Black Men Unlearning

On the 10th(!) episode of BMU, Kyle and Edwin share what they've learned about themselves and our world after 16 months of the pandemic. The guys consider the pitfalls of extreme individualism and share ideas about the importance of leaning on each other.

Kyle and Edwin discuss their recent experiences with loss and the effect of processing grief on their lives. The discussion includes reflections of what they've learned from dealing with death and how they hope to live in light of these broader perspectives.

Kyle and Edwin discuss the week that was including responses to Bill Cosby's release, Sha'Carri Richardson's suspension and the fire in the Gulf of Mexico.  The conversation references the book The Queen of America Goes to Washington City: Essays on Sex and Citizenship by Lauren Belant.

Kyle and Edwin discuss the ways they were indoctrinated into discriminatory beliefs about the LGBTQ community and the damaging consequences of their own actions prior to unlearning. They consider the inherent contradictions of "love the sinner, hate the sin" and how they arrived at open and affirming positions on the rights and freedoms of members of the LGBTQ community. The discussion includes re...

Kyle and Edwin discuss their earliest notions of joy and the complex balance of maintaining access to it by allowing themselves to feel the good and the bad. 

Kyle and Edwin switch gears from "Are men on trash?" to discussing the the constructive responsibilities of men to in moving communities from the world that is to the world that ought to be. The conversation references the following literature: Roots for Radiicals: Organizing for Power, Action and Justice by Edward T. Chambers; Love as The Practice of Freedom by bell hooks; Notes of Native Son by...

BMU is back with an extended episode addressing a big question: are men trash?  The conversation references the following literature: The Combahee River Collective Statement, Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America by Charisse Jones and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph. D. and The Man-Not: Race, Class, Genre, and the Dilemmas of Black Manhood by Tommy Curry

Kyle and Edwin continue their discussion about their inflection points and the implications of the rules we've accepted.

Kyle and Edwin explore the inflection points in their lives that influenced their unlearning journeys. The discussion shifts toward evaluating our society's devotion to the rules we've been taught.

**CONTENT WARNING** This episode focuses on responses to the killing of Ma'Khia Bryant. This content maybe difficult for some listeners. Kyle and Edwin discuss the killing of Ma'Khia Bryant, highlighting many Black men's responses and debunking the value of justifications for Ma'Khia's death.

Black Men Unlearning is a podcast dedicated to the journey of unlearning the ideologies, thought patterns and logic that keep us bound to living and relating in ways that don't serve us. Kyle Brooks and Edwin Lee identify as cisgender, heterosexual Black men and aim to model unlearning through discussions about wide ranges of topics. Join our community by following the podcast on Instagram (@Black...