Teach the Babies w/ Dr. David J. Johns

Dr. Christina Grant returns to Teach the Babies with an urgent message: the decline of learning in America should be considered a national emergency. From her work leading the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard to serving on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. Grant breaks down what's actually working in education recovery—and what we're missing in the chaos. She challenges us to rethink everything from AI in the classroom to how we assess our children, and reminds us why her first love has always been teaching. This conversation is about being fearless, being smart, and refusing to let our babies be used by the tools instead of trained to build them. If you missed her first visit (June 23, 2024: "Systems Work Exactly As Designed"), catch up—and then listen to this one twice.

SHOW NOTES & RESOURCESResources Mentioned:Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR): https://cepr.harvard.edu
Education Recovery Scorecard: https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org
AI.edu: https://ai.edu (Dr. Grant serves on advisory board)
Google for Education: https://edu.google.com
ASU+GSV Summit: https://asugsvsummit.com (President: Tiffany Taylor)
Connect with Dr. Grant:LinkedIn: Christina Grant
Email: [email protected]
Related Episode: Listen to Dr. Grant's first Teach the Babies appearance: "Systems Work Exactly As Designed" (June 23, 2024)

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What happens when the process meant to deliver justice becomes part of the problem?

Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of Radical Reparations and professor at UCLA, was denied even the chance to compete for Washington State's groundbreaking reparations study—not because his proposal wasn't strong enough, but because it allegedly got lost in malware. No portal. No receipt. No accountability. And when he pushed back, he was denied a required debriefing—twice.

Dr. Hunter breaks down what went wrong in Washington, why it matters for every state considering reparations, and what we all need to do right now. They discuss the Department of Commerce's troubling patterns, the role of Attorney General Nick Brown, and why legendary economist Dr. William Darity was also shut out.

"Reparations is sacred work," Dr. Hunter reminds us, "and if the process is not governed with integrity, the repair cannot and will not be trusted." 

This episode is a call to action. Not on our watch.

RESOURCES & TAKE ACTION:Read the Documents:Dr. Hunter's public records and analysis: marcusanthonyhunter.com/rol
Extended coverage: AFRO.com article (search: Marcus Hunter Washington reparations)
Request Washington State public records: Washington Department of Commerce
Contact Decision-Makers & Demand oversight of Department of Commerce procurement practices:Attorney General Nick Brown (WA's first Black AG). Email: email via AG website. Phone: (360) 753-6200
Learn About Reparations:Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation by Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter
From Here to Equality by Dr. William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen
H.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals: Congress.gov
National Black Justice Coalition reparations resources: NBJC.org/reparations

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What does leadership look like when your city is under federal occupation? When ICE agents are killing civilians in your streets? When thousands of your neighbors are being hunted, arrested, and deported—and you're the one people are looking to for answers?In this urgent conversation, Dr. David Johns sits down with Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley, the council's Minority Leader and the first Democratic Socialist to hold leadership on the council. Robin represents Ward 2, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the country, and she's been on the front lines of what's been called the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history: Operation Metro Surge.

Robin doesn't just talk about what happened in Minneapolis—she was there. She was at the scene when Renée Good was killed by federal agents. She's been organizing eviction moratoriums, securing rental assistance, calling for ICE to be abolished, and building communities of care in the middle of a crisis designed to break people.

Most importantly, Robin teaches us about revolutionary love—how Minneapolis chose to lean into care and compassion instead of bitterness when faced with state-sanctioned terror. She shows us what a politics of care looks like: starting with your neighbors, your workplace, your school, your faith community. Building the networks that sustain us when institutions fail us.

Class is in session. And this lesson is for everyone.

CONNECT WITH ROBIN WONSLEY:
Instagram/Twitter/TikTok/Bluesky: @Robin4MPLS or @RobinForMPLS
Email: [email protected]
Website: Robin4MPLS.com

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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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