unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

By Ashanti Branch - Taking Off The MaskEducationHow To
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unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students episodes

  • #61 | 57 Pounds: Healing Myself While Fighting for Our Young People

    Welcome to UnMASKing with Male Educators. In this episode, Ashanti shares a deeply personal update on his health and wellness journey, reflecting on what it has meant to continue detoxing, stay committed to a plant-based lifestyle, and push through both physical and emotional barriers along the way.

    But this conversation goes beyond the scale. Ashanti connects his fight for health to the realities of being an educator, the sacrifices so many teachers make, and the urgency of creating safer, more responsive spaces for young people in our schools.

    From chronic pain and food addiction to advocating for students and supporting educators, this episode is a powerful reminder that healing, wellness, and school transformation are all connected.

    As UnMASKing with Male Educators continues to explore what it means to show up fully for ourselves and our students, this episode invites you to reflect on your own journey, your own wellness, and the ways we can all do better for young people.

    (0:00) 2026 update and a recap of the detox journey so far

    (2:20) The emotional battle of hovering near 300 pounds

    (4:48) Breaking below 300 for the first time in years

    (6:30) Chronic pain, health, and fighting for your life

    (7:20) January detox results and total weight released since September

    (9:40) Learning which foods fuel wellness and which ones don’t

    (10:50) The sacrifices educators make in service of others

    (12:10) Supporting young people when schools miss the signs

    (14:36) Why educators must pay closer attention to what’s happening in their classrooms

    (16:59) Starting school transformation one classroom at a time

    (19:22) Bay Area teacher strikes and what they reveal about educator value

    (21:45) A visual update on the journey and an invitation to join the Million Mask Movement


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org


    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345


    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]


    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #UNWME #diaryofaconfusededucator

    23 min
  • #60 | School Social Work, Grief, & the Boundaries That Keep You in the Work - with Justin Martinez

    One social worker. One campus. A hundred invisible fires.

    In this conversation, Justin Martinez, a Bay Area high school school social worker, assistant baseball coach, and facilitator of a young men’s group called “Are You Man Enough?”, breaks down what it really takes to support students with high needs without losing yourself in the process. Justin shares how his own story (foster care, domestic violence, and becoming a first-gen graduate) shaped his purpose, what he keeps behind the “leader” mask, and why the hardest lesson for helpers is also the most freeing: you can’t save anyone… but you can hand them the keys.

    Listen and apply these takeaways to your school:

    • The “crown” mask: what it looks like to be the steady leader at school, mentor, role model, coach, while carrying grief and pressure underneath
    • Countertransference in real life: how to notice when a student’s story hits your own… and not let it bleed into the relationship
    • Two lenses, one campus: why wellness teams and disciplinary systems clash, and how students pay the price when adults aren’t aligned
    • “I can’t save anyone” isn’t cold, it’s a boundary: how over-functioning creates burnout (and attaches your worth to outcomes you can’t control)
    • The keys metaphor: “I can walk you to the door and hand you the keys… but you have to open it.”
    • What school social workers actually do: wellness check-ins, crisis triage, re-regulation spaces, risk assessments, referrals, and constant problem-solving
    • Accountability with care: holding young men to a higher standard without talking down to them
    • Real strength includes rest: the crown is heavy… and strong men still take it off


    (0:00) Class in session + meet Justin Martinez

    (2:38) Justin’s story: foster care due to domestic violence + becoming a first-gen grad to return and be what he needed

    (10:10) Behind Justin’s mask: grief, countertransference, walking on eggshells, inequity, targeted students, and “I can’t save anyone”

    (15:10) “I can’t save anyone” + the keys/door framework (resources, boundaries, and surrendering outcomes)

    (20:50) Learning the boundary the hard way: wanting to “fix” a family’s crisis and hitting system limits

    (27:31) A day in school social work: QR code referrals, wellness check-ins, re-regulation room, crisis calls, risk assessments

    (33:14) Biggest challenge: collaborating with staff when lenses don’t match—and harmful narratives about students persist

    (36:10) Why schools need more men in wellness roles: impact, mentorship, emotional modeling

    (38:57) What young men are facing: accountability, consequences, pressure, and future-focus conversations

    (43:35) Closing question: “How heavy is that crown?” + grief, family weight, and learning when to take it off


    Connect with Justin Martinez

    Instagram: @just_in_tiime_


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org

    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345

    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]

    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/


    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #schoolsocialwork #studentwellness #teacherretention #mentorship #mensmentalhealth #emotionalwellness #restisstrength #youthadvocacy

    50 min
  • #59 | The Mentorship Lineage of Black Male Educators: Jacob Cory Gold, Dr. Willie Williams, Reginald Williams — Belief, Masks, and the Seeds That Outlive You

    Three Black male educators. Three generations of impact. One powerful through-line: belief.

    In this conversation, Jacob (Cory Gold), Dr. Willie Williams, and Reginald Williams unpack what it means to teach while carrying a mask, showing strength, joy, fairness, and love… while holding grief, pressure, mental health, and the realities of being a young Black man in a profession where you’re often the only one. You’ll hear how mentorship travels: teacher → student → teacher → the next student… and how small moments in schools become lifelong turning points.

    Listen and apply these takeaways to your school:

    • Belief as a daily practice: what it looks like to “clock in” for kids like a coach—showing up early, present, and intentional
    • Fairness vs. equality: how “being strict but understanding” builds trust (and why students can smell a facade)
    • The mask exercise (front + back): what educators show the world vs. what we carry behind the smile
    • Why teaching is still a “dangerous” profession for Black folks: the weight of history, politics, and protecting students without drowning them
    • Planting seeds that go home: phrases, routines, and presence that outlive the classroom and come back 15 years later


    (0:00) Class in session + meet Jacob “Cory Gold,” Dr. Willie Williams, and Reginald Williams

    (1:30) Jacob introduces himself: “walking in the light” as a spiritual being inside school buildings

    (2:10) Dr. Willie: meeting Jacob as a high school student who needed someone to slow him down

    (4:10) Reginald: why he became a teacher, representation, trust, and seeing leadership up close

    (6:45) Mask exercise explained: 3 words on the front, 3 on the back

    (7:25) Reginald’s mask: fairness/justice, passion, strict-but-understanding + joy, intention, hiding the lows

    (10:30) Jacob’s mask: joy, intention, light, love + poverty background, hunger check-ins, leading with questions

    (15:10) Dr. Willie’s mask: God, love, strength + protecting students politically, mental health, and dating as a Black male educator

    (22:00) Ashanti’s mask: caring/serious/passionate + worry, self-doubt, family weight

    (26:40) The big question: “How does belief in your students show up every day?”

    (31:05) Reginald: the “lightbulb moment” and why students want their teacher back after a sub

    (33:10) Jacob reflects on impact: gratitude for seeing the “increase” across generations

    (41:00) Reginald on planting seeds: being uniquely yourself, meeting students where they are

    (44:45) Willie: teaching as “dangerous” historically + the need for community among Black male educators

    (50:15) Dr. Willie: more eye-level conversations + Book #18: The Black Male Resiliency Experience


    Connect with the Guests

    Dr. Willie Williams

    • Book: The Black Male Resiliency Experience

    • Company: Accepted Admissions (educational consulting)

    Jacob (Cory Gold)

    • Shares “All Things Light” content (YouTube/Instagram)

    Reginald Williams

    Educator (Year 3) + community builder through clubs/activities/coaching energy


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org

    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345

    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]

    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm


    58 min
  • #58 | “Recruiting Someone Back to the Scene of a Crime”: Sharif El-Mekki, Black Men in Education, & the Work Schools Avoid

    This episode is a masterclass in what it really costs to be a Black man in education and what it takes to build something better. Sharif El-Mekki (Center for Black Educator Development) breaks down the “trifecta” that grinds educators down, why many recruitment efforts are ill-informed and unserious, and how a student-led rallying cry became a national pipeline movement: #WeNeedBlackTeachers. Listen and apply these takeaways to your school tomorrow:

  • Why “work twice as hard to get half as far” can become a trap and where the pressure should go (the system, not the child)

  • The educator “mask” that looks like strength…but is really stoicism, compartmentalization, and survival

  • What changes when you stop separating your lived experience from your teaching: students become more demanding (and that’s a good thing)

  • “Raised Woke” and the power of student agency: when young people start making real demands, like meeting real Panthers

  • The Black educator pipeline problem, the leaky retention reality, and why retention is the strongest recruitment strategy

  • The 3Ps framework: Policy & Advocacy, Professional Development, Pathways—and what it looks like in real schools

  • The mental health toll on Black male educators: experiencing bias as a kid, as a professional, and deciding whether to protect kids in the same system


    (0:00) Class in session + meet Sharif El-Mekki(1:15) Philly Seventh Ward + why Du Bois still matters

    (2:35) “Stop telling Black boys they need to be twice as good” + the John Henry warning

    (6:05) The mask question: what we show vs. what we carry

    (9:35) Ashanti’s mask: purpose on the front, fear + political anger behind it

    (12:10) Sharif’s mask: love for community on the front, stoicism + withholding his story behind it

    (19:55) What students do when you bring your full self: “Raised Woke,” demands, and agency(24:20) Center for Black Educator Development + rebuilding a national Black teacher pipeline

    (26:05) The 3Ps: policy/advocacy, professional learning, pathways

    (27:10) The high school pathway: teaching as CTE + Black pedagogical framework

    (33:15) The convening: not a conference—work, community, action (9th annual this fall)

    (39:35) Men’s mental health + the “trifecta” that grinds Black educators down

    (41:55) Retention playbook + why anti-racist ecosystems retain educators

    (45:30) Where to follow + how to get registration updates: #WeNeedBlackTeachers

    (46:20) Show your mask anonymously + closing

    (47:10) The intergenerational power: high school + college + veteran educators in the same room


    Connect with Sharif El-Mekki / Center for Black Educator Development

  • We Need Black Teachers (updates + newsletter): weneedblackteachers.org

  • Hashtag: #WeNeedBlackTeachers


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org


    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345


    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]


    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/


    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #takingoffthemask #millionmaskmovement #weneedblackteachers #blackmaleteachers #blackeducators #teacherretention #educationleadership #emotionalwellness

    • 48 min
  • #57 | From “I Never Wanted to Teach” to Transforming 50+ Schools: Kyle Sumrow, Robby Cobbs, & the Real Work Behind EdTech

    This is the story of two educators who never planned to become educators, and ended up building an edtech nonprofit that’s served 50+ schools in Puerto Rico. Robby Cobbs and Kyle Sumrow break down the “international teaching cheat code,” the masks they wear as leaders, and how they turned frustration into a system that helps schools build real tech plans (not PDFs that die in a Google Drive). Listen and apply these takeaways to your school tomorrow:

    • Why “dignity” matters more than “respect”, and how that mindset changes your classroom and your leadership
    • Fairness vs. equality (the glasses example) + why “kindness all the time” isn’t soft, it’s strategic
    • The power of community when you’re far from home: international schools, brotherhood, and what “family” can mean when it’s built (not forced)
    • How TechMySchool was born in Puerto Rico, no libraries, not enough books, and one question that sparked a movement

    (0:00) Class in session + meet Robby Cobbs and Kyle Sumrow

    (0:30) Robby’s origin story: from “no teacher dreams” to finding home in schools

    (5:30) Teaching in inner-city schools + the travel bug that changed everything

    (7:00) International teaching explained (housing, flights, medical, taxes)

    (13:35) Kyle’s journey: music school → bus driver → subbing → “this is what I want to do”

    (18:50) Teaching as the ultimate learning hack (bio → CS → film → audio → auto)

    (30:10) “Family” in international schools—when community builds itself

    (35:40) The “mask” exercise: what you show vs. what you carry as a leader

    (38:00) Kyle’s mask: dignity, fairness, growth and the unseen leadership habits

    (41:30) Robby’s mask: confident leader, service, empathy and the hidden frustration behind nonprofit work

    (52:20) TechMySchool origin story: Puerto Rico schools, no libraries, and scaling from 1 school to 50+

    (55:15) “Week Without Walls” + bringing students to other places for perspective shifts

    (1:09:50) How to support + the Caribbean edtech conference (April 10–11)

    (1:11:10) TechPlanGenie: AI-powered tech planning + accountability + end-of-year report


    Connect with Robby Cobbs + Kyle Sumrow / TechMySchool:

    Website: techmyschool.org

    Instagram/Facebook: Tech My School

    Caribbean EdTech Conference: April 10–11


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org

    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345

    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]

    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace

    1 hr 18 min
  • #56 | ICE, Alex Pretti, & Emotional Landmines: What Our Students Are Carrying (and What Schools Can Do Now)

    In this episode, Ashanti Branch shares what he’s been witnessing in schools and in the broader social climate surrounding ICE, Alex Pretti, and how it shows up in students’ bodies, behavior, and sense of safety. He opens with a lunch conversation with a group of young men who name the pressures they feel: expectations, relationships, emotions, and not always having someone they trust when they’re struggling.

    From there, Ashanti expands into a bigger message for educators and communities: when young people (and adults) don’t have a safe way to release what they’re carrying, they can end up walking around like “emotional landmines”, until one moment sets everything off.

    Don’t wait for a crisis to make emotional well-being a priority. Ask students how they’re doing, build spaces for honest conversation, and use mask-making as a practical tool for connection and healing.

    • A lunch conversation with young men: pressure, relationships, emotions, and trust
    • “Emotional landmines” and what happens when people store it all up
    • Masculinity, power, and what violence can look like when manhood feels threatened
    • Stories that show the impact of fear and rhetoric on young people
    • Why silence (and “staying in our lane”) isn’t a protection plan
    • A direct invitation to educators: be proactive, not reactive
    • How mask-making can open honest conversations in your school/community

    (0:00) Welcome + why Ashanti is speaking directly in this solo reflection

    (2:18) Lunch with young men: emotions, expectations, trust, and vulnerability

    (4:10) Naming “emotional landmines” and feeling the pressure personally

    (5:51) Early life reflections + how we learn to see the world clearly

    (7:54) A quote that frames masculinity, power, and the threat of equality

    (12:08) A young person’s testimony: “How can I focus on school when I’m worried about my family?”

    (16:06) “What are we willing to do to protect what we say we believe?”

    (18:57) A story about a 10-year-old boy and the ripple effects of fear and threats

    (21:41) Why people “store it up” until one moment becomes an explosion

    (22:02) Protests, speaking out, and finding your lane for action

    (26:59) A direct ask for educators: don’t wait for crisis—create emotional support now

    (29:21) Invitation: make a mask, invite others, and build connection before the “boom”


    Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org

    Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345


    Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas

    Email us: [email protected]

    Create your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/


    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    X: https://x.com/BranchSpeaks

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    Help us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub

    X: https://x.com/everforwardclub

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #doace #diaryofaconfusededucator #emotionalsafety #emotionallandmines #maskmaking #everforwardclub


    36 min
  • #55 | Show Your Work: Language, Masculinity, and the Future of Learning – w/ Dr. Mark Anthony Neal – Professor, Duke University

    What happens when “being professional” quietly turns into “being unseen”?

    In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Black Studies scholar, writer, and professor at Duke University, joins Ashanti for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about masks we wear in education, what students have lost (and gained) in the post-pandemic classroom, and why freedom with language can be a pathway to belonging.

    In this episode, they cover:

  • Growing up working class in the South Bronx: a father who wasn’t verbal, but spoke through Sunday breakfast, gospel, and the Mets

  • “Stoicism as a mask”: how Black men learn to control emotion by pretending they don’t have any

  • Why aging (and experience) shifted Dr. Neal’s teaching: from gravitas and control → toward visible humanity and frailty

  • The hidden cost of the attacks on Black Studies: not always bans—sometimes student fear and “natural attrition”

  • Building the classroom as a vernacular space: language as freedom, not a barrier to participation

  • Imposter syndrome and “talking right”: how fear of sounding smart silences students before they ever start

  • “Students are like iPhone updates”: why educators have to recalibrate pedagogy every few years

  • Post-pandemic social gaps: why mentoring feels harder for students who didn’t practice relationships outside their homes

  • Save a Seat for Me: a love letter to Black fathers—and a new language for how Black men show up emotionally


    • (0:01) Welcome + Dr. Mark Anthony Neal introduces himself (South Bronx roots, working-class parents, path from high school teaching to the academy)

    (1:45) Music as love language: Sunday breakfast, gospel, jazz/blues, and baseball as father-son connection

    (4:03) Upcoming book: Save a Seat for Me and why Black fatherhood is inseparable from American fatherhood

    (5:46) The “mask” framework: what we show vs. what we protect as educators

    (9:05) “Stoicism as control”: why many Black men learn to hide interiority (especially anger)

    (18:22) Teaching style shift: from “professorial gravitas” → toward conversational, accessible learning

    (20:24) Language & belonging: making the classroom a vernacular space (and why code-switching isn’t the classroom goal)

    (27:57) Representation reality: brilliant Black women teachers early on—but no Black male teacher until Dr. Neal became one

    (32:16) “Higher expectations”: why lowering the bar is one of the most common ways schools fail Black students

    (54:31) Closing invitation: share your mask anonymously at Million Mask Movement


    Connect with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal

    • Book: Save a Seat for Me (Simon & Schuster) — publishing August 4, 2026
    • Pre-order: Amazon, Simon & Schuster, and (hopefully) independent Black bookstores
    • Instagram: @BookerBBBrown
    • Twitter: @NewBlackMan

    Resources & Ways to Engage

    • The Million Mask Movement – Create a mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org
    • Educator Portal – Bring mask-making and emotional data into your school
    • Global Young Men’s Conference – Youth voice, belonging, and healing spaces
    • Ever Forward Club – Brotherhood, connection, and mentorship

    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks
    • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/
    • Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/

    Connect with Ever Forward Club

    • Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/⁠

    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #BlackStudies #BlackMaleEducators #BlackFatherhood #Masculinity #EmotionalSafety #HigherEd #TeacherLife #StudentBelonging #Mentorship #CodeSwitching #AIInEducation #ShowYourWork

    57 min
  • #54 | Heart Before Head: The Emotional Work Behind Academic Success – w/ Dr. Calvin J. Hadley – Assistant Provost, Howard University

    What if the breakthrough for Black boys and men in education isn’t more pressure… but more belonging?

    In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Dr. Calvin J. Hadley, Assistant Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Partnerships at Howard University, joins Ashanti for a real conversation about what’s happening to Black male enrollment, why emotional safety has to come before performance, and what it looks like to build a community where men don’t have to “hold it down” alone.

    In this episode, they cover:

  • Why Black men often aren’t given the tools to understand, and move through their emotions (and how that shows up as a “mask”)

  • “Mirror-cleaning” work: what young Black men see when they look at themselves and how to blow limitations off the hinges

  • Emotional intelligence as a muscle many men never got to exercise (and why naming weakness matters)

  • The Men of the Mecca faculty/staff check-ins: “45 minutes of real check-ins”… and why grown men end up crying

  • Health avoidance, cultural fear, and why “put your oxygen mask on first” isn’t a cliché it’s leadership

  • “Emotion overrides intellect”: why we can know what to do—and still not do it

  • The crisis of Black male presence in higher ed (Howard’s context + HBCU averages)

  • Belonging, rites of passage, and the “Burning of Fear” ceremony, writing fears down and burning them together

  • “Look to your left and right…”: brotherhood as responsibility, not just connection

    Timestamps

    (0:01) Intro: who Dr. Hadley is + what this episode tackles (enrollment, emotional barriers, belonging, masks)

    (0:01) Welcome + Dr. Hadley introduces himself (son of Harold & Ernestine, two-time Howard grad, father/husband, Assistant Provost role)

    (10:33) Dr. Hadley: Men of the Mecca language—“taking off the mask” + not being taught emotional tools

    (12:30) “Mirror cleaning” + the “N-word mask” and how limitations get internalized

    (16:11) Emotional honesty: “I’m fairly emotional… I start crying on podcast” + “intellectual juggernaut / emotional first-grader”

    (24:40) Men of the Mecca: student support → faculty/staff arm → a space to check in for real

    (26:12) Annual physical moment: a room full of high-achieving Black men hanging their heads—health avoidance and cultural fear

    (27:45) “Put your oxygen mask on first”: why educator wellness is student success work

    (29:35) “Emotion overrides intellect”: you can’t teach, lead, or heal past what hasn’t been felt

    (41:13) Rites of passage + “Burning of Fear”: write fears down, burn them, and build responsibility through brotherhood

    (57:47) How to connect/partner + Dr. Hadley shares his email; closing invitation to make a mask anonymously


    Connect with Dr. Calvin J. Hadley

    • Email (partnerships / school districts / collaboration): [email protected]
    • Howard University work: Men of the Mecca (student + faculty/staff community-building)

    Resources & Ways to Engage

    • The Million Mask Movement – Create a mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org
    • Educator Portal – Bring mask-making and emotional data into your school
    • Global Young Men’s Conference – Youth voice, belonging, and healing spaces
    • Ever Forward Club – Brotherhood, connection, and mentorship

    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks
    • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/
    • Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


    Connect with Ever Forward Club:

    • Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/⁠

    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

    #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #BlackMaleEducators #BlackBoys #BlackMenHealing #EmotionalSafety #StudentSuccess #HigherEd #HBCU #Mentorship #Belonging #MensWellness #TraumaInformedEducation

    • 59 min
  • #53 | You’re Worth the Pause: Building Brave Spaces for Black Male Educators – w/ Ayodele Harrison – Founder, BMEsTalk

    What if the leadership move you need most right now isn’t to push harder… but to pause?

    In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Ayodele Harrison, educator, facilitator, and founder of Black Male Educators Talk (BMEsTalk) joins host Ashanti Branch for a real, layered conversation about the masks Black men learn to wear in schools, in leadership, and in life. Ayodele shares how BMEsTalk is building a leadership ecosystem rooted in brotherhood, wellness, and nonjudgmental connection, because too many men are expected to “hold it down” while quietly running on empty.

    In this episode, they cover:

    • The mask of the leader: extroversion on the outside, overthinking and introversion on the inside
    • Why Black men are conditioned to tie worth to usefulness, output, and performance
    • “You’re worth the pause”: making the case for wellness when the ROI isn’t immediate
    • How to start men’s healing spaces without forcing vulnerability too fast (tables first, circle later)
    • Why “safe” isn’t always the right word—and what a brave space invites instead
    • White supremacy as a system designed to disconnect—and what it does to relationships and identity
    • The power & privilege wheel: understanding marginalization and proximity to power
    • How Black male privilege shows up (and why naming it can change how we show up for Black women)
    • The “Dear Black Man” grounding practice that opens every BMEsTalk engagement


    (0:00) Welcome + Ashanti’s self-doubt moment (even saying the guest’s name)

    (0:35) Ayodele’s story: Seattle roots, Howard alum, engineering → education

    (1:27) What BMEsTalk is building: brotherhood, wellness, leadership ecosystem

    (15:16) Public vs. private schooling—and how certain environments can stunt growth

    (17:03) Ayodele’s “back of the mask”: creative, faith, introversion + expectations to lead

    (23:01) The performance trap: “being human is not enough” + the pressure to earn love

    (25:07) The “Dear Black Man” letter + pausing to reset expectations in the room

    (31:27) “You’re worth the pause”: why men struggle to believe wellness has ROI

    (41:36) Designing for men’s nervous systems: why circles can be too much too soon

    (44:15) When wellness gets weaponized: going “deep” without time to close the box

    (51:56) Wielding privilege to protect, provide, and stand with Black women

    (53:43) Why this needs a Part 2 (and what young men need from these conversations)

    (54:20) Where to find Ayodele + BMEsTalk

    (55:05) The Affirmation Crown: building something wearable that speaks life into you

    (55:35) Share your mask anonymously + invite a friend into the reflection


    Connect with Ayodele Harrison

    Ayodele on LinkedIn (search: “Ayodele Harrison”)

    BMEsTalk (Black Male Educators Talk): national convener building leadership, culture, and community for Black educators.

    Affirmation Crown (hands-on reflection experience).


    Resources & Ways to Engage

    • The Million Mask Movement – Create a mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org
    • Educator Portal – Bring mask-making and emotional data into your school
    • Global Young Men’s Conference – Youth voice, belonging, and healing spaces
    • Ever Forward Club – Brotherhood, connection, and mentorship

      Connect with Ashanti Branch

    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    • Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/


      Connect with Ever Forward Club:

    • Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/everforwardclub⁠
    • LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/⁠


    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

      #unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #totm #BlackMaleEducators #BMEsTalk #BlackMenHealing #BraveSpaces #EmotionalWellness #SchoolLeadership #SEL

    59 min
  • #52 | Why Not Today? (Dr. Steve Perry’s Wake-Up Call for Educators)

    This episode didn’t go the way we planned, in the best way.

    Instead of a traditional interview, Dr. Steve Perry steps in with the kind of mentoring questions that don’t let you hide behind “next month,” “next season,” or “when I’m ready.” It becomes a real-time reflection on fear, purpose, leadership, and what it costs, personally and professionally, when we hold back what we’re here to give.

    Dr. Perry reminds us: our students are living right now. And we don’t get to “take a day off” from the responsibility of showing up with our full presence, because we don’t know what moment might change a child’s life.

    In this episode, we cover:

  • Why “tomorrow” can be a socially acceptable form of fear

  • The difference between the people you care about and the people you’re trying to impress

  • How bullying and old wounds show up as hesitation, second-guessing, and “playing small” in adulthood
  • What it means to live the advice you give young people


    • (0:00) Dr. Perry’s opening reminder: “Get home safely.” Why educators can’t “take a period off.”

    (0:32) Ashanti sets the tone: this is a different kind of episode—more reflection, more mentoring

    (5:12) “Are you sure you’re going to be here in 2026?” Mortality, urgency, and getting present

    (8:21) Who are you worried about… and why do they have so much power?

    (15:44) Show intro: the loneliness of being a male educator & why this space exists

    (16:22) Dr. Perry’s mission: education, power, and fighting for Black and Latin students

    (22:24) The fear behind staying quiet—and what it’s costing

    (31:22) “If a kid came to you with a phone full of songs…” Living your own advice

    (42:06) Internal bullies, exaggerated fears, and the stories we let run our lives

    (46:24) “Why not now? Why not today?” The challenge to stop hiding behind phases

    (48:18) Dr. Perry: kids are living now—your presence might be the moment that changes everything

    (50:51) “Release the first video. Tomorrow, the next.” Fear, discomfort, and jumping anyway

    (53:08) Where to see Dr. Perry’s work: “Come to our schools.”


    Reflection questions to sit with

  • Who do you care about—really?

  • Who are you worried about—and why?

  • What would change if you stopped letting unnamed people dictate your behavior?


    • Resources & Ways to Engage

    • The Million Mask Movement – Create a mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org
    • Educator Portal – Bring mask-making and emotional data into your school
    • Global Young Men’s Conference – Youth voice, belonging, and healing spaces
    • Ever Forward Club – Brotherhood, connection, and mentorship

    Connect with Ashanti Branch

    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

    • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/

    • Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/

    Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Club

    https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support


    #UnmaskingWithMaleEducators #MillionMaskMovement #MaleEducators #EmotionalSafety #SchoolCulture #Mentorship #StudentWellbeing #EducationLeadership #DrStevePerry #EverForwardClub

    55 min

About unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

From the publisher's feed

Only 23% of K-12 educators in America are male, a gender gap that has serious ramifications for male students - who often face DISPROPORTIONATE disciplinary action.