Advertise on podcast: Parents & Professors Podcast

Nikole Hannah-Jones sent her daughter to a segregated, high-poverty Brooklyn school to live her values. A decade later, her daughter is the one asking why. The Triple Cs do not agree on the answer to Black parents’ school choice. A viral New York Times Magazine essay set Black parents' group chats on fire this month, "In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?" Dr. Marjorie is frustrated by what reads to her as a "me, me, me" approach to change. Dr. Michael says people are angry at the wrong target, and that the real problem is a system that treats "Black," "low income," and "low performing" as the same thing. From there the conversation moves through the forces behind school segregation in America, social reproduction theory, the myth of meritocracy, critical race theory, and New York City's admissions gauntlet, where Stuyvesant High School made offers to just three Black students out of 777 this year. Along the way: Colin Kaepernick's scoreboard argument, Dolly Parton's imagination library, and whether a teenager has the right to ask her parents why they chose a worse school. Dr. Marjorie's answer: absolutely. Inside the Episode: The Essay Everyone's Talking About. Hannah-Jones and her husband deliberately enrolled their daughter in an under-resourced, segregated Brooklyn school. A decade later her daughter wants to know why her parents had the money for one of the city's best schools and chose not to use it. Two Readings of the Same Choice. Dr. Marjorie reads the essay through the history of integration and civil rights era children sent into hostile schools as barrier breakers. Dr. Michael reads it as a lie affluent parents tell themselves: that money, time, and social capital can protect one child and lift a whole school at the same time. Black Is Not a Synonym for Low Performing. Dr. Marjorie wishes the essay had separated "Black," "low income," and "low performing," because the real drivers are disinvestment, novice teachers, and businesses leaving the neighborhood. The Faustian Bargain. Both Hannah-Jones and her husband benefited from schools outside their own communities growing up, yet believed tutoring could close the gap for their daughter. Dr. Michael names the deal Black parents face once they "make it": stay in the community, or become the exception. Three Out of 777. Dr. Marjorie walks through the NYC school admissions maze, which starts at pre-k and runs through tests, interviews, and essays for middle and high school. Stuyvesant's offers to Black students hit a new low this year. Content Note: Frequent strong language, including the N-word used in conversation and racial slurs voiced while mocking opponents of admissions reform, plus references to lynching, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and systemic racism. Follow Us on Instagram Parents and Professors Podcast: /parentsandprofessorspod Dr. Michael Steven Williams: /drmikewill Dr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: /drminimarj Links and Resources Nikole Hannah-Jones, "In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?" NYT Magazine, Sep 20, 2026 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.html  Nikole Hannah-Jones, "Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City," New York Times Magazine, 2016: nytimes.com  Chalkbeat on the SHST and Stuyvesant High School admissions numbers: chalkbeat.org  Social reproduction theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_reproduction   Critical race theory and Derrick Bell's argument on the permanence of racism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theory  Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: imaginationlibrary.com  #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #NikoleHannahJones #SchoolChoice #BlackParenting #EducationEquity #Stuyvesant #ParentingPodcast2026

An AI researcher at Anthropic resigned this month and told the internet that the people building this technology believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade. The industry keeps building anyway. In Episode 86, Dr. Michael Steven Williams and Dr. Marjorie Dorimé Williams take on three questions: what it means when the people building AI are the ones sounding the alarm, what is really being sold to our kids and schools under AI in the classroom, and what trade-offs got us here. They are honest that they use AI tools themselves, including to produce this show, while arguing that current practice is far from responsible. They move from a whistleblower's warning to the classroom, covering who actually pays the cost of AI, why regulators in New York City and Los Angeles just hit pause on it in schools, and the older habits, like SparkNotes and Columbia House, that explain why we keep taking the convenience even when we know the catch. If you are a parent thinking about parenting and technology, an educator figuring out AI policy at school, or someone who uses these tools and still feels uneasy about what AI is doing to how we think, this episode is for you. Inside the Episode: The Resignation Heard Around the Internet. Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic and posted a thread saying the people building AI believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade. AI as a Sorting Machine. AI benefits people who already have education, infrastructure, and money, while the costs, like the data centers going up in Missouri, land somewhere else. "My drinking water is not going to be compromised by the data center that gets put in your neighborhood." The AI Snuck Out the Window. The Hugging Face incident, in which AI models under testing took unsanctioned real-world actions, becomes "the AI is a rebellious teenager." It's Dangerous, So Let's Give It to the Kids. Dr. Marjorie names her strong misgivings about pumping schools full of AI and ed tech, and points out that the tech elite keep screens away from their own kids while other children's classrooms fill up with them. The Greatest Harm: Forgetting How to Think. "People are failing to learn how to think." The hosts explain why outsourcing to chatbots undermines deep thought, and defend teaching as a trained profession under attack. NYC and LA Hit Pause. The hosts cheer New York City's and Los Angeles's moves to restrict student AI use and screen-time in younger grades. Their argument: ethical and moral education should come before use, so students have enough foundation to know when the tool is wrong. Your Brain on ChatGPT. The MIT Media Lab study, on what researchers are calling cognitive debt, gets a callback to the old "this is your brain on drugs" ads, and the hosts note that even people who want to opt out of AI cannot really do it anymore. Content Note: Strong language throughout, including racial slurs used in conversation; brief references to suicide, child predation on gaming platforms, the Epstein files, and war in Gaza. Follow Us on InstagramParents and Professors Podcast: /parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: /drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: /drminimarj Links and Resources Fortune: Anthropic researcher resigns, warning AI companies are "gambling with our lives": fortune.com  NYC Mayor's Office: Generative AI moratorium announcement: nyc.gov  Education Week: LAUSD adopts moratorium on student AI use: edweek.org  MIT Media Lab: "Your Brain on ChatGPT" (Kosmyna et al., 2025): arxiv.org  Ai2's Asta research tool: allenai.org  #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #AIinSchools #AISafety #ArtificialIntelligence #EdTech #AIWhistleblower #ParentingPodcast2026

9 degrees & no steady income. Black women in the economy, the no-eye-contact doctor, & why sponsorship beats mentorship. This week, Dr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams and Dr. Michael Steven Williams spend the full hour centering Black women. A thread went viral this month: a group of Black women, nine degrees between them, and not a single steady paycheck. The replies split down the middle. Half said discrimination. Half said they chose the wrong majors. The Triple C's decided that was reason enough to spend a full hour on it. They do not resolve it neatly. Inside the Episode: Nine Degrees, No Paycheck. A viral thread and a split comment section: discrimination or "you chose wrong." Marjorie and Michael use it to open a wider conversation about credentials that were supposed to be protection and weren't. "This is a great time for us to center Black women." The Doctor Who Wouldn't Look Up. Months of hip and leg pain. An appointment that took longer to check in than to sit through. No eye contact, no exam, no X-ray, just "maybe next time." Then the harder question from Michael. Why didn't you say anything? "Why didn't I speak up? Because normally, I am someone who speaks up." First Fired, Hardest Rehired. Disproportionate federal layoffs, the rhetoric of merit, and Michael Sandel's hubris-and-humiliation problem: the more you have, the more you believe you earned it, and the more everyone else believes they earned not having it. "Black people are the crash test dummies for the American experiment." Mentorship Isn't Sponsorship. The distinction that reframes the whole back half: mentorship advises privately, sponsorship advocates publicly, and Black women get far more of the first. Marjorie names who actually sponsored her, and the two red flags she checks before taking any job. "That's not putting a check in my pocket." "Black people are the crash test dummies for the American experiment.""Why didn't I speak up? Because normally, I am someone who speaks up.""Mentorship advises privately, and sponsorship advocates publicly.""If I see D9 on your resume, I'm gonna stand on the table for you.""You just need people who want to see you win." PnP is a co-parenting podcast and Black parenting podcast, sharing real co parenting tips, honest talk on co parenting after divorce, and a co-parenting vlog feel, even on episodes like this one. Content Note: Discussion of medical dismissal, chronic pain, racial & gender discrimination, the recent death of Professor Jason Arday, hate groups, political violence, and strong language. Follow Us on InstagramParents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: / drminimarj Links & ResourcesPregnant While Black: https://www.moniquerainford.com/booksBarriers, Not Bootstraps — Institute for Women's Policy Researchhttps://iwpr.org/articles/barriers-not-bootstraps-job-prospects-are-uneven-for-young-black-women/Economic Policy Institutehttps://www.epi.org/blog/black-women-suffered-large-employment-losses-in-2025-particularly-among-college-graduates-and-public-sector-workers/Fortunehttps://fortune.com/2026/07/14/black-female-unemployment-rate-falls-participation-rate/Harvard Business Review — Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Womenhttps://hbr.org/2010/09/why-men-still-get-more-promotions-than-womenTressie McMillan Cottom: http://tressiemc.com Support Resources988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call/text 988https://988lifeline.orgTherapy for Black Girls: https://therapyforblackgirls.com #BlackWomenInTheWorkplace #MentorshipVsSponsorship #BlackWomenInTheEconomy #OverMentoredUnderSponsored #BlackWomenAtWork #CareerSponsorship #BlackWomenInAcademia #CareerAdviceForWomen #ParentsAndProfessorsPodcast

Tuskegee dress code. Black back-to-school spending. Respectability politics. Two PhD professors finally weigh in — and they don't agree. A new poll found Black parents expect to spend $447 per child on clothes and shoes this back-to-school season — nearly double what white parents spend. Dr. Marjorie opens with a simple question: what's happening there? This is the annual back-to-school episode. The Triple Cs trace that number to its roots: the church suit there was always money for, the first-day fit picked out weeks in advance, the impeccably dressed Black revolutionaries, and the argument that what looks like Black consumerism is partly an overcorrection for generations of not being allowed to own anything. Then they take on the Tuskegee University dress code controversy. Marjorie read all three policies front to back and supports all three. Michael doesn't oppose standards but won't back a policy with that much room for interpretation. "What is this policy solving, and who are you performing for?" They don't resolve it. That's the episode. Inside the Episode: The $447 Question. Black parents spending double on back-to-school clothes isn't vanity — it's the church suit, the Easter suit, the first-day fit. "There was always money to get me a suit for church. Always money for first day of school clothes." Respectability Politics, Properly Defined. Marjorie credits Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham for first articulating it: the idea that marginalized groups are told better treatment requires looking and presenting better. Michael extends it past clothes — to whether you get to feel your emotions, express displeasure, or talk back to police. "We are not protected by assimilation. Even in the best tailored suit, I'm still Black." The Tuskegee Dress Code: What It Actually Says. Marjorie read it — all of it, not the 120-character version. "People read 120 characters and think that's the whole thing." She supports the dress code, attendance policy, and cell phone policy. Michael asks the harder question: who does enforcement with that much interpretive latitude actually protect? HBCUs Are Being Forced to Re-Parent Kids. The recognition that closes the argument — and the closest thing to common ground. "I want you to behave well, but I want you to get there in the right ways." Quotes: "Black parents are expected to spend almost $447 per child just on clothes and shoes. It's double what white parents spend.""We are not protected by assimilation. Even if I'm in the best tailored suit, I'm still Black.""People read 120 characters and think that's the whole thing.""What is this policy solving, and who are you performing for?""What matters is helping to prepare them to be young adults in the world that they occupy today."Content Note: Strong language throughout. Discusses respectability politics, anti-Black racism, hair discrimination, and federal policy affecting Black enrollment. Chapters:01:00 Where the $447 Comes From08:16 When Parents Say No to Overspending11:16 Why Kids Don't Care About the First-Day Fit Anymore12:19 The Revolutionaries Were Fly18:18 Back to School Spending and Class Divide20:13 How COVID Changed Professional Dress Standards30:14 Respectability Politics, Properly Defined31:52 Even in a Suit, I Am Still Black36:50 HBCU Dress Code and Socialization39:16 What the Tuskegee Policy Actually Says41:00 What Does "Professional" Even Mean?45:33 CROWN Act and Hair Discrimination47:24 Attendance and Cell Phone Policy: The Part Nobody Covered48:48 You Cannot Set Rules Without Support52:08 The Church Suit and Black Family Values59:03 What If This Exact Policy Were at a PWI?1:02:08 HBCUs Are Being Forced to Re-Parent Kids1:03:42 Preparing Young Adults for the World They Occupy #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #TuskegeeUniversity #TuskegeeDressCode #RespectabilityPolitics #BackToSchool2026 #BlackParenting #CROWNAct #ParentingPodcast2026

Co-Parenting After Divorce: What Type Are You? 9 Years In and We Still Can't Agree | Episode 83 Co-parenting after divorce. Nine years. Two households. Two kids almost in college: one remarriage, one new baby, one long-distance relationship, a business, and a podcast. And one question they still cannot answer: are they perfect pals or cooperative colleagues? In Episode 83, Dr. Marjorie and Michael pull back the curtain on a conversation that is happening right now. Not a resolved lesson. A live negotiation recorded in real time. The spine is Constance Ahrons' five post-divorce co-parenting relationship types — perfect pals, cooperative colleagues, angry associates, fiery foes, and dissolved duos. Michael says he has been building toward perfect pals the whole time. Marjorie says somewhere between perfect pals and cooperative colleagues is fine. That gap explains almost every friction point they have had. They get into co-parenting communication, invisible sacrifice, boundary ambiguity, and the part nobody talks about: what happens to the friendship when the co-parenting changes? Nobody wins this one. They agree to come back to it. Part one of two. Content Note: Strong language throughout—candid discussion of divorce, financial strain, and resentment. Inside the Episode: The Five Co-Parenting Relationship Types. Perfect pals, cooperative colleagues, angry associates, fiery foes, dissolved duos. Two professors turn Constance Ahrons' framework into a grading rubric — and immediately disagree about which one they are. Is Friendship a Prerequisite for Good Co-Parenting? If they were not friends, could they still co-parent well? Michael says yes, but the choices would be completely different. The question that opens everything up. Co-Parenting Communication or a Task List? What it feels like when every message from your co-parent is an order. "I don't want the only engagement to be you sending me orders to do something." The most vulnerable stretch of the episode. Silent Sacrifice and Co-Parenting Resentment. The most consequential admission in the episode. A lack of communication and silent sacrifice were consistent issues in the divorce. "That's just a recipe for resentment, and it's a recipe for bad behavior." Boundary Ambiguity After Divorce. Pauline Boss' concept finally gives a name to a relationship that is friendly, professional, and parental all at once. Nobody is sure who is in what role. Friends or Co-Parents or Both? Michael does not do business with people he does not consider friends. Marjorie's counter: you can have an excellent co-parenting relationship without being friends, and that is an A-plus for those people. The Most Important Thing Is to Not Quit. The through-line back to the beginning. The same decision not to quit on the kids applies to this conversation. A follow-up episode is coming. "Every time you think you have a system that works, you gotta revisit it." "Good relationships are maintained on purpose."  "I don't want the sacrifices to be invisible and I don't want them to add up to something that leads to resentment." "Don't tell yourself not to communicate with me because that's not what I'm asking for." "Nine years in and we clearly have not solved this Rubik's cube." "And recognition that there's no such thing as solving it." Follow Us on Instagram Parents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill Dr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: / drminimarj #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #CoParentingAfterDivorce #CoParentingCommunication #CoParentingResentment #TypesOfCoParenting #SilentSacrifice#CoParentingRelationship #BlackParenting #ParentingAfterDivorce #ParentingPodcast2026

Black child safety. Black children in white spaces. Raising Black kids in America in 2026. This is the conversation the Nolan Wells case forced every Black parent to have. Dr. Marjorie and Michael are not speculating about the case. They are having the conversation underneath it. You did everything right. The degrees. The job. The house in the good school district. And then you look up at the open house & your kid is the only one. This episode is about the choices Black families make about where to live, who their kids get to be around, and who carries the worry that comes with it.The hosts honestly disagree about whether it is more dangerous to be a Black child in 2026 than it was in the 90s. They do not resolve it. That is the point. Kimberly Seals Allers' model: after having the talk, she called the friend's mother. Named her fears. Said what she would need to know before saying yes. Allyship as a phone call, not a caption. The friends are not the risk. The spaces are. The worry is shareable. Inside the Episode:The Myth of Meritocracy. Do everything right and the reward is often being the only one. "It was the American dream and right now it's feeling more like a nightmare. So I want a refund."The Nolan Wells Conversation. Not the case. The conversation it forced. "Me rising through the ranks according to the rules of a racist society is me still putting my offspring at risk."Black Child White Spaces. One child's friend group is "the UN of people." The other is white, white, white, white. "When we go to soccer tournaments, I don't have to look hard for my child."Is It More Dangerous Now? "Black children walk down the street in broad daylight and because they're Black, they're attacked. It is escalating." Michael: "It's always been open season." They do not agree.I Was Nolan Wells. "I was the Black kid going on the road trip with the white family to the Poconos. I still have scars on my knees to this day."An Invitation to Care. Kimberly Seals Allers called the friend's mother after the talk. "I didn't even know you could do that." The family friend's reply: "Bet, we got you."I Don't Have to Worry Alone. Marjorie remembers her son near age two, around when Trayvon Martin was killed. "I don't have to worry alone. It will be a shared concern.""You do everything right & you're still the only one.""The problem is not them. It's the people they're going to encounter.""I was Nolan Wells. I was the Black kid on the road trip with the white family.""The thing I liked most was that it was an invitation to care." "I don't have to worry alone."Follow Us on InstagramPnP Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: / drminimarj#ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #BlackChildSafety #RaisingBlackKids #BlackChildWhiteSpaces #NolanWells #BlackParenting #RacialSocialization #BlackChildrenInAmerica #CoParenting #ParentingPodcast2026

What starts as parenting advice becomes a much bigger conversation about race, education, self worth, and the pressure parents carry. In Episode 80, Dr. Marjorie and Michael react to Julie Lythcott-Haims' viral TED Talk on overparenting. They agree with its core message: let kids build independence through real responsibility, stop measuring love by achievement, and stop turning childhood into a checklist. But they also ask the question the TED Talk never does: Whose kids actually get to be free wildflowers? For Black families, unconditional love also means preparing children for a world that often expects them to fail. Academic success is not a guarantee of safety, but it can be a buffer. The conversation explores why universal parenting advice often overlooks very different realities. The discussion then turns to college admissions, anti-DEI rhetoric, and the growing message that "college is not for everybody." The hosts examine who is giving that advice and whether they follow it themselves. Michael also argues that today's grade portals have become social media for parenting anxiety. Every notification becomes another reminder that a child's performance is being used as a measure of their parents' success. Marjorie pushes back, defending formative assessment, leading to one of the episode's most thoughtful disagreements. The conversation ends with practical parenting advice about boredom, chores, independence, and building genuine self efficacy instead of creating a checklist childhood. • Whose Kids Get to Be Free Wildflowers?• Helicopter Parenting vs Free Range Parenting• Why Unconditional Love Looks Different for Black Families• The Truth About College Is Not for Everybody• The Grade App Is Your Instagram• Formative Assessment vs Surveillance• Why Chores, Boredom, and Independence Matter• Building Self Efficacy Instead of Parenting Anxiety "Whose kids get to be free wildflowers?" "Make your kids do chores and love them unconditionally." "To unconditionally love my kids is also to prepare them for a society that expects them to fail." "The product is not the kid. The product is the parent." "It is social media for your parenting." "It is a standard I do not want to hold myself to, and so to hold my children to it is ridiculous." Instagram: @parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: @drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: @drminimarj Julie Lythcott-Haims TED Talk: https://ted.comEducation Pays Report: https://research.collegeboard.orgHow to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims: https://julielythcotthaims.com 00:01 Whose Kids Get to Be Free Wildflowers?07:06 Helicopter Parenting and Self Worth09:47 What Free Range Parenting Really Means12:19 Brand Name Schools and Checklist Childhood14:39 Save the Elite Name for Graduate School18:51 Measuring Your Worth21:14 The Racial Stakes of Academic Pressure23:23 Unconditional Love Looks Different24:37 Who Is Selling College Is Not for Everybody?34:53 Growing Up Without the Checklist42:02 The Grade App Is Your Instagram46:41 Formative Assessment or Surveillance?51:48 Let Them Be Bored53:24 Final Takeaways #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #OverParenting #HelicopterParenting #FreeRangeParenting #JulieLythcottHaims #BlackParenting #Parenting #Education #SelfEfficacy #CollegeAdmissions #DEI #RaisingKids #ParentingPodcast #ChildDevelopment Inside this episode:Memorable QuotesFollow UsResourcesChapters

What starts as a simple question—is parenting an identity, a responsibility, or both?—turns into one of the most honest conversations we've ever had. Dr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams shares how divorce reshaped her fear of being seen as "a stereotypical single Black mom." Dr. Michael Steven Williams unpacks stereotype threat for Black fathers and explains why he would never take a six-week break from parenting his children. And our first-ever guest, Dr. Gina Ann Garcia, opens up about raising two Black sons as a Latina mother and the intentional work of building a racial identity she cannot fully model herself. If you're parenting across racial, cultural, or family lines—or you've ever wondered whether admitting parenting is hard somehow makes you a bad parent—this episode is for you. Inside this episode:• Every Parent Needs a Six-Week Break? Gina says yes. Michael immediately disagrees.• Is parenting an identity, a responsibility, or both?• Scholar Mom identity and parenting with purpose.• Healthy respect vs. fear-based parenting.• Divorce and the "single Black mom" stereotype.• Stereotype threat and the absent Black father myth.• Raising Black boys as a Latina mom.• Why Gina and Michael say, "We have Black boys."• Raising racially aware children through intentional parenting.• The parenting failure myth.• Honest conversations about parenting guilt.• Why kids benefit from seeing healthy disagreement between parents.• What parents choose to shield their children from. Memorable Quotes"Every parent needs a six-week break. I'm putting it on record." — Dr. Gina Ann Garcia "I'm not a Black man. That's really, really hard, and a lot of pressure." — Dr. Gina Ann Garcia "I say I have Black boys, because that in America means something." — Dr. Gina Ann Garcia "It's okay for you to hear how we agree, disagree, navigate, and evolve." — Dr. Michael Steven Williams "Sometimes I don't have it, and I think you're not kind of allowed to say that." — Dr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams Chapters00:04 Every Parent Needs a Six-Week Break01:24 Introducing Dr. Gina Ann Garcia05:00 Parenting: Identity or Responsibility?06:24 Scholar Mom Identity08:52 Healthy Respect vs. Fear-Based Parenting10:04 Rethinking Fatherhood & Co-Parenting11:03 Divorce and the Single Black Mom Stereotype13:19 Stereotype Threat for Black Fathers17:58 Raising Black Boys as a Latina Mom20:01 Raising Racially Aware Kids21:58 Modelling Racial Identity24:46 Haitian & Black American Identity28:15 The Parenting Failure Narrative36:01 Gina's Parenting Confession39:14 Culture, Language & Family47:54 What We Shield Our Kids From52:00 Breaking Generational Silence53:50 Healthy Conflict in Co-Parenting59:21 The Honesty Round1:01:32 I Wish I Had More Kids1:03:01 What We'd Do Differently Follow us on InstagramParents & Professors Podcast: @parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: @drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams: @drminimarj GuestDr. Gina Ann Garciaginaanngarcia.comUC Berkeley Faculty: bse.berkeley.edu/gina-garcia #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #DrGinaGarcia #RaisingBlackBoys #LatinaMom #ScholarMom #BlackFatherhood #InterracialParenting #ParentingGuilt #CoParenting #BlackParenting

A British CEO worth a reported nine figures told the Wall Street Journal she's a "max three-hour mom" on weekends. A "high-impact, core memory" parent who opts out of what she calls over-parenting. Black women online had thoughts. So do we.This is not about mom guilt or work-life balance. It is about class privilege and who actually has the resources to opt out without consequence.In Part 1 of our new series on parenting, perception, and privilege, Dr. Marjorie & Dr. Michael Steven Williams dig into Emma Grede's three-hour mom conversation. And the part that keeps getting left out. The nannies. The chef. The cleaners. The chief of staff. Marjorie names her own bias up front, gets honest about being "the broke sibling" raising kids without that kind of help, and asks what it really means for a working mom to advise other women to opt out when you have an entire team holding everything down.Along the way, they get into why "over-parenting" might be the wrong frame, the everyday small moments that actually become core memories, handmade Father's Day notebooks included, the stubborn gender gap in housework and caregiving, the absence of fatherhood from the whole conversation, the birthday party arms race, and a closing gut check.If you have ever felt judged as a single mom or a working parent for what you cannot provide, or side-eyed advice from someone with a very different bank account, this one is for you. New series. Same Triple Cs.Inside the Episode:You Have an Entire Army Helping You. Marjorie concedes the principle, then names what every headline left out about class privilege and parenting.Naming My Bias Before I Judge. Marjorie models intellectual honesty, admitting her own bias out loud before critiquing Grede's comments. A rare, good-faith way to disagree.Rich People Resources to Do Rich People Things. The core critique in one beat. The nannies, the chef, and the chief of staff behind the ability to "opt out."I'm the Broke Sibling. Marjorie gets personal about being the single mom watching her siblings with full households of help, and what that gap in resources actually feels like day to day.The Father's Day Notebook. Michael chokes up over a handmade notebook of everyday memories. The emotional heart of the argument that it really is the little things, not mom guilt over missing the big ones.Where's the Dad in This Conversation? The fatherhood blind spot. If a man said he spent three hours with his kids on the weekend, nobody would say a word. A real look at the double standard in working parent culture.If I Were Rich, I'd Parent More. Michael's honest reversal. He would buy his way into more time with his kids, not less.Women Do Twice the Housework, and Get Socialized Into It. The toy kitchen. The toy vacuum. The second shift. Where the gap in domestic labor actually starts.Don't Be Poor, Plus the Marjorie Freedom Fund. The lesson America keeps teaching parents, said out loud.What Privilege Would You Lose Tomorrow? The episode's closing question. Jack and Jill, showing up at school, a driver for the kids. Drop your answer below."You have an entire army helping you raise these kids." "Rich people resources to do rich people things, like opt out of parenting.""None of that is big things. It's all little, everyday." "If I were rich, I would spend way more time with my kids.""The lesson in America is don't be poor.""Parenting is work.""You can't put a clock on parenting.""Which parenting choice in your life is actually a privilege you'd lose if your resources changed tomorrow?"Follow Us on InstagramParents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspodDr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewillDr. Marjorie Dorime Williams: / drminimarj

Dating After Divorce: What I Actually Want in a Partner Two Years Later | Episode 77 Dating after divorce in your 30s or 40s? Two years ago, Marjorie made a list of everything she wanted in a partner. Now she and Michael audit it, and what changed might surprise you.  The list included respect, chemistry, culture, a passport, and even traditional masculine representation. In this retrospective, she and Michael pull that list back out and ask a bigger question: what actually matters, and who have we become since? What starts as a laugh at a younger self turns into one of the most honest conversations on the pod. This is a relationship audit after divorce, not just what changed on the list, but what changed in them. If you are dating after divorce in your 30s or 40s, trying to figure out what you are actually looking for in a relationship now, or wondering how to date after divorce without repeating the same patterns, this one is for you. Bring your own list. You might cross a few things off. Content Note: Strong language throughout and frank adult discussion of dating, marriage, divorce, and non-traditional relationships.  Inside the Episode: The Dating List, Two Years Later. Marjorie reads her old dating standards after divorce out loud and laughs at her past self. A relatable, vulnerable hook about how our relationship checklist evolves — from surface traits to character, trust, and being truly understood. Trust Cannot Be Microwaved. "You cannot build trust without time; you cannot repair problems without time." The most important thing nobody tells you about building trust after divorce. Time is the non-negotiable ingredient. Dating mindset shift: stop rushing what can only be built slowly. Carol Dweck Enters the Chat. Growth mindset in relationships, applied to dating, not classrooms. How to apply a growth mindset to dating patterns and why people claim growth in one area while staying completely fixed in another. The trap that keeps people repeating the same relationship mistakes after divorce. Fixed Mindset Dating Patterns. "We are taught by broader society to exit as soon as things are not perfect." Fixed mindset dating patterns that keep people stuck — and what it looks like to actually evolve instead of exit. Starter Marriage. "Everybody should have a starter marriage, like a starter home." Michael makes the case. Marjorie reframes divorce as something that can end well without being a failure. Starter marriage vs first marriage — and why "it was awesome until it ended" is not a failure; it is a fact. The Accountability Red Flag. How to read someone fast by listening to how they talk about their exes. The fastest and most reliable read on character in dating after divorce.  Managing the Good Times. The relationship skill nobody talks about — not how to survive the hard times, but how to manage the good ones. Contentment as a choice. The "never satisfied" person always chasing the next thing versus choosing to say "this is enough." What We Tell Our Teenagers About Love. Communication, trust, patience, self-respect, and "you need a broader village." What healthy healing after divorce actually models for the next generation. Dating advice for teenagers, lived, not lectured. 📱 Follow Us on Instagram Parents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill Dr. Marjorie Dorime-Williams: / drminimarj #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #DatingAfterDivorce #GrowthMindsetRelationships #StarterMarriage #HealingAfterDivorce #RelationshipAdvice #WhatIWantInAPartner #CarolDweck #ReframingDivorce #DatingAfterDivorceIn40s #RelationshipPodcast2026

On May 28, 2023, 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack Belton walked into a store in Columbia, South Carolina. Minutes later, he was running for his life down the street. Two grown men chased him. One shot him in the back. The sheriff confirmed he stole nothing. The coroner confirmed the fatal wound was to his lower back — consistent with someone running away. On June 1, 2026, a jury found the man who killed him not guilty of murder. Content Note: This episode discusses the murder of a child, systemic racism, anti-Black violence, and contains strong language and emotional content. This conversation is appropriate for mature audiences ready to engage with issues of racial injustice in America. In this heavy, emotional episode recorded just days after the verdict, Dr. Marjorie and Michael don't just discuss the case of Cyrus Carmack Belton. They grapple with what it means to live and raise Black children in America. They compare it to Trayvon Martin. They discuss anti-Black racism not just from white people but from other communities. They break down the normalization of anti-Black violence, the political failures of leadership on both sides, the comforts of privilege that inoculate people from action, and the necessity of economic disruption for real change. The conversation is about social cohesion and accountability. About how injustice after injustice piles up until we stop asking "can this happen in America?" because we know the answer is yes — it already has, for 250 years. There is also a powerful moment where Dr. Michael rejects language that diminishes Black humanity, refusing to accept the phrase "the least of us" and insisting on full humanity and equal dignity. This episode calls for more than conversation. It demands action. Economic disruption. Political accountability. Refusal to accept the normalization of anti-Black violence. Released just before Juneteenth 2026 — a reminder that 250 years later, Black Americans are still fighting to be seen and treated as human. Inside the Episode: A 14-Year-Old Boy and a Bottle of Water. The facts of the Cyrus Carmack Belton case. "A bottle of water is worth chasing somebody down and shooting them in the back? That can't be anything but anti-Black racism." He Looks Like Trayvon. Ten years later, another Black child killed, another not guilty verdict. Pattern recognition across time. The case that reignited the national conversation about systemic racism and racial justice in America. Anti-Black Racism Is Not Just From White People. A complicated, necessary conversation about anti-Black racism from multiple communities — and what that means for Black children navigating the world. What We Tell Our Black Children. The talk every Black parent dreads. "Buckle up, because the world is still not one where it feels safe for you to be Black." What Black youth protection actually looks like in 2026. Economic Impact Is the Only Language in Common. "There has to be an economic impact, because that is the only language that people have in common. Anytime anything has worked, it's because it was an economic impact." Showing up to protest is not enough. 250 Years Later. Juneteenth is June 19. From emancipation to the Cyrus Carmack Belton verdict — one unbroken line. This is essential listening before Juneteenth 2026. "250 years later, we are still fighting to be seen and treated as human."  "He didn't steal anything. The sheriff said so himself."  "Buckle up, because the world is still not one where it feels safe for you to be Black."  "A bottle of water is worth chasing somebody down and shooting them in the back?"  "We are not the least of any f***ing thing."  "Comfort is a diffusion, not a protection." "There has to be an economic impact, because that is the only language that people have in common." 📱 Follow Us on Instagram  Parents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod  Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill  Dr. Marjorie Dorime-Williams: / drminimarj

It is about what happens after the divorce papers are signed, when you are trying to build something new, when you are afraid to be vulnerable again, when you have been hurt, and you are wondering if you can trust someone with your whole heart. This is Part 3. In Episode 73, they covered institutional trust. In Episode 74, the parent-child relationship. Now they go to the most intimate place of all. In this raw, honest conversation, Dr. Marjorie & Dr. Michael tackle trust in intimate relationships, the kind that matter most and hurt the hardest. From the revelation that not meeting your partner's love language is a form of infidelity, to the impact of divorce on how we show up in future relationships, to the defense mechanisms we develop when trust has been shattered — this conversation covers the ground that matters. For anyone who has been hurt in love, who is scared to try again, who is wondering how to rebuild trust in a relationship after betrayal or divorce, this episode is for you. Because vulnerability in relationships is not a weakness. It is the only way through. Inside the Episode: Holes in the Boat. A hundred small violations of trust — the dishes, the chores, the unmet requests — will sink the ship just as surely as one cannonball. Micro-moments destroy trust more completely than any single dramatic betrayal. This is the framework that reframes everything about rebuilding relationships. Not Meeting Your Partner's Love Language Is Betrayal. "I have told you what my love language is. You continue not to honor it. And it is exhausting me." Infidelity does not always look like an affair. There are many ways to be disloyal. How to Rebuild Trust in a Relationship. Rebuilding trust after betrayal is brick by brick, through small, consistent actions that restore safety over time. Trust that has been tested and rebuilt through co-parenting after divorce is more durable than trust that has never been challenged. Who You Become When Trust Is Shattered. The defense mechanisms. The punishing behavior. The identity shift. This is the conversation about rebuilding trust after divorce and breakup that nobody wants to have, but everybody needs. Vulnerability in Relationships. You cannot microwave vulnerability. "I am more afraid of being somewhere I cannot trust than I am of being hurt." The case for staying open — and why the risk is worth it. Key Themes: • Micro-moments destroy trust more than major betrayals • Holes in the boat metaphor - small leaks accumulate • Love languages and not honoring partner's needs as infidelity • Foundation of marriage: friendship vs. romance • Can't prove counterfactuals - what-if scenarios are unknowable • Defense mechanisms in relationships after trauma • The BRAVING framework for building intimate trust • Vulnerability and the courage to be truly seen • Physical presence and being present (not on phone) 📱 Follow Us on Instagram  Parents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod  Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill  Dr. Marjorie Dorime-Williams: / drminimarj Missed the first two parts?  Episode 73 — Trust, Government, and the Cost of American Apathy Episode 74 — Do My Kids Trust Me? What It Takes to Be the Person They Come to in Crisis #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #RebuildingTrust #TrustInRelationships #LoveLanguages #RebuildingRelationships #TrustAfterDivorce #RebuildingTrustAfterBetrayal #EmotionalIntimacy #DatingAfterDivorce #RelationshipAdvice #CoParentingAfterDivorce #ParentingPodcast #HowToRebuildTrust

A student died by suicide. A freshman. Neither his parents nor teachers knew he was struggling. Not even his friends. It is the question that haunts every parent of teenagers and the foundation of teen mental health: Do my kids actually trust me? Would they come to me if they were in crisis?  Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of youth suicide and mental health crises. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. Crisis resources cited below. In this episode, part 2 of the Trust Series, Dr. Marjorie & Michael move from institutional trust to the most personal kind. What trust actually means according to research, why kids hide emotions, why teens don't talk to parents, and what it takes to become the person your child trusts with the things they are most afraid to say out loud. Because trust is not just reliability. It is a willingness to be vulnerable. And that willingness has to be built long before the crisis arrives. This is a guide for parenting teenagers through the lens of two educators navigating co-parenting after divorce and raising emotionally healthy kids. If you are wondering how to get kids to open up, how to create emotional safety for kids, or how to build trust with your teenager, this conversation is for you. Because your kids are not learning trust from a textbook. And neither are you. Inside the Episode: "Do My Kids Trust Me?" Trust is easy to claim when things are good. It is only demonstrated when things are not. This is the question that anchors the whole episode. Why Kids Don't Talk to Parents. Signs your teen is struggling are not always visible. Shame, stigma, & perception that asking for help means weakness keep young people silent. Learn how to talk to teens about mental health without shutting the door, because even the most present parents cannot guarantee their kids will reach out  I Will Put Love in the Driver's Seat. The parenting framework for modeling accountability for kids: "I will put love and your safety in the driver's seat before consequences & accountability."  Micro-Stabs vs. Big Betrayals. Death by a thousand cuts destroys trust just as completely as one dramatic betrayal in parent-child relationships, just as much as romantic ones.  The Research on Trust and Belonging. Baumeister & Leary's belonging research and Ohio State's trust framework applied to parenting. What we teach kids about trust starts with what we show them every single day. Modeling Vulnerability and Emotional Safety. How to get a child to open up about feelings starts with modeling emotional safety yourself. Giving kids the emotional vocabulary they need before the crisis arrives. Parenting and mental health are inseparable. What we model for our kids in uncertain times is what they carry with them. This is emotionally safe parenting in practice. Physical Presence Matters. Community requires inconvenience. Showing up in person is one of the most trust-building things a parent can do. "I will put love and your safety in the driver's seat before consequences and accountability."  "We usually think of trust as big trust, instead of thinking about all the little micro-stabs."  "Logic doesn't work. We have to pay attention to the emotional tenor of our relationships."  "I trust you more now than when we were married." Follow Us on Instagram Parents and Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod  Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill  Dr. Marjorie Dorime-Williams: / drminimarj

When a White House shooting is met with memes and NBA highlights, it signals a historic collapse of the social contract. As trust in government hits a record low in 2025, we analyze Pew Research data and apply Gottman Institute relationship repair techniques to understand the rise of American apathy.Someone shot at the White House. The public reaction? Jokes. Memes. A quick scroll, then back to the NBA playoffs. Nobody believes anything anymore. We're not shocked. And that might be the most dangerous thing happening in America right now.In this Episode, Dr. Marjorie and Michael (educators, co-parents navigate parenting after divorce) dig into what it means to raise kids in a broken system during a full democracy crisis. From Jane Mayer's Dark Money to what we teach kids about trust when leadership fails, this co-parenting podcast moves from the national to the intimate. If you're tired of politics, overwhelmed by politics, or have simply stopped caring — political burnout is real. But so is the cost of checking out when you're raising kids in uncertain times with co-parenting different values.Can broken trust be repaired? Dr. Marjorie and Michael use their own co-parenting relationship as the template. The answer is more complicated than you think. 📱 Follow Us on Instagram Parents & Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill Dr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams: / drminimarjMinute #ParentsAndProfessors #PnPPodcast #TrustInGovernment #GovernmentCorruption #PoliticalApathy #SocialContract #CoParenting #ModernParenting #PoliticalFatigue #SocialContractBroken #GovernmentDistrust#DarkMoney #PoliticalFatiguey #GottmanInstitute #Project 2025 #InstitutionalBetrayal #PewResearch #PoliticalBurnout

Someone threw a fit at family game night last week. Multiple someones, actually. What started as a parenting moment nobody planned for became the conversation we didn’t know we needed: What to do when you make decisions while angry and what happens when your emotions are running the show in your home, your divorce, and even your politics?  [Content Warning: This episode discusses murder-suicide, domestic violence, grief and loss, divorce, and emotional distress. Resources for crisis support are included in the Links section.] In this episode, Dr. Marjorie and Michael explain why making life decisions while your feelings are lit is just as dangerous as getting behind the wheel buzzed. From the death by a thousand cuts in failing marriages to the heartbreaking Justin Fairfax tragedy, they dive into why emotional sobriety is a survival skill. They delve into how to teach kids emotional regulation at home, how to control emotions during divorce, how to process grief as a single parent, and how to stay calm during high-conflict divorce. They tackle the high stakes of accountability, why they refuse to raise any "Busters," and how feelings and vibes are currently running the country from the top down. Emotional regulation isn't about keeping it together. It’s about knowing what to do when you can’t. Because at the end of the day, if someone can knock you off your square that easily, you're the one who's weak.  Inside the Episode: The Emotionally Drunk Metaphor: The concept that reframes every bad decision you've ever made when upset, and explains why you can't be trusted with your life or your money when you're emotionally inebriated.  The Justin Fairfax Wake Up Call: Waking up to news of a murder-suicide during a divorce. A raw look at the extremes of divorce and the work it takes to stay present and healthy. Grief & Permission to be Not Okay: Why Dr. Michael is done performing fine while processing loss. On processing loss differently,  and why taking a beat and being honest might be the most powerful thing you can do. "I Refuse to Raise a Buster": Kids don't learn emotional regulation from a textbook; they learn it by doing it with us. Real talk on raising Black men, "crash outs," and navigating generational terminology and what it means to be a role model when everything in you wants to do the opposite. The Oval Office Problem: When the most powerful person in the world is allowed to behave emotionally unregulated, what does that teach the next generation? Co-Regulation parenting techniques: Why your kids aren't listening to you, but they are watching how you bounce back. The Square Test: Dr. Strayhorn’s wisdom on why letting someone knock you off your square makes you the weak one. "If you can knock me off my square that easily, then I'm the one that's weak, not you.” "Are you making decisions in a state of emotional sobriety?"  "You can't do that with your life. You can't do that with your money." "Life is gonna kick you while you're down. How can we help people deal with it?"  📱 Follow Us on Instagram Parents & Professors Podcast: / parentsandprofessorspod Dr. Michael Steven Williams: / drmikewill  Dr. Marjorie Dorimé-Williams: / drminimarj