The DEI Project, Mind Heart for Diversity, and Being Your Unique Self with Dr. Thomas Easley

Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! 

On today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Thomas Easley, Founder Mind Heart for Diversity Consulting about The DEI Project, Mind Heart for Diversity, and Being Your Unique Self.   Read his full bio below.

Help us continue to create great content! If you’d like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form

Showtimes: 
2:48  Nic & Laura discuss Ghana
7:03   Interview with Dr. Thomas Easley starts
7:42   The DEI Project
29:55  Mind Heart for Diversity
40:25   Field Notes
44:21  Being your unique self

Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review.

This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.

Connect with Dr. Thomas Easley at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-thomas-rashad-easley-4549675/

Guest Bio:
Thomas RaShad Easley, Ed.D., is the child of civil rights activists that protested in the children’s march in 1963 at the height of the Civil Right movement and integrated an all-white school in Toledo, Ohio. Assistant Dean of Community and Inclusion at the School of the Environment at Yale University (the first school of forestry, 1900). Dr. Easley has attended Alabama A&M University (B.S.), Iowa State University (M.S.), and North Carolina State University (Ed.D.) Dr. Easley has backgrounds in forestry, genetics, and adult education. 

Dr. Easley is a certified diversity, equity and inclusion consultant that works with academic institutions, corporate entities, and other organizations to help them actualize a strong diversity initiative that welcomes everyone and shifts work culture to be equitable. 

Dr. Easley is a musical artist, professor, Eagle Scout, and a former campus pastor. He intentionally merges conscious lyrics, ecumenical spirituality, land stewardship, education, diversity/equity/inclusion principles and entrepreneurial thinking in his lectures, workshops and presentations.

Music Credits
Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa
Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller

Transcript

Transcripts are auto-transcribed

[Intro]

Laura 
Hello and welcome back to EPR with your favorite environmental nerds Nick and Laura. On today's episode, Nick and I talk about my trip to Ghana. We talked to Dr. Thomas Rashad easily about the DEI project meinhardt for diversity and being your unique self. And finally, Ghana was the first sub Saharan African country to gain its independence from colonial rule. Ghana was colonized Ghana was Oh geez.

Colonial alized colonized, colonized Ghana was colonized by the British until it gained its independence, march 6 1957, which subsequently inspired other African nations to do the same. Julie awesome. I got to go to some museums and see this in action. It's very cool. colonized,

Nic
colonized, colonial colony

Laura 
yay, hit that music

[NAEP Event News]

Nic 
NAEP is hosting a special webinar on NEPA. Phase two, the bipartisan permitting reform implementation rule on Tuesday, September 19 2023 at 1pm Eastern and then up is pleased to welcome speaker from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, who will present the recently released notice of proposed rulemaking or revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act. discussion will include an overview of a proposed rule and a question and answer session. Check it out @naep.org

Unknown Speaker 
We have a sponsor. All right. Great. Well, I got I got an idea. I don't know if it's gonna work, but we'll see.

Laura 
All right, you have an idea. It doesn't matter if it works just through a 32nd spot that would normally be for a brother sponsor. So if you want to sponsor help us fill a spot please reach out to us but today we don't have one so ready, go.

Nic 
You know, Laura, you never like broken a window and super super annoying because you have to like replace the window. It's so It's so frustrating, right? For any number of reasons. Like most kids don't want balls. You know, what are your robbers you know, whatever it is, you break the window and you're like, oh, man, if only I didn't have all those natural light. Well, if boards are rough, we will get rid of all your windows is That's right. Every window in your house. We will put boards over it'll look like an apocalypse. But guess what zombies won't be able to get in right away. They will eventually not right away. So that's what what that's the promise. That's the guarantee boards are us. It will save you 10 minutes in the zombie apocalypse. And everyone will think you're a creep. There we go boards are ross.com Yeah, that's what I got for you today.

Laura 
30 seconds on the spot. Nice. Oh, and right in time for the holidays.

Nic 
Oh, man, let's get to our segment. All right. All right.

[Nic & Laura discuss Laura's trip to Ghana]

Nic
Are we gonna talk about your trip at all? Are we going to

Laura 
my trip was crazy. processing it? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 
I'm gonna try it.

Unknown Speaker 
So yeah, it's gone.

Speaker 3 
I did go there for a couple of weeks. And I did the canopy thing that you did to really cool. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 
Okay. What was happening here?

Speaker 3 
So what was your How long ago did you go? It was probably 10, nine or 10 years ago now. And I only stayed for 10 days. Yeah, so I stayed across doing like volunteer eye exams basically.

Unknown Speaker 
Oh, wow.

Laura 
That's cool. A part of a crowded you stay in was a nice, I couldn't even tell you. Was it nice? Did you have running water? We did have running water. Nice. Okay. Yeah, so people have cell phones now. That's probably different. And I was really surprised that like the connection, like they've cell network everywhere, like it's only 3g So it's still slow, but they have it. They have it. Yeah. So every time you meet someone, they want your contact information. Just interesting. So yeah, there's this crazy dynamic, but we did. We flew into Accra and then went out to Elmina, which is past Cape Coast to the West, and had the wedding over that direction. And then we came back to near Accra, and then went where my friend is living. And then we went back. We went north. We went through Kumasi and then up to multi national park. So we didn't see any elephants but I did get the contact information for our ranger and he sent us pictures of elephants from the next day. And he left early she's looking through the photos she's like, Oh my God, he's all offensive like no

Unknown Speaker 
pretend Yeah.

Laura  
We looked real hard. Didn't see him. But yeah, in the in probably when you were there, the plastic situation may not have been as bad as it is now. Oh no. Dear God, there is garbage and plastic everywhere. It's like mounds and mounds of seeing these big giant bags. You're like what's that? Oh, it's big giant bags of plastic bottles piled up. It's insane. So I'm curious to know like what solutions they may have, they have to be looking at something because they'll just be buried in it in 10 years. Absolutely. Very crazy. So, but yeah, people were great. It was fun as vegetarianism if it wasn't difficult to eat, but I'd eat the same things like over and over. Oh,

Unknown Speaker 
yeah. Yeah,

Laura  
but Yeah, nobody got sick. Didn't get a single mosquito bite. Wow. Yeah. That's good one. And yeah, I'm like I'm from Florida. This is nothing I don't know where they're supposed to be or how it's supposed to be like but it was not bad. And then I put on sunscreen twice. I don't know when you were there, Danielle. But it was the rainy season. It was cloudy all the time. So didn't have to like I thought it would be sunburned and covered in mosquito bites the whole time. But it was not. Then. Yeah, the wedding was awesome. It was just interesting to see culturally and then we did the slave forward thing and that was pretty rough. We got to visit the chiefs. Oh my god. The visit with the Chiefs was interesting. What happened? Just for black who was

Speaker 2 
in Haiti, you know that he decided to buy out food for trouble. Yeah, I mean, who knows? I don't know how exactly they are. But like, he decides to buy out a restaurant like hey, I'm buying all your food, please give it out to people. And then it turns into this really scary spectacle at some point where people are arguing and fighting about the food and trying to end up getting really aggressive to the point where they had to leave. They're like, we can't be here and it's just like, we wanted to do a nice thing and it ended up being more heartbreaking. Right? Exactly. So just

Laura 
really terrible. Yeah, it's just really unfortunate. So anyway, but overall, it was great. It was an awesome trip and let's get to that interview.

[Interview with Dr. Thomas Easley starts]

Laura
All right. Welcome back to EPR. Today we have Dr. Thomas, Rashad easily CEO and founder of both easily branch LLC and mine hurt for diversity LLC back on the show. Welcome Thomas aka Rashad ease. I'm so glad to see you again.

Dr. Thomas Easley  
What's going on or how you doing my friend was

Laura 
doing great. Like we've been talking about like it's been weird and awesome and everything in between. So it's been almost two years I think since you were on here, which is crazy, but I've been watching everything you're doing and excited to talk about it. But probably the biggest most exciting thing is your latest project the draft this week. So let's get into that before we talk about anything else. So let's talk about it. What is the EI What did you do this week?

[The DEI Project]

Dr. Thomas Easley  
Alright, so it actually dropped today. So I wanted to drop on 911 You know, we know 911 news a lot, you know, here in the country in the US, and so I wanted to release it on a significant day. One, you know, because when talking about Dei, I do believe that there's healing and trauma sometimes that people may experience and then that's why 911 For me to drop it on another level. Because I do think that we definitely still have that in our country and I think we always will. But then I wanted to kind of give us something another thing or another element to kind of focus on mom or dad is definitely positive. I tell you that he has a positive record, you know, a somewhat provocative essay somewhere because the intent, the true intent is really not to agitate people. The intent is to put stuff out there and make them kind of listen to it and go okay, why did you say that? You know, versus listened to it and more like there's reason behind it. So the eyes out, we got at the ER I think it I know we do know the D stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. I talk about that throughout the entire album on this record. D stands for a disruptive education instruction, because that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm disrupting. I'm doing what I say a lot of other people do disrupt only I can explain why Disrupt.

Laura 
Yeah, that's great. I love that you said it's provocative. Nick and I have been told that our show is sometimes provocative and we're like, Excuse me What? Crazy, but don't over the edge. But some people are we're making someone think right, so that's great. Yeah, so why do you call it a project and not an album?

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Thank you for that question. Oh, my goodness. Thank you. Well, that's actually the one thing I didn't want to explain. That's a project curious. Thank you. Yeah, because an album typically will be an LP. Okay, what so LP stands for long project, LP is anything that's 35 minutes to an hour long. Then you have an EP, which is a shorter project, which is usually between 15 to 22 minutes long. This project is 23 on a dat minutes law is seven songs. The reason why it's a practice on that one to answer your question, the reason why it's a project and that to happen is because none of these songs are on the same album. So what I actually have is I have four albums, to get it done to get it in the making. And one of them I had two which is the one that's ready to go and I'm wearing a t shirt for today, which is the branch album this is our piece abstracting from the artists that we work with who designs our covers, now a mod Austin and we were getting ready to release it about three months ago. That's when we're finished. And then I met with some MCs here in the red triangle area, because I wanted to get them on the next version of the app. So really, the branch that's what this is, this is the branch. The name of the label is the branch to each branch but this is the branch it's part of a three series out the branch to treat the root. Okay, the solve the branch, that's the hook, the branch, the tree, the route was me. So the next albums on the tree and I deal with these MCS and I say hey, I'd like to ask you all to come and be on my tree out, right tree family tree type of thing. And then I explained to them what it was that we were doing and they kind of got more excited than Addie it in the moment. And I was like, Why are you so excited and they said that idea could be turned into a curriculum to teach kids. And so it's fun. I said, I am a professor, a college professor taught high school. And that's actually the aim of the record. Let me let you listen to it. So when they listened to the album, they came back and said don't put it out and I was like they said no. Literally need to turn it into a curriculum. They said it's fun. It's funny. It's all in the news. It's like listening de la Sol drift behind Ross. Songs. They say the songs are hot. We got it. Make it into a curriculum so now two months ago, we turned it into a curriculum a month ago we found an organization that said that they want to work with and and that's when they hit me well to this man must as I put something out and I want to continue to give my fans and my numbers are growing more material. So I started listening of songs that I had. And then as I listened and I was like, Oh, it says to worship definitely treat album. That sounds good by itself. Take off. That's what TLC believes. And then I started putting songs together and then I thought let me just see if people want to listen to this. And what I did was I said which is now out I sent it to a bunch of the app professionals. I said listen to this and tell me what you all think that you get it and you're like it. And when I started hearing their reactions, that's when I knew I had done something and that's an art we're gonna put it out. So that's why I could project in that album, because typically be sold and that typically together it's up on this project. So that means I'll just say this and then others if you're less than two that repin anything, like say if somebody hits you and it bothers you. What I always remind people is just like looking at a book before you read the book, The intelligent for a moment and don't react, sit with it and then try to talk to me as the artist because what you think you know the ignorance is probably higher than you after your awareness and you don't know this is part of a bigger project. There's a reason why the song sounds like this and why I'm talking about this in particular, so that's why I'm surprising.

Laura 
Yeah, okay, well, I just had a whole bunch of thoughts swirling around my head now. Yeah, group here I need to share it with there is a what you said he said, um, oh, be intelligent for a second don't react. Hello.

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Listen to it first. It has to be talking about me too. I have to do a few things and work my way down when I read it. I'm like, Oh, I'm glad I didn't say nothing.

Laura 
Yeah. No, that's great. Okay, so it's a project because it's bigger than just the thing itself, which was great. And yeah, back to like, give us some maybe little snippets or examples of something about the different elements you have in there because you've got like, like you said something that's trying to make people think some of its instructional and then of course, the environmental piece, I think is in there too. Right. So

Dr. Thomas Easley  
yeah, so Okay, so like so seven songs. I'll just do it fast enough to talk to you know, try to talk not fast, but be quick so I won't bore you so seven songs. Each store kind of touches on a different facet of diversity, equity and inclusion. So the first song is entitled ancestral worship. As a former campus Christian pastor. I know it okay. I know that when people who went to Christian Church, most of them when they see that that title, and that they know me is probably going to trigger because we as Christians, if you will, of followers of Jesus, don't worship ancestors, but me as a person who was much more aware of religious spirituality, African religion, African spirituality, being black being brown, indigenous what all that means. What I am doing is I'm trying to educate the same time people in the church because I do think that people in the church are somewhat lost and confused to it. I will say in any religion, to be honest, but I'm not trying to attack religions. What I'm saying is most of us that are organized, still can't answer every question about life. And live, especially when we talk about religion. So ancestral worship, I mean, I literally started off with had a dream and the ancestral realm. Grandma came to me. I was kneeling at her feet. She said, Baby Boy, what you're doing. And it was a dream I had six months ago, like this little what happened in the dream. I was at the old church that I was raised in and my grandma was sitting at piano she taught me how to play the piano, and I was in the class stand as a little boy. And, and I cried a lot when I woke up because every time I dream about my grandparents, it's like this. So that's why I call it ancestral worship. And I literally said, I miss you so much. I need you right now. And she says, You got what you mean. Boy, I raised you when the sound things I enjoy God. I mean, the guy that's one of the reasons you got stronger after right that this lady what she said to me in the dream. So for those who don't like ancestral worship, like I say, you listen to the song you see I'm not worshiping my ancestors, but I am talking to him. So that's the first one take off. So number two, Laura, that's the most mainstream club app. On the Record. The major point of that is to shake your booty and enjoy the song. But I do talk about some things on the rig. I'll admit it like when I say mainstream, the second verse of the song is totally about me. Alvina is like you would think I'm proud of talking about listing after a woman or female that is not what I'm doing is the way I'm talking about her. But the first verse is, is is all about the I'm gonna have wetland in there. When I say beef is the worst food two ways is a weapon. We hate each other or we buy the poison that they sell. The llama plant based eater, as I can solve something different is keeping me on a mission. This is Spacebase pimpin without the pills. Do you see what I'm saying? Like I just did a space aid. You know, the second the second verse, I'm talking about a woman. I say hips, a booty and of jeans, bigger legs. I want to squeeze rubbing down and make a respect the first thing get between let me just explain what I mean. When I say get between I'm not talking about leaves I'm talking about between here and the waist is the heart. So I'm saying if I respect her first I can get to her heart. The reason why I say bagel is because I'm talking about beating women. I'm not trying to say I'm saying by the shade. You know what, what are you saying are slim either but I do know that most shaming in the public realm goes to people who are bigger. So that's what I'm doing. But as you listen to the record you it's almost like he's saying he BMA he's saying some deep things that same conceptual but it's not. It's all Central, and it's about respecting the woman. I'm like, wonder what a freaky sack come stand right next to me. Now behind me that in front of me stay right next to me as a hippie shit that makes two quarters that's five downs where she meaning one woman is worth that much instead of a look. Like I'm looking for one that was like no, actually everyone that has multiple things on Saturday. So I want to go for all of it versus just one and that's what was the last thing that I say you look presidential and scholarly. Your flesh of Mr. See, see your cursor here netiquette. Madico yes, there's weaponry. So there's meaning knowledge and that for me to even see more of you. I have to earn that. And then I own what I think a beautiful as it those curves. I have 90 Like I see what I see. So that's me saying for those people who said you can't compliment I totally think that's a lot you can. You just don't have to be a creep about it and then for those who can't take a compliment maybe you're struggling with insecurities certainly know if someone is appropriately doing it. I'm not saying that someone sent a promise and somebody says like you look nice. Why do you say I look nice? That's not my bag. I'm not arguing this with this person. I'm gonna keep walking. I'm not getting into this argument with you, you know, because I'm not doing that. That's what I mean when I say dei is in a way like gives us something to think about and to talk about. Now. Let's talk about one more song and then I'll pause so I won't bore you. With the first two. Okay dei the title tre disruptive. Educational instruction. I literally wrote this song, particularly to do nothing but provoke thought. The whole point of this was just to provoke. And what I did was I kind of I put me into song, so that there will be things that I would react to. And then I put me into sort of things about me other people would react to. And so first of all, you want diversity, then why are you scared? So every land is like I'm going to ask the audience that I'm talking to in that moment. You want diversity, so many don't want diversity? Why are you scared of it? racially? Yeah, I know we are cousins. That don't mean certain ones can get corrupted. I can see straight through you TSA check my luggage because I got baggage that I carry on with me being black is dope but now with a EZ the E XL. What is it? D E if you don't live it? And so it's like basically you're not living diversity. That's what the planet is just die because diversity is all around us. That's basically what I'm saying. I'm not saying that you don't like it. I'm saying you gotta go deal because the world is diversity. But then I have other things. Like I said, Get up my face and tie the loop with that person. It's a clean album. I say you want to cross that line not on these bridges. You can't say the N word you ain't that pigment. Use Africa to justify but you never visit. So definitely sad for people who want to deal with the N word of course of lie to us like now you can't say the word is not for you. But this is me talking to black and brown people like me because I don't use the word. I'm saying some of y'all use you know the whole energy us the royalty aspect to justify, but you ended up visiting the continent. What the heck are you doing? So you see that's what I'm saying. The whole point of this is to really get people to think to go Yeah, you'll see yourself like That's right. But then I also want you to see yourself and go Wait, am I right? And that's the purpose of the solid de Aza basically everyone can be a victim but everyone can also be a perpetrator, which means we all can fix these things and address these areas. It's everybody's responsibility to deal with Dei, not just one person. It's not a woman thing is that African American thing is a human thing. Right? So I'm sure that's the point like I said, almost always but y'all check them out. I got I promise you was in Vegas.

Laura 
I love it. I mean, the the messages have to come from everywhere, right? We've got workshops and classes and most people we're going to talk about di or in a corporate environment where they get a class someone comes in teach it, you know, maybe some schools you know, like you're doing some programs and things but an average person who doesn't you know, works in a job that doesn't have corporate training and stuff like were they sitting down talking about this or having a conversation right, so like, Can we come in through music as a whole another huge population of people that can can hear this and speak it and then of course, there's books right, but a lot of people don't read books. So I think it's really nice to have just we need every avenue right? all fronts. Starting so awesome. Where can people find this music of yours?

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Wherever you get your music online, digitally first. Okay, so whether that's title, Google, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music is there, okay, you can go and find it. Okay. Deezer wherever you go, that this is the easily branch which is our website, the easy branch I'm pulling because it's got the logo on the back of the shirt to the east of brands.com. You can go to our site and then you'll you'll see it there. And one of the reasons why it's there. So this is the first project. That's just my wife had all of our producers on the label. So every producer, we have three, three primary producers on the East Branch, and they also have a part of them have a song or a song or two on this record, so I'm happy about this.

Laura 
Okay, great. So yeah, I was curious about the label is it someone else's label your label?

Dr. Thomas Easley 
This is all me. I just finished doing a big presentation this past Saturday performing explaining this to not kind of connected to another MC hip hop group. And I explained to him the name of the label is too easy branch request. My last name is easily and I explained to them that the label started with me teaching at NC State, and I was promoting my own music. You know, I just I started the business so that that would be a legit business musician, one of my gigs and things like that. And then, you know, he was accused of academics, you know, what happens when it's cool. The student started signing up for my class, because they heard that I made music. And what I did was I used the music and go into the studio as an essential for them to pass my class and do well in school. So lo and behold, let's just say after about four years, I had 12 people, co workers, tallied students, professors, who all wanted to do something in music, but some of them didn't necessarily have to. They weren't sure if they could, you know, that's the problem. In academia, we overthink everything. You know, when you get a certain age of 45 I'll even admit you know, when I was a kid, I didn't think I didn't know Chuck V was only in his 20s Public Enemy when he was rapping and as a teenager, I thought too, but I thought this was old at 45 I'm in better shape than most 18 to 30 year olds I know. So we created this label together and put music app together. And that's partly why the neck the actual album is coming out at some point. It's called the branch. That's really what I'm doing. It's like I'm taking what we do on the branch and using it as a way of talking about the environment.

Laura 
Awesome, awesome. Yeah, so you want to talk about the branch for a second before we dive into consulting

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Sure. Yeah, yeah. So the branch, okay, so I'll say this, okay. Your attack pocket focuses on the environment in particular, right. So on the last song, I'm gonna put something away. You give out the last song. It's called LTC stands for for the children, you know, routine for the children. The HR ear, but anyway, so we say we're for the children because we work with people across like Malibu, you're with people across multiple generations, whether you're at 70 mi 40s 50s 30s. And then when you listen to the album, I have a young six year old who's on the hook with me, so I also work with kids. And this young man his name is DJ green Jr. Does my producer DJ green made this is who made the beat. And that young man can rap. I mean, I'm in the studio like you guys love to several hours long have you been listening? To my music? And he looked at me DAC, and I remember so they and he just started rapping rapping rapping or something. I say louder. I can't hear you. Oh, I'm sorry that you can't hear because and I'm just like, that's amazing. As it bluecar To get rid of he called. So the name of the songs for the children. And I started off when I say strong in in the woods on a Sunday when I could be in church today meditate with the elements fire when an earth or when a fire a smelling essential way of frankincense and myrrh. So I'm trying to talk about what's going on outside and some of the elements you get from outside. When the song is you want to hear something because you want to hear it you just don't know that you're hearing it. That is the intro to the branch. Because the branch on the app that before that song, it wasn't really meant to be a song. It was an interlude track that near the degree made for the album and I'm singing on it. And so that's what it's for. So it is what the interlude started so what the branching is a record that has of course the hero only have I only have two of my producers on there, Joe TV producer and DJ we produced the whole thing and I CO produced it. And on this record is six kids. Six kids were on an excursion. We was a field trip. We were kids six and seven years old. Who were going into what's known as hearing rally Shavers Park. So the teacher this is easily is taken on a trip my mom was a school teacher. That's why I got into education. And my mom was snapping kids so you get the hair up or snap into a hole. That's what these are about. 11 year old boy Okay. Six kids are all the baby versions of all of us on the label to lead the rising who's on the language as 20,000 Who's your producer, CJ brain be bigger body, you know the probably six people and then there's Thomas, who was for shots first name and so Thomas is listening to music the entire album that he's rapping what they're saying. So the kids are making fun of him a little bit like they're like What are you listening to that tree rap so they kind of call it a corny but that's the album goes and the songs progress. They start checking his headphones from him and listening to the music. By the time you get to the end. of the album. The kids love it. But they're also having an experience outdoors in this park and they're learning about the park which was formed because Pullman park that Park was formed I think in the system they didn't want black people in therefore, that's why Shavers parked up late so that they're learning about that. The outdoors and they see other people outdoors and Thomas is always looking at trees. The kids always pick on him for that. They're like, why are you always looking at the tree and he's always like, Y'all don't want to talk about this. And then I have no like, so you won't hear about it. But then they're also talking about their community. So there's a song that is called sash project, which is about the tragic case where the kids are explaining how they see each other as competition and that's one of the reasons why we go at each other versus our success being a collective effort. So the branch like I say, this is a play on word the grants about our label, but it's about explaining about the environment. So what we do in the environment, but it's also a lot about diversity and maturation, how to grow up and then the end and I am happy about this. The last song is called Nature Walk and you're living walking in nature to music, the Beat the drums are footsteps on leaves. You hear it like you just won't get to that first to the end of the song. But nature walk is one of the things that some of the people here in North Carolina and in Colorado they call smoke weed. So we're doing a play on words with no involvement is going to need to walk and then for those who do that they're going to hear to God they talking about this. Talking about Yeah, we're talking about walking in nature. But if that's what it takes to get you to us, then we want to do that but didn't have the hands with the kids talking about let's take a nature walk into one of the guys who Yeah, there they go. didn't mean like that. That's not where you met. So we want you to see your exit. So that's the whole point. We want you to have fun. We want you to enjoy this album. We want you to fake and you're gonna dance a lot and so the three singles that are out right now off the bridge album to branch. Deep rooted and rain dance. So those are the three songs rain dances, my highest selling and most streamed single right now it came out like three months ago but it's still booming. There's a high it makes you want to get deep rooted. I played the trombone on it. So we are bringing a lot we keep live instrumentation and I'm using so I'm also playing and trumpet and piano that's cool. So you want to hear real music the pianos that you're going to album is either me or DJ grand plan. We're playing the keyboard and the horse the brass that's all any branch you hear on this project is all me for cool. That's

Laura 
awesome. Well, we gotta we gotta move on.
__________________________________________

Laura 
Hold on. I talked about this all day, but let's move on to meinhardt for diversity. So last time I talked to you, you were still at Yale, in the school for environmental right? Sure was right. And we have talked in the past about forestry and being out in the woods and all that stuff. So what what has happened? You started meinhardt for diversity, you jumped out of you took the leap to do this thing. So why did how did that happen? There's so much to talk about here. So we're going to start

Dr. Thomas Easley 
this out. There are a lot of things to talk about with regards to that process offline. And I'd love to talk to you about that. Okay, well, online. What I will say is one of the main the primary reason why I left is because my dad needed support. My family is aging. Something happened back home. And so my sister and I were both living in Connecticut. Our parents are both in Alabama is too far away. And so we both agreed that we both need to be closer and add leisure first. I said, What did I do? And I'm not even that because I'm the oldest. I'm the oldest, you know, and my sister had taken care of our mother during her breast cancer bout so I said he met me. Okay, so you did that they let me do this. So my way back home to take care of my dad and my mom, and Yale, but I gotta give you props for something. Because of the reason being at birth. I got to definitely give her a shout out. She respected while I was leaving, so she offered to keep working with me. And I'm still working with Yale, I was teaching a class and anti racist pedagogy class. And then we started the heartwood podcast there, and it's still going and so I still run into school. Gail still puts the podcast out and I'm student and co host NAT employees, a co host and I pay for his time, but he's a co host and he leaves he puts the episodes together. He does he really decides who's on the show. And he just supports me because he comes up with my questions. His name is Ben at a Lupo. There's nine Minnesota, Minnesota and Nigeria's finest, because I love him he's a great brother great support. And so Heartwood is still there and he's finishing up his master's. He's a second year masters student I've asked him to leave in the forest resaas are made up a forester. And so yes, the Malhotra diversity launched after I stepped out, wrote this book and the book is my heart for diversity. And titled the same as the business of course marketing here. And in the book, what we do is we taught I taught, I wrote about the success that we've had doing diversity, equity and inclusion work. But what how did we do it? Because I do feel that when it comes to Dei, in particular, I know some of my contemporaries are going to hear this. Okay, but I believe that some of us would get involved in his dei work. Some of us have not probably really been successful in dei work, meaning we kind of went off on our own because what was going on in the workplace is too much and that's not shaming them or making people feel bad but here's why I'm mentioning it. Because when I've been brought into a lot of places as a consultant, and of course I'll come in on the back end as someone else. I have to take the cheaper amount as look as someone who spent a lot of money on his other, his other firearm and they're like they didn't get what they needed and I completely get why they didn't. Because if you have not done this work, meaning if you have not been successful in changing the way an organization looks, which I have been and that's not a brand because it's hard work, and it takes teamwork to do so I'm not like I did it. We did it. But if if you also have not changed the culture, he'll shift the culture into place, meaning ship how to operate. You go in HR moves one way when you leave HR looks another way. So that's what I did. When I worked both a year as well as at NC State and even some of my brief work with the Forest Service when I left, things look different. So one of the things we do allow for diversity is we help people to not burn out, because I did burn out. Another thing that we help people with is if you want to do diversity, we help you address with how to talk to people who resist it or who do not like it. We want it so that we do diversity mentoring. Another thing we do is we do curriculum development. I am a professor, my doctorate is in education and all the discipline at least every discipline so we help people to understand how to teach it, how to deliver it, how to administer it. And then on a corporate level, or on a nonprofit level or on an academic level of pharmaceutical information technology. Those are the industries that we're in right now. And of course the love is that I'm not mentioning we will go in and we help organizations, associations, companies to do your dei work to initiate or complete your initiative. Or if there's a problem or conflict, we deal with talent retention, and conflict resolution. And lastly, we're not pigeon holed to do. We do organizational development and we do leadership development. And that's why so my heart for diversity is going to church and Barnhart strategies, which would then be my next book and on this business.

Laura 
Very cool. That's awesome. Yeah, so the brag let's brag. Give us an example of a turnaround or something.

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Okay, well, you know, I'll say this about you. You know, that's why I'm I'm always been about promoting Dean Burke because she was the main push. When I came there. I was the first and only administrator of color that they had in that school. In the school, when it was when I left it was so nice and I'm talking about assistant associate things. So she gave me the K for it. They can't give me really so when I was there was in the SOFIA day unfortunately, who basically got the promotion next level of bad position and now she's an avid she's running the EI that's the festival see the Telugu a lot of people know her University of Michigan brilliant don't for the environment, but I'm glad that I can kind of see you know what I followed her as the person who wrote all of this stuff and so midway she now follow me as coming in as the Associate Dean of the EI flowers in assistant dean. She has two people working on her. I came in by myself. So I had to do three people's job alone for almost a year then I brought in another person. Yolanda Key No, yes. Okay. Yoli those who worked with the No, I'm talking about she's in Texas now. But we did this work together. That's not me. It wasn't anything that Professor Taylor was doing because it's big. I've been back up there and saying that she she's like rocking and rolling hip hop in it is crazy. Okay. But when you're the initial person, which is what I've been in everywhere that I've been, it's kind of like, you know what, I don't have biological children, you know, you know, but for those who have children, your first child is going to be on more than one make the most mistakes for him or they trust me I know. And so that's what happens you know, when you're the first person going in, when you're the initial person out of the mistakes happened with you, you know, that which also means that if people were to to conflict, the solutions come out of it too. But when you leave if you're not staying here yourself, you got a few a few bruises or hurt when I left NC State, I kind of left a little bit in, I was kind of torn down when I stepped out of here because I'm not gonna say I live here because I'm still affiliated with when I also affiliated with NC State to when I stepped out away from Yale. The way I did it unfortunate they brought me back and when I stepped away, I wasn't broken. Down. And when I stepped away, I felt like I was together and I had my brother so I have more to offer. I emotionally was secure and that was healthy. So that's why I say we help people not burn out and how to do this work. And so for my people out there who are if they listen to this and get agitated because they hear what I'm saying, and then like you said I didn't do it. I'm not saying you can't do anything. I'm not saying that she bad like that. But what I'm saying is we as dei professionals justice and access to so danger professionals, we do not need to go into these organizations where our emotions on our sleeve because then the work becomes about us instead of the work being about them. We do not need to go into these places trying to process with people. I have a friend of mine, I love him. I won't say his name, but he's my brother. He's my partner in a lot of this. He's the older he's an elder. I learned a lot from him. But he and I do this work and I challenge him a lot because he reads a lot Adam too. And he comes up with these new ideas. And I'm like, That's great. Francis, that Miss would mean we do not need to go in front of other people. They don't pay us to process in front of them. They pay us to your build process. So if you're a dei professional, you got to make sure that you know your stuff. If you have abstract ideas, make sure that you remove the abstract is out of it. Sometimes you can articulate to other people who are not abstract thinkers, and make sure that if you are emotionally insecure or struggling, you don't need to be leading anyone in his work, especially in that moment. Because just like the saying goes hurt people hurt people. And if you are carrying baggage, there's no way you're going to be able to do this naturally is going to be very difficult for you to deal with. Like if you're a black person and you got baggage around the N word and they here. It is not the responsibility to overreact and react to somebody in that role. When I'm not saying it if I heard it, I wouldn't react. Does that deal when I was a girl I had to remind people say it, they'll stand too close to a window. I've taught you exactly. But as a good that's what I had to check myself and go as a professional in that space. But I did turnover professionals like for me neither. But as a professional in that space I wanted to add a term of what it looks like for me, like now young guy like that. So I didn't act like that. But I understand why someone and that's why I help people to deal with things when they happen as much as I can. Like I can't speak for one because I've never do that. But I do work with women who also deal with stupid jokes that people make their own gender and gender identity. And I go hey, I'm not telling you what to do, how to react because that's up to you. But they'll say and think about the end in mind. What do you want to happen, if you will something that happened and don't react less respond? That's what I'm being asked to heal?

[Field Notes]

Laura 
Yep, yep. No, I love it. That's really great. No, that makes a lot of sense. I like that approach. You know, it's not about you, it's about them and what they've asked you to to help them with. And yeah, appreciate you not speaking for women. I try to speak for Nick and I always like we go into a conversation you're like we try to bring on people like you just so you can come in and we hear from you like we're not trying to Nick an eye to tell anybody what to do about diversity Right? Like, we're not people to tell people I need to hear from somebody else who is the is qualified to do this. So really appreciate you being here we are it feels like we've been talking for 15 minutes, but it's been almost an hour. So to wrap this up, are my editors gonna kill me? So the last thing I wanted to touch on you know, we have this segment called Field Notes and for you fields is more in classrooms and conference rooms and things like that. But I wanted to talk about the presentation that you gave for 300 Something students at NCSU Emerging Leaders Academy emerging scholars get Oh, yeah. Yeah. So you started off with some lyrics. And then I would like to know just kind of for you how was that was that was one of the first youth programs you did or one that let large and then there's a specific quote I wanted to ask you about so just tell us about that event first.

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Okay. They were bringing these young folks to NC State for recruitment. Remember, I'm the initial the College of Natural Resources diversity director. They're helping to recruit and that was invited to this program. And my mentor at the time Dr. Rupert new costume still at NC State told me Well you get in front of people do what comes natural to you, because he's he's a full professor. He's a war when a professor does manage written at least four books, really is a beautiful person, Navy military guy. He's a big black guy for Louisiana. So sometimes people get intimidated by him. I just say he intimidates people. They get intimidated by himself. He says different cost stocks, especially when there's little where he does feel like you know what you don't, but he says he gets your attention by the end of class everybody's doing. So I thought what comes natural to me or what comes naturally to me is to rise to deliver bars. So when I got to the front of the roll, that didn't cost came back to my mind, and I did it in front of them. But I didn't just spit bars because I wasn't a person. I'm not like a starving artist who buy my album. I'm trying to get rich off the game or whatever. Even I think I'm building the most of these seasons playing what I am but I'm like no, I want to make this relevant to you. So that's why the piece that you're talking about, you're not talking about here's my minority report about going over to poor no tell you what I got liquor stores or basket house. I can't afford that dress got guns got more dough boys, no booster floors. They have cool things. We have led them up was contaminated mentally challenge up so in scholarships, woman barriers scores. I want to use my mind and explore a cricket skier cop standing at my door. They are exhibitors do their stuff for I don't know but I am at war framed by who came up to do for the for President evidence there will be no more platform for one aspect of support. I wrote this before the 2016 election. So put out before you know number four to five, you know, K came in office. That's That's what that last one was for. And we also also wrote it you know, this was, you know, we're still talking about Trayvon Martin isn't before Ahmad auguries before. breonna Taylor, this is before Mr. George Floyd so if Miss Taylor Mr. Arbor Eva Mr. Martin typically you know he was taken away too so so that's what that's why it's a trick is cost and my daughter was able to do that shop for but I don't own the gun, but I am at war. That part of the line is actually not true because I have to donate. Anyway. So but definitely be in people in this students were like, wow, and it will hooked by the lyrics and the delivery, but then they started paying attention to what I was saying. And that's what I'm talking about. These are some issues that we tried to rectify in the College of Natural Resources. And we obviously I thought, I figured that that's the best way to hook people, from our community to give them something that's more connected to who they are as a person, not just to an industry to make money. And that's what they do in academia. Let's get you to a job so you can work. That's a problem with education as another podcast, I love to talk about investment podcasts, you know, as dealing with the deposits and dealing with the Rockefellers, so they will discuss, but I want them to do what they want to do that they're passionate about, but also still go and get educated so you can access the network that comes along with it. And so then when people see you come in the room, they don't listen to you. So that's what it was about that we did it through the students from that institute and to work out.

[Being your unique self]

Laura  
Yeah, that's awesome, perfectly aligned with the quote that I pulled out. So I feel like every line that you spoke in that somebody will hear something different, right, pull some other something out of this speaks to them, or causes them to have reaction or whatever, but the one for me, which is what you're saying is we are here to help you unlearn what is still the fear that makes you want to be like them and not yourself. I just wanted to hear from you like a little bit more about what that line means to you and the students.

Dr. Thomas Easley  
Sure. So when I'm standing in their world, it was majority African American or black or Latin X or Latina, Latino, some say Spanish but you know, we get you're getting away from that that term and indigenous or first nations with Native American Okay, so some will say read someone say Brown some said next students literally like that's all that was in a row. In addition to there were also a few you know, white students you know, like, there's well well my I got a friend His name is Mickey for we use that he's I think he's one of the most brilliant people when it comes to this the ES don't look him up in during your Fe AR and burn. And I'm telling you, you could talk to him for all year. We are him all year. That's our 76 We're like you for the six anyway. Well, when he first came to NC State, one of the things he said that he won't mind me saying this, but he was saying he said one of the things that white people need to understand is that we don't want to be him. Right. Now. I understood what he meant. But it as that thought. How do you say that to people without them getting triggered? How do you say that? Or is it doesn't matter if they get triggered? So making him I just and we still believe that that's my brother, you know, we still hang out we actually still work together. So Mickey, and I will have back and forth about this. So then what I recognized was Whoa, okay, remember when I said Mickey is in the city. So one of the things I noticed that people love the baby boomer generation, even though we're all at the same deficit, generation and time for their experience, not the same things, but if you are the baby boomer generation, I noticed that you either you're either intimidated or afraid to talk about race in some regard. Because growing up and that is the only thing you can talk about. Because you just like you're free to do it that's making destiny so I every time I'm around you, like we eat pancakes, you got to find a way to bring ratio. If somebody's you know, making the same reel he will find a way to readiness. If LGBTQ plus some be going on on television, he goes try out a way to greet events. Okay, me Gen X ray. So I'm a bit different. So I do care about how people respond and react when they hear it. And what they do. Okay, that back or front of that room. I don't know. Why students to feel like this African American man doesn't like me because I'm white. I just say that. Max right does not shut down your pride unless you're insecure, which has nothing to do with me. So the same way I'm demonstrating that I also don't want this song gonna be at Pride please y'all go check it out. Song number six. And that's all in particular is targeting black and brown kids. See how someone develops pride in a group, especially when you're surrounded by images that don't look like you? And I want people who are not interested to hear that anger and agitation that comes when you have an awakened the light. So now, to answer your question, what I mean, there's so many pieces of who we are as black and brown people that we don't know, because we're inundated and saturated with this type of education that we deal with thing this K through 12 space. So going back to what I started with ancestral worship, you can't talk about ancestor worship as you understand it. So unless you deal with it makes no sense to you. So if you're black and brown I'm like you need to understand this because you come from a people where this is what they have always done. You may not know but this is what they've always done. So in the room when I'm when I say you we don't want to be them. We want to be ourselves. What I'm basically saying is we don't want to be what's not natural to who we are. We don't want to be what doesn't come from us. We don't want to be what is not us. And I think that's why a lot of times we struggle and we burn out in these academic centers. We struggle in these nonprofit or just corporate settings. That's why because we're in a space that in many ways wasn't built for us. So you're assimilating every day to be something that's not meant for you. That's why it's the attitude of what professional looks like. The Imbert didn't determine it for me. Yeah, I determined it at Yale, but it's because when I was at NC State, being Watson determined and what she thought that works for me as a dental work, and I'm a grown person, I got a doctor just like, you know, you can tell me who and how to be when you don't even know how to be me because you didn't grow up like that's why we start trying to be you. That's what happened. It's tough for me to be me. You be you, but were you and you're successful, and you're happy. And I mean, those boundaries come together, and we make beautiful things together. 100 plus 100 equals 101 plus one can equal one, one mode to another. Makes a whole that's what I mean by that.

Laura 
Oh, I love that. That's fantastic. Yeah, and I feel like you know, that fear part is all about expectations. Right? I'm even just myself being a consultant and all other weird crazy things I'm doing like, no one else needs to understand that let me so appreciate that. said we are oh my god, we're so out of time. Is there anything else you wanted to touch on that we didn't get to?

Dr. Thomas Easley 
Do? Please check out the website, because our music is there. And when you go you will see that we don't just make music. We are college educated. Right now, man, that is mostly who's actively on the label. And we talk about our intelligence and then I'm used to we challenge the status quo. I don't agree with anything 100% But I'm not a person that don't get over others. So I'm gonna say things that may be selfless that may rub people the wrong way. In some ways, I don't care because I'm satisfied happy with myself. But because I am human. I do care. Because I care how people feel. We are all the same on that label. All of us do the same thing. My producers produce music like that beats the other lyricist. He makes music that way. The other thing is I still do consult. I have multiple clients and I can say if anything bothers people, I can tell you this, none of my clients complain about not because we aren't being professional. We do handle business when I say we as myself and my associate partner Keisha Kane, who based in Denver, Colorado. And last but not least, I just wanted to thank everybody for listening. Thank you, Laura. Lovely to come on and do this because I do want to talk about this record with more and more people, especially those who care about diversity and the environment. And I want people to know that there is no separation between us in the environment. We are in the environment at all times. There's no such thing as outdoors, because you're technically always in it. And we get that on a bridge. And the AI is not about everybody being comfortable. The AI really in my opinion is about us all being uncomfortable and finding our own comfortable space wherever we are or empowering ourselves to do it. So I don't believe in people giving me something to do something for me. For me to feel comfortable. That is my job. And those who feel a different way. I'd love to talk to you. Because this album would definitely push against that idea. But I want to talk to people I'm not a dangerous person. I'm not a violent person. I'm not a mean person. I'm not you know, Cool J I'm a good guy but I'm not a nice guy. I will protect and defend myself that I'm always ready to converse and engage first. So that's

Laura 
fantastic. So if those people did want to reach out to you to have a conversation, chat a little bit more about it or just ask you some questions, where would they find you?

Dr. Thomas Easley 
You give me the I want them to email me if they like a Travis are easily at easily ranch.com That's es le y, b ra MCH. You can reach find me on Instagram at Dr. Thomas Rishad easily or easily branch music or Facebook Thomas easily that my youtube I'm on Twitter as Rashad E's and then of course like I said follow our website the easy branch.com So you can get me or get any of us and you can come in and you can converse with us or would podcast check us out. If you are curious about the consulting piece because I'm sure there might be some people who go consultant that's that's a musician and it's not my fault that I'm don't ended up going maybe because I'm doing it but it's not my fault that we're all the best the thing. Everyone has an artist inside of them. Everyone has something there's something else that they can do. So we want to talk to me about consulting. Remember my book my heart for diversity, and you can find me there so then go to my Harper diversity.com And you can find me and my consulting partner there.

Laura 
Yep, love it. I mean, why wouldn't you want to do consultant I mean, oh, that consultant Alright, thank you, Michelle. This is awesome. I'm super happy to talk to you again and we will catch you later.

[Outro]

Laura
All right now. That's our show. Thank you Doctor easily for joining us today. Please be sure to check them out each and every Friday. Don't forget to subscribe rate and review. Bye.

Nic
See you everybody.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai