The Black Fathers' Pulse Podcast

Why don't we think of Black people going swimming, surfing, fishing, birding, or camping? Why are there still spaces we assume Black people shouldn't be?  James Mills, outdoor journalist,  guide, and National Geographic Explorer, joins us to talk about how Black Americans, in both perception and practice, fall into what he calls "The Adventure Gap".

In addition to having appeared in numerous television shows and comedy clubs across the country, Felonious Munk is also a proud father whose greatest achievement might depend on whether or not he can get his young son to *just try* Ethiopian food. Comedian, social commentator, actor, producer - and dad - Felonious joins us to talk about the highs, lows, and everything in between when it comes to p...

The Shakur family - legends in American history - forever shaped the fight for Black liberation. Writer and journalist Santi Elijah Holley joins us to talk about his new book "An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created" - a sweeping and detailed account of family, history, culture, and the deeply rooted influence fathers - and father figures - have on their children. In this episo...

How do we continue in relationships with people who've hurt us - especially those closest to us? Esau McCaulley, theologian, professor and author of  "How Far to the Promised Land: One Black Family's Story of Hope and Survival in the American South " joins us to talk about family, religion, poverty, grace and forgiveness.

Jack Johnson, boxing's first ever African-American world heavyweight champion, broke color barriers and changed the sport forever.  But he didn't do it alone.  He had an important father figure in his corner.  "The Royale," a play based on the life of Jack Johnson is currently on stage and today we're speaking with Jamal James, the actor playing the title role.

With society placing so much emphasis on fathers and sons, the essential bond between fathers and daughters is often marginalized. David Miller, speaker and author of Dare to Be King , joins us to talk about the unique challenges Black fathers face in raising Black daughters, and how the challenges can be compounded by public policy.

The negative narrative surrounding Black men and boys needs to change. Guest Brandon Frame, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of TheBlackManCan, Inc. (an award-winning nonprofit that amplifies the stories of what Black Men and Boys can do), and Senior Director of Social Emotional Learning at The Urban Assembly, joins us to talk about how he's working to change the narrative through educating Black...

Aaron Perry, the first African American diabetic to complete the Ironman Triathlon, has dedicated his life to building and strengthening himself and his family. He's a father, son, and a brother, and we'll be speaking with him today about his work to build healthy relationships in the community and at home.

Supports and resources that focus on Black fathers are scarce, and fathers' access to these supports for fathers is limited. Dr. Latrice Rollins, Assistant Professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine and Prevention Research Center, and the director of the National African American Child and Family Research Center, joins us to explain...

Roy Wood, Jr. is a nationally acclaimed comedian and actor, and a regular correspondent and guest host on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah . But his most important job is being a father. Roy joins us to talk about parenting his son in a media spotlight, growing up with the legacy of his own equally famous father, and how being your own person can begin a legacy for generations beyond yourself.

In this emotional, loud, unstructured, fun, and stirring episode, Eric and I reflect on the process that lead to this superb project - The Black Fatherhood Podcast. We trace this back from a germ of thought to the current product and make connects to the larger workings of the Thomas Resilient Youth Lab (TRYl). We talk about some of our favorite moments on camera and behind the mic, the many behin...

Meet the brain and creative heart behind the Black Fatherhood podcast and find out what drives him, and how this project was born. Dr. Alvin Thomas is the director of the Thomas Resilient Youth lab (TRYl). Eric Crawford turns the spotlight on the director to try to provide rich context to this labor of love and Dr. Thomas' vocation of educating, validating and elevating Black fatherhood and Black...

Is there a prototype for the Black family? Is it a necessary structure for today's realities, and are what challenges assail the structure and efficacy of the Black family? In this provocative discussion, Dr. Lucian Yates III and Mr. Floyd Stokes join us to shed light on suburban living, subsidized parenting, and to dissect and examine these and other issues related to Black families. 

How has fatherhood changed in the minds of Black families? How are Black men thinking about fatherhood, and how are researchers and community activists thinking about this critical role? In this episode I speak to two women who have been at the forefront of Black fatherhood research and community engagement Dr. Cleopatra Caldwell and Dr. E. Hill Deloney. Together they talk about what first brought...

Depression and mental heal problems undermines mothers' ability to positively impact their children's development. Though the research on the impact of fathers' mental health on children's well-being is still limited, the impact is similar to that of mothers. But, once you have noticed signs that you are struggling with some emotional and mental health challenges, where can you find help? How do y...

What might some of the early warning signs of mental health struggle look like? Hear from Dr. Adrian Gale, PhD assistant professor in Social Work, Mr. Eric L. Crawford, therapist and counselling doctoral student, and Mr. Shannon Reed, a young entrepreneur from City of Milwaukee. We have gathered another powerhouse team of Black men, fathers, and professionals to talk about the experiences of menta...

This is one of my most powerful conversations, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. With so many social, financial, political, and familial challenges facing Black fathers, the conversation on men's mental health has to be normalized and elevated. Our esteemed guests for this conversation are family medicine practitioner Dr. Britt Gayle, MD., Men's Health Manager for the City of Milwaukee's...

In this exciting conversation with Dr. Qiana Cryer-Coupet and Mr. Kenneth Braswell we explore how Black fathers nurture the goals and dreams of their children, but also how fathers' own goals and dreams of fatherhood and purpose influence their roles. How would you answer these first two questions which we used to pique this conversation: "What were your first dreams as a parent when you first lai...

The family is a system, and if one part is not working well, then all the other parts become strained. Parenting is meant to be a team activity, still many carry the weight of the full team. Dr. Shauna Cooper, Dr. Waldo Johnson, and Mr. Dwayne Curry return to this podcast to extend our conversation on co-parenting as teamwork, especially involving Black fathers. Together, our guests address critic...

Join our conversation on communication and monitoring practices with Dr. Shauna Cooper, Mr. Derek Phillips, and Mr. Kevin Bremond. With so many challenges facing Black children, it would not be strange if Black fathers and parents, by extension, felt they need to keep close tabs on their children's every move. But when does this become overwhelming and unhelpful for the child and the family system...

We talk to two curators of music, Dr. Olajide Bamishigbin (Jide) and Mr. Leotha Stanley. Jide represents the hip, new swagger of the hip-hop generation and is a walking iPod shuffle of rap and Black music. Mr. Stanely is a composer, a music maven, and a connoisseur who uses music to heal and create community. Together they engage the dicey but necessary conversation of the influence of music and a...

In this episode, I speak to Dr. Maria Johnson and Dr. Ronald Mincy about the unspoken social contract men are born into, and by which we often measure fatherhood - to protect and provide. Together, these academics and experts provide an in-depth social, cultural, economic, and historical analysis of the protector and provider roles and how it applies to Black fathers. We also explore how the roles...

Dr. Courtney Cogburn and Dr. Justin Harty tackle the expansive discussion on what it means to be Black in America, and the specific implications for Black men and Black fathers. Exploring the impact of Black pride on physical and mental health, the speakers reflect on the historical and current significance of identity and connection to the culture for Black fathers, and how this influences their...

We are proud to announce the official release of the first 2 episodes of our podcast. Two new episodes will be released weekly to complete the 15 episode season.  Listen on spotify , google and apple podcasts, the TRYlab , or wherever you listen to podcasts. Video of the conversations will be posted to youtube @Dr. Alvin Thomas. Like, follow, and subscribe. Write a review, and share the podcast wi...