The Exit Interview Has Won The Best Education Podcast Award from The Black Podcasting Awards!!

Season 5

Dec. 22, 2025

Setting Boundaries, Finding Healing with Khiara "Mills" Mills

In this episode, Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Khiara "Mills" Mills, a licensed therapist and former school counselor, about her journey through education, mental health, and personal growth. Mills shares how setting boundaries became a cornerstone of her healing, both professionally and personally. Sh…

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Dec. 9, 2025

Calling On Ancestral Wisdom with Dr. Jeanine L. Williams

In this episode, Dr. Asia welcomes Jeanine L. Williams, PhD, a retired educator turned ancestral medicine woman, for a powerful conversation about liberation, sovereignty, and healing beyond academia. Dr. Williams shares her journey through higher education, the challenges of navigating oppressive …

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Nov. 25, 2025

When Silence Is Violence with Kamye Hugley

In this episode, I sit down with educator and bibliophile Kamye Hugley to explore what happens when Black women in education refuse to stay quiet in the face of harm. Kamye traces her journey from her grandmother's urging to be a teacher, to a Teach For America placement that threw her from third …

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Nov. 10, 2025

Black Educator Wellness & The Cost of Leadership with Dr. Ashlee Sadd…

In this impactful episode of The Exit Interview, Dr. Ashlee Saddler shares her journey from being a mental health professional to becoming an educational leader, highlighting the unique challenges she faced as a Black woman in mostly white school systems. She discusses the emotional and physical to…

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Oct. 28, 2025

When We Believe In Black Children with Whitney Redd

In this impactful episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Oakland educator Whitney Redd discusses how her experience in after-school programs, youth shelters, and mental health settings has shaped her approach to teaching, combining heart, structure, and intentionality. After …

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Oct. 14, 2025

How Radical Self-Care Saved Me with Dr. Franita Ware

In this heartfelt episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Asia interviews Dr. Franita Nita Ware, an educator, author, and creator of Warm Demander Teachers. They discuss Dr. Ware's unexpected journey from substitute teacher to scholar, focusing on her purpose, joy, and com…

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Sept. 30, 2025

The Grief of Leaving, the Liberation of Becoming with Candice Renee P…

In this episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Asia sits down with Candice Renee Person, a 20-year veteran educator, organizer, writer, and soon-to-be digital nomad. Candice shares a deeply layered journey that spans classrooms in New York City, Massachusetts, Kentucky, V…

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Sept. 16, 2025

Degrees, Detours and the Common Good with Dr. Lance Bennett

In this episode of the Exit Interviewer Podcast for Black educators, Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Dr. Lance Bennett, an educator and founder of The People's Institute for the Common Good. Dr. Bennett shares his journey from community college in Philadelphia to earning his doctorate and working in high…

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July 22, 2025

A Disruptor's Journey Through Education with Aurelius Raines II

What happens when the bad kid becomes the kind of educator the system never saw coming? In this episode of The Exit Interview, Dr. Asia sits down with Aurelius Raines II, whose unorthodox path into education began not with a degree, but with curiosity, care, and disruption. From aftercare teacher t…

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July 8, 2025

For the Kids, Not the System with Akil Parker

What does it cost to teach with integrity in a system that demands your silence? In this powerful episode of The Exit Interview, Dr. Asia Lyons sits down with Akil Parker, a former finance major turned math educator, tutor, and founder of All This Math, to explore his 20-year journey through classr…

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June 24, 2025

The Price of Being Passionate with Dr. Mary Hemphill

In this episode of the Exit Interview podcast for Black educators, host Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Dr. Mary Hemphill, an accomplished educator, leader, and founder of The Limitless Leader. Dr. Hemphill shares her journey from growing up in a family of educators in New York to becoming a third and fo…

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June 10, 2025

Reclaiming Rest & Thriving Beyond Burnout with Amanda Miller Littlejo…

In this episode of "The Exit Interview," host Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Amanda Miller Littlejohn, executive coach, brand strategist, and author of "The Rest Revolution." The conversation centers on the pervasive issue of burnout, especially among Black educators and high-achieving professionals. Aman…

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May 27, 2025

The Cost of Reform and the Power of Community with Representative Jen…

What happens when a Black educator survives a natural disaster, a political awakening, and a broken school system all in the same year? In this profoundly moving episode of The Exit Interview, Colorado State Representative Jennifer Bacon recounts how her early teaching career in New Orleans duri…

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May 13, 2025

Youth at the Core with Joy Delizo-Osborne Live at SXSW EDU 2025

What happens when you're doing everything, leading a school, serving your community, answering the phones, teaching math, and still feel like you're drowning? In this Exit Interview live show, Dr. Asia Lyons sits down with Joy Delizo-Osborne, who shares the real reason she left her role as a foundi…

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April 29, 2025

Liberation As A Non-Negotiable with Jamilah Pitts

What happens when an educator's deep love for liberation collides with the realities of traditional schooling? In this episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Asia Lyons sits down with Jamilah Pitts, educator, author, yoga teacher, and founder of She Imprint, to explore h…

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April 13, 2025

Boundaries, Burnout and Black Educator Wellness with Josephine Ampaw-…

In this episode of "The Exit Interview," host Dr. Asia welcomes Josephine, a family therapist and former educator, for a candid conversation about wellness, education, and community. Josephine shares her journey from working as a para in special education to earning dual master's degrees in educati…

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April 1, 2025

Finding Identity and Building Community with Jenna Greenwood

In this special episode recorded live at Quince Coffee House, Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Jenna Greenwood about her inspiring journey of self-discovery, family legacy, and finding community outside traditional educational settings. Jenna recounts stories of her upbringing, influenced by her grandmoth…

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March 18, 2025

Breaking Barriers in Special Education with Jason B. Allen

In this compelling episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, host Dr. Asia Lyons interviews Jason B., an educator, activist, and policy advocate, to explore the systemic barriers faced by Black students and educators in traditional schools. Jason shares his journey from school a…

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March 4, 2025

On Co-Teaching, Rest, and Black Educator Retention with Keisha Rembert

In this episode of "The Exit Interview," Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Keisha Rembert, an experienced middle school educator, award-winning teacher, and current higher education faculty member. Keisha shares her journey from a legacy of educators in Chicago to her 17-year career teaching middle grades, h…

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Feb. 18, 2025

Beyond the Principal's Office: Finding New Ways to Serve with Dr. Adr…

In this episode of "The Exit Interview," host Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Dr. Adrienne Davenport, a veteran educator, administrator, author, and instructional coach. Dr. Davenport shares her unique journey into education, which began as a second career after initially pursuing work as a paralegal. She …

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Feb. 3, 2025

Achievement Addiction and the Quest for Wellness with Najmah Ahmad

In this powerful and reflective episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Asia Lyons sits down with Najmah Ahmad to discuss her nearly 20-year journey through education, from working in nonprofits and higher education to leadership roles in school districts and national poli…

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Jan. 21, 2025

In the Pursuit of Impact with Dr. Damia Thomas

In this episode of "The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators," host Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Dr. Demia Thomas, an accomplished educator and leader with over two decades of experience in urban education. Dr. Thomas shares her journey from growing up and teaching in Brooklyn, New York, to hol…

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Jan. 6, 2025

What It Means To Be Well with Dr. Shawn Ginwright

In this episode of "The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators," Dr. Asia Lyons and guest host Stacey Taylor-Brandon welcome Dr. Shawn Ginwright, a renowned thought leader in education and the creator of the "healing centered engagement" framework. The conversation centers on the challenges …

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