Roy continues his interview with John and Colleen by describing his college experiences and his path in the corporate world and aerospace industry.   The experiences of workplace hostility include intelligence tests,  education proof, and unequal compensation structures that were applied based upon race.  Roy attributes his philosophy of excellence, preparation, integrity and focusing on relationships as the foundation for his ability to make a difference. 

Roy Dawson, our friend and leader in our community, shares some of his early life experiences that led him to a people focused career and lifetime of service to the community.  From lessons learned in contributing to the family income by working in the fields to basketball shoes to Los Angeles City Hall, Roy describes learning how communities work.  As "a child of the neighborhood," in Texarkana, Texas, Roy traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to work in the onion, carrot, and watermelon fields.   They eventually moved to the Okemah neighborhood in Phoenix, and then on to Los Angeles, California.   Roy shares his first taste of racism by finding out that peanut butter and jelly wasn't something that he could have.  Life experiences that shaped his path include his mother's memory of the brutal murder of her father,  working with youth at a community center during the Watt's riots and working with the Los Angeles City Council to bridge understanding between groups such as the Black Panthers and US and neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and East LA.  One of his first assignments in the bureau of the mayor's office was to come up with a plan to integrate the Los Angles police and fire departments.   

John Byrd and Ryan Green continue their ongoing conversation about systemic racism and allow us to listen in.  As a detective and as a prosecutor in one of largest counties in the country, John and Ryan have been engaged in dialogue, training and deliberate work to improve understanding and responses in our criminal justice system.  Exploring the importance of full disclosure, the power of sharing oral histories and addressing racism in all forms: silent, systemic, systematic, cultural, vestigial, covert, and overt, John and Ryan provide a compelling example of how we can learn and grow from having direct dialogue with each other.  Iron sharpens iron.

John and Colleen discuss the first year's journey of It Takes Courage.  We have shared laughter, tears, realizations, inspiration and the determination to be better and to do more.  Uncovering the underlying causes of our discontent is key to attaining the peace and safety that we all long for. 

Dr. Carlian Dawson describes the impact of trauma and how it affects our ability to self regulate and process information.  Her experience as a principal and educator led her to study trauma and to educate others on the harm that is being caused by the deluge of trauma and the overload of stress.  Racism has shown itself to be an ever present trauma that settles like dust every time we clean it up.  While we continue to fight, we need to make sure we utilize the protective factors to mitigate the harms of trauma.   It takes courage to operate in the world at alert or alarm because of past traumas.  And it takes courage to use knowledge to move from potential power to actual power.

John and Colleen interview attorney Kiilu Davis, a valued contributor to our It Takes Courage conversations.  Kiilu is a highly respected family law attorney who has also been an athlete, a landscaper, a golfer and a force for good in pushing forward the conversation about how we can achieve a just and fair society.  Kiilu reflects on the weight and the difficulty of fighting a battle that feels like it will never end and will never be won.  And why we can't let that stop us. 

John and Colleen continue our interview with Penny, co-founder of It Takes Courage, as she describes her journey from junior high through law school, encountering discouragement, accusations, racism and the sources of resilience that helped her through.  Talking about these experiences brings up pain and it isn't easy, in fact, it takes courage.


Note : Poem, It Couldn't be Done , by Edgar Albert Guest

John and Colleen interview Penny about what it was like for her growing up in Grand Prairie, Texas: experiencing  racism for the first time as a small child; Jim Crow practices in restaurants, stores, and cemeteries; school segregation and bussing  and more.  We found her testimony so compelling that we made this our first two-part episode.

Penny is not a fighter.  She could have been a starving actress or a politician (see part two).  She is a learner, an attorney and a retired superior court judge.  And she has been a revolutionary from birth.

John Byrd and Colleen McNally discuss how It Takes Courage began as a community conversation and talk about the importance of understanding the real facts of our shared history.

The It Takes Courage Podcast is intended to help drive our ongoing community conversation about disrupting racism so that we can enjoy the just and liberated community that we all deserve.   If you are interested in joining our zoom conversation, email [email protected] and ask to be added to our distribution list.

On January 6, 2020, our nation's capitol was attacked by a mob of white supremacists and insurgents.  John Byrd, a detective in the law enforcement community, and Colleen McNally, a retired Superior Court judge, discuss the implications of the event on our lives and explore the responsibilities of each of us to examine how racism imposes privileges and oppression in our lives.