Dear Mamas & Magic Makers What if I told you the collision of declining birth rates in the U.S., the rise of anti-intellectualism, and the rollback of reproductive rights are having a profound impact on your child's potential college experience? How do we help prepare our children for the future when the world we know is crumbling before our eyes? In this episode, we talk with one of our favorite kiki partners and Associate Vice President for Equity & Community Inclusion at San Francisco State, Dr. Frederick Smith, about the changing landscape of higher education, the challenges, and strategies for Black families navigating the college experience for their teens. We discuss the importance of support systems, financial literacy, overcoming barriers like making friends and advocating for oneself, and we explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students' social skills. AND MAMAS what you should be thinking about if you're considering returning to college. We dive into: Parental transitions & creating critical thinking opportunities for our children Importance of the college experience beyond the classroom Anti-intellectualism, mental health & the impact on higher ed The number one challenge new college students face PLUS - Our LISTENER LOVE EPISODE RECORDING, where we invite our listeners to come on to the podcast, will take place on November 13th. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "I Ain't Forgot." ABOUT DR. FREDERICK SMITH Dr. Frederick Smith's research and professional interests focus on higher education and include: co-curricular learning experiences; the role of ethnic studies and cultural centers in student identity development and confidence building; campus climate experiences of historically marginalized and minoritized communities; retention and graduation of students of color in higher education; and collaborations between student affairs and academic affairs units for student success. Smith has served twice as president of the California Council of Cultural Centers in Higher Education (CaCCCHE) and he is active with the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). Outside of higher education, Fred enjoys reading and writing fiction. He's written and published several novels – In Case You Forgot (2019), Play It Forward (2015), Right Side of the Wrong Bed (2009), and Down For Whatever (2005) – that focus on queer people of color characters. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University. Connect with Fred Smith: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Listener Love Episode Recording: Thursday, November 13th, 1pmET If you'd like to join us complete this form: https://bit.ly/dbmbeourguest 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #22 "My motherhood is rooted in creativity" 💗 Episode Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Episode 26 In Case You Forgot with Chad Lamar & Frederick Smth 🎙️DBM Episode 51: When It All Falls Down, Finding Freedom & Transitioning to Conscious Parenting w/ Domari Dickinson 🎙️DBM Ep 61: Joy & Black Motherhood 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube | Email List 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com