In this episode of Stories That Say, hosts Shamm H Petros and Dwight Dunston engage with Emmy-winning filmmaker Osahan Tongo, exploring the intersection of identity, storytelling, and emotional healing. The conversation delves into Tongo's early memories of difference, the role of family in shaping identity, and the impact of food and care in relationships.

Osahon Tongo traces an early memory—“French toast at daycare”—into a present-day meditation on love, parenting, food as care, and what it means to see “tears in the cape” of a parent. Osahon also reflects on family, migration, and stepping into responsibility as elders age.

About Osahon Tongo

Osahon Tongo is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and writer whose work blends poetry, image, and movement. His storytelling spans NFL360 documentaries—including "The Chief Who Walked the Sea," "The Flyest Ever," and "The Indelible Legacy of Jimmy Raye"—to feature film projects like "They Cloned Tyrone," where he served as second-unit director on the satirical fried chicken sequence. A first-generation Nigerian American, Osahon draws inspiration from themes of migration, family, faith, and everyday acts of resilience. His films have screened nationally and internationally, and he continues to push the art of storytelling as a way to heal, connect, and reimagine what is possible.

Key quotes from Osahon Tongo

• “Every slight tear in his cape rocks me a little bit.”
• “I used to think love was a feeling, something that happened to me. But now I realize love is a decision I make, over and over again—especially in the moments when it feels hardest to give. That’s where I’ve grown the most, in choosing love even when it’s uncomfortable.”

Resources & links

Osahon’s website: https://www.osahontongo.com/

NFL360 — The Chief Who Walked the Sea: https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-360-the-chief-who-walked-the-sea

NFL360 — The Flyest Ever: https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-360-the-flyest-ever

NFL360 — The Indelible Legacy of Jimmy Raye (stream): https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/200001509/s2022-e06-the-indelible-legacy-of-jimmy-raye

They Cloned Tyrone (2nd unit—satirical chicken spot): https://www.osahontongo.com/they-cloned-tyrone

Try box breathing (how-to): https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits

Stories That Stay is a project of Lion’s Story, a nonprofit dedicated to building racial literacy through storytelling, mindfulness, and healing. Rooted in over 35 years of research by Dr. Howard C. Stevenson at the University of Pennsylvania, our work guides individuals and institutions to reclaim their stories, reduce identity-based stress, and step into authentic inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a way of being.

Produced and edited by Peterson Toscano.
Mindful moment music by Dwight Dunston.
Music by Epidemic Sound.

Podcast site: StoriesThatStay.net

Hosts: Shamm Petros and Dwight Dunston