The Color Between The Lines with Esther Dillard

Esther Dillard
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The Color Between the Lines with Esther Dillard is a storytelling podcast that explores the histories, voices, and truths that often go unheard—but deeply shape our world.*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" tabindex="-1" dir="auto" data-turn-id="4e29b2f2-7c46-4232-803b-4c51b0aa0f0d" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> Hosted by award-winning journalist and educator Esther Dillard, the show features thoughtful conversations with authors, activists, cultural leaders, and change-makers who use story to inform, challenge, and connect. Each episode goes beyond headlines to uncover the deeper context behind culture, history, and current events—helping listeners understand not just what happened, but why it matters. Listeners come away with a clearer understanding of how storytelling influences public opinion, policy, education, and identity. The podcast also offers insight into how stories can be used more intentionally—in advocacy, leadership, creative work, and everyday life—to communicate with clarity, build trust, and create impact. If you’re curious about history, culture, and the power of narrative to shape perspective and possibility, The Color Between the Lines invites you to listen more closely—and hear what’s always been there.

  1. He Worked His Whole Life — Then Lost Everything: Black Senior Homelessness | Ep. 2

    3D AGO

    He Worked His Whole Life — Then Lost Everything: Black Senior Homelessness | Ep. 2

    "To live on the streets is very frightening. It lowers your dignity as a man and as a woman." Those are the words of Donald Gardner 68 years old, a cobbler, a HUD contractor, and a full-time caretaker for eleven years. Then the pandemic hit. His business shut down. His godfather passed. The family took the house. And Donald Gardner found himself working at TGI Fridays while sleeping outside at night. Nobody knew he was homeless. His story is not the exception. Seniors are now the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in America with numbers projected to triple by 2030. One in five people experiencing homelessness is 55 or older. And Black Americans, who make up just 12% of the U.S. population, account for nearly 32% of everyone experiencing homelessness in this country. In Part Two of Unhoused and Unheard: The Black Experience of Homelessness, host Esther Dillard sits down with Donald Gardner and with Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington D.C. to ask the hard question: how does a man who worked his whole life end up with nowhere to go? What you will hear in this episode: How the pandemic wiped out Donald's business and his housing in one blow What it actually feels like to live on the streets in Donald's own words How Donald worked at TGI Fridays every day while sleeping outside at night Why the system is failing seniors and the disabled at every level What Donald Whitehead says is the single biggest driver of homelessness The knock on the door on Martin Luther King's birthday that changed    everything What Donald says homeless people actually want from the rest of us "The absolute key to ending homelessness is a dramatic production of affordable housing." Donald Whitehead, National Coalition for the Homeless "You know what homeless people want? Eye contact. To be recognized as a human being. Let's start there." Donald Gardner This is Part 2 of a three-part series: Part 1: Adaora Onuora's Story Aging Out of Foster Care into Homelessness Part 2: Donald Gardner's Story Working and Still Homeless (THIS EPISODE) Part 3: Sharell Matthis's Story A Mother of Six Fights to Keep Her         Family Together To get involved or find resources in your community: National Coalition for the Homeless nationalhomeless.org The Color Between the Lines with Esther Dillard is a proud member of the ALIVE Podcast Network the first Black-woman-owned podcast network, distributing content across Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, the ALIVE app, and connected TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Samsung TV. Search The Color Between the Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes every Tuesday. Chapter Markers 0:00  Cold Open "To Live on the Streets Is Very Frightening" 0:16  Meet Donald Gardner A Cobbler, a Caretaker, a HUD Contractor 0:37  The Pandemic Hit His Business, His Godfather, His Home 0:53  Donald's Early Life Learning the Trade at Seven Years Old 1:09  Working at TGI Fridays While Sleeping Outside 1:30  The Shelter System People Not Recognized as Human Beings 1:45  Moving Into His 88-Year-Old Mother's Basement 2:01  Working Homeless The Problem Nobody Sees 2:23  Seniors Are the Fastest-Growing Homeless Population 2:41  Donald Whitehead This Is a Structural Failure 3:03  The System Was Not Built for Seniors or the Disabled 3:19  It's Systemic Veterans, Seniors, the Overlooked 3:36  The Affordable Housing Crisis 7 Million Rent-Burdened Americans 4:02  70% of Income on Housing Nothing Left for Anything Else 4:20  Minimum Wage Has Not Been Raised in Decades 4:35  Back to the Story What the Streets Actually Feel Like 4:54  Dignity, Depression, and Not Knowing Where Your Next Meal Is 5:26  Where Do You Use the Bathroom? Where Do You Wash Your Clothes? 5:42  Hiding Food in Trees to Keep the Rats Away 5:57  14 Months in a Hotel Shelter Then a Knock at the Door 6:15  Martin Luther King's Birthday 2021 The Voucher 6:35  Only One Quarter of Eligible People Ever Get Housing Assistance 7:09  Preemptive Eligibility What We Need Now 7:31  Donald's Message What People on the Outside Don't Understand 7:49  Band Aids Are Not Enough People Need Heart Surgery 8:05  Eye Contact The Simplest Thing You Can Give 8:35  You Can Give From Your Heart 8:54  Donald Gardner Not Because He Failed, But Because the System Did 9:10  Visit nationalhomeless.org How to Help 9:31  Coming Up Part Three: Sharell's Story

    10 min
  2. Homeless at 20: How Aging Out of Foster Care Almost Cost Her Everything | Ep. 1

    MAR 31

    Homeless at 20: How Aging Out of Foster Care Almost Cost Her Everything | Ep. 1

    She lost her mother at 15. Was stranded in Nigeria. Came back to America and landed straight in foster care. The moment she aged out she was on her own. No family. Two minimum-wage jobs. College classes. And no guarantee of a place to sleep. This is Adaora Onuora's story. In the first episode of Unhoused and Unheard: The Black Experience of Homelessness, host Esther Dillard explores what happens when the safety net doesn't just fail it disappears entirely. Adaora worked two jobs, attended college, and still couldn't make ends meet. She couch-surfed, stretched every dollar, and waited until a nine-minute window changed everything. Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington D.C., explains why homelessness is far broader than the stereotype and why the system is failing the most vulnerable Americans. "People see homelessness as a moral failure. But really, it's a structural failure." Donald Whitehead, National Coalition for the Homeless This is Part 1 of a three-part series: Part 1: Adaora's Story Aging Out of Foster Care (THIS EPISODE) Part 2: Donald Gardner's Story Working and Still Homeless Part 3: Sharell's Story A Mother of Six Fights to Keep Her Family Together To get involved or donate: National Coalition for the Homeless nationalhomeless.org The Color Between the Lines with Esther Dillard is a proud member of the ALIVE Podcast Network the first Black-woman-owned podcast network, distributing content across Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, the ALIVE app, and connected TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Samsung TV. Search The Color Between the Lines wherever you listen to podcasts. Chapters 0:00  Introduction It Can Happen Quickly 0:23  Meet Adaora Onuora 0:41  Stranded in Nigeria at 15 1:03  The American Embassy & Coming Home 1:20  Straight Into Foster Care 1:37  Aging Out The SELA Arrangement 2:07  Semi-Independent Living on Minimum Wage 2:28  Finding a Place to Call Home 3:10  Working Two Jobs and Going to College 3:34  Donald Whitehead: This Is a Structural Failure 4:15  The Stigma of Homelessness Who Is Really Unhoused? 4:35  1.5 Million Children. Veterans. Seniors. The Bigger Picture. 5:22  The Biggest Cause of Homelessness: Affordable Housing 5:40  Black Americans and Homelessness The Numbers 5:59  Working Homeless: The Hidden Reality for Women 6:37  Living in Your Car and Getting a Planet Fitness Membership 7:02  More People Are Working While Homeless Than You Think 7:45  Homelessness Is at a Record High What Changed? 8:23  Criminalization, COVID, and the Housing Cost Crisis 9:13  The Nine-Minute Window 9:31  Welcome Back Adaora's Turning Point 9:49  The Phone Call That Changed Everything 10:31 Racing to the DSS Office 11:09 Submitting the Application 11:26 Nine Minutes Later The Window Closes 12:00 An Angel Working on Her Behalf 12:18 What Became of the Young Lady Behind Her? 13:50 A Door Opens Adaora Finishes School 14:07 Coming Up: Donald Gardner's Story Part 2 #UnhousedAndUnheard #BlackHomelessness #FosterCare #HousingJustice #HomelessnessAwareness #AffordableHousing #WorkingHomeless #TheColorBetweenTheLines #EstherDillard #BINAudio #BlackPodcast #ALIVEPodcastNetwork #SocialJustice #FosterYouth #HousingCrisis #HomelessnessIsStructural #NationalCoalitionForTheHomeless #BlackExperience #Unhoused #CriminalizationOfHomelessness #GrantsPass #HousingVoucher

    15 min
  3. Are We Mis-Educating Our Kids - Dr. Maxine Bryant of Griot Speaks Says Yes

    MAR 24

    Are We Mis-Educating Our Kids - Dr. Maxine Bryant of Griot Speaks Says Yes

    What happens when children grow up never hearing anything accurate or positive about their own history? According to Dr. Maxine Bryant, founder of Griot Speaks, the damage runs deeper than most people realize and sugarcoating history does not protect children. It miseducates them. In this conversation, Dr. Bryant shares the African proverb that became the foundation of her life's work, why she believes Black genius has been deliberately hidden from the people who need it most, and how a board game she says was downloaded into her spirit is changing the way families, educators and communities connect with accurate Black history. She also gets personal sharing the moment a high school counselor told her she was not college material, and what happened when she decided to prove him wrong. This is a conversation for educators, parents, community leaders and anyone who has ever been told they were not enough. CHAPTER MARKERS: 00:00 Introduction and episode preview  00:18 Meet Dr. Maxine Bryant and Griot Speaks  01:06 The African proverb that became her mission  02:11 What a griot is and why it matters now  03:17 Why telling Black history accurately is essential  04:56 The high school counselor who said she was not college material  06:24 How the Griot Speaks board game came to life  07:54 What happens when people learn Black history through play  09:24 The teacher and the formerly incarcerated man at the same table 10:28 Where Griot Speaks is meant to be played 11:31 The app and digital expansion in development  13:05 The difference between the game and the full Griot Speaks platform  14:45 What excites Dr. Bryant most about where she is headed  15:55 Does teaching Black history make white children feel inferior  17:10 Closing thoughts and where to find Dr. Maxine Bryant

    18 min
  4. Modern Lynchings? The Investigation Connecting Ida B. Wells to Today

    MAR 17

    Modern Lynchings? The Investigation Connecting Ida B. Wells to Today

    More than a century ago, journalist Ida B. Wells risked her life documenting lynchings across the United States in her groundbreaking investigation A Red Record. Today, civil rights investigator Jill Collen Jefferson, founder of the organization JULIAN, says some suspicious deaths in the United States deserve closer scrutiny. In this episode, journalist Esther Dillard speaks with Jefferson about her research examining deaths that families believe were wrongly ruled suicides. Jefferson explains why she believes some cases should be investigated as modern-day lynchings and how her work draws inspiration from the investigative model Ida B. Wells established more than 130 years ago. The conversation explores the challenges of investigating these cases, the importance of language in civil rights investigations, and why asking difficult questions remains central to journalism. #IdaBWells #InvestigativeJournalism #CivilRights #ModernLynching #BlackHistory #JournalismMatters #TrueCrimeInvestigation #SocialJustice

    11 min
  5. Harriet Tubman’s Civil War Secret: The Military Story History Almost Erased

    MAR 10

    Harriet Tubman’s Civil War Secret: The Military Story History Almost Erased

    Most people know Harriet Tubman as the fearless conductor of the Underground Railroad. But far fewer know that she also served as a Civil War scout, spy, and military leader for the Union Army. In this episode of ERASED, award-winning journalist Esther Dillard explores Harriet Tubmans powerful and often overlooked role during the Civil War, including her leadership in the historic Combahee River Raid, a military operation that helped free more than 700 enslaved people. The episode also features insight from Harriet Tubmans great-great-great grandniece, who shares reflections on Tubmans legacy and why preserving the full story of her life still matters today. Through archival history, personal storytelling, and expert insight, this episode reveals how parts of Harriet Tubmans story have been overlookedand why reclaiming that history is so important. Topics covered in this episode: Harriet Tubmans Civil War military service The Combahee River Raid Black soldiers and freedom fighters in the Civil War The importance of preserving accurate Black history ERASED is a storytelling series that examines historical figures whose contributions have been overlooked, misunderstood, or erased from mainstream narratives. Host: Esther Dillard Series: The Color Between the Lines

    12 min
  6. Raising Strong Girls in 2026: Gloria Steinem & Leymah Gbowee on Courage, Racism & Sisterhood

    MAR 3

    Raising Strong Girls in 2026: Gloria Steinem & Leymah Gbowee on Courage, Racism & Sisterhood

    We are living in a moment of visible racism, rising authoritarianism, and uncertainty for many families. In this episode of The Color Between the Lines, Esther Dillard sits down with feminist leader Gloria Steinem and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee to discuss why they wrote the childrens book Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together for All. But this conversation goes far beyond a book. They talk about: How to raise strong girls in politically uncertain times What courage really means for young girls How women can build togetherhood in divided spaces Why legacy is not built on trends How to speak honestly to children about racism and fear What this decade demands from women and parents Gloria Steinem has been one of the most recognized feminist organizers in modern American history and co-founder of the Womens Media Center. Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped lead the womens movement that ended Liberias civil war. If you are raising, mentoring, or advocating for girls in this moment this conversation is for you. Subscribe to The Color Between the Lines for more conversations at the intersection of history, justice, leadership, and storytelling. CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 Living in a Moment of Racism & Fear 00:16 Why Speak to Girls Now? 01:14 Why Write the Book Together? 02:13 In 2026 We Wanted to Show Something Different 03:12 A Human Book, Not Just a Childrens Book 03:35 Courage: No One Is Born Great 04:15 Legacy Is Never Built on Trends 04:52 Gloria Steinems Mother & Early Influence 05:42 Women Working Together Change History 06:19 First Impressions & Mutual Respect 07:41 Traveling to North Korea & Leadership 08:22 Raising Girls During Visible Racism 09:03 A Gentle Message in a Screaming World 09:39 Togetherhood Will Never Fail 10:16 Why You Will Always Need Someone to Hold Your Hand 10:32 Learning from Women in India 11:28 Final Thoughts & Book Information

    12 min
  7. How One Vote Ended Reconstruction: Jim Clyburn on the 1876 Election and Today’s Voting Rights Battle

    FEB 24

    How One Vote Ended Reconstruction: Jim Clyburn on the 1876 Election and Today’s Voting Rights Battle

    Did Reconstruction fall apart or was it ended by a single vote? In this episode of The Color Between the Lines, South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn explains how three razor-thin votes reshaped American history including the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the disputed 1876 election, and the decision that effectively ended Reconstruction. By an 87 commission vote, Reconstruction came to an end. What followed was nearly 100 years of Jim Crow. Congressman Clyburn draws powerful parallels between the collapse of the first Reconstruction and todays debates over voting rights, Supreme Court decisions, and democratic institutions. We also explore the extraordinary life of Robert Smalls the formerly enslaved man who stole a Confederate ship, delivered it to Union forces, helped establish free public education in South Carolina, and served in Congress. If youve ever wondered: What ended Reconstruction? What was the Compromise of 1876? How did one vote change American history? Could democracy shift again? This conversation connects the past to the present. Because as Congressman Clyburn says: The three most consequential things that happened to Black people in this country were each decided by a single vote. The Color Between the Lines is Hosted by Esther Dillard.

    17 min
  8. How to Build Wealth (Not Just Make Money) | Dr. Willie Jolley

    FEB 17

    How to Build Wealth (Not Just Make Money) | Dr. Willie Jolley

    Whats the real difference between being rich and being wealthy? In this episode of The Color Between the Lines, Dr. Willie Jolley breaks down the distinction between income and ownership and why that difference can determine whether your financial success lasts for one generation or many. We explore: Rich vs wealthy explained Why saving alone isnt enough How to build a simple wealth system The mindset shift required for generational wealth A powerful story of a retired firefighter who turned $12,000 into nearly $890,000 Why high income does not automatically equal wealth If youve been working hard but wondering how to move from earning money to building assets, this conversation offers clarity and practical insight. Because wealth isnt just about what you make. Its about what you build. Book: Rich Is Good, Wealthy Is Better by Dr. Willie Jolley Subscribe for more conversations that connect money, policy, history, and generational power. #RichVsWealthy #BuildWealth #GenerationalWealth #FinancialLiteracy #BlackWealth #MoneyMindset

    9 min
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About

The Color Between the Lines with Esther Dillard is a storytelling podcast that explores the histories, voices, and truths that often go unheard—but deeply shape our world.*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" tabindex="-1" dir="auto" data-turn-id="4e29b2f2-7c46-4232-803b-4c51b0aa0f0d" data-testid="conversation-turn-6" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> Hosted by award-winning journalist and educator Esther Dillard, the show features thoughtful conversations with authors, activists, cultural leaders, and change-makers who use story to inform, challenge, and connect. Each episode goes beyond headlines to uncover the deeper context behind culture, history, and current events—helping listeners understand not just what happened, but why it matters. Listeners come away with a clearer understanding of how storytelling influences public opinion, policy, education, and identity. The podcast also offers insight into how stories can be used more intentionally—in advocacy, leadership, creative work, and everyday life—to communicate with clarity, build trust, and create impact. If you’re curious about history, culture, and the power of narrative to shape perspective and possibility, The Color Between the Lines invites you to listen more closely—and hear what’s always been there.

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