bell hooks reminds us that each generation must defend democracies and that education is its midwife–it being education. In this episode, David is joined by Cici Battle and Tylik McMillan to bring the group chat reflections on the state of things following the most recent presidential election to life. If you too are angry, struggling to make sense of where we are and how we got here, have curiosity about how Black people on the continent are judging us or what it was like to work for the Democratic party and on the campaign trail THIS is one episode you don’t want to miss.

In this exciting return episode of Teach The Babies Office Hours, we welcome back Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a leading voice in culture, justice, and policy. After closing out Season 1, Brittany shares her insights on the recent presidential election and its impact on our communities, especially as a mother of a young Black boy.She discusses the vital narratives surrounding anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-Black legislation and offers advice for Black mothers navigating these uncertain times. Brittany also shares what listeners can expect from the new season of her acclaimed podcast Undistracted.Join us for an inspiring conversation filled with wisdom and encouragement to find joy amid the challenges we face!

This episode features the story of Barbara Johns–no relation–the 16-year-old high school student who organized a student-led protest when her teachers dismissed her concerns about poor facilities and shabby equipment.

Host Dr. David J. Johns reflects upon the inaugural season of this podcast and the lessons learned in producing it. He discusses the best parts of teaching in this medium, which include the community that’s been cultivated, the conversations had both those recorded and inspired by what’s aired, and the Afro-futuristic anchored freedom dreams that are strengthening schools, communities, and democracy.  He thanks the community created through this virtual class offering, which includes YOU, the listening audience, the faculty, the co-teachers who graced the class with their wisdom and administration, and co-producers Thomas Cunningham and Emily Leugers.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham is an educator, activist, writer, award-winning podcaster, leader, mother, and friend. She is an NBC News and MSNBC Political Analyst and host of UNDISTRACTED, a news and justice podcast with an intersectional lens on the world. This series concluding episode of the inaugural season of this podcast invites listeners to the freedom dream with one of our generation’s most sought-after thought leaders, policy advisors, and public speakers.  Brittany and Dr. Johns discuss how the game of politics is played, how to stand on business while building Black futures where all Black students thrive, and that there are no lay people in the work of defending democracy and getting everyone to freedom.

Listen to Brittany Packnett Cunningham's Undisdtracted podcast.

Can you imagine walking out of fourth grade in protest against white supremacy and racism? Dr. John B. Diamond did exactly that before becoming a sociologist studying race and education. He’s not alone, did you know about Barbara Johns and the 1951 student walkout in Farmville, VA? In this episode, we break down the relationship between social inequality and educational opportunity, revisit what DuBois described as the color line, and Derrick A. Bell noted as the permanence of white supremacy and anti-Blackness, describe what Brown and the NAACP got wrong,  unpack the consequences of distortions and failures (including Black educators losing the ability to teach), discuss the cost of integrating Black students into hostile environments, and the value of what Dr. Jarvis Giving termed “Fugitive Pedagogy” and libratory spaces that are supportive of Black and other non-white, non-privileged students thriving. Educators, system leaders, policymakers, and legal-activist/scholars will want to bookmark this episode.  

• Despite the Best Intentions: How Inequality Thrives in Good Schools 
• 2022 Brown Lecture in Education Research https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqAC4GoBBww 
• Distributed Leadership in Practice (Critical Issues in Educational Leadership Series) by John B. Diamond and James P. Spillane (Editor), John B. Diamond (Editor), & 1 more

This would only be a Dr. David J. Johns production if the perspective and experiences of a student were centered.  This episode features Oceanne–a brilliant non-binary/gender fluid middle school student who talks about the reality of being othered and what it really means to be “normal,” the (un)learning unspoken school and societal rules, and finding your purpose and passion.  Their mother, Christine Ruiz, an entrepreneur, business owner, and fierce defender of her babies' ability to thrive, talks about the importance of finding support, working through the desire to control, and allowing your children to challenge you to stretch and grow.  This episode celebrates the power of Black women and their nurturing love, the importance of good therapy, and unschooling as a decolonizing movement.

In this bonus episode, we dive into two significant stories that illuminate the complexities of race, identity, and possibilities for Black children. Our journey takes us back to the 1940s and then forward to the present, where we will explore the groundbreaking work of psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, as well as the narrative of Black Barbie, brought to life by director Ava DuVernay. The experiences of Black children, both in the 1940s and today, are shaped by societal views of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. We must continue to engage in conversations about racism, anti-Blackness, identity, orientation, and expression, and the importance of representation in all aspects of life—from education to play. Acknowledging this not only empowers children today but also sets the stage for a more equitable future. Let’s all get free!

Credit: Emily Leugers and Niko Feliciano, with production support.

Naomi Shelton is nationally known and respected as a vocal advocate for quality choice options for Black and Brown students and families. She currently serves as CEO of the National Charter Collaborative. Do you know what distinguishes a charter school from other public schools? Do you have questions about whether charter schools are public schools? Tap into this episode to grapple with these questions and more.

This episode features a book talk conversation where Dr. Johns interviews author Brian Rashad Fuller about his latest publication, Being Black In America’s Schools.  The conversation, which took place on James Baldwin’s Centennial Birthday draws inspiration from the prolific witness and writer, touches on the apologies that educators owe their students, the process of unlearning trauma taught in public schools, and the process of learning that teaching is political.

Maia Blankenship  is a mother, career educator, and proud Spelman University Alumna. She helped found Wildflower Schools in 2021 and is the co-CEO of Black Wildflowers Fund. Have you ever wondered what happens at Montessori schools and if they’re suitable for Black students? This episode answers these questions and more. Parent, family, and community engagement, the enduring legacy of lessons learned at HBCUs, and African-centered child-centered learning are unifying themes.

Bobby Edwards is the director of community inclusion and external relations at the McLean School.  His current role calls for constant engagement with our community to develop and implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.  This episode describes the role that elite private schools play in preserving privilege, what privileged families seek to buy when playing the real estate for school access game, and the importance of supporting the unique needs of all learners.

In this engaging episode of Teach The Babies Office Hours, Dr. Raquel Martin, a pioneer in Black mental health and liberation psychology, joins Dr. David J. Johns for a lively, laughter-filled conversation. Together, they explore the pressing challenges following the recent presidential election, emphasizing the importance of community healing and the impact of political environments on mental health, particularly for parents and educators. Dr. Martin shares actionable strategies for navigating stress and fatigue while encouraging a commitment to ethical living. Listeners are invited to seek good therapy that promotes growth beyond the session and to build supportive communities. Join us for an enlightening discussion filled with joy, respect, and professional insights as we empower ourselves and our children in these turbulent times.

Thema Bryant- https://drthema.com/ Podcast Episode 

Mocha Moms- https://www.mochamoms.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

Girl Trek- https://www.girltrek.org/ 

Judith Browne Dianis is the Executive Director of the Advancement Project National Office. She’s served as a lawyer, professor, and civil rights advocate for the movement for racial justice for decades, including at the NAACP-LDF.  Did you know that for every one white male student suspended or expelled K-12th grades, the rate is three times higher for Black boys? The rate is six times higher when comparing suspension rates of Black girls to their white counterparts.  This episode reflects on how Brown increased surveillance and discipline for Black students, the consequences of carceral policy-making, and the power of context and community.

Dr. Christina Grant is the DC State Superintendent of Education for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. She is a system leader, researcher, and highly sought-after public speaker with decades of receipts for improving life opportunities and outcomes for children and families across the country. If you’ve ever wondered what a superintendent is responsible for or why it’s important to support Black women educators, you’ll want to bookmark this episode.

Melanie Willingham-Jaggers is the Executive Director at GLSEN, a national nonprofit working to ensure public education is safe and affirming for all students, including those who identify as and are assumed to be queer, trans, or gender expansive.  Our conversation explores why it’s essential to say gay, bi, trans, and other words that have held important meanings before being politicized while ensuring that all students have access to adults who are competent and compassionate. Melanie discusses the work of GLSEN, which is incredibly important considering recent increases in anti-LGBTQ legislation targeting students, schools, and democracy. 

I was invited to deliver a keynote address during the Summer Training Institute, and this trip would mark a decade almost to the day that I was last at Knoxville with my CDF family and our ancestors knew that my soul needed the food that could only be prepared by social justice warriors working to defend democracy by supporting students in schools. This special episode of the Teach the Babies Podcast features the keynote address that I delivered at this year's conference. I hope, if nothing else, you can feel a fraction of the energy that was palpable to me both then and now. I also hope that you are inspired to learn more about the legacies of the Children’s Defense Fund, Freedom Schools, the indomitable Marian Wright Edelman and the team's quarterback at present, Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson. 

Damon T. Hewitt is the President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. He possesses more than 20 years of civil rights litigation and policy experience, including prior leadership roles in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors. This episode revisits the legal motivations for bringing the Brown V. Board lawsuit, the role of courts and our legal system in facilitating access to opportunity (or not), strategies to disrupt resource hoarding, and the white-washed memory of Brown’s legacy. 

Bianca Baldridge is a youth worker, scholar, and educator currently serving as an associate professor of education with expertise in community-based education and critical youth work practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This episode explores out-of-school learning spaces and the lessons we can learn from youth workers to support students, improve schools, and strengthen democracy. Loving, listening to, and learning from Black children, youth, and young adults are salient and unifying themes throughout. 

Andrea Foggy-Paxton brings a unique perspective to leading change across sectors, drawing from leadership roles in start-up organizations, established organizations, and philanthropic organizations supporting systems transformation.  This episode answers the questions: What is civics, and why should it be taught to all students? Andrea shares lessons from her experience as an industry titan and appointed school board member.  She also talks about philanthropy and corporations' responsibility for ensuring educational equity.

edloc.org

Stephanie Allen does God’s work.  A career educator for more than two decades, Ms. Allen currently teaches high school in Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina, the third largest school district in North Carolina. She was recognized as a Teacher of the Year in 2019 and 2024–a recognition she’s earned. This episode features the front-line experiences of a classroom teacher, centers stories about under-supported students, and describes necessary steps to dismantle the social hierarchy that relegates Black students to the lowest rungs of every quality of life indicator ladder.

Dr. Hunter is a prolific scholar, prodigious author, and lover of Black people and our collective freedom. The inventor of the “Black Lives Matter” hashtag, Dr. Hunter’s latest book Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation (HarperCollins/Amistad 2024), has fueled a federal bi-cameral legislative effort to attain equity.

This episode explores the genesis of NBJC's Equity Week, how slavery is thriving, the promises and possibilities of reparations, and the relationship between reparative justice and Juneteenth.  We also explore how whiteness is a recent and dangerous invention, lessons Dr. Hunter learned as a student and an educator at high schools and colleges across the country, and the importance of affirming people who have been force-fed a steady diet of white supremacy.

Does the Negro need Separate Schools? https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1917beyond/essays/does-the-negro-need-seperate-schools.pdf 

Radical Reparations Healing the Soul of a Nationhttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/radical-reparations-marcus-anthony-hunter?variant=41378013872162 

Becky Pringle is an educator with more than thirty years of classroom experience. In 2020, she was duly elected president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union. This episode explores the responsibilities that teachers and leaders have for improving schools and defending democracy, the power and importance of labor unions, and the responsibility that caring and concerned adults have for supporting students and schools.

Freedom to Learn Pledge
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/take-action/demand-freedom-learn

Make Your Pan to Vote
https://educationvotes.nea.org/take-action/vote-plan/

For Brianna Baker, founder of Justice 4 Black Girls, these words are more than a motto; they are a mission.  This proud Spelman Alumna, classroom educator, curriculum developer, and BOSS joins the class to share the experiences that led to founding an organization dedicated to ensuring justice for Black girls.  Top lines include Black girl barretts and revolutionary dreams; honoring and protecting Black girlhood; the power of connection and community (including HBCUs like Spelman College); and what Black men and boys can do to support Black women and girls.

Nancy Hanks of the Management Center joins the pod to discuss building, bonding, and boundary setting as necessary for all educators to #ProtectTheBabies. In addition to offering commentary on the recently fired attention-seeking educator, this episode explores the legacy of Reverend Oliver and Linda Brown and the toll that being a race warrior, challenging segregation, and upending white supremacy can exact on Black educators and Black families.

Having gone from a life of poverty on the west side of Chicago to becoming a Harvard graduate, Nancy Hanks knows firsthand that one's circumstances do not predetermine one's future. As a teacher, principal, and systems leader, she has led both the development of technical systems and the cultivation of values and beliefs necessary to hold all students and adults to high expectations and provide them the support they need to meet that high bar. She shares lessons learned throughout her #TeachTheBabies journey.

Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, former president of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This episode explores the extension of Brown's legacy by serving within the higher education administration, the power of praying, the literacy of Black mothers and mother figures, and the brilliance of our babies.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski is your favorite university leader. He served as President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, from 1992 to 2022.  This episode explores what it’s like to have lived through the Brown decision, marched and been jailed at the invitation of Dr. King, and extended the legacy of Brown by serving within the higher education administration.

In the series opener, Dr. David J. Johns sets the stage for the upcoming season with a look back at the historical context of the Brown v. Board decision that transformed education in our country. In addition to important background, the episode offers three vignettes about pivotal figures in the struggles for educational access, equity, and opportunity in the "land of  the free".

In this compelling episode of Office Hours, host Dr. David J. Johns welcomes renowned scholar, author, and activist Marc Lamont Hill for an in-depth discussion on the pressing issues surrounding the Middle East and the complicity of the U.S. government and both major political parties in shaping the conditions that led up to October 7, 2023.Marc offers a master class on the region's historical and political context, highlighting how systemic issues have influenced current events. Together, they explore the importance of adopting an asset-based mindset and leveraging proven strategies that have historically moved us closer to freedom and justice for all.Additionally, Marc discusses the significance of the Green Party and the potential that third-party options hold for creating a more inclusive political landscape.Join us for this enlightening conversation as we unpack these critical themes and examine how we can advocate for change and engage more effectively in the political process.Don’t forget to check your voter registration status and create a plan to vote on or before November 5th. Every voice matters in the pursuit of equity and justice!

Hill, M. L. (2016). Nobody: Casualties of America's war on the vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and beyond. Simon and Schuster.

Hill, M. L. (2020). We still here: Pandemic, policing, protest, & possibility. Haymarket Books.

CEO, author, media commentator, fantastic husband, father, and friend of the class Joshua DuBois stops by the class to discuss being our first Black President’s (Barack Hussein Obama, don’t play) spiritual advisor; lessons learned bringing together community leaders from across the ideological spectrum to tackle some of the nation’s most significant challenges; and things his children teach him and his wife. Joshua honors the life and legacy of Amadou Diallo, who inspired his advocacy and activism–in faith–and the power of technology to fuel diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts globally.

https://www.instagram.com/heydubois/
https://wearevalues.com
https://gauge.ai/
https://x.com/joshuadubois

In this episode of Teach The Babies, host Dr. David J. Johns is joined for office hours by renowned journalist, author, and cultural commentator Clay Cane. Together, they dive deep into the pressing issues surrounding the current presidential election, exploring the critical role of Black voters and otherwise Queer constituents in shaping the political landscape.Cane takes us on a historical journey through the evolution of Black Republicanism, revealing how the Republican Party transformed into a refuge for racists and how some Black Republicans have aligned themselves with white supremacy to secure power.Join us in this urgent and informative episode as we explore how to reclaim our narratives, empower our communities, and ensure our voices are heard in the upcoming elections and beyond. Let’s teach the babies—that includes ourselves—about the power of political engagement regardless of political party affiliation!Remember to check your voter registration status and create a plan to vote on or before November 5th. Your voice matters!

Cane, C. (2024). The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump. Sourcebooks, Inc..
 
Key facts about Black eligible voters in 2024 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/10/key-facts-about-black-eligible-voters-in-2024/ 
(Documentary) Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn (2023)

Tina Turner famously sang, " What’s love got to do with it?” Educators in meaningful relationships with their students know love is the answer to this question is Love. Love is at the center of Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz’s pedagogy, and is also at the center of this conversation between educators who understand the power of love. Questions fueling this conversation include: Where did you catch sense (or learn who and whose you are)? What is your racial literacy? What do you believe? Which children are you teaching (and what are you teaching them)? And do you have the capacity to love? Parents, educators, and people in relationships with young people will want to bookmark this episode.
 
Dillard, Cynthia B. "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: Examining an endarkened feminist epistemology in educational research and leadership." International journal of qualitative studies in education 13.6 (2000): 661-681.


Sealey-Ruiz, Yolanda. "The critical literacy of race: Toward racial literacy in urban teacher education." Handbook of urban education. Routledge, 2021. 281-295.


Sealey-Ruiz, Yolanda. "An archaeology of self for our times: Another talk to teachers." English Journal 111.5 (2022): 21-26.


https://www.yolandasealeyruiz.com/academicbooks-yolandasealeyruiz, 
TEDx Talk: https://www.yolandasealeyruiz.com/tedxtalk

In addition to our regularly scheduled class, we’re adding office hours. These office hours will feature election-specific content.  Sometimes, it’ll be just me, and sometimes, I’ll invite thoughtful people who also care about and spend time working to understand, defend, and expand democracy to join me. The goal is to cut through some of the dis-information, misinformation, and straight-up BS (that’s the technical term) to ensure that we all have fact-based information to use as those of us who can exercise our right to vote and empower and support others in doing the same. We kick off our Teach The Babies office hours by reviewing crucial facts about Black-eligible voters.

There is something powerful about educators who are committed to introducing children to the genius in them.  Dr. Chris Emdin is a genius personified, and this intellectual cipher between two intellectual powerhouses who love Black people, teach the babies, and defend democracy is anchored by the freedom to dream and the importance of having safe and supportive spaces to nurture our dreams.

Dr. Emdin earned his PhD in urban education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology to birth the #HipHopEd social media movement, wrote books for “White For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood, and the Rest of Yall, too,” (yup, that’s the book title, get into it), and helps all of us get closer to freedom, faster.

As Dr. Emdin says, “Science is the ultimate, hybridized knowledge,” and he breaks down why.  This conversation between colleagues and friends celebrates the best part of Afro-Futuristic dreaming and system design, the trappings of white supremacy in public schools and policy-making, and the critical role that words and affirmation play in surviving white supremacy.

Emdin, Christopher. For White folks who teach in the hood... and the rest of y'all too: Reality pedagogy and urban education. Beacon Press, 2016.

Emdin, Christopher. Ratchetdemic: Reimagining academic success. Beacon Press, 2021.

Givens, Jarvis R. Fugitive pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the art of Black teaching. Harvard University Press, 2021.