What if the path to healing begins on the dancefloor? In this talk that draws from the origins of house music and its radical spirit of inclusion, Darlene Jackson aka DJ Lady D, reveals how a community built on resistance, resilience, and ingenuity became a living model for mental and emotional liberation. Through movement, trust, and collective safety, we can learn to dissolve anxiety, model self-actualization, and help young folks do the same. This talk is a blueprint for fearless living and proof that wherever your “dancefloor” resides, inner peace is available to us all.

Darlene Jackson, also known as DJ Lady D, is hailed as “Chicago’s House Music Queen” by Chicago Magazine. An international DJ, producer, and remixer, she has toured North America, Europe, Asia, and Russia with her charismatic sets of house, techno, and disco. She has performed at ARC, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Burning Man, and the Chosen Few Picnic, and in 2004 launched her independent label and brand, D’lectable, cementing her role as a trailblazer in electronic music.

Jackson’s influence extends beyond the stage. She has appeared in documentaries including The War on Disco and The Godfather of Disco, been featured in Forbes, Mixmag, and Billboard, and contributed to outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, NPR WBEZ, and BBC Radio. A Chicago Chapter Governor for the Recording Academy and a Screen Actors Guild member, she also holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University and shares her expertise on the history and science of house music with audiences nationwide.