Black Men, Platonic Touch, and the Tenderness Culture Erased | Aaron Johnson

Aaron Johnson, founder of the Chronically UnderTouched Project, joins Travis Stock to talk about platonic touch, the Black Brute stereotype, and why tenderness is essential for Black men and for all men. A conversation about growing up taught not to cry, learning to listen, and building spaces where men can be held without an agenda. In this episode: Growing up as a pastor's son in the Mojave Desert, and the day Aaron decided to stop crying at age five How older brothers shape our early models of masculinity The Black Brute narrative: where it came from, how it shows up in media, policing, and dating, and what it costs Losing his father, and why strength couldn't carry him through What a counselor's deep listening taught him about being heard Body tutorials: a slower, more honest way to be vulnerable with a partner Why the Chronically UnderTouched Project exists, and the Touch Activist Training Program Chapters: 00:00 Welcome 01:42 Growing up in a pastor's home in the Mojave Desert 04:08 Learning that men don't cry 13:19 The erotic message of the Black Brute 15:30 Losing his father 25:11 What deep listening made possible 34:03 Layering in blackness: media, police, and dating 42:41 The class that named the Black Brute 46:26 Body tutorials and slowing down intimacy 54:11 Staying open to vulnerability 56:41 The Chronically UnderTouched Project 1:03:52 Touch Activist Training Program Connect with Aaron and the Chronically UnderTouched Project: https://www.cutproject.org If this conversation meant something to you: → Subscribe to The New Masculine and turn on notifications → Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/thenewmasculine → Learn more about my work: https://www.travisstock.com → Follow me on Instagram: @travers03 #TheNewMasculine #PlatonicTouch #HealthyMasculinity #BlackMenAndTenderness #ChronicallyUnderTouched