Teach the Babies w/ Dr. David J. Johns

"We Were Short on Cash, Not on Love: Liberation Psychology for the Holidays"Dr. Raquel Martin returns to the class to break down how families can resist capitalism's grip on the holiday season while building real community care. As a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in liberation psychology, Dr. Martin doesn't just help people cope—she helps them fight back.In this conversation, she gets brutally honest about raising Black boys in the South, why "I prescribed activism as much as I prescribed coping skills," and the difference between protective versus proactive parenting. She shares how growing up "short on cash, not on love" taught her that traditions don't require money—they require energy and intention. And she explains why there's no such thing as individual wellness when we're all operating in oppressive systems.Dr. Martin offers concrete strategies: how to talk to children about why the president is terrorizing communities, how to find your 15 minutes for joy even when exhausted, and why following the right people on social media is a survival tool. She also shares her favorite parenting resources and reminds us that apologizing to our children means changed behavior, not Roblox cards.This isn't therapy. This is liberation psychology. This is how we build the communities that will sustain us through whatever comes next.Show notes/resources: Books & AuthorsParenting Resources:"Raising Confident Black Kids" by M.J. Fievre"Raising Resilient Black Kids" by Dr. Erlanger Turner"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel WilkersonDigital Activists & Educators to FollowDr. Lauren C. Mims- @drlaurenmims Garrison Hayes- @garrisonhBlair Imani- @blairimaniMychal Threets- @mychal3tsBrittany Packnett Cunningham- @mspackyettiWebsite: raquelmartinphd.comPodcast: Mind Ya Mental PodcastSocial Media: @RaquelMartinPhDOrganizations & Communities MentionedMalik and Mamas - Parenting group for community buildingBurn the Cape Community - Dr. Martin's online community for Black mental healthGirl Scouts/Boy Scouts - Suggested for building community around shared interestsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

Real accountability isn't comfortable—but it's how we all get free. In this powerful third conversation of our Million Man March 30th Anniversary series, Dr. David J. Johns brings together three organizers whose work centers the intersections that harm Black communities the most: Kenya Hutton (CEO of the Center for Black Equity), Oluchi Omeoga (who leads  the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project), and Preston Mitchum (Black queer-loving lawyer, strategist, and advocate).Together, they name what Black men owe Black women, trans folks, and each other—not through guilt, but through genuine repair. They expose how anti-blackness, misogyny, trans misogynoir, and homophobia work together to reinforce systems that harm us all. They challenge us to move beyond performance to practice: building actual structures of accountability that cross borders, cultures, and comfort zones. From the streets of DC to organizing spaces in South Africa, from the ballroom to the policy room, these three truth-tellers refuse to let us off easy.This isn't about shame. It's about safety and solidarity. Protection rooted in love, not control. Refusing to give up on each other even when it's hard. And remembering that real accountability is a required act of love—because liberation requires all of us.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

Chemistry teacher turned law student. Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal. Juliette Stanley is getting ready to get into some good, necessary trouble—and she's teaching the babies how to do it too.In this powerful conversation, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with Juliette to explore the moment a flying ruler in her classroom changed everything. From teaching 10th graders chemistry in under-resourced Title I schools to leading one of the nation's most prestigious law journals, Juliette's journey is a masterclass in recognizing that sometimes the problem isn't in the building—it's in the law.You'll hear about:Why she walked away from the chemistry classroom (and why she misses it)What it means to lead a publication explicitly dedicated to civil and human rights in this political momentHow her student called her just to show her he was finally at peace (grab tissues for this one)The dangerous reality of how prior convictions silence Black voices in courtroomsWhy grace—especially grace for yourself—is the most important tool for anyone fighting for justiceThis isn't just a story about career development. It's about purpose, power, and what happens when you stop asking permission to disrupt systems that aren't serving the babies. From Alabama classrooms to Howard Law, Juliette Stanley is proof that good trouble comes in many forms—and sometimes it starts with asking: "Why don't we have enough chairs?"Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

Welcome to Event 2 of our Million Man March 30th Anniversary extended dialogue series: "Mentorship & World-Building."Thirty years after the Million Man March, we're asking: How do we mentor the next generation into liberation rather than conformity? How do we build radical brotherhood that includes ALL Black men across sexuality and gender expression?Hosted by Dr. David J. Johns, this conversation brings together Emmy Award winner Dyllon Burnside (Pose, P-Valley, creator of Burnside Artist Retreat), DC organizer Clarence Fluker, and artist Benji Coy.They explore what queer eldership offers ALL young people, how to mentor toward freedom instead of survival, and why Black queer men hold the keys to Black men's liberation. From refusing performative masculinity to living outside the binary, from creating brave healing spaces to "gentle parenting the adults," this conversation offers practical wisdom on building the world we need.This isn't about charity or saviorism. It's about mutual building, world-making, and teaching the babies how to be free.Resources Mentioned:Rashid Newsom - "My Government Means to Kill Me"Keith Boykin's booksBurnside Artist Retreat:  http://www.burnsideartistretreat.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

The Supreme Court just heard arguments in Louisiana v. Callais—a case that could dismantle what's left of the Voting Rights Act and eliminate up to 19 majority-Black congressional districts nationwide. Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter Fund, was there on the front lines.In this urgent and essential conversation, Cliff takes us from his journey in Selma, Alabama—witnessing the 2000 mayoral election that finally ousted the mayor who presided over Bloody Sunday—to standing outside the Supreme Court fighting for Section 2 protections. He explains in plain speak what Louisiana v. Callais actually means: Louisiana had one majority-Black district despite Black people making up one-third of the state. A court ordered a second district. Then "non-African American voters" sued, claiming race-based representation violates the 14th Amendment—the very amendment designed to guarantee Black people equal rights.Cliff breaks down the 2017 Alabama Senate race that put Black Voters Matter on the map, why "The Blackest Bus in America" matters, how disinformation targets Black voters, what organizing with joy actually looks like, and the concrete actions people can take right now. This isn't just about one Supreme Court case—it's about whether our votes matter, whether our communities get representation, and whether the law will protect us or be weaponized against us.Resources: blackvotersmatterfund.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.