Joy is resistance. Healing is discipline. Episode 147 of Conversations with Coach LA features Joseph Bennett, CEO of Yardtime Inc., discussing Emotional Fitness, Black joy, and survival beyond the system. 🕙 10PM EST 📻 Urban Heat 98.1FM | iHeartRadio This isn’t a vibe. It’s a strategy.
Theme: Joy as Resistance — Healing as Discipline
What does it mean to be emotionally fit in a world that constantly demands resilience from Black communities—without offering rest?
In this powerful episode of Conversations with Coach LA, we explore Emotional Fitness & Black Joy as intentional practices for mental health maintenance, resilience, and liberation. Joy is not framed as escapism or denial, but as a discipline, a protective factor, and a form of resistance against chronic stress, trauma, and systemic harm.
Coach LA is joined by Joseph Bennett, CEO of Yardtime Inc., a Roxbury-born community advocate whose lived experience with wrongful incarceration has shaped his commitment to transformative justice, healing, and breaking cycles of mass incarceration affecting Black and Brown communities.
Together, they discuss:
What emotional fitness looks like beyond crisis response
How joy rituals support nervous system regulation and stress reduction
Why Black joy is both radical and necessary
The long-term emotional impact of systemic injustice on individuals and families
Healing without minimizing pain—and purpose without romanticizing suffering
📊 Research Highlight:
CDC data shows that Black adults who engage in consistent joy-based rituals report 25% lower stress levels, underscoring joy as a critical mental health maintenance strategy—not a luxury.
This episode invites listeners to rethink healing as something we practice daily, not something we postpone until life slows down.
What joy ritual are you willing to protect as part of your healing discipline?
Joseph Bennett is the CEO of Yardtime Inc. and a dedicated advocate for inner-city youth and men of color in Boston. After spending 22 years incarcerated following a wrongful conviction—and later being granted bail while continuing to fight for exoneration—Joseph has committed his life to community healing, mentorship, and justice reform. His work focuses on addressing the long-term effects of incarceration on individuals, families, and communities.
Conversations with Coach LA is a live, interactive radio show and podcast focused on mental health, personal growth, social impact, and real-life solutions.
✨ Industry Recognition:
Conversations with Coach LA has been selected by FeedSpot panelists as one of the Top 90 Boundaries Podcasts on the web, recognizing its impact in mental health dialogue, emotional wellness, and boundary-centered conversations.
🔗 https://podcast.feedspot.com/boundaries_podcasts/
🎙️ Host: Coach LA (Lakisha R. Austin, LICSW, MBA)
📻 Airs on: Urban Heat 98.1FM
🎧 Available on: iHeartRadio & all major podcast platforms