Daniel Gibson | How to Be Intentional with Race
Here’s to doing the right thing!
This pod features a long-overdue guest, but this conversation comes at exactly the right time. You’ll meet one of my best friends of 26 years: the extraordinary Daniel Gibson. Daniel, a graduate from Yale with a Masters in social work, is a passionate community leader and advocate for social justice, who spent the last 15 years championing causes to eradicate racism and poverty in the United States. He’s created and implemented nationally recognized programs for jail and prison reform, affordable housing, access to medical care for the chronically homeless, HIV/AIDS prevention and LGBT+ rights. He’s dedicated to addressing the root causes of economic and health disparities experienced by vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Yet, in our 26 years of friendship, this is the first time we’ve ever talked about race. I wanted to know WHY in an effort to unpack my own subconscious biases, which is exactly what we cover in this deeply honest, vulnerable and empowering conversation. His reasons why we never talked about race blew me away and I have no doubt will enlighten you as well.
Throughout this episode, Daniel and I have an intentional conversation about race. He discusses his relationship with his Blackness, how he’s learned to embrace it, and what that means for him and the community he’s honored to serve moving forward. We also talk about a powerful post that Daniel shared on Instagram about why he chose not to march in the protests for justice for George Floyd.
This is a meaningful, intentional, and needed conversation with a beautiful force for good. My hope is that it encourages you to stop worrying about “getting it right” and simply do the right thing. Thank you, dear Daniel, for being the epitome of Fire and Soul.
Some Questions I Ask:
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Why haven’t you ever brought your Blackness to the party of our friendship? (9:24)
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How can people begin the internal healing process when working toward becoming anti-racist? (13:48)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
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What led Daniel to become a social worker. (4:53)
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How Daniel learned to embrace his Black heritage. (9:29)
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What being authentically anti-racist looks like. (14:12)
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Why Daniel chose not to march at the protests. (23:04)
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Why saying something is better than remaining silent. (28:39)
Connect with Daniel: