The Bro Talk Podcast

Honoring Ms. D: A 90-Year Legacy of Service, Community Leadership, and Faith.

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It starts in Kansas City—with two young brothers, a bold idea, a prayer for help, and a supervisor who saw leadership and potential in two young Black men.

Her name is Lyde “Miss D” Doston. Ninety-one years young. Still ready to help others in need. In this episode, we honor her legacy of service, community leadership, and the faith that anchored her life.

She gave us one non-negotiable: stay in school.

That wasn’t just about degrees. It was about direction. That single condition anchored a path of service. What began as a job became a relationship—one that grew from employee into something more profound; it became sonship.

We invite you to listen to a conversation between two generations—reminiscing, receiving nuggets of wisdom, and offering a tribute to a dear friend who turned 91 years old on December 27, 2025.

If this episode stirred something in you, share it with the person who believed in you first. Follow the conversation. Leave a review with the best advice your mentor ever gave you.

Because your story might be the spark someone else needs to keep going.

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SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to them to the Broad Talk podcast where Royal Brothers have a Road Talk that leads to World Casmation. I'm Jermaine Albertin coming to you from Las Vegas, Nevada.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm Brian Williams joining you from Houston, Texas. Though we now live miles apart, we both share deep roots in Kansas City, Missouri, a place that helps shape our values, our faith, and our brotherhood.

SPEAKER_01:

When Brian and I decided to launch the Bro Talk podcast, we agreed there was no better way to start than by going back to our roots. And for both of us, that means honoring someone who poured into our lives long before this moment ever existed.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. Today we're sitting down with a special individual who helped mold not just our careers, but our character. We call her Miss Lyde Dawson, affectionately known as Miss D. She's 90 years young, full of wisdom, and she has served as our supervisor and mentor when we worked together at the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, Brian, what's so amazing is that over 31 years ago, I attended a Focus Kansas City event where one of our mentors, Rosemary Davis Kelly, invited me to attend. And it was at that meeting that I met Eugene Jones, who was the executive director of the Housing Authority of Kansas City. Told him I wanted to work with young people, and he said, write me a proposal. And I called you, and we spent all night working on that proposal. And before we knew it, we were the first youth coordinators for the housing authority. And that's where we met Miss Dawson. And she's been more than a former supervisor. She became family, a guiding light, a woman of faith, service, and love that transformed our lives. And so, Ms. Dawson, we want to welcome you to the Pro Talk Podcast.

unknown:

Ms.

SPEAKER_00:

D, we we want to thank you for taking the time to just just have a conversation with us. We respect you very much and we love you like a second mom. But what we want we want to do is we want to go down memory lane 31 years ago, the year was 1995, and Jermaine and I had an opportunity to work with you for the very first time. And what we want to ask you is back in our time in Kansas City at the Housing Authority, do you remember the very first time that you met us? And uh if you can kind of share with us what what was your experience meeting these two young black men who were 19 years old and who really wanted to do some incredible work with young people living in the housing authority? I don't know if you remember the first time you met us, but what were you?

SPEAKER_03:

I do, I do, I do, because I needed you at that time. I needed somebody to help me with what I was dealing with there, uh trying to organize the organization, the tenant association organization. And you were you was right on time. I guess you had you get you guys had a need, and I had a need, and I used mine. We didn't know I'm clam I'm putting the clamp on this.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we didn't we didn't know how pivotal you would be in our lives because we were just two young men with big dreams, plenty of energy, a lot to learn. And so uh you said that you needed us, we know we needed you. Uh when you first uh met us in those early days. Um I'm I'm just really curious. Like, you got these two young black men. What did you did you see our potential? Like, what did you see in?

SPEAKER_03:

I did, I really did. I really did. I said, if they can help me, I need help with all of these young people here in this development. I had no help. I was the only person that was a staff. I gotta get somebody to help me. You when you guys was on time.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, yeah. Uh you know, I'm I'm going on memory lane. I remember we had a concert at was it St. Mark's Church. St. Mark's Church. Yes. St. Mark's Church, and we had a youth choir. Yes. And we put together that youth choir, and uh, you got happy. You you started shouting at the You got happy at the concert. Uh not only uh did you need us, but those those kids uh at the house who now are adults now, yeah, they needed some black role models too. Yeah, and uh and so I I'm grateful that we were able to plant a seed and help them to grow and become those young professionals. Brian, uh you have another question from Steve?

SPEAKER_00:

I I do. So, Ms. D, you mentioned that there was you know one housing development, but there were actually six that I remember. And as I was about our time working with you, there was Theron B. Watkins, there was Riverview, there was Westview, there was Shoteau. Uh I don't know if I mentioned Riverview Gardens, West Love, then Wayne Minor.

SPEAKER_03:

Wayne Minor, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh those housing developments had a need, and just lots of young people who were hungry and thirsty. Um just get out and I couldn't handle that by myself. You guys were on time, yes, you were it really was and I saw something in you, yeah, you guys, that that you could develop those young young people that I couldn't handle all by myself, and they were hungry and thirsty for just exposure for education for opportunity. And I want to I want to follow up with something that you said. You said that you know, you all came at a time that I needed you, and you all could do the things that I couldn't do. But why why did you decide to invest in Jermaine and myself? We were we were we were college age students, uh, you had not met us before, and we were just hungry to do something for young people. Why did you want to invest in us and give us this opportunity?

SPEAKER_03:

I saw something in you that you could help me do what we needed, help the people in real view uh with the young people. I saw that. I said, now here's an opportunity for me to utilize this young man to help with me with what I need to do to organize these young people. And I was trying to reach the young people there so they could learn. And it I'm trying to remember.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, I I'll I'll remember something that you you did for us because we not only came to help you, but you helped us. Because I don't know if you remember the condition that you put up on us that if we were going to be employed with the housing authority of Kansas City, you said now we're gonna give you these jobs and we're gonna create this title for you as youth coordinators for the housing authority. But there's one condition that I want you all to keep in place. I don't know if you remember that, but the one condition you told us was you two have to stay in school. Stay in school.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Why was that important? Why was that why was that important for us? Why did you make that that condition and make us promise that to ourselves?

SPEAKER_03:

Hey, why did I well? Um I didn't want you to get that take that job and then drop out. I wanted you to stay.

SPEAKER_00:

Because you know, we came, both of us came from from two families where we didn't have them, we didn't have enough or have a lot, and we needed to make money, we needed to work full-time to go to school. But you said that we came at a time where you needed us, but we also needed you. We needed each other, and that promise that you made us make to ourselves helped us to become the the young men that we are today.

unknown:

Right.

SPEAKER_03:

And Brian has myself, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, Brian Brian kept that promise real deep. He has a bachelor's, master's, and a PhD. And I have a bachelor's and a master's working or I want to work on a PhD. So uh, but over time our relationship became so much more than professional. We became family. And I want to know when can you share the moment when you realize that that bond had grown into your from uh professional to us as you call it, your true flesh and blood sons. When when did when did we become your just true your sons?

SPEAKER_03:

I think from the first day I laid eyes on you. Okay. I saw something that I could use to help me with what I needed to do there.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, and one of the things that we often when we were talking is we we laugh together, we pray together, you know. Uh it is just like talking to uh another mom. And so uh I'm glad that Lydia has uh shared you with us. Uh so we if you don't know, Lydia is Mrs. D daughter, and she shared uh her with us, and we're just so grateful that uh she shared you with us. And me and uh Brian both often talk about how honored we are to be considered to be your sons. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

But she already she she knows she knows how I feel. She she's telling me, Mama, your sons are here. They call you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes, so we we are excited to be called.

SPEAKER_03:

I could not have done what was put on me put on me to do without you guys. Yeah, and it was right on time, right on time that I needed you to step up to the plate. I needed to, I needed to hide, and I just took it up granted to do it myself. I said no, and then I saw something in you, you guys. I I don't know what it was um what I fell in love with you as young men seemed like you guys wanted to do something, go places, or what it was, but it was an attachment and it's still there.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, it is 31 years later, 31 years later. Um you you saw something in us, you saw that we wanted to give back to our community and that we were wanted we were going places, but one of the things that we learned from you is is leadership. Um, and so as we think about leadership, you were not just involved in the housing authority, but you were involved in your church, you were involved in AAACP. Yes, what what's one lesson is not going on?

SPEAKER_02:

You know that I'm still doing that 90 years old.

SPEAKER_00:

What you still doing that? Still involved?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I'm still involved.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yes, very much so. What when you think about leadership, what's one lesson that you wanted to pass on to us? What's something that you wanted to pass on to us as you think about leadership or leading in your community?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, yes, leadership. You guys had this as the skills that you could move on from where you were with me and go on and do stuff for other people and other folk. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_00:

That makes a lot of sense. And uh we we learned that from you that you know, us leading was not just to make ourselves better, but it was to make our communities better and invest.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, we had a responsibility on our shoulders. It wasn't just it, it was the it was the whole development and any of the other developments in the hot and public housing. I don't think it the other the units, the other housing authorities had what I had when I had you guys to help me. One of the things I know is the people in public housing.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, one of the things I know that's so very important to you is your faith uh and your love of God. And so can you just share share with us just a little bit of about uh how important your faith is to you and how it strengthened you and kept you kept you strong to do what you do. I know your faith is so important. Just want to invite you to share if you two about how how important your faith is to you.

SPEAKER_03:

Well it's important. Uh I don't know how to how to how to explain that. Yeah, it's it's important, and that going down this road, I want to take somebody, make somebody with me.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

And you guys was on was on time, yeah. And I'm still in, I'm still and you let me just say that. Do you know how many years that was? And there are people still calling me today to get to help. I've been on the waiting list for X number of weeks or months or years or something, and I can't get an apartment. And my children slept in the park last night. My two daughters, because I had nowhere to stay. I said, Hold up, hold up. Somebody told me to call you and can you help me? Can you help me? I said, Yeah, but you gotta trust me with your social security number. I gotta check and see where you were up, you was on the waiting list, it would still be in the archives, and I can go pull it up.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, that's amazing. That's amazing that that people still trust you and reach out to help. You can ask for help.

SPEAKER_03:

But you know what? That's my life now. I I I feel right now like I did back then about what I'm doing to help somebody else.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_03:

In my mind, I can see a a young woman coming into my office, and she had two uh daughters, girls with her, and they was all dressed in the white stars and dresses and that kind of thing. And she was wanting to go into public wanted uh a unit. And she said, I don't want to live in public housing, I'm afraid we slept on the park bench last night. I said, Well, just wait, give me a minute, just give me a minute, just give me a minute. So I put my thing in in order, had them my staff to get us something ready right then. For her, they won't be sleeping in the park again.

SPEAKER_00:

That's amazing. That's amazing. Wow. Thank you for thank you for sharing that. You know, Miss D, uh, Jermaine asked you about your faith. And we know that your faith is very, very, very important to you. It is, yeah. Do do you remember a time where your faith was ever tested?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yes, I do. Yeah, I remember my faith when it was tested. Yeah, I do. I uh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I guess I need to share it though when it was tested. It was ahead of um, see how that go back to go back to that.

SPEAKER_00:

And if you can't test if you can't remember it, uh that's okay. Remember, you're 90 years old. You're 90 years old.

SPEAKER_03:

But I guess what I want to say is so much on my place. Everybody's helping, everybody was pulling because they wanted me to help them. And do you and I'm still doing that today.

SPEAKER_00:

You are, yeah. Yeah. Well, and and as you talk about faith and it being tested and people wanting you to help them, I'm sure there were times where there were things that you wanted to do for yourself and for your family, um, but you sacrificed those things in order to help others. And so that's what we appreciate about you so much that you always right about that.

SPEAKER_03:

But I had I had to do I did both.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you always think I'm still doing it.

SPEAKER_03:

You sure are, sure are and and then it's not, it's not, it's just, and I'm enjoying helping. I I get emotional when I talk about it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Wow. Incredible.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Miss Dawson, before we close, we just want to thank you not only for supervising us, but for believing us. Um as we said before, you saw something in two young men from Kansas City and taught us to serve with heart and to lead with humility, uh, and to live with faith.

SPEAKER_03:

And uh in my heart in my heart.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know what that you know wasn't wrong. No, and you know, you know who that was. The the God in you saw the God in him. Yes, and he did all right.

SPEAKER_03:

I accept that. Yeah, and I don't want you to forget that.

SPEAKER_01:

Remember, we remember, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Anyway, hey, listen, when the listen, if I if I'm the longest liver, you guys will show up.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, we will, yes, ma'am. Well, we uh wow, we actually, you know, that was gonna be one of the things I asked you. What what advice would you give um individuals like Jermaine and myself? But you you just did. You you just advise us never to forget, you know, who we are and and whose we are. Yes, yes, yes, uh blessing us with your wisdom, your love, and your example, and we just appreciate being considered your sons, and uh just for for you being um like a mom to us, uh and we appreciate your prayers, your support, and encouragement. And 31 years ago, we appreciate and we thank you for seeing something in us, something special in us, because now we're yeah, yeah, yeah. We share that with others that we come in contact with.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, they didn't say your sons call mom.

SPEAKER_01:

Listen, just just know that we love you so much. We do. We uh we are we're launching this podcast called The Bro Talk, and we just knew that we could not uh not start this venture together out giving thanks to those who made an impact in our lives. And uh you are truly a person who made a major impact in our lives, and we're just we're grateful. So um I'll say it again. We love you so much. Yeah, we we love you, we do.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, okay. Well, I'm I'm gonna say this. I probably said it before, but I won't be able to see you when the Lord calls me home, but you better be there.

SPEAKER_00:

We're gonna be there, and that as as we do every time we have a chance to to talk to you, you might be doing you might be doing a funeral.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, listen, we'll do whatever you and Lydia wants us to do. We we'll be there to support you and for sure, yes. And and guess what?

SPEAKER_00:

We've been doing we've been doing what you've been telling us to do. So we're not gonna stop for so long. We ain't gonna stop now.

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

So one of the one of the things dearly, I love you dearly.

SPEAKER_00:

I really do one of the things we always ask you before we end our time is what would you like for us to pray with you about?

SPEAKER_03:

Well, just recommend my health, that kind of thing, my strength that I continue to do to help others where and where I can. But he always blesses somebody that needs my advice. Yeah, I guess that's a good way to say it. So they always call.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep. Well, we can do that, we will certainly do it. Um, and we'll we'll, I guess, Jermaine, you and I can pray together. I'll start us off and then you can end it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, let's do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Father, we thank you for Miss D. We just thank you for her gift, her gift of love, laughter, wisdom, her legacy of giving back and helping those who are in need. And we thank you so much for her life and for her family and um for all the sacrifices that she's made to make a difference in the lives of others. And so we just ask that you bless her and bless her health and bless her family in the wonderful name of Jesus.

SPEAKER_01:

And we just give thanks for this amazing gift that you gave to the world some 90 plus years ago. And we just thank you. I've told her over and over again how selfish I am. I want her to live forever. I'm selfish, but we thank you for the years you've given us, God. And so we just pray for strength and we just pray that you will continue to just guide her. And this is our prayer. Amen. Amen. Well, thank you, Ms. D, for your time.

SPEAKER_03:

You guys keep up the good work.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we will.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah, keep it out.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and thank Lydia for the first time.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, family, what a way to begin this journey. Two brothers are candidly now in Las Vegas used to come in full circle to our woman who have chosen the art.

SPEAKER_00:

If today's conversation inspired you, take a minute to reach out to someone who's guided you a mentor, a teacher, a parent, or a point, and let them know that their influence still matters. This is the Bro Top Focus! Real brothers. Brock We're all made.