The Color Between The Lines with Esther Dillard

The State That Made Black History Mandatory - Dr. Patrick J. Lamy - The Color Between the Lines

In 2002, New Jersey became the first state in the country to make Black history mandatory not just in February, not just in one subject, but across every grade level and every classroom, all year long. Most Americans have never heard of that law. Dr. Patrick J. Lamy, Executive Director of the New Jersey Amistad Commission, is the man making sure it actually happens.   Host Esther Dillard sits down with Dr. Lamy for a candid conversation recorded during National Teacher Appreciation Week. They cover the 2026 Amistad Summer Institute now the largest in the Commission's 17-year history with 360 registered educators what it actually takes to move 600 school districts without any enforcement power, why Black educators are leaving the profession at higher rates than their colleagues, and why Dr. Lamy says the most compelling argument for teaching Black history isn't coming from him. It's coming directly from students.   This is a conversation for every educator, parent, and community member who believes that knowing the full truth of American history makes better students, stronger communities, and more informed citizens.   REGISTER 2026 Amistad Summer Institute July 2830, 2026  |  Kean University  |  FREE Virtual attendance open through June 15, 2026 njamistad.gov   Free educator discussion guides: substack.com/@iamestherdillard Educator bundles: etsy.com/shop/ColorBtwLinesMarket   The Color Between the Lines is produced by Esther Dillard and distributed through the Alive Podcast Network.

Is the World Cup Money Real? What Small Business Owners Need to Know Before Kickoff

FIFA called it the equivalent of 104 Super Bowls. But with kickoff less than a month away, nearly 80% of hotels across all 11 U.S. host cities are reporting bookings below forecast. International fans are staying home. And the economic picture looks very different than it did six months ago. So what does that mean for the small business owner who was counting on this moment? In this episode of The Color Between the Lines, Esther Dillard sits down with Genera Moore Founder and CEO of Renaissance Global and author of the Sports Renaissance Economic Playbook. Genera cold-called promoters in Dubai in 2009, landed Janet Jackson for the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and generated over $50 million in economic activity in five years. She breaks down exactly how entrepreneurs, creatives, educators, and community advocates can still tap into the World Cup economy with eyes wide open. What you'll hear: Why hotels are calling the World Cup a "non-event" and what that means for local businesses The 5% vs. 95% market principle that could change how you think about your customers How a bakery, a content creator, a hair care brand, and a sneaker business can all profit this summer Why football has literally stopped wars and what that tells us about culture and commerce The collaboration strategy for business owners who don't have the resources yet What it really means to be in a position to receive The Sports Renaissance Economic Playbook is FREE download it at sportsrenaissance.com Browse educator discussion guides and lesson plans built around conversations like this one search ColorBtwLinesMarket on Etsy. Get free resources delivered to your inbox subscribe at substack.com/@iamestherdillard Listen on iHeart Radio and everywhere you get your podcasts.

What Did Your Father Teach You? Three Generations of One Family Answer One Question

Journalist Esther Dillard asked three generations of the men in her life that one question her son Nicholas, his dad, and his grandfather Anthony Dillard. What came back was not what she expected. This is not a typical Color Between the Lines episode. There is no expert guest. No author. Just three men. Three answers. And one conversation Esther believes every family needs to have before it is too late. This episode is also a tribute to Esther's father Reverend Michael Miller. Pastor. Reader. Lover of Star Trek, Star Wars, and a good boxing match. He passed from prostate cancer and left behind hundreds of books and a belief that education, hard work, and faith in God were the keys to everything. Esther did not record his voice. She wishes she had. She hopes this episode inspires you to do what she did not pick up your phone, press record, and ask the people you love one question before it is too late. WHAT YOU WILL HEAR: Nicholas on why fatherhood is about love, not money and why an Applebee's gift card is a perfectly acceptable Father's Day gift Anthony Dillard on kindness, inclusion, and why no one is unimportant in the body of Christ A reflection on family vacations, fishing trips, neighborhood kids, and what it means to feel rich without having much money Why the pandemic reminded one father that time with family is the most valuable thing of all Esther's personal tribute to her father Reverend Michael Miller and the voice she wishes she had recorded This one is for the fathers. And for everyone who loves one. Free educator discussion guide available at substack.com/@iamestherdillard Full educator bundle: etsy.com/shop/ColorBtwLinesMarket Connect: estherdillard.com If this episode reminded you of someone share it. Someone in your circle needs to hear it before Father's Day. Your story matters.

The Fibroid Slayer: What Your Doctor Isn't Telling Black Women | Dr. Pierre Johnson

27 pounds of fibroids. A pregnant Black woman. A hospital that tried to cancel her surgery. Dr. Pierre Johnson stepped in when the system said no. The board-certified OB-GYN known as The Fibroid Slayer removed the fibroids, saved the pregnancy, and preserved her uterus. In this episode, Esther Dillard sits down with Dr. Johnson for a conversation about the fibroid crisis that is hiding in plain sight and why Black women are bearing the worst of it. They cover: Why Black women develop fibroids at 2 to 3 times the rate of white women How chronic stress, food deserts, and generations of medical mistrust make the problem worse The truth about hysterectomies and the menopause myth costing women their quality of life What a 0% repeat surgery rate looks like and why most surgeons aren't doing it How to advocate for yourself when your doctor says you have no options Esther also shares her own story: seven years trying to conceive, 23 fibroids removed, and the surgery that gave her her son. Find Dr. Pierre Johnson on Instagram at @doctorp23 and on YouTube at @pierrejohnsonmd8187 Subscribe. Share. Your story matters.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Chain of Ideas — The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age | S3 E14

What is the idea driving the redistricting battles, the rollback of diversity programs, the surge of authoritarian politics, and the rise of white nationalist violence in America and around the world? Dr. Ibram X. Kendi has a name for it. And in this conversation, he explains exactly where it came from, how it works, and what each of us can do to fight back. In Season 3 Episode 14 of The Color Between the Lines, journalist and host Esther Dillard sits down with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi historian, professor at Howard University, National Book Award winner, and New York Times bestselling author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist to discuss his new book, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.   Chain of Ideas traces the rise of Great Replacement Theory the political argument that powerful elites are deliberately using Black and Brown people, immigrants, and minorities to displace white majorities. Kendi documents how this idea is not new. It powered the backlash against Reconstruction. It gave rise to Jim Crow. It inspired the chants at Charlottesville, the mass shooting at the Buffalo supermarket, and the radicalization of Dylann Roof. And today it is driving policy rollbacks, redistricting fights, and authoritarian movements across six continents.   In this episode, Kendi breaks down the zero-sum theory the manufactured belief that Black progress comes at white expense and traces exactly who built it, who funds it, and who it has always protected. He explains how super-wealthy individuals are simultaneously supporting great replacement political movements and purchasing social media platforms and media outlets to amplify the message. And he walks through the complete radicalization pipeline that takes someone from a website to an act of mass violence.   But this conversation does not end in despair. Kendi explains why, after years in the archives tracing this playbook across centuries and continents, he finished Chain of Ideas more hopeful than when he started. Because once you can name what is being done once you understand the playbook you can finally push back.   Esther Dillard also asks Kendi the question that matters most: what can one person actually do? His answer is direct. Use your talent. Use your platform. Use whatever you already have.   This episode is essential listening for educators, students, journalists, community leaders, and anyone trying to make sense of the political moment we are living through. An educator resource bundle including discussion questions and curriculum alignment for grades 6 through 12 is available at ColorBtwLinesMarket on Etsy.   Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is available now wherever books are sold.   The Color Between the Lines is hosted by award-winning journalist and Black Information Network anchor Esther Dillard. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow on the Alive Podcast Network, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts