PODCAST OF THE MONTH: Black Men Vent Too

PODCAST OF THE MONTH

Interview by Teresa B. Howell

Black Men Vent Too

Teresa B. Howell: Tell us about the father and son due for this remarkable podcast?

Johnathon Davis: My father and I have a relationship that I would say differs from the traditional “father and son” standard society sets. My pops, in all reality, is truly like my older brother and my best friend. We talk all the time just about life and the events thereof. One of our conversations just on a random summer afternoon was the leap we used to get our podcast started. We came together as father and son and within our conversation, we realized that there are so many black men not only in our city of Nashville, but in the world that don’t get a chance to vent. Black men by societal views are judged, ridiculed, and shunned not only due to the color of their skin, but even when they are vulnerable and in need of getting something off their chest. As a duo, my father and I wanted to change that narrative by providing a safe, welcoming, and inviting platform that allows black men to vent while giving back to our community by sharing various stories and information that will help people understand the fellow black men of our city and the issues they endure that go unnoticed.

TBH: Give us the demographics of your audience?

JD: As of September 3rd (only a month as an active podcast), The Black Men Vent Too Podcast has received listeners from the following states/countries: Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Washington D.C., Colorado, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Texas, New York, and North Carolina. Internationally, we have gained listener(s) from France and the United Kingdom. According to our analytics, our audience consists of 46% men, 43% female, and 10% not specified. These demographics have accumulated in only a month’s time, which encourages my pops and I because we see that there are people all across the world who truly want to hear a black man vent. Just truly a humbling experience altogether, because again, this all started with a conversation in the driveway.

TBH: How long did it take you to put your idea and vision into a concrete concept?

JD: We won’t admit it, but sometimes, black men can be the truest definition of procrastination. The conversation in the driveway was literally just us catching up on life events with each other; which occurred roughly about 2-3 months ago this year. We toyed back and forth with the idea of creating a podcast, but we just didn’t know how we wanted to get it off the ground. So after about months of procrastination and just sleeping on ideas, we finally put our best foot forward, threw some prayer in there and a bit of manifesting, and here we are today.

TBH: Why did you decide to focus on males only for your podcast?

JD: The idea behind our podcast being strictly geared towards black males really came about when we realized that black men in general never have had a platform to get things off their chest without being judged. In my opinion, women naturally are welcomed to express their emotions. But let’s be honest, if a man cries just because life has beaten him down, what does society immediately assume? “He’s weak, real men don’t cry, dry them tears up and be a man.” We decided to focus on males only because, unlike many other areas, our foundation is strong on giving black men just an opportunity to freely express themselves and vent about their issues without having to worry about being judged.

TBH: Who creates the topics being discussed?

JD: My pops and I both come together and put thoughts, prayer, and ideas on the table to seek out which topic is best not only for our podcast, but for the City of Nashville.

TBH: Will you continue this concept for multiple seasons?

JD: Definitely. Our concept is that with every month, we will present a new season/topic. For the month of August, our topic was depression. During this month, we were able to bring on four guests (two from the millennial age group, two from the older age group) who gave us a “new school” and “old school” stance on depression and its effects in their lives. Each episode starts with the title “BMI”: an acronym that stands for body mass index. The definition of body mass index basically is representation of your internal bodily make up. For example, the title of our first episode was “BMI: Depression In A Black Man”. This tells our audience that in that episode, we will discuss the body mass index of depression in a black man. This concept of new school/old school guests and monthly topic changes gives our audience a variety of stories on the topics we choose, while keeping them on their toes to wait for the next season/topic to be released.

TBH: What platforms do you use to get the word out to the public?

JD: To date, we are available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocketcasts, and RadioPublic.

TBH: Who influences this show and why?

JD: Our podcast show would not be what it is without black men being able to be vulnerable, transparent, and honest in their storytelling on our platform. Every episode we published in the month of August has given our audience a chance to hear about depression from four different viewpoints. Then there is the BMVT audience, which has grown in just a month’s time, but has also influenced us to keep going, keep positive manifestations present, while continuing to raise awareness to the struggles of black men.

TBH: Where is the location of the recording?

JD: We do all of our recording at my parents house. As we grow, we will seek out audio assistance as well as a new location so that content can be crisp and provide us with ways to be better and better serve the community of Nashville.

TBH: What do women have to say about your show?

JD: In all reality, the feedback we have gotten from women has been very positive and informal. One of our episodes on depression was so powerful that a woman told me, “This has been long overdue and I am happy you and your dad are bold enough to stand firm on what really matters … getting to the heart of our black men”.

Women that I have talked to even mentioned how August’s depression season allowed them to gain knowledge on the symptoms/signs of depression and what to look for if they see it in their husband, kids, or fellow male friends. On The Black Men Vent Too Podcast, we present various facts from credible resources that correlate to the stories of our guests. So with the information we presented about depression, women were appreciative and gave us praise on how it has helped them be able to better understand the black men in their lives.

TBH: What advice can you give men when it comes to healing from past hurt or pain?

JD: I find it interesting how this is the last question only because our next season in September will focus on “Grievance” in black men. Naturally, not only just black men, but people in general never truly take the time to grieve. So that pain and hurt from failed relationships, loss of a loved one, or a job loss can fester throughout life with no true acceptance or understanding of what has happened. My best advice to all men is that pain is replaced with time. You truly have to be patient, but also be honest with yourself. Because just when you think you’ve gotten over pain from ten years ago, there could be one miniscuel thing that sets you right back in that depressive state you experience in that exact moment. Fellas, allow time to heal whatever wound it is that you may have. Look at it like this, a band aid is used to stop the bleeding of a wound. With time, that wound becomes a scab, the scab falls off, and the natural skin is restored. Take the time to allow the wounds of your life to be treated carefully and with purpose. Don’t allow yourself to “think” you’re okay, when in all reality you’re bleeding out pain on everybody you come in contact with. Stop the bleeding, allow the wounds of your past time to heal, and step back out in the world knowing that the scar reminds you of the pain, but provides you with the confidence to know that you can make it through anything, if you try.