A Moment with Erik Fleming

Host Erik Fleming interviews Professor Ingrid Cockhren about collective and generational trauma, the limits of the original ACEs study, and how systemic racism shapes health, behavior, and policy. Cockhren explains trauma inheritance across communities — including its effects on both the oppressed and the oppressors — and offers trauma-responsive approaches for schools, families, and institutions.

The episode also features delegates from the National Council of Negro Women discussing voter mobilization and community leadership at the NCNW convention in Atlanta, plus commentary on a controversial political ad and why civic engagement matters in this moment.

In this episode, Dion Dawson, Chief Dreamer of Dion’s Chicago Dream, explains why today’s leaders have to be dreamers and doers.

In this episode Erik Fleming interviews Dr. Stacey Patton about her new book Strung Up, exploring the lynching of Black children in American history, how white communities socialized cruelty across generations, and the lasting impact on families and society.

They discuss archival research, links between corporal punishment and public violence, the psychological effects on both Black and white children, and why memory, courage, and resistance matter for today’s politics and healing.

Erik Fleming hosts Harvard Law professor Guy-Uriel Charles on America Unfinished, discussing the audacious idea of being "one people," the evolution of voting rights, and proposals like proportional representation to protect political voice.

Economist Rick Roberts explains the economy in plain terms—inflation, Fed policy, interest rates, AI, energy and tariffs—while the episode closes with the host's reflections on policing, the death penalty, and the moral stakes of justice in America.

Host Erik Fleming interviews philosopher Roger S. Gottlieb about his book "Nature Spirituality and Environmental Crisis: Embracing a Sacred, Wounded Earth." They explore how encounters with nature foster spiritual virtues like gratitude, compassion, and love, and examine the moral and practical implications of environmental damage.

The episode also touches on podcasting updates and political context, and offers accessible suggestions for individual and collective action to protect the planet and strengthen our spiritual connection to the natural world.

In this episode, Intisar Rabb, Faculty Director for the Program of Islamic Law at Harvard Law School, talks about her legal achievements and why Americans should not be afraid of Sharia law. Then, political strategist Maya Rupert discusses her recently released book, The Real Ones, which deals with authenticity from an African American perspective.

In this episode, Witney Schneidman, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, talks about his memoir, This Africa Idea, which chronicles his extensive career improving US-Africa relations.

In this Labor Day episode, Host Erik Fleming rips on Enes Kanter and Vice President Vance, while offering thoughts on Gloria Steinem, Cassandra Wilson and his uncle, Juan Charleston, Sr.

Host Erik Fleming sits down with Akil Parker, founder of All This Math, to explore how mathematics — taught through culture and everyday life — builds critical thinking, empowers Black families, and reshapes how we learn. Parker explains "histematics," practical resources for parents, and why math is a language everyone uses.

Also joining the conversation is psychologist Cole Davis, author of The Stone Age Now, who warns that outmoded, tribal ways of thinking (atavism) are undermining modern society. Together the guests urge a rethink of institutions, politics, and education to foster long-term, evidence-based solutions.

Host Erik Fleming sits down with novelist Erica Kent, Men4Choice leader Aaron Bos-Lun, and writer Ke’Aun Charles to explore themes of addiction, reproductive justice, and Afrofuturism.

The episode moves from a discussion of Kent’s debut novel Black Dog and its compassionate portrayal of teen addiction, to Aaron’s work activating men in the fight for reproductive freedom, and concludes with Keon’s perspectives on Afrofuturism, U.S.–Africa relations, and political strategy.