In this episode we discuss race, police brutality, Black Lives Matter, Hoarding Intellectual Property, The Overuse of the term Duboisian Scholars and Dr. Ray's amazing life growing up in Memphis and the ATL.

Why Do the  Police Kill Us With Impunity Episode? ft. Dr. Rashawn Ray, Professor, Univ of Maryland

In this episode we talk with Kenny Westray CEO & Founder of We R One Clothing DC's most popular and longest running clothing line. We discuss his challenges coming out of prison and starting his own clothing line 25 years ago, his work in the clothing industry with Master P from No Limit Records, J-Prince from Rap -A-Lot Records and the NBA. We dive into what it takes to be a successful Black entrepreneur in the fashion industry and he gives plenty of insightful advice on how the clothing and apparel industry has changed. An inspirational episode for anyone into fashion but more importantly for those who want to start their own business. We salute Kenny, Black business and dreaming big. Do for Self!

We R One Clothing Episode ft. CEO & Founder Kenny Westray

In this episode Howard University Professor Dr. Bahiyyah Muhammad takes a seat at the table to discuss her work with children of incarcerated parents, the coloring book she created for children of incarcerated parents and the Inside Out Programs she teaches at the DC Jail (one student in her class happens to be returning student Nick Cannon), New Beginnings Juvenile Detention Center and with the Baltimore Police Department. We also engage in a unfiltered uncensored and heated debate about the Nas track Second Childhood. The realest episode we've recorded thus far.

Children of Mass Incarceration Episode ft. Howard University Professor  Dr. Bahiyyah Muhammad

In this episode one of the top branding and marketing experts in the US Yusuf Jamaludeen takes a seat at the table to discuss how to move your product and idea from a concept to making millions of dollars.  His motivational story on the challenges of branding and marketing his sister's laundry basket from scratch cold calling investors hundreds of times to it being placed  in Bed Bath & Beyond and on the Home Shopping Network is truly amazing. You can get a million no's but it only takes one yes. We dig into his auditioning for Shark Tank and his new television show which you will be watching in the next few months on entrepreneurs and their daily grind. Tune in to see how this brother could be your ticket to success!!!

The Shark Tank Episode featuring Branding Expert Yusuf Jamaludeen

At the age of 18, Adam Alston was sentenced to 25 years for attempted murder, he was only supposed to get 3-8 yrs for his first offense. After doing six years in prison he was given a new trial and won! In this episode we chop it with Adam about his life, what was like when he was sentenced to 25 yrs, the challenges of prison and rebuilding his life after release. He is now an electrical engineering student at the University of Maryland one of the top engineering programs in the country. Approximately 600,000 returning citizens return from prisons and jails every year, Adam is one of the success stories hear his truly inspiring and amazing story and the power of perseverance. In the era of criminal justice reform this is a must listen to episode.

25 to Life: From Prison to College Episode ft. Adam Alston, UMD Electrical Engineering Student

After a hiatus from the studio being renovated we back at  it check out our dope new studio on youtube and IG totally updated we feel rejuvenated and reinvigorated that's why we the most hated, debated and celebrated. Super shout out to Carleton (the media genius) at Hornbake Media Studios for the upgrades bro!!!! We feeling it ya heard! Salute. This ep we have no guests it was really just us getting back into the groove of doing us, the new episodes are going to be lit. Even though the studio and MD/DC is home base for us, we plan on taking the podcast on the road to Philly, a whole lot of people we need  to interview in Philly shout out to my way AB Day, Mount Aye, Uptown, North, South, West, Southwest, Frankford the entire #215 and salute to the whole DC the #202 Southeast, Uptown, Northeast, Southwest, PG #Ward9 #301 (Suitland, All the Heights, Hillcrest Heights. Marlow Heights, District Heights, Capital Heights, Glassmanor, Oxon Hill, Temple Hills, Forrestville  too many hoods to name) and the whole DMV. In this ep we rap about the hospital violence intervention program we just started at PG Trauma working with male victims of gunshot wounds and violence period, Che's new position as the Credible Messenger/ Community Health Worker, the lack of rules in the street, the Knuckles Up Guns Down Get Your Issue Movement we starting in DC/PG at the boxing gyms shout of to Chris we keeping it pushin.

We Gotta New Studio Episode ft. Working Class Intellectuals Hosts Doc & Che

In this episode we chop it up with Trauma Surgeon, Dr. Jack Mather, University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center, one of the top trauma surgeons in DC MD and DMV about what its like to be him and have the pressure of saving someone's life in his hands every day. We talk about talk about what motivates him to save lives, the feeling of saving someone's life and how it feels when they die, his work with victims of gunshot wounds, car crashes, (totally convinced me about why you should wear a seat belt), politics, gun control, and his work with our hospital violence intervention program CAP-VIP at PG Trauma Center with male survivors of violence primarily via gunshot. And we talk hip hop over really good wine, yeah he's a hip hop junkie too just like us and digs good wine. Salute. An incredibly introspective episode about why you should value your life, the thin line between life and death, and the incredible responsibility of the people who often have your life in their hands.

Gun Violence & Trauma: The Trauma Surgeon Episode featuring Dr. Jack Mather

In this episode BJ Paige who is running for District 7 Councilman for Prince George's County takes a seat at the table with us to chop it up about why he is running for office, the new wave of young Black candidates running for office locally and nationwide (shout out to the new mayors in Birmingham, AL and Jackson, MS), his organization Boys to Bowties, marriage, manhood and friendship. This brother drops jewels on the state of politics, growing up in DC and PG and why he is a breath of fresh air and change for a county government that has embraced being the wealthiest predominately Black county in the US with significant pockets of concentrated poverty in the hoods he is running to represent such as Suitland, Capitol Heights, Temple Hills, Seat Pleasant, Hillcrest Heights, Marlow Heights, District Heights, Forestville and Oxon Hill. if you know the DC/PG area this is known as Ward 9.  In a county that is mired in the politics of respectability and maintaining the status quo for the Black middle class this brother gives a narrative we haven't heard. So fall back, grab a good glass of spirits like we did and listen to what he has to say.

The Councilman: We All Won Episode ft. BJ Paige Candidate for District 7 Prince George's County

In this episode we chop it up with Tech Entrepreneur and CEO of Flikshop and the FlikShop School of Business Marcus Bullock. At the age of 15 he was sentenced to 23 years to life for carjacking in the DMV, he spent 8 years in adult prison before he was released, the judged suspended the remaining years of his sentence. Like many offenders following release from prison he spent a year unemployed but his life would soon make a turn when he thought of and developed an app that could keep inmates and their loved ones connected. From this came the Flikshop App which you can download on Apple and the Flikshop School of Business which teaches young Black men many who have been incarcerated how to be entrepreneurs. Mr. Bullock has appeared in Forbes, Washington Post, TedTalks and many other media outlets but none more realer than us because you know we keep it 100% real no at Working Class Intellectuals no filters straight no chaser with our conversation. This is an inspiring story about perseverance and always being a forward thinker and innovator regardless of your circumstances. Really good conversation and as always the wine was flowing, check it out.

The Tech Entrepreneur: Teaching the Hood How to Code Episode ft. Marcus Bullock CEO of Flikshop

In this episode it we get it crackin with Comedian Actor and DC Native Tommy Taylor, Jr., you've seen him on HBO, ABC and Late Night TV with Conan O'Brien and even in his Web Series but now he's chopping it up with us. In this hilarious episode, we go in on the process of writing and performing stand up because its amazing that a comedian can go for two hours nonstop with what seems like unlimited material. How do they do it? We break down our top three comedians and why? We all had different answers on this one which of course led to a debate. Tommy explains why there is a difference between MCs writing their own lyrics and comedians who have co-writers. Think Drake vs Meek but apply it to comedians. Most importantly, we talk about Thot Thursdays you gotta listen to the episode to get that joke. A really funny episode when y'all know at working class intellectuals we often discuss serious issues which we get into a little bit in this ep too. Good conversation, good wine, and good people are the table. Join us for the Stand Up episode featuring Comedian and Actor Tommy Taylor, Jr.

The Stand Up Episode ft. Comedian and Actor Tommy Taylor Jr. Host of Thot Thursdays

In this episode we chop it with DC Native from the legendary Hanover Place, Tony Lewis Jr, about his incredible autobiographical book Slugg: A Boy's Life in the Age of Mass Incarceration. For those who do not know, Tony is the son of Tony Lewis Sr, a legendary hustler on the streets of DC who is now incarcerated for life in federal prison. At a young age, Tony experienced his father getting sentenced to life, an event which totally altered his life as a boy growing up in DC's Hanover Place. While he could have followed his father's footsteps and their were many challenges along the way, which we discuss in-depth in this episode, Tony eventually became an advocate against mass incarceration and his committed himself to assisting people coming out of prison and getting young buls to putting the guns down. We cover everything in this episode: children of incarcerated parents, parenting, uncles, social fathers, mental health, mass incarceration, hustling, gun violence, DC's rapid gentrification and the impact of crack on DC neighborhoods/families, Black masculinity, and more. Once again Good Wine and Good people make good conversation. His book is a classic and is a must read for everyone to understand how mass incarceration affects the lives of children told through the lens of someone who experienced it.

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Slugg: A Boy's Life in the Age of Mass Incarceration ft. Author & Activist Tony Lewis Jr

In this episode, we go to therapy with Psychotherapist Edward McCurty about how men and Black men in particular deal and cope with their mental health. We discuss topics often not discussed among Black men such as suicide, depression, stress and the effects of it on your body, intergenerational historical and violent trauma, PTSD, self-medicating, addiction, help seeking behaviors, social support, the role of the spirituality and the church in mental health and coping mechanisms to deal with the day to day stress we experience as men. On the low Edward took us to therapy and we didn't even know it. We tackle the issue of mental health and men head on in an open and honest conversation that could be fruitful and helpful for my brothers because we often suffer in silence but going to therapy is cool no shame in that and we explain why and how you can get better. Oh yeah and why does our therapist Edward McCurty actually remind us of the the Therapist Dr. Siri Sat Nam Singh from Vice same height cool beard cool clothes and demeanor that's crazy.

The Therapist: Black Men & Mental Health Episode ft. Psychotherapist Edward McCurty

Are you into adventure? In this episode, we chop it up with James Butch Goodwin President of Goombay Inc., the best Black Adventurers organization in the US and possibly world wide. If you are into adventure you would want to hear this episode we dig in on all the cool things that we don't think Black people do but hundreds are a part of the adventure wave. We chop it up with Butch about how Goombay provides adventures in skydiving, white water rafting. zip lining, hiking, camping, skiing, gun range, and most importantly the cool highly competitive co-ed kickball league which it seems everybody in the DMV is a part of. If you want to hear about this movement and how much fun it is listen in!

The Goombay Black Adventurer & Kickball League Episode ft. CEO James Butch Goodwin

In the episode we chop it with James Allen from the premier Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop in DC which works with incarcerated youth and youth returning from incarceration developing them into best writers and poets in the US. A must listen to episode with one of the most innovative book clubs and writing programs for incarcerated youth and returning youth in world.

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop Episode ft. James Allen

To our working class intellectuals podcast family we've been away for minute but we've returned with an incredible episode. There are 10,500 air traffic controllers in the US less than 5 percent are Black, fortunately for us we were able to chop it up with two of them DC born and raised air traffic controllers aka ATCs  Aubrey Farrar and Terry Halsey. In this episode they drop a ton of jewels on what it is like to be a Black air traffic controller and for Aubrey who also has his pilot's license what its like to be a pilot. The safety of your flight every time you hop on a plan is dependent on them. They save more lives in one week than a trauma surgeon does all year. Talk about pressure! Let us add they are classy too, they brought the wine this time, Grand Cru 2009, so for our next guests y'all gotta step your wine game up, they set the bar real high. We also get into the STEM program they developed in partnership with Georgetown University to teach young Kings and Queens growing up in DC's hoods about aviation and the STEM related occupations in the aviation industry. We are proud of these brothers and salute them, and they are genuine down to earth and real exactly what we represent at WCI. If you never knew the behind the scenes story of what an ATC or pilot does this an episode well worth listening to as we continue to celebrate Black excellence. Rest in peace to one of our inspirations Nipsey Hussle.

The  Black Pilots Air Traffic Controllers DC Flight Club Episode ft. Aubrey Farrar & Terry Halsey

This podcast is dedicated to the unsung  working class intellectuals from my neighborhood in Philadelphia, the school teachers, store owners, construction and postal workers, janitors, bus and truck drivers, cops, firefighters, babysitters, musicians, artists, first generation college students, ball players, coaches, hustlers, killers, addicts, gamblers, thieves, petty criminals, pimps, prostitutes, and old heads who provided the most insightful and revolutionary commentary on how the world really works.

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