The 6th episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast follows Daralyse Lyons in the second installment of a 3-episode series exploring Black experiences, past and present. In this episode, Daralyse explores Black Pain: The Enduring Impact of Racism. Through personal narratives, interviews, and research, she and her guests expound upon the myriad ways in which Black people are overtly, subtly and systemically suppressed. Through this episode, you will learn more about the long-reaching psychological, emotional, and spiritual ramifications that bigoted structures create and hear from those with life-experiences of persecution and pain.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• How discrimination can exist subtly, or overtly, and how racism is not and never has been a singular phenomenon.

• The importance of safe spaces for sharing within Black culture, and the ways in which art, media, sports, music and other avenues for creativity offer an outlet for many Black folx.

• The unfair pressure that many Black people face to perform at a higher level than their white counterparts, in order to enjoy a similar level of recognition, opportunity and success.

• The importance of historical events such as the murder of George Floyd.

• The ways in which racism is used to control Black narratives and to dictate the stories Black folx tell about their own lived experiences.

• The expectations that white culture has on Black artists to produce work that conforms to a certain narrative in order to be taken seriously.

• Why belonging is just as crucial to creating change as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training work within any school, business, or organization.

Our guests in this episode include:

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.

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.

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.

Anthony Stevenson - Dr. Stevenson is currently the Principal of Radnor Elementary School in Wayne, Pennsylvania and an Adjunct Professor at Rowan University, Temple University and Villanova University. In 2017, Dr. Stevenson was elected to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Lower Merion (PA) Township where he has been serving ever since.

Ghetto Don Visionary - Ghetto Don Visionary is a New York City-based Reggae artist whose music and art is inspired and informed by contemporary events, spirituality, and a willingness to examine racism as an addiction.Through songs like Racist Anonymous and Racism Vaccine, Ghetto Don Visionary invites listeners to confront the dynamics that keep racism alive both within the United States and within themselves.

William Tyrone Toms - The Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of REC Philly, a multi-million dollar creative hub and incubator based in Philadelphia, Will was recently named one of Forbes 30 under 30. His mission through REC Philly is to create business ownership for the Black community in Philadelphia, a city in which the population is over 40% Black, but less than 4% of businesses are Black-owned.

Latoya C Smith - Latoya is an editor and literary agent. She has established her own entrepreneurial endeavor as a full-time editor and literary agent after starting her career working for big publishing houses. She is also host Daralyse Lyons' literary agent.

Brittany Chung Campbell - Brittany is a book coach and sensitivity reader who helps coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs go from an idea to a compelling book with consistent sales, and specializes in amplifying the voices of authors with historically marginalized voices.

Brittany Monet - A R&B/pop/soul singer, and artist behind the song Better that serves as the theme music for Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast. Better was inspired by, and recorded in direct response to the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020.

Don Trahan - Don Trahan is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, approved Clinical Supervisor Professor, international consultant and global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion change management and known professionally as Dr. Don. At 35 years old he holds 5 degrees, 2 of which are doctorates. Dr. Don is an expert in intersectional descrimination, in the form of racism and ageism, supporting organizations in shifting harmful dynamics for their workforces.

Jette Stubbs - Jette is a Career & Business Coach, creator of The Happy Career Formula, and co-creator of Mosaic Untold Lives: Secrets and True Stories From Women of Colour. Her experiences in the corporate world shape and inform much of the work she does today.

Hookz - Hookz is a New York City-based, Haitian American musician, producer, rapper and long-time music industry professional. Having started in the music business at the age of 15, Hookz is an expert in the ways in which the industry exploits young artists, particularly those of color, for short-term profit.

Daneil Chambers - A lifelong student with multiple degrees and a passion for learning, Daneil Chambers considers her primary identity to be that of problem-solver. She has made it her mission to think critically and constructively about ways to support positive social change. The founder of ISpy Injustice, she hopes to inspire others to take an active role in dismantling unjust systems and in sharing stories that inspire empathy and cross-cultural understanding.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.