The Unmistakable Creative Podcast Donny Jackson: The Internalized Stains of Slavery and Why Empathy Cannot Develop Without Interaction Across Racial Lines
Nov 17, 2025
Donny Jackson, a poet, clinical psychologist, and Emmy-winning producer, delves into the lasting impacts of slavery on race relations. He reflects on his upbringing in a working-class environment and discusses how tribalism hinders empathy by separating communities. Jackson critiques media portrayals of urban neighborhoods and shares personal encounters with racism. He emphasizes the structural racism rooted in New Deal-era policies and argues that understanding each other's experiences is crucial for fostering genuine empathy and social change.
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Working-Class Roots And Parental Support
- Donny's parents were a postal worker and a nurse's aide who emphasized work ethic, integrity, and reliability.
- They placed him in Catholic school to give him educational opportunities beyond their working-class world.
School Opened New Possibilities
- Donny lived in Homewood but attended academically strong Catholic schools that opened opportunities for him.
- That schooling let him discover psychology and envision life beyond his neighborhood.
First Memory Of Racial Doubt In School
- As a second grader Donny used the word 'ritual' and a teacher accused him of copying because she couldn't imagine a Black child knowing that word.
- His parents had to defend his reading ability and point out her racial assumptions.
