Black Men Unlearning

On this episode of BMU, the guys discuss their experiences with patterns of avoidance. The episode deals with how our rapidly changing world can push us toward avoidance behaviors, the links between avoidance and control, and avoidance as manipulation. The episode ends with a tribute to their late friend, Ernest Levert, Jr.

The Royal Oak Initiative

Plant the Power

On this episode of BMU, the guys shake off the blues to talk about play. They highlight the pressures they faced in childhood to abandon play for fear of being seen as childish or not properly growing toward manhood. Their discussion considers their lack of examples of adults at play, the difference between play and escapism, and our general need for recreation.

On this episode of BMU, the guys consider what it means to navigate the world post-election.

On this episode of BMU, the guys end their long hiatus (a week longer than even they thought because of technical difficulties with the recording) with an explanation of where they've been and what they've been through. Their conversation considers how we balance our internal work with staying connected, leaning into processing grief, and being good community for each other in rough times.

***Trigger Warning: Violence***

This episode discusses the details of Sonya Massey's murder by a now former police officer in Illinois. The circumstances around her death are discussed in detail.

On this episode of BMU, Rev. Landon J. Adams joins the guys to wrestle with the reality Sonya Massey's rebuke "in the name of Jesus" not saving her life. They contend with their expectations of invoking God's name for protection, what this means for our faith, our collective exhaustion in the face of police violence against Black people, and the need for us to unlearn individualism as we resist the great evils in our world.

Question Marks, Periods and Commas Podcast

Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament by Ellen F. Davis

On this episode of BMU, the guys start with a discussion of the murder of Sonya Massey and the challenge of contending with myriad incidents of police brutality. If you want to skip this part, the second half of the discussion of All About Love: New Visions begins at 24:22.

BMU Summer Book Club continues with a review of bell hooks' incredible characterization of love.

This episode references Is God a White Racist? A Preamble to Black Theology by William R. Jones and The Salt Eaters by Toni Cade Bambara.

On this episode of BMU, the guys launch the inaugural BMUS Summer Book Club with their discussion of the introduction through chapter 5 of bell hooks' All About Love: New Visions.

On this episode of BMU, the guys offer their critiques of capitalism’s effect on the Juneteenth holiday before diving into a nuanced conversation about the Caitlin Clark discourse. The conversation begins with harsh critique of some of the foremost male voices in sports media and their lack of understanding and study regarding the complex dynamics associated with Clark’s meteoric rise. The guys discuss those dynamics, offering pathways for us to legitimately regard Clark’s talent and stardom without succumbing to the racist, misogynoir, anti-LGBTQIA, and capitalist ways of thinking that would require us to tear down other players within the majority-Black and distinctly queer-identifying WNBA in the process.

The guys also announce the inaugural BMU Summer Book Club in which we’re reading All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks (1999) and The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (1963). The first and second halves of All About Love will be discussed on our July 4th and 18th episodes, respectively. The Fire Next Time will be discussed in the same two-part fashion on episodes released on August 1st and 15th.

***CONTENT WARNING***

This episode includes discussion of self-harm. Please feel

On this episode of BMU, the guys discuss the mental health crisis we’re facing in the United States and the particular challenges Black men face in dealing with mental health crises. Their discussion evaluates the limits of our strength and intelligence in dealing with our most difficult issues, when we learn we’re not allowed to cry or emote, and the challenges associated with determining how much and when we can lean on each other.

“It’s so hard to forget pain, but it’s even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness.” – Chuck Palahniuk

“we are each other’s
harvest:
we are each other’s

business:
we are each other’s
magnitude and bond.” – Gwendolyn Brooks, an excerpt from “Paul Robeson”

Mental Health Resources:

If you are considering suicide or are in emotional distress,

talkspace.com: Talkspace users have access to licensed therapists through the website or mobile app on iOS and Android.

betterhelp.com: BetterHelp is a mental health platform that provides direct online counseling and therapy services via web or phone text communication.

On this episode of BMU, the guys celebrate the 3rd year of BMU with the first women to join the podcast, their friends Kyra Jones and Jonee Perry. The group discusses the nuances of platonic friendships between straight men and women, the foundations of their beliefs about who gets to be friends, and their models for friendship between men and women. The episode includes stories about their parents' responses to their early interest in relationships, the pitfalls of their socialization around college being a place to meet a life partner, and Tom Thumb weddings (LOL).