The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators

This episode challenges us to reflect: What traits define us? Who are we outside of productivity?

In this deeply affirming conversation, Dr. Asia Lyons sits down with Amanda Miller Littlejohn—executive coach, journalist, and author of The Rest Revolution—to unpack burnout, identity, and the systems that pressure Black educators to overperform at the expense of their wellness. Together, they explore how the culture of overachievement, often masked as “Black excellence,” can be a trauma response, and why rest is personal and political.

Amanda shares her story of hitting a wall during the pandemic, discovering that when her creativity disappeared, it was her body’s cry for help. With heartfelt wisdom, Amanda urges educators to reconnect with what brings them joy, pursue radical self-knowledge, and lean into community care as a form of wealth and resilience.

Whether you're an educator on the brink or an ally seeking to support Black professionals, this episode is a powerful reminder: we don’t have to earn our rest—we were always worthy of it.