Black Moves First Episode 01: Lisa Suhay
In today’s episode I talk with Lisa Suhay about her chess program and the impact she has had on her community throughout the pandemic. Lisa is a world changer, mentor and inspiration to everyone she meets. Lisa has performed a TEDx of community engagement in creating chess programs for children and is the co-founder of the Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence (NICE), a nationally recognized volunteer organization that brings Learn & Play chess to communities in order to advance critical thinking.
Lisa Suhay lives in Norfolk, Virginia where she serves as the scribe for the fairy penpals program. She has been a journalist for 31 years for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Philadelphia Inquirer and is the author of 10 children’s books, including There Goes a Mermaid: A NorFolktale and America the Grateful: Where Thanksgiving Really Began.
This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
1:40 Introduction to Lisa Suhay
2:17 Alton shares how he and Lisa met and Alton shares his appreciation for the chess program Lisa started.
3:48 Lisa talks about her chess background and beginning the chess program.
6:33 How chess has been used in Lisa’s community to bring people together during the pandemic & how it’s impacted the youth, seniors and homeless.
11:22 What N.I.C.E. stands for and what it means.
12:59 “Chess isn’t a game for smart people.”
14:30 Lisa shares the story of how she ran into a previous chess student at the supermarket and what he shared with her about how chess changed his life.
15:28 Lisa’s teaching style and how chess impacts life decisions.
20:32 Alton asks Lisa about her background in journalism, her TEDx talk and her 10 children’s books.
22:06 The Fairy Story - How the pandemic affected the chess program and what Lisa has done to support the children in her community the past year.
27:18 How Lisa ended up on the Kelly Clarkson Show.
30:25 Lisa shares the story of when she and the other chess mentors bought shoes for a child in the chess program & the impact it had on his life.
34:03 How and why Lisa became the co-chair of the commission to reshape community policing in the state of Virginia.
44:24 A bad day vs a bad job
46:20 Lisa shares the story of when she taught a young black child to play chess and the history of why the white piece moves first.
51:55 Why Lisa doesn’t pressure students to win.
55:04 Alton shares his gratitude for Lisa joining him on the first episode of the podcast.
Resources mentioned in today’s episode:
Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence (NICE): https://www.nicechess.net
Lisa’s Children's Books:
