Let's Talk Bruh

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 w

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

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 k

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 All

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 Po

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. Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & 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.

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 f

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 Follow Bashea on Instagram Follow Let's Talk Bruh on T

"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

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 Follow Nalo on Twitter & Instagram Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & 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

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. Ho

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 Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & 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.

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 Masc

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.  Follow Let's Talk Bruh on

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

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.  Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & 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.

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)   Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & Instagram Join

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: - Kevin Durant's Injury - Ava Duvernay's "When They See Us" mini series on the Central Park 5 - Kanye West talks about his mental health journey during new interview w/ David Letterman - 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.  Follow Let's Talk Bruh on Twitter & 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.  

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

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 m