Teach the Babies w/ Dr. David J. Johns

Freedom Summer didn't end in 1964 — it lives in every classroom, every protest, every young person who picks up a book and sees themselves as their own liberator. In this conversation, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with his sister and colleague Dr. Brittany Packnett Cunningham — strategist, educator, Webby Award-winning host of UNDISTRACTED, and Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of the Children's Defense Fund — to trace the direct line from Mississippi 1964 to the urgent work of this summer.They go deep on who actually carried Freedom Summer — young people and everyday Black Mississippians who risked everything for the audacity of a vote — and how Marian Wright, present on those same voter registration lines, took what she saw and built what would become CDF Freedom Schools, now serving upwards of 12,000 students every summer. Dr. Brittany explains why Freedom Schools are as much an intervention for the whole family as they are for the child — and why, in a moment when Roots has been banned in the same county where Alex Haley bought the farm that bears its legacy, we cannot afford to lose the recipes.The conversation moves into UNDISTRACTED — the Meteor Network flagship that Dr. David is proud to be part of as a correspondent this season — and what it means to build a platform where the questions are better and the community is ready to wrestle with them. And it closes with the ecosystem that connects it all: State of the People, Signal LIVE, All Roads Lead South, and Freedom Summer 2026 — a season-long drumbeat of mobilization, education, and local organizing rooted in the same soil as 1964.This is not a closed chapter. This is a living model. Class is in session.Show Notes:CDF Freedom Schools Find a Freedom School near you, apply to become a Servant Leader Intern, or explore leadership pathways for students, parents, caregivers, and faith leaders: childrensdefense.orgFreedom Summer 2026 Host a satellite rally, join Juneteenth Week of Action events, and plug into mobilization happening across the country all summer long: freedomsummer2026.comUNDISTRACTED / The Meteor Webby Award-winning podcast hosted by Dr. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, flagship of the Meteor Network. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts and at wearethemeteor.comState of the People / Signal LIVE Black-owned, Black-led media ecosystem founded by Angela Rye. Watch Signal LIVE, explore The Black Papers, and tap into the community: stateofthepeople.tvJuneteenth Week of Action events: June 18 (Georgia State Capitol/Liberty Plaza), June 20 (125th Street, Harlem), June 22 (mass virtual meeting with Freedom Trainers/Ashley Woodard Henderson) — UNDISTRACTED Live: June 22, Washington DCBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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/rolExtended coverage: AFRO.com article (search: Marcus Hunter Washington reparations)Request Washington State public records: Washington Department of CommerceContact 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) 753-6200Learn About Reparations:Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation by Dr. Marcus Anthony HunterFrom Here to Equality by Dr. William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten MullenH.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals: Congress.govNational Black Justice Coalition reparations resources: NBJC.org/reparationsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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 & REFERENCESDr. 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 SellBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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 itThe 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 generationsGuarding joy in the midst of systemic battlesThe legacy of love and resistance that fuels the fight for health equityRESOURCES SHARED:American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.aap.orgYale School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins School of Public HealthCommonwealth FundThe Political Determinants of Health by Daniel DawesNAACP Center for Health Equity: https://naacp.orgFOLLOW DR. CHRIS PERNELL:Instagram: @thegooddoctormdLinkedIn: Dr. Chris T. PernellNAACP.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

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 @PrinceAmariTake the Dating Skill Quiz: DatingSkillQuiz.comRead: 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 GoldBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

"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.