A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Educational Conversations with Scholars in Mind. "Our mission is to empower and uplift scholars pursuing higher education at HBCUs, ensuring they have the resources, support, and opportunities needed for a successful future. Through mentorship, scholarship programs, and community engagement, we strive to create a pathway to excellence, fostering academic achievement, leadership development, and a strong sense of cultural identity. Together, we are building a brighter future for young scholars, strengthening the legacy of HBCUs, and fueling positive change in our communities."
A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
From Wilberforce To Hollywood: Friendship, Grit, And Giving Back
Two best friends pick up the thread right where campus left it. We rewind to Wilberforce University—move-in day, the union, freshman choir—and unpack how a demanding director, tight-knit classmates, and steady mentors forged habits that still carry us. The memories are hilarious and human (yes, there was a snowball ambush), but the takeaway is serious: community and standards can change the trajectory of a life.
Jami shares how a professional singing career evolved into producing films and series for Lifetime, BET+, TV One, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. She breaks down what producing actually means—location scouting, creative judgment, schedule wrangling, and protecting story truth. We spotlight the Miss Cleo biopic and why it reframes a '90s punchline with context and compassion. We also tease fresh releases, including a revealing Turkey Leg Hut documentary, plus a Tubi Original, The Caregiver, with a sequel on the way. If you’ve ever wondered how an HBCU foundation translates into a Hollywood workflow, this conversation connects the dots.
We bring it home with service and celebration: HBCU Night at the Wonder Chamber toy drive, ways to donate if you can’t attend, and the HBCU Community Awards and Gala, where Jamie will receive an Icon Award for her impact. Our message to students and emerging creators is simple and firm—finish what you start, keep your circle strong, and let your craft meet a higher standard. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review with your favorite HBCU memory or mentor shout-out. Your story might be the nudge someone else needs.
Welcome to a Better Chance for Youth television show with your host, Monique Robinson, where we highlight, celebrate, and recognize students from all over the country who are doing great things in the classroom, community, and athletics. Every student deserves an opportunity. An opportunity for hope in a future. So let's celebrate our students, the next generation of teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and future leaders. Join us on another incredible segment of a Better Chance for Youth show with your host, Monique Robinson.
SPEAKER_05:Hey guys, and yes, welcome to another episode of A Better Chance for Youth television show with myself, uh Dr. Monique Robinson. And yes, I have on I guess it's the Wilbur Force hockey jersey. We don't have a hockey team, but you know, I have a hockey jersey. And my name is on the back. So, anywho, uh, today we are going on with this campaign. And yesterday I filmed, you know, in a future show, you will see this duo from Detroit. But today, they inspired me so much that I had to reach out to my own best friend and like, girl, you remember this, you remember this. And we had like one of those conversations. And I think I'm like my best friend's biggest fan sometimes, and sometimes I forget that you know it all started on three skew, if you know, you know. But I am so glad to have her grace us again. I think this is like the second time she came on here, I'm not sure. But after this commercial break, because I gotta do my commercials early because we'll get to talking and forget that the camera is rolling. But after this commercial break, you will get to meet one of my closest, my bestest friends that I am extremely proud of, you know, and it all started at the woo. Welcome back. See, I told you when we came back from the short commercial break, I was gonna have my best friend on here. And before she talked, I just want to tell you, uh, bestie, I am extremely proud of you. Like I get so inspired when I watch all of your accomplishments, and I honestly remember they're starting at you know three skewed, and then it went on the second Jackson, and you know, then my heart was broke a little bit junior year because I had to understand life without my bestie being on campus. But look at you now, you're doing big. I'm proud of you.
SPEAKER_07:Well, thank you so much. You have always been so supportive, and I'm equally proud of you and all that you are doing with your accomplishments and giving back and helping the youth and educating them on the importance of education and everything that you do to make sure that our young scholars still keep moving forward. So I am so proud of you as well, and to see you know everything that you're you're doing, and I don't want you to give up with running, you know, for you know, the board and stuff again. You know, I think that there's a place for you there, it's a place for your voice, and just don't give up with that. But I appreciate you so much.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, thank you, thank you. And then, you know, if you notice now, you I tell people all the time, you have to keep your circle that's gonna drive you that Jamie got you know acronyms in front of her name too. So don't don't sweat on the small stuff. It's just powerful friendship right here. So, anywho, but I have to tell you all this, Jamie. Or you tell them, how did we actually meet?
SPEAKER_07:How we actually met, believe it or not, we met by moving into the dorm and with orientation, and we met in student union when they had all of the freshmen meet there and all of that. We talked, then we realized that we both had signed up for university choir and all of that stuff, and we just were thick as thieves. You know, you were like my go-to, I was your go-to. You know, we didn't we went to the dining hall together, we went to the union to play space together, to clown to joke. We just did everything together to the breeze wave. I'm just yes to the breeze wave, allegedly creeping across the street to see to Central State. We did in the snow, we did all that together.
SPEAKER_05:See, I I was not going to bring up snow until later on in the show. So I'm gonna bring that up now. Just telling you, it was only one time that I ever have been mad at Jamie, and we have been friends since 1995. Jamie and my cousin decided this bright idea. We escaped one snowball fight, and we get across the street, and Titus Haig, if you watching, you owe me a pair of my favorite pink and blue tinted glasses. They wasn't broke, but you owe me, you know, all I seen was white snow hit my glasses, the glasses hit the ground, and then I fell too. And I'm over there talking, and Jamie and my cousin is hiding behind the fountain. So I still love you, but I was hurt.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, that's the book. No, the funniest part was how your glasses was on one side in the snow, and you was on the other side. The glasses was posted up on their own, like they was their own person. That was the funniest.
SPEAKER_05:Almost like they watched me sit out.
SPEAKER_07:Them glasses was the but we all didn't had our personal jokes on each other, like you got yours on me for falling, and the chair breaking on me in the in the cafeteria, and I was on the floor like this, you know. So we just we got our different things that happened that kept us, you know, happy and having a good time, being away from home, even though we weren't that far from home because we were in Dayton, but we still were away and trying to get used to you know meeting other people and and and let's just keep it real. Being a freshman in the university choir with James Arthur Williams was not no punk. I mean, that that that was that that was that was like a consistent initiation and hazing your entire freshman year. So we we had a lot to deal with.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, my mouth kept y'all in so much trouble, and I apologize for anybody that may still be dealing with life because of my mouth, and you was and you was in the choir, but hey, you know, at least I use my mouth for good now, like but one thing about it, what what I what it took, I didn't understand it at first, and it took me to transfer to another school to see why Mr.
SPEAKER_07:Williams was the way he was. Oh, and what I mean by that is as mean as he was to us as freshmen, because he was mean, let's just keep it real. He was mean, but he was hard on us, he would get mad at us, and then two days later he'd be smiling, hey, how you know that type of stuff. It just he was just hard on us, you know, but he knew that we had talent. That's true, you know, and I believe that that's why he was so hard on us, and some of the upperclassmen were jealous of us, you know, which I didn't understand why, because we were nice to everybody. You know, we didn't we didn't come in there, you know, with our heads in the sky and thinking we were all that. We just wanted to be part of a community, you know, and so a lot of the we were even mistreated by some of them, but I think that Mr. Williams saw how we would speak up for ourselves and stick together, you know, to where it just didn't matter.
unknown:We did.
SPEAKER_05:Uh I mean, but honestly, I I remember a lot of stuff. I remember that that's why to this day I know every phrase and lift every voice and say I don't know if you were still with us, but we were somewhere and he was like, What food don't know every you know? Yeah, I said I better learn it, you know. But I guess because I always spoke back because I'm like, my dad don't even talk to me.
SPEAKER_07:I ain't gonna let me do it. You do you did you one thing I can say is you spoke up for us and you didn't you didn't take no stuff from him, and he knew that.
SPEAKER_05:I mean, but to this day, I can honestly say, like you, you know, I respect him because I see what he was preparing us for. Yeah, so I mean, even just the little things, you know, like a couple a couple of shows ago, Manasseh was on here. You remember Manasseh? Yeah, he was on here and he was like, Do you remember where he told them people we want no cookie and punch choir? I was like, Yeah, I remember that. We gotta go because the Ryan's a golden corral somewhere we want to eat no cookies and punch. Right. You know, so that that sets a standard, you know, for who he who he made us be. Like, I haven't really sung like I used to, you know. Occasionally I come out of retirement. I know y'all I'm doing better, I'm starting to sing more lately. But he has set that standard to where you can just walk in any room and just change the atmosphere. Yeah, I'm grateful for him. And you know what? Um, by the time this air, it might be too late, but even Miss Brown, you remember Miss Brown, don't you? Yeah, even you know, her presence in this year, you know, we hope at the um dance that we get to do some type of special thing for her. I know right now her birthday has passed, so we did a tribute video for her birthday. So hopefully, but I uh I love Mama Brown too, and then Ms. O passed. I don't know if you were aware of it.
SPEAKER_07:No, I didn't know she passed.
SPEAKER_05:Okay, so yeah, them them three kept us together on them buses.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, Gwendolyn Brown kept us together, baby.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, Jesus. Well, I'm gonna take a short, short, short commercial break. And guys, if you're watching, um, I'm here with my one of my closest best friends, Doctor, I gotta say it right, Dr. Jamie McCoy, uh a host of other things that we're gonna talk to after this break. But right after this, we'll be back.
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SPEAKER_05:Welcome back, welcome back. I'm here with uh, you know, shout out to Class of 95 fall that came into Wobble Forest. I um, in my personal opinion, other than my parents' class, was the best class to ever enter. I think we probably was the rowdiest, but hey, best class to come into. It's like, yeah, we were now Jamie has done some amazing, amazing things. And I, you know, I can sing all day about the exciting things that she's done. I'd be like, dang, you know, I remember last, was it last year? Yeah, two years ago. I surprised her came to Houston. And um because I tell people I'm coming now. I do have a good heart, like I really do be have a good heart. I mean coming, but sometimes I just don't get to make it. But I went to a party with Jamie and Twister, and I'm sitting there like, I said, This is my bestie, and she's just doing it big. I think people thought we was crazy because we were screaming like two old ladies in the middle.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, we were so we were so excited to see each other.
SPEAKER_05:Scream like two old ladies in the middle of the club. They like who is what is who is she? I said, I guess they think I'm famous like her because they couldn't help but laugh. But you, I mean, you fulfilling all your stuff, friend. I'm proud of you.
SPEAKER_07:Well, thank you. You know, it has not been easy, but I I thank God, you know, that I've been able to just press forward, and part of that was what I took away from Wilburforce with me, just the stay in power and to just keep going, no matter how good or bad the day is, or no matter what obstacle Wilberforce did prepare me for the world out here because it is a doggy dog world, and it's a lot going on. But I'm grateful that I've been able to have a great professional singing career that transitioned me into film and television, you know, which is is what I love and where I am now and have been now for 10 plus years. So I'm happy about that.
SPEAKER_05:Man, and she's not y'all, you know, I was like talking mad trash because I was like, damn, you don't do nothing, you just produce like I was talking mad trash about it until I went on a set. I don't know if she prepped for a film or whatever, but we was in an undisclosed location, and the way she had to walk through the things and look and stuff, I don't know. The one house scared the scared the pee out of me. I know, sorry, but it scared me that bad that I had to go to the restroom, and I didn't know if it was a fake restroom or a prop restroom at that house. The pictures were moving, and I was like, I gotta go to the bathroom. Like I was scared, but I'm like, I had a whole new respect for the work that she does behind the scenes and getting ready for these wonderful films and things that she's doing, but I don't even think I ever told you that, JB.
SPEAKER_06:That that's house that's the house was spooky, it scared me.
SPEAKER_05:I was like, mm-mm. I know you probably was like, friend, what's wrong with you?
SPEAKER_07:That house was spooky. That was one of the reasons why we were there, you know, because it it was a horror project, which I don't do a lot of horror projects, once every blue moon. Maybe in my entire career, I may have three in my catalog. You know, I mostly do suspense thrillers, Christmas movies, biopics, and stuff like that. So, but every blue moon, I'll sprinkle a little bit of scariness in you.
SPEAKER_05:I didn't even need to see the movie, it was the it was just walking through that hell. I think I even I was like, Oh my god, like my heart was beating. This ain't normal. But yeah, if you ever think that a movie producer does nothing, take my word, they do more than enough.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, yeah, we do. It takes it takes a lot to go into and make a two-hour movie that you guys sit and watch when it's finished.
SPEAKER_05:It takes a lot behind the scenes, but one thing, but you know, you had a movie recently, maybe about a year ago, The Miss Cleo by Optic. It had to hands down, had to be like one of the ones that actually didn't get scared because some of your movies are they scared me too much. I gotta watch my own. I ain't gonna lie. Like you had one, I think, with Omar Goody.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, you can never go home again on Lifetime.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, that one I had to thriller.
SPEAKER_07:That wasn't even scary.
SPEAKER_05:It was a thriller. I said, Jamie Try. Oh my god, and I start processing stuff. I'm like, did I treat somebody that way? Did I do it?
SPEAKER_07:It was a typical lifetime movie thriller with the lights on.
SPEAKER_05:I watched it, but the miss Cleo, if you remember back at Wilberforce, we used to imitate her.
SPEAKER_07:I remember we was always saying, Balming all. Yes. So you can see like Miss Cleo. I was like, and that's one of the reasons why when I found out when she died, and she died in Florida, I got intrigued because I was like, we haven't heard anything about her since the 90s. And then and when I started looking into it, I was like, wait a minute, this lady was blamed for something that she wasn't in control of, and we did nothing but make a mockery out of her and laugh at her and all this stuff, and thought she was this big fake. That was one of the main reasons why I did the biopic so people could really see what really happened and see the truth about it.
SPEAKER_05:That was cool because I I did, I think me and my mom watched it because I even took a picture, I took a picture of your name. Like, I I know, I'm like, I know I'm like my bestie's biggest. I would take a picture of her name and tag everybody and God on Facebook, and then you say my best friend's name and lights.
SPEAKER_06:Thank you.
SPEAKER_05:So but I did for that one. That one I did, but I watched it with the lights on too. I wasn't scared of that one. But you like, I mean, you are living out because when you left Wilberforce, I will be honest, that was the saddest day because I was like, my choir roommate is gone, my friend is gone, whoever tells secrets to, because that's the only person I talked to since freshman year. Um, but you know, we had to have to lose stuff to grow sometimes. So I understand that she had to go where where she went, and I had I stayed at Wilberforce and we both finished, so yeah, that's a plus.
SPEAKER_06:Yes, exactly. Amen.
SPEAKER_05:Sometimes people leave and they don't finish, and I'm like, what happened to you? I didn't go to school. I didn't no, you gotta finish. Stay to the finish, no matter how long it takes you to get done.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Just saying.
SPEAKER_06:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05:You know, so what? Because you ain't you dancing around it. But after this commercial break, I want you to tell people because where they can find your movies. Like, I pulled up your catalog on various platforms, and I was like, this girl doing it big, even though some of her films, if you a thriller, watch her, you will enjoy it. I gotta watch with the lights on just so I can help my bestie get ratings. But after this, she's gonna tell you where her movies and things can be found in the name of her company.
SPEAKER_07:Yes.
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SPEAKER_05:You know, when I'm on here with people that actually know me, we go a little bit off the script. So I'm sorry if you thought you were getting a uh you know different version of the show, but today you probably will learn some things about me that you did not know because my best friend. So, Jamie, tell us where people can find your films. They hear me say it all the time because I'm always you know sharing, posting. Like, look, go check this out. So tell us.
SPEAKER_07:All right, well, first the name of my um film production company is Hillion Air Productions. So we have films on Lifetime, BET Plus, BET, TV1, Amazon Prime. Uh, we have a to be original um called The Caregiver, which we're gonna be filming part two of that first quarter of next year. Um, but that's a good suspense thriller. I don't think that Monique has watched it. She's probably scary, but it's a really good one. So um you can go on IMDB and put in my name, um, Jamie McCoy. You can put in Hillion Air Productions, and you can see the whole catalog and where things are located. Also, have some new releases coming out within the next 60 days as well. One of the newest releases will be the Turkey Leg Hut documentary, the famous Turkey Leg Hut in Houston, The Rise and Fall of That Restaurant Empire, um, as a documentary which is extremely juicy, so and informative. So, yeah, that's pretty much it.
SPEAKER_05:Wow, I didn't friend, I didn't know you did that one. I mean, I think I probably did it, but you do so much, and I just yeah, we filmed that one back in July.
SPEAKER_07:Oh wow, and it's juicy.
SPEAKER_05:I'ma watch it. I'ma watch it like that. Oh, because I went there, I went there, but it was like the line was long or something because I had to speak in Houston for something. The line was so long, I was like, not about to go here. But yeah, I just I just always wondered about that, you know. I'm gonna watch it. So y'all, y'all heard it here, y'all better watch it.
SPEAKER_04:Watch it, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:But I am so glad that you have given us the time of day because she's busy, y'all. Y'all think I'm busy, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Well, I appreciate it. I appreciate the invite. It's always nice chatting with you and getting caught up. And like I said, I'm so proud of your platform and everything that you're doing. So I appreciate you having me.
SPEAKER_05:Thank you, thank you. And you know, I still listen to if I don't remember the name of says color, is it color love? Yeah, Jamie has a song, and I promise you, I had it like in my car one day, and I was playing it, and I was like, That's my friend on the radio. So one day, you know, one day y'all, I'm not gonna make any promises, but one day I think I might. That's the only goal in life I have not done yet, is record. So who knows?
SPEAKER_06:Well, we well, we well, we're gonna do it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:So before before we go, um I am going to uh tell about some of our upcoming events. We have our um event at the wonder chamber, jamie. The wonder chamber is not what you think, it's a selfie museum. I say wonder chamber and people mind go left. But we're doing a toy drive. So it's HBCU Knight at the Wonder Chamber. Come in your gear. I don't know what I'm wearing yet because I have like a thousand Wilberforce jerseys. I don't know if I want to be Wilburforce or be HBCU. One of the two. Um, and if you don't think you can make it to the Wonder Chamber, we are taking donations through GiveAfly, look up a better chance for you futures Inc. You can donate that way, and we will make sure the nursery gets your toys. We also are getting ready for our nominations for our People's Choice Awards, our HBCU Community Awards and Gala in May. Y'all everybody know the month of May is National Monique Birthday Month. Period. So this year we're doing something different. Now, I did tell Jamie I was gonna put her on blast, but um this year we're doing something different. We actually have our ABC youth icon awards. Um so those people are not voting, they're not people's choice, they're people who have actually helped our organization from day one. Um, and so um my bestie is getting the icon award this year, so I am so proud that she will be getting the icon award, you know.
SPEAKER_06:Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_05:So I don't know if I'll be able to take anything serious that whole weekend because usually it's the Friday, people come in Saturday. Um, we have the Gala Sunday. Uh Mr. Cedric Moss, it's your cue. He usually plans a tour for everybody or something to do. But guys, this year I'm like, we're doing icon HBCU awards, and I'm so happy that you know I get to give her her flowers this year because she will be there.
SPEAKER_06:I will be there. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_05:You are so welcome. We gotta call up Miss Sarah Turk.
SPEAKER_06:She would love that, she would love that.
SPEAKER_05:Remember in the fifth grade in Lincoln IGE, you taught me how to make a human rain cloud. Love her to life. I love her to life. So thank you guys for watching. You have been sitting here enjoying um reminisce times with me and my bestie. Uh, we don't see each other often, but when we talk, it's like we never dropped a B.
SPEAKER_07:Exactly, never dropped a B.
SPEAKER_05:So if you are in school and you're wondering how things are gonna navigate, friendships, things like that, true friendship, the bond never breaks. It just never breaks, no matter how far apart you are, how close you are to each other. So it's been real. You got anything you want to say before we go?
SPEAKER_07:I just want to congratulate all of these young scholars who are at their prospective universities and colleges and paving their own way. Keep at it. We know that we are in crazy times, and just keep doing what you believe in and and what you want to do in your heart and never let anybody tell you know that you can't do something, just keep going.
SPEAKER_05:That part because people that had no's in our right, yeah. We we look at her. I mean, it started at three skew. If you know, you know, yeah, yeah, true. Three scoop, uh, but oh no, and two Jackson. So Jackson was probably a little bit worse, but we cut up in Jackson. Allegedly, I'm gonna say allegedly. All right, till next time, guys. Till next time.
SPEAKER_02:All right, bye-bye. Bye. For inspiration, motivation, and the good news of Jesus Christ. Look no further. The Daily Gospel Network has what you need. With more than 300 ministries from all over the country broadcasting every week, you're sure to get your dose of spirit-filled encouragement from the great programs on the Daily Gospel Network. Catch the Daily Gospel Network on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, all mobile devices, and the internet.
SPEAKER_01:Tune in to a Better Chance for Youth Television show with host Monique Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network. A television show dedicated to highlighting incredible students on their quest to change the world. Join us every week as we uplift the youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. Catch a Better Chance for Youth Television show with host Monique Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network. Thanks for watching a Better Chance for Youth Television Show with your host Monique Robinson. The television show where we highlight incredible students in their quest to change the world. Join us each and every week as we uplift our youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. So until next time, God bless. From your friends on a Better Chance for Youth Television show with your host Monique Robinson.
