Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins is a speaker, educator and thought leader.
With over ten years of experience in education, social justice and grassroots movements, Dr. Higgins is focused on public speaking and working with the media on issues centered on people of color, LGBTQ storytelling and marginalized communities. His work has been included on Blavity, The Root, Efniks, Wear Your Voice and Talkspace. Dr. Higgins serves as Campus Pride’s Curriculum Educator, is a Lambda Literary writing fellow and a regular contributor to SOULE.
Dr. Higgins is committed to using his voice to highlight and bring focus to the issues that affect both the Black and LGBTQ community. In September of 2016, Dr. Higgins launched a YouTube channel where he posts weekly videos about race and identity issues, and began sharing pieces of his a mini-documentary highlighting stories related to his life as a queer Black man growing up in the inner city of San Bernardino. This mini-documentary also covers his journey to receiving his doctoral degree.
Dr. Higgins has spoken at universities including Kansas State, Colgate University, UCSD, and UCLA. He has consulted with Purdue University to restructure their Safe Zone program and has given several presentations within the California State University system about what can be done to better serve LGBTQ+ students. Dr. Higgins continues to lecture all over the country on topics related to intersectionality, race, gender and sexuality and has gained attention from websites including Attn: and Vox. In April of 2017, Dr. Higgins gave his first TEDx talk on how to unlearn fear and develop personal power, leading to an op-ed piece on Splinter.com.
Dr. Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California and graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in Women’s Studies. He also holds a Masters of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands, where he graduate top three in his class and was inducted into the Whitehead Leadership Society.
Dr. Higgins recently completed his Educational Doctorate of Leadership in Justice from the University of Redlands where he wrote his dissertation on the first year experiences of queer men of color in higher education. You can connect with him on all social media by using the handle, @DoctorJonPaul.
Recently, Dr. Higgins was on our show talking about his article Fixing the Lives of Male Childhood-Rape Survivors.
During our conversation, Dr. Higgins talking about:
– Some of his background including growing up with Rodney King – Where did his passion for to be better, challenging himself and finding his voice come from – “Education was never built for Black people.” – The impact of Bayard Rustin has had on his life – The story behind his article – Some of the emotional challenges including sexual and emotional violence that Black queer men face and some of the reasons why do a number of Black people have trouble dealing with Black queer men – The impact of slavery on Black men and rape culture – Toxic masculinity – “Many Black men are not taught to manage their emotions.” – How do you know if a man has sense of himself – How can Black people who have been abused be helped – How big of an issue is Black men who have been sexually abused – What do many Black men need to unlearn when it comes to Black queer men – The importance of people go see a therapist if they need to see one – His calls to action
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God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith,
Dr. Vibe