Free Thinking with Montel

What if one of the most consequential wars in American history might have taken a different course?

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with distinguished attorney, historian, professor, and author C. Evan Stewart to revisit the turbulent months leading up to the American Civil War—and the largely overlooked role of William Henry Seward.

Best remembered today as Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of ...

#MontelWilliams #MultipleSclerosis #LivingWithMS 

In this special solo episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel Williams gets personal about his decades-long journey with multiple sclerosis—what the disease has taken from him, what it has taught him, and how his approach to living well has evolved since his diagnosis in 1999.

Drawing from his own experiences with pain, fatigue, cognitive changes, stress, and the unpr...

#FreeThinkingWithMontel #MontelWilliams #ForgedValor

What happens when military service ends—but the mission doesn't?

In this inspiring episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel Williams talks with Colonel John Mayer, USMC (Ret.) and Mo Smith, co-founders of Forged Valor, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans, first responders, spouses, and young adults rediscover purpose through horsemanship, ranch work, craftsmanship...

#FreeThinkingWithMontel #MontelWilliams #MultipleSclerosis 

What happens when one life-changing diagnosis becomes the catalyst for helping thousands of others?

In this inspiring episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel Williams sits down with Victoria Reese Brathwaite, Founder and President of We Are ILL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Black women living with multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other autoimmun...

#FreeThinkingWithMontel #MontelWilliams #Podcast 

What if climate change, rising inequality, declining public health, political polarization, food insecurity, and our growing loss of trust aren't separate crises—but symptoms of the same underlying problem?

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel talks with investigative journalist, entrepreneur, and author Fons Burger to explore the powerful ideas behind hi...

After nearly three decades in law enforcement, Paulena Gidda had seen more trauma than most people could imagine. A serious on-duty injury, years investigating child abuse and sexual offenses, and the cumulative weight of witnessing humanity at its worst left her battling PTSD and questioning everything she thought she knew about herself.

But in her darkest moments, healing arrived from an unexpected place.

What began as a personal...

#FreeThinkingWithMontel #Yellowstone #Photography  

For more than four decades, legendary wildlife photographer Tom Murphy has done what few humans ever will—live inside America’s wildest places, not as a visitor, but as a witness.

In this unforgettable episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with the world-renowned Yellowstone photographer, conservationist, adventurer, and storyteller to explore th...

#MentalHealth #YouthMentalHealth #FreeThinkingWithMontel

What does it really mean to help young people thrive in a world filled with anxiety, pressure, isolation, and identity-based challenges?

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with pioneering psychologist, scientist, and mental health advocate Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble to discuss the growing youth mental health crisis—and why traditional...

#FreeThinkingWithMontel, #MontelWilliams, #Podcast

We’re taught to believe the Supreme Court is the final word on justice—but history tells a more complicated story.

In this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with legal expert and author C. Evan Stewart to examine some of the most consequential—and controversial—decisions ever handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

From Dred Scott v....

#FreeThinkingWithMontel #MontelWilliams #CostOfSuccess

What does it really cost to be successful?

In this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel Williams sits down with Dr. Craig Yorke—neurosurgeon and author of Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon’s Journey—to unpack the hidden cost of excellence.

From growing up in segregated Boston to becoming a leading neurosurgeon, Yorke shares the pressure of being raised to be...

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with endurance runners Colin Goodman and Matthew Knaggs—two men living with Multiple Sclerosis who refuse to let diagnosis define their future.

After being diagnosed with MS, both Colin and Matt chose movement over fear. Their latest challenge is extraordinary: a 350-mile run across Ireland from Mizen Head to Malin Head, raising funds and awareness for MS while sp...

For many veterans and first responders, the hardest battles don’t end when the uniform comes off. Trauma, PTSD, and moral injury can follow them home—quietly shaping relationships, identity, and everyday life.

On this episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with Lew and Nicole Duckwall, co-founders of Patriot Anglers, to talk about what healing actually looks like after service.

Lew is a military veteran ...

What does it take to break a cycle you were born into?

This week on Free Thinking with Montel, I sit down with Roy Hughes — author, veteran, and foster care survivor — to talk about resilience, responsibility, and redefining what family really means.

Roy’s new memoir, Empty Hands: How One Foster Child Sacrificed Everything He Knew for Life, Liberty, and Happiness, is a raw and unfiltered look at growing up inside th...

This week on Free Thinking with Montel, Montel sits down with Walter Green — visionary leader, bestselling author, and founder of the global Say It Now movement — to explore one of the simplest yet most powerful forces in human life: gratitude.

Walter has built the world’s largest living-tribute initiative around a single idea: don’t wait to say thank you. Through National Say It Now Day (December 17th), his ...

In this powerful and deeply human episode of Free Thinking with Montel, Montel Williams sits down with writer, cultural advocate, and founder of the Baldhead Empress platform, Cheryl McCourtie, to unpack the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Melissa and what recovery really looks like for Jamaica.

On October 28, 2025, the strongest hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history tore through the island—claiming lives, displacin...

Join Montel Williams for an inspiring episode of Free Thinking as we dive into one of the most remarkable environmental success stories of our time. Our guest, Amanda Leland, Executive Director of the Environmental Defense Fund and co-author of the groundbreaking book Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions, takes us on a journey through the miraculous recovery of the Gulf’s red s...

In this inspiring episode of Free Thinking with Montel, we sit down with Ashley Schneider, the powerhouse behind MS Run the US, Inc., and author of the new memoir The Long Run Home. Ashley’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and turning personal pain into a movement that has raised over $4 million for multiple sclerosis awareness, aid, and research.

Ashley shares her deeply personal connection to MS through her mo...

What if getting older didn’t mean getting old?

On today’s episode of Free Thinking, Montel dives into the revolutionary concept of SuperAging with special guest David Cravit, co-author of The  SuperAging Workbook. (Larry Wolf couldn’t join us this time, but his insights are still front and center!)

David shares the groundbreaking strategies behind the Seven A’s of SuperAging—a powerful framework to ...

In this deeply moving episode of Free Thinking with Montel, we welcome back Dr. David Weill, renowned pulmonologist, author, and storyteller. You may remember him from his previous appearance, where he shared insights from his memoir Exhale: Hope, Healing, and A Life in Transplant. Now, he returns to discuss his latest book, Tell Me I Belong: A Journey Across Faiths and Generations, releasing December 9th.

Dr. Weill t...