The 5th episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast follows Daralyse Lyons in the first of a 3-episode series exploring Black experiences, past and present. In the first episode, Daralyse explores Black History: From Slavery to Segregation. In doing so, she and her guests expound upon the importance of going beyond the history books and unearthing the lived experiences of those who have faced discrimmination first-hand, to bring light to the reality and relatability of their stories.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• How discrimination can exist subtly, including in the lowered expectations an individual can have for those of another group.

• The importance of exposure to diverse experiences at an early age, to normalize and educate people about the differences between individuals and groups within our society.

• How the individual's story is crucial for intimately detailing the lived experience of a group of people.

• How in the gaps caused by discrimination and prejudice, hope, community and pride in one's identity can be a source of support.

• The dichotomy between pain and expression, and the interplay between systemic oppression and thriving creative output in a marginalized community.

Our guests in this episode include:

Channing Gerard Joseph - An award-winning journalist whose byline has appeared around the globe. Channing is a proud descendant of the enslaved people who built America and gave it soul, and has done research to trace his ancestry back to the exact slave auctions in which his ancestors were bought and sold - including the one in which his family's freedom was purchased.

Don Wyatt - The John M. McCardell Jr. Distinguished professor at Middlebury College, he is an expert in Asian Studies, with a primary concentration in China. Don is currently working on a history of foreign slaves in Imperial China. His lived experiences growing up in a racially-divided Midwest town lend to his expertise in this area.

Baba Doc - Baba Doc was a master drummer and percussionist, as well as an expert in the origins and the history of the drum to African-American culture - both in the diaspora and also in present day life. Baba Doc passed away soon after the recording of his interview for this episode.

Walter Johnson - A former computer programmer, systems engineer and technical instructor who spent two years serving in the United States Army. In 1962, Walter became a computer programmer for the City of Philadelphia, and in 1966 he was hired by IBM as the first Black Systems Engineer in the Banking Marketing Office. Walter is also Demystifying Diversity Podcast Partner Zack James' uncle.

Noel George - Is a retired highschool teacher and athletic coach who also taught in prisons to help with reform and reeducation efforts. Noel and his wife have lived in Terrebone Parish, Louisiana, for most of their lives. He is the uncle of Founder and former Demystifying Diversity Podcast partner, AnnaMarie Jones.

Sadie Lewis George - Married to Noel George, Sadies is a retired educator and the author of the book “Separate But Unequal-Black Education and Life During Jim Crow in Terrebone Parish.” She draws from her experience in education as her classroom desegregated in 1969. She is the aunt of Founder and former Demystifying Diversity Podcast partner, AnnaMarie Jones.

Kweisi Ausar - Kweisi is an expert in workplace spirituality and other topics related to human dynamics in organizations. He specializes in empowering individuals to transcend undesirable, dysfunctional, and harmful conditioning by cultivating spiritual competencies that are designed to increase mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Bo-Dean Sanders - Bo-Dean is the author of Race Against, Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports, and a former collegiate football player first at Cheyney University, the oldest Historically Black College or University in America, then at Villanova University. He writes and speaks about diversity & inclusion in sports and the positive impact multiculturalism has had on his personal and professional relationships.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.