Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi, formerly known as Ramel Smith
By Mary Ellen Jones
Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi, formerly known as Ramel Smith, and better known as The Blaquesmith, has joined the team of radio station WNOV 860am/106.5 FM. The show is called Nyumba Upendo, which translates to House of Love. Nyumba Upendo will air every Wednesday for one hour with a start time of 11 a.m. Dr Amoasi will be joined regularly by Dr Alisia Moutry, to help co-host the show.
Dr. Amoasi’s background and community connections
Dr. Amoasi, a proud MPS graduate, attended Green Bay Avenue, Samuel Morse and Rufus King High School. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has been a licensed psychologist since 2006. Over the past twenty years, he has worked as a psychologist for Children’s Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Tennessee State University, the UW Madison Athletic and Clinical Department and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. . Currently, he is a part-time psychological services provider for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Team USA).
Dr. Amoasi is President of Blaquesmith Psychological Services, Inc. In this capacity, he conducts workshops and seminars on various topics (e.g., trauma, suicide, team development, restorative justice, and performance) in schools, businesses and correctional facilities. He has hosted two television shows, Asque the Blaquesmith and Unspeakable Truth. A proud educator, he has taught at all levels, from kindergarten to doctorate. In his spare time, he enjoys doing community service with his brothers from the Kappa Phi chapter of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. in Milwaukee. However, despite all his commitments and duties, his greatest joy lies in the quiet times with his wife Stacey and their children.
NYUMBA UPENDO
The concept behind the Nyumba Upendo radio show was to help delve deeper into the taboo subject of mental health. Dr. Amoasi believes that black radio is the ideal medium to discuss this topic. He declares. “We will provide our community with information from experts in the field of mental health, in and out of state, in a forum that protects their privacy and from the comfort of their car or of their house.” This show is brought to the community through the generous support of Mental Health America of Wisconsin, Uniting Garden Homes and Healthy MKE.
Each show will be different. Nyumba Upendo will tackle serious mental illness issues; but more importantly, it will provide resources and interventions that can be applied to help promote mental well-being. As we explore mental wellbeing, we will discuss areas and topics that people might not normally associate as a factor on our mental health. You will need to check in and spread the word to see what has been prepared for emotional and intellectual consumption. In addition to the Nyumba Upendo radio show, we will have a regular editorial column in the Milwaukee Courier called Kweku’s corner to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and provide timely information to help us build and maintain our emotional balance.
