Thank you for tuning into this episode of Identity Unboxed. Through the pursuit of Black liberation, we amplify Black voices, highlight the journeys and achievements of outstanding Black individuals, and preserve our narratives to expand access to diverse career pathways through storytelling. This is an affinity space for Black individuals to engage in vibrant discussions meant to ignite the audacious leaders innate within us to move toward sustained prosperity for our community rooted in equity, justice, and liberation. From the corporate world to creatives, we are committed to documenting Black contributions that elevate Black humanity across the diaspora.

Biography:

Aisha Yahaya is a photographer and visual storyteller based in Cape Town, South Africa. Aisha earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Mixed Media from the University of Cape Town in 2024. Whether it’s capturing live events or producing engaging visual content for schools, Aisha believes that creativity is a powerful tool for learning, expression, and connection. To combine her artistic background with formal education, she returned to the University of Cape Town in 2025 and earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Aisha uses art as a vessel to capture the beauty of the human experience and illuminate Cape Town's rich culture and history in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Career Advice:

My greatest piece of advice for Black professionals is to KEEP GOING. As a freelance photographer, there are times when imposter syndrome kicks in, and I felt like I did not belong in certain spaces, especially in Cape Town where there are so many talented creatives; it's so easy to feel less than. I realize that if I had taken a step back and given up, I would not have reached the level of confidence I feel in my work.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Identity Unboxed. Through the pursuit of Black liberation, we amplify Black voices, highlight the journeys and achievements of outstanding Black individuals, and preserve our narratives to expand access to diverse career pathways through storytelling. This is an affinity space for Black individuals to engage in vibrant discussions meant to ignite the audacious leaders innate within us to move toward sustained prosperity for our community rooted in equity, justice, and liberation. From the corporate world to creatives, we are committed to documenting Black contributions that elevate Black humanity across the diaspora.

In this interview, we explore how Dr. Danielson found the courage to speak out against racism and injustice in healthcare, his work battling and deconstructing the carceral system, and the practical strategies to help activate social justice advocates and changemakers in workplaces and communities make progress on dismantling deep-rooted inequity.

Biography:

Dr. Ben Danielson is a partner and advocate for the health and well-being of low-income children and families with low incomes. He is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. For 20 years, he served as the medical director of Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, based out of Seattle’s Central District. Ben also helped found the Washington Medical-Legal Partnership, which trains doctors to recognize when forces outside the examination room contribute to health problems. He earned a BA in biology from Harvard University and an MD from the University of Washington.

While he is well-known for his work in the community to advance access to healthcare and eliminate racism in the medical system, he also directs Allies in Healthier Systems for Health and Abundance in Youth (AHSHAY), an organization with a mission to deconstruct harmful institutions like youth incarceration, and instead build fortifiers of health and hope for the youth. Most recently, Dr. Danielson’s name appeared in news headlines for winning a discrimination case against Seattle Children’s Hospital, where he successfully proved the racially hostile work environment he had endured for over 2 decades after resigning from his position at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in November of 2020. After calling attention to racism at Seattle Children’s over the years, he was retaliated against. He filed a lawsuit against SCH in October of 2023, and in December 2024, after a 16-day trial, he was awarded $21 million, which the hospital appealed. The Washington Court of Appeals on Tuesday unanimously affirmed the $21 million jury verdict in May of this year. 

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Identity Unboxed. Through the pursuit of Black liberation, we amplify Black voices, highlight the journeys and achievements of outstanding Black individuals, and preserve our narratives to expand access to diverse career pathways through storytelling. This is an affinity space for Black individuals to engage in vibrant discussions meant to ignite the audacious leaders innate within us to move toward sustained prosperity for our community rooted in equity, justice, and liberation. From the corporate world to creatives, we are committed to documenting Black contributions that elevate Black humanity across the diaspora.

Biography:

Dr. Joel Bervell, MD is a Ghanaian-American physician, Peabody Award-winning science communicator, and one of medicine's most recognized digital voices. Known online as the “Medical Mythbuster,” he has spent his career pulling buried truths into the open. Through viral digital storytelling, he challenges misinformation, exposes inequities in healthcare, and makes complex medical concepts and systems understandable to millions.

His platform reflects the reach of that mission. With more than 2 million followers across @joelbervell, Joel reaches over 15 million people every month and has generated more than 500 million impressions, not by simplifying medicine, but by refusing to let its most uncomfortable realities stay hidden.

Long before his audience reached millions, Joel was organizing around inequity inside medicine itself. He earned his BA in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology from Yale University before completing a Master's in Medical Science at Boston University. He later attended Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, where he served as Medical Student Council President, founded the Coug Health Academic Mentoring Program (CHAMP), and helped expand opportunities for underrepresented students pursuing medicine. His academic work has been published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

His work has been featured by The New York Times, NPR, Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Vox, WebMD, and more. That mission has carried him into rooms that shape public conversation and policy: the White House, the FDA, the Clinton Foundation, TED, SXSW, Aspen Ideas: Health, the Milken Global Conference, the Congressional Black Caucus, Google, Meta, and the Association of American Medical Colleges. He advises the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Council for Responsible Social Media on misinformation and health equity.

The recognition has followed. In 2025, TIME Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential Digital Voices. He is a 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30, a 2024 TED Fellow, a Smithsonian Channel Cyclebreaker, a Scientific American Revolutionary, and a Rock Health Top 50 Leader in Digital Health. He has won two Webby Awards (2025 and 2026) and a 2023 Anthem Award Gold. He was also named a National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health and received the National Medical Association's Emerging Scholar Award, the organization's highest academic honor for a student. Mashable called him "your next must-follow creator."

Beyond medicine and media, Joel is the co-founder of Hugs For, a nonprofit that has mobilized hundreds of volunteers, raised over $500,000, and organized service trips across Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. He also serves in advisory roles with Every Cure and the Ron Brown Leaders Network Council.

Career Advice:

“Stay curious longer than everyone else. Your career will be defined less by having all the answers and more by being willing to ask better questions and learning how your unique skills make you able to approach problems and reach solutions differently.”

In this special crossover episode, Identity Unboxed shares Brad Blackburn III’s conversation with Our Black Gay Diaspora.

Brad reflects on his journey as a Black queer professional, entrepreneur, advocate, and co-host of Identity Unboxed. The conversation explores identity, purpose, representation, and the experiences that have shaped his personal and professional path.

This episode was originally produced and published by Our Black Gay Diaspora and is being shared on the Identity Unboxed platform with permission.

On this special episode of Identity Unboxed, we sat with Dr. Ed Taylor, Professor at the University of Washington College of Education and Dean and Vice Provost, at UW Undergraduate Academic Affairs, as he discussed his new memoir, ‘The Power of the River’. Ed takes readers on a journey from Lompoc, California, through a childhood marked with loss but grounded in the love and support of family and community, to a singular moment that changed everything for a boy set up by the system to be a cog in the machine.

In our bonus episode of Identity Unboxed, ‘Occupying Opposing Worlds — Blackness, Identity, and Class,’ Tiana sat on the other side of the interview table as Brad interviewed her about her personal journey, as told through various narratives she has written over the past few years. This episode is a compilation of Tiana narrating short stories: “Don’t Touch My Hair”, "Lineage," and “The Little Black Cowgirl."

“Amidst the Pews” - This piece explores her relationship with religion as a young Black girl embedded in the Evangelical Lutheran church amidst the pews of a nearly exclusively white congregation.

“Don’t Touch My Hair” - This piece captures the beauty of Blackness and the struggle in the journey of truly feeling that Black is beautiful through the connection to Black hair as an extension of her identity.

“Lineage” -  This piece explores the significance of Black ancestral legacies and their influence in the pursuit of liberation and social justice.

“The Little Black Cowgirl” - This piece explores her experience immersed in the world of equestrianism as a young Black girl and delves into the role of Black culture in shaping this space throughout history since its inception. By unearthing my culture, she shares her journey in finding her identity and footing in a space that has precluded Black contributions.

From Tiana: Thank you to our listeners who encouraged us to create this episode, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share about nourishing mental health, finding confidence and community, and embracing vulnerability as strength. I am appreciative of Brad for holding this space where I was empowered to share my most unapologetic self. I hope that this conversation reaches someone and helps them in some way. 🤎

In this bonus episode of Identity Unboxed, we flip the script. Co-host Brad steps into the interviewer’s seat for an intimate conversation with Tiana, exploring her personal journey through the lens of her writing. Together, they unpack the experiences behind her narratives — “Amidst the Pews,” “Lineage,” “The Little Black Cowgirl,” and “Don’t Touch My Hair.” This deeply reflective episode offers insight into Tiana’s evolving connection to her Blackness and the rich history and culture that shape it.

This Black History Month, we are grateful to explore Black history on our inaugural ‘Legacy Lens’ series. The education system frequently gives us a watered-down version of Black history and minimizes our contributions. Many states have already banned and restricted books on Black history. We have always been here and are determined to remind others that our history will not be forgotten. 

Biography:

George “Conscious” Lee is a dynamic orator, innovator, educator, and influential content creator whose work sits at the intersection of media, socio-political issues, and popular culture. Purposefully provocative, he uses this approach to educate on topics like oppression and intersectionality, translating complex ideas for audiences from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. He believes transformation starts with consciousness, using dialogue to uncover what needs change.

Born in Bryan, Texas, Lee overcame childhood adversity to graduate from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees. He made history as part of the first African-American duo to become the number-one seed at the National Debate Tournament, innovatively using hip-hop in arguments. Lee’s blend of academic expertise and cultural mastery fuels his impactful work through his podcasts, public lectures, keynotes and workshops. Lee believes: You cannot change what you don’t know needs to be changed. His work aids people in uncovering what needs to be changed and equips them with the tools on how to change. The starting point is “consciousness.” His style provokes dialogue and conflict meant to inspire transformation. Lee has developed a brand of educational entertainment that translates an understanding of oppression, consciousness, intersectionality, and gender identity to both the TikTok generation and baby Boomers alike.. 

With over 5 million dedicated followers, Lee’s influence is globally recognized. He is a two time NAACP Image Award Nominee, recipient of YouTube’s Content Creator Choice Award, an International Webby Award Nominee and a grantee of YouTube’s Black Voices Fund. His insights have been featured in major publications from Rolling Stone and Forbes to The New York Times and Business Insider.  

His views have garnered millions of views and been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Essence, the Washington Post, Yahoo Life, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and The New York Times. In addition to being on the Content Advisory Board for The Fanbase App, he’s partnered with organizations including YouTube, TikTok, BET, NAACP, and many more! In his free time, Lee enjoys traveling, attending trail rides in rural Texas, and creating memories with his family.

Career Advice:

“Be consistent and execute the plan, even when you don't feel like it.”

This Black History Month, we are grateful to explore Black history on our inaugural ‘Legacy Lens’ series. The education system frequently gives us a watered-down version of Black history and minimizes our contributions. Many states have already banned and restricted books on Black history. We have always been here and are determined to remind others that our history will not be forgotten. 

Biography:

Aaron Chapman is an award-winning director known for his ability to uncover humanity and emotion behind sport, culture, and storytelling. A former Division I football player at the University of Washington, he draws on his firsthand experience as an athlete to craft cinematic narratives that balance raw authenticity with striking visual artistry.

Chapman’s work spans commercial, branded, and documentary filmmaking, with clients including Nike, Adidas, Meta, AT&T, NFL, and many more. He has directed compelling projects featuring some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, including Mark Wahlberg, LeBron James, and Don Cheadle. His ability to capture the personal struggles, triumphs, and identity shifts of high-level competitors has made his work resonate across audiences.

In addition to commercial directing, Chapman has established himself in documentary filmmaking. His debut short documentary, Mr. 50, which he single-handedly directed, filmed, and edited, was a Best Short Documentary, Best First-Time Director, and Best Editing Nominee at Indie Shorts Fest 2021, exploring NBA star Aaron Gordon’s journey to the historic 2020 NBA Dunk Contest. His latest documentary, Against All Odds: Sidney Jones IV, premiered in 2024 and won Best Documentary Short at the New York International Film Awards, highlighting the resilience of an NFL player overcoming adversity.

Chapman’s work has seen wins at Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, and the New York International Film Awards. Based in Los Angeles and San Francisco, he continues to push creative boundaries, shaping stories that bridge sport, culture, and human resilience.

Career Advice:

“I care less about hype and more about momentum. If you’re consistent, intentional, and obsessed with quality, the results eventually compound.”

This Black History Month, we are grateful to explore Black history on our inaugural ‘Legacy Lens’ series. The education system frequently gives us a watered-down version of Black history and minimizes our contributions. Many states have already banned and restricted books on Black history. We have always been here and are determined to remind others that our history will not be forgotten. 

Biography:

Born and raised in Seattle, Gary “Jubil” Hammon is one of a number of musicians from the area that have enjoyed a long and successful career in the performing arts. Gary began his study of the saxophone while a junior at Garfield High School. With diligent practice, he advanced rapidly on the instrument, and soon began playing in bands around the thriving Seattle music scene. With some encouragement from Jim Wilke, he applied for further musical study at the renowned New England Conservatory of Music. Awarded a scholarship, he began attending in 1969, the first year black students were accepted. While there he benefitted greatly while studying with Kenny Dorham, Mary Lou Williams, Carmen McRae and others. He also helped inaugurate the jazz studies program at the Conservatory in 1972, as part of Gunther Schuller’s ensemble. Impressing the likes of Isaac Stern and Arthur Fiedler, the program has been a success ever since.

Gary went on to establish himself on the jazz scene in Boston and New York, frequently filling in for Harold Vick before leading his own bands, becoming a regular at Wally’s in Boston and Manny’s Car Wash in New York. This led to working and touring with blues greats Albert King and Albert Collins, a long stint with Big Jim Patton’s band, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and further jazz work with Barbara Donald and Grant Green.

Gary Hammon returned to Seattle in 2004 after a long career as a sideman and an educator. After being in so many great bands led by others, he was eager to pursue his own musical directions. Gary teamed up with saxophone great Hadley Caliman to make a two tenors album, “Fangs,” and they performed regularly throughout the Seattle area for some years. When Hadley Caliman got called to play with Bobby Hutcherson one weekend, Gary called trumpeter Erik Esvelt to fill in at the last minute. The two musicians quickly recognized their shared enthusiasm for an old-school, lyrical approach to playing the music. A long-term collaboration sprung from there, and the two horn players were soon rehearsing together, working on blending their sounds and learning each others’ music. Gigs in 2011 culminated in recording their album, “Slightly in the Tradition,” that summer.

Still active as an educator, Hammon has been teaching saxophone and sharing his love of music for over four decades. As well as having tutored dozens of award-winning musicians, Gary has also worked closely with Ballard High School’s program in recent years, helping them become one of the region’s top programs and regular attendees of the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition held annually in New York City.

“Know the business of music.”