Councilwoman Christina Henderson breaks down what's really happening with federal occupation of DC, why National Guard troops on American streets should alarm everyone, and the pattern of attacks on Black women's leadership.

As an independent councilmember raising two Black daughters in DC, she speaks truth about local power, why your council member matters more than you think, and what she's teaching her children about resistance.

Three actions you can take: Ask your congressperson about DC statehood. Call your governor to bring troops home. Interrogate what you consume.

Required listening for anyone who cares about democracy and the future our babies deserve.

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In this deeply personal and politically urgent conversation, Dr. David Johns welcomes his White House family—Deesha Dyer, former Social Secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama—for a raw discussion about what we lose when power demolishes history, and what endures when community builds with intention.

Deesha takes us inside the moment she saw excavators tearing down the East Wing of the White House in October 2025—the space where she orchestrated state dinners, opened doors for people who never thought they'd walk through them, and made the People's House truly belong to the people.

This conversation moves from the rubble of demolished institutions to the unshakeable foundation of community organizing. Deesha shares lessons learned from Michelle Obama about grace under pressure, why she wrote Undiplomatic for Black girls who "risk it all," and what defending democracy actually looks like in practice: investing in local organizations, letting leaders lead in their expertise, documenting our work, and showing up for each other with intention.

Deesha's story is a masterclass in refusing to let imposter syndrome—or anyone else—define your worth. As she reminds us: buildings can be demolished in 72 hours, but they can't demolish the memories, the legacy, or the collective power we build together.

This is required listening for anyone who believes that mutual aid isn't charity—it's how we survive, build, and love each other into liberation.

Website: DeeshaDyer.com
Instagram: @deedyer267
Email: [email protected] (She answers every email!)
Book: Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble
(Available at libraries and independent bookstores)

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Four years after we lost Michael Kenneth Williams to an accidental overdose, his legacy continues to light the way forward. In this powerful Mental Health Awareness special, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with Dominic Dupont—Michael K's nephew and advocate carrying his uncle's torch—and Jonnel C. Doris, CEO of Startcare, the nation's oldest and largest Black-founded behavioral healthcare organization.

This isn't just a memorial. It's a call to action

Together, we explore how to break the silence, expand access to culturally responsive care, and create spaces where Black men feel safe asking for help. They celebrate Michael K's radical honesty, iconic portrayal of Omar Little, and commitment to criminal justice reform. Most importantly, they remind us that joy was Michael's catalyst—and it can be ours too

This conversation could save a life—maybe yours

Resources mentioned:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Startcare: startny.org
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• NBJC (National Black Justice Collective): nbjc.or
• We Build The Block https://webuildtheblock.org/

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This is a special episode of Teach the Babies.

On October 16, 2025, we celebrated 30 years since the Million Man March. To honor that anniversary, I sat down with three brothers for a conversation about what the March got right, what it got wrong, and what repair requires of us now.

You're about to hear Rev. Mark Thompson (who emceed the original 1995 March), Pastor Jamal Bryant (who's leading one of the nation's largest Black churches), and Sean Ebony Coleman (who's keeping Black trans youth alive in the Bronx) get honest about:

• Where we were in 1995 and why some of us were told we couldn't belong
• How sexuality has been weaponized to divide Black men
• What happens when a megachurch pastor admits he was doing "domestic terrorism" from the pulpit
• Why the Black church owes the LGBTQ+ community an apology
• What it costs when we police masculinity instead of expanding brotherhood
• How we turn churches into sanctuaries and teach the babies that vulnerability is strength

This conversation is brothers talking WITH each other—not at each other. It's repair in real time. It's reckoning and regeneration.

And it's what teaching the babies actually requires.

For full video and additional resources, visit NBJC.org and millionmanmarch2025.com

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Today, sitting with us in the class of someone who's been in the thick of every significant social justice movement for the past 40 years, Reverend Mark Thompson.A political, civil rights and human rights activist who's organized everything from the 1993 DC Statehood civil disobedience campaign, where he spent 20 days in jail to the upcoming 30th anniversary of The Million Man March. He's also the host of Make It Plain, a brilliant podcast, breaking Down Politics and Human Rights, and he recently authored the lead paper on DC Statehood for the State of the People Black Paper Project.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

Political strategist, journalist, and co-anchor of The Signal LIVE Karen Finney joins the class fresh from co-anchoring the launch of State of the People TV with Dr. David J. Johns. Karen reveals the origin story that drives her work—carrying incarcerated teenage girls who couldn't envision a future into every room of power—and why this moment required something different: a movement disguised as media, where the answers are within our community

This conversation explores what it means to be impeccable with your word, why the fourth estate matters for democracy, and what makes this moment different. Karen breaks down journalism versus propaganda, shares lessons from crisis communications and surviving brain surgery, and offers a message: your voice matters, we need you—but take a breath first.The answers are within our community. Be impeccable with your word. Remember who we are.

Watch The Signal LIVE every Thursday at 9pm ET/8pm CT at stateoftheppl.com/tv

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Host, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with Jada Capri Ward—social justice advocate, performer, and co-host of the Relentless Love Podcast—to explore what activism looks and feels like for millennials and Gen Z. This is a conversation about being a "Zillennial" straddling two worlds, living with chronic illness while doing the work, and why our generation's digital organizing connects back to ancestral ways of resistance. Jada opens up about the fear, the fatigue, and why sometimes the most radical thing we can do is be still. Plus, she shares why leaders like Angela Rye, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and Tamika Mallory are the "Angela Davis and Malcolm X" of this generation. Jada brings raw honesty about the gaps between policy and people's needs.

@jadaacapri on Instagram

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In this essential episode of Teach The Babies, Dr. David Johns sits down with theGrio's White House Correspondent and Managing Editor Gerren Keith Gaynor for a masterclass in journalism, media literacy, and democracy protection. From becoming the first Black-owned digital news correspondent in the White House briefing room to breaking down the critical difference between journalists and influencers, Gerren shares invaluable insights on navigating our current "infodemic." This conversation explores how disinformation campaigns target Black communities, the vital role of Black-owned media in countering false narratives, and practical media literacy skills every person needs in 2025. A must-listen for educators, advocates, and anyone committed to informed civic engagement.

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In this powerful follow-up conversation, education equity consultant Nancy Hanks returns to discuss how educators, parents, and allies can navigate the dramatically shifted educational landscape under current federal policies.

Nancy provides unflinching analysis of the psychosocial toll on educators of color while offering concrete strategies for micro-recovery and sustained resistance. She shares specific questions parents should ask schools to maintain equity pressure using plain language, challenges white educators to step up as agitators, and reminds us all why ancestral wisdom is essential for this moment.

From practical advice about red flags in school environments to the profound metaphor of raising a "standard" that lists previous battles won, this episode balances raw honesty about current challenges with actionable hope for protecting and teaching our babies.

Key topics include: grief and healing in educational spaces, parent advocacy strategies that transcend academic jargon, the role of privilege in educational resistance, and why remembering that "folks did more with less" is crucial for sustaining the work ahead.

Essential listening for educators feeling under attack, parents navigating hostile school environments, and anyone committed to ensuring all children can access their beauty and brilliance despite the current assault on educational equity.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

While politicians push federal funding to arm teachers, Chris Chatmon and Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO) are arming Black children with something far more powerful: creativity, culture, and community. In this deeply moving conversation, Chris returns to discuss how creative expression becomes resistance, why drumming circles counter deficit narratives, and how his organization builds what children need while others tear systems down. From table drums made to deepen intersectional connections to animation studios producing counter-narratives, this is education as liberation—and it's happening right now in Oakland.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.