Wall Street has historically shut its doors to Black women, so right here in Dallas, two founders built their own.

This week on Making Black History Today, hosts Liz & Porter sit down with LaToya Gooden and JaCoi Pugh, the creators of Black Women's Wall Street. Together, they break down what it actually takes to invest while Black, push past the barriers still built into corporate finance, and turn community into generational wealth.

This isn't a corporate success story. It's an unfiltered look at what it takes to build something that brings Black women entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders together to create ownership and lasting impact.

In this episode, you'll hear:

- How Black Women's Wall Street grew from a local idea into a movement

- The barriers Black women entrepreneurs still face—and how they're overcoming them

- Why building wealth together creates more impact than doing it alone

- The role of strategic relationships and mentorship in growing a business

- Why ownership is essential to closing the racial wealth gap

- What legacy means when you're building something designed to outlive you

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a professional, a community leader, or

someone building toward a stronger financial future—this one's for you.

If this episode inspired you, hit the [+] FOLLOW button and save this episode to your library so you never miss a moment of history being made. Share this with someone building a business, a legacy, or

their own future today.

Making Black History Today is Dallas's premier podcast documenting the leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and change-makers shaping Black history in real time. New episodes every other Thursday.

Hosted by Liz & Porter | Recorded in Dallas, Texas

Can music heal a city? Can faith create common ground? And what happens when people choose unity over division?

In this episode of Making Black History Today, Pastor Richie Butler, founder and CEO of Project Unity, joins internationally acclaimed conductor Maestro Leon Lacey for a conversation about leadership, community, and the power of music to bring people together.

Pastor Richie Butler shares the story behind Project Unity, the Dallas-based organization dedicated to building trust, strengthening relationships, and creating meaningful dialogue across communities. Maestro Leon Lacey reflects on a career that has taken him around the world, including conducting for Beyoncé in Dubai, while explaining why some of his most meaningful work continues to happen right here in Dallas through Together We Sing.

Together, they discuss how faith, collaboration, and servant leadership can help heal divided communities, why honest conversations matter, and how music often communicates what words cannot.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Pastor Richie Butler founded Project Unity
• How Together We Sing became one of Dallas' most powerful movements for unity
• Maestro Leon Lacey's journey from the international stage to leading music that transforms communities
• How faith and servant leadership build trust across differences
• Why collaboration is essential for creating lasting change
• What it means to make Black history today in Dallas

Whether you're passionate about leadership, community development, faith, music, or the future of Dallas, this conversation offers practical wisdom and hope for anyone who believes stronger communities begin with understanding.

Making Black History Today is Dallas' premier podcast and the digital archive of Dallas's current Black history makers. Hosted by Liz and Porter, each episode features conversations with the leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, faith leaders, and change-makers shaping the future of Dallas while preserving its history for generations to come.

Follow Making Black History Today on Spotify for new episodes every other Thursday featuring the people making Black history today across Dallas.

For years, the Forest Theater stood empty.

A historic landmark. A cultural icon. A reminder of what once was.

Many people accepted that story.

Elizabeth Wattley did not.

In this Season II premiere of Making Black History Today, the President and CEO of Forest Forward joins us to discuss the effort to bring one of South Dallas' most important landmarks back to life and why the work is about much more than a building.

It's about history.

It's about community.

It's about who gets remembered and who gets left behind.

From the future of the Forest Theater to the future of South Dallas, Elizabeth shares the vision, challenges, and leadership lessons behind one of the city's most significant revitalization efforts.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to preserve history while creating opportunity for the next generation, this conversation is for you.

Topics include community development, historic preservation, leadership, economic opportunity, South Dallas, the Forest Theater, and the power of investing in people.

Follow Making Black History Today for conversations with everyday people making an extraordinary impact.