The Joy of the Disinherited

The Joy of the Disinherited author Kevin Dedner is joined by fellow Arkansan Dr. Jeff Flanigan - who was so moved by the book, he decided to write a song. The two find out they share a lot in common.

"The Joy of the Disinherited" podcast host Stefanie Bryant chats it up with book author Kevin Dedner to discuss some of the themes of the book and to break down their thoughts on the book.

When it comes to racial disparities in the mental health system, the differences have been well documented.

Former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy is one of the nation’s leading voices on mental health and addiction. He joins “The Joy of the Disinherited” author Kevin Dedner in this podcast book series to talk about his own personal struggle and his continued fight on helping others who are struggling with mental health and addiction.

According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than White adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress, such as sadness, hopelessness and feeling like everything is an effort. Despite the needs, only one in three Black adults who need mental health care receive it. Book author, Kevin Dedner and his guest, Dr. Harold “Woody” Neighbors discuss the barriers to mental health care, the social stigma associated with receiving treatment, provider bias and inequality of care and treatment options.

Cities all across the U.S experienced some form of urban renewal in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The Joy of the Disinherited author Kevin Dedner, along with his guest, Little Rock, Arkansas mayor Frank Scott, discuss the impact these concepts had on the Black economy. The move, which mainly disrupted and destroyed Black communities, left them without a home or business. They’ll explore the impact poverty has on a person’ mental health status.

Book author Kevin Dedner and Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University Norma Day-Vines, Ph.D. explores this question of how the trauma, most often times, passed down generation to generation impacts our emotional and mental well-being. Dedner shares how the sudden death of his father impacted his life more than he knew. They will address this cycle of generational trauma.

In this episode, “The Joy of the Disinherited” author, Kevin Dedner explores the reason why he wrote the book and discusses some re-occurring themes throughout the book.