Dope Black Dads

Most people say they want love, then date like they’re configuring a device: height, income, politics, trauma level, texting cadence, therapy status, “emotional intelligence,” travel appetite—tick, tick, tick. It feels safe. It feels efficient. It feels like control. But love isn’t mechanical. People aren’t programmable. They have grey areas: prickly parts, warm parts, avoidant parts, tender parts, contradictions, history. A checklist can’t measure inner world alignment, truth-telling, repair ability, or whether two people can actually build safety together. I unpack how romantic idealism can make you naïve—especially when you grew up in warmth and assume everyone else did too. Then reality hits: people don’t always tell the truth, not always under pressure, and if you don’t interrogate someone’s inner world you end up in cycles that feel “mystical” but are actually predictable scripts. The shift is simple: keep your values, drop the robot requirements. Choose moment-to-moment evidence. Build t

This episode sets the rules of the room.This podcast is committed to protecting the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of anyone whose stories, experiences, or submissions may be referenced. We don’t publish allegations as fact without appropriate verification, context, or public record. We anonymise, change details, reframe, or decline stories to reduce harm—especially when other people didn’t choose public exposure. I also explain why listeners sometimes feel “that’s my story”: because many experiences are cyclical and universal—especially when you’re trying to be yourself inside a difficult environment. That doesn’t make the story “about you.” It makes it common. Then we widen out: Britain’s collapsing care reflex (a post office moment that says everything), why I refuse to “chat people’s business,” why men need to lead with repair when harm exists, and why I’m building a show that’s present and unscripted—without turning vulnerability into entertainment.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

An old workplace game brand went bust—not because people stopped gaming, but because retail changed: downloads replaced discs and the UK high street kept shrinking. The fix isn’t “sell more games.” The fix is rebuilding the purpose.In this episode I lay out the full turnaround blueprint:Accept traditional retail is over.Redesign stores around play: arcades, competitive setups, racing simulators, mini-arenas. Experience, not product.Build a national grassroots league through every location: after-school and after-work tournaments, city championships, national finals streamed online.Wrap it in a membership model: monthly access to play/compete/status, points and perks, predictable recurring revenue.Keep retail only where digital can’t compete: controllers, headsets, chairs, collectibles—physical identity, higher margin, real demand.Turn flagship locations into creator studios + live event spaces where UK talent is discovered and broadcast.Outcome: footfall returns for belonging, not shopping. Membersh

This is the no-padding weekly panel episode: 12 stories, 4 perspectives, rapid-fire pitches, and then we go in. Each contributor gets 30 seconds to make the case, then the table tests it—facts, incentives, hypocrisy, and what it means for real people.Today’s agenda (12):[Topic] — the 30-sec pitch that changes the framing[Topic] — why everyone’s missing the real incentive[Topic] — the uncomfortable trade-off nobody says out loud[Topic] — who wins, who pays, who gets blamed[Topic] — the headline vs the truth[Topic] — the policy angle in plain English[Topic] — the culture angle nobody wants to touch[Topic] — the numbers that expose the story[Topic] — the moral panic vs the actual risk[Topic] — the media game being played in real time[Topic] — the “this affects your life tomorrow” segment[Topic] — the clip everyone will argue aboutIf you want one weekly episode that gives you ammo, clarity, and context—this is it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is different, and it had to be.As this podcast grows, so does the responsibility that comes with telling stories about real lives, real harm, and real people. In this episode, I explain why we’ve added a safeguarding and responsibility notice, what it means, and what this podcast will never become.We talk about:Why not every story deserves public exposureThe difference between truth and spectacleHow cycles repeat across generations and environmentsWhy protecting dignity matters more than outrageWhat it means to challenge power without exploiting painThis is not an apology.This is not a retreat.This is a line in the sand.Life is nuanced. Harm is real. Accountability matters.But so does care.SHOW NOTES⚠️ Why we added a safeguarding notice

This episode is a forensic breakdown of Sainsbury’s Local as a system, not a shop.What’s sold as convenience is friction. What’s sold as efficiency is unpaid labour. What’s sold as design is psychological manipulation that fails the moment you’re tired, parenting, or in a hurry.From hostile layouts and absent staff to self-checkout purgatory and inflated prices, this is a critique of how modern “local” supermarkets quietly disrespect time, dignity, and common sense.This isn’t nostalgia. It’s not brand hate.It’s a lived audit of consumer experience from the perspective of a father, a customer, and a human being who just wanted milk and left annoyed.Includes an explicit comparison with Aldi, and why Aldi consistently wins on clarity, flow, and respect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rickie Haywood-Williams sits down with Dope Black Dads to talk honestly about health, fatherhood, lifestyle changes and the NHS Healthy Choices Quiz. In this episode, Rickie breaks down what life really looks like behind the microphone and the Instagram posts. Late nights, early mornings, family responsibilities, Liverpool stress, and the quiet signals from his body and mind that something had to change.  The NHS Healthy Choices Quiz is a free, five-minute quiz you can take online. It asks simple questions about your eating, movement, smoking or vaping, drinking, mental health and sleep. At the end, you get a score out of 10 and a plan with links to free NHS apps, tools and advice to help you take the first step. Rickie shares his experience of taking the quiz, his reaction to seeing his results, the changes he has already started making, and why small, realistic shifts matter more than chasing perfection. Watch if you want a straight conversation about midlif

What does a welcome home really feel like? with  @MarvynHarrison  https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/blackadoptersIn this special episode, we sit around the dinner table to talk honestly about adoption, family, culture, and belonging. Over food that reminds us of home, we explore what it means to create stability and love for Black and mixed-heritage children who are waiting the longest to be adopted in the UK.This conversation is part of the You Can Adopt campaign and features lived experiences from adoptive parents within the Black community. We talk about food, identity, family reactions, myths around adoption, and how a home is built through care, consistency, and culture — not perfection.This is not about having the perfect house.It’s about creating a home where a child feels seen, protected, and chosen.If you’ve ever quietly considered adoption, this conversation is an invitation to learn more.Find out more at:https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/blackadopters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo

This episode takes you inside 10 Downing Street for a rare, direct conversation on power, policy, and dignity at work.Marvyn Harrison meets Keir Starmer to unpack the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) — described as the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.We break down what ERA 2025 actually delivers: Fire-and-rehire restrictions. The end of exploitative zero-hour contracts. Day-one sick pay. Day-one paternity, bereavement, and parental leave. New protections for pregnant women, new mothers, and families experiencing pregnancy loss.But this episode goes deeper than legislation. It asks who benefits, who is most exposed, and whether Black and working-class families will finally see real protection — or more policy without teeth.This is not spin. This is not press-release politics. This is a frontline conversation about labour, power, enforcement, and dignity.Key Themes • Employment Rights Act 2025 explained • Kier Starmer on workers’ rights • ERA 2025 impact on Black families • Working-class

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 confus

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 for

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

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, g

Did he do it?In this raw, unplanned monologue, Marvyn Harrison picks up the mic with no notes and processes the new Netflix documentary on Sean “Diddy” Combs in real time. Across almost four decades of alleged abuse, violence, exploitation and terror, he tracks how one man was turned into the “blueprint” for Black male success while victims, communities and even whole events were left in pieces. Project 1 (5)Drawing on the documentary executive produced by 50 Cent, Marvyn walks through the timeline of allegations and patterns described on screen:A deadly basketball event allegedly over-promoted and under-protectedEarly accusations of drugging, rape and recording assaultsFinancial games with labels, advances and putting companies in other people’s namesViolence and intimidation of business partnersArtists like Craig Mack allegedly left broke while their music topped chartsThe jealous orbit around Biggie and Tupac and claims of set-ups, beef and murder-for-hire energyLong-running allegations of abuse towar

Black men are dying of cancer in silence. So we took a room full of dads, sons and survivors and built the most honest conversation they’ve ever had.This episode was recorded at Macmillan’s Open House, a home built to feel like the houses that raised us: soft light, old portraits, kettle on the stove, carpet holding the memories of every step. Into that house we brought a live conversation on men, fatherhood and grief.Marvyn Harrison is joined by:– Ibrahim Kamara, whose dad died of cancer on his birthday while he was locked alone in a Covid hotel– Paul Campbell, who was denied treatment, diagnosed in the same year as his brother and sister, and watched his father die from prostate cancer– Host and facilitator Ruben Christian, unpacking identity, masculinity and the cost of being “the strong one”Inside this episode:– The Black dad who had to fight his GP just to get tested– Why three siblings were all diagnosed with cancer in the same year– How a father hid his diagnosis from ten children and made one son carr

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

Recorded in the middle of the night, Marvyn breaks down how New York elected its first Muslim, South Asian, democratic socialist mayor under Donald Trump, why California quietly rewired Congress with one ballot measure, and how Virginia and New Jersey just told the rest of America where voters actually stand. This is not a vibes recap. It’s a live autopsy on power, maps, money and hope. Full show noteTonight’s Dope Black Desk is not from Westminster or City Hall. Emotionally, it’s in New York, California, Virginia and New Jersey at the same time. Marvyn walks through the election results that look “local” on paper but actually redraw the global map of power in a Trump era. In this episode, he breaks down: • New York City electing Zoran Mamdani — 34-year-old democratic socialist, first Muslim and South Asian mayor, ex–housing counsellor, in the financial capital of the world• How Mamdani beat a disgraced former governor and a Republican talk-radio veteran, with Trump backing Cuomo instead of his