Subscribe to Motivational Mondays on your favorite podcast platform!
Rheon D. Gibson is the creator of Dizz Wizz, a motivational children's book series geared toward changing the mainstream perspective of minorities in the media. He created the series to utilize his socio-emotional background and master’s degree in school counseling to positively impact his clients.
After receiving positive feedback on his first book, he decided to turn it into a series. Learn more about the impact Rheon hopes his books will have in this episode of Motivational Mondays.
Rheon’s Passion for Understanding Human Behavior
Rheon is an author, elementary school principal, community leader, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and Educational Administration. He’s passionate about understanding human behavior. Where does this passion stem from?
Rheon started his career as an instructional assistant. He was helping to de-escalate a student who looked him in the eyes and said, “I just wish I had someone that understood me the way I understood myself.” That statement ignited a fire in Rheon.
Changing the Mainstream Perspective of Minorities
Rheon’s books are based on conversations with his son. Rheon points out that the mainstream media doesn’t associate African Americans with positive parenting often, if ever. But he knows many great African American fathers and he wants the world to see what he sees. The very absence of these positive relationships in mainstream media leads people to misinformed perceptions.
Rheon’s books demonstrate that you can teach moral lessons in a book series based on an African American father and son, and these lessons can be applied to individuals from all walks of life. He’s utilizing diversity as a means to change people’s perceptions.
Rheon wants people to understand that everyone has biases. But one must learn to filter out biases before they negatively impact others. His books aren’t just about educating students but adults as well. Rheon is engaging in important work that strives to change the negative narratives of minorities.
Learn about Rheon’s First Three Books
Rheon’s first book, Speaking It Into Existence, is dedicated to learning to believe in oneself and shutting off negative self-talk. Instead of internalizing failure, his book teaches kids to use failure as a teaching moment and modify future approaches for a better outcome.
His second book, Hungry Charlie, is about making connections with others who are different from you. Rheon notes that it teaches, “Instead of ostracizing and isolating, we should be embracing and understanding.”
Rheon’s third book, Officer Tennessee, is all about overcoming misunderstandings and bridging perspectives to come together as a community. It covers both police and pit bulls—two topics with negative stigmas attached to them. It’s about setting aside perceptual predispositions that can tarnish interactions.
Listen to this episode to learn about...
- [0:42] The purpose of the Dizz Wizz book series
- [2:17] Rheon’s other books
- [6:14] Rheon’s passion for understanding human behavior
- [7:28] Changing the mainstream perspective of minorities
- [13:56] Cultivating meaningful conversations with children
Listen to the bonus episode to learn how a guidance counselor changed Rheon’s life and his personal advice for reaching success.
Resources:
-
Purchase the Dizz Wizz books: the first 50 people to purchase Officer Tennessee will get their name included in the next publication
- Contact Rheon to schedule a speaking engagement
- Follow Rheon on Twitter
-
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes
