For this episode, I sit down with the man who taught me what fatherhood looked like long before I became a father myself—my dad, Allen Oliver.

Together, we explore our family history, the lessons passed down through generations, and the realities of growing up under fathers who expressed love differently than many do today. My father reflects on becoming a dad at 18, the values he learned from his own father and grandfather, and the sacrifices required to provide for a family.

Through stories that are both humorous and heartfelt, we examine the legacy of hard work, the challenges of emotional expression, and the moments we wish we could get back. More importantly, this conversation helped me better understand my father's story and, in turn, gain a deeper understanding of my own.

This is a conversation about grace, perspective, and the power of staying present. It's a reminder that fatherhood isn't about perfection—it's about showing up, learning as you go, and leaving something meaningful behind for the next generation.

As a son, a father, and now a storyteller, I couldn't think of a more fitting way to close out Season One of Father Figures than by sitting across from the man who was my first example of fatherhood.

#FatherFiguresPodcast #Fatherhood #BlackFathers #FamilyLegacy #GenerationalHealing #FatherAndSon #Parenting #Storytelling #FathersMatter

Being fatherless leaves questions that don't always have easy answers. In Father, Father: An Ode to the Fatherless, Dr. Michael Woodward Jr. speaks to that experience with honesty, compassion, and hope—get your copy wherever books are sold, and stay tuned for his powerful conversation coming in Season 2 of Father Figures.

In this first installment of a two-part Father Figures conversation, Cornell reflects on the man who stepped into his life, the lessons he inherited about work, sacrifice, and responsibility, and how those lessons carried him through some of the most difficult seasons of his life—including incarceration.

Years later, Cornell finds himself standing where his father once stood: helping raise children who don't share his blood but share his heart. This episode is about legacy, chosen family, and the inheritance of a father who showed up.

Because sometimes fatherhood isn't passed down through bloodlines. Sometimes it's passed down through example.

From touring stages to bedtime routines, Dr. George shares how fatherhood has reshaped his understanding of success, sacrifice, and legacy. This episode is for the father-artists—those learning, in real time, how to hold space for both their craft and their families. If you’ve ever tried to hold onto your passion while showing up fully for your kids, this one is for you.

On this episode of Father Figures, Keith is trying to figure out what it really means to father—after opening with a semi-autobiographical poem that reflects multiple father identities and a quiet moment of watching another dad “drop jewels” to his son. Through a conversation with Dr. Waldo Johnson, Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Social Work in the Crowne School at University of Chicago about social fatherhood, masculinity, and the fear of raising a Black son in a world that may one day stop seeing him as “cute,” Keith begins to uncover why community might be the key to helping fathers not figure it all out alone.

No highlight reel. Just the real journey.

Retractions:

1. We went to Chicago Feb 2020 for auditions
2. My wife had 3 rounds of IUI (intrauterine insemination). Not as many injections and much cheaper. IVF is an injection to make as many eggs at once. IUI is making the egg release to inseminate