‘Dear Culture’ honors Black Fatherhood with Rickey Smiley
Co-hosts Todd Johnson and Gerren Keith Gaynor discuss the joys and pains of fatherhood with the comedian amid a national outcry over police brutality
These last few weeks have been full of several demonstrations for victims and families that have faced deaths due to police brutality. In the nation and across the globe, these protests are unprecedented with the number of people and the types of people in the crowd.
There’s a domino effect in several areas in our lives. From Minneapolis voting to disband the police to even Trump signing an executive order regarding best practices for policing, the cries of our passed community members are not going unheard.
On this week’s episode of the Dear Culture Podcast, co-hosts Todd Johnson, Chief Content Officer at theGrio, and Managing Editor Gerren Keith Gaynor sat down with comedian Rickey Smiley to ask: “Dear Culture, how can we better support each other?”
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For most Black households, conversations about police brutality are important for raising Black kids in America. It’s not an easy conversation to reckon with your child’s mortality and the potential exposure to state violence.
Johnson said that he sometimes wants to “turn away and give his son a hug” and tell him “sorry that the world is the way it is.” As much as he feels fortunate, “it’s about snapping out of it” and balancing dismay with hopefulness.
“As he gets older, he’ll be the one making the change I’ll be proud of,” said Johnson.
As a parent, you process the day-to-day and shield your child with everything they have to face. It’s not a burden Johnson reminds us, it’s a responsibility that comes with a parent’s love.
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Gaynor points out that, for many like him whose fathers have passed, Father’s Day is sometimes a day of grieving.
“Sometimes when you lose a parent, you think of what you lost. What I try to do is focus on what I actually had and have,” said Gaynor.
When our hosts asked Rickey Smiley what he thinks about the state of police brutality targeting young Black men, he tells us, “I’m not going to do no press conference, I’m getting down.” In his honesty, Smiley said doesn’t see himself living on this earth without his son. He’s also prepared his children for what they could face while out in the world.
“I have cameras installed in the car. They know what to do if they get pulled over,” Smiley said.
Protecting our children is the utmost priority and responsibility, along with protecting ourselves. As we continue to push for safer policies and justice, remember this Father’s Day to cherish the memories you’ve made with your loved ones.
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