GIST WITH DARA

In this episode, my friend Julia joins me to discuss all things music! From Afrobeats to K-Pop to R&B, we explore our favorite artists and songs. Julia and I decided to do this episode together because we got closer through always talking about our favorite songs. We're both super excited for you guys to hear this episode and we'll definitely be doing a part two to discuss more of our favorite music. We hope you guys enjoy the episode! Also, I am super sorry that this episode came out a day later, there were a lot of unexpected technical difficulties, but it finally uploaded! :)) Title Credits go to our friend, Chisa!

Hi everyone! In this episode, one of my childhood friends, Maddie, joins me to discuss all things astrology! She's super into zodiac signs and I sort of dabble myself, so listen to find out more about it! I hope you guys enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, third-time-guest, Chisa, and I discuss judgment. Everyone experiences judgment and it's safe to say that everyone has judged someone else at some point in their life. Join us as we dive into how to cope with judgment, how we personally feel when judged, and so much more! Title creds go to Chisa! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Join Isabel and I to talk about all types of advice from school to friends to extracurriculars! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

listen to the episode to find out!!

In this episode, Chidi and Faith, representatives from Naija Nation, a brand dedicated to encouraging and supporting Nigerian talent, especially in the diaspora joined me for a thought provoking conversation. Naija Nation is a community where Nigerians, regardless of tribe, can connect with one another and evolve into even better people. From growing up in America, to politics, to religion, this episode captures the message behind Naija Nation and furthers the idea that unity within the diaspora needs to be an ever present force. Chidi and Faith also host a podcast, under Naija Nation, called "No Vex" where they discuss current news, gossip, and topics relating to Nigerians worldwide, so make sure to go check their podcast out too!! I hope you all enjoy this episode as much we enjoyed recording it! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Gist with Dara is back and hopefully more consistent than ever before!! Episodes will continue every Saturday until the end of the season, thank you guys for sticking with me through this process!

Hey guys!! It's been a long time coming and I'm super sorry for taking a longer break than anticipated, but the podcast is finally back for season five! I'm super excited for all of you to listen to this episode because I have not one, but TWO special guests who also have podcasts of their own! Ayoka from the Mind Elixir podcast and Destiny from the Melanated and Educated podcast both join me on this episode to discuss why it's important to not “compete” with others on how oppressed they are or how much discrimination they face. By comparing those experiences with other people, it opens the door for taking away from one's own experiences and struggles which is never okay. I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it and stay tuned for when the next episode comes out!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

The summer miniseries has come to close, I had so much fun recording every episode of this series, so thank you to all of my guests for making it truly enjoyable. For the last episode of the series, I have the esteemed pleasure of interviewing Olivia Schramkowski, a Georgia teenager who organized the June 11th March for Our Lives protest in 2022. In addition to that, Olivia has been invited by the White House to hear President Joe Biden speak on voting rights and she was honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award. Among other things, Olivia is passionate about gun violence prevention, voting rights, political accessibility, and urban policy, listen now to hear Olivia's story on how this all came to be. I hope you all enjoy this episode and I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, I got the chance to talk with Risha Chaurasia, a published teen author, she has published three books thus far at just age 15. She has been writing since she was 8 years old and wrote her first novel at age 11. In addition to being an author, Risha runs a blog which caters to spreading positivity through stories. I was really lucky to get to speak to Risha, so I hope that all of you enjoy this episode and get the chance to hear what Risha has to say! :)) Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Adaejah Hodge, a 16 year old student, has been running track since she was little. She has received multiple accolades such as the Nike National All American 2022 (3x) and she is a 3x Gold Medalist at the 2022 Carfita Games. I'm really glad that she was able to come on to the podcast for this episode, so I hope that you all enjoy the episode!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

The special summer miniseries is here!! The “Better to Start Young” miniseries captures the accomplishments of young teenagers as well as young adults. My hope is that this series proves that you don't need to start pursuing your passion when you're “old enough.” It's better to start young! In the first episode of the series, Dania Ibrahim, a current Ph.D. student and activist in multiple realms including education and interfaith relations speaks with me about her journey. When thinking about enacting real change, don't think that there's no point trying to do something because you're too young or because it may be too “small” of a change. Making at least a little difference is far better than no difference at all. I hope you enjoy the episode! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

It's the Season Four Finale!!! In this episode, I discuss basically anything and everything just to simply close up season four. I touch on the future of the podcast as well as some basic advice when it comes to school and your priorities. I hope all of you enjoy this episode and stay tuned for when season five comes out! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

A few days ago, both of my siblings suggested, on different occasions, to address the current state of our country in regards to gun violence. I told both of them no because I felt that the subject was not a subject that I was exactly comfortable discussing nor ready to discuss. I continuously debated with myself whether or not I should address the mass shootings that continue to occur, also because I had the thought of talking about this before they suggested it, but I then said to myself that I wouldn't because of my own selfish reasons of not wanting to be sad or frustrated about the stupidity in our country's laws. However, I can't be idle and just watch the horrors relating to gun violence continue to occurr in America without me saying anything. Therefore, I decided to push back my originally planned episode for this week to June 4th, so that I can discuss the effects of guns on our country and proper methods that move towards 100% effective gun control. Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, one of my amazing aunts who is a mental health professional joins me to discuss mental health and why it's important to recognize it. It's extremely vital to be aware of this issue that so many people face, so I'm beyond glad that we have the month of May to build support and awareness for the issue. Both my aunt and I share our personal experiences with mental health, as well as why it's important to not discredit those with mental health issues. I hope you all enjoy this episode and are either able to relate to what we talked about or gain something new from it. :)) Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, I discuss the hypocrisy behind the PC culture in today's society. A lot of people like to portray themselves as someone who is so educated and worldly, but then at other times, they may mock a culture that is not their own. Or maybe, they are not so inclined to hearing any other opinions that differ from their own. This episode was rather enjoyable for me to record, so I hope you enjoy it!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

This is definitely the most random episode yet lol. I go from discussing high school advice and life advice in general to possible upcoming episodes. This episode was way more relaxed and laid back than usual, which honestly made it easier for me lol, but I hope you guys still like it. Thank you for listening and see you next Saturday! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, one of my closest friends, Hadassah, joins me again to discuss a new topic regarding posting on social media. Reposting or posting about different causes is not an issue at all, we can't deny that it brings awareness to a cause, but what we can't get over is the hypocrisy from a lot of people who post about different causes, but then say the most questionable stuff in person. We definitely enjoyed recording this episode and we had a lot of fun, so we would leave to hear y'all's thoughts on the episode as well, so comment on instagram or youtube or feel free to message me on insta or send an email! Also, go listen to the other episode that Hadassah and I did before which was Season Two: Episode Seven titled “Growing up Biracial: An Interview With Hadassah Cox.” I hope you all found this episode interesting, have a wonderful day/night!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

To deem someone as “educated” shouldn't mean that they have to “sound white” or “speak white.” Being educated is not determined by how close you are to being a white person. This is not to say that white people can't be educated, but it is solely putting emphasis on the fact that a minority race can be educated without having to “act white.” “You don't have to speak a certain way to be brilliant.” -Beyoncé “English is just a language, not a measure of intelligence.” -Julie Le Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Having diversity does not mean just having one minority group represented. Diversity is and should be a group of many different races/ethnicities/backgrounds. And yes, this includes white people. Having diversity does not mean excluding white people. It just means that we should acknowledge the minorities that were not well represented in the past. Seeing groups claiming “diversity” when it's just representing one set group of people is NOT diversity. Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF GIST WITH DARA!!! Omg, this is seriously crazy, thank you to all of you for continuing to listen to and support this podcast. In this special bonus episode, I go through all 34 current episodes of Gist With Dara to discuss my thoughts on them and I rate them on a scale of 1-10. I hope all of you enjoy this episode and let me know your personal thoughts on the episodes published so far! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, Chisa joins me once again to discuss yet another intriguing topic! Chisa first joined me on the “Not “Nigerian Enough”???

Season Four Premiere!!! For starters, I want to give my sincerest apology for releasing this episode a day late, but I think that it made it possible to have a better conversation instead of rushing it in order to release it on Saturday. Also, I didn't mention this in the episode, but I am sorry for not releasing a bonus episode during the break. I planned on it and even recorded around 17 minutes of it then realized that I didn't love it, so I decided not to finish it and I never released it. More great episodes to come though! For the season premiere, my dad and my brother join me to discuss accent discrimination. With my dad's personal experiences and my brother's knowledge about it through his major in Global Studies, we were able to have an interesting conversation. I hope this episode can be used as a tool for education. Also, I apologize because there is some feedback and echoing in this episode, but overall, it's still possible to hear what is being said. Thank you for continuing to listen to the podcast and I hope you enjoy this episode! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

It's the Season Three Finale!!! Today's episode is very special because I have not one, but two wonderful guests and they are from the JusTeenz podcast! I'm very glad that Aditi and Sanchita agreed to join me on this episode to discuss cancel culture. We'll discuss whether we feel it is necessary or not and if we feel it does more good or bad for our society. Make sure to check out the JusTeenz podcast too which you can find on any major podcast platform.! As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts on the matter whether in the YouTube comments, the Q&A on Spotify, or the comments on Instagram! The audio in this episode cuts out occasionally, so I'm really sorry about that, but I think it's still possible overall to understand what was said. Thank you all for listening and have a wonderful day/night! ‼️Season 4 Premiere: April 2nd‼️ Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

I'm backkkk!! Okay, so first things first, I apologize for the unplanned break and not releasing an episode last week Saturday, but I'm back and I'm eager for all of you to listen to this episode. In this episode, we're discussing the white savior complex. I found this topic really interesting and I think it's a good conversation that people need to continue to have. Next week is the season finale so get excited for that because it's going to be a special episode! Thank you for listening and I hope all of you enjoy this episode! The websites that I referenced in this episode are linked down below. Healthline Article: https://www.healthline.com/health/white-saviorism#avoiding-it Glamour Article: https://www.glamour.com/story/the-help-white-savior-movies Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Happy New Year!!! To kick us off this year, we're discussing cultural appropriation. Is the term overused, is it used in the right context, does it get mixed up with cultural appreciation? I'll be answering all of those questions and more in this episode, but of course it's all my opinion, so none of it is 100% factual. I'll also be reading the responses from when some of you put your own opinions on the matter on Instagram. A year of Gist With Dara is coming up very soon, so look out for a special episode when that time comes! I hope that 2022 brings nothing, but the best for each and every one of you, happy new year and I hope you enjoy this episode!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, Sai, a student at Johns Hopkins University with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality joins me to discuss the normalization of sexism. Unfortunately, our society is so accustomed to sexism that a lot of times, we don't even realize when it's happening. We really enjoyed recording this episode together, so I hope that all of you enjoy listening to it! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

This episode is all about self care! As the year is ending, remember that it's okay to take breaks. Make sure that you're okay physically and mentally, so that you can do your tasks to the best of your ability. Everyone gets stressed, but we don't have to let that stress completely control us or inhibit us from doing what we love. I love all of you, I hope you're doing well, and I hope that you enjoy this episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, I go all the way back to episode one of season one where I discussed those who judge women for what they wear. Clothing doesn't define you, you'll hear me say that a lot in this episode, but it's really as simple as that…wear what you want and wear what makes you feel comfortable not what makes others comfortable. I hope you all enjoy this episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, Keziah and I discuss the cultural and social divide between Black Americans and Black Africans. We were able to bring both sides to the table for an interesting conversation regarding the division that's between the two groups. In general, the whole human race should be united, but that can't happen until we take the first step towards unity which is through acknowledging the division among Black people and minorities as a whole, from there, we can begin to combat division and bring unity. Keziah is absolutely amazing and she also appeared in both season one and season two, so don't forget to listen to the misogyny episode (season one: episode ten) and the episode on normalizing the discussion of periods (season two: episode three) if you haven't yet. I hope all of you enjoy listening to this episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

Full Title: Sitting Down with the Female CEO of a Black Owned Multi-Million Dollar Company: Let's Talk Success In this episode, I sit down with Ms. Niki Moore, the CEO of Just Jokes USA, Just Digital Solutions, and a property development company to discuss success. What does success mean and how can we get there? I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, Allison Martinez joins me to discuss the obsession with Eurocentric beauty standards. This episode was actually Allison's idea and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy the episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

SEASON THREE PREMIERE!!! I'm so excited to start recording again and releasing new episodes every Saturday for you guys, this is going to be a great season! In this episode, I discuss the “n” word hence the title. To keep it as simple as possible, if you're not African-American or Black, don't say the “n” word. I hope you guys enjoy this episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this bonus episode, my amazing and wonderful cousin, Fiyinfoluwa, sits down to discuss the End SARS protests that took place in Nigeria towards the end of 2020. Police brutality is wrong no matter what, whether it's race, gender, or age, never accept police brutality as okay or normal. I hope all of you enjoy this bonus episode and I can't wait to start season 3 on November 6th with all of you!!! Although it says that this episode is season 2, episode 11, think of it more as episode 10.5. I apologize, this episode will not be on YouTube due to technical issues. Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

SEASON TWO FINALE!!! In this episode, I discuss colorism and yes, colorism still exists, don't try to deny it. Colorism is an issue that we can't just ignore and we can't just let those who make colorist comments pass by as if it's alright. It's incredibly important that we train ourselves to not judge others simply because of their skin complexion or other differing factors. I love all of you, I hope you enjoyed this episode, and I can't wait to start Season Three of Gist With Dara with you all! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, my cousin, Aisha, joins me to discuss our religions. I'm a Christian and Aisha's a Muslim. Through this episode, we touch on different subjects and we realized that a lot of it was something that we could both relate to. This episode actually ended up being a lot longer than we expected it to be, but remember that you can always pause it and come back to it! I hope all of you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!!! This episode will not be on YouTube for technical reasons, but per usual, it's on all major podcast streaming platforms! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

Hi everyone! In this episode, I discuss my confusion in regards to…yep, you guessed it, the podcast! Yes, indeed, I am very confused about this podcast, but that's alright, it's a journey and this is just another stop on that long journey. Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy this solo episode of mine! Also, I apologize, I believe that I was partially too close to the mic, but I will definitely work on that for the future. I hope all of you have a beautiful day! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, one of my closest friends, Hadassah, has joined me to discuss her life growing up biracial. I'm really glad that she joined me to share her story. I hope all of you enjoy this episode!!! Email me for any inquiries you may have or just to say hi

In this episode, my friend, Sofia and I discuss social media. Nothing is left unsaid in this episode including how social media specifically affects our generation. I hope all of you enjoy this episode and thank you so much for continuing to listen to Gist With Dara!!! Disclaimer: There is some glitching towards the end of the episode, I sincerely apologize for that. I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, three girls ranging from ages 15-16 discuss their lives as children of immigrants. Dara, the host of this podcast, is of course Nigerian-American, Iman is Pakistani-American and Sabrina is Haitian-American. All three of us can relate to each other as children of immigrants. We discuss many different things ranging from being embarrassed because of our parents and culture or even being made fun of by our American peers. I hope all of you enjoy this episode and get a little glimpse into the lives of first-generation American teenagers! Disclaimer: This episode will not be available on YouTube due to some technical difficulties, but it is still available on all other podcast platforms! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, Chisa, joins me to speak about our sense of belonging regarding being Nigerian. We're both Nigerian, I'm Yoruba and she is Igbo, but sometimes, we struggle with feeling “Not Nigerian Enough.” People of different cultures and backgrounds who have been raised abroad go through struggles every day that other people may not even notice, so we should all try to be understanding of everyone and not make them feel any less for simply being who they are. I hope all of you enjoy this episode because the both of us really opened up on a topic that is close to our hearts. I love all of you and thanks for continuing to listen to my podcast! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

I am so excited for all of you to hear this week's episode because…I have another podcaster who has joined me today as my guest!!! It's Matthew from the That's So Matthew Podcast. If you haven't heard of his podcast before, be sure to go check it out when you get the chance. In this episode, we combined both of our podcasts' topics and put it into one amazing collab! Matthew discusses all things Disney on his podcast and as you all know, I discuss controversial topics, so here we are, discussing the controversy behind some of Disney Channel's hit shows! Thank you all for tuning in and I hope you enjoy the episode!!! P.S. please ignore my slight stutter when saying “hypoglycemia.”

In this episode, Keziah and I discuss normalizing the conversation of periods. You may possibly remember Keziah from the Misogyny episode! I'm so happy that she decided to join me again to talk about something that we're both so passionate about. Periods are a normal and natural bodily function for women, so we shouldn't shame them for having it or talking about it. I hope you all get something from this episode or even possibly relate to some of the things that are mentioned in this episode. Thanks again for listening and have a wonderful day! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

AHHHH!!! SEASON TWO!!! In this episode, Isabel and I discuss Asian hate crimes. And yes, it's the same Isabel from the “A Year After George Floyd's Death: Black Lives Matter From The Perspective of an Asian-American, Latina-American, White American, and an African-American” episode!

Happy Juneteenth Everyone!!!❤️

In this episode, I discuss the rest of my opinions of different subjects including smoking cigarettes and taking the man's last name when getting married. If you haven't listened to the first part of this episode yet, I suggest clicking out and listening to that first then come back and listen to this. These are strictly my opinions, but I would love to hear your own opinions, especially if they differ from mine, so please comment on my YouTube channel! Happy Listening! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, I discuss my opinion on different topics such as what women wear to listening as a parent. These are strictly my opinions, but I would love to hear your own opinions, especially if they differ from mine, so please comment on my YouTube channel! Also, this is a two part episode, so the second episode will come out next week. And yes, this episode has been edited, so that is why the date shown is a Sunday, however it is still a Saturday episode. Thank you for understanding and have a happy listening! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

Full Title: A Year After George Floyd's Death: Black Lives Matter From The Perspective of an Asian-American, Latina-American, White American, and an African-American...I couldn't fit the whole title because of the character count lol, but in this episode...four teenage girls from different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities between the ages of 14 and 15 discuss Black Lives Matter in America. Listen now! Disclaimer: Excuse Taylor's coughing, she has a cold.

In this episode, I discuss body shaming with my sister. Body shaming is wrong and if you participate in body shaming, try your best to stop. I hope you enjoy my new favorite song.

MY SECOND GUEST!!! In this episode, my beautiful cousin and I discuss marriage and we express our opinions on marriage in general. I apologize in advance for any cringey content.

In this episode, I discuss the topic of gender roles and why I believe them to be stupid and outdated. I love you guys so much especially for sticking with me this far in my podcast journey. Remember, all opinions are mine but I would love to hear your own opinions if they differ from mine, so please comment on my YouTube channel and I'll be sure to respond once I see it! I apologize in advance for any cringey content.