I Am Dad

Some voices educate us. Others challenge us. And then there are voices that reach places within us that we have spent a lifetime trying to protect. Dr. Janice Stevenson was one of those voices. In this special tribute from I Am Dad Podcast, we revisit some of the most powerful moments from our conversations, interviews, and community gatherings featuring Dr. Stevenson, a psychologist whose decades...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy takes over the conversation as Dr. Jeffery Shears sits down with Dr. Lorenzo Hopper to discuss his research on how young men perceive fatherhood before becoming fathers. Dr. Hopper, a fellow of the Moynihan Institute and colleague of Dr. Shears at UNC Charlotte, shares how his own upbringing, his work in...

In this episode of Sideline Dad, powered by the I Am Dad Podcast Network, host Javin Foreman welcomes Craig Young, father of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and 2023 number one overall NFL Draft pick. But this conversation is not just about football. Craig brings a powerful perspective shaped by fatherhood, mental health, faith, coaching, family sacrifice,...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell welcomes his longtime friend, brother, and Fathers Incorporated board president, Bishop Darren Ferguson, for a thoughtful conversation about fatherhood, manhood, faith, biblical identity, and character. The conversation begins with a moment that stopped Kenneth in his tracks. After hearing a story about a husband who kept answering the que...

In this powerful episode of I Am Dad Podcast, Dr. Matisa Wilbon hosts a heartfelt conversation with Alex Lima, a father of six, grandfather of three, and a man who began his fatherhood journey at just 16 years old. Alex brings a rare and honest perspective on what it means to grow up while raising children, to father children across different stages of life, and to navigate the realities of multip...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy takes over the mic as Dr. Jeffery Shears sits down with Dr. Armon Perry to discuss his research on fatherhood program participants’ perceptions of incentives and program supports. Dr. Perry, a professor at the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, has spent his career...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, Dr. Matisa Wilbon speaks with Undrenia Burnside, a grandmother, mother, and one of the first "and-co" participants connected to Fathers Incorporated’s Dad & Co. co-parenting team model. Dad & Co. centers fathers while also recognizing that fathers do not raise children in isolation. Children are shaped by a larger village that may include mothers, grand...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, Kenneth Braswell sits down with Dr. Matisa Wilbon at the 2026 National Fatherhood Summit for a thoughtful conversation on human flourishing, fatherhood, co-parenting, and emotional wellness. The conversation begins with the idea of human flourishing, drawing from the framework of happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose,...

In this episode of Sideline Dad, powered by the I Am Dad Podcast Network, host Javin Foreman welcomes Tom Henske, founder of Total Cents and Total Cents University. Tom is a certified financial planner, University of Virginia professor, former two-time All-American soccer player, three-time NCAA champion, author, and financial education leader helping young people, athletes, parents, and universit...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell interviews Christopher Emanuel, co-founder of Sky Is the Limit Foundation, during the National Shared Parenting Summit in Washington, D.C. Christopher’s story is one of faith, fatherhood, pain, purpose, and perseverance. After his biological daughter became involved in what he describes as human trafficking through adoption, Christopher fo...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell interviews Mark Ludwig, President of the National Council on Equal Shared Parenting, during the Shared Parenting Summit in Washington, D.C. Mark shares the deeply personal story that brought him into this work: a custody experience that left him separated from his son for 204 days and forced him to confront the emotional reality many fathe...

In this episode of Sideline Dad, powered by the I Am Dad Podcast Network, host Javin Foreman welcomes John Damon, former Division I football player at Boston College, performance coach, gym designer, and founder of The Cave in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more than 30 years, John Damon has trained and advised Hollywood talent, Fortune 500 executives, professional athletes, coaches, and high perf...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell travels to East New York, Brooklyn, for an on-location conversation with Bishop Ferguson, board chair of Fathers Incorporated and program director at the Liberty Avenue Men’s Shelter. This conversation asks a question we do not ask often enough: What does housing instability mean for men and fathers? Too often, conversations about homeless...

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell welcomes Dr. Tova Walsh, Associate Professor at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for a deep and timely conversation about the evolving field of fatherhood research and the systems that still struggle to fully include fathers. Dr. Walsh began her career as a home visitor working with familie...

In this powerful Part 2 conversation on I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell welcomes back longtime friend, brother, faith leader, and community advocate Greg Owens for a deeper discussion on Black fatherhood, race, culture, leadership, and the work required to move from narrative to impact. After Part 1 explored fatherhood, faith, and the Black church, this episode shifts into a broader and mo...

This episode of I Am Dad Podcast opens a powerful conversation about fatherhood, faith, leadership, and the responsibility of the Black church to speak more intentionally to men and families. Host Kenneth Braswell sits down with longtime friend, brother, faith leader, and community advocate Greg Owens inside Macedonia Baptist Church in Albany, New York. Their relationship crosses many spaces: comm...

This episode of I Am Dad Podcast features a timely and important conversation from the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy on how Black fathers are portrayed in television commercials and popular media. Guest host Dr. David Miller sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Shears and Dr. Janice Kelly to discuss their research study on the portrayal of Black fathers in TV commercials. The convers...

This episode of I Am Dad Podcast is part of the Moynihan Institute Takeover, featuring a powerful conversation between Dr. Jeff Shears and Dr. Conial Caldwell on Black fathers, daughters, identity, beauty, and racial socialization. Dr. Caldwell, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County School of Social Work and a proud girl dad, discusses his study, Preparing and Prot...

This episode of Sideline Dad, part of the I Am Dad Podcast Network, takes a powerful and refreshing turn by bringing a mother’s perspective into the conversation around youth sports, parenting, identity, and family. Host Javin Foreman welcomes Crystal Garrett, a storyteller, producer, former Division I track athlete, and mother of elite young athletes navigating the modern sports landscape. From g...

This episode of I Am Dad Podcast tackles one of the most urgent public health issues facing Black families today: the Black maternal health crisis. Hosted by Dr. David Miller, this important conversation features Dr. Jeffrey Shears, a nationally respected researcher focused on Black fathers, family systems, and community wellbeing. Together, they examine a question too often ignored in maternal he...

This special Mother’s Day episode of I Am Dad Podcast brings together humor, wisdom, fatherhood, motherhood, and the kind of seasoned truth only Griff can deliver. Host Kenneth Braswell welcomes back Arlen “Griff” Griffin, co-host of the nationally syndicated gospel radio show Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell, comedian, husband, father, and author of the new book Cats and Puppies: This Is Not a...

This episode of the I Am Dad Podcast offers a rare and honest look at what it means to build a life, a family, and a creative career—all at the same time. Guest host Javin Foreman sits down with rising artist Ashton Stevens for a conversation that goes beyond music and into the heart of manhood. Originally from Florida and now building his career in Atlanta, Ashton shares his journey as a creative...

This episode of Sideline Dad, part of the I Am Dad Podcast network, delivers a powerful conversation about fatherhood, sports, discipline, and the real meaning of going pro. Host Javin Foreman is joined by former professional basketball player and elite trainer Derrek Hamilton, a father who has successfully raised two high-achieving sons—one an Ivy League athlete and scholar, the other an NFL Pro...

This episode of Sideline Dad, part of the I Am Dad Podcast network, is a powerful conversation about how sports shape character, leadership, and fatherhood. Host Javin Foreman sits down with Kevin Jones, a father, mentor, and author of Game Ready: Leadership, Legacy, and Winning the Game of Life, to explore how the lessons learned through sports extend far beyond the field. From becoming a father...

This episode of Sideline Dad, a featured series within the I Am Dad Podcast network, brings a real and necessary conversation about fatherhood, youth sports, and the responsibility of raising not just athletes—but whole people. Hosted by Javin Foreman, this episode features Rodney Kellam, a father of three navigating the journey of raising children through sports, life lessons, and intentional par...