Videos

In this clip, Dr. Asia Lyons reminds us that Black educators never move through this profession alone. When we get the job, we text our people. When the job starts to break us, we call those same people—and they’re the ones who say, “F that job, I got you.” Too often, HR teams and school leaders f…

What happens when you're doing everythingleading a school, serving your community, answering the phones, teaching mathand 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 founding p…

Joy Delizo-Osborne shares the moment her body, her doctor, and her wife all said enough. In this raw and real clip from our SXSW EDU live episode, Joy opens up about the toll that school leadership took on her health—mentally, emotionally, and physically. Teaching math, running a school, serving lu…

In this clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, organizer and educator Jalisa Evans recounts a pivotal moment early in her teaching career that revealed how deeply bias is embedded in schools. Faced with a group of brilliant, eager 7th graders reading far below grade level, Ja…

In this tender clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, counselor and founder of School Counselor On Wheels, Shatiera Portee, shares a grounding source of joy—her daily hug ritual with her son. Despite the demands of her work supporting others, Shatiera has created intentional …

Racism-related stress isn’t just a feeling—it’s a thief of time, sleep, and peace. In this deeply resonant episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, I explain the difference between racism-related stress and racial battle fatigue and how it manifests in our everyday lives. Raci…

I share a story I’ve never told in full. I flunked out of college my second year. Honestly? I felt relief. I didn’t want to be there, and I was woefully unprepared for higher education—despite graduating from a so-called top school for gifted students in Detroit. But that wasn’t the end. With no c…

California is facing a crisis—and it’s not just about recruitment. In this powerful episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, we dive into the alarming data and lived experiences of Black teachers across California. Despite making up just 5% of the educator workforce statewide, …

In this eye-opening episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, we tackle the deeply troubling and often overlooked practice of soft expulsion in early childhood education. From repeated calls to parents to pick up their child early, to outright suspensions and expulsions of toddl…

When Work Stress Follows You Home | Black Educator Wellness, Emotional Burnout & Family Impact What happens when the version of you that walks through the front door is unrecognizable—even to your own family? In this powerful and emotional clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educator…

What does it mean to try to do liberatory work inside a system designed to break you? In this searing clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Jamilah Pitts invokes the words of Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde to name the spiritual and emotional cost of working in toxic educationa…

What was the situation that caused you to leave #education ? That's the question I ask during every #interview . This was the first time that I heard a guest describe school as violent and I can't agree more. It may sound extreme, no one is physically getting harmed, but what about the emotional…

Imagine how differently you would think about teaching if you had completed internships abroad. The way that we function as educators in the United States would be shaped so much differently if we were required to teach in India, Spain, South African, anywhere outside of the country. #education #…

Schools and districts expect miracles when they hire consultants to undo years of harm and toxic culture but how is that even possible. This is the conversation that we have to have especially as consultants. Are we able to fully undo years of harm independently, especially when so many people mo…

What happens when the harm doesn’t come from the system—but from another Black woman in leadership? In this bold and necessary clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, host Dr. Asia Lyons reflects on the painful, often hidden truth: not all skinfolk are kinfolk. There’s an unsp…

How does becoming a global citizen change the way you teach? Jamilah Pitts shares how her experiences traveling to Beijing, the Middle East, and Cape Town while studying at Spelman College transformed her vision of education forever. Jamilah reflects on how Spelman cultivated not just her leaders…

What if we valued being heart smart just as much as being book smart? 🖤 In this moving clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Jamilah Pitts shares why cultivating empathy in the classroom matters more than test scores—and why true education must start with the heart. Jamilah …

What does it cost a Black educator to stay in a system that refuses to heal? In this episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Asia Lyons is joined by Jamilah Pitts—writer, educator, wellness leader, and global traveler—to share her unfiltered story of love, harm, resistance…

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 Pittseducator, author, yoga teacher, and founder of She Imprintsto explore her …

What does it actually look like to live a life rooted in authentic wellness and liberation as a Black educator and leader? In this episode of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, Dr. Mary Hemphill—leadership expert, author, and visionary—breaks down what it means to be well from a pla…

What does it really mean to be well as a Black educator or professional in today's world? In this powerful clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, we dive deep into the true meaning of wellness—not as a trend, but as a form of liberation. Wellness isn’t just bubble baths and br…

In this clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, we unpack the complex and often disappointing experiences many of us have had transitioning from K-12 education into the nonprofit sector. What happens when a nonprofit promises liberation, wellness, and equity—but delivers more …

In this powerful clip from The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, therapist and educator Josephine Ampaw-Greene shares a transformative reflection on wellness, self-worth, and accountability. She reminds us that being well is not about perfection—it's about understanding that our value …

Josephine Ampaw-Greene, LCSW, MFTC, MA, delves into the journey from survival to thriving for Black educators and their families. Drawing from her expertise in trauma-informed care and identity-based therapy, Josephine emphasizes the importance of community care practices—such as rest as resistance…