We are watching a national emergency unfold in real time as children are continuing to master screens before they master reading.

In Episode 2 of Bare Truth, Candace Renee sits down with Dr. Marie N. Feagins—an educator with deep urban-district leadership experience, 20+ years experience in education, and a 2026 candidate for Shelby County Mayor—for a no-fluff conversation about what’s happening to our kids inside (and outside) the classroom.

This episode goes straight into the uncomfortable questions parents are thinking but rarely say out loud: Are we raising thinkers… or raising scrollers? Are schools educating… or managing behavior? And what happens when AI gets smarter while our kids’ attention spans get shorter?

In this episode, we unpack:

Why literacy and attention are becoming a crisis—and what parents can do now

Phones in class, screen dependency, and the cost of “digital babysitting”

The public school-to-prison pipeline conversation—and why it keeps resurfacing

AI vs. intellectualism: when tools start replacing thinking

Accountability: parents, systems, policy, and what “real solutions” actually look like

About Dr. Marie Feagins:

Dr. Feagins holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Samford University) and has served in senior leadership roles in large school systems, including Detroit Public Schools Community District where she led the district to the highest graduation rate in a decade.

Sat down with full time, dark humor content creator Caleb Anthony (@calebant on IG, Tiktok, and Facebook) that has 800k+ across all platforms as we discuss "shock value" vs exploitation. We dive into discussing the moral responsibility around content creation and the dark side of the pressure to "create" on a daily basis across multiple platforms in addition to addressing new aged developed addictions to likes, views, and attention and how far that desire for engagement can go. Caleb also discusses Kirk Medas impact on his life as his best friend and we both address dealing with grieving upon unexpectedly losing Kirk.