The Perkins Platform

Whether you are a classroom teacher or instructional leader, this conversation with author, Aaron Daffern is a must listen for you.  Join the conversation as we gain some insight from Aaron, a veteran teacher and instructional specialist, on how to deploy successful techniques in the classroom for the new normal.  Aaron has been a teacher, principal, and district administrator in the DFW area sinc...

Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education (https://ncse.ngo), Ann Reid, joins us for an informative conversation discussing the importance of science education. The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the accurate, effective teaching of climate change and evolution. For 15 year, Ann worked as a research biologist at the Arm...

Join us on Wednesday, July 7th @ 5pm EST for an informative conversation with educator, Dr. Gema Cardona, discussing Critical Race Theory.  Dr. Cardona earned her doctoral degree in critical studies of race, class, and gender from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is situated at the intersection of critical race theory (CRT), critical pedagogy, and Latinx studies in higher educa...

Join us on Wednesday, June 30th @ 6pm EST for an informative discussion with freelance journalist, Zaid Jilani, on his critique of the New York Times Magazine 1619 Project. There is much debate about the historical accuracy of key components of this project. Zaid offers a perspective for discussion among history scholars and aficionados alike. Zaid is a former reporter for The Intercept and has wo...

Join us on Wednesday, June 23rd @ 6pm EST for an informative conversation about the American history curricula in U.S. public schools with special guest, James Grossman, Executive Director of the American Historical Association.  James was previously Vice President for Research and Education at the Newberry Library, and has taught at University of Chicago and University of California, San Diego. ...

Join us on Wednesday, June 16th @ 6pm EST for an informative discussion with special guest, Lindsay Stallones Marshall, on her critique of the 1776 Commission Report and her thoughts on representations in history textbooks. Lindsay is a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow in American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a Ph. D. in History from the Univ...

Join us on Wednesday, June 9th @ 6pm EST for an exciting conversation discussing humor as a skill with Andrew Tarvin, CEO of Humor That Works, a leadership development company that teaches professionals how to use humor to achieve better business results. Andrew has partnered with top organizations–including IBM, the UN, and the FBI–to solve human challenges with humor solutions. Combining his bac...

On Wednesday, May 26 @ 12pm EST, Professor Thomas Hatch joins us to discuss his latest book,The Education We Need for a Future We Can’t Predict(Corwin, 2021) which focuses on the efforts to create more powerful learning experiences both inside and outside schools in developed and developing contexts. Thomas Hatch is a Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and Director of the National...

Join us on Wednesday, May 19 @ 6pm EST for an informative talk with Principal, Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta, and 5th grade teacher, Ms. Lucile Middleton, of Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School (TMALS) to discuss how their students have engaged in conversations regarding the recent justice issues in our nation. Located in Harlem, TMALS was created in a collaboration between Abyssinian Development Cor...

Join us on Wednesday, May 5 (6pm EST) for a conversation with keynote speaker and author Mark Greene.  Mark writes and consults on relational practices, diversity/inclusion and masculinity for organizations world wide. He writes, speaks, coaches and consults on the challenges we face as men raised in man box culture. He is the author of the groundbreaking The Little #MeToo Book for Men.  As a co-f...

In celebration of the 100th broadcast of the Perkins Platform, special guest and former New Orleans Mayor, Mitch Landrieu, joins us to discuss his New York Times best-selling book and leadership in Louisiana. Mitch Landrieu was the 61st Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018 and elected when the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil Spill. Under his leadership, New Orlean...

Join us on Wednesday, April 21 @ 11:30pm EST for a two-part informative conversation.  First, my daughter, Arin, will join me to discuss the award-winning book, The Poisoned City, by Anna Clark.  Ms. Clark, a journalist living in Detroit lays out a compelling story layered with politics and history.  We will discuss the details of what Ms. Clark uncovered in her research. Then, the 2nd part of the...

The Truancy Intervention Project  (TIP) is an organization that strives to decrease chronic absenteeism by pairing trained volunteers with children and their families to provide them with the advocacy, resources and services necessary to ensure good attendance and success in school. Executive Director, Jessica Pennington, joins us for a conversation to discuss how things have changed since COVID-1...

Once a homeless teenage mother, Fatihah Abdur-Rahma is now living her dream as an Elementary School Principal in Camden. Join us on April 7 @ 12pm to hear her incredible and inspiring journey to principalship. Fatihah is a passionate and dedicated educational servant leader who is committed to academic excellence. She views education as a way to defy societal challenges that impact urban communiti...

Asian-American stereotypes have persisted since the early 1960s when the model minority stereotype first emerged.  This broadcast is dedicated to a conversation about how Asian-Americans as the fastest growing minority group in the United States are relatively invisible in various sectors of American policy in health, education and culture.  Our Guest, Varun Nikore, will dissect some of the myth a...

Tune into this final in the series about how black children are oriented to American Society.  This broadcast features a panel of black women and mothers of girls to discuss their words of wisdom given to their daugthers.  Recently, the Talk that happens with Black Men has received a lot of attention, but this broadcast focuses on the equal and parrallel conversations that are happening between bl...

Tune into this special 1-hour broadcast featuring a panel of incredible black men and fathers of boys to discuss the cautions and concerns about becoming a black man in America or what has been referred to as "the talk".  Black men in America have long been the target of unfair educational, judicial and social practices.  As the national conversation about black men, again, fades, system...

This broadcast features a special guest, author, editor and commentator, William F. Spivey.  We will discuss broadly the stunning relevance of Mr. Baldwin's writings nearly 60 years ago to today's racial context in America.  Additionally, we will compare and contrast national events during that time and examine the parallels of the discourse on race through Baldwinian lens.  Mr. Spivey i...

This broadcast is the first in a 4-part series using the critically acclaimed manuscript from James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time.  As part of their father-daughter book club, Dr. Perkins will introduce his daughter, Arin, as a regular contributor to the podcast.  Arin is a graduating Senior at The Ohio State University with a major in Sociology.  She will be attending the University of Utah Law Sch...

Tune in on Thursday, March 11 @ 12pm EST for another impactful conversation expanding on the data surrounding the increase in teen suicides in the US.  Dr. Crystal L. Barksdale, Chief of the Minority Mental Health Research Program for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), joins us to discuss how NIMH communicates with mental health providers and schools to address this growing issue.  Dr...

Join us on Wednesday, March 3 @ 12pm EST for an important conversation on millennial teacher and leader retention with special guest, Kami Lewis Levin.  Kami is an adult learning, education leadership and curriculum design consultant. Since 2011, she has served in district-level leadership positions supporting urban schools at New Visions for Public Schools, New Leaders, the Public Preparatory Net...

Why have suicide rates increased among teens in U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic? Licensed psychologist, Dr. Sandra M. Chafouleas, joins us for a discussion and to share her thoughts on the mental health struggle of teenagers in schools.  Dr Chafouleas works as a Distinguished Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She directs the UConn Coll...

Trained in meditation, yoga, philosophy and natural health sciences in Australia, the Philippines and India,  Dada Gunamuktananda joins us for a special discussion on exploring meditation and consciousness.  Dada is a qualified meditation teacher of Ananda Marga and has taught all over the world in Australia, Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and North America. Since 2015,...

Join us on Tuesday, February 2 @ 5pm EST to hear the incredible story of special guest, Aaron Stark.  Aaron is a motivational speaker and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness.  His experience in public school and adolescence led him to a place of darkness, only to be saved by a simple act of kindness.  His Tedx Talk "I Was Almost a School Shooter" has over 12.1 million views, a...

Join us on Thursday, January 28 @ 5pm EST for an exciting and insightful conversation with Dr. Paula Stone Williams.  Dr. Williams is an internationally known speaker on gender equity, LGBTQ advocacy, and religious tolerance.  She is also a Pastor at Left Hand Church and Pastoral Counselor in Boulder County, Colorado. She has been featured in the New York Times, TEDWomen, TEDSummit, TEDxMileHigh,...