Parenting Decolonized

Autism is a hot-button issue, with Black children squarely in the center. And if you’ve been following me, you know that my own daughter, while not officially diagnosed, is most likely on the spectrum. This is why I was super excited to chat with Faduma Bulale, who is helping other parents learn how to be better advocates to their autistic child. This episode is a little longer than usual, but I there’s so many great nuggets of information, I didn’t want ya’ll to miss anything!Consider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

In this episode of Parenting Decolonized, I chop it up with former police Captain Lawrence Hunter about policing in the Black community, how to have “the talk” with your kids, and the importance of decolonizing in the Black community. Lawrence is a retired police captain and current host of Captain Hunters Podcast. The focus is on bridging the divide between the police and the communities they serve. Make sure to check out his podcast “Captain Hunter Podcast” and his consulting services here: https://hunterpolicetraining.com/Consider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

Raising a liberated Black child ain’t easy. Not only do we have to decolonize our minds, but we have to make sure they aren’t indoctrinated into white supremacy. We also have to help decolonize our communities because why would we do all that work just to send them out into an unconscious colonized world? That’s where conversations with white parents comes in. As a Black parent, my greatest fear is that my child ends up the next hashtag because a white parent failed to do the necessary antiracism work required to not raise future white supremacists. I decided I didn’t want to have these conversations in silos anymore, so I’m teaming up with my friend and fellow Parenting Coach Domari Dickinson to offer white parents the chance to do the real introspective work it takes to divest from white supremacy. For more Information about joining the membership: https://conversationswithwhiteparents.podia.com/Consider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

Trying to raise liberated Black children with a colonized mindset is damn near impossible. In order to decolonize our parenting we have to first start with our minds, which is why I’m super excited to talk to Trina Greene Brown, author of Parenting for Liberation: A Guide For Raising Black Children. Trina is a mother who transitioned from fear to liberation, when she discovered through self-reflection, that she was policing her own children and dimming their confidence by creating an environment of oppression. Her book invites you to reflect on your own journey to adulthood and discover the healing work you need to do, so you can make better choices on how to parent your child, so they can be unapologetically black liberated children! Make sure you listen to the end for a special offer...For more Information about Trina from Parenting Liberation, visit:Website https://parentingforliberation.org/podcast/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Parentingforliberation/And please support this amazing book by purchasing here: https://www.feministpress.org/books-n-z/parenting-for-liberation?rq=parenting%20for%20liberationConsider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

Black people have been conditioned to internalize our rage for the sake of white comfort, much to our own detriment. Between the physical ailments that manifest from internalized, unexpressed feelings, to the psychological ones, the current Uprising is showing that our rage is not only justified but needs to be expressed. In this episode, I discuss embracing our rage with Antoinette Cooper, the Founder of Black Exhale. She gives some amazing advice on how we can hold space for ourselves and our children to express our darker emotions and why she is starting a movement called Black Exhale. Website https://www.blackexhale.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackExhale/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackexhale/Consider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

It’s been hard to breathe lately and I’ve been struggling to keep my emotions in check. In a recent conversation I had with one of my friend, we discussed joy as an act of resistance, which is the subject of this solo podcast. In this episode I talk about why joy is an act of resistance against white supremacy, how to cultivate more joy, and how to destress so we aren’t taking our anger out on our kids. I’m praying for ya’ll and hope as you resist, you’ll also remember to let joy in. Website http://parentingdecolonized.comConsider becoming a Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

There’s never been a more important time for an online village than right now when we’re in the midst of a pandemic, which is why I was super excited to speak with actor and producer Tika Sumpter (ABC’s Mixed-ish) and award-wining business executive Thai Randolph (EVP and GM of Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud) for their new venture Sugaberry, a lifestyle brand created for modern moms of color. Sugaberry celebrates all aspects of the brown mom experience through a curated mix of editorial, original audio and video programming, interviews, newsletters, live event series, thoughtful product recommendations, and a bi-weekly podcast, The Suga. Tika and Thai came up with the idea after being frustrated with the lack of online hubs for African American moms during their own pregnancies. In this episode we discuss parenting styles, the importance of finding a village that lets Black women be light and fun, and our goals for raising free Black children. Join the Sugaberry Community: http://sugaberry.comListen to The Suga Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/the-sugahttps://www.instagram.com/thesugaberries/https://twitter.com/TheSugaberrieshttps://www.facebook.com/Sugaberry-682843578751357/

I’m back from a little mental health break with Melissa Ifill, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), speaker, wellness coach, and therapist to discuss why it’s necessary to heal from your childhood trauma in order to be a more intentional parent. Rona has many parents out here forgetting their parenting WHY...the reason they chose to be conscious parents. And I say that with no judgment. We are all under tremendous amounts of stress, including our children, and this living through the trauma of a pandemic while trying to work, homeschool, and be a conscious parent ain’t easy. But that’s the very reason we need to work on being more intentional parents. In this episode, Melissa and I discuss why healing from our own trauma is so important and how to practice radical forgiveness in order to be conscious parents. Guest info: Melissa Ifill is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) is a speaker, wellness coach, and therapist. Her passion is working with women of color to assist them in managing their emotions through critical life transitions. Utilizing holistic wellness techniques Melissa is able to bridge the gap between traditional healing practices and clinical understanding to provide effective coping tools and education on how your mind, body, and spirit are impacted by painful experiences. https://www.melissaifill.com/https://www.facebook.com/melissaifilllcsw/https://www.instagram.com/melissaifilllcsw/

Raging Rona is really showing us our weak spots...in the government and in our own lives. It's showing us how precarious life as we know it really is. Rugged individualism and capitalism have created an "every person for themselves" mentality and it is hurting us as a nation and failing our children. Not only will people's pocketbooks be hurting, but so will people's minds. This will create a lot of anxious, worried, stressed-out parents who also have to be cooped up at home with their children. In this solo episode I give some tips on ways to relieve your stress so you aren't taking it out on the kids and I discuss some resources I’m creating to help parents to stay conscious through the chaos. Shownotes: https://www.parentingdecolonized.com/post/dont-give-into-fearPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/parentingdecolonized?fan_landing=true

As many of us look to get back to our ancestral roots, we are wondering where did the “village” go and how do we start to create one again. Like many of the issues surrounding parenting while Black, this “village” so many of us long for disappeared during enslavement, then again during the failed reconstruction period, then again during the civil rights movement. It’s almost like anytime a village would attempt to be constructed, it was forcibly torn down by systemic oppression and white supremacy. In this episode with Kilah Lawson, who is the founder of Elephant Baby which is a full-service postpartum support we discuss why the village is important, how we can rebuild it, and the importance of social media in helping parents connect with like-minded parents. The village is so important ya’ll, we aren’t meant to do this alone and I hope if you don’t have a village, that you can connect with a village online. FB- https://www.facebook.com/ElephantBabyLLC/IG- whttps://www.instagram.com/elephantbaby_llc/Website: https://www.elephant-baby.com/

I’m sure many of us would like to think we’re fostering a positive environment that allows for individual thought and creativity but you’d be surprised. Whether it’s forcing your child to participate in extra-curricular activities they don’t like or forcing them to conform to your idea of success, many parents squash their child’s dreams way before the world gets hold of them. In this episode with Tracy Wilson from Melanated Mom podcast, we discuss the many ways a parent’s fear and ego can be destructive forces in their child’s lives and how to foster a home life that allows for creativity, dreaming, and free-thinking. This is how we raise the next generation of liberated Black children and activists. Follow Tracy at https://melanatedmom.com/ for more advice on how to raise creative free-thinkers. FB- www.facebook.com/melanated-momIG- www.instagram.com/melanatedmompodcast Twitter www.twitter.com/@melanatedmom1Website: https://melanatedmom.com

Many of us move through this life with fuzzy or non-existent boundaries because we grew up with our boundaries being trampled on by our parents. Now that we’re adults, we teach people how to treat us, so it’s time to shore up those boundaries. In this episode with my friend Classy Brown, we discuss why many of us have such poor boundaries and how to create and maintain new ones. We also chat about how parents can help their children create boundaries from birth. Wanna chat with Classy more about this? Check out her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/worldaccordingtoclassy/

The journey to becoming a more conscious Black father isn’t an easy one. Between ingrained attitudes about obedience to masculinity, unlearning toxic parenting styles isn’t easy. In this episode, I chat with Tim Greene, husband, father and author of the Daddy Duty book series about the nuances of Black fatherhood, conscious parenting, and how he is helping to redefine what people think about Black fathers. You can purchase a copy of his book at https://daddydutybooks.com.Website: daddydutybooks.comSocial media: IG: @daddydutybooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaddyDutyBooks

The white gaze is something Toni Morrison wrote about, something every black person is cognizant of as we move in this world. Many of us wouldn’t admit it but most of us are complicit in centering the ‘white gaze’ in our parenting. From discipline to education, it has been passed down through the generations that whiteness is the barometer in which we measure ourselves, so we twist ourselves into pretzels trying to meet its impossible standards. In this conversation with Co-Founder of Conscious Parenting Time, Crystal Stampley, we discuss how to decenter the white gaze and teach our kids to love their blackness as a result. Here’s more information about Conscious Parenting Time: https://consciousparentingtime.com

All children love seeing faces like theirs within the pages of their favorite books. Unfortunately, only 27% of children’s books feature Black or Indigenous characters. In this episode, I chat with Danielle Dunn, author of a children’s book, Ivy Locs, about why black parents need to be intentional about decolonizing their children’s library and how reading books with diverse characters helps white children broaden their perspective by fostering a sense of empathy and connection with characters who might look different from themselves. For more information about Ivy Locs: https://www.ivylocs.com/

Breastfeeding in the black community continues to be a controversial topic. The United States has a higher infant mortality rate than any of the other 27 wealthy countries, at 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. That number for Black infants is a staggering 11.1. In this interview with Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, Nichelle Clark, we discuss why breastfeeding in the black community is an act of resistance and the various ways mothers can explore breastfeeding their babies.

Whether it’s business or parenting, mindset plays a large role in how we perceive ourselves and our children. In this episode with Positive Discipline Coach Krissy Coggins of Krissy’s Couch, we discuss why the colonized mindset persists and three big mindset shifts that can transform your parenting to become a more intentional, conscious parent.

The fear black parents have for their child’s safety is valid but many of us are using that fear to be as oppressive as the world is. In this episode with Parenting Coach Domari Dickinson, we discuss how colonization and slavery have impacted Black parents up to this day and what we can do to raise liberated black children.

The sexualizing of Black girls dates back to slavery, yet it’s still a pervasive stereotype perpetuated by many, including Black parents. In this chat with Assistant Professor of Community Psychology, Seanna Leath, we explore the effects oversexualization has had on Black girls and how they view their bodies, plus give parents practical tips on how to speak with their daughters about sex and sexuality.

Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. The question is why? During my chat with Dr. Theresa Chapple we discuss the part white supremacy plays in creating health disparities that impact black women, how we can advocate for ourselves, and the biological reasons black women are more likely to die during and after childbirth.

Being a black parent is hard AF but also full of joy and magic. Join host Yolanda Williams on her very first show as she explains why she started Parenting Decolonized. She’ll share some candid stories about her childhood and also what you can expect to learn on this journey to decolonizing.

The Parenting Decolonized podcast shines a light on how colonization has impacted the black family structure and what to do about it. Host, Yolanda Williams, will discuss how to use conscious parenting as activism and how to raise liberated black children without breaking their spirits.