Lost Black Boys: Education, The Red Pill & Incel Culture

We take education to task. Asking who it serves, what it leaves out and what it means for boys growing up in an age of algorithms and Andrew Tate. Aiwan opens with a question many 18-year-olds are asking today: "Is university still worth it?" She shares what she gained from structured learning in music technology and what 20 years in a creative industry taught her that a degree never could. We talk debt, discipline and the difference between education and enlightenment. And, dare we say, even wisdom. Then Tamanda brings to the surface a story that’s hard to ignore: the rise of the Black Red Pill bros. She introduces Kelvin Frimpong, a Ghanaian-born ex-Red Piller, whose viral TikTok lays bare how young men can be groomed through isolation, resentment and the promise of belonging. We hear his cut-through voicenotes on education as prevention, and the role that adults can and must play in creating spaces where boys can question safely without being shamed. Finally, we hear from our dear friend, Dr Alex Blower, whose academic work explores the most critical and urgent of questions: “What can we do about the issue of boys, men and toxic masculinity?” Alex adds a dose of compassion that’s informed by his work on boys, schooling and masculinity. And he offers a roadmap for teachers, parents and communities to become “trusted adults”, i.e. mentors who can protect and honour the emotional lives of boys in a world that too often forgets them. 🎧 In this episode:Learning vs. livestreams: What university teaches that Youtube can’t and why structured learning still matters in a digital world.£27K degrees and AI degrees: The rising cost of Higher Education, creative industry realities and whether AI is helping or hollowing out learning.The Black red pill: Isolation, grooming and the pipeline from resentment to radicalisation.Hearing from Kelvin Frimpong: A first-hand account of alienation, belonging and how art and feminist literature rebuilt identity.Culture and conservatism: How African social values, religion and prosperity gospel ideals can make red pill ideas harder to spot.Saving our sons: Dr Alex Blower on schools, masculinity and community; from the “lost boys task force” to the call for trusted adults.Education as prevention: Why communication, critical thinking and conversation matter more than condemnation.Teaching and the teachers: Why constraints on educators limit care and how every adult can help raise emotionally whole boys.Can Black feminism save Black boys?: Education, Black red pill bros and Incel culture.🎙️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube🔁 Share with a parent, teacher or friend raising a boy in 2025📬 Reflections or stories to share? [email protected] rate, review and subscribe for weekly episodes.Connect with us on:TikTokInstagramLinkedInAiAi StudiosRoots & RigourThis is an AiAi Studios Production©AiAi Studios 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.