Episode 199: Can We Talk?

Today I'm sitting down with educator, author, and mom Claudia Walker—and if you've been following Brown Mama Bear for a while, you may remember that this isn't our first conversation. A couple of years ago, Claudia joined me to talk about The ABCs of HBCUs. Since then, so much has happened. Claudia is now the mother of an HBCU student, the author of a new book, The ABCs of R&B, and the founder of the Black Parent Group Chat, a growing community created to connect Black parents, caregivers, and educators. In this conversation, we talk about: 🎶 The ABCs of R&B — Why is Black music such a powerful way to teach our children about our culture and connect generations? 🎓 HBCU Prep School — What inspired Claudia's work helping children learn about HBCUs, and what has it been like to watch her own daughter become an HBCU student? 🏫 Choosing an HBCU — We talk about the importance of making sure our children know HBCUs are an option when they're thinking about college—especially for Black children who have spent much of their education in predominantly white schools and communities. 💬 Black Parent Group Chat — Claudia shares what she's learned from building a community of Black parents and what parents are telling her they need right now. ❤️ Passing it on — At the heart of our conversation is a bigger question: What are we intentionally giving our children that the world may not give them? I love conversations like this because Claudia and I come from some similar places as Black mothers, but our experiences aren't exactly the same. And I think that's where the richness is. We don't have to parent in the same environments—or make all the same choices—to learn from one another. So grab a cup of coffee and join us. Can We Talk? Join Shanera on The Black Parent Group Chat (virtual meet-up) on Thur., Oct. 22. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regis... Visit HBCU PrepSchool for more information on Claudia’s books, including The ABCs of R&B https://hbcuprepschool.com/?srsltid=A... Or Black Parent Group Chat https://blackparentgroupchat.com/ 🎧 Listen to the Brown Mama Bear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. #BrownMamaBear #BlackParents #HBCU #BlackParentGroupChat #BlackHistory #BlackMusic #RAndB #HBCUPrepSchool #BlackMoms #ParentingBlackChildren