Teach the Babies w/ Dr. David J. Johns

• Preserving Legacy and the Power of Mutual Aid with Deesha Dyer

  In this deeply personal and politically urgent conversation, Dr. David Johns welcomes his White House family—Deesha Dyer, former Social Secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama—for a raw discussion about what we lose when power demolishes history, and what endures when community builds with intention.Deesha takes us inside the moment she saw excavators tearing down the East Wing of the White House in October 2025—the space where she orchestrated state dinners, opened doors for people who never thought they'd walk through them, and made the People's House truly belong to the people.This conversation moves from the rubble of demolished institutions to the unshakeable foundation of community organizing. Deesha shares lessons learned from Michelle Obama about grace under pressure, why she wrote Undiplomatic for Black girls who "risk it all," and what defending democracy actually looks like in practice: investing in local organizations, letting leaders lead in their expertise, documenting our work, and showing up for each other with intention.Deesha's story is a masterclass in refusing to let imposter syndrome—or anyone else—define your worth. As she reminds us: buildings can be demolished in 72 hours, but they can't demolish the memories, the legacy, or the collective power we build together.This is required listening for anyone who believes that mutual aid isn't charity—it's how we survive, build, and love each other into liberation.Website: DeeshaDyer.comInstagram: @deedyer267Email: [email protected] (She answers every email!)Book: Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble(Available at libraries and independent bookstores)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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• Honoring Michael K. Williams and Fighting for Black Mental Health

  Four years after we lost Michael Kenneth Williams to an accidental overdose, his legacy continues to light the way forward. In this powerful Mental Health Awareness special, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with Dominic Dupont—Michael K's nephew and advocate carrying his uncle's torch—and Jonnel C. Doris, CEO of Startcare, the nation's oldest and largest Black-founded behavioral healthcare organization.This isn't just a memorial. It's a call to actionTogether, we explore how to break the silence, expand access to culturally responsive care, and create spaces where Black men feel safe asking for help. They celebrate Michael K's radical honesty, iconic portrayal of Omar Little, and commitment to criminal justice reform. Most importantly, they remind us that joy was Michael's catalyst—and it can be ours tooThis conversation could save a life—maybe yoursResources mentioned:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)Startcare: startny.orgCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741NBJC (National Black Justice Collective): nbjc.orWe Build The Block https://webuildtheblock.org/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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• Brothers in Conversation-Million Man March 30 Years Later

  This is a special episode of Teach the Babies.On October 16, 2025, we celebrated 30 years since the Million Man March. To honor that anniversary, I sat down with three brothers for a conversation about what the March got right, what it got wrong, and what repair requires of us now.You're about to hear Rev. Mark Thompson (who emceed the original 1995 March), Pastor Jamal Bryant (who's leading one of the nation's largest Black churches), and Sean Ebony Coleman (who's keeping Black trans youth alive in the Bronx) get honest about:Where we were in 1995 and why some of us were told we couldn't belongHow sexuality has been weaponized to divide Black menWhat happens when a megachurch pastor admits he was doing "domestic terrorism" from the pulpitWhy the Black church owes the LGBTQ+ community an apologyWhat it costs when we police masculinity instead of expanding brotherhoodHow we turn churches into sanctuaries and teach the babies that vulnerability is strengthThis conversation is brothers talking WITH each other—not at each other. It's repair in real time. It's reckoning and regeneration.And it's what teaching the babies actually requires.For full video and additional resources, visit NBJC.org and millionmanmarch2025.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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• Building Radical Brotherhood- Rev. Mark Thompson on the Million Man March at 30

  Today, sitting with us in the class of someone who's been in the thick of every significant social justice movement for the past 40 years, Reverend Mark Thompson.A political, civil rights and human rights activist who's organized everything from the 1993 DC Statehood civil disobedience campaign, where he spent 20 days in jail to the upcoming 30th anniversary of The Million Man March. He's also the host of Make It Plain, a brilliant podcast, breaking Down Politics and Human Rights, and he recently authored the lead paper on DC Statehood for the State of the People Black Paper Project.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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• Remember Who We Are with Karen Finney

  Political strategist, journalist, and co-anchor of The Signal LIVE Karen Finney joins the class fresh from co-anchoring the launch of State of the People TV with Dr. David J. Johns. Karen reveals the origin story that drives her work—carrying incarcerated teenage girls who couldn't envision a future into every room of power—and why this moment required something different: a movement disguised as media, where the answers are within our communityThis conversation explores what it means to be impeccable with your word, why the fourth estate matters for democracy, and what makes this moment different. Karen breaks down journalism versus propaganda, shares lessons from crisis communications and surviving brain surgery, and offers a message: your voice matters, we need you—but take a breath first.The answers are within our community. Be impeccable with your word. Remember who we are.Watch The Signal LIVE every Thursday at 9pm ET/8pm CT at stateoftheppl.com/tvBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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