Meet the Author: Sunny Brown, I Am A Genius!Interviewed by Laurie Graham | Small Church Ministry

Reimagining classroom management for equity. The Sunny Side View Podcast.

This podcast episode features a conversation centered on the text These Kids Are Out of Control: Why We Must Reimagine “Classroom Management” for Equity by Milner, Cunningham, Delale-O’Connor, and Kestenberg (2019). In this episode, Sunny Brown interviews Joseph Graham, a sociologist, activist, and educational equity advocate whose work in urban schools provides a lived foundation for understanding the realities behind student behavior and systemic responses. The discussion explores how classroom management cannot be reduced to rules and compliance, but should instead be rooted in cultural responsiveness, restorative practices, humanizing relationships, and community understanding.

Throughout the episode, listeners are guided through major themes from the book, including the impact of cultural mismatch on discipline, the significance of teacher identity and positionality, and the connection between school discipline practices and the Cradle to Prison Pipeline. Drawing on course readings such as hooks’ (1994) concept of engaged pedagogy, Freire’s (1970) principles of liberatory education, and research on disproportionate discipline from the Office for Civil Rights (2016), the episode highlights how traditional management systems often reinforce structural inequities.

The conversation also examines the “pedagogy of poverty” described by Haberman (2010) and discussed in chapter three of the text, emphasizing the importance of meaningful, culturally relevant instruction as a foundation for classroom management. Examples from Joseph’s work in youth organizing deepen the discussion on restorative discipline, echoing the work of Amstutz and Mullet (2005) and connecting to political philosophies of liberation seen in the teachings of Malcolm X and Fred Hampton. Together, these perspectives create a dialogue that bridges scholarship, activism, and the lived experiences of Black and Brown youth in schools.

This episode encourages educators, scholars, and community members to reimagine classroom leadership as a practice of care, justice, and cultural affirmation. It positions teachers not as managers of behavior, but as partners in healing, growth, and liberation.

Amstutz, L. S., & Mullet, J. H. (2005). The little book of restorative discipline for schools. Good Books.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder.

Haberman, M. (2010). The pedagogy of poverty versus good teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(2), 81–87.

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Milner, H. R. IV, Cunningham, H. B., Delale-O’Connor, L., & Kestenberg, E. G. (2019). These kids are out of control: Why we must reimagine “classroom management” for equity. Corwin.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2016). 2013–2014 Civil Rights Data Collection: A first look.

contact:

sunnysideviewpodcast@gmail.com

iamjosephgrahamjr@gmail.com

In this episode of The Sunny Side View, host Sunny B. sits down with expat, mother, and trailblazer Tamara Lee to unpack what it really looks like to leave the U.S. and start a new life abroad.

Tamara shares the journey that led her family to Panama—from the leap of faith it took to make the move, to the beautiful, messy, and liberating reality of raising Black children in a new country. They talk about everything from cultural adjustments and cost of living, to education, safety, and finding a sense of belonging in unfamiliar soil.

This episode is for anyone curious about expat life, dreaming of international living, or wondering how to build freedom on your own terms—especially as a Black family navigating identity, safety, and legacy.

Topics We Cover:

• Why Tamara chose Panama for her family

• The highs and hard truths of living abroad

• How expat life has shaped her family's identity

• Practical advice for Black families considering the move

• What it means to choose freedom, on purpose

This is one of those “take notes and save for later” episodes. Tune in, get inspired, and remember—you can always choose a new story.