Supporting Young Fathers: Nicholas Dean’s Advocacy Journey with the Delta Project
Season 3 of “What I Know Now” centers on the theme of visibility: what it means to be seen—and unseen—within the juvenile justice system, within family, and within ourselves. In this deeply moving episode, mentor and young father Nicholas Dean shares his journey from invisibility to advocacy, in dialogue with host Cole Williams. Nicholas’s story is at once personal and universal—a snapshot of countless youths navigating adversarial systems and longing to be recognized for their full humanity.
The conversation opens with Nicholas’s memories of juvenile detention, where he and Cole first met—Cole as a mentor, Nicholas as a teen searching for support and meaning. Nicholas reflects on how positive adult presence, especially from Black men in the system, challenged stereotypes and provided crucial hope—an early experience of being seen.
Nicholas details his path to fatherhood, both the joy and the overwhelming pressure he faced (including losing a child, raising kids as a young man, and striving for “perfection” as a parent). He’s candid about the pitfalls of systems like Friend of the Court: receiving child support demands while his child lived with him, being arrested on a technicality, and struggling to find resources or guidance as a confused and traumatized young parent. These bureaucratic obstacles rarely acknowledge youth, leaving individuals to feel disposable or invisible.
Yet within and beyond these hardships, Nicholas finds ground for growth. He rejects the idea of separating mistakes from identity or hiding his story—“that’s all of me,” he says. Nicholas’s authenticity isn’t just therapeutic for himself; it makes him an accessible, relatable mentor for others. Mentorship, he emphasizes, is about walking with people, not talking down to them—a philosophy ingrained from his own experiences with guides like Cole.
The episode explores themes of resilience, self-advocacy, and the vital role of relationships—not only with mentors and the mothers of his children, but with the court clerks and staff themselves. Over time, Nicholas moves from being negatively labeled in the system to developing a reputation for persistence and accountability. He becomes a resource not only for young dads but for anyone—mothers included—navigating confusing legal terrain.
For Nicholas, “visibility” means showing up for oneself and others, refusing to be discouraged by systems that seem set up for you to lose. He concludes with actionable hope: “Don’t be intimidated by the fact that this system is here to be against you. Be motivated by it… As long as you keep putting in that effort, your outcome will be more favorable than not.”
With this episode, “What I Know Now” invites listeners to listen differently: to recognize the real struggles young fathers face, to offer pathways (not just judgment), and to realize the collective power in uplifting every story. Nicholas Dean’s journey demonstrates that real visibility changes trajectories—not just for one, but for all.
