. This is more than an interview—it’s a healing-centered conversation that exposes the cost of trauma, honors the grind of growth, and celebrates the sacred act of becoming whole.Eddie doesn’t sugarcoat survival. From being locked in a closet as a child to navigating cycles of generational pain, Eddie shares how he went from being misunderstood in classrooms to mentoring hundreds of teens every week through his groundbreaking work in Oregon. With 13+ years of hands-on experience in youth programs, Eddie is now the visionary behind Ohana Teen Night, where over 300 teens find refuge, belonging, and possibility every Friday night. Together, Michael and Eddie explore:Childhood trauma, behavioral stigma, and how schools often punish painMindset shifts from “why me?” to “watch me”The messy, nonlinear process of healing—and what real breakthrough looks likeThe burden of navigating trauma in Black and Brown communitiesWhat it means to become a diamond in the rough—and why pressure doesn’t always break usThe spiritual, emotional, and cultural power of having a therapist of colorBuilding youth programming that feels more like family than a facilityThis episode is part of Michael’s Foster Healing Leadership Fellowship Capstone: Resilient Voices & Beyond: Healing-Centered Conversations and Storytelling, and it holds true to its mission—honoring lived experience as sacred knowledge and creating space for authentic, heart-to-heart reflection.Whether you’re a young person currently in the struggle, a professional seeking to serve better, or someone carrying unspoken wounds of your own—Eddie’s story will remind you: It can be done. 📚 Grab Eddie’s Book:Eddie in the Rough – Becoming a Diamond🌐 Connect with Eddie:Website: speechesbyeddie.comInstagram: @speeches_by_eddie | @neweddieacostaFacebook: Eddie Acosta 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and all major platforms.📢 Support this Healing-Centered Work:Venmo: @MDDTSpeaks | CashApp: $MDDTSpeaksInc | PayPal: MDDT1Email: mddtspeaks@gmail.com for donations, sponsorships, or collaboration.