Demystifying Diversity Daralyse Lyons

In the first episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons explores Indigenous Resilience, and just some of the far-reaching implications that systemic racism have had over 500 years of colonization and systemic oppression.

In this episode, you will learn:


How racism against Indigenous groups extends beyond human-to-human interactions to include issues that shape the justice system, the environment, and basic quality of life for many Indigenous people today.
How education systems censor and negate Indigenous identities and experiences in favor of narratives that promote heroic images of colonization and invasion.



How the proliferation and impact of crime against Indigenous people, particularly women and girls, is a major problem in and around lands that are supposed to be protected.




How the systemic erasure of Indigenous languages creates separation and isolation of those groups, weakening cultural and ancestral bonds.




The importance of art in articulating Indigenous perspectives, especially in instances where Indigenous individuals have been disenfranchised from their “seat at the table.”




The long-term consequences of participating in holidays that promote inaccurate narratives surrounding the Indigenous experience in the Americas.



The experiences, perspectives and challenges shared in this episode come from those who have witnessed, experienced and endured the struggles of systemic racism against Indigenous peoples, and are actively doing work to educate and remedy its far-reaching effects.

Our guests include:

Morgan Ridgeway: Morgan is a PhD candidate with graduate minors in queer and Indigenous studies whose research focuses on multitribal communities, decolonization strategies, and queer indigenous theory. They are also an artist who utilizes poetry, creative nonfiction, dance, and mixed media in order to disrupt linear, non-inclusive modalities of history-telling and to inspire themselves and others to reimagine what's possible.

Simon Moya-Smith: Simon is a contributing writer to NBC News and CNN, and is a registered member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. He works to bring light and awareness to issues that directly impact Indigenous communities.

Fern Anuenue Holland: Since receiving her Bachelor of Science with triple majors in Wildlife Management, Environmental Science and Marine Biology, Fern has worked as an environmental scientist and ecological consultant. She was instrumental in the development and passing of Bill 2491, a bill which regulates the agrochemical industry. You've likely seen her if you watched the well-known documentary "Poisoning Paradise."

Tessa McLean: Tessa is a Community Planner with a multidisciplinary background. An expert in sustainable energy practices and environmental justice, she brings indigenous knowledge, subject matter expertise, technical skills, and industry experience to community planning initiatives. She is also deeply committed to raising awareness about the plight of missing, murdered, and trafficked indigenous women.

Jaclyn Roessel: Jaclyn is the president of GrownUp Navajo, the co-founder of Native Women Lead, a writer, a curator, a coach and a cultural equity and justice consultant. She was the inaugural recipient of the Arizona Humanities Rising Star Award and has been named one of Phoenix's 100 Creatives You Should Know.

Charlene Teters: Charlene is a Spokane Tribal Member and is an educator, artist and lecturer whose paintings and installations have been featured in numerous collections and exhibitions. As the former Dean of the Institute of American Indian Arts, she spent much of her academic career working to ensure the education of future tribal leaders, innovators and artists.

Click here for the full transcript of this episode.

In the second episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons continues her exploration of Indigenous Resilience - specifically the importance of Culture, Land and the Seven Generations Principle and how these factors have allowed Indigenous groups to withstand over 500 years of colonization and systemic oppression in North America.

In this episode, you will learn about:


The importance of Indigenous lands, and the role they play in forming part of an Indigenous group's shared identity.




The Seven Generations Principle, and how the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land engender a communal responsibility in taking care of the environment.




How whiteness and white concepts of ownership threaten the environment and humanity's future on this earth.




What it means to “lightly” or wrongfully claim Indigenous ancestry, and how that is harmful towards Indigenous well-being.




How art is, and will continue to be one of the most important mediums for Indigenous expression, identity, and presence in North American culture.




An extensive, 16-point list of how you can be an ally or accomplice in eradicating discriminatory practices against Indigenous peoples and groups.



The resources referenced in this episode include:
Charlene Teters' Way of Sorrows (Video, 2020) Exhibit
Simon Moya-Smith's 100 Ways to Support - Not Appropriate From - Indigenous People
16 Ways to Be an Ally & Accomplice in Eliminating Indigenous Discrimminiation
Our guests in this episode include:
Morgan Ridgeway: Morgan is a PhD candidate with graduate minors in queer and Indigenous studies whose research focuses on multitribal communities, decolonization strategies, and queer indigenous theory. They are also an artist who utilizes poetry, creative nonfiction, dance, and mixed media in order to disrupt linear, non-inclusive modalities of history-telling and to inspire themselves and others to reimagine what's possible.

Simon Moya-Smith: Simon is a contributing writer to NBC News and CNN, and is a registered member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. He works to bring light and awareness to issues that directly impact Indigenous communities.

Fern Anuenue Holland: Since receiving her Bachelor of Science with triple majors in Wildlife Management, Environmental Science and Marine Biology, Fern has worked as an environmental scientist and ecological consultant. She was instrumental in the development and passing of Bill 2491, a bill which regulates the agrochemical industry. You've likely seen her if you watched the well-known documentary "Poisoning Paradise."

Tessa McLean: Tessa is a Community Planner with a multidisciplinary background. An expert in sustainable energy practices and environmental justice, she brings indigenous knowledge, subject matter expertise, technical skills, and industry experience to community planning initiatives. She is also deeply committed to raising awareness about the plight of missing, murdered, and trafficked indigenous women.

Jaclyn Roessel: Jaclyn is the president of GrownUp Navajo, the co-founder of Native Women Lead, a writer, a curator, a coach and a cultural equity and justice consultant. She was the inaugural recipient of the Arizona Humanities Rising Star Award and has been named one of Phoenix's 100 Creatives You Should Know.

Charlene Teters: Charlene is a Spokane Tribal Member and is an educator, artist and lecturer whose paintings and installations have been featured in numerous collections and exhibitions. As the former Dean of the Institute of American Indian Arts, she spent much of her academic career working to ensure the education of future tribal leaders, innovators and artists.

Click here for the episode transcript.

In this Q&A episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, hosts Daralyse Lyons and Zack James are joined by guest expert and registered member of the Lenape Nation, Adam Waterbear DePaul as the three of them explore Indigenous identity and resilience.

Daralyse, Zack, and Adam revisit some of the key points from the first two episodes of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, then respond to listener questions.

In this episode, you will learn about:


The importance of Indigenous lands, and the role they play in forming part of an Indigenous group's shared identity.




The impact and role that racist mascots have, and the ethical questions posed when certain uses of tribal names are allowed to endure.




The Seven Generations Principle, and how the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land engender a communal responsibility in taking care of the environment.




The broader implications of environmental racism, and how we as consumers can circumnavigate supporting racist agricultural practices.




What it actually means to be Indigenous - not only as part of a tribe but as an individual.




The continuing impact of Covid-19 within Indigenous communities, and its far-reaching implications in silencing Indigenous voices.




How to be an ally and an accomplice, and the role YOU can play in amplifying Indigenous voices.



The resources referenced in this episode include:

Website for the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania to get involved, donate, or attend an event hosted by the Lenape Tribe.

To get in contact with Adam Waterbear DePaul, this episode's guest expert, email him at: adam.depaul@temple.edu
Our guests in this episode include:
Adam Water Bear DePaul: Adam is a tribal council member of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, where he also holds the position of story keeper and coordinator of the Rising Nation River Journey. Adam, co-curates the Lenape Cultural Center in Easton, Pennsylvania and to the exhibit, Existing Artistry, Enduring Presence: the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania at Temple University. He is a PhD candidate and instructor at Temple with a primary research area in Cultural and Mythological Studies. And he's also the co-founder and President of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Temple as well.
Click here for the episode transcript.

In the third episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons dives into the exclusionary forces at play against the LGBTQ+ community in both secular and spiritual communities. Daralyse also investigates the conflict that many LGBTQ+ folks face in finding adequate support within the LGBTQ+ community itself.

In this episode, you will learn about:


Past historical systemic exclusionary practices towards LGBTQ+ identifying people, and the harmful legacy that these practices have left to this day.




The struggle that LGBTQ+ people face in finding support within the LGBTQ+ community itself, particularly when it comes to Bi+ identity.




The other types of discrimination that LGBTQ+ people face around their race, age, religious beliefs, and other components that make up an individual's identity.


The ways that theological texts are being used as a weapon against LGBTQ+ individuals.




The role that faith communities currently play in uniting LGBTQ+ groups, and the greater potential for faith-based groups to give voice to LGBTQ+ identifying people.




The importance of passing protective legislation and the dangers of allowing organizations to refuse service or employment to individuals based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.



Our guests in this episode include:

Kasey Suffredini - CEO & National Campaign Director for Freedom For All Americans, a bipartisan organization whose mission it is to secure full nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people nationwide. Kasey is a nationally recognized campaign strategist and expert in LGBTQ issue advocacy.
Cathy Renna - Kathy is the Principal of Target Cue and Communications Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Cathy has played a central role in shaping nearly all major issues affecting media representation of the LGBTQ+ community, from the beating death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 to the fight for marriage equality to working with the team that coordinated historic coverage for the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall.
Patrick Sammon - one of the co-authors and co-directors of the documentary CURED, which is an in depth illumination of the struggle between LGBTQ activists and advocates and the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its manual of mental illness.
Britt East - Inspirational Speaker and Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author of “A Gay Man's Guide to Life: Get Real, Stand Tall and Take Your Place.”
Robyn Ochs - Educator, speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two Bi+ specific anthologies: the 42-country collection “Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World” and “RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men.”
Yuval David - Award-winning actor, host, filmmaker and advocate whose most recent work, a full-length documentary entitled “Wonderfully Made,” specifically engages with what he refers to as LGBTQ+R - which means, “LGBTQ + Religion.”
Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart - Director for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs for the City of Philadelphia and former Faith Outreach Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force,
Angel Gravely - Bisexual educator, writer, speaker, and advocate based in the Philadelphia area. Since 2013, she has worked to bridge opportunity and knowledge gaps between marginalized and privileged communities by addressing LGBTQ+ issues from an intersectional lens.
Jen O'Ryan - the founder of Double Tall Consulting, and the author of “Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for Accidental Diversity Experts.”
Rayceen Pendarvis - "Queen of The Shameless Plug, the Empress of Pride and The Goddess of DC" is a father of five, grandfather of two and mother of many.
Reverend Rebecca Seely - Becca Seely is the executive director of The Vine NYC campus ministry network and its parent organization, Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education. She graduated from Yale Divinity School in 2012 with a Master of Divinity and also holds a Certificate in Advanced Theol

In the fourth episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons explores the ways in which multiple communities are coming together in ways that amplify love and inclusion. By exploring how the LGBTQ+ community, various faith communities, and assorted secular communities are working to increase LGBTQ+ safety and visibility, this episode focuses on effective inclusion practices, while also shining a light on the ways in which there is still room for growth.

In this episode, you will learn about:


The critical importance of intersectionality, what it is, and how it can support in creating inclusivity not just for LGBTQ+ folks, but for anyone.




The importance of partnerships between the LGBTQ+ and faith communities, and how both can be driving forces of identity.




Ideas for how to do the deep work of fully realizing your own, unique identity.




How championing people to honor and embrace all of who they are creates the most inclusive spaces, and prioritizes individuals over their isolated identity markers.




The importance of Pride, and other festivals that celebrate humanity in creating safe, inclusive and joyous spaces.




That there is no, one, singular experience of “identity.”



Our guests in this episode include:
Kasey Suffredini - CEO & National Campaign Director for Freedom For All Americans, a bipartisan organization whose mission it is to secure full nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people nationwide. Kasey is a nationally recognized campaign strategist and expert in LGBTQ issue advocacy.
Cathy Renna - Kathy is the Principal of Target Cue and Communications Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Cathy has played a central role in shaping nearly all major issues affecting media representation of the LGBTQ+ community, from the beating death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 to the fight for marriage equality to working with the team that coordinated historic coverage for the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall.
Patrick Sammon - one of the co-authors and co-directors of the documentary CURED, which is an in depth illumination of the struggle between LGBTQ activists and advocates and the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its manual of mental illness.
Britt East - Inspirational Speaker and Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author of “A Gay Man's Guide to Life: Get Real, Stand Tall and Take Your Place.”
Robyn Ochs - Educator, speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two Bi+ specific anthologies: the 42-country collection “Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World” and “RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men.”
Yuval David - Award-winning actor, host, filmmaker and advocate whose most recent work, a full-length documentary entitled “Wonderfully Made,” specifically engages with what he refers to as LGBTQ+R - which means, “LGBTQ + Religion.”
Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart - Director for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs for the City of Philadelphia and former Faith Outreach Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force,
Angel Gravely - Bisexual educator, writer, speaker, and advocate based in the Philadelphia area. Since 2013, she has worked to bridge opportunity and knowledge gaps between marginalized and privileged communities by addressing LGBTQ+ issues from an intersectional lens.
Jen O'Ryan - the founder of Double Tall Consulting, and the author of “Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for Accidental Diversity Experts.”
Rayceen Pendarvis - "Queen of The Shameless Plug, the Empress of Pride and The Goddess of DC" is a father of five, grandfather of two and mother of many.
Reverend Rebecca Seely - Becca Seely is the executive director of The Vine NYC campus ministry network and its parent organization, Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education. She graduated from Yale Divinity School in 2012 with a Master of Divinity and also holds a Certificate in Advanced Theological Studies from Pacific Lutheran Theologica

In the second Q&A episode of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, hosts Daralyse Lyons and Zack James are joined by guest expert Dr. Caroline Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Sport and Recreation Management at Temple University. She holds degrees from Byrn Mawr College and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and is a leading LGBTQ+ voice in the sports industry space.

Daralyse, Zack, and Caroline revisit some of the key points from episodes 3 and 4 of Season 2 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, then respond to listener questions about LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Exclusion, and Identity.

In this episode, you will learn about:


The ever-evolving role that sports can and do play in creating both opportunities for inclusivity, as well as posing additional challenges to the LGBTQ+ community.




The importance of not only government intervention in creating protections for LGBTQ+ folks, but that of people in local communities demanding change.




How, at its best, intersectionality lends itself to people having complex, unique identities where factors such as sexual orientation, religion, etc. are not the dominant trait for how we view people.




How allyship is a “team sport,” and requires multiple groups playing together to create change for an impacted community.




How critically important “belonging” is to individuals and groups, and the far reaching costs of fighting for a sense of belonging when it is not present.


How, through an intersectional lens, members of marginalized groups can use what privilege they have to stand as allies for other discriminated people.



Resources for this episode include:

Article: The difference between sex assigned at birth vs. gender identity

Article: Explanation of what gender identity actually means

Article: HBR's take on the importance of amplifying voices within teams

Follow Dr. Caroline Heffernan on Instagram: @drheffernan

To connect with Dr. Heffernan directly, email her at: cheffernan@temple.edu
Our guests in this episode include:

Caroline Heffernan has intimate knowledge of inclusion and exclusion for LGBTQ+ folks and her work specializes in allyship leadership, sports, gender, and LGBTQ identity.
She is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Sport and Recreation Management at Temple University. Prior to coming to S.T.H.M, Dr. Heffernan successfully defended her doctoral dissertation on the application of allyship to gender in sports organization at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Her research work specializes in allyship in sport, gender in sport leadership and leadership. Dr. Heffernan's work has been published in sport management review and she earned her PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sport Management from the University of Minnesota and attained a Master of Science in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple University's School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College.
Click here for a full transcript of this episode.