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In Episode 3 of Rooted Dialogues, Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon are joined by Dr. Lathardus Goggins II for a deeper look at Chapter One of Bringing the Light into a New Day.

The conversation explores the purpose and function of rites of passage, the Ten Basic Assumptions, Sankofa, and the difference between potential and preparation. The episode also connects these ideas to Dr. Timothy D. Goler’s Liberated Mind and the question of how identity, culture, and environment shape development.

Root Check: Who or what is shaping the person you are becoming—and how much of that shaping is intentional?

Mentioned Resources:

• Bringing the Light into a New Day: African-centered Rites of Passage — Dr. Lathardus Goggins II
• 365 Black Nuggets: Wisdom for Each Day of the Year — Dr. Lathardus Goggins II
• Liberated Mind: A Guide to Black Clarity — Dr. Timothy D. Goler
• City Club of Cleveland — Liberated Mind: Clarity, Identity, and the Conditions That Shape Us
• Resource Books and More
• Dr. Goggins’ Thursday One-Minute Thought
• Saint Rest Publications

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

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In Episode Two of Rooted Dialogues, Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon continue their journey through Dr. Lathardus Goggins II’s Bringing the Light into a New Day: African-centered Rites of Passage by looking at the voices that helped frame the book’s significance across more than twenty-five years.

The conversation highlights early endorsements, including the late Dr. Myles Munroe’s 1998 reflection on value, worth, and significance, as well as perspectives from Paul Hill Jr., Pamela M. Hubbard, and others who recognized the book as both a scholarly contribution and a practical resource for youth development, education, and African-centered rites of passage. The cohosts then turn to the Introduction, exploring key ideas such as light as opportunity, hope, and wisdom; Sankofa as the intentional retrieval of what still serves us; cultural continuity; identity; purpose; and the importance of family-based, community-linked development.  

Also in this episode, Victoria and LaVon recognize Black Business Month, discuss Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.’s historic Bigger and Better Business program, reflect on the legacy of the Divine Nine, and share an update from Saint Rest Publications, including the release of Reader Series Book Two, Education as Human Development.

This episode invites listeners to consider a central question: What wisdom from our past still has work to do in our future?

Subscribe, share the podcast, and pick up your copy of Bringing the Light into a New Day so you can read along throughout Season Two.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

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Bringing the Light: Returning to the Root

Rooted Dialogues returns for Season Two with a renewed format, new conversations, and a deeper exploration of the connections between culture, identity, education, community, and purpose.

Cohosts Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon welcome listeners back and introduce the new recurring segments that will shape the season: Root Check, Black Nugget of the Week, Today’s Dialogue, From the Pages, Deep Dive, Take Root Challenge, and Community Reflection.

The episode also catches up on what has been growing since Season One, including developments at Saint Rest Publications, new publishing initiatives and resources, upcoming projects, collaborations, and the continuing professional and scholarly work of Dr. Lathardus Goggins II.

Dr. Goggins then joins Victoria and LaVon as a special guest to introduce the central text for Season Two, Bringing the Light into a New Day: African-centered Rites of Passage. Together, they explore the meaning behind the metaphor of “bringing the light,” the principle of Sankofa, the intentional transmission of cultural wisdom, and why African-centered rites of passage remain relevant to families, educators, and communities today.

The conversation also raises a question that will follow listeners throughout the season: What kind of human beings are we intentionally developing—and what wisdom are we responsible for passing forward?

Season Two begins by returning to the root so that we can thoughtfully move into a new day.

Rooted Dialogues: Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

In this opening episode of Season Two, Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon reconnect with listeners and bring you into everything that’s been happening since Season One—growth within Saint Rest Publications, new writing and collaborations, upcoming events, and the continued expansion of this work.

Joined by Dr. Lathardus Goggins II, this episode sets the tone for the season ahead, grounded in Bringing the Light into a New Day and the ongoing work of African-centered rites of passage.

This conversation is about building, reflecting, and preparing for what comes next.

Rooted Dialogues - Where community, culture, and critical thought converge.

Saint Rest Publications website - https://www.afrocentric.info/SaintRest/

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

Send us Fan Mail

Rooted Dialogues — Season One

Season One of Rooted Dialogues is a nine-episode, African-centered exploration of rites of passage, education, identity, history, and human development. Grounded in scholarship and community wisdom, this season examines how education functions—both as a tool for liberation and as a mechanism of control—and what it means to reclaim learning as a culturally rooted, humanizing process.

Across the season, hosts Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon, joined by Dr. Lathardus Goggins II, guide listeners through a deep dive into African-centered Rites of Passage and Education, unpacking the universal process of human development and its implications for educators, students, parents, communities, and scholars. The conversations move from theory to history, from critique to implication, and ultimately toward responsibility and action.

Season One closes by reflecting on more than 25 years of African-centered educational work and setting the stage for what comes next—affirming that while this chapter has ended, the work continues.

Rooted Dialogues - Where community, culture, and critical thought converge.

Episode 1:
An introduction to Rooted Dialogues, setting the purpose, tone, and African-centered framework for the conversations ahead.

Episode 2:
A foundational discussion on African-centered education, examining the duties of educators and the role of conscience in teaching and learning.

Episode 3:
The beginning of a deep dive into African-centered Rites of Passage and Education, introducing the text, its origins, and its core purpose.

Episode 4:
A focused exploration of the rites of passage model, unpacking its stages, structure, and transformative potential for youth development.

Episode 5:
An examination of sense of self, identity, and consciousness, and how mis-education shapes academic experiences for African-descended students.

Episode 6:
A historical and structural analysis of American schooling, tracing how narratives of Black inferiority continue to shape education and outcomes.

Episode 7:
A discussion of the implications of African-centered rites of passage for educators, students, families, communities, and scholars.

Episode 8:
A 25-year reflection on African-centered educational work, examining SEL, trauma-informed practices, power, and the limits of reform without culture.

Episode 9:
The Season One finale, closing the circle with reflections on purpose, intention, responsibility, and the work ahead.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

The final episode of Rooted Dialogues reflects on African-centered rites of passage and their impact on education, emphasizing community, intention, and responsibility. Hosts Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon, joined by Dr. Lathardus Goggins II, recap key insights, discuss the relevance of their work today, and preview upcoming projects and Season Two.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

Episode 7 of Rooted Dialogues examines the implications of African-centered rites of passage in education. Hosts Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon discuss how education shapes identity, community, and purpose, emphasizing education as a transformative, community-driven process. They highlight the roles of educators, students, families, and scholars, advocating for holistic, culturally-rooted approaches.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

This episode of Rooted Dialogues explores how American education has historically perpetuated myths of Black inferiority, functioning more as a system of control than liberation for African-Americans. The hosts discuss the roots of these narratives, their impact on identity, and how African-centered education and rites of passage offer corrective frameworks for true empowerment and self-definition.

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

Episode 8 of Rooted Dialogues reflects on 25+ years since the publication of African-centered Rites of Passage and Education. Dr. Lathardus Goggins II joins the podcast and discusses lessons learned, the challenges of educational reform, and the need for culturally grounded approaches. 

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.

In this powerful third installment of our deep-dive series on African-centered Rites of Passage and Education, hosts Victoria Brown and LaVon Gordon explore one of the most foundational elements of human development: sense of self. Drawing from the chapter Sense of Self and the Educative Experience , this episode examines how identity, consciousness, culture, and purpose shape the educational journey for African-descended learners.

The co-hosts break down the critical difference between self-esteem and self-consciousness, discuss why academic success without cultural grounding leads to mis-education, and highlight insights from scholars such as Woodson, Du Bois, Akbar, Rogers, and Erikson. Together, they unpack how oppression distorts identity—and how African-centered rites of passage restore clarity, purpose, and communal responsibility.

Episodes 6* (Part 4), 7* (Part 5), and 8* (Part 6) drop December 22. 

(*This was mis-identified in the podcast).

Rooted Dialogues is a production of Saint Rest Publications — Where Community, Culture, and Critical Thought Converge

Visit us at Afrocentric.Info/SaintRest to explore more from Saint Rest Publications.