Trials To Triumphs

Trials to Triumphs host Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins welcomes award-winning actress Malinda Williams to the show for a powerful conversation about discernment. Malinda has appeared on a wide variety of beloved TV shows including Sister, Sister, Moesha and Soul Food. She has also turned in powerhouse performances in films such as The Wood, Accidental Love and First Sunday. Malinda explains why she's cautious about the roles she selects; how her willingness to follow God's clues led her to her iconic role as "Bird" on Soul Food; and the lessons she learned about standing still in the moment. Plus, she'll divulge how the phrase, "Ask, Seek, Knock" has allowed her needs to be met without conditions.

Jurassic World: Dominion actress DeWanda Wise is allowing herself to take risks and give God the steering wheel. DeWanda says because she and her family didn’t have a lot growing up, she “was always a person who questioned, naturally, the status quo.” She shares how her intuition, even at a young age, has shaped the stories she gets to tell in her work. DeWanda explains how she has come to realize her purpose in life is “to bear witness and continue to be a mirror, to my friends and to society at large.” DeWanda says she has learned to lean into — even love — uncertainty as she navigates her career and family life.

Trauma therapist, life coach, and minister Dr. Anita Phillips believes embracing our emotions with authenticity is crucial to leading a powerful life. She talks to Ashley about the connection between our emotional well-being and our spiritual and physical health. Drawing from her New York Times best-selling book, "The Garden Within," Dr. Anita reveals that our hearts are a garden and its condition determines the direction of our lives. Sharing her own experiences of emotional pain and healing, she describes how allowing our emotions to flow helps make our hearts fertile ground for growth and transformation. She also emphasizes the importance of preparing your heart to receive words of encouragement and positivity. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Anita offers a fresh perspective on the origin of codependency, breaking generational curses, and healing from the inside out.

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Ashley has a heart-to-heart with her close friend and Dear White People costar Logan Browning about the places and people who made her. Logan, best known for playing Samantha White on the hit Netflix series, speaks candidly about the show’s cultural impact and what it taught her about colorism in the entertainment industry. She shares how she found the confidence to challenge the status quo and turn down roles that should go to darker-skinned actresses. Logan also opens up about her father’s battle with cancer, how it redefined “strength” and “weakness” for her, and how she came to finally see her mother as a whole person.

Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actress and author Michelle Williams has been perfecting the art of manifestation. Michelle tells us what happens when she speaks about her greatest dreams and fears out loud and says that you must “put voice” to your ambitions for them to happen. She tells Ashley about her battle with depression, acknowledging that even at times when “we think we’re unscathed physically,” our mental health can be heavily impacted. Michelle shares how following her intuition continues to serve her, and how she was able to take the time during the pandemic to heal and “get loved on.”