Are We Mis-Educating Our Kids - Dr. Maxine Bryant of Griot Speaks Says Yes

What happens when children grow up never hearing anything accurate or positive about their own history? According to Dr. Maxine Bryant, founder of Griot Speaks, the damage runs deeper than most people realize and sugarcoating history does not protect children. It miseducates them.

In this conversation, Dr. Bryant shares the African proverb that became the foundation of her life's work, why she believes Black genius has been deliberately hidden from the people who need it most, and how a board game she says was downloaded into her spirit is changing the way families, educators and communities connect with accurate Black history.

She also gets personal sharing the moment a high school counselor told her she was not college material, and what happened when she decided to prove him wrong.

This is a conversation for educators, parents, community leaders and anyone who has ever been told they were not enough.

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Introduction and episode preview 

00:18 Meet Dr. Maxine Bryant and Griot Speaks 

01:06 The African proverb that became her mission 

02:11 What a griot is and why it matters now 

03:17 Why telling Black history accurately is essential 

04:56 The high school counselor who said she was not college material 

06:24 How the Griot Speaks board game came to life 

07:54 What happens when people learn Black history through play 

09:24 The teacher and the formerly incarcerated man at the same table

10:28 Where Griot Speaks is meant to be played
11:31 The app and digital expansion in development 

13:05 The difference between the game and the full Griot Speaks platform 

14:45 What excites Dr. Bryant most about where she is headed 

15:55 Does teaching Black history make white children feel inferior 

17:10 Closing thoughts and where to find Dr. Maxine Bryant