Demystifying Diversity

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 9, Body Diversity: An Exploration of the Danger and Discrimination that Result from Diet Culture. They continue to explore the subtle and insidious nature of eating disorders, and how, tragically, good treatment is often not available, accessible, or afford...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse explores how the American obsession with body shape and size leads people to victimize themselves and others. She speaks with dieticians, nutritionists, psychotherapists, yoga therapists, teachers, authors, and body liberation activists about their experiences and insights. They discuss the importance of pushing back against diet cult...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 8, LGBTQIA: Embracing the Spectrum of Human Sexuality and Gender Identity. They review the importance of Trans Competency Trainings while illuminating the intersection of transphobia and racism, and how our society is being called to dismantle oppressive an...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews a variety of people within the LGBTQIA+ community about the ways in which they have navigated living within a binary-obsessed, heteronormative society. She explores the ways that binary understandings of gender and sexuality are oppressive and how practicing the emotional skill of vulnerability enables us to connect m...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in episode seven, Survival After Genocide: A Conversation about the Enduring Impact of the Holocaust and the Human Capacity for Resilience. Daralyse and AnnaMariespeak about the importance of learning history for the sake of not repeating it and reveal the insights th...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews a variety of individuals about the enduring impact of the Holocaust. It is a devastating, almost incomprehensible, reality that between 1933 and 1945, under the direction of the anti-Semitic dictator, Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany and its allies murdered 11 million people. Throughout this episode, Daralyse asks historian...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in episode six, Developmental Disabilities: Exploring the Importance of Agency in Advocacy. They explore the wondrous ways that non-typical thinkers and learners are able to create and innovate in the world, and how deleterious it is when structural inequities deprive...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews members of the autism community and those who actively work with individuals with developmental disabilities about the importance of centering the voices of people with disabilities. Daralyse explores the sad and shameful history of persecuting difference in the United States, and the many structures of systematized e...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 5, Latinx: An Invitation to Reconceptualize Latin American Immigration and to see the Possibility of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity. Daralyse and AnnaMarie continue to explore the myriad of ways that immigration is beneficial to the United States, examin...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, guests discuss the numerous benefits of Latin American immigration and share their first-hand accounts of immigration and deportation. They speak about the catastrophic effects of the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy and the physical and linguistic walls that are constructed out of hate. Policy experts and academics illuminate the...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Muslims & Media: An Exploration of How Biased Depictions Contribute to Islamophobia in America. They discuss how media spin can act as a weapon and a catalyst for the perpetration of Islamaphobia in America, especially since the media portrays information about...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews members of the Muslim American community about their personal and professional experiences. Daralyse speaks with community leaders, advocates, and experts about their lived experiences practicing Islam in the United States and their efforts to fight against Islamophobia. By examining the irrational and baseless fear o...

Thank you so much for being a Demystifying Diversity Podcast listener. Today is Election Day in the United States. Since so much of the focus this week is likely to be on the results of this election, we have made the decision not to release a new episode until next week. If you have some time this week and want to listen to a previous episode, we hope you'll do that. And if you have a minute and...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Episode 3, Asian Studies: An Examination of How the Model Minority Myth Has Contributed to the Virus of Hate Afflicting Asians in America. They speak about the profound impact of language and how words have the power to weaponize or unite. They explore the intercon...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons looks at the ways in which the model minority myth has contributed to the ongoing oppression of Asians in the United States. During the outbreak of Covid-19, anti-Asian bias has been increasing in intensity and severity, yet there is a long and painful history of othering that Asians in America have endured. Daralyse explores th...

In this Q & A episode of Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Black and Blue: An Exploration of the Inequities in a Broken Criminal Justice System. They speak about how the horrific deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others have spurred worldwide protests as part of the largest social justice movement in U...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons looks at the ways in which institutional racism creates power dynamics that support brutality against Black and Brown Americans. She explores how and why unexamined biases make us a danger to ourselves and others and how introspection, reflection, and exposure to diversity are imperative if we hope to create a better system. The...

In this Q & A episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse and AnnaMarie delve more deeply into the topics discussed in Biraciality: Embracing the Nuanced Nature of Race, Ethnicity, and Identity. They review the lingering impact of the one-drop rule, the constructed and learned definitions of race, and the ways in which individual and societal perceptions can shift over time. Togeth...

In this episode of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, Daralyse Lyons interviews a variety of Biracial individuals about their experiences navigating life with multiple, intersecting identities. She asks: How has the enduring impact of slavery and ongoing systemic racism contributed to how people identify in terms of race? How does race act as a social construct? Why is there a broad spectrum of b...

Diversity is such an important topic and yet it can be difficult to know where to go for reliable information that amplifies the voices and the viewpoints of those who have direct experience dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion. In season one of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, we have done the work of researching, learning, listening, and interviewing. We've spoken to more than a hundr...