56: Exploring Who We Are

In this inspiring episode of the A.F.A.R Podcast, we focus on the importance of mentorship for Black individuals. Join us as we explore the transformative impact of mentorship, its potential to uplift and empower, and its significance in fostering personal and professional growth within the Black community. Throughout the episode, we'll discuss the following: The role of mentorship in overcoming systemic barriers and challenges Black individuals face. The benefits of mentorship include increased confidence, expanded networks, and improved problem-solving skills. Real-life success stories from Black individuals who have benefited from mentorship, showcasing its potential to create lasting change. Tips and strategies for finding and nurturing a mentor-mentee relationship and ways to give back by becoming a mentor yourself. Tune in to this uplifting and informative episode as we delve into the significance of mentorship for Black individuals, available on all major podcast platforms. Join the conversation and learn how you, too, can become an agent of positive change through mentorship. If you're interested in being a guest on A.F.A.R, contact us at [email protected]. See you in the episode!

Join us on the A.F.A.R Podcast this week as we continue our commitment to consistently releasing episodes every Wednesday at 11 am! In today's episode, we're excited to welcome guest host Athena Davis to explore the representation of People of Color (P.O.C) in Media and Entertainment. Together with Athena, we'll take a deep dive into the historical context of P.O.C representation, discuss the industry's current state, and analyze the impact of media portrayals on society. We'll also cover the efforts being made to improve representation, the intersection of media with other social justice movements, and share personal stories and experiences from industry professionals. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on P.O.C. representation in media and entertainment. Tune in on all major podcast platforms and join us as we strive to change the industry positively. If you're interested in being a guest on A.F.A.R, contact us at [email protected]. See you in the episode!

In this week's episode of the A.F.A.R Podcast, we're back and better than ever! Join us every Wednesday at 11 am as we delve into fascinating discussions on mental health, parenthood, and the unique experiences of People of Color. This week, we're honored to have Athena Davis as our guest, a prominent voice in the world of Black feminism. Together with Athena, we'll explore the core principles of Black feminism and its impact on families and communities. Learn how to empower and uplift Black women, embrace intersectionality, and foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. You can find our podcast on all major platforms, so don't miss out on this enlightening conversation. If you're interested in being a guest on A.F.A.R, contact us at [email protected]. See you in the episode!

Welcome to the Afar Podcast! In this episode, we’ll be discussing the challenges faced by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Boston and the impact on families and children in need. We’ll explore high caseloads, a lack of resources, racial disparities, transparency and accountability concerns, and slow reunification with families. To help us understand these complex issues, we’ll be joined by Shante Leathers-Idowu, a licensed clinical social worker who previously worked at DCF, and Shakina Coplin, a clinician at Fathers UpLift. We’ll delve into their experiences on the ground, working with families in difficult situations, and gain insight into the vital role that social workers play in supporting those in need. But our conversation doesn’t end there. We’ll also be exploring the myth and stereotypes surrounding absent fathers and redefining fatherhood. Fathers UpLift, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing resources and support to fathers and families, and we’ll hear from Shakina on how they are making a difference in their community. Join us for an eye-opening episode of the Afar Podcast as we discuss the challenges facing child welfare agencies, the role of social workers, and the importance of redefining fatherhood.

This week the Fathers' Uplift team discusses love, self-love, and the importance of expressing your love and your appreciation of others. Love isn't always such an easy emotion for us men to show due to influences of culture and perceptions of "masculinity." Today we discuss how to not be afraid to show love to others as men, which helps us to open up to our peers, our communities, and our families. It's another episode of our Kings' Dilemmas series, helping Kings navigate the dilemmas they face as leaders so they can make the best decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.

This week the Fathers' Uplift Team discusses cultural identity, the meaning of our cultural roots, backgrounds, nationalities, and what factors influence and shape our view of each other’s cultures. This is another episode of our Kings' Dilemmas series, helping Kings navigate the dilemmas they face as leaders so they can make the best decisions for themselves, their family, and their communities. We're glad to have you tuning in!

Welcome Back to AFAR. In today’s episode, Father’s UpLift Youth Tariq, Jhakari, Robert, Christian, and Jason engage each other freely and authentically, speaking truth on topics that interest them. This week, the boys are discussing their high school experiences, posing questions to each other such as:  What was/has been your experience in high school?  How much do you think that experience impacts your future? What are the "Do’s and Don’ts" in High School? Were/are you a follower or a leader in school?  Because there are a lot of followers, people get into fights and trouble a lot. How do you all handle that? Did you ever feel like you had to fight back? What do you want to do with your future? And any advice for people in high school? Lastly, can you all share what you do to remain safe in your community and what you do to take your mind off of stress? Disclaimer: Fathers' UpLift does not condone smoking, drug use, or alcohol abuse. However, we do provide a safe space for our youth to discuss these topics and the prevalence of these things around them. For that reason, those topics may be touched on frankly from time to time from an unendorsed perspective in our youth podcast episodes.

Welcome Back to AFAR. In today's episode, Host David and three of our youth - Tariq, Jason, and Christian - engage each other freely, authentically, and step out of their comfort zones as young men, speaking truth on topics that interest them. They offer perspectives to their peers and listeners and provide tools that will help them make the best decisions for themselves, at home, at school, and in the community. Today, they discuss dropping mixtapes, the impact of music in their lives, and ways to use music as a tool to build healthy friendships. They also pose questions to each other about how music can impact relationships with friends (and also the ladies). Today, our youth offer their perspectives to their peers and listeners on how music is a vital part of both their individual lives and broader society.  Some of the questions touched on include: What is one thing that you wish people understood about making music ? How do your parents look at your music?  What are your plans with music? How did you get started making music? How long has it been since you've started?

This week the Fathers' Uplift Team discuss personal health and the actual importance of routine medical care. For some reason, it's easy for us men to neglect our health. Don't do it though. You'll thank yourself later.  It's another episode of the Kings' Dilemmas series, helping Kings navigate the dilemmas they face as leaders so they can make the best decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Welcome back to AFAR. In today’s episode, Father’s Uplift youth, Tariq, Jhakari, Robert, Christian, and Jason, engage each other freely, authentically and step out of their comfort zones as young men and speak truth on topics that interest them. Today, they discuss the issue of smoking weed and pose questions to each other to offer perspectives to their peers and listeners and provide tools that will help them make the best decisions for themselves at home, at school, and in the community. Some of these questions include: Have you had a conversation about smoking with your parents? Did weed impact your mental health? If yes, how? Was it impacted positively or negatively? How does peer pressure play a part in your actions? What do you think are the consequences of weed? How does weed affect your creativity? Disclaimer: Recreational use of marijuana is illegal for youth under the age of 21 in the state of Massachusetts. Fathers' UpLift does not endorse or encourage smoking under the age of 21. However, we do foster authentic conversations around the topic to help youth to be educated and informed on the risks of substance use and abuse at any age.