Let's Talk Bruh: Recent Episodes
Let's Talk Bruh Podcast
Let's Talk Bruh is a podcast on Black Masculinity. We have conversations on mental health/therapy, black male privilege, vulnerability, patriarchy's impact on black women, friendship, sex and much more with a type of vulnerability rarely heard in the podcast space.
Our conversations are designed to create a space where Black Men can have deeper conversations, vent, laugh, cry, celebrate each other AND call each other for problematic behavior. With each episode we try to do our part in considering and suggesting new visions of black masculinity.
Tune in every Wednesday.
Without a doubt this is the most personal LTB episode yet. And you could say this episode took 33 years to make. I could never say my dad and I had a bad or unhealthy relationship, however I always knew I wanted to be closer, always desired something deeper. But I wasn't sure how to go about it and wasn't sure if he wanted the same thing. Years of therapy, years of conversations, years of tears, years of (released) resentment have led to this moment. Coming back home in 2020, I was eager to work on the relationships with my parents. When met with some (intergenerational) roadblocks, I realized that what I was trying to work through was built on foundations of trauma passed down from parents, grandparents, great grandparents, well you get it. When speaking with my dad, I realized that he and I share many of the same fears, anxieties, thought patterns, behaviors and that my story mirrors his in many ways. My frustrations with him are similar to what he experienced with his own parents. A lack of communication, lack of guidance at times, lack of emotional closeness. For so long I can recall feeling empty when it came to the relationships with my parents. I don't feel that way anymore. Seeing my dad as a man, trying to figure out his own life, and not just as a dad eased some of the resentment I felt and created the opening for empathy and understanding. Seeing him own his healing journey and being willing to listen to me and have some of those difficult yet necessary conversations healed parts of my inner child that were perhaps unseen or unheard for so long. So here it is. Sharing a piece of our journey with yall. Documenting this moment in time for the two of us and for whoever comes next. The Long Way Home. A return to ourselves. Thank you for listening.
Subscribe to Kyr's Substack: https://kyrismatic.substack.com/
Watch Episodes 1-3 of the Final Season on YouTube:
- Ending the Gender Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsgrbm3BkqI
- We Outside - Black Men in Nature: https://youtu.be/ymyvVyNtRdQ?si=XWxdmXp8n66RCkPb
- Healing Across Generations at Lee's Barbershop - The Shape Up w/ Starting with Today: https://youtu.be/RPMDLOBLGog?si=1rMulcHcdz2oKWG6
Watch the first two episodes from the final season on YouTube: We Outside - Black Men in Nature | Let's Talk Bruh Healing Across Generations at Lee's Barbershop -The Shape Up- Let's Talk Bruh x Starting With Today
Yep, it's time yall. Let's Talk Bruh (the podcast) is ending. Been a hell of a ride and it's time to say goodbye....
Join us at Lee's Barbershop for the Shape Up, in collaboration with Starting With Today, this Saturday July 22nd at 11AM EST: https://bit.ly/3QiaNGP
Instagram Live on 9/25/22
LTB is back with the help from a couple of our good friends Bemo Brown, Nalo Zidan and Quay Weston.
We discuss Jay-Z's recent comments about words like "capitalist" being made up, full quote below:
In response to a question from Rob Markman about his verse, Hov said, "We not falling for that tricknology, whatever the public puts out there now. Before it was the american dream, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, you can make it in america. All these lies that america told us our whole life and then when we start getting it they try to lock us out of it. They start inventing words like capitalist and things like that. We've been called nigger and monkey. So those words yall come up with, yall gotta come with stronger words."
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
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Watch The State of Black Masculinity Pt. 2 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ue16pZoVeTs It's been a minute since we hit yall with the State of Black Masculinity Pt. 1. 2 years ago to be exact. In many ways it's a completely different world. As we enter year 3 of the pandemic, our lives, to varying degrees, have been flipped turned upside down. But in some ways, Black masculinity and the livelihoods of Black folks have remained unchanged. In today's episode we talk about living through the pandemic, the impact of white supremacy and state violence on us and we discuss a few names you may or may not have heard about from Boosie, to Dave Chappelle to Kevin Samuels. We close the show talking about what divesting from patriarchy looks like for us. We've all been indoctrinated into a system of patriarchy and toxic masculinity, but what does it look like to imagine alternatives for Black men? What does that work of unlearning harmful behaviors and replacing them with new ones look like? What lies on the other side of patriarchy for Black men? Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Watch Black Men Talking About Mental Health on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obTLAA1B6w4
Fellas, are you happy? Are you good? You sure bruh?
No foreal, let’s sit with this for a minute. Patriarchy at an early age forces us to lie. Lie to others of course, but the first lie we tell is to ourselves. We say we’re good when we’re not. We suppress our feelings and emotions. We minimize both our pain and our joy and find it difficult to name our feelings when they even come up. Point blank, patriarchy teaches us to deny our own humanity and suffer in silence because that’s” just what it means to be a man” and “that’s what men do”
But what if we could reclaim our feelings, emotions and the fullness of our humanity? What if instead of "boys don’t cry" we told each other “you are enough just the way you are” or "your emotions and feelings are valid bro." In this episode we take a look at how patriarchy and toxic masculinity has impacted our mental health.
We talk about why Black men have a suicide rate 3 times higher than other demographic groups. We also discuss how we can heal the wounds from patriarchy and reclaim our humanity.
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Watch Black Men Talking About Love on YouTube Part 1 - Brotherhood Between Straight & Queer Black Men https://youtu.be/xj4P5mFGQdc
What do we mean when we say brotherly love? Who are we including that phrase? Are all Black men included or only some? This episode explores what love can look like between Black men.
We also unpack how homophobia has prevented us from establishing deeper connections with each other as Black men. And for those of us who are straight, what has that unlearning process looked like and how has it shown up with our other straight male friends?
Patriarchy and toxic masculinity require us to do and be several things, but love is rarely part of that equation. So what happens when we make love a requirement for ourselves as Black men and boys?
Part 2 - Are You Good at Being Vulnerable? https://youtu.be/NPuT_t_Nx8U
What does it mean to be vulnerable? Are you good at it? Do you like being vulnerable? For many of us, embracing vulnerability is a foreign concept. It's uncomfortable and frankly at times it can be scary as hell. As men, we've been taught to reject vulnerability. It's looked at as a sign of weakness or softness. But we know that's not true. To be vulnerable is an act of courage. To be vulnerable is also an act of self love. It's an act of self acceptance.
This is Part 2 of our conversation, "Black Men Talking About Love" and we also unpack what love means for us. We share what our self love game looks like. We attempt to define what love is. We live in a world where Black boys and men aren't typically associated with love so we try to envision a world that makes love a requirement for Black men and boys instead of patriarchy.
In the first 20 minutes of today's episode we tackle a few Black Card Revoked Questions along with some questions from the My Therapy Cards for Black men deck.
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Black men, when was the last time you felt completely free during a sexual experience? It’s okay if you’ve never felt that way. Patriarchy teaches us to prioritize power, control and performance in sexual experiences which can lead to wack sex at best and harmful consent at worst.
But when we divest from patriarchy, we can begin to focus on pleasure instead of performance. Connection instead of control. Vulnerability / intimacy instead of power. Let's get free...
Watch Black Men Talking About Sex on YouTube
Part 1 - Black Men, What Does Sex Mean For You? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIzZYBRYii4
Part 2 - Black Men, Who Taught You About Sex? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnNYVv1Czc
Part 3 - Black Men, How Do You Connect With Your Body?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKnNNmZtTA8
Part 4 - Dropping October 29th on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Groceries on LTB x Cash App Giveaway #2 Instructions
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Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube channel
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Send us an email to letstalkbruh@gmail.com with the subject line, "yall got me?" and your CashApp handle in the message
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Friday October 15th at 9am we'll randomly select 5 winners and send each winner $100 via CashApp
Additional Information
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To ensure we receive your entry, please turn off the following YouTube privacy setting: Keep all my subscriptions private
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If you're already subscribed to us on YouTube, simply send an email to letstalkbruh@gmail.com with your YouTube username in the message
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We will be accepting entries until 9am EST on Friday October 15th and winners will be announced and notified by 10am EST
"NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Must be 18 years or older and U.S. Resident. Void where prohibited. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, sanctioned, or associated with YouTube or Instagram. Winners announced Friday October 15th by 10am EST.
Groceries on LTB x Cash App Giveaway Information - https://bit.ly/GroceriesOnLTB
Black Men Talking About Sex (Trailer) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DObssVXubI&t=8s
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Lunch on LTB x Cash App Giveaway Instructions
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Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube channel
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Send us an email to letstalkbruh@gmail.com with the subject line, "I want lunch on LTB"
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Friday October 8th at 9am we'll randomly select 5 (five) winners and send each winner $30 via CashApp
Additional Information
-
To ensure we receive your entry, please turn off the following YouTube privacy setting: Keep all my subscriptions private
-
If you're already subscribed to us on YouTube, simply send an email to letstalkbruh@gmail.com with your YouTube username in the message
-
We will be accepting entries until 9am EST on Friday October 8th and winners will be announced and notified by 10am EST
"NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Must be 18 years or older and U.S. Resident. Void where prohibited. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, sanctioned, or associated with YouTube or Instagram. Winners announced Friday October 8th by 10am EST.
Lunch on LTB x Cash App Giveaway Information - https://bit.ly/LunchOnLTB
The State of Black Masculinity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nzkzJ8oFTg&t=527s
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Attention! This is not your typical Let's Talk Bruh episode!
On this week's episode we collaborated with David Ryan Castro-Harris, the Host of This Restorative Justice Life Podcast, for a conversation on restorative justice and accountability. We talk to David during Part 1 of our collaboration about his work with restorative justice and what that looks like. When you finish listening to Part 1, go over to This Restorative Justice Life Podcast for Part 2 where we get a little more personal with the times we've been held accountable for some of the harm we've committed in relationships and in our community. Got it? Ight bet, let's get it then.
Listen to "Let's Talk Restorative Justice Bruh Pt. 2" on This Restorative Justice Life: https://bit.ly/3lTIQWz
Learn more about David's organization, Amplify RJ here: https://www.amplifyrj.com/
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
On today's show we link up Dr. Jared Ball. Dr. Ball is a father and husband. After that, he is a Professor of Communication Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. and is founder/curator of imixwhatilike.org, a multimedia hub of emancipatory journalism and revolutionary beat reporting. Ball is also author of The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power. Today we talked about his book, his earliest ideas about manhood and masculinity and what freedom looks like for him. Tap in and let us know what you think.
Follow Dr. Ball on IG and Twitter
Visit: Black Power Media
Buy: The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
In today's episode we talk to Shaan Lashun, 1/2 of the Molly House Project. Molly House Project is a community of bois, men, and masculine-of-center* trans folk committed to changing the way we talk about sex work. We speak to Shaan about the they do with MHP, how they got started in sex work and sex work activism and discuss some of the issues that male and masculine of center sex workers experience. If you're like us this will be a learning experience so we challenge you to listen with an open mind, heart, and ear. Let's get free. Tap in.
Follow Shaan on IG and Twitter.
What is Molly House Project - July 29th | 6pm CST
Learn more about Molly House Project here: MollyHouseProject.org
Meet the Founders of the Molly House, Where Masculine-of-Center Sex Workers Are Mobilizing Online - The Body
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
In today's episode we bring back an OG return guest of the show, Zach Nunn of Living Corporate. Living Corporate is a digital media network that amplifies the voices of Black and brown folks at work. In our conversation with Zach we talk about the recent performative uptick in corporate D&I initiatives during the pandemic and following the uprisings last summer. Zach talks about maintaining his values through this process as "all money aint good money". And in typical LTB fashion we bring it back to the personal and ask Zach how he's been balancing work, parenthood, being a husband and still have a full time job outside of Living Corporate. Tap in.
Visit Living Corporate.com https://www.living-corporate.com/
Check out Living Corporate TV: https://www.living-corporate.com/webinars/
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
In today's episode we link up with Ryan Ken! If you've been on the internet at some point in the last year, you've probably seen their Tik Tok videos go viral and make it to your timeline at least once or twice. Ryan is extremely talented and their brilliance shines through by pulling off something very difficult in comedy. They're able to challenge and pushback against societal norms when it comes to masculinity, gender identity / performance, and race while still being very funny. Ryan humblebrags a bit in our conversation about how they've only been doing comedic writing and acting for less a year (wow) and near the end of the conversation Ryan shares with us what divesting from patriarchy means for them. Tap in. Check out clips from this episode on our YouTube page: * Ryan Ken On How They Starting Creating Tik Tok Videos * Ryan Ken Shares What They've Learned From Acting and How Homophobia is a Prison * Ryan Ken Reflects On The Messages They Received Growing Up About Masculinity
Watch Ryan's Tik Tok Videos mentioned in this week's show * The townspeople talking to Beast after the curse is broken * Y’all know you want the pineapple drink * Doing my part to keep cis straight male comedy alive
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
On today's episode we link up with Neal Carter, Principal of Nu View Consulting, the only Black and disabled own general consulting firm in the country. During our conversation with Neal we talk to him about his article, "What Hearing Police Sirens Means to Me as Black Disabled Man" and his experience living with Spina Bifida. We discuss what it means to live at the intersection of being Black living with a disability and close the show with what divesting from patriarchy looks like for him. Check out the aforementioned article by Neal below as well his, "A Black Mans's Guide to Rape Culture Syllabus". Listen and let us know what you think!
After you finish listening to this week's episode, check out these articles:
- What Hearing Police Sirens Means to Me as a Black Disabled Man
- A Black Man’s Guide To Rape Culture: A Syllabus
- Disability Ain’t for Ya Dozens (or Demons): 10 Ableist Phrases Black Folks Should Retire Immediately
Neal's Book Recommendations:
- Books on misogynoir
- The Best books for Budding Black Feminists
- Google Drive list with PDFs
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week on Let's Talk Bruh we linked up with Mark Anthony Neal. Dr. Neal is a Distinguished Professor of Black Popular Culture in the Department of African and African-American at Duke University, author of several books including: The New Black Man and Looking for Leroy focusing on Black masculinity. In our conversation today we talk about what it means for him to be a feminist and what divesting from patriarchy looks like for him.
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week's episode is about 3 years in the making. If you remember in the early Let's Talk Bruh days, we reviewed a documentary called, "The Feminist on Cellblock Y" and in that episode we interviewed the producers of the film Contessa Gayles and Emma Bordeaux. Fast forward to now and we finally have the opportunity to link up with one of the central figures in the documentary, Richie Reseda, and talk about his experience leading the program featured in the documentary called Success Stories. On today's show, we also speak to Indigo Mateo, one of the co-founders of Question Culture alongside Richie. We dig into her upcoming project "Single Player" and what it means to divest from patriarchy in her art and in her life overall.
- Watch "The Feminist on Cellblock Y" - CNN
- The Feminist on Cellblock Y documentary review and interview - Let's Talk Bruh
- Stream Indigo's latest single, "IRL"
- Indigo's Let's Talk Bruh Receipt
- Richie's Let's Talk Bruh Receipt
Join the LTB Book Club as we discuss All Boys Aren't Blue on 6/16: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week we were joined by Paris Hatcher, founder and director, of Black Feminist Future. In today's episode we talked to Paris about Patriarchal Violence as a framework, what divesting from patriarchy or as Paris puts it, "breaking up with patriarchy" looks like for her and Paris gives us something to all think about when it comes to conversations and taking theory into practice.
Check this out:
- What is Patriarchal Violence? A Working Definition from the Abolishing Patriarchal Violence Innovation Lab
- Black Feminist Future - Our Vision
- Keep up with Black Feminist Future
- Follow BFF on IG, Twitter, and FB
- Jubilee: A Black Feminist Homecoming
- "I don't care about manhood..." - Yolo Akili
Join the LTB Book Club as we discuss All Boys Aren't Blue on 6/16: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
In this conversation with storyteller, father, and recovering rapper, Joél Leon, we cover a little bit of everything. We talk about what divesting from patriarchy looks like for him including: being mindful of the ways his privilege shows up as his platform grows, the frustrations associated with trying to reach Black men, and how early childhood experiences with porn shaped our conceptions of sex and sexuality. We're grateful to have had Joel share his vulnerability and gifts with us on today's show. Tune in now and let us know what you think.
Let's Talk about Sex - Written by Joél Leon
Join the LTB Book Club as we discuss Sugar in Our Wounds on 6/2: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week we talked to Marvin Toliver of Melanated Social Work and we continued Mental Health Awareness Month with a conversation about Marvin's work, what radical therapy looks like and we get into our crying in therapy bag a little bit near the end, inspired by an instagram post from Marvin. Tap in and let us know what you think.
Join the LTB Book Club as we discuss My Grandmother's Hands on 5/19: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week we connected with Yolo Akili, the founder of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). As May is Mental Health Awareness Month we talked to Yolo about all things mental health, but it didn't stop there. We dug into the radical framework, Social Justice Informed Mental Health Literacy, BEAM uses in their work and why this framework is important to the work they do in our communities. We also talk about Yolo, his story, and how he tries to live in alignment. Press play, tune in, and take out your notepad for this one. You don't wanna miss the gems Yolo was dropping. Lastly, big thanks to Demarco for sharing with us how he divests from patriarchy.
Join the LTB Book Club as we discuss My Grandmother's Hands on 5/19: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
This week on Let's Talk Bruh we linked up with Josh Odam aka Healing While Black. In today's show, Josh shares with us what his healing journey has looked like, how his divestment from patriarchy journey included a little tour as a hotep in training, and the number of services and programs he offers/supports with his platform. Tune in now.
Follow him on IG to keep up with his work: @HealingWhileBlack
Correction: In the show intro we incorrectly stated that Josh hosts the Sunday Survivor Series. The Sunday Survivor Series is actually hosted by Jewel the Gem and Jewel the Gem productions. Josh is one of the facilitators of the event.
Josh is also one of the co-hosts of the Bearded Black Men Reading to You Before Bed along with Rukus, Veronzo, Darien, and Theo.
For more information on the Sunday Survivor series hosted by Jewel the Gem follow Jewel on IG @jewel_thegem and follow @beardedblackmenread for info on their upcoming events.
Join the LTB Book Club: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
We're looking for Black men / Black male socialized people in the DC area for an upcoming in person panel series. Interested? Follow this link: http://bit.ly/LTBCastingCall
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
It's official. Let's Talk Bruh is back. Did ya miss us?
Resources from today's show:
- Patriarchal Violence Framework - Black Feminist Future
- Understanding Patriarchy - bell hooks
- Undoing Patriarchy - A Syllabus
Join the LTB Book Club: http://bit.ly/LTBBookClub
We're looking for Black men / Black male socialized people in the DC area for an upcoming in person panel series. Interested? Follow this link: http://bit.ly/LTBCastingCall
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in to hear your clip on the show. Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Let's Talk Bruh is FINALLY back and we want to hear from you!
This year our theme is, "Divesting from Patriarchy" so here's how you can get involved and have your opinion heard on the show: 1. Record a 30 second message of what divesting from patriarchy means to you 2. Send your message to letstalkbruh@gmail.com OR call 708-320-3126 to leave a voicemail OR send us a voice text via Instagram DM 3. Tune in next month to hear your clip on the show! Let's Talk Bruh is hiring! We're looking for a Business Development Strategist. Apply here.
Join the Let's Talk Bruh Book Club. Register here.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's group on Facebook: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Not goodbye, just see ya later.
Resources from today's show:
- Tricia Hersey on Rest as Resistance / 185 - For the Wild Podcast
- Undoing Patriarchy - A Syllabus
- relinquishing the patriarchy - adrienne maree brown
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Black men, we are failing Black women.
- RIP Oluwatoyin Salau
- J. Cole is perfect example of fragile masculinity in the presence of an intelligent Black woman
- Dave Chappelle, please stop erasing Black women.
This week's resources:
- Black man organizing or leading spaces to unlearn patriarchal violence and misogyny. - Thread by @awkward_duck
- The Safe Black Girls Checklist - @BlackAmazon
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
During this time of lockdown, a lot of creativity can be possible. Maybe you're on the verge of starting a new project or maybe you just have an idea. Let's dive into the creative process and how imagination can be used for healing with artist and photographer Expressions Untold.
And as it's important to talk about the creative process and knowing when you have a good idea, it's also important to acknowledge how terrifying it can be to release your creative project to the world. As Erykah once said, "Now keep in mind that I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit." Sharing our work is a very vulnerable moment especially when our work is tied to who we are.
Throughout our discussion we talked about the importance of identifying our purpose. The reason we do what we do and how our "why" keeps us grounded through all the vulnerability of releasing a project to the world. Creating can be a very vulnerable experience but it can be equally healing as our work has the power to heal us but also others in the process. Tune in to listen to how creating has been healing for us.
Follow Expressions Untold on Instagram and Twitter.
Watch this episode on our youtube channel: Creativity, Imagination, & Mental Health in the Age of the Coronavirus (Live Show)
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
“What’s cooler than being cool?” - Andre 3000
What does it mean to be cool? What does it mean to be you? They say the Black man is the coolest man on the planet. But how can we go from real cool to just real? What makes us enough? This episode we dive into a conversation on what's cool and Black manhood with Jason Rosario. We talk about about our "cool" heroes and interrogate if we still think they're cool or not.
This episode is heavily inspired by bell hook's book entitled, "we real cool" which shares the same name as the Gwendolyn Brooks poem. In "we real cool" bell suggests that real cool is...”defined by black males daring to self define rather than being defined by others.” Do you agree?
We also talk about how because of how Black men are positioned in media, is that level of coolness possible for all of us? Is cool available for just anyone? What does cool even mean? Tune in and then tell us what you think.
Watch this episode on our youtube channel: From We Real Cool to We Just Real | What Makes Us Enough as Black Men?
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Resources for you:
- we real cool - bell hooks
- Andre 3000 on being cool: “Even just the origin of the word hip-hop; first you have to be hip. The older you get, you get further away from the hipness.”
- Black People: Naturally Cool? - NPR
- Mental Health Resources for Black Men - Let's Talk Bruh
- Mental Health Tips Right now - Let's Talk Bruh
- Taking Action Following the Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade and more protests - Let's Talk Bruh
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Quarantine got you looking like RGIII? Say no more. We'll talk about haircare and how to maintain your shape up right now with some quick and easy tips in this virtual tutorial provided by Eric "KleanKut" Dixon. He's a barber that also specializes in providing mental health services for his clients. Watch this episode on our youtube channel: Quarantine Kuts with Eric "KleanKut" Dixon [Discussion + Virtual Shape Up Workshop] Keep up with Eric by following him on IG and Facebook Register to our virtual support group: * Creating Freedom in Confinement [Virtual Support Group - Black Men Only] w/ Jarrick the Floating Yogi - 5/28 @ 6PM EST
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Writing and journaling can be a very healing, therapeutic, and self-reflective process, but sometimes it's hard just staring at 2 blank pieces of paper in your notebook. We'll get you started with Howard University English professor Kyr Mack in this masculinity and manhood journaling discussion + workshop.
This week's show is a journaling workshop and throughout the episode we talk about the power of writing down our thoughts and processing our feelings through the exercise of journaling. What's the story you tell yourself about your life? Through journaling we're able to reflect on the past, meditate on the current, and create the future.
We discuss the following prompts:
- What are three major emotions that you’re carrying right now?
- What’s one thought that has been getting the best of you lately? How has it been influencing your behavior?
- What are some of the earliest messages you can recall receiving about masculinity? Who were/are some of the key influences in your understanding of masculinity?
- How did these messages impact you? Do you still believe in these messages? Why or why not?
- What are you grateful for at this moment?
- What do you love most about yourself?
So get your pen and pad out, your phone's note app or use a word document and join us in today's workshop.
Watch this episode on our youtube channel: I Put My Lifetime in Between the Paper's Line's Journaling Workshop (YouTube)
Register to the rest of our Live Shows!
- From We Real Cool to We Just Real w/ Jason Rosario - 5/21 @ 7PM EST
- Creativity, Imagination, & Mental Health w/ Expressions Untold - 5/26 @ 7PM EST
- Creating Freedom in Confinement [Virtual Support Group - Black Men Only] w/ Jarrick the Floating Yogi - 5/28 @ 6PM EST
Resources for today's episode:
- Kyr's Journaling Advice from This Session
- My Son Keeps a Daily Gratitude Journal — Maybe We All Should - Level Mag
- James Baldwin’s Advice on Writing
- Audre Lorde Questionnaire to Oneself
- What’s All This About Journaling? - NYTimes
- May is Mental Health Awareness Month 💚 Journaling is cool. Prompts for those who want to start.
- When Men Should Keep a Journal
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
If you're experiencing bouts of exhaustion, despair, stress, or anxiety during this pandemic you are not alone. We got you. We talk about maintaining mental health and self care during this pandemic with friend of the show Dr. Justin Hopkins.
In this week's show we discuss how to address the uncertainty of living during this pandemic. The anxiety that arises due to the fear of contracting COVID 19, navigating an uncertain job market and the strain of less physical connection with the ones we love.
As men, we're groomed to always be in control, but right now that's simply not an option. That's something to be conscious of. So we also discuss the importance of addressing our anxieties, fears, and feelings by being mindful about what our thoughts and body is telling us. That and a little self care can go a long way.
Register to our Live Shows!
- I Put My Lifetime In Between The Paper's Line's [Discussion + Intro to Journaling Workshop] w/ Kyr Mack - 5/14 @ 7PM EST
- Quarantine Kuts with Eric "KleanKut" Dixon [Discussion + Virtual Shape Up Workshop] - 5/18 @ 7PM EST
- From We Real Cool to We Just Real w/ Jason Rosario - 5/21 @ 7PM EST
- Creativity, Imagination, & Mental Health w/ Expressions Untold - 5/26 @ 7PM EST
- Creating Freedom in Confinement [Virtual Support Group - Black Men Only] w/ Jarrick the Floating Yogi - 5/28 @ 6PM EST
Resources for today's episode:
- Let’s Talk Bruh’s Rona Mental Health Survival Guide
- Let the Pandemic Be a Wake-Up Call — and Take Control of Your Health - Level Mag
- Just When We Think We're Adjusting, We're Hit By A Coronavirus Dip Day - Huff Post UK
- Protecting your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic - John Hopkins
- Stress and Coping - CDC
- 5 signs your coronavirus anxiety has turned serious, threatening your mental health, and what to do about it - CNN
- Marriage Wasn’t Built to Survive Quarantine - Level
- The coronavirus pandemic is pushing America into a mental-health crisis - Washington Post
- What One Doctor’s Suicide Taught Us - NY Times
- Open Collective - Affordable Therapy Options
- Text 'TEAM' to 741741 for free mental health support - NBA Cares
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
The Let's Talk Bruh Virtual Live Show is coming to a screen near you. We’re switching it up this month with something a bit different...starting next week on Monday the 11th, yall can now join us for a few Zoom Live Shows and Workshops!
Register Today:
- Can I Live: A Discussion on Mental Health w/ Dr. Justin Hopkins - 5/11 @ 7PM EST
- I Put My Lifetime In Between The Paper's Line's [Discussion + Intro to Journaling Workshop] w/ Kyr Mack - 5/14 @ 7PM EST
- Quarantine Kuts with Eric "KleanKut" Dixon [Discussion + Virtual Shape Up Workshop] - 5/18 @ 7PM EST
- From We Real Cool to We Just Real w/ Jason Rosario - 5/21 @ 7PM EST
- Creativity, Imagination, & Mental Health w/ Expressions Untold - 5/26 @ 7PM EST
- Creating Freedom in Confinement [Virtual Support Group - Black Men Only] w/ Jarrick the Floating Yogi - 5/28 @ 6PM EST
Turn ya camera on (but leave ya mics on mute lol) as we as dive into the following topics & interactive workshops.
We'll have some Q&A at the end of each episode so we can all be part of the conversation together.
Same show. New format. Hope to see yall there.
Today's episode is the audio from our conversation with Dil of Redefining Black Masculinity. We recap the episode he joined us for on Interracial Dating back in February and we talked about how Black masculinity is represented in media.
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
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A few weeks ago (what is time at this point?) we did a series of Instagram Lives with friends of the podcast. Today's episode is the audio from our conversation with Nalo. Nalo is a friend of the show who first appeared on LTB back in August of 2019. We talked about everything from masculinity, the importance of asking questions and creating space for curiosity, allow folks to create themselves and her new podcast Black Water Rebellion (link below). If there's one thing you should know about Nalo is that she's someone that will make you think. Listen with an open mind.
Follow Nalo on Instagram.
Follow Black Girl Masculine on Instagram.
Resources for you:
- Black Water Rebellion Podcast
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
"Yo, Am I Wildin?"
This week's episode I catch up with Ben and Sam of Black Man Feel. Black Men Feel is a monthly support group in New York City for Black men. In our discussion with Ben and Sam they both shared their individual stories leading to the foundation of Black Men Feel. We also talked about the challenge of creating a safe space for ALL Black men and what accountability looks like within their space. Near the end of our conversation we dive into some things we've been doing to stay sane during Coronavirus social distancing.
Follow Black Men Feel on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Resources for you:
- Black Men Feel Therapy Resource Page
- 17 Positive Affirmations for Men of Color
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
"We gotta re-imagine the way mental health is being done You gotta reach people where they're at. You gotta be personal."
This is one the lines that stuck out during this episode. I spoke to Lorenzo Lewis, founder of The Confess Project. In our discussion, he talked about the importance of imagination and creativity when it comes to mental health services. In order to reach our people we have to think outside the box. And Lorenzo is someone who knows from experience. He spent 10 years working in the mental health before founding The Confess Project so he knows what he's talking about.
We also dive into what the Confess Project is, their work in barbershops, keeping folks accountable in the barbershop and their national State of Mind Tour with Gillette.
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Follow The Confess Project on IG and Twitter
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Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
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Someone you should know: Courtney Brame. He's the founder of the platform Something Positive for Positive People. He's also open about his experience living with Herpes. So we dive in and talk about why herpes is still the butt of the all the jokes, what he felt after receiving his diagnosis, what successful disclosure looks like and the work he does to remove the stigma around STIs. Tune in now.
Do you have any questions for us? Did you learn something during today's episode? Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
Resources for you:
- Free std testing near me
- Vivent Health
Follow Courtney on IG and Twitter
Check out Something Positive for Positive People.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
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This week we were joined by Lex Numan, the host of Numan Talks. We discuss his platform and what it means to be "Trans Attracted". He breaks down why it's important to distinguish between attraction and fetish. Lex Numan is someone you should know because his platform creates a space for Black men to discuss sexuality and attraction in a way that doesn't put the emotional labor on Trans women. In our episode he also discusses how he came to realize his attraction to Trans women. Tune in now.
Follow Lex Numan on IG on Twitter
Subscribe to the Numan Show on Youtube
Do you have any questions for us?
Did you learn something during today's episode?
Did you change your mind about a particular topic?
Let us us know. Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode.
For another take on the phrase trans attracted check out this article:
- Op-Ed: The Problem With Identifying As 'Trans Attracted' - Out.com
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Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
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Does it feel good? That's the question we're answering today. For many us, we've been taught that we can only express our sexuality in a very limited way. Today we talk about why sexual exploration and curiosity is important when it comes to achieving the most pleasure possible. We discuss that exploring your sexuality does NOT diminish your masculinity or manhood. Tune in now!
About our guest Nick Gaines:
Nickolas Gaines (he, him, his) is a veteran, national speaker, and educator. Nickolas is a prominent scholar-practitioner who has a wealth of experience, expanding over 10 years of service in local, regional, national, and international communities. He is a global citizen who has served the United States Army for seven years and has led initiatives for the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs providing spiritual care and clinical mental health care.
Follow Nick on Instagram as he'll be dropping helpful content related to managing stress, anxiety taking care of yourself and loved ones and mental health during COVID-19: @nickolasgaines
Resources associated with this episode:
- Black men need space to talk about their own sexual pleasure outside of domination - Black Youth Project
- I wanted to stop suffering like Jamel Myles. Here’s what I learned about youth mental health - Race Baitr
- Pleasure Activism - adrienne marie brown
- Pleasure Activism Defined
- Self Care During The Coronavirus Outbreak - Let's Talk Bruh
- Support of Andrew Gillum
- New York City Made A Guide To Safe Sex During The Coronavirus Outbreak - Buzzfeed
- Staying Positive in Dark Times - Michell C. Clark
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
For the Fellas: Register to our Sunday Night Zoom Hangout on March 29th at 7 PM EST
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
Watch this episode on the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nzkzJ8oFTg
Some say everyone gets to define Black masculinity except for Black men, so today we ask a few friends of Let's Talk Bruh their definitions of Black masculinity, their personal relationship with masculinity from childhood to adulthood, and the current state of Black masculinity as its presented in pop culture, media, and current events.
We also discuss what accountability looks like among Black men and the future of Black masculinity. As many of us come to grasp a more fluid understanding of gender norms and identity, will we even be having conversations like this in 10, 20, or 50 years?
Tune in now and share on social media using the hashtag #LetsTalkBruh
Big thanks again to our guests Preston Mitchum, Rasheed Copeland, & Geronimo Collins
Subscribe to the Let's Talk Bruh YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa2wXlKMWlpAER8v16zXZw
Article mentioned on this week's episode:
- “Good men” and the mythological dichotomy between toxic masculinity and masculinity - Race Baitr
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
When it comes to Black tv & film, there's often a conversation of who is allowed to tell what stories. Can Black folks from the UK tell stories about Black americans? Can Black folks with privilege tell stories about folks growing up in the hood? Can straight folks tell stories about queer Black folks?
This week I talked to actor, founder of Rise and Thrive, and performance based transformation coach Tom Williamson. You may know Tom from The Fosters, VFW, Running Wild and All Cheerleaders Must Die. We talked about his life growing up in DC, becoming an actor, and his experience at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. We talk about about Tom's experience navigating some of these issues as an actor and what it's like to prepare for a role that you personally don't identify with on the surface.
Tune in now!
To keep up with Tom and his moves, follow him on IG.
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Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
This week I was joined by author, artist, teacher, DJ, and speaker Brandon Alexander Williams to talk about his book The BLK Love Mixtape, loving black women, loving ourselves and his top 5 MCs.
Tune in for our discussion.
Follow Brandon on IG and Twitter.
Check out his book The BLK Love Mixtape -the BLK love mixtape is an anthology of contemporary literature dedicated to the BLK woman. We created this body of work to uplift HER and to teach young BLK men how to identify love based on our examples so that they may love her most carefully.
In Case You Missed It: Be Great DC x Let's Talk Bruh Twitter Chat (2/24) on Black Men & Mental Health - #BGDCLive
For our DC Folks! Come join us on March 7th for: BlackMenYogaToo.Eventbrite.com
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Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
Late last year we received an email from a listener about his challenges dealing with rejection from women. He mentioned that he's not entitled to a woman's time or attention, but would like to find positive ways of dealing with, understanding, and accepting from rejection. So today, joined by friend of the podcast, Larry J. Sanders of What Suits Him, we dive all the way in and tackle all things rejection and even how rejection highlights our insecurities.
Follow Larry on IG and Twitter and visit the WHATSUITSHIM website for his professional consulting services today.
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Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
In this week's episode we call up our first international guest! You'll be hearing a conversation with Daniel Edmund, the Co-Founder of Milk For Tea. Daniel is a speaker and coach who is passionate about serving the male community in the UK and seeing men transformed from the inside out.
This conversation is important for a number of reasons: 1) Jeremy and Daniel both went to Hampton University together, but this is their first time speaking 2) Daniel talks about his experiences growing up in Maryland and the differences if any between masculinity in the UK vs the US 3) We talk about why healthy conversations around sex and consent and important and how Milk For Tea achieves does this with their work 4) How Daniel and Milk for Tea maintain their integrity while working inside the "manconomy" 5) Near the end, we entertain a brief discussion of whether or not toxic masculinity in sports can ever be considered a good thing. Resources mentioned in this week's episode: * Masculinity and my Black male experience - Daniel Edmund for The Bristol Cable * Modern Men: Life Doesn't Have To Be Short | Daniel Edmund | TEDxBristol * Inside the Manconomy - Men's Health * We’ve offered free therapy to black men. The response has been overwhelming. | (Black Men Heal feature in the Philadelphia Inquirer) * Questions I regularly ask myself when I'm outraged about injustice by @prisonculture
Follow Daniel on Twitter & Instagram and check out his organization: Milk for Tea's when you're done. Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
There's a stat from the Pew Research Center stating that 24% of Black men marry interacially whereas only 12% of Black women marry interacially. Today we talk about why.
Later in the conversation we also ask Dil of Redefining Black Masculinity (RBM) how and why he started RBM.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- Trends and patterns in intermarriage - Pew Research Center
- An Interracial Fix for Black Marriage - Wall Street Journal
- Myth Busting the Black Marriage Crisis - The Root
Don't forget to follow Dil and Genesis on Instagram as well as Redefining Black Masculinity.
Follow Let's Talk Bruh onTwitter & Instagram
Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
Why do you love Black women? How do you support Black women? How do you protect Black women? A few simple questions with not so simple answers?
This week I was joined by my good friend Taylor. Tune in for our discussion.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- Bystander Intervention - Collective Action for Safe Spaces DC
You can follow Taylor on Twitter & IG
Visit her website here: Love & Light Intuitive Readings with Taylor
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Join our Men's Facebook Group here: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
Email us your questions/comments/feedback at letstalkbruh@gmail.com and we'll read and respond to your email on an upcoming episode
Let's Talk Bruh is going to sound a bit different as we get deeper into 2020. Send this episode to your friends & family to spread the word.
Fellas, what makes you feel sexy? I mean, we all love having sex and the feeling that comes from that experience, but how often do we think about whether or not we feel sexy or not? There's a ton of emphasis on women to be and feel sexy, but what does that look like for us?
This week I was joined by David Wraith, Co-founder of Sex Positive STL to discuss sex positivity for men, the reason leaked nudes of Da Baby, Steph Curry, and ASAP Rocky and much more. Tune in now.
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Happy new year LTB fam! We're back and hitting yall with another episode. This time we're talking about the silent epidemic considered to be the biggest threat to public health over heavyweights like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. We're talking about loneliness.
It's something that impacts many of us, but few of us are openly talking about it, and why would we? As a man, we're forced to follow the "rules of masculinity" which forbade deep emotional connections with other men. And technology these days has made it so easy to stay in contact digitally with folks that there's virtually no reason to actually pull up.
Well, because we know better, we know the importance of intimate connection with each other and we also know about the major health consequences associated with loneliness. So we invite friend of the show Dr. Justin Hopkins to break down how we can overcome this isolation epidemic.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- The Bromance Myth: How Men’s Health Suffers from Their Lack of Friends
- Men Can Have Better Friendships. Here's How
- The Terrible Price of Our Epidemic of Male Loneliness
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It's the end of the year, the end of the decade so it's time to rest up and plan for a new year. There's enough W's for all of us, but it starts with a solid foundation and goals in place to achieve the wins we have in our sight.
This week we catch up with Mike Powell of the Powell Consulting Group to break down his vision mapping process. It's helped him, his clients, and it can help us too. Tune in for the gems.
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It's the end of the year so we're breaking from our regularly scheduled format to talk about all the wild events that have happened in 2019 regarding masculinity.
We cover everything from John Legend being named the sexiest man alive, Tank's comments on sexuality, Malik Yoba speaking about being attracted to trans women, GQ's "new masculinity" with Pharrell, T.I.'s terrible parenting, Billy Dee William's misinterpreted comments on gender fluidity, The Wade/Union family, Male birth control, men finally embracing paternity leave, Jay-Z & Colin Kaepernick and much more.
Not to mention we didn't even cover the Gillette Ad & APA's New guidelines for boys and men, but you can listen to LTB's thoughts on that here.
And last but not least, this week we were joined by a special guest and familiar voice who returned to the podcast for our final episode of the year.
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Trigger Warning: sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape culture
What should a man's role be in the Me Too Movement? How are we defining consent? What is rape culture?
If you're like us, these are questions you may have been asking yourself the past few years. To get a few answers, we invite Ricky Pulley, the Underserved Survivor Outreach Coordinator at the Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands in Columbia, SC to chop it up about how rape culture has showed up in our lives, ways we have participated in it, the Black community's response to the Me Too Movement, and what does healthy consent really look like. Tune in now.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- 45 Stories of Sex and Consent on Campus - NY Times
- Black Men Should Care About Survivors, No Matter How Many White Men Are Accused by Preston Mitchum
- 6 Black Men Who Call Out Rape Culture in the Era of Me Too
- A Black Man's Guide to Rape Culture
- 8 Ways Black Man Can Fight Rape - Colorlines
- What April Teaches Us About Rape Culture and What You Can Do About It - Mama Black
- The Impacts of Gender Role Socialization on Health and Culture - Lehigh University
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This. Is. The. Remix.
You can also consider this a sequel to last year's episode on the same topic. Either way, it's that time again and we're talking about Black Male Privilege.
Last year we dropped an episode called, "Black Male What? | The Black Male Privilege Episode" and it received a ton of feedback. So this year we're dropping part 2 of that conversation featuring our guest Bemo Brown who had very strong feelings towards the episode.
So we get into what Black Male Privilege is, a definition of it from L'Heureux Lewis and why this conversation is important when we talk about the future of the Black community. Tune in now.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- Black Male Privilege? - NPR Interview with L'Heureux Lewis
- Black Male Privilege Checklist by Jewel Woods
- Black workers have made no progress in closing earnings gaps with white men since 2000 - Economic Policy Institute
- Challenging the Myth of Black Male Privilege - Hasan Johnson
- What exactly is "Imperialist Capitalist White Supremacist Patriarchy?"
- A Woman’s Response To ‘Straight Black Men Are The White People Of Black People’ - Huffington Post
- It’s past time for Black men to become traitors to the male privilege that protects us - Black Youth Project
- Black Women's Triangulation of Rape - Sasha Center
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Black man to Black man. What does it mean to love each other?
On this week's episode I was joined by Jay Barnett, former NFL Player, Current Family Therapist, Founder of We Build Projects, The Kings' Program and 2019 Black Enterprise Modern Man of the Year.
Today we talk about the importance of Black men loving each other, how trauma, jealousy, and fear prevents us from loving one another, why we have anxiety around saying, "I Love You" and at the end of the episode Jay talks about the most important aspect behind loving each other.
20 Ways Black Men Can Support Each Other
Follow Jay on IG: @kingjaybarnett & Twitter: @kingjaybarnett
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When it comes to intimacy, how far are you willing to go? How open could you get? Would you bare it all with your partner on camera? Maybe that's not your cup of tea. But for many it is.
Today my guest, Aaron aka Expressions Untold, is someone who captures those intimate moments on camera for a living and he joins us to talk about his beautiful art as well as how intimacy plays a major role in his work.
We also discuss how as men, we often want to feel desired by our partners, because who doesn't love a good ego boost every once in awhile? But because of strict gender roles we find ourselves in positions to always be the initiator, to not express this desire for words of affirmation and end up feeling less than attractive. Moral of the story, we like compliments too. We wanna get chose too. Gas us up babe! But it also takes us expressing that need to our partners.
"I want you, but I want you to want me too." - Marvin Gaye
Tune in now to hear Aaron and I discuss it all.
Additional Resources from This Episode:
- 5 Ways to Help a Man Feel Desired - Dr. Sarah Hunter Murray
Follow Aaron on IG: @exuntld & Twitter: ExpresionsUntld
Visit his website (a little NSFW): Expressions-Untold
And when you're finished with all that, check out my interview with We Inspire:
- Jeremy Herte's Podcast Helps Black Men Deal With Their Masculinity
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The Few. The Proud. The Nutless. Some may say, it takes an insane person or insanely willed person (depending how you look at it) to go 30 days without sexual pleasure, but that's what a group of men do every November. It's called No Fap or No Nut November and every November millions of men take this 30 day journey. But why you may ask?
The No Fap community on reddit lists a few benefits of No Fapping including: better sex, increased libido, self control, mental libido and much more. And yes while, all that's good and well, others aren't completely sold on this movement. Why deny ourselves the pleasure we deserve? And what does this movement even mean for Black people who have historically been denied ownership of our pleasure and our bodies?
Today we bring yall back into our facebook group as I speak to 4 guys to get their thoughts on Nutless November. Tune in now.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- What is No Nut November? - The Metro UK
- The Top 10 Most Common Benefits of No Fap
- No Nut November Spoken Word Poem
- Let This Be The Last No Nut November - Vice
- Cornflakes Were Created to Stop Masturbation - McGill University
- Queer Black folks talk about masturbation, confront shame, and affirm their right to self-pleasure - Black Youth Project
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This week on Let's Talk Bruh, I catch up with Gerrard Davis. If you've been keeping up with the show, then that name might sound familiar.
Gerrard joined me for a mini episode last month because Gerrard was the one who set our facebook group on fire with a conversation on whether or not it was gay for two men to cuddle. And without going down that rabbit role today, feel free to check that episode out for yourself.
Now if you thought that was an interesting episode, you're in for a real treat today. Gerrard wrote on an article on their experience being both non-binary and bisexual (link below) and shared it in our facebook group. So I speak to Gerrard about their article and we get into quite the interesting conversation on sexuality, gender identity, what it means to have gender imposed on us, and imagining a world with no gender.
A few resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- Living Non #Bi nary by Gerrard Davis
- How Black Mirror’s “Striking Vipers” episode failed bisexual men & trans women - BYP
- The Invisibility of the Bisexual Black Man - Popular Sociology
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We've all seen the phrase, #MenAreTrash, so need for a long introduction. And for many of us men folk, we have a tendency to either 1) dismiss the phrase completely or 2) assume those tweets ain't talking about us because we know we ain't trash.
And if that's your response? We're challenging you to change your perspective.
Today I was joined by my good friend Backpack Matt from the Over The Shoulder Podcast to tackle all things related to the men are trash movement, where it stems from, why we can't resort to, "Not all Men" or "Not Me", our experiences embodying trash behavior and how we can collectively hold ourselves accountable to not be trash.
A few resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- "Straight black men are trash": Do I have to agree? - Salon
- Here's Why Women Really Say "Men Are Trash" - Refinery
- Straight Black Men Are the White People of Black People - Very Smart Brothas
- A Woman’s Response To ‘Straight Black Men Are The White People Of Black People’ - Huffington Post
- “Men are trash”: the surprisingly philosophical story behind an internet punchline - Prospect
- RW Connell's Masculinities
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Tony Porter is what we call an OG when it comes to the work of healthy manhood. He's been doing #thework of breaking out of the "The Man Box" with A Call to Men for decades.
Tony also speaks about his personal journey of being called out for his sexism while in his career of anti-racism work and how those moments propelled him to become passionate about the work of healthy manhood and anti-sexism.
We also talk about our differing perspectives about toxic masculinity and have a great conversation on accountability. It's rare to see public conversations of accountability and in March Tony spoke with Ray Rice in a conversation about accountability, what it looks like for Ray and what it looks like going forward for all of us.
A few resources mentioned in this week's episode
- A Call to Men | Tony Porter's Ted Talk
- Yesterday, I joined the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence for what was truly a courageous conversation.
- Beverly Gooden, #WhyIStayed Creator, on Tony Porter’s upcoming discussion with Ray Rice at the Partnership’s Shifting the Lens Conference
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Living your best life is more than just a song by Lil Duval. It's a real thing. But how exactly do we get there? Yeah sure we all want to get the bag and level up, but what does that really look like? How do we become our best and most authentic self in a world that constantly tells us as Black men what we are and what we aren't?
Jason Rosario believes it's through something called: Self-Actualization
This week on Let's Talk Bruh I was joined by Jason, Founder of The Lives of Men to break down what it means to become self actualized. We talked about why it's difficult and why we may run from becoming our truest self when approached with the opportunity.
We also talk about our differing perspectives on toxic masculinity. Who knew you could disagree with someone and still keep the peace in 2019?
Jason also speaks about his own journey from becoming the “fuck boy who thought he was a good guy.” to the man he is today.
A few resources mentioned in this week's episode
- You Can't Half Ass Vulnerability - Jason Rosario
- Dear Men with Jason Rosario - Yahoo Video Series w/ Swizz Beatz, Jason Rosario, Kevin Love and more
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We all know what it's like to feel like you have the weight of the world on the your shoulders. But what if that stress has become so commonplace that you've forgotten what it's like to feel normal?
What happens when we've become so disconnected from our norm that our normal is stressed out?
Today we're joined by Arron Muller, a Social Work Therapist to discuss how we can identify the stressors in our life as well as manage the stress we experience in our lives.
Arron also breaks down how stress causes anxiety and how to be aware of our coping mechanisms and the positive and negative impacts they may have.
Resources used in this week's episode:
- How America Kills Black Men Without Lifting a Finger - Huffington Post
- ‘Minority Stress’ Is Causing More Men to Live Shorter Lives - Healthline
- Top 5 Stressors for Black Men - Henry Health App
- “If you do nothing about stress, the next thing you know, you’re shattered”: Perspectives on African American men’s stress, coping and health from African American men and key women in their lives
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Being a Black man and working in corporate environments can exhausting to say the least.
Racism. Microaggressions. Stereotyping. And all that can happen before you even make it to your desk. The struggle to bring your full self to work is real.
Not to mention, we know that toxic masculinity in the workplace is usually the expected and preferred type of masculinity. Domination. Win at all costs. Talking over people. Not taking breaks. Where does healthy masculinity fit in corporate america?
This week we linked up with Zach of the Living Corporate Podcast to answer that question as well as break down some ways we can maintain our sanity when working in these predominantly white spaces.
Resources used in this week's episode:
- Black professional men describe what it's like to be in the Gender Majority but the Racial Minority - Harvard Business Review
- When Black Men are Harassed at Work - Slate
- Black women describe navigating race and gender in the workplace - Harvard Business Review
- Black Women Aren’t Allowed To Be Introverted - Bese
Visit Living-Corporate.com to access all of the great content they have on navigating corporate america and join their slack group for additional resources.
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What does vulnerability look like for you? Are you in tune with your feelings? Are these questions already too much for you?
We feel you, but today I'm joined by my good friend Nomad the Native of talented supergroup Not Alone and we break down what it means to be vulnerable, how difficult vulnerability can be for us as Black men as well as the shame associated with acknowledging our insecurities. However as difficult as it can be to open up, we also talk about the benefits of being vulnerable leading us to a deeper and more intimate connection with the people in our lives.
It's important not to over complicate this process of being vulnerable, but for many of us it simply starts with owning our feelings as neither wrong or right or good or bad. They just are. If we can start there, being vulnerable and speaking to those feelings gets a little easier.
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- Brené Brown - A Call to Courage (Netflix)
- If Beale Street Could Talk - Black Male Vulnerability - Huffington Post
- The Trouble With Being a Strong Black Man - Abernathy
- Daring to be vulnerable with Brené Brown
- I finally learned to accept my vulnerability as a man. It helped. - Washington Post
- How To Practice Vulnerability for Stronger Relationships - HealthyWay
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This week we're giving yall a one time pass into the Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group on for a particular discussion that set the group on fire last week.
One of our members, who you'll be hearing from shortly, posed the following questions shared from an Instagram story: Is two guys cuddling gay? Is two girls cuddling gay?"
So we break down the differences between intimacy and attraction as well as the importance of platonic touch in our lives.
The conversation produced several different sides and angles and what better way to include yall into the conversation than to speak with a few of the guys on their perspectives.
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We live in a culture where porn is only a smartphone and a couple taps away. It's literally at our fingertips. It's never been this accessible. And for many of us, we've had access to an unlimited supply of porn since the age of 10 so where do we draw the line between healthy habit and addiction?
Today we try to find some answers. On previous episodes, you may have heard us say that masturbating is a good form of self care, which it is. However it's important to be aware of when that self love we rightfully owe ourselves becomes dangerous as it may get in the way of our daily responsibilities, relationships, and our actual sex lives.
So on this episode we talk about our struggles to find a healthy relationship with porn. But we also discuss the benefits of masturbating and even creative ways to masturbate without using porn.
A few resources used in this episode:
- Masturbation Effects on Your Health: Side Effects and Benefits - Healthline
- Here's how to know if you're masturbating too much - Buzzfeed
- Does frequent ejaculation help ward of prostate cancer? - Harvard
- Pornography Addiction - The Recovery Village
- Everything you need to know about porn addiction
- Tantric Masturbation - Solo practice for men - All About Tantra
This Week in Masculinity: Dave Chappelle's Sticks and Stones
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When's the last time you sat down and talked about love? When's the last time you talked about love more than the romantic type? Today we dive deep into love and relationships and we do so with a little help from licensed therapist Bashea Williams.
This week on Let's Talk Bruh we talk about love, relationships and what all this means for us as men in both romantic and platonic relationships. Most of the time, girls are socialized to think about love at a much earlier age than boys so by the time we are of age we have no idea how to love. We have no idea to define love and we have no idea why love is something important for us to consider.
In addition to a lengthy conversation on love, we talk about relationships AND Jeremy starts the show with a slight monologue on something called, "The Relationship Escalator."
This Week in Masculinity: Jidenna, Snoop, and Reese & Faith
A few resources used in this week's episode:
- Riding the Relationship Escalator
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"Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth."
So that's the textbook definition thanks to UC Davis, but what does it actually look like to be well? to feel well? How can we put this into everyday practice?
This week on the show we talk about wellness and other ways to live a healthier life. I invited Jarrick the Floating Yogi to join me for today's episode and if you couldn't tell by his name, he's a yoga instructor.
We talked about what wellness means for him and how we can make the process and benefits of wellness, yoga and taking care of ourselves more tangible for brothers.
A few resources mentioned in this episode:
- A Black Man's Guide to Good Health - Ebony
- What is Wellness - UC Davis
- Why all Men Need to Talk About Their Balls - Good Men Project
- What is the difference between health and wellness? - Griffin Benefits
Follow Jarrick the Floating Yogi on Instagram
For more information on Men's Wellness Walk visit: National African American Male Wellness Walk & Run 5
If you want to check out Jeremy's "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) with Men's Lib Reddit, August 21st at 9 PM ET click here: AMA Announcement: Jeremy Herte, host of the podcast "Let's Talk Bruh"
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When you think of masculinity what comes to mind? Men. Manhood. Manliness? Typically as a society, we conflate masculinity and manhood as interchangeable terms. We've done it many times on this very podcast. But what does masculinity look like for women who identify as masculine?
On today's episode we talk with Nalo Zidan, founder of Black Girl Masculine, about what masculinity means for her as a queer Black woman. Nalo breaks down why we shouldn't conflate masculinity with manhood and we also talk about some commonalities between both men and women who identify as masculine
Masculinity comes in many forms and the goal of this conversation is to continue to expand the definition of what masculinity means.
Check out Nalo's Ted Talk here: It's Time to Redefine Masculinity
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This episode is important because for 52 episodes we've talked about masculinity from primarily a cisgender perspective. Today, thanks to our guest, Geronimo Collins aka Geronimo Knows, we are able to learn about the experiences of a Black transgender man and what masculinity means for him in particular.
Geronimo is a former blogger, podcast host, urban culture + lifestyle enthusiast and full-time conversationalist. On this episode we talk about his navigation through life before and after his transition, what masculinity means for him, gender identity, black male sexuality, the meaning of behind his name, and much more.
He wants you to know that his opinions are his and his alone. And as a 37 year old Black trans man there are even some things he's still learning and unlearning when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community.
This is an episode that admittedly, I did much more listening than talking. It's rare that cisgender and transgender black men discuss masculinity and create community with each other. Hopefully this can be the start of more to come.
A list of resources used in this week's episode:
- The gender identity terms you need to know - CBS
- How do I know if I’m transgender? - Planned Parenthood
- Mom, I'm Not a Girl: Raising a Transgender Child - Cosmopolitan
- Two Black Trans Boys, Two N.Y. Families, and Boundless Love
- Straight Men Recall the First Time They Were Attracted to a Trans Woman - Vice
- I Took My Wife's Last Name - Buzzfeed
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They say change inevitable. They say life is gonna throw you curveballs. They say when life gives you lemons...ight enough of the cliches.
Today we're talking all about the various changes and transitions that we experience throughout life. From breakups, to entering and exiting college to even the current cultural change in discussions of masculinity, we're tackling it all today.
With the help of a little internet research and personal experiences, we also cover how to handle or better yet embrace life's changes.
Lastly, we discuss a very real and somewhat unexpected change occuring on our very podcast. Tune in.
A list of resources used for this week's episode:
- 9 ways to navigate loss, change, and transition - Chopra Center
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They say everyone gets the define Black masculinity except for the Black man. And well, historically this has been largely true. However as true as it has been, we have not only the power, but the responsibility to redefine what a healthy masculinity looks like for us.
But before we get there, it's important to talk about toxic masculinity and hold ourselves accountable for the ways in which we've ALL at one point participated in this toxic culture of manhood. We can't get to a place of healthier manhood or masculinity without acknowledging the work and time by women in our lives who have helped us get here.
So now where at the point where it's time to define healthy masculinity and you may be asking yourself a few questions: Why is healthy masculinity important? How do I create a healthy masculinity? What is healthy masculinity? Well you're in the right place. Tune in now.
A list of resources used for this week's episode:
- Detoxing Culture & Healthy Masculinity (The Good Men Project)
- Healthy Masculinity (Princeton University)
- What is Healthy, Respectful Masculinity? (Talkspace)
- Boundless Black Masculinity (PBS - First Person)
- I am a Man: Black Masculinity in America by Byron Hurt
Big shoutout and thank you to Ryan, Keanon, Larry, Jordan and Justin for providing their perspectives on healthy masculinity in this episode.
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Nowadays it seems that everyone is talking about two words: toxic masculinity. There are endless articles, tweets, IG posts, and now podcast episodes on the subject. But what is it really?
And if you're a man/masculine identifying person it can feel like your masculinity is under attack with the recent attention on toxic masculinity.
Today we break down what toxic masculinity is, our experiences embodying toxic masculinity and we talk to a couple guys about their opinions on toxic masculinity.
A list of resources used for this week's episode:
- The Difference between Toxic Masculinity and Being a Man (The Good Men Project)
- What is Toxic Masculinity? (The NY Times)
- Black men, we need to acknowledge that we are the problem. Let’s talk toxic masculinity. (The Black Youth Project)
- What We Mean When We Say, “Toxic Masculinity” (Tolerance.org)
Big shoutout and thank you to Dwayne, Courtney, Kenneth, Nino, Ace, Gavin & Deangelo for providing their perspectives on this episode.
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This week on Let's Talk Bruh we're talking all about dick.
awkward silence
We're bringing yall the sequel to an episode we dropped in February titled, "You're More Than Your Dick | The Fetishization Episode". Only this time we're expanding the conversation to discuss our close relationship with our penis, why for many of us our dick = our manhood and the pressure to live up the BBC.
In order to have this conversation we invited our extremely talented artist friend TJDDN to the show who is very comfortable with his body. Just how comfortable? This is taken directly from his website: "Send a media request and ask him why he's always naked."
Not only that, we break down the fact that men also experience body image issues, discuss healthy ways to engage with our bodies and consider what body positivity looks like for men. As black men, we've been stereotyped to have the big black dick, but what happens if you can't measure up to that fantasy?
A list of resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- Childhood trauma and pornographic visions of the Black phallus made me ashamed of masturbation - Black Youth Project
- Why Pop Culture Can't Deal With Black Male Sexuality - NY Times
- Me and my penis: 100 men reveal all (Guardian, NSFW)
- Male vs. Female Body Image (Bradley University)
- Think Only Women Have Body Image Issues? Wrong (AARP)
Check out TJDDN's art on his website: TJDDNdoesART
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The Black barbershop is a staple in the Black community. It's a safe space for Black men to be themselves, vent, talk shit, and establish community with Black men of all ages. However, as much as some of us love the Black barbershop and regard it so, historically it has not been a safe space for ALL black people as much as we'd like to think.
This week on the show we break down our experiences in the barbershop (the good, the bad, and the Bibby), the types of barbers in the shop, the feeling of invincibility that accompanies a fresh cut and also why the barbershop has not always been safe space for Black women and our brothers in the LGBTQ community.
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Has racism ever made you sick? This week on #LetsTalkBruh we talk about the impact that racism has had over the course of our lives as Black men.
As we know all know, racism and just dealing with white folks in general is stressful, but how exactly have we dealt with both the overt and subtle racism we've experienced in our lives? How does racism impact our health both physically and mentally? And since it doesn't look like racism is going anywhere anytime soon, what can be done to live healthier lives knowing that racism is inevitable?
We talk about our experiences with racism on this week's episode as well as the correlation between racism, stress, and unhealthy coping behaviors.
A list of resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- How Racism Makes Us Sick by David R. Williams (Ted Talk)
- How Discrimination Changes Your Brain (VICE)
- The Secret to Keeping Black Men Healthy? Maybe Black Doctors (NY Times)
- How Racism Affects Your Health (The Walrus)
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1 Year + 46 Episodes later and we're still here! On this week's episode we celebrate making it 1 year in the podcast game and NOT getting cancelled!
We catch up with other about what's been going on in our lives, getting out of our introvert bubbles and break from the script by tackling some current events in black masculinity + mental health including:
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Kevin Durant's Injury
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Ava Duvernay's "When They See Us" mini series on the Central Park 5
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Kanye West talks about his mental health journey during new interview w/ David Letterman
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Black Boy Joy and Masculinity controversy on Twitter
We couldn't have made it this far without your support. We appreciate yall rocking with us for a year and hope to see you when we make it to year 2.
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Self Care is defined as "the powerful commitment to constantly choose activities and situations that make you feel healthy and good about yourself”. It's a very simple concept in theory, yet for some reason it's very difficult to put into practice for many of us.
Well for starters, let's take into account how much time we spend at work, time spent supporting family + friends, time wasted on social media, time committing to our side hustles, time trying to make relationships work, trying to get 2.5 meals in per day, the list goes on and on. And we haven't even started talking about how hard it is just surviving being a Black man every day. That's a full time job with no days off in itself.
With all that being said, self care is extremely important. It's not a luxury, it's a NECESSITY for our emotional, physical psychological, and spiritual health. It's also not something to feel selfish about.
So for the next hour, we break down what self care looks like for us and provide some easy ways to implement self care into our lives today.
It's no one's responsibility to heal you, except for you. So start with some self care today to make this life thing a little easier.
A list of resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- Self Care: A Help Guide by Harley Therapy
- You Feel Like Shit - An Interactive Self Care Guide
- All About Love by bell hooks
- The Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
- 31 Day Self Care Calendar by Bashea Williams
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Welcome to Part 2 of our Black Man's Guide for Mental Health series. Next up? Depression.
As Black Men, most of us have been taught by family, media, or peers that expressing our feelings is unacceptable. Unmanly. Weak. Even when we're at our lowest and know deep down we should talk to someone we still choose not to. According to research, 90% of Black Men with depression never seek treatment for their mental condition. That means that many of us exist in isolation and it's resulting in a slow, painful, and silent death for us and our brothers.
Even when Black Men decide to seek mental health treatment, professionals have a hard time diagnosing Black men as being depressed due to biases when it comes to how strong Black folks are, our perceived ability to tolerate more pain, and reported differences in how depression shows us in men of color vs white men.
So what can be done? Well on this week's episode, we bring back on our good friend Dr. Justin Hopkins to break down how we can combat the depression we may face in our lives.
Tune in next week for Part 3 of our Black Man's Guide for Mental Health series as we break down Self Care + Healing.
A list of resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic and Sexual Minority Boys and Men - American Psychological Association
- Black Men and Depression by John Head
- The Invisible 90%: Changing the Narrative on Black Men & Depression - The Black Doctor.Org
- 6 Signs of Depression in Black Men - Patrice Douglas
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Welcome to Part 1 of our Black Man's Guide for Mental Health series. First up? Anxiety.
As your hosts, you've heard us joke a lot about how we're both introverts and experience slight to moderate to sometimes extreme cases of social anxiety in various spaces of our lives. But along with social anxiety, what are some other types of anxiety? How does anxiety show up in our lives as Black men? Can anxiety ever go away?
Our guest Dwayne James aka Waynes_Ambition, a licensed Social Worker specializing in mental health joins us to today to answer a few of our questions.
We break down the clinical definition of anxiety as well as Dwayne's personal definition of anxiety and he offers several insightful strategies we can all implement today to improve our anxiety.
Tune in next week for Part 2 of our Black Man's Guide for Mental Health series as we tackle Depression.
A list of resources mentioned in this week's episode:
- Men Hide Their Anxiety Behind These Tell-Tale Behaviors (Vice)
- A look at how anxiety affects African-Americans (NBC News)
- The Link Between Experiences of Racism and Stress and Anxiety for Black Americans (Anxiety.org)
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Invisible work. Thankless jobs. When we talk about Emotional Labor these are some of the things we're talking about. If you've been following us on Instagram this week you've seen women say the following things regarding emotional labor:
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Emotional labor takes work. And emotional labor is not just for women to deal with
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Women are doing the extra work in your platonic/familiar relationships too.
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It's not our job to bear it for you. It's exhausting. We don't want to be your therapist.
Whew. Heavy right? Well it's important to understand how women and femmes have been feeling about emotional labor and why it's wrong for them to shoulder the burden of this.
So this week we discuss what emotional labor is, how it has showed up in our lives, but also give a few next steps as far as what we can do to close the emotional labor gap in our relationships.
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Brotherhood. Growing up Black. Growing up fast. Relationships. Trying to make it out alive. What do all of these things have in common? They're all significant themes present in both films in Part 2 of our Black Masculinity in Film series.
Boyz n the Hood (1991) & The Wood (1999). Two films both set in Southern California - South Central LA & Inglewood respectively. Both films being "coming of age" classics centered around 3 Black males attempting to mature from boys to men.
One film centering on the trauma and hardship of growing up black in the hood while the other film highlighting a trauma-less story shedding light on everyday life growing up Black and male.
What both films certainly accomplished was the ability to highlight various aspects of black masculinity and opening the door for the future of Black films to be made.
We'd also be remiss if we did not mention the tragic passing of Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton last week. At only 23 years of age, he directed his first film, Boyz n the Hood. A film touching on many themes that would still be relevant nearly 30 years later.
We thank John Singleton for his work beautifully telling the stories of Black people in film throughout his career and we wish his family and friends the healing they need during this time. RIP John Singleton.
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Malcolm X. Shaft. Two names. 1 real. 1 fictional character. But both extremely important in film and real life in terms of their impact on Black Masculinity.
Today we explore the 1971 blaxploitation classic Shaft starring Richard Roundtree, directed by Gordon Parks alongside Spike Lee's 1992 classic Malcolm X starring Denzel Washington.
Why these 2 films? Well there's more commonalities than you may think. Black men in leadership. Cool. Poor & Black and at times both having similar conceptions of what being a black man is supposed to be and look like in the face of whiteness.
Following the deaths of notable civil rights leaders in the 60s like Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Fred Hampton, in the 70s many black folks and specifically Black men wanted to see themselves as powerful and win by sticking it to "The Man" even if it was just on screen.
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Admit it. At some point whether it was 10 years ago or 10 days ago, you've experimented in some type of way with your hair. Growing up, YouTube videos and Instagram pages dedicated to Black haircare weren't the norm so experimenting with unhealthy hair products and practices were Black rites of passage.
And when it comes to Black men, as long as our shape up is tight, we're all good right? Naw. Growing up we put all types of wild shit in our hair from sporting waves, to our sister's Luster's pink lotion, to whatever jojoba oil and jamaican black castor oil our homegirl put us on to.
So what can be done? On this episode we hear from Jeremy's actual real life barber @GuidedHands as he schools us on the importance of knowing what kind of hair you have, finding the right products for the hair type, and what do with our hair as the temperature picks up.
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Left out. Forgotten. Not cared for. Do any of these resonate for you as a Black man? Sometimes as Black men we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. On average, our life expectancy is the lowest, our suicides rates are at an all-time high, mass incarceration and police brutality are everyday issues and many of us feel we don't have enough spaces to be vulnerable with our most pressing mental health issues. On top of that, we hear our sisters, as justified as it is at times, tell us "men are trash" and "niggas aint shit" on the daily. Truth be told, all of this is EXHAUSTING.
So what can be done?
On this episode we talk about feeling left out, not cared for, and forgotten, BUT we also talk about the fact that there are indeed plenty of people, resources, and spaces created by Black men and women who do care about Black men. Tune in now.
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What's the meaning of life? How do we find our purpose? What happens when we die? What does this all mean for Black men? We spend the next hour and change trying to figure out life in one episode. Spoiler alert: We end up not being able to figure everything out. We answer a few things, but we probably end up with more questions than answers.
As Black men we already feel like our time here is limited. I mean, shit at the time of this recording Nipsey Hussle was still with us. How do we make sense of today when tomorrow isn't promised? How do we find purpose for the rest of our lives and the future, but find time to enjoy the present?
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MINI EPISODE ALERT
Today we're hitting yall with a mini-episode that really serves as a preview for next week. This week on Let's Talk Bruh we're talking a little bit about the existential crises that we all have at certain point in our lives.
As your hosts, being in our late 20s, we're both at the place in our lives where we've seriously started to question and consider next steps when it comes to career, family, relationships, and kids.
What happens when you get to a place in your career and you start to question your purpose? What happens when you lose your confidence? What does all this mean for Black men in terms of our definition of masculinity?
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Hoteps, Noteps, Fauxteps, & The Ankh Right: Why Some Black men find liberation in these movements
It's 2019 and if you've been on the internet at all in the last few years you probably know how to identify what is commonly referred to as a modern day hotep.
Afrocentric. Pro Black. Anti LGBTQ. Anti Feminist. Fear of the destruction of the Black family. Fear of the Black masculinity being under attack.
But let's rewind and actually understand that the word "hotep" is a greeting and roughly translates to, "To be at peace or satisfaction." But at what point did the word hotep lose its original meaning and become appropriated to something more negative?
We talk briefly about the history of hotep, and really try to investigate why some Black men (& some women) find liberation in these modern day hotep movements. It's important to note that many of the modern day hotep talking points directly mirror language used by white supremacists and the alt-right.
We close the conversation by discussing what liberation looks like for us and interrogate our usage of the word hotep. Should we use fauxtep, notep, or anhk-right instead? Tune in to find out.
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Our personal hoop dreams for the NBA ended years ago, but as avid fans of the basketball, football, baseball and other sports we clearly had a vested interested in this week's episode.
When talking about masculinity in sports, like other areas of life, there is a certain type of acceptable masculinity. The fire, passion, competitive spirit and in some cases aggressiveness that sports fosters can help create a healthy masculinity, but what happens when that shit becomes toxic? And if we're being real, don't we all at times enjoy the toxic masculinity that comes out in sports? The shit-talking, the hard hits in football, the win at all costs mentality.
We also talk about the safe space of the locker room and how it can be a breeding ground for toxicity but also a safe space for freedom of expression. Like the the twerking video of NFL Player Bernard Pollard we posted this week.
Sports provides a healthy outlet for many of us as youth and for a very select few Black men an opportunity to change the course of their lives forever. But how much are we willing to sacrifice a healthy masculinity for the betterment of the game or a team?
For information on Black Men Heal and an opportunity for 8 free therapy sessions for Black Men visit their website here: Black Men Heal
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With the rise of social & political activism movements picking up steam on social media in the last 4-5 years, we've seen several topics usually relegated to academic circles enter mainstream conversations. Feminism being a major one.
Generally speaking, we believe this trend to be a positive one, however many times as men, we have failed to really grasp what Feminism is and specifically what Black Feminism really is.
It's important for us to have this conversation because there are a bunch of wild myths claiming feminism to be the destruction of the black family structure and that all Black feminists hate Black men.
So today we talk about feminism and because we don't want to mansplain this topic, we invite the homie Jasmine, a future PhD Student in Women's and Gender Studies on the show. She identifies as a Feminist and drops some gems for us and yall.
Black Feminism for some Black women often provides a framework for liberation which, newsflash, Black men can also learn from. So for our brothers out there, for the next hour and change, remove your biases and take a listen to this week's episode.
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This week on #LetsTalkBruh we break from our regularly scheduled format and discuss the panel we participated in last week entitled: Let's Hear it From the Boys: Black Masculinity in the Age of #MeToo.
We recap our thoughts on the panel and open up the conversation to those of y'all who couldn't make it. Obviously a conversation surrounding Black men and the role we play in the MeToo era deserves more than just a recap type of conversation, so definitely expect for us to cover this topic in more detail at some point this year.
In addition to the panel recap, before we close the episode we also give a brief Valentine's Day recap. Tune in now.
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When's the last time you embraced your boy for more than the usual dap + hug combination? We're talking a good, long lasting 5-10 second hug. It's probably been awhile, right?
Well if you're anything like us, we can certainly relate and for good reason. For most of us, we're usually taught that the two types of acceptable touch are reserved for the 2 F's: fucking or fighting. So anything longer than the usual dap+hug makes us extremely uncomfortable.
So that brings us to today's episode on Platonic Male Touch. Our guest Kent Johnson of the Ungentrified Podcast and Co-Founder of Black & Abroad brought the topic to us and he explains how his overseas travels started to change his perspective on platonic male touch. If our brothers in African can embrace it, why can't we?
We spend the next hour breaking down whether or not Platonic Male Touch is important for us. We also discuss the ways in which we are unlearning the homophobic remnants of our upbringing to embrace this type of touch as a way to spread love to our brothers.
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This week on Let's Talk Bruh we talk about the revolving door of fetishisation. Often times, if our masculinity revolves around sex, we unintentionally become complicit in our own fetishisation.
There is a history in this country going back to slavery of both white men and women using our bodies for labor, sex included. When we weren't in control of our bodies, we subsequently lost control of the portrayal of our bodies in media. Thus creating a particular narrative, stereotype, and racist sexual fantasy for both white men and women. This stereotype prioritizes a certain type of black men over others due to the amount of physical labor he can endure, inhumane sex drive, and above average dick size.
When we fast forward to the present day we still see this fetishisation play out in media and in real life. We talk about a few on screen examples of white women fetishing black men in both Insecure & He Got Game. We also talk about why this happens in real life and what we can do to be more aware of these scenarios in order to prevent them from happening.
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Back in August of last year we dropped an episode on male friendships. We covered how trash we can be as friends sometimes and even brought in research that suggests men struggle at maintaining fulfilling friendships. We also talked about what men can do to establish deeper connections with each other.
So today we revisit the subject but dive a bit deeper on the subject and cover not only male friendships, but the rise of Men's Groups popping up around the country. However when it comes to Men's Groups there's the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.
So we talk about Men's Groups today because believe in the importance of all male safe spaces. We also announce the launch of our own Men's Group on Facebook: Let's Talk Bruh Facebook Group
And sorry ladies, the Facebook Group will be an all male space. Many of us at times depend on women for our emotional outlets so we want to be better at creating spaces for us to heal with each other.
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Have you ever felt emasculated? In a relationship? At work? By just being a Black man in this country? Coming off of last week's new Gillette #TheBestMenCanBe ad, and the American Psychological Association's new guidelines for treating men and boys we discuss the response from large numbers of men who felt that these efforts are emasculating men and taking part in the constant effort to attack traditional masculinity.
We talk about why these efforts are NOT emasculating men and discuss through healthy visions of masculinity, emasculation does not exist. However we do acknowledge that for some men who may have not yet defined masculinity for themselves, emasculation does exist.
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We have a full slate of in-depth topics to hit yall with in 2019, but before we get too deep we had to catch up with a good ol venting session.
Why is that the holidays are so damn stressful? From panic attacks, to thug tears, to family relationships, the holidays bring on a lot. So we take some time this week to recap our holiday breaks this week.
We also pivot near the end of the episode and discuss our conundrum being the center of attention when folks ask about our podcast.
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By now, if you've been on social media at all over the past 5 days you've seen your TL discuss the new Lifetime documentary, "Surviving R. Kelly" produced by dream hampton.
Today we talk a bit about the documentary, our own experiences growing up in close proximity to R. Kelly, and a look at the impact of the documentary going forward.
We hope the impact of the documentary helps to bring justice to the survivors of R. Kelly and end the decades of sexual abuse and trauma they have endured.
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If you could describe your 2018 in one word, what would it be?
Growth? Transition? Trash? Well, hopefully not that last one.
Regardless of how you look at it, we've all made it to the end of the another year so there's gotta be at least ONE W in there we can all be proud about.
And speaking of 2018 W's we talked about our personal 2018 wins this year as well as the following:
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2018 Wins: What we're proud of
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2018 Losses: Areas of improvement
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What we've unlearned this year
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2018 Let's Talk Bruh recap and 2019 forecast
We gave a slight preview of what you can expect from Let's Talk Bruh in 2019, mentions of our favorite episodes, and a reflection of 2018 as a whole.
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We're back for round 2 and this time we brought the professionals with us.
This week we were joined by Tasnim Sulaiman from Black Men Heal. She's a therapist who comes across sex and sexuality related issues with her clients so we had the great opportunity to ask her all the questions that we couldn't get to the bottom of in last week's episode like:
- Can sex be considered successful without an orgasm?
- Who's really responsible for your orgasm?
- We also get to the bottom of PE because what does it really mean to finish "too early"?
Taz also talked about the importance of consent and added some clarity around the differences in sex drives between men and women.
Taz was joined by her Black Men Heal co-founder and fellow therapist Kevana Nixon who also hopped on the mic to drop some gems of her own.
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Yall thought we'd go all year and NOT have an episode about sex? As we wrap up 2018, we're hitting yall with a 2-part series on that 3 letter word that so many of us love.
From consent, to losing our virginity, to our current feelings about sex, we cover it from all angles in this episode. This episode was important because we wanted to not only break down sex & intimacy but also discuss those sometimes taboo subjects. C'mon fellas we've all been there. We know those 2 letters all too well. Shoutout to PE & ED for blocking our blessings. And what about sex toys for men? Because why should ladies get to have all the fun? We even discuss every straight man's favorite subject: The Orgasm Gap. If you're unfamiliar, do a quick google search. It's exactly what it sounds like.
This episode was a lot of fun and we hope that the listeners take away the importance of listening to your partner and exploring EVERY way to make each other feel good. Because as the studies show, we have a LONG way to go to close that gap.
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When talking about brotherhood, how often do we include gay brothers into that conversation? As a society we've made progress in terms of LGBTQ rights, but we certainly have a long way to go in order to be better brothers to gay men especially in our community. On today's episode we talk with The Great Jayden aka Jayden Hollywood about the relationship between gay and straight black men.
On Let's Talk Bruh we talk a lot about masculinity from a straight male perspective, but it's important to talk about the differences from our gay brothers as well. We bring back some concepts from our Black Male Privilege episode and even touch on what Black Male Privilege looks like from a gay black man's perspective.
There's no way we could cover it all in one episode, but without a doubt there's a ton we can learn from each other.
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MINI EPISODE ALERT
Here's something for your Thanksgiving Dinner conversations with grandma: The Kinsey Scale.
Now at this point, you may be wondering wtf the Kinsey Scale even is. So to briefly explain, in 1948 The Kinsey Scale determined that people typically did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories. Essentially suggesting that sexuality is fluid. The Kinsey Scale measures sexuality from 0-6.
For example: 0 being exclusively heterosexual, 3 being equally heterosexual and homosexual and 6 being exclusively homosexual.
With our sex episodes coming very soon, as straight black men, we wanted to challenge both ourselves (and yall), briefly tackle this topic and see where we fit according to the scale.
Is your sexuality fluid? The answer could be yes. Take a listen and find out. Then discuss with your family over dinner. If it goes south, just tell them to blame Let's Talk Bruh.
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According to the calendar, Cuffing Season is officially upon us. Dating, relationships, situationships, swiping left and right is in full swing so it was only right to break down our thoughts on relationships. We talk about love languages, how we want to be loved, and what's important for us in relationships. We talk about the dreaded "C" word and what compels us to commit to someone. By no means do we claim to be relationship experts, but with our experiences we offer some keys to happy relationships as well as getting pretty candid with areas we need to improve upon in our relationships. Relationships are hard work and we can't make any guarantees, but hopefully after listening you'll be better prepared for this year's Cuffing Season.
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We spend of a lot of time on Let's Talk Bruh talking through the ways that men are impacted by patriarchy. So we discuss vulnerability, Black male privilege, Black men's health and more as a way to combat those issues. But we haven’t as much as we should have talked about some of the ways that Women are impacted by patriarchy.
So in today’s episode you’ll hear us start that conversation and we couldn’t do it alone. We invited our friend Taylor to share some of her experiences to the mic, but don’t get it twisted. Taylor doesn’t speak for all women nor did we expect her to.
We couldn't cover everything in one episode so today's show is just the start of several episodes to come in breaking down ways women are impacted by patriarchy, what men should know about women's issues and feminism. Tune in!
We want to hear from you! Email us your questions and feedback at: letstalkbruh@gmail.com
This episode is the heart of this podcast. This episode is the reason we do Let’s Talk Bruh.
This episode wasn’t in our plans but perhaps the universe planned it for us.
A much needed conversation between 2 Black Men, 2 brothers and friends, ex roommates, trying to figure this shit out one podcast at a time. This conversation is the result of when things get swept under the rug for so long that eventually they become impossible to ignore. It’s a tough conversation for a number of reasons because: 1) When you feel disrespected, how do you still hold your friend accountable for their actions even as they're battling mental health issues? 2) How do you even explain your mental health to your friend? 3) And wtf happens to a podcast when all this is at play? In true #LetsTalkBruh fashion we talk through this on the mic invite y’all to our conversation.
When you see the word, "family" what comes to mind? Maybe it's mom, dad, sister, brother. Maybe it's summertime cookouts, holidays, and family traditions. For many of us, family is all we have. But how do you define family? Do you include chosen family like friends? We talk about it all in this episode and get some help from the good brother BeMo Brown. We also talk about what "Breaking the Cycle" looks like within in our families, family secrets, current frustrations with our families, and what legacy means. As much as we ALL love our families, everyone's family can be a bit "dysfunctional" at times. Can't live with em. Can't live without em.