Stories That Stay

Dr. James Peterson joins Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston for a powerful conversation about memory, race, identity, and the stories we carry in our bodies. Dr. Peterson is a writer, educator, consultant, and host of Evening Words on WURD Radio in Philadelphia. He is also the author of several books on hip-hop, Black culture, and the prison-industrial complex. In this episode, Dr. Peterson reflects...

In this episode of Stories That Stay, hosts Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston welcome Sali Mudawi , a Sudanese-born photographer and creative director based in London, shaped by growing up in Sweden and the UK. Sali shares an early childhood memory from Sweden, when a beloved teacher apologized for calling her “Medusa” because of her braids—an incident that left her with questions about race, differ...

How do early memories of difference live in the body? And what happens when we finally have the tools, language, and support to process them? In the Season Two premiere of Stories that Stay , Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston welcome Stasie Maxwell for a conversation rooted in land, language, breath, and belonging. Stasie’s work sits at the intersection of land trauma and community healing, with dee...

In this season finale of Stories That Stay , hosts Dwight Dunston and Shamm Petros pause to reflect on the stories, insights, and moments of healing that shaped Season One. Rather than introducing a new guest, Dwight and Shamm turn toward one another—processing what they’ve learned, what surprised them, and what continues to give them hope. Throughout the conversation, they revisit key themes that...

In this episode, co-hosts Shamm H. Petros and Dwight Dunston sit down with longtime educator and Quaker school leader Dr. Darryl J. Ford for an intimate reflection on early memories of race, difference, family legacy, and the practices that helped him navigate childhood and leadership. Dr. Ford traces the deep educational roots in his family—from a grandmother sent to a private girls’ school in th...

In this powerful episode, educator, musician, and longtime Lion’s Story trainer Brian Caselli Jordan takes us deep into one of his earliest memories of racial difference. What begins as a tender portrait of his Italian American grandfather expands into a layered exploration of inheritance, identity, silence, and the emotional weight of witnessing racism from someone you adore. Together with co-hos...

In this episode of Stories That Stay , hosts Shamm H. Petros and Dwight Dunston talk with Mona Norfleet—equity advocate, writer, and community builder—about growing up biracial and finding belonging across cultures. Mona reflects on her biracial upbringing as the daughter of Mary Norfleet , an Italian American from the Bronx, and Tom Norfleet , a Black man from rural Alabama.  Through tender refle...

In this episode of Stories That Stay , hosts Shamm H. Petros and Dwight Dunston sit down with Inua Ellams—poet, playwright, performer, and creative force—to explore the first edges of difference and the lifelong echoes of separation. At age four, Inua and his twin sister were placed in different classrooms. What began as a child’s tantrum became an early lesson in loss, identity, and independence....

In this episode of Stories That Stay , hosts Shamm H. Petros and Dwight Dunston talk with musician and producer Merrill Garbus , the creative force behind Tune-Yards . Together they explore how early memories of difference—body, race, and class—shape our sense of belonging and the lifelong practice of racial literacy. Through honest reflection, Merrill names feelings of fear, avoidance, gratitude,...

In this episode of Stories That Say, hosts Shamm H Petros and Dwight Dunston engage with Emmy-winning filmmaker Osahan Tongo , exploring the intersection of identity, storytelling, and emotional healing. The conversation delves into Tongo's early memories of difference, the role of family in shaping identity, and the impact of food and care in relationships.  Osahon Tongo traces an early memo...

In this powerful premiere of Stories That Stay , co-hosts Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston converse with Lisa Nelson-Haynes—Executive Director of Lion’s Story and former Chief Programs Officer at StoryCorps—about a childhood memory that shaped her identity and her career. Lisa revisits a vivid moment when her father confronted racial disrespect, exploring how that act of love, protection, and traum...

Stories That Stay is a podcast where healing happens at the intersection of art, science, and storytelling. Hosted by therapist and strategist Shamm Petros and educator and artist Dwight Dunston , the show blends personal storytelling with mindfulness practices and over 35 years of racial literacy research from Lion’s Story . Each episode begins with the question: What is your earliest memory of r...