Chris James on Black Boys, Mental Health, and the Power of Feeling Over Functioning скачать в хорошем качестве

Chris James on Black Boys, Mental Health, and the Power of Feeling Over Functioning

In this powerful episode of the I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell welcomes Chris James, a nationally recognized spoken word artist, TEDx speaker, mental health educator, and founder of Creative Connections. As a father of seven and the visionary behind the “Black Boys Better” program, Chris shares how art, advocacy, and emotional intelligence are reshaping the conversation around fatherhood and mental wellness. The two dive deep into fatherhood, the danger of emotional suppression, and how men often carry unacknowledged pain in silence. Chris opens up about becoming a father at 16, dropping his oldest son off at college while raising an 18-month-old, and how his own healing journey allows him to serve boys and men with greater empathy and truth. He and Braswell challenge the myth that men don’t express emotions, arguing instead that men communicate constantly—we just need to listen differently. This episode is rich with lived experience, critical insight, and practical frameworks for healing, mentoring, and creating culturally relevant support systems for Black boys and their fathers. Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening: Welcome to the I Am Dad Podcast 02:00 – Chris James introduction and bio 03:00 – Chris tells his "Daddy Story" 06:30 – Family history: brothers in prison, becoming a father during trauma 08:30 – Joining the military to escape and build a life 10:30 – Creative advocacy: merging art, poetry, and mental health work 14:00 – Founding Creative Connections and Black Boys Better 18:00 – The real reason boys show up: not art, but connection 20:00 – How Black male therapists create culturally relevant spaces 23:00 – Why mentorship shouldn’t replace fathers 25:00 – The link between absence and mental unwellness 27:00 – Chris opens up about co-parenting failure and redemption 30:00 – The power of an apology and showing up whole 32:00 – Mental health as the foundation of leadership 36:00 – A challenge to ask men not “How are you doing?” but “How are you feeling?” 38:00 – Building emotional vocabulary for men 41:00 – How boys and girls show up differently in emotional safety 44:00 – Art as a vehicle for emotional storytelling in Black communities 46:00 – Training others in Mental Health First Aid 49:00 – How to know if someone is ready to support others 52:00 – Spirituality as the emotional anchor for men 55:00 – Self-care, compassion fatigue, and how to not absorb others’ trauma 58:00 – Where to find Chris James and get involved in Creative Connections 59:00 – Kenneth’s closing reflections and legacy signoff About the Guest: Chris James is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, author, anger management specialist, and founder of Creative Connections and the Black Boys Better initiative. A TEDx alum and nationally recognized poet, Chris uses art and advocacy to address the emotional well-being of Black boys and men. Through his work, he trains professionals, educates youth, and inspires healing through vulnerability and truth-telling. Website: ourcreativeconnections.com Social: @chrisjamesjourney About the Host: Kenneth Braswell is the CEO of Fathers Incorporated and the host of I Am Dad Podcast. With more than two decades of leadership in responsible fatherhood and family policy, Braswell is a trusted voice in father engagement, co-parenting, and narrative change around Black masculinity. Website: iamdadpodcast.com Hashtags: #ChrisJames #MentalHealthForMen #BlackBoysBetter #IAmDadPodcast #KennethBraswell #FathersIncorporated #BlackFatherhood #EmotionalLiteracy #CreativeConnections #MentalHealthFirstAid #FatherhoodMatters #BlackMenHealing #TedxSpeaker #PoetryAndHealing