What happens when a man who grew up without his dad in the house turns that into art, and into the father he wants to be for his own son?

AJ sits down with Brooklyn visual artist Dáreece Walker, creator of the Black Fathers Matter series, to talk about Black fatherhood, presence, and the legacy you build one choice at a time.

Dáreece grew up between Colorado and Nebraska, where his dad wasn't in the home and didn't come back into his life until his early teens. He talks about rebuilding that relationship, what he still picked up from his father, and why he decided to raise his son differently. He and AJ also compare growing up in DC and out West with raising kids in New York today.

In this episode:
- Why Dáreece created Black Fathers Matter while working through his relationship with his own father
- Why he draws on cardboard, and what that material says about the Black American experience
- What he learned from his dad's love language, his music, and the small ways he paid attention
- How photographing fathers with their kids changed the way he parents
- Why fatherhood for him is about leadership, presence, and accountability, not control
- The legacy he wants to leave: a foundation his son can build on

Dáreece Walker is a visual artist whose work has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. One of his Black Fathers Matter pieces is in the permanent collection of the Yale University Art Gallery.

See more of his work: dareecejwalker.com

Brad Hopkins spent 13 seasons in the NFL, but he’ll tell you he’s a dad first.

Brad sits down with AJ to talk about the father and grandfather who raised him, and why he chose to raise his own kids with trust instead of fear. He gets into staying present through an NFL season, teaching work ethic to kids who never had to struggle, why a good education shouldn’t depend on your zip code, and what it was like when his son followed him into the league. He also tells the story of the day his father apologized to him.

It’s an honest, funny conversation about breaking cycles, earning your kids’ trust, and the legacy you leave by showing up.

JUSTMYBABYDADDY.COM

Every man in Kelin Mark Sr.'s family died too young. His grandfather, his uncles, his dad. He knew he was next in line, and he decided it wouldn't be him.

Kelin has spent over 20 years in education and has been the first Black male principal at two different schools. We get into what he took from his father, what kids with present dads walk into school with, why middle school is the time to lock in, and The Dad Difference Playbook: 100 plays a dad can actually run.


📘 The Dad Difference Playbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1953749046?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
🌐 kelinmark.com
📱 TikTok: @Kelin.Mark

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