Dope Black Dads Podcast

This is a safeguarding episode, not a comfort episode. Children are not collateral damage for adult frustration. They are not background noise. They are not “tiny adults” who should just get over it. And they are not content. This episode pulls apart the most dangerous lie we repeat: “Kids are resilient.” There’s a difference between building strength and forcing a child to survive adult-made chaos, yelling, hitting, humiliation, neglect, manipulation, and constant instability. It also calls out the wider system: under-resourced schools, stripped youth services, safeguarding treated like paperwork, and a culture that frames children as problems to manage instead of humans to protect.If you’re raising kids, employing parents, building communities, or shaping policy, this is the line: protect children in advance, not after damage is done.8 things to consider:Children are not collateral damage for co-parent conflictKids are not background noise to adult lives“Resilience” vs forced survival: stop confusing the twoDiscipline and consistency matter more than moneyWhy yelling/hitting is adult weakness dressed as parentingSystem failure: safeguarding isn’t paperwork, it’s vigilanceChildren as content: the moral line is collapsingThe downstream cost: harmed kids become what other kids must navigate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most New Year goals fail for the same reason: they’re fantasies, not systems.In this episode, Marvyn Harrison breaks down why “New Year, New Me” thinking collapses every time — and what actually creates change. This is not about motivation, manifestation, or vague intentions. It’s about identity redesign, constraint awareness, and building daily and weekly systems that survive real life.The conversation covers why outcomes don’t stick without identity, why willpower is overrated, how to design progress around limited time, energy, and money, and why evidence beats affirmation every time. Along the way, real life interrupts — parenting, noise, humour — reinforcing the point: growth has to work inside chaos, not in spite of it.This episode is a grounded framework for approaching 2026 without self-deception, self-punishment, or false optimism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthony Joshua has survived a serious car crash in Nigeria that killed two close friends and long-standing members of his team. Physio Sina Ghami and personal trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele were pronounced dead at the scene after a collision on the Lagos–Ibadan expressway.In this emergency news episode, we break down the confirmed facts, timeline, and reactions from the boxing world, including tributes from Chris Eubank Jr and statements from Matchroom Boxing. We also examine the wider context — Joshua’s recent fight with Jake Paul, his Nigerian heritage, and the deadly reputation of the expressway where the crash occurred.This episode focuses on clarity, respect, and accountability in reporting, amid widespread misinformation and the circulation of graphic footage online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a quiet audit of Christmas, fatherhood, and attention.After two uninterrupted weeks with his children, Marvyn reflects on what it feels like when family life fully aligns — no school runs, no fragmented schedules, no performance. Just presence. The result wasn’t productivity or achievement. It was peace.The episode moves through gift-giving without panic, buying throughout the year, shifting from material presents to experiences, and what it means to fund joy without excess. It explores how children thrive when safety is consistent, how traditions are built deliberately, and why Christmas Eve now belongs to the house — not the shops.There are reflections on idleness, masculinity, hobbies, strength, and the discomfort of having nothing urgent to fix. Golf enters the picture. So does grief, gratitude, and the reality that joy and loss often sit side by side at the end of a year.This is not advice. It’s a lived reflection on slowing down, protecting what matters, and carrying the right things forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been trained to treat Christmas like a performance: spend more, buy more, post more, prove more. But the truth is simpler—and harder to defend: Christmas is about family. In this episode, I’m pulling the focus back to what lasts. The moments your children remember aren’t the receipts—they’re the feeling of the home. The laughter in the kitchen. The safety of being together. The un-rushed hours where nobody’s “doing” anything, but everyone’s okay. I talk about how easy it is to slip into survival mode at the worst possible time, trying to fund a “perfect Christmas,” carrying the whole season on your back, and turning love into pressure. And I lay out a different standard: protect the atmosphere. Protect the time. Protect the relationships. There’s also a personal reflection on childhood Christmas memories and what they teach us: the gift might be exciting, but it’s the people, the warmth, and the stories that become the real inheritance. If you’re a parent feeling the weight of this season, this is your reminder: your kids don’t need a perfect Christmas. They need you. They need peace. They need family.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You were told to chase green flags.You were never taught how some of them hide the biggest red flags of your life.In this episode, Marvyn Harrison pulls five “perfect” green flags apart and shows the shadow side underneath: limerence, trauma bonds, emotional shutdown, manipulation and cruelty dressed up as “being real”. Across romantic relationships, friendships, family and work, Marvyn unpacks:Intense Chemistry From Day OneThe “we could marry right now” energy that feels like destiny.Why you feel deeply connected on almost no information.Limerence: the repeat pattern of getting obsessed, acting like it’s real and only understanding it years later.How trauma bonds, nervous system chaos and mirroring can feel like soulmate energy while your body is actually in crisis.Why neurodivergent people often feel this intensity and believe it’s “how love is supposed to feel.” People Who Respectfully Hate Everybody But You“They’re just honest, they see through everyone” – the seductive packaging.The contempt, gossip and dehumanising that’s actually rehearsing how they’ll later talk about you.The difference between feedback, sharing and constant judgement.Why “it’s us against the world” often means “you’re next when the honeymoon ends.”Extreme Independence And Having ‘No Needs’“I’m low maintenance, I’m drama free” as a brand.Emotional shutdown disguised as maturity.The triple problem: they can’t ask, can’t receive and can’t repair.How fear of abandonment sits behind “I don’t need anything from anyone.”You end up doing all the emotional labour, while they quietly protect a chaotic inner world they don’t want you to see. Total Overlap In Values, Opinions And Tastes“We’re literally the same person, we never argue” – why that feels like winning.People-pleasing and mirroring as manipulation: pre-written caring responses, no behavioural change.Why genuine adults have differences, and why tolerating disagreement is actually intimacy.The truth about “peaceful” relationships that never argue: someone gave up bringing their full self.Brutal Honesty With Zero Empathy“I just tell it like it is, I keep it 100” as a personality costume.Cruelty cosplaying as truth.Why timing is a core part of empathy: the film-premiere example where “honesty” is actually violence. How real friends hold their feedback, let the moment pass, then come back with thought, care and context.Why brutal honesty is often laziness and emotional illiteracy, not integrity.Marvyn closes by turning the lens back on you:Why you keep choosing intense chemistry, “low maintenance” partners or brutally honest friends.Why you might secretly want spontaneity, chaos and “life of the party” energy, then demand they calm down once you’ve got them.How to notice the patterns you recreate, instead of taking internet advice “cold” and blowing up relationships that could be repaired with awareness and conversation. This is not a call to go home and dump everyone.It’s a call to see what’s really happening underneath your favourite “green flags” and work out whether you’re genuinely safe, genuinely seen – or just addicted to the chaos you were never taught to name.Content WarningsThis episode includes discussion of:Trauma bonds and nervous system dysregulationEmotional shutdown and abandonment fearsManipulation, people-pleasing and cruelty in relationships Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a raw monologue, Marvyn Harrison analyzes a Netflix documentary on Diddy, exposing decades of alleged abuse and exploitation. He details troubling incidents, from a deadly basketball event to serious accusations of drugging and sexual assault. Marvyn highlights the neglect of artists like Craig Mack and the insidious culture that allowed such behavior to thrive. He candidly reflects on the misleading role models in the industry and rejects a toxic leadership style, ultimately reaffirming his values as a father.

A room full of dads shares raw stories about grief and masculinity, highlighting the often-silent struggles of Black men facing cancer. From lost parents to the burden of hidden diagnoses, they explore how race and culture complicate health discussions. Panelists discuss the importance of seeking medical help early and reshaping the narrative around fatherhood, emphasizing emotional vulnerability. As they dive into personal healings, the episode concludes with a touching song about a father's hopeful return.

What happens when your father’s shadow is your biggest opponent? Marvyn Harrison breaks down Benn vs Eubank II — the fight that wasn’t just about punches, but parenting, legacy, and identity. From Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr.’s 90s rivalry to their sons’ clash under the lights, this is a story about how fathers shape sons — and how sons fight to become men in their own right. Featuring deep analysis, emotional reflection, and a generational lens only Dope Black Dads could deliver.boxing, benn vs eubank, conor benn, chris eubank jr, boxing legacy, fatherhood, generational trauma, dope black dads, masculinity, fight review, redemption, british boxing, family rivalry, legacy, marvyn harrison, eubank trilogy, parenting lessons from boxing#DopeBlackDads #BennVsEubank #BoxingLegacy #Fatherhood #Masculinity #BritishBoxing #MarvynHarrison #EubankJr #ConorBenn #LegacyFight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Dope Black Dads podcast, Marvyn breaks down what it really takes to support a good man in 2025, without shrinking yourself or cosplaying a “good little wife.” He covers: • The truth about “something happening with men” — and why it’s about to go one of two ways• The viral Chanté Joseph article about women feeling ashamed to say “I have a boyfriend,” and what that reveals about how men are valued• Why humiliation content (fake throw-up pranks, mocking your man online) destroys respect and never builds the man you actually want• Misogyny vs misandry: why they’re not mirror images and why that distinction matters here• How you speak to your man: nagging vs affirmation, and why rants don’t land but clear, short statements do• The “tennis vs American football” mistake when men share feelings, and how to catch the emotional ball instead of smashing it back• What to do when he goes silent or withdrawn and you suspect more than “he’s just fine”• How to investigate his mood without the dead-end question “You alright?”• Respecting his pace of change instead of treating him like a broken service provider you ordered from an app• Why not every mood change is cheating: money, parents, pressure, identity, and all the other stress signals you keep missing• Turning the home into neutral ground so he doesn’t sit in the car dreading walking through the front door• The “driveway rule”: negotiating how much decompression time he needs and what you need once he comes in• Why there’s no serious “transition programme” for men moving from work-only identity into work + family, unlike the decades of systems put around women at work• How political and economic systems still profit from overworked, emotionally absent men, and what that means for your relationship• The truth: if your man is genuinely bad for you, you should leave; this episode is for people with a good man who’s struggling• The tactic almost nobody uses: sitting in silence, breaking the touch barrier, and offering safety instead of demanding it from a depleted man Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.