RIGHTing Narratives

Isaiah Mack is an NFL defensive tackle and former standout at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. During his college career, Mack earned All-American honors and was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. Known for his resilience and disruptive play on the defensive line, he recorded 20 career sacks and was a dominant force in his final season. After becoming an undrafted free agent in 2019, Mack signed with the Tennessee Titans and has since played for several NFL teams, most recently the Miami Dolphins.

Being that Isaiah and Shannon are from the same hometown, they met up there for this conversation. Isaiah's narrative is one of hard work, appreciation of peaceful moments with family, and looking forward to settling into a normal life after the NFL. He gives his mom credit for where he is today.

RIGHTing Narratives is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

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Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Copyright 2024 Shannon Chatmon

Michael McDowell, AKA... Mike on the Bike, is a black man in law enforcement. For historical reasons, black people and the police have always had a complicated relationship, especially in the south where slave patrols evolved into early forms of law enforcement. People my age have grandparents who vividly remember seeing police dogs attack protesters and the brutality and beatings by police enforcing Jim Crow. The next generations can recall being pulled over for “driving while black” and being harassed by police, the mass incarceration of the Crack epidemic, and on into the killings of black men and women that happen frequently at the hands of police to this day.

For these reasons, Mike's decision to become a police officer was met with a lot of disbelief and disagreement. Hear Mike tell his story on this episode of RIGHTing Narratives. 

RIGHTing Narratives is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Instagram:

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Copyright 2024 Shannon Chatmon

Recently, players like Caitlyn Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso have brought major attention to women’s basketball. There are several other young women on that team that you don’t hear about who dominated at the high school level, but aren’t the superstars on their college teams. You don’t hear about the immense pressure, tough choices, and sacrifices they are being asked to make at such a young and confusing time in their lives.

Wynter Whitley is an extraordinary athlete and former Duke Lady Blue Devils basketball player, who had a standout season her freshman year, but when tragedy hit, her game and relationship with the coaches was collateral damage. Her story helps us right the narratives about grief, self-advocation, and self-worth. It rights the narrative that we don’t always have to be strong, and it’s okay to take the time to heal when we need it.

RIGHTing Narratives is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Instagram:

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Copyright 2024 Shannon Chatmon