Teach the Babies w/ Dr. David J. Johns

On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and poet, in Minneapolis. One week earlier, an off-duty ICE agent killed Keith Porter Jr., a Black father of two, on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles. No charges have been filed in either case.

Dr. Jason Johnson—professor, MSNBC contributor, and political analyst—argues that Democrats should make abolishing ICE central to their 2026 midterm campaigns. His case isn't just moral—it's political. Polling shows 46% of Americans support abolishing ICE, higher than support for abolishing the IRS. Yet Democratic leadership remains silent.

In this urgent conversation, Jason breaks down why ICE's absence from pop culture creates a unique political opportunity, how ICE spending is an economic justice issue, why this agency operates as a secret police force, and what it means for Democrats to actually be an opposition party. The question now: will Democrats have the courage to act?

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

Dr. Jason Johnson's Work:Article: "Democrats need to run against ICE in 2026" (MSNBC) - https://www.ms.now/opinion/abolish-ice-polls-democrats-midterms-2026 
YouTube Channel: Dr. Jason Johnson (Three Things series)
Book: Political Consultants & Campaigns: One Day to Sell

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In this urgent conversation, immigration attorney Allen Orr—the first Black president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and founder of Orr Immigration Law Firm—breaks down what's really happening with ICE enforcement across the country.

We discuss:The truth behind "Operation Metro Surge" and mass raids
Why 75,000 people with NO criminal record were arrested
What happened to the 2 US citizens killed in Minneapolis
Children are being detained and separated from their families
The profit motive behind private detention centers
Deaths in ICE custody (32 last year alone)
Practical know-your-rights information everyone needs RIGHT NOW
What to do if ICE shows up at your door, stops you on the street, or pulls you over
Resources for undocumented folks, DACA/TPS holders, green card holders, and US citizens
Why this affects ALL Black communities—not just immigrants
The connection between immigration enforcement and voting rights
What the "self-deportation" program really means
The bigger picture: what's the actual endgame?
This is information your family needs. Your neighbors need. Your congregation needs.

Listen. Share. Protect each other.

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Dr. Chris Pernell joins the class for a conversation that is equal parts urgent and tender. As a public health physician, strategist, and NAACP Fellow, Dr. Pernell breaks down the Black maternal health crisis with unflinching clarity: racism kills. She unpacks how the medical industrial complex fails Black mothers, offers practical advocacy tools for birthing people and their loved ones, and navigates the dangerous terrain of vaccine misinformation in the current political climate.

But this conversation doesn't stop at systems—it goes to the soul. Dr. Pernell shares the lessons her parents taught her: a mother with "a PhD in love" who taught her how to protect her core, and a father who was "a fighter's fighter" who cultivated in her "a sense of self that racism can't touch." This is about survival, yes—but it's also about joy, freedom, and the ancestral wisdom that keeps us fighting.

IN THIS EPISODE:
Why Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications—and what we can do about it
The difference between misinformation and disinformation (and why it matters)
Practical advocacy advice: "What else might this be?"
How the current administration's attack on vaccines threatens public health for generations
Guarding joy in the midst of systemic battles
The legacy of love and resistance that fuels the fight for health equity
RESOURCES SHARED:
American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.aap.org
Yale School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Commonwealth Fund
The Political Determinants of Health by Daniel Dawes
NAACP Center for Health Equity: https://naacp.org
FOLLOW DR. CHRIS PERNELL:
Instagram: @thegooddoctormd
LinkedIn: Dr. Chris T. Pernell
NAACP.org

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Preston Mitchum returns fresh from a wedding that was equal parts celebration and declaration. He opens up about the revolutionary act of Black men loving Black men, what it means to center abundance and joy, and how chosen family showed up in full force.

As a policy advocate working at the intersections of race, sexuality, and gender, Preston also breaks down what's at stake in the 2026 midterms—voting rights, trans liberation, Title IX. He shares where he finds inspiration, how mutual aid sustains the work, and what it means to build a life with his partner that honors both togetherness and individual freedom.

This is a conversation about love as resistance, joy as defiance, and showing up for our people even when we don't have all the answers.

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What does healthy love look like for Black people navigating a world that doesn't always welcome our relationships? In this powerful conversation, Prince Amari—the first certified Black gay matchmaker in the love industry—breaks down the four essential components of lasting love and why representation in relationships matters just as much as representation in media. From his journey as a dancer at Howard to becoming a matchmaker, dating coach, and hypnotherapist, Amari shares why community is essential to sustaining love and how queer folks can build relationships that affirm who we are.

Show Notes:
Connect with Prince Amari: Instagram & YouTube @PrinceAmari
Take the Dating Skill Quiz: DatingSkillQuiz.com
Read: Lasting Love at Last: A Gay Guide to Attracting the Relationship of Your Dreams (International Bestseller)
Upcoming: Love Alchemy: The Gay Guide to Transforming Love Blocks into Relationship Gold

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