Man, Listen - Mental Health Conversations for Black Men

We talk a lot about what drains us. Today we talk about what fills us back up. Mental health fuel — the real, research-backed practices that clinical psychologists say can reliably boost your mood, reduce stress, and help you stay positive in a world that keeps trying to pull you under. On this episode of Man Listen, we go to the experts — UCLA Health psychologist Dr. Valentina Ogaryan and Georget...

We've spent a lot of time lately talking about the weight Black men carry. Today we talk about what's happening when they start to put some of it down. Licensed therapist and mental health advocate Kier Gaines — featured in Essence this week — calls it an emotional renaissance. More Black men are having honest conversations about what they feel. More are learning that strength isn't enduring pain...

For the first time since the government began tracking this data, young Black men are now dying by suicide at a higher rate than young white men. The Black suicide death rate climbed 53% in just one decade — ten times faster than the rate for white Americans. This isn't an old statistic. This is happening right now. On this episode of Man Listen, we sit with this data honestly — why it's happening...

On June 14th, a UFC fighter stood on the White House lawn and reduced one of the most accomplished women in American history to a crude gender insult — and the crowd cheered. Michelle Obama. Princeton. Harvard Law. Former First Lady. A life of excellence, dignity, and service. And still — not enough to escape it. That's the tax Black excellence pays. The higher you go, the louder the noise. Becaus...

This episode wasn't planned. The news cycle made it necessary. Two young Black males. Two victims — one dead, one sentenced to 35 years for self-defense. Cyrus Carmack-Belton was 14 years old, shot in the back over four bottles of water he didn't steal. Not guilty. Karmelo Anthony claimed self-defense at a track meet. 35 years. Meanwhile two other teens — one white, one Hispanic — made the same cl...

The patterns you're living right now — where did they come from? Some of what Black men carry was never chosen. It was inherited. Emotional unavailability. Rage. Absent fathers. Toxic relationship patterns. These aren't just personal struggles — they're generational cycles. And until someone names them, they keep running. On this episode of Man Listen, we sit down with Terri Ferguson — licensed cl...

Let's advance the conversation...In Part 1, Dr. S. Kent Butler broke down what Black men are up against. Now we get into what we can do about it. In this second half of our conversation with the PhD, professor of counselor education at the University of Central Florida, and former president of the American Counseling Association, we get into the action. What Black men need to do right now to advan...

What does one of the most respected voices in Black mental health in America have to say about where we are — and how we got here? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Man Listen sits down with Dr. S. Kent Butler — PhD, professor of counselor education at the University of Central Florida, and former president of the American Counseling Association. His life's work has been dedicated specifica...

We've talked a lot about why Black men don't seek therapy. Today we sit down with someone who sees it from the other side of the couch. Ezsa Allen is a mental health professional, advocate, and founder of Mind Over You Inc. — a nonprofit dedicated to normalizing mental health in minority communities. She didn't just study these communities. She grew up in one. In this episode — recorded during Men...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Almost 30 episodes in — and I've never really told you why I built this. And to open it, I want to go back to the beginning. What I found when I started researching Black male mental health. What the data says about how underserved we are. And why I knew this conversation needed to exist. Let's talk about all the excuses on why you wont go to therapy. "I Can't...

Black fathers who raise their children alone. Black fathers who lose a child and still have to show up for the ones still here. Black fathers who carry a weight that most people never see — and never ask about. This episode of Man Listen is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had. Travis K. is a Black man who became a single father, raised his children, and somewhere in that journey...

"Fine...I'm Doing Fine". There is something going on with you right now that nobody knows about. You're not hiding it to be deceptive. You're hiding it because you don't want to be a burden. Because silence feels safer than saying it out loud. Because you've always just figured it out yourself. On this episode of Man Listen, we get into the real reason so many men suffer alone — and why 'I'm fine'...

Simple question. Heavy answer. When's the last time your dad hugged you? Told you he was proud of you? Said I love you — unprompted, no holiday, no crisis? For a lot of men, that question just hit somewhere unexpected. On this episode of Man Listen, we get into what happens when a father's love was real but never expressed — and how that silence shapes the men we become. How we love, how we receiv...

Tiger Woods had 15 majors, a global legacy, and a mask nobody could see through — until March 27th. But this episode isn't about Tiger. It's about the man everybody leans on who never lets anybody in. The pastor. The provider. The Coach. The Dad. The Boss. The guy with the big laugh who cries alone in the car. What's really happening on the other side of that mask? This one's for the man behind it...

Have you ever felt offended by something and couldn’t explain why it hit so hard? In this episode, Mark gets real about what’s actually happening when we get easily triggered — and why it’s rarely about what was just said. It goes deeper than that. If you’ve ever asked yourself why you react the way you do, this one was made for you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

The most important conversation you’ll ever have isn’t with your boss, your partner, or your boys. It’s with yourself. In this episode, Mark sits down with licensed mental health counselor Heather K to unpack the power of self-talk and why the way Black men speak to themselves is either building them up or quietly breaking them down. If nobody ever taught you to be kind to yourself — this episode...

We’ve been told our whole lives that quitters never win. But what if staying is what’s actually costing you? In this episode, Mark gets real about knowing when to walk away — from the job, the relationship, the habit — and why choosing yourself is never quitting. It’s winning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-...

What happens when your own community questions whether you’re Black enough, or strong enough? In this episode, Mark gets real about growing up a fair-skinned (light skinned) black male, the “harmless” jokes that aren’t harmless, and the mental toll of having your identity challenged from the inside. This one hits different. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Ever walk into work exhausted, frustrated, or overwhelmed—but still put on a smile and say, “I’m good”? There’s actually a name for that: surface acting. It’s the practice of forcing emotions you don’t really feel in order to meet expectations at work, (even home) and research shows it can quietly drain your mental health. In this episode of Man, Listen, we unpack the hidden toll of constantly per...

It's two simple words, that could make a difference. We say it all the time—but how often do we really mean it? In this episode of Man, Listen, I picked up the phone and called two friends I care about and said these 2 words. What followed was honest, raw, and real. This conversation explores how many men carry stress, pressure, and pain in silence—and how one intentional call can create space for...

In this powerful episode of Man, Listen , we ask a hard question: Are you being kind… or are you afraid to say no? People pleasing often looks like loyalty, love, or “just being a good person.” But underneath it can be fear, insecurity, trauma, or the need for validation. From childhood conditioning to cultural expectations — especially for Black men taught to carry, fix, and endure — we unpack ho...

In this follow‑up episode of Man, Listen, we return to the powerful conversation from our previous episode and go deeper — not just naming what’s broken in our communities, but exploring why it broke and how we begin to put the pieces back together. Continuing the discussion from last week’s episode, this installment focuses on practical insight and meaningful steps toward healing. We break down t...

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Man, Listen, we sit down with Albert, a dedicated professional from Missouri’s Department of Social Services, who works closely with children in the system—many of them young Black boys. Al brings raw insight into the complex layers of trauma these kids experience, from unstable home environments to the systemic challenges that impact their development a...

Grief doesn’t follow a schedule, and for some, the pain of loss never truly fades. In this powerful episode, we sit down with author and father Kareem Thompson, who opens up about losing his 18-year-old son in a tragic unintentional accident. We explore how grief can reshape a person’s mental, emotional, and spiritual world—especially for Black men who are often expected to “be strong” and carry t...

In this candid and thought-provoking episode of Man, Listen, host Mark McCray sits down with two dynamic Black women to unpack a timeless question: Do nice guys finish last? Together, they explore the complexities of masculinity, availability, attraction, and expectations in modern relationships. Are nice guys seen as weak, or are we just defining “nice” all wrong? What does confidence look like i...