Black or White? Refusing to Choose & Embracing Biracial Identity

As a Biracial, multiethnic woman, Daralyse Lyons is uniquely empowered to use her seemingly disparate background as a catalyst to bring about a more inclusive world. Daralyse has always refused to choose between her black and white identities. In this talk she tells us why embracing biracial identity is critical to overcoming systemic racism. Known as the Transformational Storyteller, Daralyse has written more than two dozen full-length books, a handful of short stories, and countless articles, performed in various plays and improv comedy shows and occupied a variety of stages to tell powerful stories in order to make a positive difference in the world. A member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a summa cum laude graduate of NYU, with a double-major in English and Religious Studies and a minor in History, she is relentless about advancing comprehensive and multidimensional understandings of history. Her perspective is one that looks to acknowledge the past while refusing to become incapacitated by it. As the creator of the "Demystifying Diversity Podcast," and the author of "Demystifying Diversity: Embracing Our Shared Humanity" and the award-winning children’s book "I'm Mixed!" (which she penned under the pseudonym Maggy Williams), Daralyse has written and spoken extensively on a variety of subjects pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion. She has found her life’s purpose as a DEI expert and inclusivity strategist.