Episodes

  • Dr. Zakiya Smith Ellis on DEI, Public Schools, and Refusing to Stop

    Dr. Zakiya Smith Ellis on DEI, Public Schools, and Refusing to Stop
    Mar 31 2026
    In this conversation, Dr. David Johns welcomes back a colleague, a co-conspirator, and a genuine friend from their Obama White House days—Dr. Zakiya Smith Ellis—for an honest, urgent, and surprisingly joyful conversation about the state of public education in America and what it demands of all of us, in spite of this moment.

    Zakiya brings her full toolkit: the policy precision of a former Senior Advisor on the White House Domestic Policy Council and U.S. Department of Education, the grounded clarity of New Jersey's former Secretary of Higher Education, and the voice of a mother who—in spite of best-laid plans—had to pause this very recording to redirect her daughter and close a door. Together, she and David break down the federal push to require all recipients of federal funding to certify they don't operate "illegal DEI" programs, unpacking what those words actually mean, what the courts have repeatedly said, and why the vagueness is entirely the point. They take on the narrative that public schools are failing, the difference between an executive order and the law of the land, and what Black families—and all families invested in democracy—should be asking, demanding, and refusing to be intimidated into silence about.

    In spite of what's being torn down, Zakiya insists we are still living in the house. And she wants us to start dreaming about what we're going to build.

    SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES

    Organizations doing critical work right now:
    • NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) — ldf.org
    • Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law — lawyerscommittee.org
    • Democracy Forward — democracyforward.org
    • LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) — lulac.org
    • EducationCounsel — educationcounsel.com (weekly plain-language updates on the latest policy and legal developments)
    Follow Dr. Zakiya Smith Ellis:
    • Substack: zakiyaellis.substack.com
    • Instagram: @zakiyasmithellis


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
  • The White People Whisperer: On Authenticity with Maya Rupert

    The White People Whisperer: On Authenticity with Maya Rupert
    Mar 24 2026
    What does it really cost to be yourself in America—and who gets to decide if you're "real" enough? In this class session, Dr. David J. Johns sits down with political strategist, presidential campaign trailblazer, and debut author Maya Rupert to dig into The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic—a book written not just for people who've lived the cost of inauthenticity, but for the people unconsciously sending the bill. From Lisa Turtle to Kamala Harris, Candace Owens to Jasmine Crockett, Maya and Dr. Johns examine the authenticity trap, the machinery of whiteness, and why political authenticity is really just gatekeeping in a blazer—and why it's time to storm the gates.

    SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES

    Guest: Maya Rupert — Political Strategist | Author | Host, When We Win Podcast (NAACP Image Award Nominee), @MayaRupert. The Book: The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic by Maya Rupert
    • Available wherever books are sold
    • Order online at bookshop.org (the independent-bookstore-supporting alternative)
    • Shoutout to Loyalty Bookstores — Black, Asian, and queer-owned — on 9th Street NW in Petworth, Washington, D.C.
    Referenced in This Episode:
    • Misogynoir — term coined by Moya Bailey; explored in the "Lisa Versus Jessie" chapter
    • Kamala Harris, Jasmine Crockett, Julián Castro, James Heller Rico, Candace Owens, Hasan Minhaj — all examined through the lens of the authenticity trap
    • The Black Tax — page 165, The Real Ones
    • Being "deputized in your own oppression" — page 86, The Real Ones
    Follow the Show: @NBJCONtheMove across all platforms

    📚 EmpowerED Book Club Giveaway: Look out for our giveaway featuring The Real Ones — details at @NBJCONtheMove

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Take Up Space, Y'All w/Tess Holliday

    Take Up Space, Y'All w/Tess Holliday
    Mar 17 2026
    When was the last time you gave yourself permission to just exist? Not shrink, not apologize, not mold yourself into what somebody else needs—but to simply take up space?

    Dr. David Johns sits down with trailblazer Tess Holliday—one of the world's most recognized plus-size models, the first of her size to be signed to a major agency, and creator of the viral "Eff Your Beauty Standards" campaign. Today's conversation centers on her latest work: Take Up Space, Y'All: Your Bold and Bright Guide to Self-Love, co-written with Kelly Coon.

    While marketed as a guide for teens navigating social media, body image, and toxic friendships, this book is essential reading for anyone who has ever felt they needed to make themselves smaller. Tess brings her full self—as a mom raising a 20-year-old and a 9-year-old, as someone who grew up in rural Mississippi without the resources she desperately needed, and as a woman who has spent over a decade breaking barriers in the modeling industry. From discussing mutual aid and community care to naming joy as resistance, this conversation reminds us that in a world telling you to shrink, taking up space is the most radical thing you can do.

    SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES:

    Purchase the Book:
    • Take Up Space, Y'All: Your Bold and Bright Guide to Self-Love by Tess Holliday and Kelly Coon
    • Available at independent bookstores nationwide
    • Find your local bookstore: bookshop.org
    Learn More:
    • "Eff Your Beauty Standards" campaign: Search #EffYourBeautyStandards on social media platforms


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    27 mins
  • Black Girls Deserve More Than Resilience with Dr. Monique Couvson

    Black Girls Deserve More Than Resilience with Dr. Monique Couvson
    Mar 10 2026
    Dr. David J. Johns sits down with fellow TIME Magazine 2025 "Closer" Dr. Monique Couvson, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color. Dr. Couvson has moved over $26 million to more than 400 organizations by putting young people at the decision-making table. She challenges us to transform schools from places that demand endless resilience into locations for healing, and shares why bringing your whole self to inquiry—whether through research, documentary film, graphic novels, or storytelling—is essential to serving Black girls, Indigenous girls, trans girls of color, and gender-expansive youth.

    Dr. Couvson offers a masterclass in participatory worldview, pulling young people in closer when they're struggling, and investing in our daughters with more than money. From the airport encounter that reminds her why she does this work to two critical assignments for parents and educators, this conversation is a call to action: harm festers in isolation, healing happens in community.

    SHOW NOTES & RESOURCESConnect with Dr. Couvson:
    • Website: drmoniquecouvson.com
    • Grantmakers for Girls of Color: g4gc.org
    • 1Billion4BlackGirls Campaign: 1billion4blackgirls.org
    • Social Media: @drmoniquecouvson (Instagram), @MoniqueCouvson (Twitter)
    Books by Dr. Monique Couvson:
    • Girls, Unlimited: How to Invest in Our Daughters with More Than Money (The New Press, 2025) - NOW AVAILABLE
    • Charisma's Turn: A Graphic Novel (The New Press, 2023) - Named one of ALA's Best Graphic Novels for Teens
    • Cultivating Joyful Learning Spaces for Black Girls: Insights into Interrupting School Pushout (ASCD, 2022)
    • Sing A Rhythm, Dance A Blues: Liberatory Education for Black and Brown Girls (The New Press, 2019)
    • Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools (The New Press, 2016)
    • Black Stats: African Americans by the Numbers in the Twenty-First Century (The New Press, 2014)
    • Too Beautiful for Words (MWM Books, 2012)
    • Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story with Kemba Smith (IBJ Book Publishing, 2011)
    Films & Media:
    • Documentary: PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools (NAACP Image Award-nominated, streaming on Amazon Prime)
    • Documentary Short: In Conversation: The Power of Imagination (featuring Dr. Nikki Giovanni)
    • TED Talk: "How to Stop the Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools" (2+ million views, translated into 20 languages) - Watch here
    • Countering PUSHOUT Learning Series for Educators
    Additional Resources Mentioned:
    • National Black Women's Justice Institute: nbwji.org
    • Global Girl Media


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    31 mins
  • The Decline of Learning is a National Emergency- w-Dr. Christina Grant

    The Decline of Learning is a National Emergency- w-Dr. Christina Grant
    Mar 3 2026
    Dr. Christina Grant returns to Teach the Babies with an urgent message: the decline of learning in America should be considered a national emergency. From her work leading the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard to serving on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. Grant breaks down what's actually working in education recovery—and what we're missing in the chaos. She challenges us to rethink everything from AI in the classroom to how we assess our children, and reminds us why her first love has always been teaching. This conversation is about being fearless, being smart, and refusing to let our babies be used by the tools instead of trained to build them. If you missed her first visit (June 23, 2024: "Systems Work Exactly As Designed"), catch up—and then listen to this one twice.

    SHOW NOTES & RESOURCESResources Mentioned:
    • Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR): https://cepr.harvard.edu
    • Education Recovery Scorecard: https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org
    • AI.edu: https://ai.edu (Dr. Grant serves on advisory board)
    • Google for Education: https://edu.google.com
    • ASU+GSV Summit: https://asugsvsummit.com (President: Tiffany Taylor)
    Connect with Dr. Grant:
    • LinkedIn: Christina Grant
    • Email: christina_grant@gse.harvard.edu
    Related Episode: Listen to Dr. Grant's first Teach the Babies appearance: "Systems Work Exactly As Designed" (June 23, 2024)

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    31 mins
  • Fighting for Reparations Integrity with Dr. Marcus Hunter

    Fighting for Reparations Integrity with Dr. Marcus Hunter
    Feb 24 2026
    What happens when the process meant to deliver justice becomes part of the problem?

    Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of Radical Reparations and professor at UCLA, was denied even the chance to compete for Washington State's groundbreaking reparations study—not because his proposal wasn't strong enough, but because it allegedly got lost in malware. No portal. No receipt. No accountability. And when he pushed back, he was denied a required debriefing—twice.

    Dr. Hunter breaks down what went wrong in Washington, why it matters for every state considering reparations, and what we all need to do right now. They discuss the Department of Commerce's troubling patterns, the role of Attorney General Nick Brown, and why legendary economist Dr. William Darity was also shut out.

    "Reparations is sacred work," Dr. Hunter reminds us, "and if the process is not governed with integrity, the repair cannot and will not be trusted."

    This episode is a call to action. Not on our watch.

    RESOURCES & TAKE ACTION:Read the Documents:
    • Dr. Hunter's public records and analysis: marcusanthonyhunter.com/rol
    • Extended coverage: AFRO.com article (search: Marcus Hunter Washington reparations)
    • Request Washington State public records: Washington Department of Commerce
    Contact Decision-Makers & Demand oversight of Department of Commerce procurement practices:
    • Attorney General Nick Brown (WA's first Black AG). Email: email via AG website. Phone: (360) 753-6200
    Learn About Reparations:
    • Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation by Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter
    • From Here to Equality by Dr. William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen
    • H.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals: Congress.gov
    • National Black Justice Coalition reparations resources: NBJC.org/reparations


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    35 mins
  • Minneapolis Teaches Us to Fight Back with Robin Wonsley

    Minneapolis Teaches Us to Fight Back with Robin Wonsley
    Feb 17 2026
    What does leadership look like when your city is under federal occupation? When ICE agents are killing civilians in your streets? When thousands of your neighbors are being hunted, arrested, and deported—and you're the one people are looking to for answers?In this urgent conversation, Dr. David Johns sits down with Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley, the council's Minority Leader and the first Democratic Socialist to hold leadership on the council. Robin represents Ward 2, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the country, and she's been on the front lines of what's been called the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history: Operation Metro Surge.

    Robin doesn't just talk about what happened in Minneapolis—she was there. She was at the scene when Renée Good was killed by federal agents. She's been organizing eviction moratoriums, securing rental assistance, calling for ICE to be abolished, and building communities of care in the middle of a crisis designed to break people.

    Most importantly, Robin teaches us about revolutionary love—how Minneapolis chose to lean into care and compassion instead of bitterness when faced with state-sanctioned terror. She shows us what a politics of care looks like: starting with your neighbors, your workplace, your school, your faith community. Building the networks that sustain us when institutions fail us.

    Class is in session. And this lesson is for everyone.

    CONNECT WITH ROBIN WONSLEY:
    • Instagram/Twitter/TikTok/Bluesky: @Robin4MPLS or @RobinForMPLS
    • Email: robin4mpls@gmail.com
    • Website: Robin4MPLS.com


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • Will Democrats Act- With Dr. Jason Johnson

    Will Democrats Act- With Dr. Jason Johnson
    Feb 10 2026
    On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and poet, in Minneapolis. One week earlier, an off-duty ICE agent killed Keith Porter Jr., a Black father of two, on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles. No charges have been filed in either case.

    Dr. Jason Johnson—professor, MSNBC contributor, and political analyst—argues that Democrats should make abolishing ICE central to their 2026 midterm campaigns. His case isn't just moral—it's political. Polling shows 46% of Americans support abolishing ICE, higher than support for abolishing the IRS. Yet Democratic leadership remains silent.

    In this urgent conversation, Jason breaks down why ICE's absence from pop culture creates a unique political opportunity, how ICE spending is an economic justice issue, why this agency operates as a secret police force, and what it means for Democrats to actually be an opposition party. The question now: will Democrats have the courage to act?

    RESOURCES & REFERENCES

    Dr. Jason Johnson's Work:
    • Article: "Democrats need to run against ICE in 2026" (MSNBC) - https://www.ms.now/opinion/abolish-ice-polls-democrats-midterms-2026
    • YouTube Channel: Dr. Jason Johnson (Three Things series)
    Book: Political Consultants & Campaigns: One Day to Sell

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