Tell us more about who you are and what you do?
I’m AJ Adams — host of the Just My Baby Daddy Podcast and founder of the JMBD Foundation. My work centers on fatherhood, co-parenting, and building community for dads who don’t always see their story reflected in the conversation around what it means to be a father.
What inspired you to start the Just My BabyDaddy Podcast?
It started with a conversation I had with a group of moms at a friend’s house. They were agreeing with a lot of what I was saying — and in that moment, it hit me: the only reason they could actually hear it was because I wasn’t their baby daddy. There’s no emotional attachment clouding it. The same logic, the same point, coming from their own partner? They’d tune it out — not because it’s wrong, but because of who’s saying it.
That’s when I realized how often fathers go unheard. We can be saying the right thing and still get dismissed simply because of the relationship. So I wanted to build a platform where we could talk openly about the struggles and the fight of being a father — without that noise getting in the way.
How is your platform changing the narrative on what a BabyDaddy is and/or means?
We’re changing the narrative through the conversations we have, the events we hold, and the stories we tell. We talk openly about the emotional toll it takes on a man when he isn’t able to be present with his kids — and we make one thing clear: no one wants to be reduced to “just a baby daddy.” We’re fathers, full stop, and that shouldn’t change based on whether we’re with the mother or not.
In those conversations, we create space for men to be vulnerable about the heartaches and hardships of fatherhood — things most of us carry but rarely say out loud. And what comes through every time is this: every father wants to be present. That desire is bigger than any label.
That’s the imagery we’re putting to rest — the “deadbeat dad” narrative. We talk about the importance of presence, about building legacy. And this platform isn’t just for baby daddies. It’s for married fathers, fathers starting over, future fathers. It’s for everyone trying to show up.
What are the top three takeaways you want people to get from your platform?
Three things. First, that fathers understand and genuinely want to be present in their children’s lives. Second, that fathers care about leaving a real legacy behind for the next generation. And third — that fatherhood is the number one priority, not just for me, but for the dads we talk to on this platform every day.
Where do you see the organization in 5 years?
In five years, I see the foundation really expanding our two biggest initiatives. The first is the JMBD HBCU Legacy Scholarship — we award money to graduating seniors headed to an HBCU whose father passed away from gun violence. Right now that’s DMV-based, but I’d love to take it national, ideally with partnerships with the two HBCUs I’m closest to: Howard University, where I started my education, and Fayetteville State University, where I graduated.
The second is Ari’s Angels, named after my daughter. I understand firsthand the struggles that come with the NICU experience, and the program provides care packages to fathers going through it.
Beyond those, I see us doing more events like “Building a Village” and our financially-fit-fathers conversations — and expanding beyond just fathers. We have a program coming in September called Boys to Men, a conversation for single moms about the struggles of raising young boys into grown men. I’d also love to host father’s conferences down the line. Honestly, the sky’s the limit, because everything we build is tailored toward strengthening the family as a whole.
Who is AJ Adams as a Father?
I’m a 42-year-old father of three — one of which is a toddler, which still catches people off guard. Forty-something with a toddler, yeah, it’s wild life. But really, I’m someone who’s had to learn fatherhood without ever having a father to learn it from. My dad passed away when I was 4 — he never made it to 30, lost to the streets of DC — and my grandfather died before I was even born. I’ve been the only male on my paternal side since I was a kid, figuring this out as I go.
How has starting your platform impacted who you are as a dad?
Having conversations with other dads has given me a perspective I never would have gotten trying to figure this out on my own. It’s prepared me for steps that are still ahead in raising my own kids — things that weren’t passed down to me, I’ve had to learn through these conversations instead.
It’s also given me the chance to sit down with my own children and ask how they feel about my parenting, right there on the platform. Getting that raw, honest perspective from them has actually strengthened our relationship. And it’s put even more weight on the responsibility I carry — not just as a father, but in making sure fathers’ stories get represented to the masses.
How can healing as men, fathers, and “BabyDaddys” impact our children’s lives?
An unstable man creates emotionally unstable children. That’s the reality. We have to keep our emotions, our mental health, our physical health — everything — in line, because we’re representing the best version of ourselves to our kids whether we mean to or not. We’re the walking billboard they follow.
I want to be the image my son wants to be. I want to be the standard. And if I want to be the standard he measures himself against, I have to first see that standard in myself. Not just see it — embody it, so he can take it further than I did and become better than me.
How can platforms like yours collectively change the narrative around Black fatherhood?
By highlighting the positive stories of fatherhood — and when we do talk about the struggles, doing it from the dad’s perspective without turning it into a gender war or a back-and-forth about the mom. A platform doesn’t need to degrade one side to lift up the other. We don’t need “baby mama vs. baby daddy” wars or gender wars for content — it’s unnecessary, and it gets us nowhere.
What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy means everything to me. To me, legacy means doing something greater than yourself for the benefit of others. For me specifically, it means providing my children a life and opportunities far greater than I ever had — and not just financially. Emotionally. Physically. Being there for them in every way I can, while also building something financial to leave behind.
Legacy is why I’m here. It’s doing something for someone greater than yourself. Right now, that’s what I’m about — my legacy, and what it means for my three children.
What’s next for the Just My BabyDaddy Podcast and how can people listen and follow you?
What’s next for the podcast: we’re continuing to bring on guests — both bigger names like Albert Haynesworth and Bruce Bruce, alongside everyday dads with stories that need to be told. Things like raising a child with autism, or being a single dad raising a daughter. We’re also moving toward doing more in-person podcasts, potentially taking the show on the road and setting up live recordings.
Outside the podcast, the foundation is on its way to receiving official 501(c)(3) status. Both the HBCU Legacy Scholarship and Ari’s Angels will officially launch in August.
Here’s where to find everything:
Foundation: thejmbdfoundation.org
Podcast updates: justmybabydaddy.com
Podcast social media: @justmybabydaddypod (all platforms)
Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts — search “Just My Baby Daddy”
Me personally: @alajauan
If you want to share your fatherhood journey or have a story to tell, we’re always looking for guests — and if you’re in the DMV area, we can talk about setting something up in person.
