Say That With Love

4 Episodes

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Attends a School That Affirms and Expands Them with Dr. David Johns

2026-02-1642:38

What does it truly mean for a school to affirm who Black children are and expand who they can become? In this episode of Say That With Love, Dr. Leah Austin is joined by Dr. David Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective and longtime education justice advocate, for a powerful conversation about affirming schools, identity, and imagination. Together, they explore how classrooms shape belonging, joy, and possibility for Black children—especially in the earliest years. Dr. Johns reflects on his own childhood, the educators who affirmed him, and what it takes to build learning environments rooted in love, curiosity, and cultural truth. This episode challenges us to see schools as sites of worldbuilding, where affirmation fuels learning and freedom becomes possible. Produced by Mike Brown in partnership with ABF Creative. Poetry performed by Ariana Santiago.

Born at a Healthy Weight with Leah Hairston

2026-02-0231:57

What does it really mean for a Black child to be born at a healthy weight? In this episode, Dr. Leah Austin is joined by doula and educator Leah Hairston to explore birth justice, Black maternal health, and the systems that shape the earliest moments of life. Together, they reimagine a world where Black babies are born into dignity, care, and love—and where Black mothers are heard, believed, and protected.

Afrofuturism & Systems Change with Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead

2026-01-1901:01:28

What if joy was the metric? What if data affirmed Black brilliance instead of policing it? In this powerful opening episode of Say That With Love, host Dr. Leah Austin sits down with Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead—award-winning scholar, storyteller, and “Black Mommy Activist”—to explore Afrofuturism as a visionary tool for systems change. Together, they unpack how memory, motherhood, and imagination shape the futures Black children deserve. From personal stories to historical insight, this episode invites listeners to reimagine what’s possible when we center Black children in systems designed for liberation—not compliance. Dr. Austin also shares reflections on NBCDI’s Afrofuturist Systems Design Process and calls us into collective action: to dream, design, and build with intention. “Let it be known—we are shaping a new world order for Black children to be. Just be.”

Test Episode

2025-12-2200:08

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#box-pro-ellipsis-177139531764999{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Say That With Love