The NuBlack Podcast

What up family! we are back with a lot of life updates and apparently the world on fire. Taaj and Herb try to make sense of it all, from the Drake and Kendrick war to the Olympic trials and tribulations. Follow the Pod: @thenublackpodFollow Taaj: @Taajudeen.yakubFollow Herb: @herbwakefield_

On this episode of The NuBlack Pod Taaj and Herb try to fix corporate DEI efforts. We discuss the recent change in the Apple Jacks cinnamon mascot. They cut off the dreads that indicated his Jamaican identity. Is this an over step? How is this similar to Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben? Hear us discus in episode 40!Follow the Pod: @thenublackpodFollow Taaj: @Taajudeen.yakubFollow Herb: @herbwakefield_

Welcome to the New Year. It is full of a lot of events to look forward to. From new beginnings and elections, there's a lot to discuss. I think we can all agree that the state of politics in the US is extremely insane so we try to make some sense out of all the chaos. Does aging front runners give way to a third party candidate? Let's discuss...Follow the Pod: @thenublackpodFollow Taaj: @Taajudeen.yakubFollow Herb: @herbwakefield_

In the last month and a half,  a number of atrocities occurred in the middle east and has led to the massacre of civilians. The Israeli "war" against Hamas has spawned global outrage to the indiscriminate bombing campaign and siege of the Gaza strip. In this episode, Taaj and Herb discuss their feelings on the war with a historical, political, and human perspective. Bottom line innocent people have to be saved and real steps need to be taken to achieve a long lasting peace that is not at the expense of Palestinians. Follow the Pod: @thenublackpodFollow Taaj: @Taajudeen.yakubFollow Herb: @herbwakefield_

Welcome back family! Here we bring you a conversation on interracial dating. We give our experience with dating someone of a different race or culture and we also give some advice for those in an interracial relationship. 

Whats up everybody!! As of June 2023, The Supreme Court of the USA has officially lost their collective minds. With a slew of monumental court rulings coming down the pipeline, Taaj and Herb share their thoughts. Here we discuss the theme of the summer, the abolishment of affirmative action, and the abhorrent LGBTQ policies passed in Uganda. Let us know what you think...

Whats up fam this is a little bit of a family meeting. We need to discuss this "red pill" movement, the manosphere, and the infamous figure of Andrew Tate. This was a long discussion about general relationship dynamics in todays age. In part 1 of this conversation, we discuss Andrew Tate's rise to prominence and what he has brought to the minds of young men. We also talk about the influence of role models on an impressionable generation. To help with this discussion, we talked to Charles Wallace a current PhD student in sociology. 

In this episode, we bring on Benji Raji. He is an alum of Kenyon College and a founding member of the Men of Color Organization at Kenyon. He is currently working in cyber security for the federal government while still finding avenues to pursue his creativity. He is an avid musician at his church and insightful poet. Listen to how his life experience, from being born in Harlem to spending formative years in Nigeria, shaped his identity as a black man and how god and music carried him a long the way.

Whats up family, we have a special episode today. We are joined by Eddy Benton from 3ddy's Closet. He is part educator, part mathematician, part fashion and style guru, but a whole afro-indigenous human being. We talk about what his blackness means to his identity, thrifting in LA and how he grew into his educational journey and philosophy. Tune in and get both style and life advice from this episode of the NuBlack Podcast.Follow Eddy on IG: @eddy_b3@3ddycloset

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! and welcome to 2023. In this episode we talk about the things we look forward to in the year and touch on a variety of topics namely, monetary goals, grading policies, and being close to achieving long term goals. What are your new year resolutions. We also talk about how religion and education interface and got a professor in hot water.

It has been a busy couple of weeks of discussion in the community on a variety of topics. In this episode, Taaj and Herb discuss the big 3; Deion Sanders hired as the coach of the University of Colorado leaving Jackson State, Kanye west spiraling into a realm of Nazism, and Qatar not allowing LGBTQ allyship at the world cup. This is a free discussion where we realize the importance of open discourse and expressing your beliefs to be challenge. So challenge us, share with us on your IG what you think about the conversation. Peace...

What's up family, we are back with our 30th episode featuring a very special guest, Asa Herron. Asa and Taaj go way back from their days as campaign staffers in Canton, Ohio. Now in California. Asa is on the verge of starting his new magazine, the Air Arts Magazine. Follow them @airartszine on IG and enjoy our conversation. We talk about the political climate in Ohio, the move to California, the process of creating with the struggles along with it and lastly the benefits of divergent thinking...Enjoy!!

Hey whats up its been a while. We haven't forgot about yall. We are just young guys trying to build for the future but we are back. This week we have life updates, a cold shower debate, a finishing up with a great story from Taaj about him going viral at his job.

Whats up Fam, we have a new episode of the Pod for you all. We bring on our friend and former DB Rob Mallen-West. He is from California and is now living in South Carolina as a retired Army Veteran. He is a man of numerous experience and perspective. We talk about life, money, adulting, colonization vs. globalization, and how religion has affected our lives and what religion means to us.

Taaj and Herb have been living life lately, from conferences to festivals we have done it all. In this episode, we recap the recent music festival, Something in The Water. We talk logistics, best performances, memorable moments, and more. 

It is Finally here!!! The new long awaited album from Kung Fu Kenny has dropped. Taaj and Herb discuss their reaction to the album and give the album a grade based on prior Kendrick works. We also discuss the recent mass shootings at Tops that were fueled by the Great Replacement Theory. Lastly, we discuss the "sharing" and exclusivity of African-American culture.

We take a moment in this episode to be amorphous and let the conversation happen naturally. In the ep, we talk about the importance of public speaking, the interesting viewpoints Taaj's class has on issues related to Title IX, and lastly, the renaming of Kenyon College's monicker. 

A lot has happened since our last episode, but Taaj and Herb are hear to walk you through some of the highlights, like the start of Ramadan and the confirmation of Justice Jackson to the supreme court, low lights, like the passing of new conservative laws and the death of quarterback Dwayne Haskins. We also talk about the slap heard around the world and why you shouldn't use work to "chase your dreams."

We live in some interesting times to say the least. In the past week, we have seen Russia start a war of ambition against Ukraine. War is nothing new to us as humans but watching the war via the lens of social media is another thing entirely. In this episode, we describe how social media influences the perspective of war and how the war is being portrayed differently than past wars. We especially push back against the notion of this as a war in a "civilized" area of Europe.  Lastly, we try to determine the next life altering historical event that are generation will live through.

YEAR 2, it is the podcasts birthday and we celebrate with another in person episode!! In this episode, we discuss the importance of setting your personal boundaries when it comes to relationships and finances. A lot of podcasts don't last as long as we have and we attempt to decipher why. Thank you for listening to a year of the podcast and we are excited for the content and the conversations to come. Stay Blessed and Stay Black.

In this episode of The NuBlack Podcast, we bring on one of our older Kenyon brothers Tevin Harris. Tevin is a Native of Chicago and currently works in healthcare administration. Tevin also had a brief stent as an English teacher in a Chicago charter school. Amongst other things, his passion lies with his fitness whether that be in powerlifting or bodybuilding. Join us as we discuss his journey through Chicago's education system, transition from student to teacher, and how he got his start in the fitness industry.

HAPPY 2022, Taaj and Herb bring in the new year by reflecting on the experiences and lessons learned from 2021, and what we look forward to in 2022. We talk about personal finance, resolutions vs. goals, dating and relationships and a recap of 2021. 

Happy holidays from the us to you. In this special episode, we bring on our friend and fellow content creator, Trippin with Amadi. We met Amadi while on our trip to New Orleans and thought she would be a great guest for the podcast. Amadi is the host of the travel blog, Trippin with Amadi, as well as and education professional.  We talk about the struggles of the public school  system, innovative strategies for education, and wrap it up with some travel hacks.

The holiday season is upon us and its all about cherishing our friends and family. With this holiday spirit in mind, we bring on our friend Jaryd Jones to the pod. Jaryd is also a Kenyon alum as well as a member of Men of Color. He was a football player, neuroscience major, and a cappella singer. Now he is in route to pursue his dream in being a physical therapist.  In this episode we talk about his journey that touches on inclusion, health care, and anime.

It has been a bleak week over here at the NuBlack Podcast. With the recent deaths of former teammates, Young Dolph, and the disappointing verdict in the Rittenhouse trial, Life definitely is rough right now. In this episode, Taaj and Herb try to make sense out of all the craziness in the current world. We talk about unjust laws made by criminals and how you can help out your hometown while still being safe. Also, the holidays is around the corner and we touch on our favorite parts about the season and Thanksgiving. 

Dave Chappelle released a new Netflix special called "The Closer." This special received a tsunami of backlash from the LGBTQ community. In this episode, We go into the special and the backlash to see where did it all come from and can we make sense of it. The overarching discussion is about perspectives and how your words influences peoples perspectives. Basically, we realize that having so many perspectives of value muddy the water of any social topic.

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus, but we are back with our third installment of Family Matters. In this episode, we feature Herb's sister Rae Wakefield. She is a current senior at the University of Maryland College Park, a member of Delta Sigma Theta and the former president of UMD's Black Student Union. Rae and Herb delve deep into there relationship as siblings as they discuss childhood, pet peeves, education, personalities and more. 

This one is for the Broke Boys. The guys who are on their grind everyday and trying to set their foundation to live a successful, prosperous, and fulfilling life for themselves and their eventual partner. If you fit this description of a broke boy, then this is the episode for you. We bring on the R&B artist and our friend out of Baltimore, Jibri McLean. Join us in our conversation as he prepares to drop his new EP, Broke Boy, coming out on September 24th.

We continue with our short "Family Matters" series. In this episode, Taaj sits down with his other grandfather Henry Davis. Together they recount the Henry's journey from growing up in Jamaica, to going to school in the UK, and eventually opening up a restaurant in the States.

On the episode of The NuBlack Podcast, Taaj and Herb catch up on life with Highs and Lows. The Main topic of conversation is reacting to the life and stories told by last week's guest Phil Warren. Herb also argues why speeches are not a good way of reaching an audience, by saying MLK's I have a dream speech was probably mid to the people in attendance. 

We are back with our first episode of season 2 and the first in our short series called "Family Matters", where Taaj and Herb interview interesting people from their respective families. Phil Warren is our first guest. He was raised in southern Maryland and came of age under the gaze of the Civil Rights movement. He was PRESENT at the march on Washington. Listen to hear his experiences at the march, in the military, and being a black man at a historically racist time.

We are coming back with season 2 of The NuBlack Podcast. In this preview, we break down what "The NuBlack" means and what to expect in season 2.

As men (and especially Black men), we are continuously taught to hide our emotions and be strong. Even when things seem like nothing is going right, we still have to hide from our true feelings to the detriment of our mental health. In this bonus, episode we get vulnerable and talk about our journeys with our own mental health. This episode was recorded during mental health awareness month and here with The NuBlack everyone is encouraged to look after their "mental's."

This is the season finale of The NuBlack Pod. We recapped some of our favorite moments from the first season and discuss where we are taking the pod next. Hi's and Low's are back so come see what have been up to. Lastly, we talk about who stands to be more embarrassed in the Logan Vs. Floyd "Fight of the Century."

Sean Decatur is the 19th President of Kenyon College (Taaj and Herb's alma mater). He was a former chemist who found his passion for leadership and administration early in his career. During his tenure as president, he oversaw the increase of students, faculty, and administrators becoming a part of the Kenyon community. Kenyon has also seen a renovation in infrastructure to bring the college into the modern age. Even though the job of the college president is busy, he makes time for family, self care, and Uno games with his students. Tap in as we dive into the life of a black college president.  

May is mental health awareness month. At The Nublack Podcast, we make it a point to be mentally healthy and your energy is a huge part of that goal. This week, we bring Richard Shealey to talk about energy and how it affects us spiritually and biologically. Richard is the founder of the Optimal Human Global Community and is currently writing a book to combat and defeat racism and police brutality forever. 

Nelson Mandela  said that "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." That message is important not only for the student to understand, but educator as well. On this episode, we talk to an educator early in their career. Jasmine Wilson is an educator from Cleveland, Ohio and also an alum of Kenyon College. Together we discuss her journey through education and how she cultivated a teaching style that does not confine her. Her approach encourages the education of the whole student, including their mental and emotional health. 

Look, the world is a hard place to deal with sometimes. There are important conversations to have and discuss. However, it's also important to sit down, relax, and enjoy the not so serious side of the world. In this episode, we let loose and make slightly informed decisions on "would you rather" questions. From having 2 arms and 1 leg to going to the movies alone, come find out a little more about our preferences in episode 6.

Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, there has been a stark increase in Anti-Asian violence. More recently on March 16th, 2021, a gunman killed 8 and wounded 1 in a massage spa. We bring in our friend Grant Hall to discuss a variety of questions regarding the matter. What is Asian hate and how do we stop it? What are some common trends in the oppression of minoritized groups? How does the intersection of race and gender influence perspective? And, what role does anime play in it all? Come discuss with us on episode 5 of The NuBlack Podcast.

The fourth episode of The NuBlack Podcast begins with the framing of our great brother Mamadou Fofana, a current American Studies Senior at Kenyon College. Mamadou shares how his perspective was shaped through early childhood experience, especially as an immigrant from West Africa and France. Is culture appropriation, appropriate? Should we be surprised that Royals are racist? Was Coming to America 2 really "good"? Is it better to be feared or to be loved? Form, mold and challenge your perspective with us, in episode 4 of The NuBlack Podcast.

In the third episode, Taaj and Herb discuss if Biden is becoming "#46" with his recent strike on Syria.  To wrap up Black History Month, we discuss the films One Night in Miami and Judas And The Black Messiah.  We talk about what we learned from those films and what we aspire to take away from them. Lastly, we determine what will be the future of black film from our perspective. 

On the second episode of The NuBlack Podcast, we have Deveren Manley II (aka DJ) as our first guest on the podcast. DJ played football at Kenyon College and was a mainstay on the defense. Since graduating from Kenyon with a degree in Biology, he now works in a lab at the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus and applying for Med School in the spring. Join us as we recap the super bowl, tell our best moments from football, and the lessons the game taught us that we'll never forget.

Is wearing a mask normal? Is Clubhouse the future? What are we doing with Black History Month? Find out on this pilot episode of The NuBlack Podcast with Herb Wakefield and Taaj Davis.