In a time when we’re asked to confront the diverse and often unequal realities across the country, how do we talk about the American Dream today?

GOODTalks is a new digital series featuring candid conversations between the dynamic host trio of Troye Bullock, Darius Baxter, and Danny Wright and lawmakers, industry moguls, nonprofit leaders, and other prominent guests about what the American Dream means in 2019.

The hosts grew up in underserved communities in Washington D.C., each with their own challenges ranging from homelessness to gun violence to incarceration, and eventually met playing football at Georgetown University. Informed by their own experiences, they started GOODProjects, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of youth and families in their native D.C.

In their work and their own life experiences, the GOODGuys are often faced with issues of inequity, so they set out on a journey around the country to found out the authenticity of the American Dream with GOODTalks. Each GOODTalk features candid conversations about issues like education, criminal justice, housing, and economic opportunity. We hear thoughtful and often times unexpected discussions about these issues, with personal reflection from the hosts and guests. Nothing is off limits with the GOODGuys as they talk to key players and get their insightful takes on the American Dream and beyond.

About the GOODGuys:

One common passion, football, not only led to the start of a lifelong friendship between three young men, but the start of an organization and movement that would impact the lives of thousands of youth and families in the years to come. Darius Baxter, Troye Bullock, and Daniel Wright played football against each other in high school in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Coincidentally, they were all offered football scholarships to Georgetown University, where the 3 of them first met not knowing what bright futures they had in front of them. Upon meeting, the three men found out that they had more in common than just football; each individual was born in Washington D.C. to underserved families and communities, where each faced their own challenges. These included losing loved ones to gun violence, incarceration, illness, and being raised by teenage parents. Before graduating college, they founded GOODProjects – considered one of the fastest growing nonprofits run by African American men under age 25.

Now, these young men known as “The GOODGuys” provide opportunities and services to youth and families experiencing the same hardships they once faced. Also known as the “Philanthropic Rockstars,” the GOODGuys’ goal is to make social impact and philanthropy cool and fun, so those who come after them can make positive strides to impact the world. By culminating various social impact ventures, including media and entertainment, the GOODGuys seek to show the world that giving back to communities and helping those in need is not just a passion or a job, it is a lifestyle that should be held to the highest standard.

About GOODProjects:

GOOD is a social movement that provides holistic development and programming to underserved youth and families in Washington D.C. GOOD invests in people, projects, and property. The vehicle that drives GOOD is GOODProjects, a nonprofit organization that works to “Give Out Opportunities Daily” for youth and their families to live fulfilling lives free from poverty and violence, with improvements to their health and wellness. Over the past three years, GOODProjects has aided juvenile justice reform in Washington D.C. through the Credible Messenger Initiative, a transformative mentorship and family engagement program for adjudicated youth. GOODProjects has implemented restorative practices through one-on-one mentorship, giving formerly incarcerated youth and their parents a true opportunity for growth. GOODProjects also created the GOODZones Initiative, a poverty intervention model which leverages human, social, and economic capital nationwide, placing it into government funded housing neighborhoods to create and execute “Out of Poverty Plans” for each resident in each household. In just three years, GOODProjects has provided services to over 1,000 youth and families in the District of Columbia and served over 5,000 bagged lunches and sanitary kits to the homeless. GOOD is a movement that will impact Washington, D.C. and beyond for decades to come.

About Chasing the Dream:

Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a cross-platform public media initiative from WNET in New York reporting the human stories of poverty and inequality, focusing on both economic and structural inequities. We also focus in on solutions- what has worked – and is working — to bring people out of poverty.

Reporting and distributing content since 2014, Chasing the Dream has produced more than 475 reports across every platform of public media on-air and online – including national documentaries in collaboration with FRONTLINE and PBS WORLD, news reports on the PBS NewsHour and NewsHour Weekend, and regional reporting on MetroFocus and NJTV News. Our content partners also include WNYC public radio, Twin Cities PBS’s Next Avenue, and PBS Member Stations across the country.  Our digital-first projects like Getting Off the Streets, Your American Dream Score, and My Everyday Hustle are designed to reach new audiences.