As the summer winds down, hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Dr. Courtney L. McCluney. A Lady of Leisure recovering from cycles of burnout and overwork, Dr. Courtney uses her platforms to provide insights on the essential need for rest and recovery in our lives, illustrated through her literary contributions in Chief, Forbes and Harvard Business Review. As the Founder and Principal of EquiWell Partners™, a consulting advisory firm, she advocates equity and wellness at work through policy change and strategic consulting.

In the season 3 opener, hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Damon Rawls. Newly appointed as the Knox County Commissioner for District 1 of Knoxville, TN, Rawls is a highly accomplished digital marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and community leader with a passion for helping small businesses succeed. Founder of the Knoxville Black Business Directory (KBBD), Damon works tirelessly to support his community through business development, school board advocacy and affordable housing.

Hosts ⁠Justin Stewart⁠ and ⁠Dr. Antija Allen⁠ discuss their second season. Listen in and be moved to laughter at some times and tears at others. They reflect on their guests, common themes, how they have evolved, and engage in candid conversation about the podcast itself. From politics to poetry, DEI to mental health, and everything in between--this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Dr. Adia Harvey Wingfield. Inspired by her 2023 book, “Gray Areas: How the Way We Work Perpetuates Racism and What We Can Do to Fix It”, our discussion examines creating an inclusive organizational culture in the wake of many companies backtracking on their advocacy for DEI. We tackle the impacts to Black professionals, and how organizations can reshape hiring and advancement to combat inequality.

Hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Dr. Frank C. Worrell, Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at UC Berkeley. A man of many titles who has been honored with numerous awards and accolades, his areas of expertise include at-risk youth, teaching effectiveness and academic talent development/gifted education. Together, we explore a myriad of topics such as the importance of cultural identities, his 2022 presidency with the American Psychological Association (APA), and current disparities in education impact Black students.

Hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Dr. Tiffany Galvin Green, VP of DE&I Strategies and Education at Exponential Talent LLC.

Key Topics: Inclusion Conversation Cards; The Nature of the Cards; How they Help Initiate Conversations About Inclusion Between Leaders, Managers, and Other Employees; and How Organizations Can Utilize Metrics to Measure the Success of Inclusive Programs.

Hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Dr. June Parks. June Parks, Ph.D.⁠ is a licensed clinical psychologist, higher education consultant, speaker, lecturer, and youth empowerment specialist who shows young people, and the professionals who provide services to them, how to obtain mental wellness and resilience.

Key Episode Topics:

Unpacking Resiliency

Play Therapy

The Bullying of Dr. Claudine Gay

Hosts Justin Stewart and Dr. Antija Allen are joined by Tasha Cole--the inaugural Deputy Executive Director and Chief Diversity Officer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Through her vast experience working on presidential campaigns, political conventions, statewide ballot initiatives and as deputy campaign manager for a U.S. Senate campaign in Florida, they unpack topics including her participation in this year’s Power Rising Summit, anti-DEI legislation, the need for safe spaces, and the 2024 election.

Tasha Cole is a transformational leader when it comes to the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Democratic politics. Her distinct professional pedigree is informed by a dynamic career as a journalist, campaign operative, senior advisor and chief of staff to members of Congress, fundraiser, and organization leader. She’s a graduate of the famed HBCU, Florida A&M University, and a member of the historic Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Taken together, her life’s experience means she is particularly adept at solving intractable problems, bringing people together, and leading with empathy.

As the DCCC’s Deputy Executive Director for Stakeholder Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer, the first person in the committee's history to hold the role, she’s brought her prolific experiences to bear. Her leadership has been acknowledged in the expansion of work including managing the Committee’s involvement with some of its most critical stakeholders that support and guide the Committee’s work including Members of Congress and Partners and Allies.

Cole understands the value of increasing cultural competency and has worked to inform how it is applied across the organization, such as polling and analytics to engage distinct voter audiences. She and her team have developed training for the workforce on issues ranging from racial justice to mitigating bias in the workplace. Under her leadership the creation of new accountability mechanisms have been implemented allowing the committee to track its progress and be held to account for its performance going forward.

Her successful leadership means the committee spent more than $30 million with people of color owned and led firms during the 2020 and 2022 cycle – up from $700,000 in 2014. The committee achieved nearly 50% people of color and more than 50% women identifying staff at the committee. It’s also expanded its data tracking mechanisms to include additional identities, such as LGBTQ+ and the disability community.

Cole’s leadership has been celebrated in national media outlets, led to new partnerships with third-party allies and new vendor relationships. The DCCC’s approach to DEI is being adopted and replicated by other Democratic party structures and progressive organizations in the Democratic ecosystem. Her transformational leadership means House Democrats are building, training, and investing in diverse professionals, systems and organizations – shaping the face of politics for the next generation.