Beyond the Margins: The Podcast

Beyond Access: Mentorship, Belonging, and the Power of Community w/ Mr. Philip WIlkerson III

In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts welcomes Philip Wilkerson III of George Mason University for a powerful conversation on mentorship, belonging, and the importance of culturally grounded support for Black students and Black men. Together, they explore the difference between simply having access to educational spaces and truly feeling seen, valued, and connected within them. Philip shares his personal journey into higher education and reflects on how mentorship, representation, and intentional community shape identity, academic success, and emotional wellness. The conversation also examines the impact of isolation in predominantly white spaces, the need for Black mentorship across every stage of life, and why creating spaces of belonging is essential—not optional. This episode is a thoughtful discussion on community, legacy, and the power of connection to transform lives, generations, and educational experiences.

Beyond the Classroom: Empowering Students Through Real-World Experiences, Voice, and Skill-Building w/ Ms. Kadesha Powell

In this episode of Beyond the Margins, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, content creator, and author Khadisha Powell to explore the transformative power of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and student voice. Powell shares her journey from Missouri to Washington, D.C., describing how a last-minute opportunity launched her career in education and shaped her approach to teaching media, film, and mass communication. The conversation highlights the importance of real-world experiences, including national and international trips, in cultivating skills such as creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability. Powell also emphasizes culturally responsive teaching, showing how honoring students’ identities and stories enhances both learning and personal growth. Listeners hear practical strategies for engaging students in project-based learning, valuing their work, and empowering them to tell their own stories. The episode demonstrates how CTE, often misunderstood or undervalued, provides students with professional, technical, and creative skills while fostering confidence, leadership, and agency that extend well beyond the classroom.

Curriculum is Liberation: Empowering Students Through Inquiry, Relevance, and Critical Engagement w/ Ms. Carynne Conover

In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with Ms. Carynne Conover, Newark’s Director of Social Studies Education and veteran educator, to explore the power of curriculum to liberate young minds. Ms. Conover reflects on her journey from a private Catholic school upbringing to advocating for equity and exposure in public education, framing teaching as a tool to empower students, not just inform them. The discussion centers on creating curricula that are living, inquiry-based, and student-centered, where learners actively engage with content rather than passively receive it. Ms. Conover emphasizes the historian’s craft of asking compelling questions, analyzing primary sources, and connecting lessons to students’ lived experiences. By linking historical events, systemic inequities, and contemporary social issues, she demonstrates how social studies equips students to critically navigate and shape the world around them. The episode also examines the stakes of ineffective instruction, including indoctrination, incomplete narratives, and unexamined textbooks. Ms. Conover challenges educators to foster discernment, research skills, and intellectual independence, helping students become active creators of knowledge. Ultimately, the episode celebrates social studies as a transformative tool, cultivating relevance, freedom, and the development of informed, empowered young citizens.

The Dopamine Effect: Motivation and the Brain w/ Ms. Shauna F. King

In this episode, Dr. Sohn A. Butts talks with Ms. Shauna King, brain science expert and school culture consultant, about how neuroscience can inform student motivation and engagement. Drawing on her experience from substitute teacher to principal and national consultant, Ms. King emphasizes that effective teaching starts with understanding how the brain works; particularly how predictability, relevance, and intrinsic motivation drive learning. The conversation explores dopamine’s role in focus and behavior, the effects of hormones and stress on adolescent brains, and the importance of clarity and relevance in lesson design. Ms. King critiques over-reliance on external rewards, discusses the impact of trauma on learning, and offers actionable strategies, like asking students how to improve the class, to foster ownership, curiosity, and engagement. She also imagines a fully brain-aligned school: student-centered, creative, structured yet exploratory, with intentional breaks, play, and collaborative spaces. At its core, the episode underscores that educators can ignite intrinsic motivation, make learning meaningful, and create environments where students thrive cognitively and emotionally.

At Promise, Not At Risk: Unpacking Deficit Thinking and Building Possibility-Centered Education w/ Dr. Keith Brooks

In this rich and expansive dialogue, Dr. Sohn A. Butts sits with educator, scholar, and thought partner Dr. Keith Brooks to examine deficit thinking and its origins, how it shows up in schools, and why it continues to undermine marginalized students and communities. Drawing from his upbringing in South Central Los Angeles and a pivotal awakening through a Stanford summer program, Dr. Brooks reflects on the moment he realized that brilliance and “cool” are not mutually exclusive, a revelation that shaped his multigenerational career in teaching and leadership. The conversation unpacks how deficit-based language subtly permeates education: from curriculum that erases Black and Brown brilliance to school-family communications that only surface in moments of trouble. Dr. Brooks challenges the harmful label “at risk,” advocating instead for “at promise”, but emphasizes that true change requires at-promise practices, including intentional instruction, equitable systems, and high expectations that reflect genuine belief in students’ potential. Dr. Brooks also critiques systemic scarcity thinking, connecting it to inequitable funding, resistance to reform, and the national disinvestment in education, even as other countries prioritize collective advancement. He calls educators to deep internal work, reflection, metacognition, ongoing learning, and collaboration with other truth-tellers, grounding his insights in historical context, highlighting how Black educational excellence has repeatedly been met with resistance and erasure. Closing with a resonant charge, Dr. Brooks urges educators to do no harm, understand context before intervening, and equip students with tools to think critically, discern wisely, and navigate the challenges they will face.