Dr. James Peterson on Racial Stress, Memory & “The Boy in the Mirror”

Dr. James Peterson on Racial Stress, Memory & “The Boy in the Mirror”

Dr. James Peterson joins Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston for a powerful conversation about memory, race, identity, and the stories we carry in our bodies. Dr. Peterson is a writer, educator, consultant, and host of Evening Words on WURD Radio in Philadelphia. He is also the author of several books on hip-hop, Black culture, and the prison-industrial complex. In this episode, Dr. Peterson reflects on growing up in Newark, New Jersey, and recalls a childhood moment at Newark Boys Chorus School when he and other young Black boys pushed back against singing a song they associated with slavery. That memory leads him to another: being a teenager in a mostly white, wealthy school in Connecticut, looking in the mirror and wishing he could change his face. With care and curiosity, Shamm and Dwight guide Dr. Peterson through Lion’s Story’s CLCBE process: * Calculate your emotions * Locate them in your body * Communicate your self-talk * Breathe * Exhale Together, they explore what it means to revisit old memories with new tools and how storytelling can become a path toward healing, clarity, and freedom. Guest Dr. Peterson is the author of several books, including The Hip Hop Underground and African American Culture, Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners, and Hip-Hop Headphones: A Scholar’s Critical Playlist. He is a columnist for The Philadelphia Citizen and has written for Fortune, Newsweek, The Guardian, The LA Times, Reuters, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Grio. Listen to Dr. James Peterson on his regular radio program on WURD. Evening WURDS is a daily news program dedicated to engaging the WURD community through a critical analysis of the news, culture, and arts stories that resonate with our community. https://wurdradio.com/shows/evening-wurds/ [https://wurdradio.com/shows/evening-wurds/] Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story [https://www.thelionsstory.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being. For a full video version of this podcast, visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesThatStayPodcast Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano [https://petersontoscano.com]. Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]. Music by Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net [https://www.thelionsstory.org/podcast]  Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]

Sali Mudawi: I Am Not My Hair

In this episode of Stories That Stay, hosts Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston welcome Sali Mudawi, a Sudanese-born photographer and creative director based in London, shaped by growing up in Sweden and the UK. Sali shares an early childhood memory from Sweden, when a beloved teacher apologized for calling her “Medusa” because of her braids—an incident that left her with questions about race, difference, hair, accountability, and what children are expected to carry alone. Through the Lion’s Story process, Sali explores the emotions still connected to that memory: feeling cheated, sadness for her younger self, tightness in her chest, and the self-talk that helped her make meaning over time. The conversation also opens into Sali’s creative path. With a background in architecture, she first focused on structure, form, and landscapes before finding a deeper calling in portrait photography. After the death of her sister and a period of unemployment, photography became more than a creative practice—it became a way to connect with people, emotion, and story. Together, Shamm and Dwight guide Sali through the CLCBE practice: calculating emotions, locating them in the body, communicating self-talk and images, breathing, and expanding toward new choices. Sali’s story becomes a powerful reflection on hair, grief, identity, artistry, and the freedom of authorship. NOTE: When Sali says she “was made redundant,” she is using a British expression that means her job was eliminated, similar to being laid off. In this episode, we explore: * Race, difference, and childhood memories * Hair as identity, symbol, and site of scrutiny * The emotional impact of being singled out as a child * Grief, creativity, and discovering a calling * How portraits can hold emotion and story * The CLCBE practice as a tool for processing racial stress * Why healing is not always linear Reflection question: What is one early memory of difference that still lives in your body, your self-talk, or your story? About Sali Mudawi Sali Mudawi is a Sudanese-born photographer and creative director based in London, shaped by growing up in Sweden and the UK. With a background in architecture, her work is influenced by structure, form, and space, which helped shape her visual style. She first focused on landscapes, but soon became drawn to photographing people, where she found a deeper connection through portraits, emotion, and storytelling. Her work is guided by authenticity, creativity, and a willingness to be bold. Follow Sali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saliphotog/ Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story [https://www.thelionsstory.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being. For a full video version of this podcast, visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesThatStayPodcast Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano [https://petersontoscano.com]. Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]. Music by Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net [https://www.thelionsstory.org/podcast]  Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]

Stasie Maxwell: Beauty and Pain Held by the Breath

How do early memories of difference live in the body? And what happens when we finally have the tools, language, and support to process them? In the Season Two premiere of Stories that Stay, Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston welcome Stasie Maxwell for a conversation rooted in land, language, breath, and belonging. Stasie’s work sits at the intersection of land trauma and community healing, with deep ties to the Rogue Valley and intertribal community in Southern Oregon. When asked about her earliest memories of difference, Stasie shares four stories: a painful childhood comment about her appearance, unequal treatment from a beloved family member, a frightening religious message about who belongs in heaven, and a joyful friendship formed across a language barrier through basketball. Together, Stasie, Shamm, and Dwight slow down and notice what these stories stir up: grief, embarrassment, sadness, numbness, shock, connection, and joy. Stasie reflects on how qigong, psychology, breathwork, and community have helped her understand what her body knows and how healing becomes possible through practice. Listeners are invited to breathe, notice their own reactions, and consider how beauty and pain can both be held with care. Key Themes · Earliest memories of difference · How painful and joyful stories can live side by side · Land trauma, Indigenous language, and connection to place · How racial stress and identity stress show up in the body · Breathwork, qigong, and emotional regulation · The role of practice in healing · Finding connection beyond spoken language Compelling Quotes · “So much knowledge is encoded in Indigenous languages.” · “Meditation and breath work is really at the root of a lot of thinking and behavior.” · “At that time, I didn’t have people or tools to help me with the feelings that those moments brought up.” · “Even though there was this very significant difference of language barrier, we were still really close friends.” · “If you don’t have time to meditate for five minutes, you should meditate for an hour.” · “The beauty and the pain can both be held by the breath.” About Our Guest: Stasie Maxwell Stasie Maxwell is a community leader whose work focuses on land trauma, Indigenous language, community healing, and reconnection to ancestral homelands. Rooted in the Rogue Valley and the intertribal community in Southern Oregon, Stasie works with tribal communities and Native youth while helping create pathways for people to return to land, language, and cultural memory. She holds a degree in psychology and has maintained a qigong practice since her early twenties. In this conversation, Stasie reflects on how body awareness, breath, and emotional practice have shaped her healing work and her ability to hold both painful and joyful stories with care. Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story [https://www.thelionsstory.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being. For a full video version of this podcast, visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesThatStayPodcast Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano [https://petersontoscano.com]. Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]. Music by Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net [https://www.thelionsstory.org/podcast]  Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]

Season One Finale: Reflections, Hope, and the Stories That Shape Us

In this season finale of Stories That Stay, hosts Dwight Dunston and Shamm Petros pause to reflect on the stories, insights, and moments of healing that shaped Season One. Rather than introducing a new guest, Dwight and Shamm turn toward one another—processing what they’ve learned, what surprised them, and what continues to give them hope. Throughout the conversation, they revisit key themes that emerged across the season: racial stress, identity, memory, resilience, and the power of storytelling as a tool for healing. They reflect on how stories can cause us to expand or contract—and how paying attention to those responses offers valuable information about ourselves. The hosts reflect on powerful moments from conversations with guests, including Dr. Darryl Ford, Mona Norfleet, Merrill Garbus, Osahon Tongo, Inua Ellams, and Lisa Nelson-Hayes, exploring how each story contributed a distinct thread to the season’s larger tapestry. From early memories of difference to creative survival, generational legacy, grief, belonging, and accountability, these stories collectively demonstrate how meaning-making can foster agency and hope. This episode also highlights the practices at the heart of Lion’s Story’s work—slowing down, breathing, naming emotions, and observing internal responses without judgment. Dwight and Shamm discuss how storytelling, whether through conversation, music, poetry, or memory, helps people fall in love with their stories—or at least begin to understand them more fully. As the season comes to a close, the hosts express gratitude for the guests, the listeners, and the shared courage it takes to tell stories honestly. They close with an invitation: to keep listening, keep learning, and keep telling the stories that stay. Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story [https://www.thelionsstory.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being. For a full video version of this podcast, visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesThatStayPodcast Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano [https://petersontoscano.com]. Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]. Music by Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net [https://www.thelionsstory.org/podcast]  Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]

Claiming Worth: Dr. Darryl J. Ford on Race, Resilience, and a Generational Legacy of Education

In this episode, co-hosts Shamm H. Petros and Dwight Dunston sit down with longtime educator and Quaker school leader Dr. Darryl J. Ford for an intimate reflection on early memories of race, difference, family legacy, and the practices that helped him navigate childhood and leadership. Dr. Ford traces the deep educational roots in his family—from a grandmother sent to a private girls’ school in the early 1900s, to elders like “Mama Irma” who shaped his understanding of service, to his own formative experiences in progressive and Quaker schools. He describes what it felt like to be “other” on his block in Cobbs Creek, how books and historical heroes became sustaining companions, and how self-talk helped him prepare for conflict and claim his worth long before such practices had a name. Through guided mindfulness questions, Shamm and Dwight invite Dr. Ford to explore the emotions, images, and narratives that live inside his early experiences. Together they uncover themes of pride, survival, excitement, and a generational commitment to service that continues to guide Dr. Ford’s work today. About Our Guest: Dr. Darryl J. Ford Dr. Darryl J. Ford is Vice President of Education Leadership Services at Carney, Sandoe & Associates, where he leads executive searches, mentors aspiring leaders, and supports educational organizations through transitions and strategic initiatives. He previously served as Head of School at William Penn Charter School [https://www.penncharter.com/] in Philadelphia from 2007–2023. A graduate of Friends Select School [https://www.friends-select.org/], Dr. Ford holds degrees from Villanova University and the University of Chicago. He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife, Dr. Gail Sullivan, their dog Nova, and Alvin, their youngest son’s horse. Quotes from the Episode Dr. Darryl J. Ford:  “Breathing, settling in, finding something in silence is really, I think, central to much of who I am and much of my work and experiences in this life. And so I want to thank you, Shamm, for that exercise of having us center for this conversation.” Shamm H. Petros:  “This story is one that holds a lot of both-and emotions—pride and sadness, excitement and survival. And as you reflect on these memories, particularly the moment realizing ‘I'm different,’ did you then or now have any self-talk?” Dr. Darryl J. Ford:  “We have strategies. We have self-talk as a concept, and we have practice as a concept of how you confront the bully. All of this helps.” Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story [https://www.thelionsstory.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com], a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being. For a full video version of this podcast, visit our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesThatStayPodcast Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano [https://petersontoscano.com]. Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]. Music by Epidemic Sound [https://www.epidemicsound.com]. Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net [https://www.thelionsstory.org/podcast]  Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston [https://sterlingduns.com]