Épisodes

  • Gutting the Voting Rights Act w/ Cliff Albright

    Gutting the Voting Rights Act w/ Cliff Albright
    Dec 2 2025
    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.org

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    58 min
  • Black Women's Political Power w/Glynda Carr

    Black Women's Political Power w/Glynda Carr
    Nov 25 2025
    In this conversation, Glynda Carr—co-founder, president, and CEO of Higher Heights—joins Dr. David J. Johns to discuss Black women's unwavering commitment to democracy, even as their political power faces unprecedented attacks. From the Brooklyn café where Higher Heights was born to the dungeons of Ghana where ancestors dreamed of freedom, Glynda traces the through-line of Black women's political organizing across generations.

    Glynda breaks down why Black women voters feel their power decreasing despite being democracy's most reliable defenders, how to navigate the current assault on election integrity, and what it means to "run toward your power" when authoritarianism is rising. She shares the "Kamala Effect," discusses the importance of creating political budgets, and issues a rallying cry: we are the ones we've been waiting for—our ancestors could see us, and we must build the yellow brick road to the possibilities they dreamed of.

    This episode is essential listening for anyone committed to defending democracy, understanding Black women's political power, and building the multiracial, multigenerational coalition necessary for this moment.

    Content Warnings

    This episode contains discussions of:
    • Historical and contemporary violence against Black people, including slavery and the Middle Passage
    • Political persecution and attacks on Black women leaders
    • Gun violence and the murder of Jordan Russell Davis
    • Systemic oppression and racial trauma
    • Election-related anxiety and grief
    Listener discretion is advised. Please practice self-care while engaging with this conversation.

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    50 min
  • Unbought and Unbossed: Joy-Ann Reid on Independent Black Media

    Unbought and Unbossed: Joy-Ann Reid on Independent Black Media
    Nov 18 2025
    In a moment when major media companies are bending to power and silencing truth-tellers, Joy-Ann Reid is building something different. Fresh from her historic run as cable's first Black woman to host a primetime news program, Joy joins the class to talk about getting fired on her day off, launching The Joy Ann Reid Show the very next day, and what it really means to refuse fear in the face of autocracy.

    This conversation goes deep—from the behind-the-scenes call that ended The ReidOut, to standing firm when Trump targets you by name, to why your voice is the one thing they can never take. Joy breaks down the business of building independent Black media, the freedom that comes from owning your platform, and why resistance starts with refusing to be silent.

    If you've ever wondered what courage looks like in practice, or how to keep fighting when institutions fail us, this is your episode.

    Show Notes:
    • Follow Joy Ann Reid: The Joy Ann Reid Show | Substack: joyannreid.com
    • Read Joy's books including Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America
    • Support independent Black journalism and subscribe to Joy's platforms
    This episode of Teach the Babies features candid conversation about serious topics. The discussion includes:
    • Strong language (we believe in authentic conversation)
    • Detailed accounts of sudden job loss and workplace trauma
    • Discussion of threats and intimidation from political figures, including threats of arrest and imprisonment
    • References to police violence against Black people
    • Discussion of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and violence against Palestinians
    • Frank talk about media censorship and institutional failures
    Why We're Not Sanitizing This Conversation:
    At Teach the Babies, we believe our community—especially our young people—deserves to hear truth-telling in its full complexity. Joy Ann Reid's story and voice represent the courage and clarity we need now. We trust you to engage with this content in ways that serve your own well-being while honoring the importance of what's being said.

    Take care of yourself: If you need to pause, step away, or return to this episode when you're ready, that's completely valid. Your well-being matters.

    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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    45 min
  • Governing Under Occupation w. Councilwoman Christina Henderson

    Governing Under Occupation w. Councilwoman Christina Henderson
    Nov 11 2025
    Councilwoman Christina Henderson breaks down what's really happening with federal occupation of DC, why National Guard troops on American streets should alarm everyone, and the pattern of attacks on Black women's leadership.

    As an independent councilmember raising two Black daughters in DC, she speaks truth about local power, why your council member matters more than you think, and what she's teaching her children about resistance.

    Three actions you can take: Ask your congressperson about DC statehood. Call your governor to bring troops home. Interrogate what you consume.

    Required listening for anyone who cares about democracy and the future our babies deserve.

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

    Preserving Legacy and the Power of Mutual Aid with Deesha Dyer
    Nov 4 2025
    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.com
    Instagram: @deedyer267
    Email: deesha@deeshadyer.com (She answers every email!)
    Book: Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble
    (Available at libraries and independent bookstores)

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    1 h et 1 min
  • Honoring Michael K. Williams and Fighting for Black Mental Health

    Honoring Michael K. Williams and Fighting for Black Mental Health
    Oct 28 2025
    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 action

    Together, 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 too

    This conversation could save a life—maybe yours

    Resources mentioned:
    • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
    • SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
    • Startcare: startny.org
    • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
    • NBJC (National Black Justice Collective): nbjc.or
    • We Build The Block https://webuildtheblock.org/


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    1 h et 1 min
  • Brothers in Conversation-Million Man March 30 Years Later

    Brothers in Conversation-Million Man March 30 Years Later
    Oct 21 2025
    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 belong
    • How sexuality has been weaponized to divide Black men
    • What happens when a megachurch pastor admits he was doing "domestic terrorism" from the pulpit
    • Why the Black church owes the LGBTQ+ community an apology
    • What it costs when we police masculinity instead of expanding brotherhood
    • How we turn churches into sanctuaries and teach the babies that vulnerability is strength
    This 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.com

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    1 h et 18 min
  • Building Radical Brotherhood- Rev. Mark Thompson on the Million Man March at 30

    Building Radical Brotherhood- Rev. Mark Thompson on the Million Man March at 30
    Oct 14 2025
    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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    54 min